Familiar: Episode 7

Welcome to Episode 7! If you’re just joining us, please read the earlier episodes to get caught up. Hope you enjoy!

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I woke up the next morning—no texts, no voicemails, no missed calls. 

My mind snapped to the worst possible scenario and panic set in. The night I found out about the accident came flooding in.

I took a deep breath.

You don’t even know if anything happened, I told myself. Should I even be worried? Maybe she doesn’t want to talk to me—maybe she dropped her phone in the toilet. The possibilities are endless. There’s no reason to worry.

But there was a reason to worry. That night gave me a reason to worry. She hadn’t replied to my texts or answered my calls that night either, and now Olivia’s doing the same. . . 

I bounced between “you don’t need to worry” and “something’s seriously wrong here” the rest of the morning. The “something’s seriously wrong here” won out, so I sent her another text and checked the website of every news outlet in the city.

Nothing showed up of course, and then I left for work. I took the usual route, but it looked completely different. I noticed buildings and alleys and benches that I’d never seen before. My eyes scanned the streets for any signs of an accident—tire marks, a shattered tail light—but found nothing.

I couldn’t decide if this lack of evidence comforted me or gave me even more reason to worry. Maybe she really didn’t want to talk to me anymore?

I turned left to pass by the park and my phone vibrated. I looked down. Her name flashed across the screen. My heart jumped, and I began to read.

“I am SO sorry. . . “