|THE FACELESS KILLER| Hiatus

| S I X T E E N |

Streets of Gleam Canyon
21:21 pm
•••

“He's not picking up, ” Melanie stated. Panic began to gnaw at her insides, twisting and turning like a knife had penetrated through her flesh.

“Maybe, he went back to the motel?” Bethany questioned rather than stated. She honestly didn't want to think of the worst case scenario.

“Maybe.” Melanie reluctantly agreed.

Walking past the stalls they had come across hours ago, they made their way back to their motel room. Emily had sent them a rather vague text letting them know that she wouldn't be showing up back to their room.

The girls had a clue as to why Emily had ditched them; sending each other knowing looks: Bethany and Melanie swore to fish out the details when she came back.

The loud banging of the traditional japanese drums got closer, and louder with each step they took forward. The event had been what they needed to loosen up, and temporarily forget that a serial murderer was out to get them.

Oliver and Bethany walked in front, hands interlinked. Sending each other sappy looks, Melanie couldn't help but roll her eyes at the gestures; from the funny faces, to the kissy ones.

Leading them to what he believed to be a short cut back to the motel, Oliver wandered a secluded pathway. The soft crunching of broken glasses, and fallen, dried leaves underneath their boots echoed through the silence.

Melanie’s eyes drifted to something discarded by the wall. Taking hurried steps towards the item, she bended at her knees to retrieve a broken cell. The screen had cracked, the battery as well as the back cover were a few feet away from her. Cautiously inspecting it, a sickening feeling laid rest at the pit of her stomach.

The cell belonged to Calvin.

A lump formed in her throat as she tried to fight off the tears threatening to fall.

Something she hadn't noticed before caught her blurry sight. Clearing her eyes from the waterworks, a syringe sat next to the phone pieces mocking her presence.

A hand to her shoulder startled her, causing a loud shriek to escape her mouth.

“Sis, what's wrong?” Bethany mimicked her, bending at the knees as well, she saw the shattered pieces laid to waste, as well as the syringe.

Before she could ask the question looming, her sister spoke seeming to read through her mind, “it’s Calvin's. I think he was drugged and taken hostage. It's all my fault, ” she cried out the last words. “It’s all my fault, I shouldn't have insisted on him calling the cops, now they've taken him,” she continued to sob.

Engulfing her in a tight hug, Bethany offered the only consolation she could. “shhh, ” she whispered into her twins’ ear, “it’ll be okay. We'll find him.”

“We need to get moving. It's not safe anymore,” Oliver declared. Lifting a sobbing Melanie, and a worried girlfriend to their feet, he held on to their hands. Casting a sympathetic look towards Melanie, he gestured to the front then mumbled, “are you good to walk?”

“Yeah, let's go.” she croaked out in a hoarse voice. Her attempt at smiling up at Oliver failed as she frowned instead.