Hello everyone! Short story today, prompt from KristyLeeKL!

"Stop loitering outside and come in, Lestrade!" Sherlock Holmes yelled.

Lestrade startled, and quickly entered. "I've got a case for you, a real good one," he announced.

"Really?" Sherlock drawled, sitting up.

"A woman, Laura Patterson, disappeared two weeks ago with all her belongings and was never found. Now, her things are being found all over the city, and no one knows why ," Lestrade finished, looking quite pleased with himself.

"I'll take the case," Sherlock replied. It wasn't the best, but it was decent, he supposed.

His mind got to work, breaking down everything Lestrade had said.

If she took her things with her when she disappeared, she must've been going to stay somewhere. Only, she didn't tell anyone. But why would her things be all over London if-

"Sherlock!"

He looked up. Lestrade was gone, replaced by John.

"Yes?" Sherlock mumbled.

"I've been talking to you for two minutes, and you haven't responded, so I take it the case is good then?" John answered.

"Hmmm…" Sherlock hummed.

"Sherlock?" John asked again.

No reply.

He sighed.

"I'm going to order something for dinner then, anything you want?" he asked, knowing it was fruitless.

John ended up eating his Chinese food alone next to a number of science experiments.

Midnight came and Sherlock was still sitting in his chair.

"Sherlock, will you eat something at least?"

His friend looked up suddenly, as if seeing John for the first time.

"Eat? No...no, I'm alright, not hungry," he replied in a daze.

"Sherlock, come on. All you had today was an orange." John argued.

No reply.

Days went by like this; Sherlock didn't talk to anyone, too stuck in his mind palace to answer.

One evening, John had an idea.

He was in the park, after going to get some groceries. He got up, and approached a young man.

"Excuse me, do you think I might be able to borrow your phone? Mine's just died, and I need to text my wife," John lied, trying to sound genuine.

"Oh yeah, of course!" the guy replied, pulling out his phone and handing it to John.

John typed in Sherlock's number, and sent him a text, smiling.

The text alert on Sherlock's phone beeped, startling him.

Picking it up, he nearly dropped it after reading the text.

Did you miss me?

"No, no, it can't be," he muttered, and frantically called John.

"Hey, what's up?" his friend asked

"John, it's Moriarty. He's back."

"Sherlock, he killed himself. He's gone."

"Then why, or how, did he text me?"

John smiled to himself. It seemed his plan had worked, and he'd snapped Sherlock out of his mind palace.

"Sherlock, it was me, I texted you" he admitted, still smiling.

"But-why?" Sherlock snapped.

"You've been in your mind palace for days. I thought that might get your attention."

"Well, it certainly did," Sherlock sighed. "Also, hurry up and come back, I'll need your help on this case, since I can't retreat into my mind palace."

John grinned. "Will do, Sherlock."