Talisman 01 - The Emerald Talisman

nowhere. Deep down I must have still hoped we’d work things out, but didn’t know I’d suppressed the desire until this moment.
    “I’m not done doing my research, but I’m going to find a place where I can feel safe leaving you and your brother while I travel. I should have done it when you were babies, maybe then . . .”
    I held my breath. He was referring to Mom’s disappearance. Maybe he’d finally talk about it and break the silence. More than anything I wanted to know what really happened.
    “Mom’s disappearance wasn’t your fault, Dad.”
    He cleared his throat and turned to his computer monitor. I felt the familiar stone wall come back up; the one that hid all the feelings he’d stuffed down deep. Every time the subject was breeched, he shut down. I waited for years to feel his grief and felt nothing.
    For a long time I felt responsible and thought if I could only remember what happened, I could solve the case. But the memories stayed locked up tight in my subconscious without any hint of a key. And Dad’s response was to second guess every decision he made thereafter. We both couldn’t move on.
    “I have a lot to do, Julia,” he finally said.
    “Okay,” I said as I left his office feeling rotten. I should have known better than to mention her. “Please, let’s not move to Oklahoma.”
    “We’ll see.”

11 - ANSWERS
    T he next day, the school walls were covered in fliers with Phil’s description, offering a reward for information leading to his safe return. Ironically, it seemed everyone suddenly knew him personally and told first hand accounts of his last words and possible whereabouts. Some said he provoked the attack while others claimed the serial murderer left him for dead, but he escaped and ran for his life. One rumor even speculated police attacked him after the bonfire because he refused to leave peaceably and Phil ran for fear of arrest. But the general atmosphere, fuelled by greed, whetted the appetites of attention seekers, anxious to get a piece of the action.
    But the worst part of it was someone leaked that I was the last person to see him. So again, people I didn’t know were coming up to me asking me questions, but I declined to answer. The whole charade disgusted me and I refused to be a part of it.
    “What happened?” Katie asked quietly as we all sat at lunch.
    “Why are you asking me?” I said, infuriated by her insensitivity. “Just ask anyone, I’m sure they’ll tell you the whole story.”
    I looked directly at Sam.
    “Julia, I promise, I didn’t tell anyone anything.”
    I studied her feelings, thankful to find she told the truth and felt guilty for questioning her.
    “Sorry. I know you wouldn’t. It must have been Mr. Brewster. He probably said something when he interviewed other people.”
    The thought made me furious. He was the one who said not to say anything.
    “Well, where do you think Phil went?” Dena asked tactfully.
    I scanned everyone’s eyes and studied their intent and found them loyal. Even Katie was concerned for once.
    “Whatever I say stays in this circle, agreed?”
    Everyone shook their head and I took a few extra seconds to get full confirmation from Katie.
    “I promise,” she said after feeling the weight of my stare.
    “Okay,” I said, and everyone leaned in so no one outside of our circle could hear what we discussed.
    “Honestly, we only talked at the bonfire for a little bit so I’m not really sure where he’d go. The only thing I know is that he’s got a girlfriend in L.A. and his parents made him move his senior year because his dad got a promotion. Maybe he’s upset after getting beat up and needed her support. I bet that’s where he went,” I whispered.
    “It has to be those guys from Soquel High that roughed him up. They weren’t too happy when he tried to get them to leave. Maybe they figured he’d snitched on them to the police,” Katie said.
    “But that doesn’t explain his behavior after.”
    “After?” Cameron asked.
    Angry at Mr. Brewster, I decided to tell them everything I knew since he seemed to be doing the same.
    “I thought maybe he’d been bitten by a rabid animal, but my dad said his injuries were human bites,” I said.
    Dena gasped. “That’s disgusting.”
    “How does your dad know all about this?” Sam asked.
    “From Mr. Brewster I think,” I said.
    Feelings of curiosity caused me to turn my head. As I suspected, behind me was a group of nosey freshmen girls that