Just as soon as Rachel had disappeared the creature holding Charles released its grasp on him. For whatever reason it did so, Charles didn't care. This animal had held him while its friends had taken his love away right before his eyes. He wouldn't let this creature get away with it and just as he was released he pulled his hand back to get ready to sock it.

Charles thrust his hand forward with malice, but noticed that his captor was vanishing as his fist met colorless air. He couldn't believe it. The green creature that was holding him a few minutes ago had just vanished. There was zero trace that it had even been there.

Rachel. Charles jumped out of the gondola and onto the ground racing towards the warehouse. Hopefully he wasn't too late and they were still holding her in there. As he raced to the door he realized it was unlocked and threw it open to reveal a completely bare inside.

Charles could not find any green creatures, Rachel, or even a solid thing in the building other than dust. Everything and everyone had just vanished and he had no clue where his wife was. None. Charles shed a lone tear just thinking about it. He had to find her!

In this great big city of Venice someone had to have seen something and he realized he would find that person if it took him all day long. All week long even. Charles determinedly pulled out his wallet from his pocket and slid out a picture of Rachel from it. It was a very recent one of her just a little over a year old that he had taken of her the night he introduced his friends to his new wife. Charles stopped staring at the picture trying to stay strong as he put his wallet back and marched to the city streets beyond.

A man was walking and Charles approached him thrusting the picture in the offended man's face. "Have you seen her?"

"I haven't."

Charles tried another by waving to a passing gussied up woman. "Excuse me, miss?"

"I have pepper spray!" She was likely not happy with the attention she had gotten today.

"No, I need your help."

"Oh, in that case." The woman walked up to him and he showed her the picture.

"Tell me you've seen her."

The woman slapped Charles hard across the face. "You're hitting on me by showing me a picture of another woman?"

"No, I was just…" He stopped as he realized she had already left and was walking away. No sense in getting her attention and getting abused again.

Would he ever find someone who knew anything? Quietly Charles muttered, "I'll find you, Rachel. I'll find a way back to you." Perhaps if he made it a mantra than it might come true.

And then he saw it… A dark figure stood in the nearby shadows seemingly staring at him. Whoever it was, they knew something.

Charles ran towards the figure who stopped watching and began running into an alley. The tourist quickened his pace knowing that now he had to catch this mysterious person if he wanted any clues to what had happened to his wife.

Charles began getting closer until a building wall trapped the figure from escaping, thus trapping it. In the shadows, Charles noticed the person turn around and face him.

As he got closer he could see clearly and quickly noticed the same dark green skin from before. He wouldn't let this thing escape until it paid for what it had done. "You! You're… you're the thing that stole Rachel! Where is she?"

The creature said nothing not bothering to respond as it focused on its arm to press a button. "Oh, no you don't! Not this time!"

Charles leapt toward the figure, but only went right through it as he landed onto the hard pavement. For a second he didn't get up just laying there. Charles began to question that he'd ever see Rachel again, but he knew that he had to get up and at least try.

With the aches and pain that had come from his impact, Charles raised his body off the ground and stood up. Thankfully, he had hit the pavement with his chest before his head so he had not suffered a concussion. After realizing that he was still breathing and able to move, Charles walked back towards the street.

As he moved on he was passed by a multitude of people. People of all different types of nationalities and backgrounds walked by Charles like they had not even noticed him. He had thought that maybe he could have asked any one of them, but it'd just be a waste of time. Charles had experienced something twice that only the nutters of the world would take seriously and was beginning to give up hope. Nobody could help him now.

It may have been mere minutes or possibly hours, but Charles found himself walking into a well lit park with a fountain in its center. The beauty helped him gain consciousness back as he smiled for the first time since losing his wife as well as cringe from the wave of pain from that fall.

Charles knew he had to take a moment to rest and took a seat on one of the benches. As he plopped down he let out a sigh staring into the fountain's crystal waters.

In taking a closer look at the waters around the fountain, he saw the most peculiar site. A little plastic straw appeared to be moving around above the water and the owner that was using it was about to show itself…