The bright sunlight glared through the window onto the two lovers,
whose bodies were lying together and wrapped in the thin black sheet of the
bed. Serena's eyes opened slowly, and she nudged Darien gently to wake him.
"Darien, we should get up. You know, go check on Anya. Make sure Paolo and Sofia brought her back in on piece." Serena swung her legs off the edge of the bed, standing up uneasily and pulling the sheet with her. Darien let out a huge groan, and then climbed out of bed himself. The two dressed in their pajamas and walked to the door, holding hands like in grade school.
Walking down the long hallway to where Anya's room was, they stared downstairs to the kitchen. No one seemed to be in it, which was unusual for this time in the morning.
Serena knocked on the door, waiting for the gentle voice of Anya replying. After a few moments of silence, she and Darien knocked again. They waited a bit longer, then shrugged their shoulders and proceeded down to the kitchen for a bite to eat.
"Do you think she's sleeping, love?" Darien asked after a half hour. His mind reeled; normally Anya woke him up, not the other way around.
"I guess so. Maybe she was really tired after playing all day. It is strange, though, that she didn't come to wake us." Serena's eyes lit up and she jumped from her chair.
"Darien, come on. We have to go get her. What if something's wrong?" She ran to the staircase and took the stairs two at a time, her heart dropping with every step she took. Darien was not far behind her; they ran down the corridor to Anya's room and tried knocking once more. Unsatisfied with the lack of response, Darien opened the door and the two burst in, Serena screaming when she saw that Anya's bed was empty. They got out and ran downstairs, stopping at the maid's room.
"Daniella, have you seen Anya? She isn't in her room!" Serena asked the young woman worriedly. The young girl shook her head and answered in a sad tone.
"No, Serena, I haven't. Didn't Paolo and Sofia take her out to the park yesterday?"
"Yes, but aren't they back yet? I mean, it's been a day!"
"Sorry, Serena, but no one has seen them. Maybe they stayed at a hotel or something; or even at the guest house." Daniella shook her head and continued on. "No, that's dumb. Maybe they went to see Massimo; Paolo did say he wanted to go visit him."
"Ok, I'll call the hospital." Serena grabbed Darien's hand and walked out of the room, going into the kitchen. Darien looked at her in curiosity as she pressed speed dial and reached her father's room.
"Papa, are Paolo and Sofia there with Anya?" She asked breathlessly, hoping that Daniella's idea was right.
"No, honey. Why? Are they missing? Did they go to the park and not come back?" Massimo's voice oozed fear, inciting Serena to cry.
"No, no problem papa. I'll call you later." Serena hung up and felt Darien's arms grab her by the shoulders. Her head dropped and she began crying hot, stinging tears.
"Is she there?" Darien asked, a hint of anger appearing in his worried voice.
"I'm an idiot, Darien! I let her go without me, now she's lost!" Serena turned around but Darien quickly made her face him, and he cupped her chin in his hand.
"It's not your fault. Let's call the police and file a missing persons report and then go out looking for her." Darien hid his anger and worry from his face, but in his eyes they swirled around like a hurricane. Serena cried out and fell against his chest, her breathing heavy and hiccups raking her body.
"I'm so sorry, Darien, you must hate me right now." She managed to get out between hiccups.
"I don't hate you, Serena, but right now we need to start looking for Anya. Go upstairs and get dressed, I'll call the police and file the report." Darien picked up the receiver and began dialing.
"Let me talk to them right after you file the report. I can get them on the case faster." Serena waited patiently until Darien handed over the phone.
"This is Miss Serenity Moriarti speaking. I wish to talk to the person responsible for the missing person's searches." She spoke proudly and confidently, showing no signs of her tears from only moments before.
"Miss Moriarti! Of course, I'll get the chief right now." A man replied, and then he hastily handed over the phone to the chief.
"Hello, who am I speaking with?" An older man asked, waiting for a reply.
"This is Miss Serenity Moriarti. My boyfriend just filed a missing person's report for our daughter, Miss Anya Shields. I want this case to be a priority, and I want your staff out there looking for her right now. I will fax over a few pictures, which you can give to them to help them identify Anya. I want her found, and I need it to happen very quickly. She should be with a man and woman, named Paolo and Sofia de Luca. I will send you their pictures, as well." Serena would hear the man's gasp, then quiet assurance.
"Yes, Miss Moriarti. I will send out as many of my people as I can, but we are busy right now. I can assure you we will have only the best on your case, and we will start as soon as I brief everyone." His dignified voice was strong and powerful.
"Of course. Thank you." Serena hung up the phone and turned to Darien, who was staring at Serena with intense curiosity.
"What? I'm a big girl, and I get people to do as I want. How else do you think I got you?" She giggled as Darien hugged her, her eyes lighting up momentarily. They darkened with sadness as she remembered what was going on.
"Okay, Sere, let's go get dressed. We're going to every airport and bus terminal and rental car place in the city." She smiled at Darien's idea, then raced him up to the room to get dressed and go searching for Anya.
