Just

They tell me I'm not allowed to leave the city. Not that I was going
to. I'm in the back of a police car, being driven back over the bridge.
Dark is falling now. The city has lit up, the lights all glittering in
the water, and illuminating the heavy cloud above.

The bridge hums past my window, as firm as ever. Unmoving. I stare out
at a boat, slowly making its way upstream. I wonder if Cairn is still
up on the tower. It's still his day off.

The car follows the curve in the road, and pulls up outside the house I
visited this morning. It all looks the same. Nothing has changed.

The two policemen get out of the car, telling me to stay where I am.
They stride up to the house, and a few moments later the door is opened
by an elderly woman. Thirty seconds later and the woman has collapsed
to her knees, the policemen feebly attempting to help her back to her
feet.

A man appears at her side - the same man I spoke to earlier in the day.
He puts an arm around the woman, who sobs into his chest. He talks with
the policemen. One of the policemen turns and points back at me,
looking out of the back window of the car. The man's eyes narrow and he
stares straight at me, right into me, through me. His gaze pierces my
mind, and I involuntarily gasp. I stare back at him, unsure of the
moment. A single tear runs down my face.

The man's expression is saying something to me. I don't know what. I
don't know anything. I need to start again...nothing makes sense
anymore. Today wasn't meant to end like this. So sudden. They were
right. There's nothing I could do. I couldn't find her. She was gone,
and the police can't find her. And the man's eyes stare into mine,
demanding for her, crying out for Lisa, wanting her to be home. But I
failed. I couldn't help her. There are some things...I can't do
anything about them.

I couldn't find her. Today wasn't meant to end like this.