Last chapter
Monday 11.14.2016
Big Island, Hawaii
Kayla opened the door and dragged a Josh inside like a drawning person getting hold of a floating plank.
"I called the gallery, the workshop she sometimes helps at, even her neurologist. Nobody, nobody saw her! I, I, I...What, what should we do?" Worry flooded Kayla's face, her voice trembling.
Looking around the living and dining room, Josh asked with forced calmness, "Have she mentioned anywhere she wanted to go visit?"
"Well of course she has! Every time she sees a nice photo she says she wants to go there." Kayla's eyes dimmed. "But we never let her, not by herself anyway."
"Have you searched the house for any notes or letters? She might have left you something."
The idea stroke Kayla like a lightning. She frantically walked around the house, coming back with disappointment and a journal in her hand.
"I only found this on her bed, written down to the last line. But look, it's all scribbles."
Josh flipped the pages with a frown. "Let's call the police and file a report first." External help was the best choice at the moment, he decided.
"Don't we need to wait for 24 hours?"
"No, that's TV talk. We can report anytime if there's a suspicion for a missing person, especially someone needing medical attention." Josh dialed 911 as he answered.
15 minutes later, a police officer in a dark blue uniform arrived at the door, introducing himself as Officer David Hope.
"First of all, I need you to fill out this form with detail description of Emma, including...um, you mentioned she has a medical condition? Write down what medication she's taking now." David turned to Josh and asked, "So all her friends have been contacted but no one knows." He paused, putting his fingers on his forehead, thinking hard. "What about her car? Did she take the car out?"
"She doesn't drive, doesn't even have a driver's license." Kayla answered without looking up from the form, not sounding like she was going to share the reason.
"Can you recall anything unusual the last time you saw her?" David jumped to the next question.
Josh gave him a brief summary of what happened this morning, and Emma gave him hers.
"She didn't take her phone with her either? That's a little tough. Okay, let's do this: I'll direct the office to call all the hospitals and clinics, and our tech unit will track her by credit card." David glanced at the journal in Josh's hand, "What's this?"
"Emma has Hypergraphia, or writer's disorder. Sometimes she can finish a full book of journal in a day. Mostly are repeated writing or scribbles, nothing meaningful was what we always thought." Kayla answered, glancing at Josh with an uneasy look like a kid getting caught lying.
"If that's the only thing we have, we need to interpret it for any possible clues, meaningful or not." David signaled Josh and Kayla to come over, and turned over the blue cover of the journal.
Wednesday 11.16.2016
San Francisco, California
This 4-star hotel was like a home away from home. Well, more luxurious than home, of course. The second Emma walked out of the hotel door held open by the doorman the next morning, however, the bustling Market Street overflowing with people walking in all directions made her head spin. Ugh, she hated drug withdrawals.
A cute cafe, and a blue logo saying "Blue Bottle Coffee" on their A frame sign, caught her eye. Um, she wondered how it'd taste compared to the signature Kona coffee on Big Island. 20 minutes later, it won her heart and calmed her dizziness.
Bus line # 28 was petty easy to spot. As the next one came to a halt in front of Emma, sure enough, Tim the Muni bus driver who brought her to the hotel was sitting on the driver's seat beckoning her to get on as if he knew he'd meet her there.
"How much is the fare?" Emma asked as she stepped up the stairs.
"$2.25." Tim answered with a mystic smile, "Cash only, and we make no change." He added, speaking more to the passengers behind rather than to her.
Steadying herself on the board next to the driver's chamber, Emma fished the purse for a quarter. She hadn't been keeping track of how much she'd spent so far, so she shook the purse upside down, hoping some coins would easily drop to her palm. Oh no, the hundred dollar bill strap fell to the tumbling floor as the bus started moving! In a split second, she bent down and snatched it before anyone noticed (or at least she thought so). As she stood up, Emma felt Tim's face hovering over her from the wide rear view mirror, covering every move she made but still looking like he'd been focusing on the road ahead.
His 360 degree watch sent a shiver down her spine along with a familiar feeling she usually had before an aura that signaled a seizure.
That was odd. She took her pills this morning already. So was the alarm coming from the aura or Tim? Emma shook her head, trying to fight off any coming attack or suspicion. Holding on to the closest pole for safety, she apologized, "I am sorry, Tim. I'll get off the next stop and join you after I get some change."
"Don't be silly! It's on me, miss!" He threw his laughter, cutting Emma another glance from the rear view mirror.
Declining this sincere offer seemed rather rude. She couldn't find any excuse to refuse. But how did Tim always know how to convince her? Feeling spontaneous, Emmadropped on the chair right behind the driver's chamber and rode along.
The rest of the day proved to be fun beyond her expectations. Every time they passed by the Golden Gate Bridge at the terminal where the bus turned around, Tim convinced Emma that there were more to see of this amazing city. Segway ride in the Golden Gate Park, signature tastes of different countries, vibrate colors of fresh produce and flowers at farmers market, secret hilly stairway leading to splendid views of the city...Wow, she did pick the right place for the last stop of her life, Emma reckoned. Or, was it too early to conclude?
As the bus came to the terminal again towards the end of day, Tim secured the brake and walked off the bus. Emma was the only passenger left. "This is my last stop of the day. Do you want to take a walk along the bridge?"
This would be her last stop as well. Emma sighed, emptiness within her oddly yearning for an answer to the real reason for this trip.
"I heard the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most popular suicide locations of the world." Emma said casually just so it wouldn't raise Tim's alert. She didn't really need confirmation, yet felt an urge to share this piece of information with someone at this moment.
Tim squinted at her like a splash of the setting sun had dropped in his eyes, "Yes, it WAS, before the city put up the suicide barrier."
What? That was totally unexpected. But for some reason, Emma didn't feel a bit disappointed at the answer, but rather relieved.
"Come on, let me show you the most beautiful sunset and the perfect photo shoot angle of the bridge." Tim waved her to follow.
Nothing could sound more appealing to a professional photographer. Tim always seemed to be able to read her mind. Walking through a scarcely used gravel track overgrown by weeds, Emma soon found a large concrete structure standing in front of her, bare and abandoned.
"Battery Godfrey. Used in both World War I and World War II. Constructed in 1905 and salvaged in 1943. All guns are removed now, but the view of the bridge up here is gorgeous!" He said proudly.
Tim extended his hand from the top end of a rusty vertical ladder, and hoisted her up to a flat platform without any railings. A stunning panoramic view of the bay came to sight: A brick red bridge spanning the rippling ocean kissed lush trees nearby and hugged grassy slopes on the backdrop of a rosy sunset, salty breeze gently bathed her skin with earthy scents, waves whispered in her ears like Josh sang her to sleep. Oh Josh, she gotta showed him this view!
Emma took out the journal from her purse, sat down at the edge of the platform 30 feet from below, and started drawing.
