This should be it. Ria thought to herself. 277 Delta Court, the same address she had envisioned in her dream. Along with the same ferns perched on the same stoop that also appeared in her dream. She cautiously approached the door, knowing that after months of tumultuous work trying to search Noah, she might only be a few knocks away from finding him. With a shaking hand, she rapped on the door, and quickly drew back.
It was only 15 seconds of silence, and she began to worry.
What if this had been the wrong house all along?
What if her dreams had been right only right up to this point?
What if this was all for nothing?
CREAK. "Hello, can I help you?"
It was a woman who opened the door, bouncing a baby in one arm. It was unexpected, but Ria got this far, it was too late to back down now.
"Hey, um...I'm not sure if you live with a man named...Eric?" I replied hesitantly. "I just...I think he might know what happened to my friend. I'm Rihanna"
The woman bore a confused look on her face "I'm sorry, you---said a Eric?" before her baby began to whine, which developed into a crying fit. "Um, alright how about you come in and we can talk, let me just put my son down for a nap."
Ria nodded as the woman turned around and waved her in. She was expecting Steve's house to be---, well she didn't know what she would expect. Maybe like a scary dungeon or creepy cellar on the inside, but by the looks of the cozy living room, spacious lawn and modest woman, Ria had begun to second guess her intellect as she took a seat on the feather white couch with a hazel-colored drape.
The woman bounced and shushed the crying baby into a separate room and the cries began to slowly die down, she entered the living room with a sigh and laughed. "Sorry," the woman laughed, perching herself right next to Ria. "What was your name again?"
"Rihanna." Ria offered her hand, and the woman shook it. "Bianca." She responded. "And I think I'm a little confused, you said something about a guy in my house named Steve?" Ria sighed and told Bianca everything, even if she was just a stranger, she was the most helpful stranger she had ever met. Ria broke down the entire situation to her. From David's kidnapping to her being trapped in the basement for months, the dreams leading her to this moment here.
Ria expected Bianca to look at her like she was a madwoman. To immediately tell Ria politely she has the wrong house and let her leave before locking her doors and boarding up her windows, followed by calling the police. Instead, she simply nodded with a serene look on her face.
"You seem to have a lot going on for you, Rihanna." Bianca said, pitiful.
"I know, and I'm sorry to overload on you. I'm just trying to use every opportunity to find him. Do you have any idea of a man named, Eric?"
Bianca wore a sad smile, shaking her head. "No hon, I'm sorry I don't know any Eric—"
Then a man had appeared into Ria's view, walking down the carpeted stairs.
"Who's this, babe?" the man asked, biting into an apple. After a couple of seconds of staring at him, realization washed over Ria as her face turned white.
It was him.
It was him.
The face from her nightmares. The face she seen in the alleyway. The face who taunted her every night as she slept.
The face she looked at took her best friend.
And he was standing right in front of her. In the middle of this cozy, unsuspecting abode, casually leaning against a staircase across the warmth of a fireplace biting an apple and staring at Ria with an unsure look upon his horrid face. Ria sprung up from her seat, almost so fast she felt light-headed as her body instantly went into defense mode.
"You!" Ria exclaimed after a long silence. "It's you! You're the one who took him! You're the one who won't get out of my head! You took him Eric, it was you!"
Bianca stood up and had been arms outstretched to calm me down. "Whoa, calm down honey. Everything's okay, I think you could be having some kind of panic attack."
But I backed away from the kind woman as well, for all I know show could be in this too.
Eric stopped eating his apple and with a look of confusion asked, "Eric? Who's Eric. My name is James." He turned to Bianca. "Bi, who is this lady?"
Bianca turned to James and shrugged. "I really don't know but she just seemed like she needed help."
The man sighed, "Bianca, we talked about this, you're too nice for your own good, babe" He walked towards Bianca and put a hand on her shoulder. Ria began having second thoughts. Would if this wasn't Eric? Just because he's saying his name isn't Eric doesn't mean it isn't him. But he doesn't seem the type to have a warm, welcoming home with a wife and baby. It doesn't seem kidnapper esque.
She relaxed. "I—I'm sorry Jake and Bianca. I shouldn't have made you go out of your way just to help me but thank you so much for doing it. I'll just be on my way."
Bianca grabbed Ria's hands and squeezed them as she and Jake led her towards the door. "Awl honey, you don't need to apologize. I know you're not completely okay right now and that's fine. I wish you the best of luck."
Jake smiled, "You're a great friend, Rihanna. I hope you find him."
It didn't catch Ria's attention initially, but when it did, she instantly felt her mouth dry.
Ria never told him why she was at their home. She never even told him her name.
This was him. This was Eric. Jake didn't exist. "Th—thank, you." Ria attempted to say as calmly as possible, then an idea sparked. The moment of truth began. Ria stood halfway outside the door. "One more thing, I just wanted to see if I could get your number. Just in case you...I dunno...see any kind of news about it or something."
"Oh, of course! Sure." Bianca cheerfully said, whipping out her phone. Instead of taking her phone out to receive Bianca's number, Ria called Noah's number, knowing that this was it.
That's when Noah's ringtone for her erupted. And it was coming from Jake's back pocket. Ria's hand shook in fear as a dropped onto the concrete in a frighting crack.
Bianca's cheerfulness suddenly turned expressionless. She then only sighed and walked back into the home, while Jake stood smirking at Ria. Jake shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You're a smart girl Rihanna. Too bad you got this far only to lose yet again."
Bianca returned, only to be gripping a shotgun, pointed directly at Ria.
Jake leaned against the door frame. "I think it's best if you come back in." He took another bite of his apple.
