Don't Breathe |✔

4

I awoke the next morning to a distant screaming. It sounded like Jack.

I threw the covers from my body and looked around, Jack was nowhere to be seen. The screaming ceased as I jumped to my feet.

"Jack?" I called. My voice echoed through the otherwise silent apartment. After wrapping a robe around my shoulders, I proceeded to search for Jack.

I hadn't found him yet, there was one place left to look, the second bathroom that we almost never use. It's in the back of our apartment, so it's out of the way and it's kind of dingy too.

The apartment as a whole is a little sketchy, but it was cheap enough for two college students with minimal income, so...

As I walked closer to the end of the hallway, I heard something. A faint scratching or rustling coming from the bathroom. I turned the knob slowly and nudged the door open cautiously.

Jack wasn't there. Instead, I saw our brown Dachshund, Silvey, sitting on a pile of shredded toilet paper.

"Oh, Silvey. I can't believe I forgot about you," I said softly as I reached down to pick her up. She yapped and wagged her tail, excitedly. I snuggled her close to my chest and kissed her head.

"Let's get you some breakfast." I shuffled towards the kitchen and poured some dog food into a dish and water into a bowl. While Silvey ate I started thinking again.

Jack was still missing. He wasn't anywhere. There was no note, no sign that he even left. I found no trace of him leaving, his phone still lay charging on the bedside table, and none of his belongings were gone.

I called all of his friends and acquaintances, none of them knew where he was. I even called the University, but he wasn't there. He just...disappeared.

I picked up my phone and dialed one last number.

"9-1-1 What is your emergency?"

"Yes, 9-1-1? I'd like to report a missing person," I said, clasping my free hand around the collar of my robe.

"Alright, please stay calm. Who is missing?" The worker, on the other end of the phone, inquired.

"Jack Peterson, my boyfriend."

"How long has Jack Peterson been missing?"

"I don't know." I shivered and pulled my robe tighter around my body

"Okay, do you know where he could be? Or why he might have left?" The voice sounded almost annoyed at the conversation.

"No, I don't know, the-uh-the, the only thing I know is that I went to bed next to him, and in the morning he was gone."

"So he's been missing for less than 24 hours?"

"Well, he-I-uh," I sighed, "yes he has."

"I'm sorry, we can't legally declare him missing until after 24 hours. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to report this case."

"No! Please, listen to me--"

"Hang up please, Miss. There is nothing we can do for him at the moment."

"--but you need to look for him! He could be hurt! Or--"

"Please, I can't legally hang up on you, I could lose my job. I need you to."

"--He might be trapped somewhere or something! Please--" The line went dead.

"No! No, no, no, no! Wait, come back!" Tears streamed down my cheeks.

I sunk down to my knees and curled up on the floor. Silvey whined and licked my cheeks, but I didn't move. I stayed there long after my eyes had dried up and the sniffling had stopped.

My lungs burned like I had just run a marathon and then drank a gallon of some crappy, carbonated energy drink.

I hadn't eaten anything since we got back from the hospital, so my stomach clenched uncomfortably, but the thought of food at this moment, caused the clenching to turn to nausea.

I couldn't eat right now, not without knowing that Jack was safe. And right now, I didn't know if he was dead or alive.