Distorted Senses

Chapter 1

Darkness blanketed the midnight blue sky, the stars winking at the world below. In a cream-colored house, a family of three was about to eat dinner. 41 year-old Kelly Halloway stood by the stovetop cooking carrots, pasta and chicken. Her light brown hair fell down her back as she brushed it away. She had taken a long day at work being a teacher. Kelly was a middle school reading teacher and she absolutely adored her job. Connecting with her students and helping them in school was something she looked forward to everyday. Well, not anymore. She sighed, pausing in her cooking to glance down at a ring around one of her fingers. It was her wedding ring that she never took off but.....

Beep Beep!

Hazel-colored eyes squinted at the steam rising from the pot, causing her to shake her head of her thoughts. Lifting the pot off the stove and draining it in the sink, she leaned back and called "Garrett, let your sister know dinner is ready." Across the kitchen and in the living room sat an older boy with black hair and green eyes watching tv. "Alright!" he called back as he got up, turning the tv off. He stuffed his hands into his navy blue sweatshirt and walked over to a door next to the bathroom. Garrett opened the door then walked into the room. His sister's room was different than his own. The gray walls were littered with various photographs, some of people, others of landscapes. It looked as if it were an art gallery rather than a bedroom.

His younger sister sat at her desk hunched over reading a book when he came over. Leaning against the side of the desk, he peered over to see what she was reading. Marie Halloway felt someone watching her, making her eyes glance to her left. She jumped, seeing her brother staring at her. A look of annoyance crossed her face and she whacked him lightly with her comic book. Garrett smirked and easily blocked the hit. She signed something inappropriate which made him gasp dramatically. "Marie! Language!" he teased while signing as well. Marie's expression never wavered and she signed something else. Green eyes scanned each movement, resulting with Garrett saying and signing back "Well, mom says dinner is ready." He motioned for her to get up.

The younger girl crossed her arms, rising from her swivel chair and following her brother. Once they left her room, she closed the door. A spitting image of her mother, Marie always seemed to think that she had part of her dad in her. While her brother had his hair and eyes, she shared her dad's curiosity for mystery and answers. It seemed as though certain genes were split down the middle between the two siblings. Kelly smiled seeing them enter the dining room as she placed the last of the food on the table. She had already set the table. Marie inhaled the scents that whaffed from the pots with a smile and slid into a seat. As her brother and mother did the same, the small family began to eat. However, there was a solemn silence with Marie glancing at the empty seat across from hers. Her dad's seat. Kelly followed her gaze and a heartbroken expression crossed her face for a split second. But it disappeared as quick as it came.

"Garrett, when are you starting classes?" She asked him, pausing in between bites. Garrett had applied to a nearby computer engineering college a few months prior but had to delay starting classes. "Next week. I got all my books and materials so it's just a matter of time." he replied with his mouth full. He paused, and then wiped his mouth before looking at Marie. The deaf girl was quietly eating her meal, her foot tapping against the floor. She had photos developing in her room and wanted to check on them soon. Her brother tapped her shoulder and she looked at him. He made a motion on his cheek and then lightly banged his wrists together. 'Homework?' He asked. Marie nodded, sitting up and signed 'Can I be excused? I have to work on a project for photography class, mom.' Kelly nodded, motioning for her to be excused.

Marie wiped her mouth with her napkin and stood up. Picking up her plate and utensils, she placed them in the kitchen sink and hurried to her room. The sound of the door closing followed by a lock clicking made Garrett and Kelly exchange concerned glances. "She's fine, mom. We both are." the boy assured her with a smile. "I hope so, Garrett. I'm worried about your father too. It's been too long and I...I don't know what else I can do." Kelly said softly, wiping her eyes as she put her utensils down. Garrett handed his mom a tissue. "They didn't call today with any leads?" he asked and she shook her head in reply. He frowned, picking at his food now. He didn't have much of an appetite thinking about it. Silence that filled the room once more. "Dinner was great, mom." Garrett spoke up and kissed her cheek as he stood from his chair. "Thank you." She replied. Garrett took his plate and utensils, then placed them in the sink. "I'll do the dishes tonight." he offered. Kelly smiled. "I appreciate that. I need to finish grading papers." she stated and also cleared the table. The pair went about doing work while the youngest remained in her room.

The youngest Halloway looked about her room, moving over to her photos that were hung up by string above her desk. She sat back down in her chair and carefully examined the prints. She scribbled something on an already halfway-filled paper. A picture stood up in a frame by where her pencils were in a cup. The smiling faces of a younger Marie and her dad looked back at her. Marie paused, looking at the cherished photo. Something in her chest made it feel heavy then her eyes threatened to water. But she tore her gaze away from it to prevent any waterworks. She missed her dad a lot. The girl's eyes trailed away from her homework to the newspaper clippings that were taped to the gray walls. Local Scientist for Faz. Ent. Goes Missing, Cold Case for Missing Man Has No Leads... No one knew what happened to him. It had been a few years since her dad went to work one day and never came back. Some thought that he was seeing someone at work and left to be with her but her mom insisted that wasn't the case. The local police found no evidence of foul play or of an affair. Five years and no leads to what happened.

Now, Marie had seen a handful of classic mystery shows and knew the basics of mystery solving. She loved it and made it a hobby to tie it into her photography. She frowned, looking back at her homework. How was she supposed to concentrate on homework right now? Pushing her papers away, the 15 year old locked onto the hanging newspaper clippings before a determined expression crossed her face. If the police weren't going to help anymore and find leads, then she would go find them herself. Marie grabbed her Polaroid camera, her notebook and phone and stuffed them into her backpack. Then, she glanced over her shoulder at her door. The light from the hallway was off, which meant her mom and brother were not nearby. She sighed in relief before she opened her window. The light breeze from the night air hit her face. Leaving her light on, Marie slipped out the window and shut it closed.

Chocolate brown hair almost covered the camera that hung around her neck. Her sneakers crunched against the gravel on the road like someone eating crispy cereal and the evening chill made her shiver slightly. She zippered the jacket that was around her up. With crickets singing and chirping so late in the evening, the petite figure hardly noticed. Ten minutes after walking, the teen came to a halt in front of a hauntingly and seemingly empty mall-link building. Its once bright and inviting colors were now empty and faded. The pizzeria's logo and name were broken and part of its sign was missing. The windows, boarded up with wood, prevented any visitors from seeing the inside of the abandoned building.

The girl cautiously made her way around the building, glancing about for a way to get inside. One window had a loose piece of wood over it and she managed to pry the wood away, allowing a draft to caress her face. Placing the wood aside on the ground, the girl carefully climbed through the window and hopped inside. All the while, the teen continuously checked that no one else was there as well. She would rather not deal with someone getting her in trouble but seeing as though the building hadn't been visited in years, it was safe. The air was damp and smelt as if the place was sprayed with pond water. The walls which were once decorated with posters and signs, now bore nothing but chipping paint. Some neon ceiling lights flickered and the checkered floor was scuffed up. As she looked around, her fingers dug into her backpack and pulled out the notebook and pencil. Marie scribbled something down as she drew a small map of the room she was in.

It looked as though she was in some sort of massive lobby. Across the lobby stood rows of ticket booths and littering the floor was garbage and knocked over trash cans. Further down the walkway stood a massive rusted statue of some sort of bear with a top hat and microphone. There were elevators beyond the statue. On either side of the statue resided different rooms, each sign that once hung above the rooms was broken or missing. While Marie examined her surroundings, she was in awe at how big this place was. So this was the type of place that Faz. Ent. made and her dad worked. It was strange that she had never been here. Putting her notebook away, she pulled out her camera instead. The place seemed very mysterious and picture worthy. She found the power button on the camera and lifted the camera up. She needed some photos to analyze later. Maybe there were some clues. Looking through the camera lens, she made some adjustments and began taking photos. On the camera strap was a piece of tape with her name on it in black marker.

It was time to get started on looking for answers.