Okay, sorry it's short. I've been away for five days and I thought it would be best to just get this up as soon as possible. Please read and review! Thanks!
"Darien, we should get up. You know, go check on Anya. Make sure Paolo and Sofia brought her back in on piece." Serena swung her legs off the edge of the bed, standing up uneasily and pulling the sheet with her. Darien let out a huge groan, and then climbed out of bed himself. The two dressed in their pajamas and walked to the door, holding hands like in grade school.
Walking down the long hallway to where Anya's room was, they stared downstairs to the kitchen. No one seemed to be in it, which was unusual for this time in the morning.
Serena knocked on the door, waiting for the gentle voice of Anya replying. After a few moments of silence, she and Darien knocked again. They waited a bit longer, then shrugged their shoulders and proceeded down to the kitchen for a bite to eat.
"Do you think she's sleeping, love?" Darien asked after a half hour. His mind reeled; normally Anya woke him up, not the other way around.
"I guess so. Maybe she was really tired after playing all day. It is strange, though, that she didn't come to wake us." Serena's eyes lit up and she jumped from her chair.
"Darien, come on. We have to go get her. What if something's wrong?" She ran to the staircase and took the stairs two at a time, her heart dropping with every step she took. Darien was not far behind her; they ran down the corridor to Anya's room and tried knocking once more. Unsatisfied with the lack of response, Darien opened the door and the two burst in, Serena screaming when she saw that Anya's bed was empty. They got out and ran downstairs, stopping at the maid's room.
"Daniella, have you seen Anya? She isn't in her room!" Serena asked the young woman worriedly. The young girl shook her head and answered in a sad tone.
"No, Serena, I haven't. Didn't Paolo and Sofia take her out to the park yesterday?"
"Yes, but aren't they back yet? I mean, it's been a day!"
"Sorry, Serena, but no one has seen them. Maybe they stayed at a hotel or something; or even at the guest house." Daniella shook her head and continued on. "No, that's dumb. Maybe they went to see Massimo; Paolo did say he wanted to go visit him."
"Ok, I'll call the hospital." Serena grabbed Darien's hand and walked out of the room, going into the kitchen. Darien looked at her in curiosity as she pressed speed dial and reached her father's room.
"Papa, are Paolo and Sofia there with Anya?" She asked breathlessly, hoping that Daniella's idea was right.
"No, honey. Why? Are they missing? Did they go to the park and not come back?" Massimo's voice oozed fear, inciting Serena to cry.
"No, no problem papa. I'll call you later." Serena hung up and felt Darien's arms grab her by the shoulders. Her head dropped and she began crying hot, stinging tears.
"Is she there?" Darien asked, a hint of anger appearing in his worried voice.
"I'm an idiot, Darien! I let her go without me, now she's lost!" Serena turned around but Darien quickly made her face him, and he cupped her chin in his hand.
"It's not your fault. Let's call the police and file a missing persons report and then go out looking for her." Darien hid his anger and worry from his face, but in his eyes they swirled around like a hurricane. Serena cried out and fell against his chest, her breathing heavy and hiccups raking her body.
"I'm so sorry, Darien, you must hate me right now." She managed to get out between hiccups.
"I don't hate you, Serena, but right now we need to start looking for Anya. Go upstairs and get dressed, I'll call the police and file the report." Darien picked up the receiver and began dialing.
"Let me talk to them right after you file the report. I can get them on the case faster." Serena waited patiently until Darien handed over the phone.
"This is Miss Serenity Moriarti speaking. I wish to talk to the person responsible for the missing person's searches." She spoke proudly and confidently, showing no signs of her tears from only moments before.
"Miss Moriarti! Of course, I'll get the chief right now." A man replied, and then he hastily handed over the phone to the chief.
"Hello, who am I speaking with?" An older man asked, waiting for a reply.
"This is Miss Serenity Moriarti. My boyfriend just filed a missing person's report for our daughter, Miss Anya Shields. I want this case to be a priority, and I want your staff out there looking for her right now. I will fax over a few pictures, which you can give to them to help them identify Anya. I want her found, and I need it to happen very quickly. She should be with a man and woman, named Paolo and Sofia de Luca. I will send you their pictures, as well." Serena would hear the man's gasp, then quiet assurance.
"Yes, Miss Moriarti. I will send out as many of my people as I can, but we are busy right now. I can assure you we will have only the best on your case, and we will start as soon as I brief everyone." His dignified voice was strong and powerful.
"Of course. Thank you." Serena hung up the phone and turned to Darien, who was staring at Serena with intense curiosity.
"What? I'm a big girl, and I get people to do as I want. How else do you think I got you?" She giggled as Darien hugged her, her eyes lighting up momentarily. They darkened with sadness as she remembered what was going on.
"Okay, Sere, let's go get dressed. We're going to every airport and bus terminal and rental car place in the city." She smiled at Darien's idea, then raced him up to the room to get dressed and go searching for Anya.
Okay, sorry it's short. I've been away for five days and I thought it would be best to just get this up as soon as possible. Please read and review! Thanks!