Vanished || l.h. au

two

"Okay." I agreed, not wanting to say more.

"Promise." He said again, this time his voice right by my ear. I hated that he was talking like this. We were both going to get out fine, nothing is going to happen.

Just then the man began to laugh that cynical laugh of his and my feet instinctively began to pick up pace. We let go of each other's hands as we now had to use both hands to push the stalks out of our way to compensate with our faster speed.

We ran. The sounds of our panicked breaths mixed with the crunching of the leaves beneath our feet to fill the night air, as the sound of the man's footsteps chasing us became closer and closer.

"I'll get you! You'll pay for what he did to me!" the man shouted, laughing crazily. I let out a scared cry, and pushed myself harder, my heart beating frantically inside my chest.

"Luke, c'mon we need to run faster!" I shouted behind me. "Luke, please!" I begged again, still not seeing him run alongside me. It took me a moment to realize that he never responded to either plea. That's when I noticed the shift in the night air, the origin of sounds singling down to just my own breaths and footsteps. I slowed my pace, catching my breath.

"Luke?" I called, turning around. But there was no one there and the field we were running through was completely deserted.

He was gone.

I stopped and peered around me. Where did the man go? Better yet, where did Luke go?

"Luke?" I said in my normal voice, not wanting to scream in case the man was still out there. I began to back travel, retracing our footsteps for any sign of him. How could he just vanish like that? It made no sense.

My heart had been beating so fast, though, and my mind was screaming its thoughts. I remember being able to hear and feel the pulsing vibrations of adrenaline running through me. Maybe it was just all too loud that I didn't notice? I continued pushing my way back through the stalks when my face was suddenly planted into the dirt that was once below my feet. I heaved myself up, balancing myself to sit up as I turned my body around to see what I tripped on.

There in a hole between the corn stalks sat a rock, the height of half my leg. How did I not notice the rock before? Did I retrace my steps correctly?

The sickening feeling that I was right where I was supposed to be crept up inside me when I noticed the smear of blood on the edge of the rock.

**

You have to keep running. You promised Luke. You have to do this for him.

No, you just said 'okay'. You never promised anything.

Keep running, Beth.

My mind was arguing with itself in the midst of its panic as I ran in the direction of my home. The police station was in the direction of town, and I didn't want to go back and further that way in case the man decided to pop out nowhere just as quickly as he had vanished with Luke.

Luke.

I suppressed the tears that I could feel building up inside of me, waiting to burst. I need to be able to tell my parents what happened without my tears getting in the way. I could cry later.

But it was too late.

I could already feel my tears cascading down my cheeks without permission as I ran up to the front door of my home and opened the door.

"Mom! Dad!" I yelled, my voice sounding hysterical. I knew I sounded like someone was about to murder me, but the funny part of that is that someone was trying to less than a few minutes ago.

My parents footsteps stampeded down the hallway in my direction. They had their night robes wrapped tightly around them and their feet were bare. Back in the comfort of my own home, I couldn't help but let go of my emotions. I sobbed into my hands at the doorway not daring to take another step forward in case I collapsed. My parents crowded around me, and I felt their arms circle me, trying to lift my head from my hands to get me to look at them.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" my mom panicked.

"It's Luke." I managed to squeak out before another sob choked its way out. Flashbacks were already dancing its way into my vision: The man, Luke, the blood on the rock. The fact that I didn't know what happened to him was all too much.

"What about Luke? Was has gotten you like this? You're in hysterics!" My dad exclaimed, not bothering to keep his voice low. My mom contrasted, pulling me into her embrace and placing my head on her shoulder as she rocked me side to side, gently.

"He's missing. He was kidnapped by this, t-this man. I don't know who he is. He was chasing us," I tried to keep the sobs away as I continued to explain, "and Luke fell behind and when I looked back he wasn't there. He just vanished and so did the man. All that was left to give me proof that it all happened is Luke's blood on this rock I found when I walked back." I sniffled, catching my breath as my crying stuffed up my nose.

My parents stared at me not knowing what to say. I honestly wouldn't know how to respond either. Nothing this big ever happened in this town, so how do you respond to something that is unknown to you?

"He's gone." I whispered, finally letting the words seep into me as I was forced to face the reality.

A/N:

Hi. Sorry I know you probably hate me for making you wait. I usually update faster, but since it's nearing the end of the school year I have a lot of school stuff going on. So for now the updates may not be as frequent as you're used to (if you've read other stuff of mine), but it'll be updated don't worry. :)

Well I hope you like it so far, please vote and comment! It all means a lot to me.

Thanks guys :)

~M