Page 138 of Crystal Iris
We lie down, the past few days weighing heavy on us. I stick with sleeping on the couch. Hoyt falls asleep almost instantly. I follow him minutes after.
I’m having another nightmare when I hear him scream.
I jump up, my heart racing.
I look at him, trying to figure out what happened. I don’t understand what’s going on. He’s hunched over the side of the bed.
“Hoyt, what happened?”
I walk closer and see the strain, the sweat on his face—he’s in pain.His right hand grips his prism, the indigo light shining between his fingers.
“Hoyt, should I call 911?”
I’m walking away to grab my phone when he says, “No.”
I look back at him.
“Something’s wrong,” he says, standing up.
“What is?”
“I don’t know. I need to check on Johanna.”
“I’ll go,” I tell him.
Johanna isn’t responding to my knock on her door. I call her name. I call her phone. Nothing. Hoyt is at my side, almost breaking down the door with his heavy knocks.
I call the lobby, asking them to send someone, and they tell me Johanna left the hotel.
“She’s gone, Hoyt. She left the hotel,” I say.
He moves fast, putting on shoes, racing out the door. I follow him, almost running to catch up.
“We don’t have a car,” I realize as we run outside. It’s a windy night; I can barely keep my hair out of my face.
I’m still trying to figure out what happened when he comes back with keys.
“Whose car?” I ask.
“Filthy rich, remember?”
We drive as fast as the roads allow.
“What did you feel?” I ask him, reprimanding myself for my lack of experience driving. Hoyt insists he’s okay enough to do it, but we both know he isn’t. The heavy wind gusts aren’t helping.
“Turn here,” he says. “This was different—it was real pain, not like before, when she cut her hand.”
“They said she left just an hour ago. She’s probably still driving.” I try to calm both of us with my words.
“If something happened to her…”
His face—I wish I could at least hold his hand.
“Don’t go there, Hoyt.” I step on the gas, relieved the roads are mostly clear.
My heart skips a beat when I spot the familiar car by the red door.
“You stay here. Don’t come out, Iris. Please.”
