About ten minutes passed and a message came through on Cathy’s cell phone. It was Joann letting her know that her plane has landed. Cathy texted her back and told her that she was at the coffee shop at the end of her plane's terminal. Even though Cathy was feeling panicked about her daughter missing, she felt a bit of Joy because her niece will be with her soon.
Cathy got up from the counter stool and walked to the entrance of the coffee shop. She figured that she would wait for Joann right outside of the shop. When five minutes passed and a crowd of people walked in Cathy’s direction, she looked around for Joann. It wasn’t until five more minutes had passed that she saw Joann at the end of a different crowd.
Joann ran up and hugged Cathy, “Aunt Cathy, it’s so good to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you too dear. Thank you for coming home.”
“Well, we have to find Linda. Has the police told you anything yet?” Joann asked.
“No, but let’s get you home and we’ll talk about it more there,” Cathy grabbed Joann’s carry-on bag.
Cathy and Joann went down to the luggage claim to pick up Joann’s suitcase and then headed back to town. Joann asked if they could stop and get a burger at her favorite restaurant in town, so they did. After all, Cathy hadn’t eaten since yesterday. Joann took several bites of her quarter-pound, bacon cheeseburger before setting it down.
"Oh, this is so good. I know that it’s only been three months since I’ve been gone but it feels like forever,” Joann took a drink of her soda.
Cathy smiled and ate her chicken sandwich while she listened to Joann. Joann told her how school was going for her and what she has been learning so far. It was almost comforting for Cathy to see and hear her niece go on and on. Linda is the same way when experiencing new things, she thought. The two of them finished eating and left the restaurant. Cathy drove them home and helped carry Joann’s luggage up to her room. It was almost six thirty at night and Cathy thought that Joann would be tired and ready to stay in but she wasn’t.
“Okay aunt Cathy, I’m all unpacked. Now let’s go look for Linda,” she said.
“I looked everywhere I could think of earlier today,” Cathy looked at Joann.
Joann asked her aunt Cathy if she looked everywhere at the preserve. Joann told her that there are a couple of caves out there where she and Linda have gone in the past. Cathy didn’t know about the caves and she wasn’t sure if the police even knew about them. Even though it was going to be dark soon, Joann convinced her aunt to go back out there. Cathy called the police station to tell deputy Rhonda Dean about the caves but she wasn’t there. She left a message with the clerk that answered the phone. Cathy told the clerk that she and Joann were going out to the preserve to look in the caves for Linda.
Cathy grabbed a light jacket and insisted that Joann do the same. Cathy also gathered up a couple of flashlights and 2 bottles of water and stuck them in a backpack. They grabbed their cell phones along with the backpack and headed out the door.
“Are you sure that you remember where these caves are?” Cathy asked Joann.
“Yes, but they are a ways off the main trail,” Joann climbed into the car.
It was almost dark by the time Cathy and Joann arrived at the preserve. The only lights there were at the entrance and at the building with the bathrooms in them. Otherwise, the rest of the preserve only had the moon and stars to light the way. Since Joann knew the way, she led her aunt Cathy down the main path and then off through some trees. They were walking about thirty-five minutes before they arrive at the mountain where one of the caves was at. Joann and Cathy walked around to one side of the mountain and stopped at the entrance.
Cathy shined her flashlight inside and then looked at Joann, “you girls went in there?”
“Yes, but of course, it was usually during the day,” Joann said.
Cathy stepped closer to the cave entrance and called for Linda. With hesitation, Cathy led the way into the dark and damp cave and called out Linda’s name again. There was no answer from Linda but they heard plenty of other screeching and scuffling sounds from other critters. The two of them walked through spider webs, stumbled over loose rocks, and called Linda’s name for about twenty minutes.
“Let’s go back Joann, I don’t think that she’s in here,” Cathy turned around.
Joann and her aunt carefully made their way back out of the cave. Cathy told Joann that this is too dangerous in the dark and that they should leave. Joann convinced Cathy to at least go to the entrance of the other cave and call for Linda. So that is what they did after walking another fifteen minutes in the dark. Cathy and Joann called and called out Linda’s name but heard nothing back. Cathy told Joann that they should go home now and come back during the day.
As the two of them made their way back to the main trail, Joann saw a strange light in the sky.
“What is that?” Joann pointed up.
They stopped to watch the light and noticed the wind picked up.
“I think that’s over that open field isn’t it?” Cathy asked.
“Yes, I think that you’re right,” Joann started to walk that way.
“Wait Joann, I don’t think that, that’s a good idea,” Cathy grabbed her arm.
“Come on, aren’t you curious?”
Cathy let go of Joann’s arm and they cautiously walked off the path and toward the field. The sounds of the crickets and frogs that they were hearing before stopped. The light in the sky was getting larger as they got closer. And it was so bright that it was like a spotlight on a theatre stage. The wind also blew harder as if there were turbine engines running without the noise. Cathy and Joann walked closer to the field, occasionally looking up along the way.
ET came back. I wonder if he brought a moble phone so he can "phone home"?