It was a dark night. No stars dotted the sky, and not even the moon offered its light. An eerie silence hung over the deserted road until it was suddenly shattered by the desperate cries of a young boy.
"Help… Help! Someone, please help!"
He continued running, occasionally glancing over his shoulder. His eyes were wide with fear, and his breathing grew heavier with every passing second. Suddenly, a blinding white light appeared before him. Before he could react, it engulfed him completely.
Moments later, everything fell silent.
The boy was gone.
By morning, life had resumed as usual. People hurried to their workplaces, vehicles filled the roads, and the sun rose above the horizon as it did every other day. It was as though nothing unusual had happened during the night.
Inside her small bedroom, Misty was getting ready for school. She was a quiet and diligent high school senior, only a few months away from graduation. Her life revolved around homework, projects, and textbooks. She had no friends and, unlike most teenagers her age, had little interest in socializing.
Her younger sister, May, was quite the opposite. Outgoing, vibrant, and full of energy, she loved being around people. She was always eager to explore new places, meet new people, and capture beautiful moments with her camera, whether it was a pretty sky or a bustling street.
As the sisters made their way to school that morning, Misty noticed something unusual.
Their classroom was almost half empty.
Confused, she turned towards her classmate Ryan and asked, "Why are there so few students today?"
Ryan leaned closer and lowered his voice. "You haven't heard? Several children disappeared from their homes last night. They just vanished without leaving a trace. Nobody knows how or why it happened, so parents are freaking out. They're keeping their children indoors."
Misty frowned. "But if the disappearances are happening inside people's homes, what's the point of keeping children indoors? How is that supposed to protect them?"
Ryan shrugged helplessly. "Who knows what's behind all this?"
Before Misty could ask anything else, the teacher entered the classroom, bringing their conversation to an end. The lesson began, but Misty's attention kept drifting back to what Ryan had told her.
On their way home that afternoon, dark clouds suddenly gathered overhead. Within moments, a storm rolled in, and thunder rumbled through the sky.
"We should hurry," Misty said, looking up at the clouds. "I don't want to get drenched."
"Race you to the porch!" May exclaimed with a grin before speeding ahead.
By the time they reached home, the first few raindrops had already begun to fall.
After washing up, the sisters were called by their mother to join her at the dining table. Just as they settled down for their meal, the sound of loud sobbing came from outside.
A woman stood on the street, crying desperately and pleading with anyone who would listen to help her find her missing daughter.
Misty looked towards the window, her heart beginning to race.
"Mom, what's going on? This morning, Ryan told me that several children had gone missing. And now there's another woman crying for her daughter. What's happening?"
May joined the conversation, her voice filled with frustration. "Some of my friends aren't even allowed to leave their houses anymore. Their parents have practically locked them indoors!"
Their mother's expression suddenly hardened.
"You don't need to worry about what is happening to other people. Just take care of yourselves. Now, stop talking and finish your meal."
May looked at her in confusion. "But why are you getting angry? We were just asking—"
Misty gently placed a hand on her sister's arm, stopping her from saying anything further. She had noticed something unusual in their mother's tone. It wasn't simply anger. There was something else behind it, something that sounded a lot like fear.
Later, when the sisters had finished eating, Misty approached their mother.
"Is everything okay, Mama?" she asked softly.
Their mother remained silent for a moment. Then, in a hushed voice, she finally spoke.
"One of my friend's daughters has disappeared. I haven't been able to sleep since I heard about it. I keep thinking… what if something like this happens to us one day? What if it's you or May?"
Misty didn't argue. She had wanted to ask more questions, but seeing her mother's worried expression, she decided against it. She understood that her fear was genuine, even if she couldn't fully comprehend it.
A little later, Misty entered May's room and found her sitting there, visibly irritated.
"What happened now?" Misty asked.
May shot her an annoyed look. "What do you mean, 'what happened'? I got scolded for absolutely no reason, and now you're asking why I'm upset?"
Misty sighed. "I understand that you're upset, but did you notice how anxious Mom was? She's worried about us."
May's expression changed. Her eyes began to fill with tears.
"So, what? I don't care about anyone? I'm a terrible person, aren't I? I don't know anything about what's happening, and apparently, I'm the only one who doesn't care about anyone!"
Her voice broke as she struggled to hold back her sobs.
Seeing her sister in tears, Misty immediately softened. She stopped trying to reason with her and moved closer.
"Hey, stop crying. It's not the first time Mom has scolded you, is it? What's really bothering you? Did something happen?"
May wiped her tears, but they continued to fall.
"I just… I feel so helpless. My best friend, Lara… she disappeared. I went to her house, but her parents told me she was gone."
Misty froze.
For a moment, she couldn't find the words to respond. Until then, the disappearances had been something happening to other families, something she had only heard about through conversations and worried faces.
But now, it had reached someone close to her sister.
Something far bigger was unfolding around them, and Misty wasn't sure anyone could stop it.