The Night Chap 4

"Have you seen Serena, Josh?" Amy asked.

"NO!" came a solemn reply from Josh.

"I bet as always she decided to be the odd one out!" Jim giggled.

"It's not funny Jim! Maybe we should go look for her. After all she is our friend," Amy replied.

"No one is going anywhere to look for anyone!" said Josh calmly.

"Yeah Amy we told her to come with us right? She did not! It's her fault." said Jim.

"You guys are so cold-heart-ed.I can't believe that you are my friends. Someone from our group is stuck out there. God knows where. She might be weird but in the end she is our friend dammit. Have some sense let's go look for her!" yelled Amy.

Josh stopped in his tracks and looked back at Amy.

"You know what you are right! We should go search for her!" said Josh

"I knew you would understand Josh. Thanks. Let's go find her" said Amy.

"Yeah sure! But you go alone! I won't and I bet Jim won't too! Isn't it Jim?" replied Josh.

"Yeah... Yeah... I am not going!" Jim said.

Josh turned around and started walking back on his way. Jim followed him. Amy glanced once into the dark mist and foggy ambiance behind her. With a long sign she dropped her head and started walking with Josh and Jim.

"How much longer Josh?" asked a worn-out Jim.

"Not much longer! Just by the end of the curve" replied Josh. "You did right Amy, coming with us. Whatever you did was the best choice. The woods are unforgiving and the nights turn out to be really out of sorts with unknown conditions filling up the horizon now and then. You did GOOD!" said Josh.

Amy did not utter a single word. She kept on walking with them quietly.

"Wait!" shouted Josh.

"What? What? Whoa... A river?" replied Jim surprised.

"No a swamp Jim. This wasn't supposed to be here. That's strange." whispered Josh.

"Oh great! So we have lost our way now? We have lost our family and now you tell me you don't know where your house is!?" exclaimed Amy.

"No I am pretty sure this is the path to the cottage of mine. Last time I checked there was no river here!" mumbled Josh.

"And when was that last time Josh? Sixth grade?" questioned Amy.

"Stop wailing Amy! I bet Josh knows what he is doing. Right pal? You know how to get us out of here right?" said Jim

"I guess!" replied Josh...