Missing: The boy who disappeared

Chapter 2- Where are you ?

' How a kidnapping ends, depends to a large degree, on who the kidnapper is.'

🧸 Almost 3 years later. 🧸

28th September 2024

As Louis gradually awakens, he feels a faint sense of rejuvenation, though he remains groggy as he sits up in bed, endeavouring to dispel the sleep from his eyes. If he's being honest, he didn't experience a particularly restful night. He awoke multiple times for reasons that eluded him entirely.

His bedroom remains shrouded in darkness, thanks to the blackout curtains he thoughtfully installed. Both inside and outside, there's a peculiar serenity, leading him to assume it's still relatively early. He leans over to disconnect his phone from the charger on the bedside table, releasing a loud yawn.

The shock jolts through him as he glances at his phone's display, revealing the time: 7:45 a.m. Swiftly throwing the comforter aside, Louis experiences an immediate rush of panic. His fingers scramble haphazardly, grasping the scattered clothes strewn about the bedroom floor. Time is of the essence, and he knows he has just a mere sixty minutes to complete his morning routine, in order to get out of the door on time.

The surge of panic intensifies, causing a throbbing headache to settle in from the abrupt onslaught of anxiety. He's acutely aware that every moment counts as he rushes to gather himself and prepare for the day ahead.

Why in the world didn't his alarm ring? This was uncharacteristic and potentially disastrous. Louis, disheveled and half-awake, frantically searches for the other shoe, hopping on one foot in his hurry. It's a chaotic race against the clock. He finally locates the elusive shoe and hastily puts it on.

With a sense of urgency, he rushes to the bathroom. The cold splash of water wakes him up a bit, and he quickly brushes his teeth and attempts to tame his unruly hair with wet fingers. Although he's far from his best, he deems himself presentable enough for work.

He makes his way down the hallway, cautiously pushing open the bedroom door. As the light filters through the curtains, a sense of dread creeps in. It's clear that something is amiss.

"Saxon?" Louis calls out with growing concern, his voice echoing in the stillness of the room.

He dashes towards his son's tiny toddler bed, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, a visceral sensation of dread gnawing at his very soul. The sight of an empty bed sends his pulse racing faster than ever before as he scans the room for any sign of his beloved child.

"Sax, where are you, baby?" he calls out, his voice trembling with concern, the emotion palpable in every syllable. He embarks on a frenzied quest, searching everywhere in the room. He checks under the bed, then in the closet, and yet there's no trace of his son. An overwhelming sense of helplessness and fear envelops him as he moves about with urgency, tears welling up in his eyes, his fatherly instincts propelling him into overdrive.

Louis' heart raced as he hurriedly exited the room, and the unsettling silence in the house only amplified the urgency of his search. Panic coursed through his veins, his mind racing faster than his footsteps. The thought of his son being missing sent shivers down his spine. He dashed through each room in a frantic search, his voice trembling as he called out Saxon's name with increasing desperation.

His search led him to the bathroom, the echoes of his own footsteps deafening in his ears. He scanned the room, looking for any trace of his son, but there was only emptiness. His steps grew more frantic as he moved into the junk room, the spare room filled with a jumble of items, none of them offering any comfort.

The laundry, usually a place of routine, now felt like an abyss of uncertainty. Louis' hands trembled as he pulled back the door, hoping to find his son there. But once again, it was an empty room, and the anxiety that had taken hold of him continued to tighten its grip.