My phone dropped from my hand, as I ran out of my room, leaving my sketches as they floated to the ground in a scattered mess. I didn't even realize that I had left Mrs. Montgomery hanging on the other end of the line, but I doubt I would have even cared if I had.
All that mattered was finding her, holding her in my arms, making sure she was safe.
I should have walked her home. I thought, kicking myself mentally.
I flew down the stairs, and out of the house in a matter of seconds. I hadn't bothered to change out of my pajamas, which I had still been wearing. I didn't care that I had almost knocked over my sister on the way out.
My eyes were looking everywhere, looking for some sign of Aria. But there was nothing. I quickly made my way in the direction of Aria's house, purposefully taking the path I knew she would take to get home.
I was about halfway to Aria's house when I saw it. Aria's cell phone was lying face down halfway under a bush next to the sidewalk. I picked it up, it was still in a call, which is probably why Aria's mom had called me. The screen told me that the call had come from a blocked number.
I put the phone up next to my ear, "Hello?" I said cautiously.
There was no response on the other end. I knew that whoever had called Aria must have forgotten to hang up their phone because Aria's phone would have ended the call automatically.
"Hello?" I said again, practically yelling into the phone.
I heard some rustling on the other end of the line, but then the call had ended.
"Damn it!" I swore loudly.
I looked at the screen on the phone, which said that the call had lasted for a little over two hours.
If I had been smart, I would've put the phone on mute and brought it to the police, had them trace the call. But no, now I've fucked up.
I could go to the police now, but they'd laugh in my face. I knew the procedure, they couldn't do anything about a missing person unless the person had been missing for at least twenty-four hours.
I looked around the area where I had found Aria's phone. Even to my untrained eye, things looked suspicious. From where her phone had been, it must have been either dropped or thrown. There were slight burn marks on the road right near where I found her phone. I almost missed it, but there was also what looked like a drop of blood on a leaf next to the sidewalk.
I cursed at myself for leaving my phone at home. I used Aria's to take a picture of the leaf and the burn marks, and then I went back to my house.
Mrs. Montgomery must have realized that I wasn't at my phone anymore, as the call had ended when I returned home. I did have a couple missed calls from her, and a couple voice messages, too.
I called Mrs. Montgomery back.
"Spencer? Is that you?" Mrs. Montgomery said when she answered the phone.
"Yeah," I said numbly.
"Did you find Aria?" Mrs. Montgomery asked.
I swallowed. How do you tell your girlfriend's mother that you have no idea where her daughter is, when the last place she was known to be is with you?
"Spencer?" Mrs. Montgomery said again, probably worried that I wasn't there again.
Tears started falling down my cheek, knowing that something terrible had happened.
"Mrs. Montgomery," I cried, "I think she's been…abducted." The horror in my voice was evident as I said the word.
"I f-found her phone and I th-think I saw s-some blood," I stuttered into the phone.
I couldn't believe I was saying these words. I couldn't believe that I was in a situation where I would have to say these words. They brought me back to last year, when I had to tell the girls that I couldn't find Ali, that I thought I heard a scream. This shouldn't be happening to me. This shouldn't be happening to Aria. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was connected to Alison's disappearance.
I heard Mrs. Montgomery talking on the other end of the line, It sounded as if she was sobbing as well.
"Spencer? This is Aria's father," I heard Mr. Montgomery on the other end of the line.
I made an awkward noise acknowledging that I had heard him; it was the best I could do at the time.
"Spencer," Mr. Montgomery's voice cracked. I could tell he was trying to hold himself together. The news of his daughter going missing was obviously affecting him. It was to be expected though. He was trying to be strong for those of us who couldn't.
"Spencer, where did you find Aria's phone?" Mr. Montgomery asked.
I described to him as best I could where Aria's phone had been. I told him about the leaf I had seen with what I thought was a drop of blood on it and where it had been in relation to the phone, and about the burn marks I had seen on the nearby road.
By the time I had finished telling Mr. Montgomery everything I could possibly think of about the place I had found Aria's phone and everything I remembered about the surrounding area, I felt sick.
Aria was the love of my life and I knew it. And she was missing.
I heard my phone buzz almost immediately after I had hung up with the Montgomery's.
I looked at it. My stomach turned when I saw that I had a text from a blocked number.
You have one week to save her. –A
Let me know what you think, I'm not sure if I'll keep this one yet.