A/N: Re-running updates, so everything's being revamped. Witch0fTime and I are getting in the swing of things again, but as you've seen, we need time to work everything out. Heck, we're still finding little glitches in the first few chapters! Thank you to all of our followers for your patience. I hope this fic will be a just reward in the end (that is, if you can put up with us for that long ^^')! Thank you all.
Warm sunlight filtered in through the window as the five friends savored their coffee. The small, cozy room echoed with the sounds of coffee beans being ground, the high-pitched whistle as milk was steamed, and the low, murmuring voices of the other patrons.
"She heard a noise behind her. 'Hello?' she whispered. No one answered."
"Why would you try to talk to the guy that busted into your house in the middle of the night? That makes absolutely no sense." There was a general, annoyed sigh as the group was taken out of the story by the rude interruption.
"Shh! Let her finish!" three anxious voices whispered in unison.
The boy who had spoken out crossed his arms, fuming silently. The somber mood returned as the friends leaned in to hear the end of the tale.
"She slowly turned around. There was a silhouette behind her, but she couldn't make out who it was. She stepped closer, and...BOO!"
Four panicked friends sat up in their chairs, startled. One boy, adorned with thick glasses and a high collared purple coat, rocketed to his feet. The other customers turned to scowl at the teenagers before begrudgingly returning to their coffee.
"I got you, Eridan! I got you so good! You were scared!" the girl across the table who had been telling the story giggled.
"That's not fair, Feferi! And I wasn't scared. You just...startled me..." he trailed off lamely.
"I thought that was the stupidest story in the history of ever. Can't you think of anything better? I mean, it was totally unrealistic and the characters made me want to puke." Karkat, as ever, was less than agreeable, and as he continued to point out every single flaw in Feferi's story, the others slowly tuned him out to move on to more interesting topics.
"Ok, so who's turn is it now?" a girl dressed in red asked.
The boy sitting next to her sighed. "Do I have to do thith?" His lisp brought a small smile to Eridan's face.
"Yes, Sollux, you have to. Everyone else went! Well, except Karkat." The boy in question paused in the middle of his rant, shot her an evil glare, and continued. "It's your turn." As she said the last word, she poked Sollux in the stomach. He swatted her hand away.
"Aradia, cut it out!" he sighed again dramatically. "Well, lookth like the queen of everything hath ordered me to entertain her. I gueth I'll indulge her," he glowered jokingly at her, "thith time."
She laughed. "Just tell us a scary story, Sollux. It won't be the end of the world. Besides, we can't stay here much longer. They'll kick us out."
"Fine!" he flung his hands up into the air in defeat. As everyone quieted down, they realized with a start that Karkat was still ranting. "Karkat, shut up. I'm trying to tell a thuper lame thcary thtory."
"At least you admit that yours is going to be lame, unlike some people," he grumbled. Feferi slapped his arm.
"Guyth! Ok, lithen. Thith ith a thtory that I heard when I wath younger." He hesitated a bit. "And it'th true." The teenagers leaned in closer, intrigued by this introduction.
"Tho a couple yearth ago, a girl named Jade lived here. She wath our age, and had three really good friendth named John, Dave, and Rothe. Tho they had all jutht gotten out of thchool for thpring break, and they had made planth to meet up at thith very coffee shop the nextht day. When Jade got here, Dave and Rothe were thitting there waiting. But the thing ith, John never showed up. They called hith phone like twenty timeth, and he never picked up. Tho they were kinda freaked out, but they dethided that he mutht jutht be buthy. They made a plan to meet again in two dayth.
"When they met up the thecond time, only Dave and Jade showed up. Both of them were kinda worried by thith point becauthe neither of them had heard anything from John in the patht two dayth, and now Rothe wath gone, too. They didn't really have the heart to thtay when half of their group wath mithing, tho they jutht went home.
"The nextht day, Jade emailed Dave to thee if he'd heard anything from John or Rothe. He didn't reply. Thee, usually Dave wath on hith computer all day, every day, never away from hith computer ever. Tho when he didn't reply, Jade got even more thcared. She went to hith houthe to check on him, but when hith brother anthwered the door, he thaid Dave wathn't home. Hadn't been home thinthe he went out to have coffee with her the day before.
"The nextht day, Jade wath gone, too. No one knowth where any of them went. And they haven't been theen thinthe."
