The Unfortunate Musical Stylings of The Little Black Box Society

Purpose

"I think you look better without makeup." I said to Alice as she was wiping away the last traces of makeup she had let on her face.
"Wow even with makeup I'm ugly, huh?"
"No, you're pretty."
"Haha, lies"
"No really, you are."
"Okay, whatever."
I sometimes question why the most beautiful people are the ones that find it the hardest to see their own beauty. Not that I'm an extremely confident guy, but I can live with knowing that I'm not the worst looking thing on this planet. (I think a cross between an antelope and a squirrel might take that award.) Alice, practically the most beautiful being I had ever seen in person, had no idea she was the most beautiful being I had ever seen in person. I can't imagine what it's like to look in the mirror and see so much beauty, but not be able to identify it as beauty.
"Do you guys want to stop at a diner before it gets dark?" asked Alice.
"We just ate, if you're hungry we can go."
"No, I ate too, but maybe we need to check the news, see what's going on."
I had never seen Alice worried, she wasn't really worried, but it's as close as she's ever come.
We stopped at a diner a couple miles ahead. I'm guessing Alice knew it was there and that it wasn't a coincidence that there was one so close.
"Excuse me, can you please put the nationwide news on." asked Alice to a waitress. She flipped the channels until stopping at a news station that was talking about a shooting that happened somewhere in Oregon this morning.
One one killed. Two wounded.
The news rambled on for a few more minutes until it cut to a man crying.
"My daughter has been missing, if anyone has seen here, please! Please! Please, inform authorities."
It was so strange that we happen to have walked in right before this happened. Because we all knew it was Alice, her father. Adam and I looked at Alice, she shed a smile tear.
"We're leaving now!" she said, not the way she'd said it in the last diner. This time she said it with more anger, more grief, trying to use every once of strength she had in her so she wouldn't cry anymore.
Alice ran a lot more quickly in front of us, probably trying to not let us see her cry. She got in and started wiping her face. Adam and I waited a bit outside so she could have her space, well at least that's what I was doing, don't real,y know about Adam.
"Lucky I ran out of there before the lady was able to match my face to the one on the screen. Ugh! He just had to go on television, didn't he?"
"Isn't that what people do when someone is missing?" asked Adam.
"Shut up, Red! I'm not in the mood." Hah. I hadn't noticed.
"You both saw that man on the TV. The man that was crying because it pained him so much, knowing not a single thing about where his only daughter could have gone. I knew this was gonna happen, it took so much courage to be able to leave him, but my purpose was worth it. We all have a purpose for being here! That key! That fucking key! We all want something from it, that's why we're here. This is the time to confess why you're here. Go, or do I have to start everything like I always do?!" Adam and I stayed silent.
"Fine, I'll fucking go." she said, with an expression on her face that made it seem like she was ready to slap one of us.
"One day, when I came back from day care, at the age of three, my mother was gone. That's it, she vanished and I never saw her again. My father gave little me a talk about death saying my mommy had to go up in the sky with God, that it was her time. It was hard for a three year old to understand, I mean I barely spoke, but I grew to understand. A few months ago someone called my house, my dad wasn't home and I hate answering, so I let it go to voice mail. it was a voice of a woman. The woman said 'Hi. Just calling to know how she's doing. Give me a call once you're alone, thanks.' The voice was familiar, yet completely strange. After so much thought, I realized it was my mom, she wasn't dead. I found out about the Altoegang key and figured it be the only sure way to find out where she is. Alright Red. Why are you here?"
Adam and I took many seconds to process all of what Alcid had told us, but Adam took a deep breath and began to speak.
"When I was little I asked why my hair was a different color from my mom and dad's. In 6th grade they taught me about recessive traits, that red hair is a recessive trait in my family, I just happen to have it. I looked through all the books my mom and dad had of their siblings and parents and grandparents. None of them were ginger!-" Adam said that with a type of desperate laugh.
"-I looked through drawers in my dad's study and found adoption papers. I'm adopted. I showed my parents and they told me stuff, but they didn't know who my birth parents are. And like Alice I heard of the Altoegang key and thought that was the only way to find out." Adam ended his story with a side smile, which he was trying to hold up.
"Very touching Red one. Jake your turn!"
"Uh I don't have a reason."
"Then why the hell are you here?" I pointed at Adam.
"He came 'cause I asked him to."
"Alright, well everyone has their purpose. If you don't, you'll find one." said Alice.