Eddie’s legs burned as he sprinted through the streets, his breath coming in shallow gasps. The city was a blur around him, and his mind raced with a single thought—I have to find her. His girlfriend had been missing for hours, and the longer she was gone, the more frantic he became. His cries for her name echoed off the walls, unanswered.
People were searching everywhere. The police had been called, his friends were canvassing the area, asking questions, knocking on doors. But no one had seen her. The streets were empty, just as empty as the hollow pit growing in Eddie’s chest.
Tears streaked his face as he stopped in the middle of the street, his chest heaving, eyes wide with panic. He collapsed to his knees, crying, his hands trembling as he raked them through his hair. The weight of his failure crushed him—how could he let this happen? He was supposed to protect her. He blamed himself, the guilt eating him alive.
Friends rushed to his side, gathering around him, their voices filled with sympathy and concern. "We’ll find her, Eddie," they reassured him. "We’ll bring her back."
But no one believed their own words anymore. The hours had stretched on too long. Eddie’s face twisted in despair, his heartache palpable, and the sorrow in his eyes was unmistakable. His friends didn’t leave his side, murmuring soft words of comfort, trying to ease his pain. But nothing could reach him.
He stood shakily, wiping at his tear-streaked face. “I… I need to be alone for a while.” His voice cracked, just barely holding together. His friends exchanged worried glances but nodded, giving him space.
Eddie walked away from the crowd, his body heavy with exhaustion. The city seemed darker now, emptier. His mind wandered to memories of her—her laughter, her smile, the way she would always lean on him when they sat at their favorite spot in the park.
That was it. Their spot.
Without thinking, Eddie found himself heading toward the park at the edge of the city. It was a place they had often gone to escape the world, their little refuge. If there was anywhere that might hold some comfort, some trace of her, it was there.
The park was quiet, the bench where they had spent so many afternoons empty, bathed in the fading light of the setting sun. Eddie sat down, his head in his hands, sobbing quietly. Memories of better times flooded back—how they’d met at a friend’s wedding, how her smile had lit up the room. He remembered falling in love with her, how easy it had been to talk, to laugh. She had been everything to him.
Hours passed, and the world around him grew darker. Eddie sat in silence, lost in the sorrow of her absence. His heart ached, the weight of hopelessness pressing down on him. He didn’t know what to do anymore. Every search led to nothing. Every minute felt like a lifetime.
And then, slowly, a thought surfaced. An idea. A place.
An abandoned house just outside the city, buried deep in the woods—a place no one would think to look. They had found it once, by accident, during one of their long walks. She had been curious, even playful about it. They had never gone back, but Eddie remembered. He remembered everything.
His heart pounded as he made his way out of the city and into the forest, his footsteps quickening. The trees grew thicker, the air cooler, and soon the house came into view—old, decrepit, and silent.
The rusted door creaked as he pushed it open, stepping inside. The air was damp and cold, but Eddie didn’t hesitate. He walked through the narrow corridor, his breath steady, his steps deliberate.
At the end of the hall, he stopped in front of a door. Slowly, he turned the handle and stepped inside.
There she was.
His girlfriend, tied to a chair in the center of the room, her wrists and ankles bound tightly with rope, her mouth gagged. Her eyes, wide and filled with terror, locked onto his. She was shaking, her face streaked with tears. She tried to scream, but the sound was muffled, desperate.
For a long moment, Eddie stood in the doorway, his face a mask of shock and disbelief.
Then, he stepped closer. And closer.
He looked down at her, his gaze darkening, and a slow, twisted smile crept across his face.
“Did you miss me?” he whispered, his voice low and cold.
She froze, her eyes widening further in horror as the realization dawned.
Eddie’s smirk deepened, his eyes gleaming with a cruel, twisted satisfaction. “You didn’t think I’d leave you, did you?”
All the sorrow, all the desperation from earlier melted away. The perfect mask he’d worn all day—of the heartbroken, grieving boyfriend—dropped, revealing the cold, calculating truth beneath.
He was the one who had put her here.
He leaned in close, his breath warm against her skin. “It’s been quite a show, hasn’t it?” His voice was soft, mocking. “But now... the real fun begins.”
And with that, he turned and walked out, the door closing behind him with a quiet click, leaving her alone in the darkness once more.
