Shouldn't Be This Way

Chapter 13: Five person left

On this fateful morning, the sky appears dreary. It's amazing how something as achromatic as water can induce dark clouds. Soon, the rain transforms into an endless symphony of droplets hitting the station's roof, providing a mournful tune to these young adults.

With his feet set in the cool soil and his face pointed skywards, Jafri steps outside the station feeling suffocated. They already arrived to their destination an hour ago. The rest of them are waiting inside the train station for the police and train authorities to secure the scene so that no evidence is disrupted in the event of a possible crime.

" Are you the one who reported to us? " An old husky voice shocked him from behind.

His mind came back to the reality, " Yes sir, is there any news regarding my friend? "

Train superintendent hand out a coffee can for him " I'm just finished talking to the local police and they said there's some probability that you friend might fall from the train at some point last night? "

" Huh? " he exclaims " How come? " Jafri hold the can tightly.

" Police track the footstep from the shoes that your friend from her room and the last place that she went is in the space near the engine "

" Space near the engine? " Jafri repeated inside him.

" So what's your name again? "

" Jafri "

" Yes Jafri, I need to ask you to bring all of your friends to my office to conduct a witness statement with the police to help with their search "

Jafri heaved a heavy sigh, " Alright... "

" Hey, keep you head up son, don't be discouraged, I'm sure your friend will be alright somewhere " The train superintendent pat jafri's back.

The bell clock tower announces that it is already four in the evening. For them, what was supposed to be a fun day turns into a tragedy. Nobody could have foreseen it. It was difficult enough to digest these realities without having to drag their already frail bodies to the office to give a statement. Five of them arrived in a plain office that the train superintendent had lent to the local police.

The police keen to make an immediate probe with them since the first forty-eight hours in a missing person case are vital, referred termed as ' golden time '. They patiently wait inside the ten square rooms, which include a desk with a blank sheet of paper and two couches with leather straps encircling it. A beautiful new PC was set to the side, next to a magnificent vase of grey dried flowers.

" This really turns into a tragedy " Melur break the silence while fidgeting his red cardigan.

" This was my fault, I should never invite you guys in the first place " Jafri just looked down feeling hopeless.

" Hey, dude, blaming yourself isn't going to get you anywhere, we need to stand strong at least for Sarah " " None of us are being forced to come " Adam reassures him. " Except for Putera maybe " He tries to lighten up the atmosphere.

Putera grin with the joke " Adam is right, we will find Sarah, let the police do their job "

" Squeck "  Their chat is interrupted by the creak sound of the open door. A man with a moustache entered the room, holding a little notepad and projecting a severe and charismatic persona. He was a moderately attractive middle-aged man with a pair of unique pitch black eyes and several tiny scars on his face.

" Five of you uh? " The man took a sit at the single sofa.

" Yes sir " Adam answered for everyone.

" My name is Inspector Somchai, I'm the person in charge in this case " He began to open his notebook. " We identify the size 8 footstep coming from her room and as we follow that footstep it ended at the last gateway near the engine " " We suspected that she might falls down there " He starts reporting the progress of the case.

" So, the police needs to know the last time you met or seen here individually or by group " He pinched the pen readily for the notes to be taken.

" Okay you start first " Inspector pointed out at Adam.

" Last night we hang out together as group, but I bumped into her around 12 a.m., when I want to go to Melur's room to borrow a phone charger " Adam said with his deep voice.

" Okay " He wrote in his notepad " How about Melur " He asked as she just learnt her name.

" I saw her before that around 11:40, we talked while taking beauty supplement together inside her room " she answered while ran a hair through her auburn curls, exhausted with this situation.

" Okay, next " He lifted his face to give sign for the next person.

" The last time I saw her is when she came to my room to give me my scarf she borrowed yesterday " " I'm not sure what time it is but I think it's before 12 as I fell asleep early last night " Jasmine said.

" How about you two gentleman? " Inspector shift his gaze to Putera and Jafri

" I saw her for the last time when we were hanging out together " Jafri replied.

" Same with me " Putera added even before Inspector asked him.

" Okay so, 12 a.m., is the last time someone seen here on train " For a brief while, the room is silent, the Inspector appears to scribble something in his notepad. After a few moments, he puts down his pen and returns his gaze to them. " The travel is 17 hours, 7 hours into the route, and based on the train's average speed of 150 km/h, the location at that time should be in Chumphon province," He deduced.

" So the police will focus on the scope of the search from the border of this province to Bangkok Station, all of you should take a rest, we will increased our effort to find your friend "

" Thank you sir, we leave the rest to you " Jafri replied politely.

Inspector Somchai nodded giving a warm smile. " So do you guys continue with the trip of do you have any other plan? "

" Luckily our airbnb for the trip close to the station, but still we can't start the journey until we find Sarah," he replied solemnly.

" Okay, seems like a good idea " He smile fondly,

" Then, We will start the operation straight away " He rose and strides away leaving the room.

Thousands of families are left in the lurch every year when a loved one goes missing mysteriously. Authorities are prominently flummoxed by unexplained tragedies. Is this just a matter of clumsiness on the part of the victim? Or is there something nefarious or dark entwined with this case? What is certain is that this case has turned what was supposed to be their teen's best trip into one of the most devastating trips they will ever take.