Rare

Rare Part 8

Chapter 8, Jasmine and gardenia

Olivia and Derek had called the police right after checking with their neighbours if they had seen any sign of Scarlett. On the first day, the officers suggested the parents should keep an eye out for their daughter and if she didn't return before 24 hours, they would issue a missing person's alert. Early the next morning, the alert was issued. The police asked Derek and Oliva questions about places Scarlett would frequent, who she socialised with and whether anyone around her should be a source of concern. The parents mentioned Drake when answering the last question and the police made a note of this, before letting them know they will send search teams around the city to look for her and update them regularly. Whilst the couple waited anxiously for Scarlett to be found, the missing person's alert spread around the city. Clarent, Angeline and Zana read about it on their phones at school, and a heavy feeling of hopelessness and grief kept them in low spirits. That night, Clarent had been sitting at the dining table picking at his dinner with his fork whilst his parents watched him worriedly. Tracy went to her son's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

 "Clarent, your food is getting cold." 

 "I can't eat." Tracy pulled out a chair to sit next to him. 

 "This is out of our control, honey. All we can do is hope Scarlett is okay." 

 "Listen to your mother and eat up," Jerry said from across the table. Clarent put his fork down and pushed his chair in. 

 "I need to go out for a bit," he muttered, striding towards the door. Clarent's parents looked on at him but did not try to stop him. 

 "Come back in an hour," Jerry called after him.

Clarent strolled down his street, hands in the pockets of his hoodie. Four street lamps bathed every house down the path in white light. Every home had top-notch security systems. There was nowhere a possible intruder could hide. He stopped outside Scarlett's house at the start of the street as his phone buzzed with an alert. He clicked on the news article that popped up, and its headline read:

Search Continues for Missing Argonizeria Teenager

Two days have almost passed since the police began their search for seventeen-year-old Scarlett Kelly... he skimmed through the rest, frustrated that there were no new leads or any helpful information. There was a picture of her at the end of the article. Clarent drew in a breath and held it. 

 "Please come back safely to us, Scarlett. Please let me see you smile again, like you are in this picture, like you don't have a care in the world." 

 "How touching," a female voice mused from somewhere near him. He whirled around and saw a young woman. The first thing the boy noticed was the blonde hair which cascaded in waves down the woman's poised frame, reaching her waist. Eyes of the brightest sapphire regarded him with the sort of intrigue a cat looks at a mouse with. 

 "I-um..." Clarent started, rattled by her commanding presence. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I wasn't meant to say that out loud. Pretend you never heard it." She laughed sweetly.

 "You must care about her a great deal." Clarent looked up at the fluorescent light which towered above them. A fat grey moth kept knocking into the light's glass casing, before it settled on its centre. 

 "I should get going, and so should you. It's not safe to talk to strangers this late at night," he said, trying to end the conversation before it could get any more personal. He glanced back at the woman and she was no longer staring at him, but straight ahead. 

 "I once had someone who cared for me, as much as you care for that missing girl." She took a step forward and her eyes met his. Clarent froze. There was something about her tone that really bothered him. Snapping himself out of his shock, he frowned.