Page 35 of Totally Shipped
“DAISY?”
There is no sound except for the regular buzz of insects and rustling leaves. “Daisy? Babe?” No response.
I walk a circuit all the way around the glade, and come up empty.
“DAISY?”
Now I hear someone moving through the undergrowth, thank fuck. I was beginning to get anxious.
But it’s Killian, and for the first time, seeing him makes my heart drop. He seems to be on the same wavelength. “You haven’t found her?”
“No, and I don’t like it.”
“I’ll walk back to the pool. Maybe she went there.”
“Weird that she wouldn’t have told one of us?”
“Yeah, but maybe she woke early. I’ll go now.”
He doesn’t wait for a reply, just heads off at a jog.
I head back into the glade. Rex and Leander look up at me expectantly. I shake my head.
“I couldn’t find her.”
“Daisy is lost?” Key jumps up immediately, fear starkly obvious on her face.
“Probably not, but we should just take a little look-around.” Rex says, taking her by the hand. “Come on, noodle. You and I can look for her together.”
It’s been at least an hour, and Daisy is nowhere to be found.
Nowhere.
“She wasn’t at the pool,” Killian had said. “So where is she?”
The million dollar question.
Rex is helping Key collect all the gifts. The little girl is obviously really worried; tears are threatening to fall any minute now.
Rex rubs her on her back. “I’ll take Key back to the beach with all our stuff. Maybe she’s there?”
Leander, Killian, and I are going to search this area again, but try to be more methodical, and look for footprints, or any sign of her at all.
Any sign at all.
Where are you, Daisy?
DAISY
Jungle bathrooms leave a lot to be desired.
We have a system where we mark our ‘deposits’ with a couple of sticks, so other people know not to dig in that spot. After doing my business, I bend over and make the X out of a couple of twigs.
Urgh.
My lower back is nagging this morning. I’m sure it’s something to do with ligaments and pregnancy hormones. Add it to the list of a million things I don’t know about having a baby.
Heading back to the glade, I use a branch to batter down a plant that is in my way.
