In The Blink Of An Eye

Back To Square One

Where do I start? How about a little recap of how I got to where I am now. It all started with a text message. Not just any message, but a message from an unknown number. I opened it of course, I wouldn't be myself if I didn't let my curiosity always get the best of me. Most of us would! I didn't know what was in the message, if I had... I don't know if I would have opened it. The text said "Hello? Are you there?" First of all, who starts off a message that way? I was invited to a group chat by a guy named Thomas. I didn't know Thomas, so at this point I was sure it was meant for someone else and he had gotten the number wrong. I could have simply just ignored it, but I didn't. I wrote back "Do I know you?" What he writes next is mostly what kept me writing back. I was interested to find out who Thomas was.

He wrote back saying "I don't know." Then continued writing "No matter how I put this, it'll sound crazy. I've gone over this so many times in my head. Wait a sec. I have to add the others first. Please don't go." The others? There were others? None of it made any sense to me. It was bad enough I didn't know Thomas, now there were other people involved? I decided to just wait and see. Next thing I know Thomas invited Cleo, then Dan, Lilly, Richy... What the hell was going on? I didn't know any of these people. One by one they start writing and going back and forth between each other while I'm sitting with my phone in my hand confused more than I'd ever been. I wanted to scream at them and get them to pay attention, but they couldn't hear me, so I wrote back "umm...I'm a little confused." Little confused was an understatement, I was very confused. As if five unknown people weren't enough, Thomas adds someone else, Jessy.

Again... I don't know a person named Jessy. They're all casually like "oh hi, hello, how are you?" As if I had known them for years. I didn't know what to say, so I did what everyone does when they are speechless. I sent an emoji, that little waving hand that's saying hello without actually saying it.

I don't know who Dan was, but let me tell you he was a character all right, he was so upfront and sarcastic with all his answers. It made me laugh to be honest. I thought Dan was upfront until Lilly popped up and wrote "Who are you? How do you know my sister??" WOW talk about being rude! I didn't even know her, let alone her sister. A little hi, my name is such and such nice to meet you would have been nice, but no, not Lilly

I wrote back "But...YOU invited ME?" Like hello, I don't know any of you, remember? Not even a second later Lilly wrote back and honestly I wasn't expecting her text, it shocked me to see it. "What have you done to her?" she asks. Now this was getting out of hand. I didn't even know who she was talking about, and I was being accused of doing things to her. I wouldn't have even known her sister's name if it wasn't for Thomas when he asked "We need to ask, how do you know Hannah Donfort." I didn't know Hannah, I didn't know any of them. What part were they not understanding? Well turns out, there was a reason why they thought I was involved and knew Hannah. 

See, Hannah had been missing for 72 hours when she sent Thomas a single text message. It wasn't that she was okay, or where she was, or even who she was with. No, it was a message with my phone number. After sending messages back and forth, it turns out they need MY help finding her. I couldn't even find my car keys, or headphones and even glasses... that were always usually on my head. They wanted me to find a missing girl? This was going to be a nightmare!

But, how could I say no? After all, she did send them my phone number. I was already way too invested to just give up now. I was able to read a private conversation between Jessy and Dan. Whoa! I don't know how this was possible, I could have sworn my phone was hacked. I guess I wasn't too far off. The next thing I knew I was receiving a text from some no-face, no-name person that said "Well...How did you like it?" Which I could have only assumed was referring to the fact that I could see private messages between people.

Just when I thought my day couldn't get any weirder, I received a video message from "him" the hacker. Stating that he has witnessed the abduction of Hannah and that he is in possession of emails, passwords and access to private accounts. He tells me that I will be provided all this information in order to save Hannah. Once again, I was a thousand percent sure I was the wrong person for this. I am way too clumsy, stubborn, careless and impulsive to find Hannah. But, also way too caring, helpful, devoted and emotional not to. So, that's how this story began. One day at a time, with each clue and picture, with the help of the group above and most importantly with the "hacker", I began the journey to search for Hannah.