The process of elimination

Part 6

Wednesday 12th of june

The first death happened the day after the loss of the internet. When Cassie woke up on the 11th, her laptop and phone could not connect. Nobody was able to hand in their homework assessments that day. And when Cassie woke up on the 12th, the radio was saying that a person had been found dead underneath the bank, the biggest building on the island. It was the first suicide in the island's recorded history.

"He just killed himself?" Cassie asked

"Shh Cassie." whispered her mother.

"No why." Cassie said loudly. "Why would someone kill himself? Where has the internet gone? And the cups, the keys, the locks, the blankets, the coat hanger, the clocks and everything else? Where has it gone and when will it all come back?" her voice was far to loud.

"Cassie! Be quite." abolished her Father. Cassie stood up and left the room. She wandered into the garden. She had planned to cry but someone already was. She looked over the fence.

"Mitch? Are you ok?"

Mitch looked up his face tearstained. He gruffly rubbed his sleeve across his face and shook his head.

"What's the matter?"

"My granddad." Mitch started. His voice cracked and he paused for a second, gulping and breathing deeply. Cassie pretended not to notice. Mitch tried again.

"My granddad is gone. He vanished this morning." Cassie gasped.

"Mitch he's not the man on the news is he? The one who..." Cassie couldn't say it.

"No." Mitch said firmly. "He was here. He went into the bathroom and never came out. He wasn't answering me so I opened the door, the locks are gone of course, and he wasn't in there and there was nowhere he could have gone and it's just like Rosie's leg but with a whole person and nothings come back so he won't come back." Mitch stopped abruptly and took deep breathes. "And now I'm alone," he finished.

Cassie stared. "You, you can come with us, if you need." She stuttered, shaken by the horror of the situation.

"Thanks." Mitch leaned on the wall. "I'd love to. I'm fifteen, not ready to live alone yet." Cassie nodded. "Get your stuff." she said. "I'll explain to mum and dad."

"Cassie. Thanks. Really. It's so strange, this vanishing thing. I need to know I have people who can help me work it out."

"You think it's an actual thing then?" said Cassie. "Like a test? Like it's deliberate?"

"Well I don't to think anyone would do this." Mitch said. "But my Grandfather wouldn't just leave me. He couldn't anyway. There's no way out of that bathroom. So something out of the ordinary must have happened."

"Right." Cassie agreed. She turned towards her house then stopped. "Mitch I'm sorry about your grandfather." Mitch shrugged sadly. "Not your fault." he said gruffly, as if his throat was constricted. Cassie nodded and walked back to her house. Suddenly the her losses seemed insignificant.