third time's a charm

22

"What do you mean she's missing?"

Gulf's voice boomed with urgency, echoing off the walls of the bustling newsroom. Win, flanked by Gun, New, and Tay, found themselves at the receiving end of their editor-in-chief's stern gaze. The month's column was on the verge of completion, and despite the ache of a broken heart, Win had persevered through his daily encounters with the enigmatic Madame Sukie. Yet, in the days leading up to her sudden disappearance, an unsettling apprehension had cast a shadow over their interactions.

For Win, the recent moments spent with Madame Sukie had been fraught with unease. It wasn't merely the looming possibility of her ominous prophecies coming to fruition that weighed heavily on his mind, but the palpable sense of paranoia that seemed to consume her. Each passing day brought with it a deepening sense of foreboding, a feeling that something sinister lurked just beyond the periphery of their reality.

As Gulf's stern gaze bore down on them, Win couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration mingling with his growing concern. The column, so meticulously crafted over the weeks, now stood at risk of unraveling without its central figure. Yet, even as the weight of the situation threatened to crush their resolve, Win remained haunted by the memory of Madame Sukie's cryptic warnings and erratic behavior in the days leading up to her disappearance.

Though he had resigned himself to the unsettling reality of Madame Sukie's vanishing act, Win couldn't shake the gnawing feeling of guilt that clawed at the edges of his consciousness. Had he missed something? Overlooked a crucial detail that might have foretold the tragedy that now befell them? Or was Madame Sukie's disappearance merely a symptom of a much larger, more insidious mystery waiting to be unraveled?

Gulf released a weary sigh and settled back into his leather seat. "What's our next move? This series has been running in the paper for weeks, and we're approaching the final stretch! How do we write without our subject?"

Win shot him a disdainful look. "Don't you think we've gathered enough data about her? Plus, all her readings are more focused on me than on the broader world. Readers are starting to take an interest in my private life too."

"So?"

"I'm not comfortable with it!"

Tay attempted to mediate. "Let's all take a moment to calm down, alright?" Turning to Win, he asked, "Do you know anyone connected to her? A relative, maybe?"

Win pondered for a moment, recalling the time spent with her. "She has children, five of them actually. But she's had no contact with them. As far as I know, they've distanced themselves from her..." Only then did he realize the profound sadness underlying his words.

"Then, we can start from there. It'll be faster if we split up and we'll cover more ground that way. You and Gun and me and New," Tay offered.

Sighing and shaking his head, it seemed that Win was left without a choice but to seek this soothsayer. "Fine!" He raised both hands in surrender and walked towards the door.

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Finally settling into the van, the group began discussing potential locations and neighbors they could inquire about the old lady's whereabouts. For Win, who had endured months of peculiar occurrences and attempted to evade the "curse" by ending his relationship with the man he loved, this sudden turn of events should have felt familiar. However, he found himself feeling quite the opposite.

"Don't worry too much about Gulf," Gun reassured as they decided to head straight to Madame Sukie's house, while Tay and New went to asked nearby stores the woman usually visited. "He'll get over it eventually, but he'll definitely give us an earful first."