I opened my eyes and sleepily sat up. For a moment, I couldn't remember why I felt so miserable, before it all came back in a rush of dread and fear.

I picked up my phone, which was charging on my nightstand, and saw that I had seven missed calls- three from Max and four from Zack.

They probably didn't know if I knew or not, I rarely watched the news. Either that or they were worried about me. I tossed my phone to the side and got out of bed; I didn't feel like dealing with this right now.

It's not like Emma was dead, there was still hope. And besides, it's not like I could do anything about it. I'd just have to leave it up to the police for now.

I went to work, feeling worse than I ever have. I had a feeling that I could have done something to prevent Emma's kidnapping. Like if only I had been a better, more observant friend, she would still be at work right now, feeding baby penguins.

I sighed and left my small apartment, not bothering to even brush my hair.

וו×

I got back after another long day at Target and imidiatly flopped down onto the couch. The missed calls from my friends and the email from my boss asking me to cover one of my coworker's shifts could be dealt with later.

Right now, I just needed a minute of peace and quiet. My life has never been more confusing and difficult right now, what with Emma's disappearance which may or may not be linked to the story she wrote right before the said incident, my underpaying and tiring job and the constant stress of making enough to get by, I felt like I might explode.

Was it to much to ask for a five minute break from it all?

Just then, my phone dinged. I reluctantly got up and checked it, dreading what I would see. Another email from my boss? My friends calling to tell me the police had found Emma's body? The police calling to tell me I was their number one suspect?

I almost smiled at the absurdity of that last one. Of course they wouldn't call, they would just barge in and arrest me.

But it wasn't any of those things. It was just a message from Zack, saying 'I'm coming over'.

Why was Zack coming over?

I didn't feel like hosting a guest right now but he hadn't given me much of a choice. So I quickly got dressed into something other than my ugly red vest and brushed my hair.

Me and Zack had never been especially close, but Emma's kidnapping had probably affected him more than anyone (if he wasn't responsible for it), so I was resolved to be as polite and understanding as possible.

Soon I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I called, not bothering to stand up.

Zack walked in, looking even worse than me. His short hair was tangled and messy, his eyes were bloodshot with dark bags underneath and he looked like he hadn't changed out of his PJs, which were just a grey t-shirt and basketball shorts, in two days.

"Um... How can I help you?" I asked awkwardly.

He sighed and sat down heavily on the couch next to me.

"I just wanted to know if she told you anything before going to work the day she went missing." Zack said after a pause.

I didn't have to ask who he meant by 'she'.

"Well..." I swallowed, thinking hard "I was half asleep when she came over, so I don't really remember much, but... She was just visiting to drop of the mystery she wrote for me. She was stopping by on her way to work. Oh yeah, and Max was with her for some reason..."

I could almost see the gears turning in Zack's head as his eyebrows knit in concentration and he absentmindedly chewed his bottom lip.

"Can I see the mystery she wrote?" he asked at last.

"Sure." I answered monotonously, standing up and opening the drawer I had been keeping it in.

I handed the paper to Zack and he imidiatly started reading it. I saw his pale eyes flick from left to right as he read each line.

I just sat and watched as he reread it, looking for some sort of clue.

"This is almost word for word-"

"With what the reporter said." I finished for him. "It's almost like Emma knew she was about to get kidnapped..."

I trailed off as Zack continued to study the story. After a while, I got a little bit bored and began to doze off. I'd almost fallen asleep, when Zack yelled:

"I've got it!"

I jolted, looking around wildly.

"Got what?"

"Look!"

He pointed to the end of the story, at the four lines that sounded a bit like poetry:

Hearts will be broken.
Eva will be betrayed by a friend.
Love makes people do crazy things.
People often misjudge their friends.

"What about it?" I yawned. Was now really the time to be impressed about your girlfriend's poetry skills?

"Look closely at the fist letter of each row!" he said, sounding impatient, excited and worried all at the same time.

I squinted and studied it more closely. Then I saw it. How could I not have noticed before!?

H
E
L
P

This wasn't just a story; this was a plea for help.

וו×

I paced the length of my living room. Zack was sitting on the couch, Emma's mystery in hand.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" he asked me, looking up from the paper covered in Emma's neat handwriting.

I nodded.

"I should. I really hope I don't get fired, but this is more important."

Zack looked back down at the paper. Normally, I would have gone to work, but now that we had a lead, I didn't want to let the trail get cold.

'You're starting to sound like a real detective!' Emma would have said with a smile.

I heart a knock on my door and rushed to answer it.

Max came in, looking just as stressed as me and Zack.

"I think I should go now." said Zack, standing up. "They need me back at the zoo and, who knows, I might even find some sort of clue while I'm there."

"Bye." I mumbled.

Zack waved to me and narrowed his eyes at Max.

"What was that about?" asked Max once Zack had left.

Max didn't have a job, because his parents were rich-rich, so I invited him to come over and help me figure this whole thing out with me while Zack was at work.

The zoo was understaffed and there wasn't anyone to fill in for him.

"He's probably just under a lot of stress." I shrugged.

Max nodded and took Zack's seat on the couch.

"What have you got so far?" he asked.

I told him about our discovery that the story was a plea for help and how similar the two situations were. I saw his eyes widen slightly in... fear?

I brushed it off and turned back towards the paper.

"Do you think there's any more clues hidden in the mystery?" I asked.

His eyes, full of concentration, scanned the words.

"I don't think so." he said at last, setting down the sheet of paper.

"It doesn't make sense..." I muttered to no one in particular, resuming my pacing.

Who disabled the cameras? Who would want to harm sweet innocent Emma? Was it just me, or did Max and Zack know something that they weren't telling me? Why was Max with Emma the morning of the incident? How had Emma known she was going to get kidnapped?

So many questions, so little answers.

Nancy Drew would have been able to figure this all out by now. Heck, Steve from 'Blue's Clues' probably would have been able to.

But I wasn't like them. I wasn't even a real detective. I was just some poor detective wannabe that couldn't solve a case if the answer was dancing naked in front of her eyes.

I sighed and ran a hand through my long messy hair. I sat down hard on the couch next to Max and picked up the paper again.

What was I missing?

וו×