The Gateway

16. Misunderstanding

The alarm went off the next morning at 7 am. Shea got up and got dressed before she did anything else. She could barely see because she wasn't fully awake yet, but she somehow managed to do just fine. It was her day off, so she didn't have to worry about going to work, at least. She put on a pot of coffee and walked back into the living room. She had slept on the couch in Miranda's apartment, hoping that her friend might be there when she woke up.

Shea got off the couch and went into the bedroom. That was the place Miranda would be if she was back, snuggled up in her covers like a small baby. The bed was still made up, and nothing had been moved. She sighed loudly. Miranda was still missing. The little spark of hope she had vanished. Disheartened, she went back to the couch and plopped down on one of the cushions. She would just have to watch some television to pass the time. All she had to do was find something to switch the channel with.

She looked around the room. The remote was laying on the coffee table, so it wasn't difficult to find. It was just the last place she thought to look for it. She picked it up and turned on the television. She began to flip through the channels. Every few seconds or so, she would glance up at the clock hanging above the television. She had gotten it for Miranda when she first moved into this apartment as a house warming gift. Shea remembered her saying how odd she thought it was that she had bought her a clock. It was right after they had started working together. She smiled at the memory. It was 7:20 am. She sighed, returning her focus to the screen of the television.

A few minutes later, Shea got up and wandered into the kitchen. She fixed herself some breakfast, more out of boredom than hunger; she had eggs, toast, and bacon. Once that was done, she poured herself a tall glass of orange juice. She brought her plate of food back into the living room and ate it while she continued to flip through the channels. Finally, she found a good movie on television. At least, it would take her mind off of her missing friend for a while.

Two hours later, once the movie was off, Shea took her plate into the kitchen and washed it, and everything else she used. She then dried everything and put it away in the same spot where she had found each item.

She chided herself for setting her alarm and getting up so early, especially since it was her day off. She desperately wanted to sleep in, but there was too much on her mind.

She walked back to the couch and sat down again. It was 9:30 am now, and she was already bored out of her mind...again. She leaned back and got comfortable, to try and fall back to sleep, but every time she shut her eyes, they would just pop back open again. After several attempts, she got frustrated and sat straight up again. Before it was over, this waiting was going to drive her insane.

Shea flipped through the channels some more. The only thing she could find worth watching was a cop drama. Luckily, she caught it right from the start. Cop dramas had always interested her. She loved a good mystery, and there was one in every episode. Before she knew it, she was completely engrossed. She only got up once, to get her a cup of coffee during the second commercial break. The rest of the time her butt was glued to the couch.

Three or four episodes played before she glanced up at the clock again. Her eyes widened when she saw how much time had passed. It was afternoon now.

"That's it," Shea muttered to herself. She knew it had been forty-eight hours now since she had last seen Miranda. "It's time to call the police."

Shea pulled out her cell phone and dialed the police station. She told them the whole story, barely pausing to take a breath. They didn't seem to take it seriously, at first, until she told them what sort of profession she was in.