Gone

Chapter 2:

While I'm still freaking out over the fact that Cole isn't here, Gracie walks in. "Hey girl you look

upset... And worried, which is bad. Worrying gives you wrinkles don't ya know?!" She's always

been good at lightening the mood. "Yeah, I am worried. Cole isn't here and I don't know where he

is!" I say, suddenly on the verge of tears. Geez, how can I care this much about a boy I barely

know?! "Aww Maddie don't cry! You know I'm really emotional and you're gonna make me start

crying!!" She says. We both start laughing. "I know something that wil make you happier," she

starts. "I'll go get Hannah, and we'll help you look for him!" "Oh you will?!" I say, overcome by joy.

"Thank you thank you thank you! I love you soooo much!!" "You too girl! Ok, I'll start on the main

floor and work my way back up, and you check the basement and outside." She says. "Sounds

good!" I reply, giddy that I might get to meet up with Cole after all tonight.

As I'm looking, I start to notice that the amount of people at the party has decreased drastically. I

wonder where they are all going, and more importantly, I wonder if Cole is with them!

After searching for almost an hour, I'm worn out. So I decide to ask someone if they've been

noticing what I have. "Hi there. Um I know you don't know me but I'm Maddie and I'm a junior at

Rockville High. So have you been kind of noticing that... Well, like that people are... um

disappearing?" I say nervously. "Actually yup. 'Couple of my friends were here just twenty

minutes ago, and now I can't find them nowhere." The tall, beefy senior replies. "Ok well do you

have any idea where the went?" I ask cautiously. "Nah. I don't got no clue. So are you done

interviewing me or whatever because I got better things to do than share my life story with some

underclassman." And with that he stalks off. Talk about rude, like gosh. Some people.

I've now moved on to the yard, and the long, windy driveway where everyone's cars are. And I

notice something strange. Cole's Prius is here. In fact, so are a lot more cars than when we

originally got here. There's no way that all those cars belong to the people who are at the party

right now. And then something weird happens. I see a sudden flash of light on the road ahead that

is going way to fast to be a regular car. I've always been the curious type so I just had to find out. So

I'll go back in and ask Gracie if I can borrow her car. She'll probably say yes, knowing that she and

Tommy will be "busy" for a while. So, I try to take a step but I can't. My feet are like stuck or

something. Out of the blue, I get this wave of anger. Pure grotesque anger, like my heart had

turned to cold, bitter, stone. I'm not sure why or how this happened, but all I can feel from my

fingers to my toes is loathing. Loathing for Cole. And at that moment, I look at the sky, which has

weirdly turned a bright whitish yellowish color. I feel as though if I don't find out what is

happening soon, I will explode!! So I run, as fast as my legs will carry me back to Gracie's BMW,

turn the key into ignition, and speed out of the driveway, fast and furious. And I drive. And drive,

looking for something, anything that can help me find that awful Cole.

After driving for an hour or two in the eerie, dead hush that engulfs the whole town, I see

some dim flashings of lights in like 5 minute intervals up ahead and hear the faint whirring of a

machine, or maybe a helicopter? I pull into a grassy field, lock the car, flick on Gracie's emergency

flashlight, and tip toe- probably more scared than I've ever been in my life- out into the dark, silent

night.