The Clockmaker's Shadow | ONC 2021 | LGBT

11. Missing

(Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to another new ONC writer, Liz_Lane and her quirky story, The Highly Debatable Existence of One Mina Maelstrom)

"I'll be home in time for dinner!" said Rik, before he disappeared into the mysterious worlds only he could see.

Jaxon waited impatiently, bursting to know what marvellous things Rik had encountered on his adventures. Was he travelling to the past, to see dinosaurs? Or into the future to see space ships? Either would be wonderful. He hoped Rik had taken his phone with him, or better still his camera, so he could take some pictures.

Eventually he got bored hanging around in Rik's room and went downstairs. It was at least a couple of hours before dinner time. He'd play some games on his computer while he was waiting, that would make the time go faster.

He became so engrossed in the game, that he was startled when his Mum called him for dinner. Was Rik back? Why hadn't he come straight down to see him? Hastily, Jaxon put the game to sleep and raced into the kitchen. "Where's Rik?" he asked, breathless with excitement.

His Mum looked at him curiously. "Just what I was going to ask you. He's not in his room. I thought he was with you."

Dad, who was serving dinner, peered over his shoulder. "He didn't go out, did he? I wish he'd told me. I've made enough for four."

"I'll just go up and see if he's back," said Jaxon, disappearing upstairs. "Rik? Are you back yet? Where are you?"

The room was empty.

"Rik? Can you hear me? It's time to come home. I mean it, Rik. Dad's serving dinner now!"

But there was no answer.

The night passed, and morning came, and Rik still wasn't back.

Jaxon didn't know what to do. He knew his story would sound crazy to anyone who hadn't seen Rik disappear for themselves but his Mum was getting anxious and Dad was getting cross.

"What does he think he's doing?" asked Dad. "If he was going to be away overnight he should have told us. It's only polite, this isn't a hotel, you know!"

"I'm worried, Jim," confessed Mum. "It's not like him. Rik wouldn't go away without telling us, not if he was going to be gone for more than a couple of hours. I'll just pop upstairs and see if he left a note or anything."

His dad pulled a face, as if he knew how likely that was, but Mum was clutching at straws.

When she came down, her face was white. "He left his phone!" she announced, holding it up to show them. "Something is wrong... Rik would never leave the house without this! It's always practically glued to his hand."

Now Dad was starting to look worried too. "But what on Earth could have happened? What could make him disappear like that?"

"Should we ring the police?''

"And say what? It's too soon. We should start by ringing his friends. Maybe he dropped round to see someone and lost track of time..."

"Of course," said Mum, her face softening a little as she picked up the house phone.

Jaxon thought Dad didn't really believe that was what had happened, but it was a more likely option than anything else they could think of. They weren't rich or important people and Rik was eighteen. It was hardly likely he'd been kidnapped.

A couple of hours later, his parents had rung everyone they knew in town and there was still no news.

"Maybe he went out for a walk and got hit by a car," blurted Mum. "I'll ring the hospital just in case."

Jaxon decided he could keep quiet no longer.

"Mum? Dad? I've got something to tell you."

His Dad spun around, looking as angry as Jaxon had ever seen him. "If you're going to tell us now you know where Rik is, after all the worry you've put your mother through, I'll-"

"I d-don't! I don't know where he is!" Jaxon interrupted, his voice shaking. "But I know where he went!" He raced on before his Dad could speak again. "He's got these powers. He can see into the future, future worlds, I mean, and that's where he went."

His Dad was staring at him as if he'd gone crazy. "What? What the hell are you talking about, Jaxon?"

"Rik can see these worlds, inside his head, and he wanted to go there, himself, to see what they were like. Just for a look. He said he'd be back before dinner!"

"That's not funny, Jaxon," said Mum in a small voice. "This is no time to be making up stories. Can't you see how worried we are?"

"See? I knew you wouldn't believe me," exclaimed Jaxon, throwing up his hands. "That's why I didn't say anything before! But it's true. He disappeared right in the middle of his own room."

"That's quite enough of your nonsense, young man!" Dad was furious. "Go to your room and don't come out until you can talk sense!"

"But Dad-"

"Enough, I said! I don't want to hear another word!"

Muttering under his breath, Jaxon stomped off to his room. When Rik came back, they'd see who was making up stories then!

But Rik didn't come back.

Eventually Dad called the police. Under strict orders, backed up by threats of being grounded for a year, Jaxon said nothing to the police about special powers or travelling to future worlds.

"The last time I saw Rik, he was in his room and he said he'd be back before dinner."

"So, he intended to go out then. Did he say where he was going?"

"No sir."

Although they searched Rik's room and the area surrounding the house, checked the hospital one more time, and interviewed his friends, the police could find no evidence that a crime had been committed.

"From all appearances, it seems he left home voluntarily, sir," they told Jaxon's Dad. "And at eighteen, he's an adult. We'll put him in the data base as a missing person but I'm afraid that's the best we can do."