Imperfect Life: Arc 6

Chapter 3

"Okay, so all the windows are locked." Crys said to herself as she rapidly paced around the house anxiously. She had to weave in between all the things she had scattered across the floor haphazardly from searching every shelf and cabinet and nook and cranny. "Doors are locked too. The whole house is completely locked up, so there's no way anyone could have gotten in... but Brandon's still gone. So, something had to happen!" Crys ran around the house again to quadruple check every window and door, only to find again that each and every one of them was still securely locked.

"Agh!" Crys exclaimed. It was late now, and being tired wasn't helping her at all. "Who could have even done this? I mean, let's see, Karen probably would want us dead, but she's dead, so that can't work. The other werewolf..." Crys paused for a second before resuming as if she had never stopped. "The leader of The Pack is in jail still, and the Mecha-Werewolf is also gone... None of them even know about Brandon except for Karen and the Mecha-Werewolf, and the Mecha-Werewolf knows I'm the werewolf, but again, they're both gone, so neither of them could have done it!" Crys forcefully exhaled and rubbed her eyes with a hand. She was getting nowhere. "Brandon's parents are gone, too. That doesn't even make sense! Well, maybe something happened to Brandon and his necklace? Okay, that makes some sense, but what happened?" Crys paused for another moment. "Maybe he left to go back home...?" Crys sat on this thought for a painful few seconds before shaking her head to snap out of that line of thinking. "No! He wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, and he definitely wouldn't just leave his phone and jacket behind like that!" Crys sighed. "Maybe Tomas or Emma know what's going on..."

Crys pulled out her phone and called Emma.

"Hello?" Emma responded as she picked up her phone.

"One second I need to ask Tomas something as well, let me get him on the line." Crys murmured.

"Okay?" Emma said, a little confused. She was already picking up on Crys' more scatterbrained tone.

"What's up?" Tomas asked as he answered his own phone.

"Hey, so have either of you heard from Brandon today?" Crys asked.

"Either of us?" Tomas asked.

"I am here as well." Emma said.

"Oh." Tomas replied. "Uh, heard from Brandon? No, not today. I think the last time we talked was before you and him went on vacation."

"The same applies for me as well." Emma tacked on.

"Oh, okay." Crys said, trying her best not to let the sheer worry she felt seep into her tone.

"Why do you ask?" Tomas asked.

"Oh, he just uh, went out or something today. He wasn't picking up his phone or anything. Figured one of you might know where he's at." Crys said, lying as best she could.

"Unfortunately, I have not heard from him at all." Emma said.

"Me either." Tomas tacked on.

"Crys, are you okay? You sound a little bit... off." Emma asked, a smidge concerned.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. I uh, was just running around a bunch. Bit tired, y'know?" Crys said, quite unconvincingly. "Anyway, I was just curious, so yeah. I'll talk to you both later." She then hung up before either Tomas or Emma would have a chance to respond.

Tomas and Emma were left on a phone call with each other, both extremely confused.

"What- what was that all about?" Tomas asked.

"I do not have the slightest idea." Emma replied.

"Do you think everything's alright?"

"Again, I do not know. Crys did sound somewhat panicked, from what I could tell."

"Maybe Brandon's just out for the day and wanted whatever he was doing to be a surprise?"

"Perhaps."

"Maybe it's just more wolf drama." Tomas said with slight annoyance to his tone.

"Also possible." Emma replied.

"Whatever. I guess we'll just see what happens."

"Agreed."

"Well, goodnight, Em."

"Goodnight, Tomas."

They both hung up.

"Think, Crystal, think!" Crys slammed her fists onto the kitchen island. "Why does none of this make any sense! What happened to him!" Crys started pacing again. After a while of pacing while thinking things that led nowhere, she noticed the night sky outside one of the windows. "Well, if he's not here, maybe he's somewhere in the city." She said to herself. She then transformed into a werewolf and went out into the city to start searching as best she could.