[his POV]

I turned the corner and barely missed a group of women clad with ultra-short dresses and men with deep wrinkles. Disgusting.  With my left hand, I tried to maneuver my phone carefully without moving too much. I didn't want to jostle my arm. I put the phone against my ear, waiting for her to pick up. “We’re sorry. You have contacted a number that has disconnected or is no longer in service. Please try again later.” A monotone voice annoyingly recited. I tried again, and again to no avail. What happened to Jessica?! Worried, I stepped on the pedal as I saw the outline of the factory growing larger.

 The car began to bounce up and down as the road had become bumpier. I grimaced as my left arm bumped into the side door causing the flow of blood to start again. I tried to forget about the pain as I pulled to a gentle stop before the factory. Now, where do I go from here? I got out of my car, and locked it before I left. Wandering around, I still couldn’t see any signs that Jessica had been here.

The tall grass was up to my hips, and I noticed that there were two trampled grass paths. I decided to follow the winding paths. This place was strangely quiet, and I shuddered as a chilly breeze blew through the grass. As I walked on, I heard faint voices. I stopped, concentrating on where the voices were coming from. Suddenly, a loud bang filled the silent night, and my heart stopped.

Different possibilities popped into my head, and I tried to forget them, try to not think that they were true. I ran towards a large boulder – I realized it was a cave.  I stumbled to a halt in front of the entrance, huffing from my dash.  Her back was to me, but I knew it was her. A man laid on the floor, his right leg oozing blood that dripped onto the pale sandy ground, tainting it.  He looked strangely familiar, but I pushed that out of my mind for the moment being. I saw Jessica crumple to her feet, the gun thrown a few meters away.  She had her head in her hands, sobbing softly. I knelt down beside her and held her to my chest; gently cradling her while she sat in my lap.

“Shh, it’s okay Jessica. It’s okay. I’m here.” I whispered to her while her hair. She grabbed onto my shirt with her hands, and I could feel the wet spots where her tears fell. “Don’t worry Jessica. Everything will be alright.” I promised even though I knew things were far from over.