Ghost of Whitechapel Canyons
Sarah POV

I love it out here – the calm, peaceful mountain air – if I could breathe, I would inhale the refreshing mountain air of the Whitechapel Canyons until I blew a lung. If I could breathe, I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything. The winters are cold, so it keeps the foot traffic away. Meanwhile, the wildlife flocks to the surrounding forests, so I have plenty of feed. You see, unlike most vampires, I would rather not be this way. Simply, I want to live – and this is not life. It's far, far from life.

"Here, take these receipts over to the contractor and you'll be done for the day." The supervisor hands me an envelope full of yellow, scribbled on paper. I doubted the receipts as legitimate, but who cares – I had no one to tell, anyways…

I leave the office and make headway for the grey, muddy Silverado parked outside. Lately, the rain has been a little unnerving, seeing how it never rains much here in the canyons. Typically, it's just foggy. The contractor's a sleazy old man who relentlessly hits on me. If I couldn't rip his head off in an instant, then I'd might annoyed – but I blow him off.

"Lisa…" he says to me as I approach the passenger's door. Around here, I'm known as Lisa. If you haven't figured it out, I've developed a new MO since moving to the Canyons – and yes, Lisa is a part of it. I work the lumber mills on the true outskirts of town. Ever since the Vanishing, I prefer to live… off the grid. Anyways…

"What do you want, old man?" I bark through the window. "You've got something for me, don't'cha?" The smell of the cheap beer and cheaper cologne were repulsively overwhelming. "I sure do." The receipts landed on the passenger seat with a SMACK. "Later" I spat over my shoulder.

I made my way towards the landing at the mountains base. There was a path that one could hike, leading all the way up to the apex. Dare to say, I started the hike – only to vanish a quarter of the way – into the night – .dinner.

Prelude to Anniversary
Benny POV

The anniversary's coming up. No, I'm not talking about the Vanishing. It's been three years since that douche, Koslov took over. There's going to be an anniversary ceremony down at Park Plaza. The whole town's apparently going to be there. You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd probably guess the law is forcing those people to go. We have absolutely nothing to celebrate. My family – GONE. Taken away from me, along with the others in the Vanishing – and this leads me to wonder, why me? – where did all of those people go, and why am one of the ones excluded.

"You need to get out of this house…" Rory groans, entering the front door with an armful of groceries. "—You know, you haven't been the same since the vanishing." "Rory, tell me one person whose been the same since the vanishing!" I demand. "I mean, seriously… I lost everything." Rory places two large-brown bags on the kitchen island and makes his way over to me on the sofa. "You didn't lose everything…" he says, sitting down. "Rory… it's just me, and you. No Family, no Ethan, no Sarah, and… no Erica…"

Rory tensed on the couch. He and I were roommates – we've shared an apartment in downtown Whitechapel since the Vanishing. "You really miss her, don't you?" questions Rory. I bid my time – it was pointless to even answer his question. Rory knew that the only thing I cared about these days, or ever cared about, was Erica. I heard she runs a fashion blog… or something… I mean, iono what she does… I just wish I was there to witness.

Caught up in my drama, I brush-off Rory and make way for the front door. It's time for a walk, and besides… I need to see if this old phone number still works…

l|| 7:27PM 4GLTE ||l

TO

Erica

Hey… I hope this is Erica… if so…
we should talk soon… I miss you
if not, ignore this text.

l|| SEND ||l

Well, "there goes nothing…" I breathe as I exit the apartment. I slight drizzle settles over the Whitechapel skyline. Slightly damp, but not drenched, I anxiously make my way down 12th Street. I check my phone; 7:36, but no new messages. What was I thinking – she's not going to text back, not in a million years. After the Vanishing… nothing was ever the same. But… Erica, I thought you were different… you hit me up a few times after the Vanishing. You told me that we could rely on one another – and before I knew it, you skipped town. You confessed things to me, things that, you claim you never spoke to Sarah. I always felt like… you're so thoughtful, you're so thoughtful… but now you're so bad, girl you're so awful…

You took everything I ever needed… but I hope you're fine and not mistreated. It's been years since we've been on. Erica… you feel so near, and yet… you're so gone.

BZZZZ BZZZZ BZZZZ

l|| 7:39PM 4GLTE ||l

From

Erica

Sorry, you have the wrong #
you're sweet though
love kiki.P.

l|| REPLY ||l

I felt like trashing the phone. Seriously, I mean, I knew the number wouldn't work. It's been three years; she's probably had a thousand phones by now. In the wind, thunder roars and lightning crackles in the distance. My eyes snap to a light pole, some odd thirty feet away giving away under its pressure - threatening to land on two little children, idling playing below.

My legs begin to charge as my heart beats into hysteria – but it's all to no avail. I'm too far away – there's no way I'm going to make it in time… but then…

BOOM! The pole crashes into the ground below, but as if it was magic – right before my eyes, the children are snatched from its path. A man with his back to me places the two children on the curb. It was like a scene from the Flash comic series… "You..." I cry aloud to the man with his back to me. "How did you do that? How did you save those children?"

The man brings himself to a stance without turning to face me. He wore a hat and bandana that concealed his face, and He's roughly my height, my size – surely, he's no bigger than I am, but as the crackled remains of the shattered light pole scatters into the street, I could do nothing but ponder the miracle in which I witnessed. I make my way over to the man and the children. "Lighting struck that pole!" I cry aloud. "How did you save those kids!"

The man ignores my plea. Instead, he muses over his shoulder, "—you need to hit the gym, Weir… you haven't changed at all…" I pause dead, in my tracks. This guy knew my last name – but before I could interrogate this guy any further… he was gone…