There was a long, cold pause. Everyone shifted uncomfortably. Even Karkat, for once, seemed lost for words.
"When did this happen?" Feferi finally broke the silence with a fearful whisper.
"Thirteen yearth ago. The year we were all born."
Karkat finally found his voice. "That's ridiculous and stupid. Stuff like that just doesn't happen, and you're an idiot for thinking it does." Everyone glared at him, and he shrank back into his chair a little.
The friends sat in nervous silence for a long time until Aradia reminded them that they had better get going. They all silently agreed, and slowly the group gathered their things and shuffled towards the door. After a few soft goodbyes were said, everyone split apart, Sollux walking with Aradia, Karkat stalking down another street, and Eridan following Feferi back to their house.
"Hey, sis?" Eridan started, trying to get his step-sibling's attention. "Do you think it's true?" he asked as they walked.
"What? Sollux's story?" Feferi shrugged, laughing. "It seems pretty far fetched for me!" she said.
"You're probably right."
"Probably?" she laughed. Eridan waited for her to continue. Feferi glanced over her shoulder nervously.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head. "Sorry, it just felt like someone was watching me." She looked at Eridan with a hint of worry. "You know that feeling, right? When someone stares at the back of your head and you get that prickling feeling in your neck?" She gestured to the back of her head with one hand, the other waving around in front of her. She looked over her shoulder again, then slowly brought her hands to rest at her sides. "Oh well. I'm sure it was nothing!" Feferi laughed uncertainly. "But, really, Eridan. Sollux lives to give us grief. I'm sure he's just playing."
"If you say so..."
Despite her assurances, Feferi was oddly quiet as they walked home, only speaking to respond to Eridan. She unlocked the door hastily, fumbling with the key as she peered fearfully over her shoulder. She stepped inside quickly, then sighed and wandered into the living room. She started into her normal routine, drifting to the bookshelf in the corner and pulling off one of the giant medical encyclopedias before half-falling into the recliner. Eridan watched her for a moment before shrugging and bounding up the stairs to his room. He fell onto the bed, pulling his computer towards him and opening his email. Eridan sifted through it half-heartedly, looking for anything important beneath the junk. His cursor rested on a subjectless message from Sollux, sent just a few minutes ago. He rolled his eyes, opening the email and reading it slowly.
I bet you don't believe the 2tory.
Eridan smiled, adding the lisp in even when it wasn't there.
But it wa2 true. All four of them went mi22ing 13 year2 ago. I found the new2 article online. People 2ay that the midnight creature2 took them into the darkne22. The2e black thing2 would follow the cho2en victim2 and then drag them through thi2 wall, a wall made of pure dark energy. 2ome 2ay that once you were pulled through the wall, you would be tran2formed into a creature of the Darkne22 too. I know you probably don't believe me, But 2omething ju2t i2n't right. I can feel it. Like 2omething i2 alway2 watching me. It feel2 like eye2, boring into the back of my head. Ju2t think about it, ok?
Eridan stared at the large text for a moment. He remembered what Feferi had said on the way home, about being watched, and shuddered. Sure, Sollux was known for screwing with people, but something was off in this email. Something that made Eridan think Sollux wasn't joking. He shook his head in disbelief.
As he moved the mouse to close the window, a banner on the left side of the browser caught his attention. He paused to read it. In large, ominous black letters, it read 'Have You Seen This Girl?'. The banner was adorned with three pictures of a slimly built girl, about his age. In each one she was either holding a cat or there was a cat nearby. She smiled unabashedly at the camera, short dark hair sticking up in every direction. She was wearing a long green coat in every picture, and for an instant Eridan thought he recognized her. He shuddered, unintentionally connecting the disconcerting email with the missing girl. Just thinking about it sent chills racing along his spine.
There was a loud, low thud from downstairs as Feferi awkwardly shut the unwieldy encyclopedia. Eridan jolted unintentionally. "Eridan, are you still hiding in your room?" his step-sister called from downstairs. "Sollux's story wasn't that scary!" she said with a laugh.
Eridan hastily closed the website and stuck his tongue out at the door, knowing she couldn't see him. "Of course it wasn't scary! I just needed to check something is all," he called back, closing his computer and setting it on the bed. It stared back at him ominously. "Just checking something," he murmured softly.
