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[Riven Wight]

Izzy looked at the boy curiously at his unusual analogy. Mentally shrugging it off, she stretched out her free hand to try to better keep Michael at bay as he paused to try finding his words.
“You’re what? Nine? Ten? I’m not going anywhere until I make sure you get where you’re going safely.” She let part of the paper unfurl so its messy writing and doodles faced her. She glanced up at its indecipherable words, and sighed. “So how about we try this again.” Still, she did not return his paper, but did her best to look him in the eye. “Hello, Michael. My name's Izzy. Is there somewhere or someone I can help you find?”

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[Riven Wight]

Izzy’s brows rose at the boy’s response, silently commending him for his caution and glad he had at least given up trying to get the paper. For now, anyway.
“I didn’t steal it,” she responded, lowering her hand and the paper slightly, but keeping an eye on Mikey. “Just temporarily confiscated it.”
When Holden reminded her that he was still there, calling out to her, she instinctively turned toward him. She glanced back to the kid when he moved, adjusting where she held the paper in case he decided it was a good time to go after it.
“It’s alright,” she tried to reassure Mikey. “He’s that friend I mentioned.” She looked back toward Holden and raised her voice as she continued. “This is Mikey,” she answered his question. “Mikey Hendrickson. He’s trying to find a place, but he’s lost.” She turned back toward the child. “I can’t read your handwriting. What address are you looking for? Maybe I or Holden,” she raised her voice again when she said his name so he would hear, “could point you in the right direction.”

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[Riven Wight]

“Well, that’s good,” Izzy responded with an amused smile at Holden’s response.
When Mikey pointed out that she still had his paper, she glanced between him and it with a sheepish expression. “Oh.” She cleared her throat slightly. “Right.”
She held it in front of her. Though still the chicken scratch of youth, this time, without it moving frantically in her grip, she was capable of making out most of the address he had written down. If she could read it, she figured Holden would be capable of the same feat.
“Since you're from around here,” she reached over to hand him the address and map, “have any idea where this is?”

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[Riven Wight]

Izzy shifted her weight awkwardly beneath Holden’s stare, then rolled her eyes at his response.
“Well, aren’t you Mr. Goodie Two-Shoes!” she said lightly before reading the address aloud.
Her face lit up when he said he knew roughly where it was. “Great!” She reached out to return Mikey’s paper to him without looking from Holden. “Don’t suppose you’d be willing to lead the way, would you? Well.” She looked back to Mikey. “If you would care to follow, anyway. I’m just trying to help. Cross my heart.” She made the spoken motion as she said it.

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[Riven Wight]

Izzy hesitated long enough to glance uncertainty to Mikey, wondering if the kid would follow, or continue to be defiant. Nonetheless, she followed Holden at his urging. To her surprise, so did Mikey. With her back to him, the corner of her mouth quirked upward in a content smile.
The first time his foot met her heel, she tried to adjust her pace, but to no avail as the kid adjusted his to match. She gave a quiet sigh, but did not try to make him stop.
She looked up when Holden spoke, and looked to where he pointed. “Oh,” she said simply to his comments, unsure what to say between his words and tone. “I’m… sorry?” Her brows rose slightly, before furrowing.
She glanced back to Mikey, the new worry that the place he sought would be nothing more than a vacant plot or new roadway entering her mind. She returned her attention ahead of them, trying to get a better idea of what awaited them.
“The address…” she began, her eyes shifting to Holden's back. “Any idea if it’ll still be there? Or what it might be now?” She looked behind her at Mikey as she asked the last, directing it to both boys.

