Sorrow For The Darker

3

Her heart started beating faster, the anxiety becoming too much to bear. This is too much. Bad. "N-No. W-Why hasn't she co-come home?!" She placed her call on hold for a few minutes to see if her older sister has gotten her text and even reply from last evening. No reply. Not even seen. Returning to her call, she could barely speak. Barely reply, except, "She ha-hasn't seen my t-text."

"Fu-.." Ariana's voice stopped midway as if trying to hold herself back.

The tears started to flood Elise's eyes, her voice becoming gargled, her body started shaking, and yet her eyes were fixated on the painting in front of her. "No... Ari, what am I g-going to do? The p-police won't file a report unless she's be-been missing for 24 h-hours... And I don't have t-the time!"

"Elise, can you call your parents?"

All in all, her mind penetrated to childhood memories. The abandonment, the trauma. Her death. Thrown away to the relatives of her mother, Erika's parents. She didn't need this. She didn't want this. The world is dangerous, full of selfish people, she reminded herself.

That was the last straw. "N-No! I-I'm not calling t-those monsters! Besides, I haven't talked to them in months!"

"But, what about Erika? You know only your parents could save her."

"I'll find her! I-I'll find her, somewhere! I-I won't go to s-school today, so, please... don't call them."

"Elise, this is bad! You need higher authority in these situations!"

"P-Promise me, Ariana! I don't need them!" and with that, she hanged up from the call. Her limbs shook of anxiety, her eyes flooded of despair. The first person to ever care for her was missing, and she doesn't know whether not calling her parents was a good idea. She stood, and got out of her pajamas. A simple white spaghetti strap and a pair of shorts could do the trick, with the hair tied on a bun, and sandals that fit her feet. With the choker on.

She stepped out of her dormitory and called a cab, telling the driver to take her to the mall she and Erika went the day before. For another moment, the cab seemed awfully familiar. It felt big, closed around her. She shook her head. Walking in, she immediately went into the ice cream shop. A different cashier once more was on the front, "Good day, miss, how may I help you?"

"I want your manager," Elise replied, crossing her arms and fixing her posture.

The cashier was caught off guard, blurted out an excuse me, before hurriedly bowing and running off to the back office. Mere seconds later, she came out with the manager. "Good day, ma'am. What can I do for you?" the man asked. The cashier then walked back to her station.

"Good day, sir. I'd just like to talk about some related family matter. You see, my sister, was talking to a cashier of yours by the name of Matthew Moore, was it?" he nodded, "At the time of 5 o' clock yesterday."

He then shrugged, "And what's the matter here?"

"My sister hasn't come home last night. Or even this morning. My friend and I have called and texted, yet she had not answered, or even seen a message. So, I was thinking, maybe this has something to do with this employee of yours. He was the last person I saw my sister with."

The man thought for a moment, "And I'm guessing you want his address?"

Elise nodded and smiled, "Preferably, yes."

He then put his hands up, "I'm sorry ma'am, but it's a breach of my employee's privacy. There are laws that prevent that, and sharing of confidential information without the permission of the individual could be considered a crime."

She nodded, unfolding her arms, and staring at the floor as if to show understanding. "I'm sorry for bothering your time."

The man nodded and went back inside. "A dead end," Elise whispered to herself as if the tears were coming back to haunt her.