And Then She Was Gone Novels & Stories

She’s gone. I stared at the nurse, waiting for her to say something else, something like, “Wait—there’s been a mistake,” or “She’s stable, I’m sorry, I got the name wrong.” But she didn’t. She turned and walked away slowly, respectfully—leaving destruction in her wake. I took a step back. My knees buckled. She’s gone. No more sketchbook. No more late-night phone calls. No more crooked smile as she told me I was annoying and adorable in the same breath. No more star gazing. No more bracelets.

"No, I don't. You disappeared. One minute you were there, the next you were gone. No explanation. No conversation. Just... gone." She stared at me, incredulous. "Are you serious right now?" "Perfectly."

And she had disappeared a week before the wedding. That’s when she left. No warning. No explanation. Just gone. One day, she was beside me, laughing, touching me, talking about the future. The next, her number was disconnected. Her apartment emptied. Her existence erased like she had never been real at all. I had searched. I had turned over every stone, but there was nothing. No clues. No traces. Just a ghost where a person had once been. And if she was dead? If something had happened to her? Then, whoever took her had hidden her well.

“You don’t need to know that. But things you need to know will be found out by you very soon.” The temperature in the room seemed to drop and my fingers twitched by my side as I started feeling cold. “I-“ Before I could get any more words out and before I could ask her for answers to the question in my head… She disappeared. Vanished. Just like she had never been there. A soft gasp escaped my lips and I reached out instinctively, refusing to believe that she was gone but my hand was met with nothing but air. She was gone. “What the fuck?” Skylar said, cursing under her breath.

My stomach is sick at the thought. “All of this to say,” I continue, “when I finally caught up to her, it was too late. She must have lost her footing on the rocks and slipped to her death. She’s gone.”

But my voice was swallowed by the music, the laughter, the sound of feet hitting cobblestones. I pushed harder. Harder. But by the time I made it through to the other side of the crowd—she was gone. Gone like smoke. Gone like the wind had taken her again. I stood there, chest heaving, heart racing like I’d run for miles. She wasn’t there anymore. The alley she had disappeared into was empty. The street beyond was silent. I staggered forward a few steps, scanning every shadow, every window, every door. But it was useless.

“The warehouse is gone.” She stared at me. I could almost see the sentence hit her and fail to make sense. “Gone? What does gone mean?” She repeated. “The building where they took you.” My voice came out flatter than I intended. “It’s been demolished.” For a second she just blinked at me like she hadn’t heard properly then she shook her head. “No.” “June…” “No.” She sat straighter, pulling her hand from mine. “No, that doesn’t make sense. How can a building be gone?”

Empty. That couldn't begin to describe how I felt. Numb. That could to an extent. I guess, after all, we didn't have a bond that would enable me to know whether or not she was alive. Because I was only just finding out she was... Gone. I couldn't even bring myself to think it. Eunice was gone, I wouldn't ever see her again, wouldn't ever hear her laugh or tell me that I looked like I'd just drank wolfsbane. Ever again.

“You never did. It’s already over. The kingdom... it’s gone.” She turned quickly, slipping into the crowd like smoke. I didn’t even have time to move. My heart pounded as I wove through bodies and voices, but everything around me blurred. She was slipping further away. I reached the doorway breath tight in my throat but she was gone. Gone into the night and the worst part was. I knew she meant every word.

Clapping excitedly, she urged, "Daddy, let's go! I can't wait to go to the amusement park. I want to take lots of pictures and put them in the frame next to my bed!" A jolt of pain shot through my chest. I'd carried these pups for months and nearly died during labor, but as they left, the last bit of attachment I had toward them vanished. Later, I cleared out all my belongings in the villa, then dragged my suitcase downstairs. "Luna Aria, are you heading out?" Bill asked. I nodded. "I'm leaving. Remind Ethan to sign the agreement. And also, stop calling me 'Luna Aria'."