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[Riven Wight]

Izzy’s brows furrowed in a mix of irritation and curiosity at Holden’s sour tone. She opened her mouth to ask if everything was okay, but thought better of it. She sighed and followed silently, taking in their surroundings as they passed street after street.
When Mikey decided to cling to her leg instead of just following closely, she glanced down, nearly losing her balance. She slowed, her gait awkward. She tried to look at her friend from Mikey’s point of view, to try seeing his actions through the child’s eyes, but failed. Sure, Holden took some getting used to, but this, she thought, was rather extreme.
She glanced down at Mikey again. She was wondering if perhaps he was used to men being abusive, when Holden interrupted her thoughts.
“Huh?” She refocused on him, then gave the address.
She sighed at the revelation of them missing their turn. “Remind me later to have you flogged.” She moved to turn, trying to work around Mikey’s grip. As much as she wanted to pry him off, she did not want to risk him running off on his own.

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[Riven Wight]

Izzy frowned as they turned back around, making their way once more down the road. She glanced around again, the tension in the air unsettling. She had to do something.
“Soooo,” she drew out, clearing her throat awkwardly. “Mikey. Where is it, exactly, we’re trying to get to?” She glanced down to him. “It'd be nice to know. I could help keep a lookout for the place if you give me details. A house? A big one? Small one? Anything that might set it apart from the rest?” She thought about the drawings on his paper. “Maybe a bunch of animal statues?” She offered him a smile, trying to encourage an answer from him.

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[Riven Wight]

Izzy sighed in frustration at Mikey’s unhelpful description, and rubbed her brow free hand. “Great,” she replied, struggling to keep her voice friendly, “thanks. Is it a relative’s house or something?” she finished as they continued onward.
When Holden stopped, Izzy halted behind him and looked around hopefully, thinking that he had found it. Alas, that was not the case.
She scowled just as he glanced to her.
Her mouth opened to form a bitter, “Nothing,” at his inquiry, but then he finished finished with his threat.
Her eyes widened slightly, then narrowed. “Yeah, I have a complaint!” she snapped instead. “I thought you said you knew this area!” She sighed irritably, Mikey still clinging to her leg only adding another annoyance. “If it’s just that you didn’t want to help, you can just say so.” Her gaze lightened slightly as a thought occurred to her. “Maybe I can find it on Google Maps or something.” She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone, trying to remember if she had an app for that downloaded.

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[Riven Wight]

Izzy sighed when Holden turned his back on her. “Sorry,” she muttered as she unlocked her phone. “I’m just… frustrated…” Her voice trailed off at the banner at the bottom of her screen telling her she had no service.
That’s odd. Her brows furrowed and she looked up. “Wait a second.” She looked down at the child suspiciously. He had been pretty set against having help. Could he somehow be causing Holden to overlook the streets, or even blocking her phone’s signal?
“Mikey,” she drew out his name slightly, trying to think of a way to ask him about it without scaring him off or sounding like an idiot. “It’s a little strange, don’t you think? I don’t see how Holden could miss it twice. Especially since I’d imagine he was keeping a better eye out for it the second time.” She glanced to Holden, then refocused on Mikey. “Is there maybe something you want to tell us? Something, say, unusual about yourself or this relative of yours?”

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[Riven Wight]

When Mikey stepped away, at first, Izzy was worried he would run off. She watched him carefully, expecting to have to make a grab for him if he ran away—after all, that would mean he knew something—but instead, he answered.
She blinked in surprise at his downcast agreement. She returned his gaze with curious confusion. Her mouth opened slightly when he told her whose house they were trying to get to.
“The lost calf…?” she repeated. His answers had only created more questions, but she did not voice them. Not yet, at least. For now, they had to make sure it was not just a case forgetfulness or oversight.
“Okay,” she said at long last once they had used up their few resources. She stopped as they rounded a corner, and looked to Holden. “I’ve got nothing here.” She threw her hands up, then looked to Mikey. “But,” she placed her hands on her knees and bent so she was closer to Mikey’s height, “I know someone who might be capable of helping. He knows a lot about this weird, supernatural stuff. He’s helped us,” she nodded toward Holden, “out of sticky situations, so maybe he can find a way for you to get to your mom’s house. He’s a ways out, though, and the only way to talk to him is to go him. What do you say, Mikey? Can I ask you to trust me? Just for today?” She offered him a hand, unsure if he would accept it, or push it away.

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