To be clear, Brent and Laurel went back home last night. He’s expected to work today, despite his malaise. She is going to stay at the apartment, though, in case Brase shows up or calls. Brooke, Dean, and Cal are on the trail with me.
Laurel’s been in contact with us all morning. None of us have heard anything from Brase… or Brent for that matter. Laurel said he didn’t sleep and by the time he went into work, was a complete wreck. He refused to call off, though. “I’d rather get paid to feel like this than do it on my free time.”
Brooke remains steadfast. To her, there is no question, she is going to find her brother, and that means tracking him down on this trail. Whether influenced by her confidence or independently reaching the same conclusion, Cal and Dean have declared similarly.
Our working supposition : if Brase went hiking, he’s on this trail. Anyone we see, be they fellow hikers or townsfolk from trail-adjacent villages – because, yes, we’ll be stopping at even the tiniest hovels in hopes of a Brase spotting -- we’ll be asking about our missing friend.
We’re not trying to catch up to him, exactly. Having experienced his trail pace, and with the head start he has, there’s no chance of us doing that. If he doesn’t want to be caught, it isn’t happening. But even a few positive identifications, I think, will be enough to put our -- and more importantly Brent’s -- minds at ease, at least for a while. Enough sightings and we can probably call off the search.
I could do this alone; I OFFERED to do it alone, but Brooke and the guys are adamant. “Four times as many people looking, four times as likely to find something,” was Brooke’s simple justification. Fine by me. I want to find Brase just as much as they do. And if it DOES turn out he went hiking on “my” trail, I’ll feel some measure of responsibility for his absence and the subsequent consternation caused to his friends and family.
In my mind, if he’s upset enough to have just barged off like this, he probably has no plan in place to actually get back home. Eventually he’ll cool off, and when he does, we’ll hear from him. I’ll still be on the trail (after the others, having received sufficient reliable spottings, get a ride back home), and if he wants to wait up and talk, I’ll be there (eventually). If he just wants to go back home, that’s fine, too. I’ll do everything I can to make sure he gets back to the others safely. I know he has far more trail experience than me, and can doubtlessly find his own way back, but, again, I’ll be available should he need anything.
Really, the others coming along is unnecessary for any of that. Probably the perceived imperative to join me is more about peace of mind. They don’t need to be here, but feel better actively doing something. Again : fine by me.
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However, if we DON’T find any evidence of his passage; if he doesn’t actually start replying to texts, and he doesn’t show up at the apartment… I honestly don’t know what options we have left. Hopefully he returns home tonight with the anger or frustration worked out of his system, or, at least, prepped for a full-throated scream at Brent. I think Brent would happily accept that punishment if it meant having his brother back. The others could head back, annoyed, but able to justify the fruitless action with, “Just another day of hiking beside our new friend.” Wins all around.
If NONE of that comes to pass, and he’s still in the wind after a few days, I think I’ll probably need to quit the hike and help them. This group has been a huge part of my life the past week, and Brooke… Well, suffice to say : I care about them; I care about them all. This hike might be important to me, but not nearly as much as the safety of a friend who may be in trouble. Or the well-being and peace of mind of the people he’s left behind.
It’s just a stupid hike, after all.
~~~
Spirits are surprisingly high now. Cal is Cal; I’m pretty sure he’s unflappable. Dean is pretty much Dean. He’s a little mouthier than usual, and today’s selection of sardonic observations involve Brase or hiking in general, but no one is faulting him for applying scornful levity to the situation. Offering Laurel the crown for sardonia earlier was probably a bit short-sighted. Dean is a master as well.
Brooke… has her moments. On the whole, she’s just as resolute as during last night’s search. There have been a few incidents, though. Everything will seem normal until she erupts into an unprovoked outburst of obscenities. She machine-gunned a dozen expletives at a branch just a few minutes ago. The bastard limb had the audacity to reach right down and bonk the side of her head. She snaps out of it quickly, though, laughs at herself, and returns to normal. If anything, it probably helps her let out some steam.
Besides Brase, of course, it’s still Brent that I’m most worried about. The way he was acting last night – I mean, if it isn’t obvious, he’s a very confident human being, bordering on arrogance at times. It’s rarely offensive, and just a part of his charm, if anything. He isn’t quite as upbeat as Cal, but he’s close most of the time.
Last night, though, he just so defeated. A guy usually awash in self-assurance and enthusiasm becoming suddenly so deflated was sad to see. By the time we were forced to abandon the search, he was barely speaking. He just kind of stared at the ground, like the realization of what he’d done – or thought he’d done – weighed too heavily for him to even lift his head.
I know him well enough to realize that person wasn’t Brent, couldn’t be. Everyone tried to reassure him, of course; Laurel most of all. He’d perk up for a moment, put on a good face, but clearly didn’t believe a word of it.
I think in his mind, anything that happens to Brase from here on out is entirely his fault and he hates himself for it. Nothing we say or do can convince him otherwise. Only the reappearance of – and reconciliation with – his brother is going to change that.
Brase, ol’ buddy, come on, just a text. Something. PLEASE.