In bold letters, the note read, “Missing.” Immediately, he felt a surge of worry, a surge of panic. And he bit his nail. He bit down hard.
He sat hunched at the foot of his bed, his right foot shaking steadily on top of his left knee. He took a deep breath, placed the note lightly on the floor, and laid his back flat on top of the mattress.
A smile smeared across his face now. He chuckled just slightly, and then closed his eyes for the longest nap he’ll ever take.
When he woke up, the clock blinked 3:35 and it bled dark outside of his window. His phone rang just then as he rubbed the sleep off of his eyes. He rose slowly and dragged his feet to the phone to meet with its annoying ringing. When he picked it up, he flung it across the room with enough force that shattered the phone in half making one final crashing sound. Then it was quiet again.
He headed to the bathroom where the mess still stationed. It was as if nothing but the smell of bleach was there. He washed his face and shook his head. As he brought his face up, he grew more intently on the reflection on the mirror. Dark circles devoured the color of his eyes. He was pale blue and creases were stamped endlessly across his face.
There were two knocks on his front door, just two and nothing more. He stuck his head out of the bathroom, glared at the front door, and steadied himself decent.
Walking casually towards it, he whistled cheerily through the silence. He put on a swagger and face too light for the time at present.
He swung the door open. It’s her, he thought. He smiled anyway. “What can I do for you?”
She smiled wryly and pushed him aside. She entered his home with confidence, but slowed at the creep of his living room. All the lights were off except for the bathroom.
“Where is she?” She demanded emotionlessly. “I know she’s been here.”
He chuckled to himself, shut the door behind him, and slowed toward her.
“There is no one else here but you and me. Now who is this ‘she’ that you’re looking for?”
She blinked several times, took the deepest of breaths. She emoted very little in reaction to him.
“I don’t have very much time. We’re leaving tomorrow,” she mentioned.
He walked to the couch, sat himself down, and motioned for her to sit too. She shook her head, of course, and stood stiffly in the dark.
She couldn’t see him now, the dark had taken him. But she knew that he was staring at her, waiting to speak further.
“I really need you to tell me where she is,” she continued. “We don’t want to leave with out her. She hates it when we do.”
“I’m sure things have changed. Feel free to leave when you please. If I see her and she is unhappy, I’ll be sure to tell her that you’d completely considered her before leaving.”
She pursed her lips. There’s really no need in further searching for her, she thought. And he’d felt her convinced.
“I suppose I’ll be leaving now. I’m sorry to have disturbed you at this hour. This all was just so sudden and so urgent. I took all actions I had to take,” she explained. “If you see her, please let her know that she knows exactly where we will be and that we apologize for the abandonment.”
He smiled wide enough to see the pearliness of his teeth even in the dark. She gasped for some air at the sight of this, and her reaction further pleased him.
“It is not a problem at all. Please have a safe trip,” he stood up, and pushed her gently to the door.
She stood for a second facing him just outside of his door, and he knew that she knew. But he also knew that there was nothing she was going to do about it.
“Goodbye now,” she said, and faced him away, walking as steadily as she could.
“Goodbye,” he whispered through his teeth and firmly closed the door behind him.
He walked swiftly back to his bedroom, switched on the light, and tilted his head at the sight of what the foot of his bed had exposed.
He sat hunched at the foot of his bed, his right foot shaking steadily on top of his left knee. He took a deep breath, placed the note lightly on the floor, and laid his back flat on top of the mattress.
A smile smeared across his face now. He chuckled just slightly, and then closed his eyes for the longest nap he’ll ever take.
When he woke up, the clock blinked 3:35 and it bled dark outside of his window. His phone rang just then as he rubbed the sleep off of his eyes. He rose slowly and dragged his feet to the phone to meet with its annoying ringing. When he picked it up, he flung it across the room with enough force that shattered the phone in half making one final crashing sound. Then it was quiet again.
He headed to the bathroom where the mess still stationed. It was as if nothing but the smell of bleach was there. He washed his face and shook his head. As he brought his face up, he grew more intently on the reflection on the mirror. Dark circles devoured the color of his eyes. He was pale blue and creases were stamped endlessly across his face.
There were two knocks on his front door, just two and nothing more. He stuck his head out of the bathroom, glared at the front door, and steadied himself decent.
Walking casually towards it, he whistled cheerily through the silence. He put on a swagger and face too light for the time at present.
He swung the door open. It’s her, he thought. He smiled anyway. “What can I do for you?”
She smiled wryly and pushed him aside. She entered his home with confidence, but slowed at the creep of his living room. All the lights were off except for the bathroom.
“Where is she?” She demanded emotionlessly. “I know she’s been here.”
He chuckled to himself, shut the door behind him, and slowed toward her.
“There is no one else here but you and me. Now who is this ‘she’ that you’re looking for?”
She blinked several times, took the deepest of breaths. She emoted very little in reaction to him.
“I don’t have very much time. We’re leaving tomorrow,” she mentioned.
He walked to the couch, sat himself down, and motioned for her to sit too. She shook her head, of course, and stood stiffly in the dark.
She couldn’t see him now, the dark had taken him. But she knew that he was staring at her, waiting to speak further.
“I really need you to tell me where she is,” she continued. “We don’t want to leave with out her. She hates it when we do.”
“I’m sure things have changed. Feel free to leave when you please. If I see her and she is unhappy, I’ll be sure to tell her that you’d completely considered her before leaving.”
She pursed her lips. There’s really no need in further searching for her, she thought. And he’d felt her convinced.
“I suppose I’ll be leaving now. I’m sorry to have disturbed you at this hour. This all was just so sudden and so urgent. I took all actions I had to take,” she explained. “If you see her, please let her know that she knows exactly where we will be and that we apologize for the abandonment.”
He smiled wide enough to see the pearliness of his teeth even in the dark. She gasped for some air at the sight of this, and her reaction further pleased him.
“It is not a problem at all. Please have a safe trip,” he stood up, and pushed her gently to the door.
She stood for a second facing him just outside of his door, and he knew that she knew. But he also knew that there was nothing she was going to do about it.
“Goodbye now,” she said, and faced him away, walking as steadily as she could.
“Goodbye,” he whispered through his teeth and firmly closed the door behind him.
He walked swiftly back to his bedroom, switched on the light, and tilted his head at the sight of what the foot of his bed had exposed.
-
These dreams. They have me waking in cold sweat.
