The Vanishing

Chapter 1: The Vanishing

The evening light filtered through the thin curtains of Andrea’s cramped bedroom, casting soft, uneven shadows on the walls. She sat on her bed, legs folded beneath her, staring at the peeling paint. Jamhuri Estate was a place she knew too well—its familiar smells, the sound of vendors outside hawking vegetables, and the occasional squabble between neighbors. The estate was home, but lately, it felt like something was shifting, an unsettling tension creeping through the cracks.

Andrea’s mum had gone to work a double shift, leaving her in charge of her three younger sisters—Faith, Miriam, and little Wema. Their apartment wasn’t much, one bedroom and a kitchen that barely fit the stove, but it was all they had. Her sisters were in the living room, arguing about which Disney Princess could go through a 12 hour customer care shift without crying. For a moment, their squabble made Andrea smile, but that feeling quickly faded.

The neighborhood had been on edge for weeks now. Little girls were disappearing—first from the next block, then another, and another. The police not having any lids on the girls put all the mothers on edge. Late in the night you could hear the mothers hushed whispers in the corridors discussing their childrens safety and what they could do to make the neighbourhood safe, a neighbourhood watch was implemented children were to be home by 5pm and no child was to go to the shop without an adult. Each day brought new rumors, but no answers. People were scared, and Andrea was no different. Every time one of her sisters was out of her sight, even for a moment, her heart raced.

Despite the neighbourhood watchs Best efforts

Elsie was missing

Elsie was only six, always running around barefoot with a lopsided grin on her face, her hair never fully combed. She lived in the apartment block just across from Andrea’s, and sometimes Andrea would see her playing in the courtyard with her friends. Her brother, Marc, was older, maybe sixteen or seventeen, but he always had his eye on her. Until that day.

Andrea had been folding laundry when she heard it—panicked voices rising from the courtyard. At first, she ignored it. There were always arguments between neighbors, people quarreling over money, or the lack of water. But then she heard Elsie’s name.

Dropping the clothes she’d been folding, Andrea rushed to the balcony. From her vantage point, she could see a small crowd gathering near Elsie’s block. A woman—Elsie’s mother—was sobbing uncontrollably, her face pale with fear. Neighbors hovered around her, trying to comfort her, but Andrea could see the truth in their faces. No one knew what to do.

“She was just here,” Elsie’s mother kept repeating, her voice thick with anguish. “Playing right here.”

Andrea’s stomach knotted. Not another one. Not Elsie. The little girl’s disappearance added another name to a growing list of missing girls, all snatched away in the most mundane moments. The estate was suffocating in fear now, but nothing had prepared them for the sheer helplessness that came with each new loss.

As Andrea stepped back into the apartment, her mind raced. Her mother’s warnings echoed in her ears, “Don’t let your sisters out of your sight.” But what if watching wasn’t enough? What if the danger was closer than any of them realized?