Wit-Pro (Jenlisa)

23. The Absent

Kim Jisoo

It has been chaos at the cabin ever since I found Priya's bed empty this morning. I figured she'd woken up early to admire the house or got lost wandering the halls, but it's been hours now, breakfast was over a while ago and there'd still been no sign of her. It had snowed so heavily last night that the fresh downpour had completely obscured any prior footprints or tracks, leaving us with no leads to follow. She wasn't picking up her phone and it isn't like her to just take off without warning. Hanbin, Chen and Suho came back from checking the fields with still no sight of her apart from a pink hair roller and a phone damaged by the snow that I knew belonged to Priya. It was then that Dad thought it best to contact police. No one has said anything outright, but I know in the pit of my stomach that somehow this may all be connected to Jin and it makes me want to be sick.

At around 2pm, the connection started to work again, but it was very hit and miss. I'd managed to contact Ruby and let her know briefly what was happening, even though I didn't want to worry her. It was Ro who persuaded me to call her. I initially thought it pointless to stress Ruby out when there wasn't much more we could physically do, but I knew letting her know was morally correct. So I did it. The conversation was a tad fuzzy and slow, but I think she got the gist. Ruby yelled something about sending her the 'cabin address to write down' and being there 'ASAP' even though I assured her everything would be fine and that she shouldn't pressure herself to make the trip up here.

I think she knew I was bluffing though.

Now my cousins and I were scattered around the kitchen, picking at a bits of Christmas dinner off paper plates and digesting everything that had happened in the last 24 hours, trying to come up with theories or solutions as to how this all occurred. To be honest, my head was hurting and I wanted to cry, but I'm one of the tougher girls in the family, practically one of the boys, so I have to put on my best brave face. Crying would only make Rosie cry more, but I know she's the only other person in here who knows Pri almost as well as me, so she'd understand my turmoil.

I was distractingly peeling the flesh off a tangerine as I listened to Taeyeon continue to ramble on. Being one of the oldest Kim cousins, she has an irritating trait of always believing that she's right.

"I bet she was spooked by yesterday and caught a cab home? I wouldn't blame her if she doesn't want to spend the holidays here anymore, this must seem like a mad house.." Taeyeon was stirring sugar into mugs of tea for the boys to warm them up after their hour long search in the snow for Pri. The sound of the spoon rattling against the china cups as she mixed was so annoying, it was making it difficult for me to concentrate. I hopped off the kitchen counter and wracked my brain to think harder for some kind of rational answer.

"No, that's not like Priya. She wouldn't just up and leave like that. Besides, all her things are still in her room, including her suitcase, coat, toothbrush and shit, why would she just leave without any of that stuff?" I gnawed at my nails and Ro gently removed my hands from my mouth, knowing it was a bad habit of mine to nibble when I was nervous.

Dahyun chipped in, concern etched on her face whilst she took small bites of cold roast potatoes drenched in gravy. "Yeah Chu is right Taeyeon, plus how the hell would she manage to hail a cab all the way out here in these conditions?" There was a muttering of agreement towards Dubu's remark as Taeyeon crossed her arms, stumped.

"I can't help feeling partially to blame...I mean, I'm the final person to have talked to or seen her last night before bed. She seemed fine then but I should've persuaded her to spend the night in a shared room. That was irresponsible of me." Solar sank farther into the kitchen stool as she ran shaky hands through her platinum hair. I knew she felt awful too, but it wasn't her fault.