The Lost Story

by Meg Shaffer

You okay?” He set the box down again. “Sorry. Having a mild mental breakdown. Ignore me.” Suddenly, Jeremy sat up straight and ran his hands through his hair, slicking it back. He breathed through his fingers, eyes red like he was trying not to cry. “Jeremy?” His head fell back and he laughed. He laughed like he’d won the lottery, or better, like he’d won the heart of his true love. Or even better than that, he laughed like the doctor had said they’d made a mistake, and he would live a good long life after all. She’d never heard a more beautiful laugh. In a flash, so fast she gasped, he grabbed her hand, looked up, and met her eyes. “Thank you,” he said. He wasn’t laughing anymore. “For what?” “For finding me,” he said. “Okay, you’re scaring me again.” “Good.” “Good. What does that even mean?” “I mean, there’s no bringing her here. We go to her.” “So she is alive? Can you tell me that much?” “Yes. I believe so. And I tend to be right about these things.” Emilie sat back in her chair. “She’s alive. She’s really alive.” He nodded. “In the woods? Is that where she is? Red Crow State Forest?” she asked. “That’s where we’ll find her.” “Okay…okay…” She stood up and paced around the dining room table. “I can, um…I can handle this. I think. Maybe…” “You can.” She needed to hear that. “What now?”