The Missing Classmate

“Oh, hey! “There you are,” Vala called out to Nico. He turned directly toward where her voice was coming from and greeted his classmate, who invited him to shop in a local plaza.

“I thought you would not show up,” said Vala.

“I made you a promise,” he reminded her.

” Of course you did it! You were never the type to want to be in crowded places.”

Nico and Vala were always there for each other, proving their friendship was genuine.

She took him by the hand and smiled.

“Let’s have fun! There are several shops in the plaza.”

“No matter what you choose, it will be fine,” he assured her.

“Oh, it will,” Vala grinned, gripping his hand.

Somehow, her saying that in such a way made him feel uneasy, but he pushed it aside, allowing Vala to lead him around after walking around and stopping at various shops. They came to the last shop Vala wanted to enter, but she stopped in front of the door, holding Nico by the hand.

“Is something wrong?” He asked with concern.

“No, it’s nothing,” Vala said as she picked at her nails before locking eyes with Nico. “Do you want to go inside?” she asked.

Do not go inside! You will see something horrible.

He shook his head. Was he hearing things?

Vala opened the door, leading Nico inside, who followed her against his better judgment. Once inside, he found it peculiar that the check-out counter had a thick layer of dust, except for a few papers and a smeared handprint, as if someone had tried to grasp the counter but dragged their hand across the top.

Someone had beaten up the register and left the drawer open. The curtains appeared tattered and dark, with spider webs covering them.

Above them, the light fixture was hanging loose. The wallpaper peeled off the walls, curling under itself, and they saw the floor covered in dirt and debris with drag marks where someone had missed their footing.

“What kind of store was this?” Nico questioned aloud.

“It’s one of a kind. It’s a place where people you trust take you to die,” Vala replied.

“Vala, that isn’t funny,” he scolded, feeling uneasy.

“Do you want to see what’s in the back?” she asked, motioning to a wooden door hanging on its hinges.

No, please, you can’t look.

Nico shook his head. There was that voice again, and it sounded just like Vala.

“C’mon, don’t tell me you’re scared,” Vala teased.

“O-of course not,” Nico retorted with a huff.

Opening the wooden door, they walked into the back of the shop. Nico lost sight of Vala as they walked in total darkness. He tried calling out to her but received no answer. Nico turned back, returning the way he came when something red glistened on the floor.

He took out his cell phone and used the flashlight to follow the red-glistening trail. