June 1, 2024
Joe Wilson
After leaving Lily's house, I don't clearly remember what I did or how the time passed. The only thing looping in my mind was the missing person report I had filed with the police. I interrogated myself over and over with the same questions:
"Did I do the right thing? What if nothing happened to her? How would I explain to her then that I broke into her house? It's not just embarrassing; it's horrific..."
The thought of Lily thinking I'm some kind of stalker was painful. In her eyes, I had always wanted to be the reliable, ideal colleague. To escape these foolish thoughts, I went straight home. Luckily, my sister was on night shift at the hospital. Being alone at home eliminated the need to cook. Besides, I couldn't have swallowed a single bite anyway; the thought of Lily being in danger had completely killed my appetite. If Adela had been home, she would have noticed my gloom instantly and bombarded me with questions.
Adela was three years younger than me; with her blonde hair and brown eyes, she looked at the world like a fresh flower just peeking out from the soil on a sunny day. Aside from being excessively curious, she was a wonderful sister. We had both gone our separate ways once we got jobs, but I had suggested we move in together because I worried about her living alone. Looking back now, I knew I would be suffering in silence in this big house if it weren't for her, and I was grateful she was by my side.
I sat in front of the TV to distract myself, but I fell asleep before the end of the show, weighed down by exhaustion and anxiety.
June 2, 2024: Silent Doors
I woke up at 5:00 AM to the sharp ringing of the alarm. After a quick shower, I headed straight to school. I sat at my usual desk and waited, holding my breath.
7:10 AM. I was waiting to hear the sound of the door opening. But not a single footstep came from the hallway.
"Why didn't she come?"
I couldn't focus on anything throughout the lesson. My eyes were constantly on the door. I kept hoping the door would swing open at any moment and Lily Taylor would walk in with her book and sit at her desk.
"Please, God," I pleaded internally, "let everything go back to the way it was."
But time kept ticking away, and the expected miracle never happened. At one point, I bolted upright at the sound of a creak; however, it wasn't Lily. In 그 moment, I sank back into my chair in despair. The feeling that I would never see her again pierced my heart like a knife.
9:10 AM
When I entered the teachers' lounge after class, I found Police Officer David Johnson questioning my colleagues. Everyone was surprised and uneasy; they were saying they hadn't seen Lily since Wednesday and knew very little about her outside of her classes.
David pulled me aside to take my statement as the person who filed the report:
— "When was the last time you saw Lily Taylor?"
— "Wednesday, as we were leaving school."
— "What exactly is your reason for filing a missing person report?"
— "Lily was always here exactly on time. She isn't the type of person to not show up without notice. When I went to her house and couldn't reach her, I knew something bad had happened."
David fixed his sharp gaze on me:
"Do you have any idea what might have happened to her?"
"No," I said helplessly.
David handed me his card:
"Call this number if you remember anything. Also, don't go anywhere; until Lily Taylor is found, you are among the suspects."
I could only manage a "Fine."
After taking statements from the other teachers, David left the school. That dark feeling inside me was growing: I was never going to see Lily Taylor again.
June 3, 2024: A Horrific Headline
Just before leaving the house in the morning, Adela called out to me excitedly from the kitchen. She handed me the newspaper she was holding with trembling hands:
— "Joe, isn't the person in this news story the teacher at your school? Do you know her?"
I snatched the paper from her hand. The lines I saw made my blood run cold:
"May 31, 2024 - 4:00 PM: Math teacher L.T. was kidnapped by an unidentified person while leaving school. Anyone with information is requested to report it to the police."