BROCK

My phone buzzes, and I grab it quickly, checking it. The relief I had felt for a brief moment evaporates as it's just an email from the school, going on about how they'll see us next year. I had texted Lea, but this far had gotten no response. The only reason I had her number in the first place was that we had been in a group project together once.

I had called Mrs. Ladlien earlier, and asked her for Lea's address. It sounds creepy, but pretty soon I was going to drive over there to see if she was there. Or if her parents had heard from her at all.

Half an hour ticks by, like an eternity, and I stand up. I can't stand waiting anymore.

"I'll be right back," I call out to my dad, who is working on his computer.

"Where are you going?" My dad raises his eyebrows, looking away from the screen.

"I..." I hesitate. He's going to think I'm crazy. "I'm going over to a school friend's house. I just need to check if she's okay."

He looks concerned now, and stands up. "Do you have reason to think she's not?"

"You're going to think I'm crazy, but I think I saw her disappear."

Now he looks even more concerned. "Did you see who took her?" He uncrosses his arms and walks over to his phone.

"No, Dad, I mean, I saw her vanish. Before my eyes."

His hand freezes over his phone, and he turns back to me. "Explain."

So I do, telling him everything that happened. It feels good to finally tell someone, and get it off my chest. I only hope he believes me.

"We should call her parents, and check if she's home."

"You... don't think I'm crazy?"

"You're not the type of person who would do this for fun. I think there's a logical explanation for this. Maybe you saw her disappear. Maybe you saw it wrong. Either way we should check it out."

He punches in a number, and holds the phone to his ear. "Hello, this is Gabe Davis. I'm calling about your daughter, Lea." There's a pause, and then my dad asks if she's home yet. Another pause, and then he explains what I saw.

If she is home, her whole family is going to think I'm insane.

A couple minutes later, he hangs up. "She's not home yet, and they said they'll call when she gets back. She said she appreciated the concern."

I nod, and then head back to my room, and sit on my bed. My phone lies on a desk, with a dark screen. I imagine a poster with Lea's face on it, labeled 'Missing Person', and try to think of something else. She's probably fine.