“I’m not but, I’ve been extremely interested in what’s been going on, unlike most people. It’s like they don’t even want an answer to something that could be the biggest mystery since the vortex of the Mirny diamond mine.”
Avie shifted even further, growing more excited with everything the blond was saying.
“I know! What’s up with that? There is this mystery that’s just begging to be solved at this point, and no one’s asking questions. All I can think about is what the bigger picture is. I was hoping there was more information about it here, if anything’s been reported. Do you happen to know?”
“Avie… I’ve been waiting a long time for someone like you to show up. Someone just as interested. Can I show you what I have been working on?”
Nodding enthusiastically, she followed the young man into a side room down a staircase, locked off and only accessible with the key ring attached to his belt. Inside were a few papers, newspaper clippings, maps, and scribbled notes along most of the photocopied pages. Avie looked over the newspapers, old dates standing out amongst the scientific hypotheses as to what the town was experiencing, especially with the people who had come and gone.
She looked at census reports next to them on the table, reading over the fact that, more or less, people seemed to be coming in and leaving at a level pace—keeping Blacken at a steady population.
“I’ve been looking for any information,” Owen started, “something that might distribute a pattern, something to give an idea on what’s been going on, why only some people are affected. I know it’s not a lot, but I’ve only been working here a few weeks, so, it’s a start at least. There is a ton of information on the town archived and I have hardly managed to scratch the surface.”
“It’s incredible! You’ve found a good number of data to go off of. People affected like me, they come in and just leave. I want to find out the reason.”
He scoffed in a laughing manner, “I wish it were as simple as that… Nobody hears from those people ever again. They don’t leave, they go missing.”
Avie’s hands gripped the papers tighter, flinching, “What do you mean they go missing? They go missing and no one bothers to find out what happens to them? How many people?”
“Oh, I mean they are technically missing; they all have missing persons reports filled out, but it’s just normal in Blacken. Everyone seems to believe if they had come in so suddenly, who is to say they didn’t have the same feeling to go somewhere else? Or even back home? I’d bet a good couple of weeks or even a month spans over until someone disappears, only going by these charts at least.”
“That’s terrible! Nobody wants to know what happened to them...? What kind of town is this?” The papers slammed into the table, disrupting a few at rest there with the gust of wind.
“Hey now, missing could mean anything, but not once have they been found dead. People don’t die here because of this, if they did, then everyone coming in would fight the urge to stay and get the hell outta dodge. We don’t know what happens, that’s what I’m trying to figure out here.”
Avie calmed her breathing, her rapid heartbeat falling to a slow murmur after processing Owen’s words. He was right, it was a mystery, and nothing was concrete. But she was also one of the ones affected, she didn’t care to find out the hard way what happens to people involved.
“Can I help in any way?”
His eyes widened, “Really? You mean it? You don’t find it… too much?”
She smiled, “No, I mean it. It feels like there could be some actual answers in here, somewhere. I want to help find them; it could be really exciting! And, well, I need all the help I can get. Could you imagine actually solving the phenomenon? What Blacken—what the world might actually do with the info?”
He sighed content, readjusting his glasses, “It’s my dream. Avie, would you be willing to hang out later and go through some archives?”
“I would love to, but is that even allowed?”
He laughed, “Nobody has touched them in decades. As long as they don’t go missing permanently, we should be fine. Besides, I work here, it’s not like we are stealing them. Just… borrowing for the greater good.”
The woman echoed his laugh, she found the librarian to be blunt, but a fun character, and someone she would be happy to spend days with trying to solve the unknown. His enthusiastic energy and passion matched her curious wonder and infatuation.
A match made in heaven.
“For the greater good then,” she held out her pinky, him almost immediately locking his own together with it.
“Our secret, for the greater good… Avie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
They shared a smile, “I couldn’t agree more.”
CHAPTER 3
It has been a very long time since Avie felt a connection with anyone. Being completely alone for the better part of five years, she moved away from her immediate family and into the city with high hopes of finding an escape. Throughout the years, however, the young woman struggled exceptionally to make friends or even break out of being seen as anything except ‘the new girl’ by her co-workers—constantly being brushed off despite her best efforts.
She and Owen just clicked, an out of the blue connection bringing them together over a common interest, the compatibility further strengthening the relationship the longer they spent time together. After years of trying, Avie finally was able to call someone her friend. Her first friend.
Owen was honoured with the title, not really having friends of his own either. The blond jokingly calling them two peas in a pod, separated from the town with their interests and even age. He happily called her his
