The Colour Of Shadows

The Pit - Part 2

A middle aged man who's name I can't, or won't give on both agreement and out of respect asked us to track down his wife and daughter.

They had gone out of town for a few weeks, planning to stop over in a few towns on their way on a round trip journey that would bring them back here, to their home. The client originally had accompanied them on the trip but had been called back to work (a local car part manufacturers) and had been forced to leave them.

"They were gonna come back with me, But I told 'em no, you keep on goin' an' I'll meet up with you soon as this is sorted out."

He had done what he had said, the clocking cards and employee statements confirmed how he had planned a two week vacation but had been called back after only three days, Two days later he had headed out again on the train to meet them at an agreed station, and arrived promptly if not a little early. His family's train wasn't due for another thirty minutes or so yet and having just recently travelled through the vicious weather himself was not at all surprised when the train appeared late.

Neither his wife or daughter arrived on the first train, And so he simply assumed they had arrived late at the departure station and missed it.

When they did not show on the next train either is when he began to panic and called the hotel he knew they had been staying at, the clerk that answered informed him (And later, myself and my partner) That they had signed out at the front desk and handed over the keys at 9:34am, leaving plenty of time to reach the station at the next town and catch the train at 11:25.

He next called the departure station to find out if their tickets had been used, only to find they had not, He quickly booked himself a ticket on the train heading the opposite direction and waited rather anxiously for it to arrive.

He detailed the journey back as half full of fear and half of expected embarrassment when he began to think he would arrive at the station within moments of his family only to find their car had stopped with a flat tire and, As the road they had travelled was infrequently used, were forced to wait for a rescuer to aid them, and find all his worries were for naught.

Unfortunately, this was not the case.

His arrival at the station did not spur any sudden relief, or let fate have his family suddenly appear at the station desk. Nor, once he had hired a car, did the drive to their hotel reveal any flat tyred vehicle and stranded family awaiting a passerby.

Their car was not at the hotel, and their room keys had been handed in, as said, at the front desk.

It was as if they had all but vanished.