CHAPTER FIFTY TWO

Charlotte's POV

I trudge up the mountain,my hiking boots digging into the hard earth. I have been walking for hours and fatigue is beginning to set in, however I push on relentlessly with only the thought of finding Cathy on my mind. My mind has been in a state of worry since I found her cryptic note. Who is this “him” that she was going back to? And why did she feel the need to run off like some teenage girl?

I do not know how much longer I have to climb or what to expect at the top of this mountain. As I climb higher, the air grows thick with fog and the trees tower above me,their branches creaking in the wind like skeletal fingers. I squint to see ahead for any sign of life. The only sounds are the leaves rustling and the distant rumble of a coming storm. I quicken my pace, my heart pounding even louder. My mind refuses to assume the worst but somewhere deep down, the gnawing thought grows. What if Cathy is in trouble? What if, God forbid, she's dead?

As I approach the top of the m