The Disappearance of Emily: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic Series Book 2 by Elizabeth Pantley (best books under 200 pages .txt) 📗

and gran. They had Axel and me. Then he disappeared without a trace on the day of my birth, not to be heard from again. I now knew that was when he and Axel were captured and transported to Destiny Falls, where they were trapped, unable to return to us.

My mother had disappeared two days later. We had always assumed that because she was a young mother with a new baby, suddenly without a husband, that she was overwhelmed with panic and fled. Perhaps we didn’t know the truth? Was there a similar mystery to the disappearance of Emily, my mother?

Inexplicably, I started to laugh, then it turned into crying. Then I was laughing and crying at the same time. Could people even do that? Apparently, they can. For a while, I rode my roller-coaster of emotions without even trying to control them.

Finally, I lay on the yoga mat and did a series of movements that I often use when I want to relieve stress, and oh, did I feel stress right now. I ended up with the corpse pose (worst name ever for a yoga position) and lay flat on my back, my arms spread out at my sides. Instead of closing my eyes, though, I looked up at the ceiling, my mind spinning with possibilities and questions.

I snapped a photo of the section of the page where my mother’s name was written. Then I took a photo of the entire page, plus the ones before and after it. I’d look up some of the names at the newspaper office or maybe the library. Perhaps it would lead to a clue about when these pages had been created or information about the people listed.

While dressing to meet Axel, I made the decision that at lunch I would show him and Jaxson the photos of the mail carrier’s attack scene and point out what I’d discovered. I also decided not to share anything about the box or finding our mother’s name on the ledger. It terrified me to think it might cause dangerous repercussions, based on Nakita’s warning, and the very real occurrence of her death. What if I opened a literal Pandora’s Box and allowed danger into our family? I couldn’t risk that.

Axel led the conversation on our drive to the hospital with an update on Han’s condition. “Han can’t remember the accident. He has no idea what happened. The doctor said it’s common to be unable to recall events immediately before, during, and after a head trauma event. All that Han remembers is being on a hike up to the lake. He’s very frustrated because he’s done that trail many times, and he’s an experienced hiker and climber. He doesn’t know why he’d put himself so close to a cliff edge, so he’s angry at himself and confused.”

“It’s not his fault, I’m sure!” I instinctively jumped to Han’s defense.

“The doctor said feeling responsible for the accident is normal. Also, that a patient’s frustration with the inability to remember is normal. So, he suggested we don’t ask him any questions about the accident right now.”

“Okay, that makes sense. Does he have any other injuries?” I asked.

“A bump and gash on his head, which aligns with the concussion. He also has a broken arm and, of course, it would be his dominant arm. And apparently some cuts and scrapes consistent with a fall through the brush. He’s an active guy, so being laid up and injured doesn’t sit well with him. On top of that, he’s dealing with another of the concussion symptoms—general mental fogginess and forgetfulness.”

“I’m sure he’s struggling with that,” I said.

“Yeah, but the doctor says that trying to tough it out can make the concussion symptoms worse, so his sisters tried to convince him to stay with one of them for a few days. He was stubborn about that, so, apparently, they’re going to take turns staying at his place. The doctor said his attitude is normal for a person suffering from these kinds of injuries, but that ignoring the symptoms can slow his recovery. So, he grudgingly agreed.”

“Did the doctor say if he’ll recover his memories of the accident?”

“It’s possible. Thought it could be weeks or even months. Some people never regain the memory of their accident. Only time will tell.”

We pulled up to the hospital, and it impressed me to see a rather large, normal-looking city hospital, rather than more of a clinic, which is what I expected of a small town. Destiny Falls seemed to provide the best services for the people who lived here. The odd way that it moved parks and buildings around, the enchanted library, and the fact that it ‘provided’ Poppy’s Extravaganza, I wondered if the town simply zapped the hospital in or if humans built it in the usual way.

We checked in at the front desk and they gave us directions to Han’s room. We walked in to see him standing in front of the closet, gathering his belongings, apparently ready to high-tail it out of there.

“Hey, dude,” said Axel. “Did the doctor give you the okay to be up and about like this?”

“Hello to you too,” said Han, clumsily shoving his clothes into a backpack with his left hand, his right in a cast and sling. Then he saw me, and his face lit up with a brilliant smile. “Hayden!”

“Hi. How’re you feeling?”

“Well, now that you’re here, I’m a 100 percent better.”

“Woah,” said Axel, “What about me? Doesn’t my presence rate?”

“Not when you come charging in like one of my sisters. I’ve had quite enough nagging from them, thank you very much. I don’t need any more from you.” But he softened his words by giving Axel a smile and a playful punch to the arm. After which Axel moaned and held his supposedly injured shoulder.

“They’re granting my freedom later today. I’m waiting to clear the paperwork with the doctor Yanay and Mei are on the way here to drive me home. They feel