Crystallized Truth

Chapter 10 - Attack

His face twisted into shock on finding Ava at their doorstep, so early in morning and without Amelia.

Her pale face and terrible condition shook Archie.

"Ava, what happened?" Archie asked with concern, wondering what might've happen.

He watched as mist covered her eyes and he was sure, she would end up crying any moment. His heart twisted seeing her state and he had just opened his mouth to offer her some comfort when Ethan came behind him.

"Who's it, dude?" Ethan asked coming to the door.

Before Archie could answer, Ethan was standing beside him and looked at Ava in shock. Archie watched as Ava eyes flickered towards Ethan and she broke down looking at him.

"Ethan." Ava cried

"Hey, Ava, what happened? Come inside, first." Ethan said calmly and pulled her inside the hall while Archie stood at doorstep watching the two interacting with a pain in his heart.

Archie walked to hall and watched Ethan sitting on his knees, holding Ava hands as she sat on sofa and sobbed softly.

"Where's little tigress, Ava? What happened?" Ethan questioned in a soothing tone that made Archie feel uncomfortable.

"Missing. Gone. I know nothing. Amy is missing. Something happened. Find her, Ethan. Find my Amy, please." Ava said in a trembling voice, amid her irregular breathing and her sobs increasing.

Archie was alerted immediately. His eyes widened in shock.

"Little tigress is missing? Are you sure? She must be here, anywhere. Maybe, went out for photography, you know how she is." Ethan said, trying to provide her explanation so to calm her.

Ava shook her head vigorously. She showed the devices in her hands.

"She never goes without these. She wasn't in room and anywhere else. I know her. She would've tell me if she wanted to go anywhere. The door was locked, too. I unlocked it. She is missing. Something happened to her. I know, she isn't fine. She needs help. Please find her. Please, Ethan, please." Ava explained and pleaded for her bestfriend, her voice was breaking and her words jumbled somewhere.

Numbed by the revelation, Ashley stood at doorstep of his room and repeated each and every word of Ava in his mind.

Amelia is missing.

He wanted to shout and question Ava on her ridiculous idea. But he couldn't bring himself to even talk to Ava when she was all senseless and hysterical.

The stillness in the room was eerily scaring. The silent sobs of Ava made it even more creepier.

The implications were clear but fighting with the reality wasn't mistake either. The world had progressed so much that there were rare cases of kidnapping. Very very rare, because tracking devices were much faster and efficient than ever.

But the truth of living in a mysterious city filled them with a crawling fear that paralysed them for a whole minute.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that? Go and find her damnit." Ava screamed in misery, jolting them to action.

"I... I'll search her." Ashley said gaining a surprise look from Archie and a hopeful nod from senseless Ava, before he zoomed out of the room to find Amelia. He was not going to leave any stone unturned to find the girl who annoyed him most and never leave his thoughts either.

Ava was crying on the shoulder of Ethan, who was providing her comfort with soothing whispers and Archie watched this sight with not so happiness.