All Fun & Games...

Chapter 5

So if Rachels missing too...at another party...the police have to do something about it this time. They can ignore one, but they can't ignore two missing people. 

"Did you tell the police?" I ask.

"Yeah, they said that they would look into it. I hope they find her soon." Ana says her voice just under a whisper now. Liam coughs and stares right at me and his eyes look panicked. 

"Why do you look panicked? You finally care about her?" Ana asks him and the sharpness is back. 

"Ana. Come see me at lunch, and turn around. Pay attention." Mr. Lychee says glaring again. She scoffs and rolls her eyes before she turns around finally. Liam coughs again and this time he's passing me a notebook. I take it and on it he's scribbled something. 

'How can she remember Rachel? No one can remember Kyla, but they remember Rachel?'

Then it makes sense...the police were doing something about Kyla until she was forgotten, but that was only until the next day around the same time she went missing. It took around 24 hours....before that everyone knew who Kyla was. Does that mean everyone will forget Rachel tonight at the party? The same time she went missing? 

I write up a response 'I have a theory. Meet me during lunch in the music room. No one will be there.' I pass it back and he gives a weary nod before turning back to Mr. Lychee. 

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I anxiously wait in the music room. Full yet empty, no one here but it feels too cluttered. Literally and metaphorically. A loud crash rips and then a mumbled shit. I peer around the corner and I find a flushed Liam trying to stand up a keyboard. A laugh bursts out of me at the sight of it. 

"A-Are you ok?" I ask through laughing. 

"Yes, this stupid thing toppled over. I swear I didn't even touch it." He grumbles as it finally stands still. 

"Quite the entrance." I say finally catching my breath. 

"Glad it amuses you." He says and I can tell he's trying to hold back a smile. We hold each others gazes for a moment before he continues. 

"So, whats this theory of yours?" 

"Ok so...when Kyla went missing, the next day people remembered her until around the same time she went missing the next day, right? What if takes 24 hours for everyone to forget them? That would explain why Ana can still remember Rachel."

"Stephanie, thats brilliant!" He exclaims and his eyes brighten for a moment.

"Wait...so then why can we still remember them?" He asks confused and I wish I had an answer. 

"I...don't know. But I don't know if the 24 hour thing is real, it's just a guess. We should ask around at the party tonight and see if anyone remembers her at that time.. Thats around the time she went missing last night."

"Perfect... and if they do remember her?" 

"Then something else is going on." 

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The school bell rings to let us know we can go home. Liam and I exit science class again and head towards outside. A gust of cold wind nips at my nose  and sends shivers down my spine. I can't tell if it's because I'm actually cold or if it's because the time until tonights party keeps getting shorter with every minute. I slide into Liams car as he turns on the engine and we pull into the line of cars heading to their homes. 

"So...if your theory is true...whats the plan?" Liam asks after an awkward moment of silence. 

"Well...if no one else can remember them...they can't investigate. But what if they're out there... scared and alone...someone needs to at least try and find them." 

"Stephanie, you can't. It's too dangerous, Kyla and Rachel were obviously kidnapped, if you go looking you could get kidnapped. Plus you would have to step outside of the schedule, when Kyla and Rachel did that they went missing. You can't go missing too. It's not safe-"

"I get your concerned but I'm not asking for your permission. I need to find Kyla and I have a feeling if I find her I find Rachel. One is random, two is coincidence but something about this tells me it's not a coincidence. So either your with me or your not. I won't judge if you don't want to help because I'll admit, it is extremely dangerous."  Then theres a moment of silence. 

"You realize that by stepping out of the schedule, somethings probably going to happen to you." He says slide glancing me. I nod.

"But thats the point. If I get kidnapped, it will probably lead me to Kyla and Rachel."

"And if it doesn't?" 

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. Are you?" 

"It's a risk forgetting you. I'd rather be there with you, two against one gives us better odds." 

I nod and some of the fear on my shoulders is lifted off knowing I'm not doing this alone. Then I notice we've pulled into his driveway. 

"Oh and Stephanie, when do you want to do this?" He asks before we exit. 

"Tonight. Sooner the better."  

He nods as he shuts of the car.  I slide out with my bag, and head across the yard to my house just as he yells "I'll pick you up again tonight!" 

"You don't need to!" I shout back. 

"Have you seen your car?! The back tires deflated, you'll need a ride!" 

How did he know it's deflated? I turn to look at my car and instantly notice the car is tipped, the back tire a pile of rubber at the bottom, clearly deflated. I sigh, it must have lost more air while I was at school. I need to get that fixed at some point. I turn back to him but he's not there. The door closing shut, as if he just walked in. He must have seen me sigh and took that as defeat.

 I continue across the yard but notice somethings off. How am I able to see my car? My moms car usually blocks mine from this angle. My dads car is here, mine too, but my moms is missing. Her shift ended an hour ago.... she should be home by now. I run to the front door and swing it open. 

"Dad wheres-" but I'm stopped mid question when I see my father at the top of the stairs on the phone. His eyes are puffy and wet and....angry? His hair has visible finger streaks in them from him running his hand through it constantly. I've never seen him like this before...it's kind of scary. 

"Dad where's mom?" I say quieter, already knowing the answer. 

"S-she's missing...."