GENESIS: THE CATALYST

CHAPTER SEVEN

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."
- Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

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Just as Maya tried to shake off the feeling as she walked to her next class, she noticed two familiar figures walking down the hall-the detectives who had investigated Kendall's case: 'Detective Harlow' and 'Detective Winters'. Their expressions were grim, and they were speaking to a group of Tessa's friends, who stood clustered by the lockers.

Maya's breath hitched. Why were they here?

"Hey, aren't those the detectives who...?" Layla whispered, trailing off.

Maya nodded slowly, her heart pounding. Detective Harlow and Winters had been relentless in their search for Kendall, but they had never found any solid leads. Now, seeing them here again, investigating another missing girl, Maya felt a wave of panic rising.

Her mind raced.

Is this connected? Are they investigating Tessa's disappearance the same way they did Kendall's?*

Detective Harlow glanced in Maya's direction, his eyes briefly locking onto hers. For a moment, it felt like time stood still. She quickly averted her gaze, the weight of his presence too much to bear.

"Maya, let's go," Eleanor urged gently. "We should get to class."

But Maya couldn't shake the feeling that something much bigger was happening. As they walked away, her mind was clouded with questions, fear, and the haunting memory of that silhouette under the streetlight. Was the person who had watched her that night still out there, waiting?

Maya and Kylie stood side by side at the school entrance, waiting for their driver, Tony, to arrive. The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the parking lot, but it did little to ease the weight of the day. Tessa's disappearance, the haunting messages Maya had received, and the lingering memories of Kendall's abduction-all of it seemed to press down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

When the familiar black SUV pulled up, Tony stepped out and opened the door for them with his usual courteous nod. Maya and Kylie slid into the backseat, exchanging a brief look of understanding before settling into their seats. They didn't need to speak to know what the other was feeling-two years after Kendall's disappearance, the pain was still there, but so was their shared strength.

As the car pulled away from the school, the hum of the engine filled the quiet between them. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was the kind of silence that only existed between people who knew each other deeply. Maya glanced out the window, her mind spinning, but Kylie's presence beside her was a comfort.

Kylie, ever the stronger, always the one to keep the family together, reached over and gently squeezed Maya's hand. "You okay?" she asked softly, her voice filled with concern.

Maya nodded, though her heart was still racing. "Yeah," she said, though she didn't feel entirely sure. "Just... a lot on my mind."

Kylie gave her hand another squeeze before letting go. "I know. I've been thinking about Tessa too."

Maya turned to face her sister, surprised but grateful that Kylie had brought it up. "You think... it's connected?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The question had been gnawing at her all day, but she hadn't dared voice it until now.

Kylie bit her lip, her gaze distant. "I don't know. But it feels... too familiar. Like we've been here before."

Maya nodded. It was the same feeling she'd been trying to shake since the moment she heard about Tessa's disappearance. She knew Kylie felt it too-the fear that history was repeating itself, that someone else was about to be lost the way Kendall had been.