The door slammed as Clarissa rushed out of the car and into the shabby looking apartment complex. Very aware that the ten-floored building had a very non-functional elevator, she took the stairs two at a time, Flynn right at her heels. It was well past ten minutes so she knew Sydney had to be in her apartment, waiting already. Pushing the people crowding the staircase aside, they frantically ran up the stairs not minding the weird look people threw their way. She couldn’t tell the exact moment the feeling of impending doom crept onto her, latching onto her with its suckers. Her heart plunged into her stomach robbing her of breath for a second or two. Her head swarm, the stairs swirled. Her steps faltered and she staggered backwards. Flynn’s hands shot out to break her fall but she caught herself just In time.‘Are you alright?’ A concerned Flynn asked, grasping her elbow.‘I’m okay. I’m okay. Just a bit lightheaded. I’m okay.’ She assured. ‘I can’t seem to shake off the feelin

While the old couple sat in front of the TV - the lady knitting as the man tuned his radio- a news anchor broadcast the news of another missing young lady and advised the public to report any suspicious activity in their vicinity to the police. ‘We should probably call in that break in we witnessed yesterday Rupert.’ The old lady with her croaky voice said to the Old man without pausing her knitting. ‘The gunshot too. It could be nothing worth checking out, you know huh?’ Rupert argued. ‘Stop arguing and get the phone because now, I have the strongest urge to call it in.’ Without spitting another word, he walked to the telephone hanging on the wall by the bookshelf and called 911 to report what they had witnessed the day before. ******************** For Clarissa, the world had suddenly come to a standstill. It didn’t help matters that even after a day had past, they were yet to hear from Syd. There was nothing worse than a missing body. The sheriff, Sheriff Emmett, had already

Silence…Nerve wracking silence filled the shed. Counting numbers had become her way of passing time. Outside, the macaws had stopped cawing and the trees stood eerily still. A shudder ran down her body. She had to get away from here. She had this gnawing doubt that no one knew where she was and if they managed to locate her, it might already be too late. And it in no way helped matters that Barry acted in a very volatile manner. Something might get him triggered and who knew what he would do. And Flynn…She wondered if he had already put two and two together. She wished she had taken Marley’s advice and invested in some of those security devices or taken those self-defense classes he had suggested. The neon light casted shadows on the bales of hay making them look bigger than they were. Marley and Serena…She wondered where they wanted to have their wedding. She might not even be alive to attend. The thought of that made her eyes burn. Somehow in the space of a few days, th