Sorry for lon time to update. I apologize in advance if this turns out to be a disappointing chapter, but I didn't really know how to write it out. I promise you guys that this chapter isn't a pointless one filled with useless information dump and that it will be important later on in the story.


7. Invitation

Sonic - March 22, 2036, 4:20 P.M.

I haven't seen Sally nor Manik since I got back home last night. I'm getting really worried.

I've looked everywhere for them for the past several hours nonstop, but I couldn't find even a hint of where they could be. I've looked around the house, around the city, but neither of them were anywhere. I tried calling Sally, but she wouldn't pick up.

So yesterday morning - around 9:30 or so - I filed a report for missing persons to the police department. I don't know if they'll help me out, but at least I won't be searching alone.

Hopefully neither of them are hurt or dead. Hopefully I'll find them soon. They mean so much to me. I don't want lose them. Not like how I lost my brother.

Sally and Manik didn't leave me. That was for sure, though. They would never abandon me for any reason. Sure, these times are hard, but there would be no need to separate or anything. I love them. We could manage to stay together. We're a family after all.

And yet... right now, there was no one. No one but me. And it'll stay like that until I reunite with them. I am not going to let this go unsolved. I am going to find my wife and son, no matter how long it'll take me.

But... where do I begin? There aren't any clues around that could help me. In fact, there's no trace of them being anywhere in the mansion or out the yard, front and back. It was as if they just vanished into thin air or weren't even in here to begin with.

When I came back home, the front and back doors were locked, and there was no sign of forced entry. All the windows were shut tight, making it nearly impossible to open from the outside, but none of them were neither open nor broken. If someone had kidnapped Sally and Manik, then how did they enter the building?

Damn it, I can't believe I'm already stuck! What am I supposed to do if I can't find any hint to this case? No witnesses, no signs of struggle or breakage, nothing! Why does it have to be like this?! I can't solve something like this!

But still, I am not giving up. I can't give up. Especially not this soon. This cannot go unsolved.

Just then, I hear someone knocking on the front door.

"Who could that be?" I wondered. I don't usually have people coming to my home unless they're guests that were invited here. I go and open the door to see who was there.

It was my sister, Sonia. She looked concerned.

"Hi Sonic," Sonia greeted. "May I come in? I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I'd come in advance."

"It's fine, I don't mind at all," I told her. "Just come on in."

As Sonia entered, I noticed that she was the only one that came. I asked her, "Where's Molly? You didn't bring her over with you?"

Molly is Sonia's daughter. She's almost always with her, so it's very rare for them not to be together. In fact, I don't remember a single moment where the two aren't with each other.

"No, Molly isn't with me. She's with her grandmother right now." Sonia told me. "It's, ... it's just me today..."

I closed the door behind her. "Oh, well that's quite... uncommon," I remarked. "Anyway, what brings you here? Is something up?"

Sonia looked at me and said, "Well, I heard about what happened to Sally and Manik. How both of them went missing. I was just so worried that I wanted to check up on you."

"Oh, just that? Thanks for your concern then, I guess," I replied. "I really hope it gets resolved soon."

"Is there any way I can help?"

"Um… No, not really… I mean, I appreciate your offer, Sonia. I really do. But I know you have your own family to take care of, and I don't want to hinder that."

"It's not too much trouble, Sonic." Sonia retorted. "I might be the only one besides mother caring for Molly, but I am doing just fine on my own."

I looked at her in question. "What do you mean 'on your own'?" I asked her. "Are you still not doing well with-"

"Sonic, it's just me!" Sonia interrupted, immediately becoming frustrated. "It's… it's just… there's no one else. It's only me."

I immediately retracted and realized it wasn't a good idea to bring up her "other half" to the conversation.

"Sonia, I'm sorry!" I told her "I didn't mean to upset you."

Sonia's eyes waned and she calmed down. "Oh, I'm sorry too, Sonic. I shouldn't have overreacted like that." She said.

"Look Sonia, it's okay. But really, you should stay with Molly right now. She's your daughter after all. You're just lucky Mom was available today."

"Are you sure about this? You'll try to find Sally and Manik on your own? Won't it be difficult, though?"

"Yeah, I'll be alright. Besides, I'm the fastest thing on this planet. I'm sure I'll find them soon enough. But if I ever do need help at any point, I'll contact you, okay?"

Sonia nodded in cooperation. "Alright... Then I guess I should leave now..." She said sentimentally. "But I'll always be there for you when you need me, okay?"

"I got it, sis," I responded. "I won't forget that."

Sonia's lips formed a weak but sincere smile and she hugged me. Then she said to me, "I'll see you soon, Sonic." before leaving.

A part of me felt bad for dismissing Sonia. She was just trying to help but I refused her offer, and I doubt I will find Sally and Manik on my own. (Fastest thing on the planet... How is being physically fast going to help if I don't know where the two are?) But Sonia's a struggling mother, and I believed that taking care of her own kid should be more important to her.

Sometimes I wonder if Sonia genuinely cares for Molly. Now, I'm not implying that she hates her, but it just seems to me that she's more concerned about everyone else than Molly. Now that I think about it, Molly is an illegitimate child that Sonia didn't intend to have.

But I really hope that isn't the case. Sonia's a selfless and hospitable person, and she would never abandon anyone she was close to - unlike the jackass that impregnated and left her in the first place.

Vrrr-vrrr… vrrr-vrrr…

I heard something vibrate in the living room. I quickly moved towards the source and saw that Sally's phone was vibrating. I picked it up and read the caller ID: "Sally - XXXXXXXXXX

What the heck? Why does it say that? I questioned myself. Is this a different Sally?

Out of confusion, impulse, and curiosity, I answered the call. "Hello? Who is this?" I asked. "Hello?"

I was met with complete silence. It remained like that for about a minute. I was just about to hang up until I heard someone's voice on the other end. It sounded like a little girl giggling.

"Sally? Is that you?"

At first, there was no reply. After a moment, the girl said in a distorted voice, "Hi Sonic… are you looking for Sally and Manik?"

"Who is this? How do you know who I am?!" I demanded. "What did you do to my family?!"

"Ha… if you want to know, I'll stop by. Good luck… hehehe…"

The girl hung up.

Who… what the hell was that? And what did she mean by "stop by"?

Almost immediately afterwards, I heard knocking on the front door again. Confused, rushed to answer it.

Is it her, whoever was one the line?

I swung the door open, only to find no one outside. I looked around and saw that there was a letter had been placed on the welcome mat. I picked it up, closed the door behind, and opened the envelope.

Inside was a leaflet reading:

COME JOIN

THE ANNUAL SPRING FESTIVAL EVENT

THERE WILL BE LOTS OF FUN ACTIVITIES

FOR EVERYONE OF ALL AGES

HOST LOCATION:

STATION SQUARE NATIONAL PARK

TIME AND DATE:

MARCH 23, 2036 - 4:20

DON'T MISS OUT!

"So this person wants me to come to this event…" I said to myself. "Well, I guess I'll go then… she seems to know something about what happened to my family. If it'll help find them, I pay her a visit myself."

I put the leaflet away. Looks like I'm going to be following my first clue tomorrow.