Vanishing

9.

Brody

Present Day

By seven o'clock I feel like a coil ready for spring. This is not what I had in mind. Not even in the slightest. I was promised answers and none of these people can give them to me.

Being so close to Lindsey is both heaven and hell though so I intend to stick it out as long as possible. If Catherine and Charlie do not fucking ruin it.

The jabs they make at me are much deserved, I know that. But it was a decade ago. People change. Though looking around this room I doubt that statement very much.

Tommy and Lindsey chat easily. It makes me angry and nauseous. He has always had a hard on for her and she never gave him the time of day. That changed.

Catherine and Fisher are in their own world but that is how they have always been. Even after what happened that night. It seemed to have brought them closer together, which was strange to me.

Catherine does not have the brains to make someone disappear though and Fisher did not have the gall.

Tommy was my suspect for a long time. He could have had any girl he wanted but he chased Lindsey's tail. I saw Cynthia tell him where to go on multiple occasions but that is not a strong enough motive.

As for Charlie and Lindsey, if they wanted anyone to disappear that night it was either me or each other.

At first, I honestly thought that was the case. When we were woken at dawn by a missing girl I had assumed after the show they put on the night before it was one of them. That they had started back towards home or gotten lost in the woods.

When I exited my tent and saw them both though, a feeling of dread filled me. One I could not explain until the words were said aloud.

Cynthia is missing.

It was said so calmly. Like it was no reason to panic yet. But when hours turned to days turned to months and then years, we all knew.

One way or another a girl had gone missing under suspicious circumstances. There was no evidence of foul play. No blood, no body. Hence why it was ruled a runaway.

I shift in my stool at the bar. Eyes trying to uncover what is not openly being said. Everyone is holding the same tension on their shoulders. Wither its being together again or the fact of the last ten years I could not be certain.

Something niggles in the back of my mind, but I shove it down for now. I finish my drink and grab a menu of appetizers and desserts to sober up. I need a clear mind right now. Something that seems impossible.

"Would anyone like an appetizer or dessert?" I ask glancing up.

"Sure." Fisher nods standing and making his way over to me so look over the menu.

We all end up ordering wings and mozzarella sticks.

It is still tense, but we have an entire week to get over that I suppose.