A Danger That Lurks In The Darkness | A TPQ AU |

XXI | Dragged Into Darkness

MINI
"What are you talking about?"

"She didn't come home! She's not answering her phone, either, it's switched off!"

"Calm down," she said, and began tugging at her bangs. "She might have gone to work directly,"

Nausea had risen in her, though.

"What if she's... dead?" Nikita's voice dropped to a whisper, as her heart sank.

"Don't think that. Don't think the worst. It's most likely she's at that... girl's home or whatever."

On the other end, she heard Nikita gasp. The wheels in Mini's head turned.

"Hey, Nikki— do you have a picture of the girl she was going out with?"

She heard Nikita sniffle. "No... I don't know. I think they met on some dating website— and began texting."

"So can you send it to me?"

"Her phone—"

"Check her laptop."

"Oh... okay." She didn't continue, but Mini heard faint sniffles on the other side of the phone.

"I'm going to go check her laptop now."

"She'll be alright, Nikita," she said, quietly. "You don't have to worry."

The next thing she heard was the beeping of a cut call.

Her breath shook in the silence.

With trembling hands, she dialled Rudy's number, counting the breaths in between the ringing of the phone. Stay calm.

One, two, three...

He picked up. "What's up?"

Her voice broke in barely-restrained worry. "I... need your help. We need your help."

————

The twins' apartment was a mess. Sheela's laptop sat on the coffee table, as Mini asked, "You couldn't get through to her?"

Nikita shook her head, wiping her eyes.

Rudy's face crumpled, slightly, as he said, quietly, "We'll find her, Nikita,"

Unwillingly, her mind flashed to the promise she'd made to herself: We'll find Patricia. Her parents can't lose another daughter.

She felt her fingers curl in on themselves. Look how well that turned out, something whispered at the back of her mind.

We'll find her. We have to. I won't fail this time. Not just determination: a rare rage coursed through her, making heat flash through her body.

"Do you know her password?"

Nikita brought out a Post-It, with pieces of tape stuck to its edges. "She hid it underneath her desk," she sniffled, handing her the Post-It.

On it, in Sheela's cursive handwriting, was written: *#_J@ganSheela@_*

She switched on Sheela's laptop, and carefully typed in the password. Beside her, Rudy leaned in to see, while Nikita stayed still, her eyes fixed on the laptop screen, her arms crossed.

She went to the browser, her eyes flicking to the several bookmarks, until Rudy pointed one out: "Is that it?"

She clicked on it, and the dating website's loading screen appeared before their eyes, before the homepage popped up.