Shh, Just Kiss Me (18+)

f i f t y - s i x

Naz was all over the place finding clues that could possibly lead her back to her missing sibling. She barely slept after a while. She just kept praying to God wishing that Audrey's safe somewhere.

In all my living, being around the Grahams, I've never seen Naz so passionate about getting her family back. It was like watching an addict relapse. I still don't feel a thing about Audrey's disappearance. I don't even bother at this point but I'm just going to help Naz and move on.

"How do you live all alone in this pretty place?" She asked kicking her boots onto my coffee table.

"Why is this important?" I say as I side eye her. I gave her the 'get your boots off of my table' look.

"Because, if it were me, I'd be all over the place." She replied.

"Doing what?" My brows furrowed.

"Things." She said. I rolled my eyes awkwardly at her.

"God, when is Kade gonna give us the info."

As soon as she said his name I get a text from him. He said the blocked IP Address came from an abandoned warehouse in Canastota. Canastota? Of all places?

I looked up at Naz. She was staring at me like I had bumped her and didn't say excuse me.

"Canastota. The possible location is from Canastota."

Naz raised her brows. I bet she was wondering the same thing. He sent me the address and a satellite photo of the area. She snatched my phone and looked through it like a suspicious girlfriend.

"We gotta go, now!" She started putting herself together. She leaped like a deer in headlights to my car.

"We should wait on Kade!" I said putting on my seatbelt.

"Just drive!"

It took us six hours to drive upstate to the location. The area was deserted by trees and diverging roadways.

The atmosphere is thick and cold. It felt like I was walking on the set of Halloween—preferably the eighties kind with the overdone smoke machine. The sky looked like it was painted so effortlessly. A cinematic purple, yellow, and orange gradient proficiently detailed by some kind of mastermind with the powers of a witch. The clouds were scattered in zigzag lines as the sun coys behind the gaps of the tree branches.

Naz walked through the woods like she knew the location as if she's lived here in her past life. As the curious person, I am I followed her.

"Uh...do you know where we're going?" I ask.

"This is where Audrey and I used to play as children. An old workshop was here." She responded.

"In the woods? That's interesting."

"The shop went out of business years ago. I doubt anyone has bought the land since. A forest grew around it."

I didn't think anything of it. She led the way quicker than I thought. Must've been some workshop.

We stopped in front of a shed like door. It was rusty. Old paint was falling off of the surface as if someone clawed their way through.

Naz went around the back expeditiously. She kicked down the white aging wooden door with force. It collapsed tumbling down the aluminum stairs.

She looked back at me then back at the stairs. She headed down.

Immediately, I took out my phone to check if Jaide has responded to any of my messages. She hasn't responded to me in days. She had gone ghost before and I'd hate to lose her again. After all, spending numerous amounts of time with her, getting to know her, and building with her kept my corrupt mind at peace. We took silly pictures and videos of us doing astronomical things. It felt like I was living in a nineteen-thirties romantic celluloid scene. I finally felt balance, a rare scale I had failed to achieve and I thank her for keeping my departed soul at bay.

I had this negative gut feeling that was eating at me uneasily. Naz looked up at me from down the stairs. It was pitch black down there and all I could see was her ghostly shiny eyes gaze at me.

"What are you waiting for?" She asked bellowing from below. I sent her another text.

Jaide 💍

I love you, please talk to me. I'm sorry for what made you stray away from me. Please come back.

Delivered.

I huddled down the stairs behind Naz and flicked on the flashlight from my phone.

We walked down this hall and we were standing in front of metal doors. It was like one of those high tech security breaches that needed multiple letters and numbers for a passcode.

"What the absolute fuck?" She murmured. She looked at the neon blue transparent keypad. It seriously felt like a scene from a Jason Bourne trilogy. She kept pressing numbers on the keypad hoping the doors would open.

"Should've called the FBI."

"Will you shut up and help me." She pleaded in anger.

"We really should've brought—" I was silenced by the hidden gun Naz had hooked up under her jeans this whole time. She shot the keypad and the metal doors opened.

"You didn't tell me you're a part-time assassin."

"Dumbass, I hold possession of firearms by law. You never went to a shooting range?"

"That was kinda badass, I'm not gonna lie," I said.

"Wait, aren't you some kind of fucking agent? Where is your gun?" She asked.

I looked behind her as if there was an invisible camera somewhere. "Yeah, Real Estate, not Federal, Einstein!"

"You should have one. Plus, we can't come out here with no protection."

She rolled her eyes and walked in. You know, for a place that is abandoned it sure is being put to use. The paint looks fresh, the atmosphere smells like a medical room, and the glooming colorful club lights seem a bit distracting.

What the hell is this?

"Why would Audrey come here?" She asked.

I heard Naz's heavy breathing. Out of nowhere, my vision became blurry. I watched her fall head first to the floor and her eyes roll shut.

I noticed the foggy air too late. It was mounting on top of her like ocean waves caving in.

"Naz—" I called out her name before my body disobeyed me and drowned me unconscious. I blacked out. It happened so fast and so quick.