Missing

Part One

Mary hastily put on her small shoes as she glanced at the clock. Twelve minutes to five in the evening. She was going to be late! She grabbed her purse and walked briskly down the stairs while attempting to comb her golden hair. She kicked the door open, closing it behind her and then locking it, and started the car engine. It initially gave a loud, shocking rumble, before it calmed down to a steady vibration. She hopped in and drove speedily out of the driveway.

It didn't seem to be her lucky day. Of all the days the road could've been jammed with cars, it just had to be a Friday. It just had to happen on the day that she was rushing to pick up her friend so that they could watch the magic show together. Mary glanced at her leather-strapped watch. Ten minutes to five o'clock. She looked back at the road. The cars didn't budge, and the red light refused to turn off. Argh! With this traffic fettle, she wouldn't be able to make it to the show unless she headed directly to the theater. She dialed her friend's number on her phone and waited for him to pick up.

     "Hello?"
     "Hi, Adam! Look, I'm stuck in traffic and I don't think I can pick you up. Is it okay if I meet you at the theater?"
     "You can't pick me up? What happened?"
     "I forgot I had a meeting today," she said. The bright, ruby-red light turned off and the emerald-green light switched on. She released the hand brake and stepped on the gas pedal. "Anyway," she continued, "it was supposed to end at around six, but thankfully my boss decided to adjourn it. I'm now driving to the theater."
    "But what about the tickets?" he asked.
    "I have them with me. I bought them last week - we managed to get front-row seats! I'll see you at the entrance of the venue."
    "Okay. Bye."
    "Bye."

He hung up. She rotated her steering wheel clockwise as she turned right. A long, narrow road slithered around tall brick buildings. Unlike the other roads she had driven through, this one was quite barren. It was no surprise: rumors said that it was the site of many murders and kidnappings. The brick warehouses on its sides were once a source of livelihood for several lower-class citizens, but decades later they became soulless square structures. No one made a home there. Nothing lived inside it. Even under a bright summer sky, it seemed that not a ray of light shed on them. If buildings could live and die, then these hollow warehouses would be as dead as a doornail.

Mary relaxed her right foot as the car decelerated. She could see from her side mirrors that there was no other vehicle behind her. She focused her eyes forward. Nothing unusual: old and thin trees waved weakly in the gentle wind, stagnant rainwater puddles blotched the slate grey pavement, and rusting lamp posts stood stiffly at the sides. A sense of foreboding entered her as she passed by the storehouses. Its heavily-tinted windows stared at her from all angles, as though there were eyes hidden behind those dusty glass slabs. The unlocked metal door was opened slightly, eerily beckoning to her. She didn't like the sight of it at all, nor did she like how she felt around that place. Cold shivers ran down her spine at the thought of her being in a possibly-haunted area. Why did she take the right turn instead of going straight? It was indeed more traffic, but at least it wasn't as eerie.

One of the doors swung open. Mary's eyes widened the moment she saw it, and it nearly shook her to her core. What, or who, opened it? Was it a ghost? An animal? A serial killer? When she sped past the door she didn't see any of the above - rather, it was a group of young men. There were about four or five of them, wearing dull jackets and clothes in different shades of dark blue, black, and grey. From a glimpse of their faces, she thought that they were in their late 20s. Maybe even older. She didn't know what they could be doing there, and nor did she care - she only wanted to get to the theater as soon as possible.

After several minutes of driving, she had finally arrived. Mary parked her metallic black sedan near the gate of the theater. She looked at her wristwatch. Nine minutes past five o'clock. She got out of the car, clutching her purse in one hand and her phone in the other. She instantly received a call and answered it.

     "Hello?"
     "Mary! Have you arrived yet? The show started ten minutes ago!"
     "Yeah, I'm here," she said. Her sapphire eyes darted around the room, and immediately caught sight of a tall, bespectacled man, with short, messy bronze hair and a very thin mustache. She hung up and approached him, tapping his shoulder lightly. He looked back at her.
     "Adam! I've got the tickets here," she said. She fumbled them from her purse and gave one to him.
     "Thanks! Now let's go."

They walked side-by-side and entered the theater. To their luck, nobody saw them coming inside, for their eyes were glued to the performance. Mary and Adam sat at the front-left corner near the stage, leaned against the back of their chairs, and began watching.