Gone Girl

• 001 • She Vanished •

NOVEMBER 1982

Flashing of red and blue lights blinding through the dark night air the silent town disturbed by sirens echoing the streets
Families slowly trickling out of their homes, phone calls jumping between members of the town for gossip
Why are the cops out late tonight
Why are the sirens blaring
What has caused the scene before them
What has caused the hysterical crying, the screaming
Nothing has been reported of serious crime in the town of Hawkins for many years always known to be peaceful, bland even yet this memory will be buried into the towns mind like a whisper

"Mam' we are doing all that we can"  Chief starts before the hysterical women
"We need to understand how this morning had started?"

"Like everyday Chief, got up early, messed around and nothing"  The strong voice of a confused father begins with his wife in hysterics gripping on to the rich clothing covering him
"So nothing has been different"

"Nothing unusual at all?"  The frown etched itself across the officers faces, frustration and worry seeps within themselves
"She just vanished"

"Yes she's just gone? Ok?"  Slight defence filters into the man's tone astonished the officers aren't understanding his daughter was there and then she wasn't
"She didn't come home with her brother"

"And where may your son be?"

"Just over there chief"  shifting to the right he points over to an older teen boy sitting silently on the steps to enter their home, slowly walking over with his wife's grip in his hand the chief close behind
"They were suppose to visit the playground briefly"

Chief Hopper blankly analyses the teen boy sat hunched over himself, hands gripping through his hair shoulders tense and foot tapping too quick and too fast from nerves or guilt?
Eyes staring blankly ahead glass filled with no tears shed but red with colour from previous irritation to contain his own emotions

"We just need to ask a couple questions, as you were with your sister last"  Hoppers voice cuts through the air pulling the teens attention to himself whilst slowly glancing towards his parents
"We just need to understand"

"I took her to the playground, like my parents planned and a-a"  stuttering breathes break up the fast paced sentence the boy continues to vomit forward

"Take a breath, what happened at the playground kid"

"She was on the swings because their her favourite and she was upset because I didn't want to push her anymore and I-I-I went into the shops to grab a drink for us"  nervously he looks back and forth between his parents watching his mother hysterical her little daughter is gone whilst he can see his fathers disappointment grow across his features
"It was only two seconds I promise ok? And she just wasn't on the swings anymore she wasn't on the slide anything I kept calling out for her and nothing"

"Did you see anyone around or hear anything?"

"No, It was only me and her I looked all around the playground and the shops myself before coming back here"

"I think that's all for today"  Hopper watches silently but with light concern the horror across the boys face knowing he had his little sister last, the weight of guilt weighing him down with both his parents blame against him