until the end of time, my love | luis mendoza³

SEVEN: THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF OLIVIA ARQUETTE

WITH TREMBLING HANDS, Kenzie leaned down and moved the mat that was placed neatly outside of Liv's apartment door. Just like she said, there was a shiny silver key shining back at her. She picked up the little key, nearly bumping into a depressed Nate who was leaning against the wall beside her.

The group had just returned back from Miami and to say everyone was feeling Grayson withdrawal was an understatement. Kenzie was just as depressed too but at the moment, she was more scared than anything. Being at Liv's apartment was like diving headfirst into their past of murder and gangs and every other awful thing.

If it was anyone else, she wouldn't have been there. But Liv was like an older sister to her and she was worried something terrible happened, so she put the key into the lock and turned it. They had been to Liv's apartment many times over the years and it never looked like how it did right now.

Liv was a bright person and she never minded decorating everything she owned in beautiful colors. Her once lavender walls were now painted white and the pictures and posters she had framed in every single room were no longer there. The weird pink chair she had hanging from her ceiling was gone, the only evidence that it was there was the little hole in the ceiling where it once hung. Even her flat-screen TV was missing from the wall, along with her gaming systems. Oh, she would throw a fit if she saw the state of her home.

Her kitchen was always a fun place to hang out. Her electric blue fridge was always stocked with all types of alcohol. But the fridge wasn't there anymore. It was replaced with a boring and regular silver one. Actually, it seemed like there was nothing in the kitchen. Kenzie looked through the drawers, finding no silverware or any type of food anywhere.

"What the fuck happened to her apartment?" Nate asked, reading Kenzie's mind. Nate hopped out of his funk for just a few minutes so he could help Kenzie investigate the weird and slightly concerning change of scenery in the apartment.

"She would hate this place," Kenzie responded and she was right. Liv would have hated a place so dull and boring. Nate nodded as he followed Kenzie down the hallway. Her bedroom door was wide open, another pet peeve she had. She hated keeping the door open. Kenzie let out a gasp when they saw her room.

Liv's room was like her safe place, a room full of nothing but comfort, and that was because she decorated it to her liking. Her entire room was pink, from her bed to her dresser to every little detail. Liv clearly had it hard growing up with two emotionally unavailable, not really there parents so being able to have her room the way she wanted was something so exciting to her.

But now, the room was...bare. There was a twin-sized bed that looked almost like a hospital bed. The pink walls were white just like the living room and there was no dresser against her wall. The pictures she had hanging everywhere were nowhere to be found and none of her clothes were in the closet. Something was clearly, incredibly wrong.

She leaned down onto the hardwood floor and reached under her bed, finding the box she was sent to retrieve. Her brows furrowed as she read over the name on the box.

"E. I. Z. N. E. K?" Nate read out loud as he sat down beside her on the floor. It took her only a few seconds before she muttered out, "my name backward."

"Your name backward? Why would she put it like..."

"Because she wanted no one to know who it was for," They both said at the same time, their realization making both of them uneasy. Kenzie carefully opened the box, finding nothing but was looked to be a very old book sitting inside. She took it out, examining the rough edges and the torn cover. She gently opened the first page, her eyes scanning over Liv's handwriting.

August 12, 2010
Maybe if I write down the things they do and say to me, someone will believe me and they'll save me from them. My parents, Ryan and Judith Arquette are very mean people. They always hurt me and say mean things to me. I hope they don't hit Ryan too, he is only trying to help when I cry. I'm so scared.

"2010? How old would she have been?" Nate said trying to do the math in his head.

"Eight," Kenzie said sadly. "Ryan would have been six."

October 23, 2015.
I went on my first date ever today! Dad wasn't very happy about it though. When he found out where I was, he grabbed me by my hair and threw me down the stairs. Everyone was in the living room and saw me crash down. Even dad's work friends. It was so embarrassing. I don't know why dad acted like that! It was just a date! We didn't even kiss!

"This one was on her thirteenth birthday," Kenzie said after reading the paragraph.

August 14, 2021
Last page. Shit never changed. I'm so tired.

"That was only a few days ago," Nate said.

"Yeah, it was the night she texted me," Kenzie sighed as she shut the book.

"Obviously something really fucked is going on," Nate started rambling. "I mean, I always knew their parents were weird but abusive? Liv was abused her entire life and no one ever did anything to help her! Now, where is she? We have to help her."

"Realistically, Nate, what would we do?" She asked. "I love Liv but right now, there is nothing we can do. Something fucked up did happen but we both know how they are. We have to just wait for the right time and when that comes, we'll help her."

Nate nodded, knowing Kenzie was completely right. She held the book close to her chest, feeling awful about the entire situation. She thought that if maybe she came sooner she could have helped her, saved her. But by the context of the text, she knew she was already gone. There was nothing she really could do.

Except for the book. She could take the book and guard it with her life and when the time came, it could be used as evidence. She knew that taking the book could possibly put her in danger but there was something so disturbing about the way they completely changed and ruined her new life without the. Besides that, she was her friend and she didn't want her to end up like Ryan.