behind me, I guessed he thought
maybe in case I would faint from fear or something.
The car ride home was mostly silent. Buck didn’t know what else to say to comfort me, and my
mind was still trying to wrap itself around the situation at hand. I had gotten what I wanted, an answer
to my question, and I knew I should truly feel fear. I had gotten absurdly close to an alleged killer, but
for some reason, the shock of hearing the reason of why Emry was in jail was not because I was
afraid of him. I felt sorry for him. This all had to be a mistake, but murder wouldn’t be treated lightly.
This wasn’t just something he could walk away from and be released from jail, not any day soon, at
least. This was a real mess, and I felt a hollow feeling forming in the pit of my stomach. Why was I
being so harsh toward Buck for being an emotional mess? I was the one who was acting like a drama
queen with my ups and downs. This was not something I felt I was capable of helping Emry with. This
was beyond me. I was too insignificant to help Emry. I was helpless , I thought.
Surely there was more to the story. I had to start digging up Emry’s past. How would I ever start to
do such a thing? I felt determination again, a purpose to all of this madness within myself. It was the
only thing that helped make the void slightly disappear and somewhat bearable. I had to redirect my
thoughts once again. I was going to have to become more focused or else Emry would be lost to me
forever in the lifetime of a prison sentence.
“Just great!” Buck shouted out.
My eyes flittered upwards to look through the windshield towards the foggy road in front of us. I
couldn’t tell where we were as I hadn’t been paying attention. Buck pulled over to the side of the
road.
“Do you feel that?” he asked me.
I looked toward him and then back to the road as the car came to a complete stop. “Feel what?”
Buck took a deep breath. “Flat tire.” As he jumped out of the car, I felt the sudden rush of cold air
hit my face from the open door.
I pulled the handle of the car door on my side and slipped out into the afternoon air as well. The fog
was thick, settling a few inches off the ground. I had trouble seeing my own feet as I looked down at
the road. Buck was already bent over the culprit tire trying to see how much damage had been done.
“How bad is it?” I walked over and stood behind him. I could see the tire sagging. “Do you have a
spare?”
He huffed as if suddenly irritated with himself. “You’d think I would, but you know, I don’t. I don’t
even have a donut.” He kicked at the tire with his boot. “I can call someone. It shouldn’t take too long
for us to be picked up.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Sure is getting colder, huh? We’d
better get back in the car and try to keep warm.”
I saw him eye me slightly, and I realized he was thinking he could keep me warm until someone
showed up. Would he offer me his coat or put his arms around me in the car? I wasn’t sure what he
had planned, but I nervously started straining my eyes to try to look through the fog.
“Hey, we’re on Livingston Street, aren’t we?” I asked, taking a few steps away from Buck and a
few closer toward the open field across the road.
“Yeah, I think. Why?”
“Mrs. Anderson lives on this road, and if this is the field,” I said, crossing the ditch and hopping
into the field, “her house should just be right up there.” I pointed for him. “We could stay there until
someone picked us up. It’d be warm there.” It would get me away from having to be that close to
Buck. I didn’t want to give him too much of the wrong impression. Friendly, yes, but not that friendly.
Before Buck could object to my little scheme, I started walking through the field toward where I
was almost certain the house would be.
“Anna, wait up!” Buck yelled out from behind me. “I have to get my phone!”
I slowed my pace a little but continued
maybe in case I would faint from fear or something.
The car ride home was mostly silent. Buck didn’t know what else to say to comfort me, and my
mind was still trying to wrap itself around the situation at hand. I had gotten what I wanted, an answer
to my question, and I knew I should truly feel fear. I had gotten absurdly close to an alleged killer, but
for some reason, the shock of hearing the reason of why Emry was in jail was not because I was
afraid of him. I felt sorry for him. This all had to be a mistake, but murder wouldn’t be treated lightly.
This wasn’t just something he could walk away from and be released from jail, not any day soon, at
least. This was a real mess, and I felt a hollow feeling forming in the pit of my stomach. Why was I
being so harsh toward Buck for being an emotional mess? I was the one who was acting like a drama
queen with my ups and downs. This was not something I felt I was capable of helping Emry with. This
was beyond me. I was too insignificant to help Emry. I was helpless , I thought.
Surely there was more to the story. I had to start digging up Emry’s past. How would I ever start to
do such a thing? I felt determination again, a purpose to all of this madness within myself. It was the
only thing that helped make the void slightly disappear and somewhat bearable. I had to redirect my
thoughts once again. I was going to have to become more focused or else Emry would be lost to me
forever in the lifetime of a prison sentence.
“Just great!” Buck shouted out.
My eyes flittered upwards to look through the windshield towards the foggy road in front of us. I
couldn’t tell where we were as I hadn’t been paying attention. Buck pulled over to the side of the
road.
“Do you feel that?” he asked me.
I looked toward him and then back to the road as the car came to a complete stop. “Feel what?”
Buck took a deep breath. “Flat tire.” As he jumped out of the car, I felt the sudden rush of cold air
hit my face from the open door.
I pulled the handle of the car door on my side and slipped out into the afternoon air as well. The fog
was thick, settling a few inches off the ground. I had trouble seeing my own feet as I looked down at
the road. Buck was already bent over the culprit tire trying to see how much damage had been done.
“How bad is it?” I walked over and stood behind him. I could see the tire sagging. “Do you have a
spare?”
He huffed as if suddenly irritated with himself. “You’d think I would, but you know, I don’t. I don’t
even have a donut.” He kicked at the tire with his boot. “I can call someone. It shouldn’t take too long
for us to be picked up.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Sure is getting colder, huh? We’d
better get back in the car and try to keep warm.”
I saw him eye me slightly, and I realized he was thinking he could keep me warm until someone
showed up. Would he offer me his coat or put his arms around me in the car? I wasn’t sure what he
had planned, but I nervously started straining my eyes to try to look through the fog.
“Hey, we’re on Livingston Street, aren’t we?” I asked, taking a few steps away from Buck and a
few closer toward the open field across the road.
“Yeah, I think. Why?”
“Mrs. Anderson lives on this road, and if this is the field,” I said, crossing the ditch and hopping
into the field, “her house should just be right up there.” I pointed for him. “We could stay there until
someone picked us up. It’d be warm there.” It would get me away from having to be that close to
Buck. I didn’t want to give him too much of the wrong impression. Friendly, yes, but not that friendly.
Before Buck could object to my little scheme, I started walking through the field toward where I
was almost certain the house would be.
“Anna, wait up!” Buck yelled out from behind me. “I have to get my phone!”
I slowed my pace a little but continued
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