Gone (Ianthony)

Then

Anthony:    

I stood staring at that house for a good five minutes.

I was so confused; I wanted to break down that door and see Ian as fast as possible, but at the same time, I couldn't move. I couldn't let myself believe it was real. That Ian was really just a couple steps away, after being thousands of miles away just last week.

At the same time, I didn't want to get my hopes up. Because maybe this was just another clue. Maybe he wasn't in that house. For all I knew, he could be all the way across the world.

Eventually, after catching my breath, I inched forward, my insides turning to mush. I was shaking now; my vision spun with every blink.

I reached the front door. My heart pounded in my ears.

I knocked, hesitantly at first, then more confidently after taking another deep breath.

And then I waited.

And I can't even begin to explain my emotions at that moment. I felt like throwing up, like dying, like kicking the door down myself. I couldn't think straight if my life depended on it. Because at any second, my best friend's face would appear behind that door.

I waited.

I knocked again, louder this time.

I waited.

I shook off the sudden wave of worry that swam through my veins; it's early, I told myself. He was probably just still asleep. The sun was barely even up.

But the thought of having to wait possibly hours before seeing him made me want to collapse right then and there.

So, I knocked again.

"Ian?" I called, my voice hoarse and cracking. It was so incredibly difficult just to say that one word.

Eventually, my hand drifted to the doorknob.

It turned. Opened.

The house was unlocked.

I now stood in the open doorway, my breaths twice as heavy as they had been when I sprinted half a mile here just a few minutes ago. 

What if this wasn't his house? What if I just broke into a random stranger's home?

But why would his car be in the driveway?

I took as deep of a breath as I could muster, then stepped inside, leaving the door open behind me.

"Ian?" I called again, looking around. The place was mostly empty, strangely empty. He must had just gotten there.

And then, scaring me out of my wits, a dog came running around the counter.

A big, full-grown golden retriever.

I stepped back, almost tripping on my own foot. The dog ran up to me, then sat right in front of me, licking my hand once.

I gently reached forward, towards its collar. Its tag was a shimmery silver color.

SADIE  

And under that, Ian's phone number and this address.

"Fuck," I breathed aloud, rocking back on my heels.

He was here. This was his house. This was his dog.

My eyes fell on the hallway from which the- Sadie, came from, and I approached it slowly, hearing the jingle of Sadie's collar close behind me.

I peaked my head around the corner. A bathroom stood at the end of the hallway, its door open. To the left of that, another room with a closed door.