Vanish: Sasha

-»19, Will

The rest of the weekend I spent at home watching movie marathons and helping Dad rearrange his office. I got a text from Xavier late at night asking me if Dad was home yet - which he was - and we had a little conversation about how great the new Tomb Raider was.

But now it's Monday, which means it's time to get back to work. Patrick pulled up in my driveway and I hopped in the passenger seat with a smirk. "What?" He asked slightly scared.

"Do you still have Addison's journal?"

"Of course, why?" My smirk grew wider and so did his eyes. "You want to skip school, don't you?" I nodded making Patrick sigh and reverse out of my driveway to go back to his house.

We entered the empty house and made our way down to Patrick's bedroom. There were a bunch of clothes thrown on the floor and crumple paper everywhere. I sat on his bed and watched him reach into a draw to grab the journal before plucking down next to me.

"Like I told you the other day, I found her journal and went through it."

"Ok. You said she talked about a group, but that could be anything."

"But I don't think it is. It just gets weirder." He passed me the journal and I started flipping through the pages. It was mainly just a bunch of notes for homework and a couple of to do list.

"Seems pretty normal to me."

"Here." He took the book and flipped it to more recent notes.

Some were a bunch of random addresses whilst others were dates and times. Some short messages appeared talking about some really weird stuff.

The Scary Man has control over us. We have to do what he says or we get in trouble.

~

Sweet Boy helped me today. Sweet Boy is going to get in trouble. He covered for me when I forgot to do something Scary Man told me to do, but he found out.

~

I'm Trapped

~

I haven't seen Sweet Boy in a while. I miss him. I almost told Sasha about him today, but I can't drag her into this in case Scary Man tries to use her too. But Patrick wouldn't let that happen, just like how Sweet Boy tried to help me.

She continued to write random nonsense for another two pages, but the last one would have to be the scariest.

I did something. Scary Man knows. Scary Man is coming for me. Sweet Boy can't talk to me or he will be killed too. I need to escape before Scary Man finds me or goes after the people I love. I've been leaving hints for Sasha in hopes she would one day find me. She's going to hate me when she finds out what I've become. What I've done. Sweet Boy has a friend. That friend is trapped in something he can't get out of, just like I am. They're going to come for me. This will probably be the last time I write in this book. Goodbye.

~

Please Scary Man...

Patrick watched me as I read the last line over and over again. "I don't know what it means, but it sounds pretty messed up." He murmured.

"What the hell did you get yourself into Addison?" I whispered to myself before flipping back to when the messages first started. "Who the hell could Scary Man be?"

"Addison did get a job with a friends father. Maybe that's him." I nodded along as I reread some of the messages.

"Sweet Boy could be Xavier. They became friends so maybe she accidentally dragged him into her work, whatever that is." I almost told Sasha about him today. "She said she did something. What did she do that got her into all this shit?" I asked Patrick like he knew.

"I don't know, but whatever it was must of been really bad that she has bad people looking for her. Must be bad if she's got a guy called Scary Man looking for her. I looked up the addresses and they led to random abandoned buildings and some apartment blocks, which got me thinking..." He trailed off.

"Do you think she was dealing drugs?"

"She got desperate. Desperate people do stupid things. But if she's got bad people after her that probably knew about her life, don't you think they will come after us? Don't you think they could be the ones leaving you threats?" He questioned.

"Probably. I'm not going to mention this to Xavier because if he is Sweet Boy then he would be part of it." I ran a hand through my hair and tossed the journal to the side.

"Are we sure that Xavier is Sweet Boy? She said Sweet Boy has a friend and I don't know about you but I haven't seen Xavier hang around anybody but you."

"I have." I whispered so low I don't think Patrick heard. I'm not sure if I wanted him to hear. I thought back to the guy I always see Xavier talking to, the one that was possibly his uncle. Is it possible that Xavier and Addison are part of some sketchy drug dealers?

I picked up the book again and looked through the addresses and dates, seeing two very familiar ones.

Apartment Room 12.

2 Flori St.

The apartment building and the warehouse. The apartment was circled in a red pen and the warehouse had three crosses next to it. Three strikes you're out? Danger? I don't know what the crosses mean. "What type of abandoned buildings came up when you searched the addresses?" I asked Patrick.

"Oh, I don't know, abandoned ones." He said bluntly. I gave him a stern look to tell him I wasn't joking and he sighed. "Some where houses that haven't been used in years and others we're old company buildings that had been left. The only one still running well is that one." He pointed to the apartment one. "Why? What do you think?"

"Nothing, just thinking that they could be a type of clue."

My ringtone blared through the room. I dove my hand in my pocket to retrieve it and saw a private number was calling. Could it be the same one from the night at Xavier's? I shared a look with Patrick and answered the call, putting it on speaker.

Silent breathing was on the other end of the call. "Hello...?" I looked at Patrick again. The breathing continued but a little whimper appeared. But there was hope.

"... Please..." A pained voice whispered before the line cut off. Addison. I rushed to try and call the number back but it wouldn't work.

"That was her." Patrick whispered looking directly at the phone. "She's alive." He was as relieved as I was.

"We have to go see Zachary and see if he can track it." Patrick nodded and we quickly dashed to the car and drove to the school.

She's alive. She sounded broken and in pain, but alive.

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