The Other Side

The Disappearance

Beeeeeeeeeeeeep.
An alarm clock filled the silence of the house.
Beeeeeeeeeeeep.
A hand smashed down on it, shutting it up. A man stretched, groaning, and sat up on his couch groggily. Wearing no shirt and some faded blue jeans accessorized with a classy brown leather belt, he squinted through the jagged sunlight squeezing through the blinds of a living room window and hitting his face. Glancing down, he saw the coffee table at his knees cluttered with beer cans, cigarette butts and an ash tray with what was supposed to be in it tilted onto the floor. A half full bottle sat beside him, and he made a face, considering a swig from it.

Standing up, he shuffled onto the porch and lit a cigarette nonchalantly before dragging a beat and letting it out slowly. His eyes scanned the beach his house perched on, tiredly. Sighing, he turned to go back inside but not before flicking the remains of his cigarette into the sand below.

Standing in the bathroom, he observed himself in the mirror. Hollow, sunken eyes. Thin, bristled hair. Running a hand over his face, he let out a long sigh. Scooping some capsules from a container of pills, he washed them down with a handful of sink water. He shouldn't have drank so much last night. Sarah wouldn't approve. Shaking the thought off his shoulders, he walked into his bedroom to prepare for a cold refreshing shower he wished was hot.

Stepping from the cold stream of water, he dressed quickly in a brown shirt, collared shirt, a belt with a holster, his trusty 9MM Glock and clips a badge to his shirt opposite of his breast pocket reading:

Montuak Police, Chief

Frowning deeply until creases formed on his forehead, he walked out the door to his car. Sitting on his dresser is a picture frame of a younger man with the same eyes, turned up into crinkled laugh lines cradling a young girl in his arms and a pretty young woman leaning against him, grinning widely. Underneath this is a card reading:

Hi honey!
Sarah won the spelling bee today! We miss you so much. Come home soon?
Love you Jim,
Mary

The car pulled out of the driveway and off the beach and onto a paved road. This man was not the Jim he once was, his eyes were sad, cold, and hard as stone. Whoever these people were, he had not seen them in a very long time. Turning onto a city street, the car moves out of sight.

- - - -

A young man that looks about sixteen stood at a kitchen counter, whisking a bowl of eggs. Light brown hair hung to about his jawline and his solemn expression read he was very tired.
"Where are they!?"
A woman stormed past wearing a waitress uniform with her hair tied back in a messy ponytail. Cursing, she tore the house apart, kicking bags out of the way and scanning the floor like a hawk. Without turning around, the boy yelled over his shoulder.
"Check the couch."
The woman bolted for the pillows, shoving them out of the way and plunging her arm between the cushions desperately. Feeling cold metal she snagged up a pair of keys and yanked them up in relief.
"Thank God." She breathed out, collecting herself and flies back through the kitchen, kissing the boy's cheek and rushing for the door. Stopping suddenly she turned back.
"Will. Where's Will?"
The boy shrugged.
"Sleeping, I guess."
The woman looked exasperated.
"You've gotta make sure he's up Jonathan, how many times-..." Her voice faded off as she stomped into the living room again.
"I'm making breakfast!" Jonathan yelled defensively.
Ignoring him, she stormed up to Will's bedroom.
"...and I work two jobs! Only one if I'm late again! Then, how will we pay for the bills? You think you can feed this family working two nights a week at a movie house? We'll be out on the goddamned street-no, siree, no-" She threw the door open.

The bed was empty, made up, and untouched. Brows furrowed in worry, the woman rushed back to the kitchen again.
"Will came home last night, right?"
"He's not in his room?"
"Did he come home or not?!" She crossed her arms, eyes demanding.
"I don't know-" Jonathan looked desperate.
"You don't know!?"
"I was at the dark room late! I-...guess I lost track of time-"
"I told you to wait up for him, Jonathan, I specifically told you-!" Her voice rose in hysteria as she began to turn this way and that.
"He was at the Wheeler's all day; I'm sure he just stayed over."
"Seriously Jonathan."
"I'm sorry!"
She grabbed the wall phone and began to dial. Jonathan sighed forlornly, leaving the bowl of swirling yolk on the counter, long forgotten.

Meanwhile, in the Wheeler household,  Nancy was eating breakfast at the dining room table, Mike was searching the cabinets for syrup, Holly was bawling in Karen's arms and Ted was glued to the television screen. The sound of the phone ringing blended into the busy noises of the morning sending Karen almost full circle to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Karen? It's Joyce." Her voice was frantic on the other line, covered up with a fake cheerfulness.
"Joyce! Hi..."
Mike succeeded in discovering the syrup and retreated to his seat to drench his eggs in it. Nancy looked up eyes narrowed and nose wrinkled.
"That's disgusting."
"It's good I swear! Here try it!" He poured a dollop of thick syrup on Nancy's pile of eggs.
"What the fuck, Mike?!" Nancy threw her hands up.
Ted leaned over from the couch. "Hey! Language!"
Karen let out a sigh. "Quiet!" Rolling her eyes, she returned to the phone. "I'm sorry, one of those mornings-"
"Was that Will I heard back there??"
"Will? No--no just Michael."
"Will didn't spend the night?"
"No...he left here a little after eight." Her brow furrowed now, she tilted the phone against her shoulder as she readjusted Holly, who was still whimpering. "He's not home?"
"I-I was just working late last night. I'm sure he just left early for school. Thanks...Thanks Karen." Slowly she slid the phone back into the holder.

She turned to Jonathan, eyes full of concern. He returned the look. Slowly, his brow set into a determined glare before he flew to the door and threw on a coat.
"Where are you going?" Joyce rushed to the door beside him.
"To look for Will."
"Jonathan wait-!"
Jonathan ignored her and stepped outside frantically.
"Call the school!"
The door slammed shut and he was gone.