Five days before she vanished, Sarah Johnson was laughing like nothing in the world could touch her.
The four of them had been planning the Ozarks trip for months. Molly drove one car, and Sarah rode with her. Claire and Robyn followed behind, windows down, music blaring. It felt like freedom—like youth stretched out endlessly before them.
Sarah had posted about the trip that morning.
Ozarks weekend with my favorite girls!
Within two hours, her phone buzzed.
The name on the screen drained the color from her face.
Jay.
For a moment, she couldn't breathe.
It had been almost two years since she ended things with him. Two years since she changed her number. Two years since she blocked him on everything.
Two years of silence.
Until now.
The first message felt almost playful.
Well, well, well… I see you're heading to the Ozarks. Beautiful place. Lakes. Woods. Quiet cabins. Maybe our paths will cross.
A smiling emoji followed.
Claire saw the change in her immediately.
"What is it?" she asked.
Sarah hesitated before turning the screen toward her.
Claire's expression hardened. "Block him."
"He won't stop," Sarah whispered. "He never does."
She stared at the message. Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears.
Finally, she typed back carefully.
Busy with school lately. Surprised to hear from you. Maybe we can talk after I get back.
Her fingers hovered before she pressed send.
Robyn leaned over from the backseat. "You shouldn't respond."
"If I ignore him, he escalates," Sarah said quietly. "I just have to keep it calm."
Her phone buzzed again almost instantly.
You know what happens when you ignore me. I don't like being ignored. I'll see you soon.
Signed simply:
J.
The pit in her stomach deepened.
The next morning, as they packed up the car to leave, her phone rang from an unknown number.
She let it go to voicemail.
Then the texts started.
You really thought changing your number would stop me?
I told you I can get anything I want.
Her hands began to tremble.
How did he get her number?
She hadn't given it to anyone connected to him. She had been careful. Meticulous.
Another message.
Don't worry. I'll find you, Sarah. I always do.
She blocked the number immediately and deleted the thread.
When Molly climbed into the driver's seat, she smiled. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah," Sarah said quickly. "Just school stuff."
She forced a laugh.
She would not let him ruin this trip.
The drive to the Ozarks was loud and carefree.
They sang off-key to old songs.
Stopped for gas.
Took selfies in the parking lot of a roadside diner.
For brief stretches, Sarah forgot.
Until her phone buzzed again halfway there.
Another unknown number.
She stared at it, debating.
Then she opened it.
You're smart not putting your name on the reservations.
Her breath caught.
But it doesn't matter. I'll find you. And when I do… we're going to have so much fun.
Her stomach twisted violently.
He knew about the reservations.
He knew about the trip details.
That wasn't public.
Was it?
She quickly deleted the messages again, her fingers cold.
"Who keeps texting you?" Molly asked casually.
"Spam," Sarah lied.
She felt sick.
They arrived in Branson just before sunset.
The lake stretched wide and shimmered, reflecting orange light across the water. It was beautiful. Peaceful.
The kind of place where nothing bad should happen.
They checked into the Watermill Cove resort, laughing about who got which bed. The first night passed quietly. Movies. Snacks. Exhaustion from the drive.
But Sarah barely slept.
Every creak of the building made her sit up.
Every vibration of her phone made her heart race.
At 2:13 a.m., her screen lit up again.
No caller ID.
She didn't answer.
A voicemail notification appeared seconds later.
She didn't play it.
Instead, she powered her phone off completely.
Silence.
But silence didn't feel safe anymore.
Saturday morning was bright and loud.
They had breakfast in the dining area. Families filled the room. Children laughed. The normalcy was almost comforting.
Sarah kept scanning the crowd.
Watching faces.
Was he here?
Was he watching?
Mini golf followed. Then fudge shops. Then the Duck boat tour.
For a while, she almost convinced herself she was overreacting.
Maybe he was bluffing.
Maybe he was just trying to scare her.
Maybe he wasn't actually here.
By late afternoon, the Branson Landing was packed.
Music drifted from speakers.
Shops overflowed with tourists.
The waterfront glittered in the sun.
It was nearly 5 p.m. when Molly left to grab drinks.
"I'm going to check out the waterfront," Sarah said casually. "Be right back."
Claire nodded. "Don't go far."
Sarah walked toward the railing overlooking the lake.
The breeze lifted her hair gently. Boats drifted lazily across the water. A showboat floated in the distance.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
She felt it before she saw him.
That familiar awareness.
Like someone standing too close behind you.
Like being watched.
Her pulse quickened.
Slowly, she turned her head.
Nothing unusual.
Families.
Couples.
Teenagers taking photos.
But then—
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
She froze.
She had turned it off.
Hadn't she?
Her screen was dark.
The vibration had come from behind her.
From someone else's phone.
A man stood about twenty feet away.
Watching her.
Not moving.
Not smiling.
Just watching.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
She took a step back.
He took one forward.
Her breath shortened.
It couldn't be him.
It couldn't.
He looked different.
Hair shorter.
Sunglasses.
Hat pulled low.
But there was something about the way he stood.
Something familiar.
Her phone suddenly powered on in her hand.
She hadn't touched it.
The screen lit up.
One new message.
I told you I would find you.
Her blood ran cold.
She looked up again.
The man was gone.
Vanished into the crowd.
Her chest tightened in panic.
She turned, scanning faces frantically.
"Excuse me—sorry—" she muttered as she pushed through people.
Her pulse pounded in her ears.
Where did he go?
Was it him?
Was she imagining it?
Another message came through.
Don't make this harder than it needs to be.
Her vision blurred slightly.
She tried to step back toward the main walkway—
And felt a hand close gently around her arm.
Not rough.
Not violent.
Just firm.
A voice close to her ear.
Low.
Calm.
"You shouldn't ignore me, Sarah."
The world seemed to tilt.
The crowd kept moving.
Music kept playing.
The lake shimmered peacefully.
And in broad daylight—
Sarah Johnson disappeared.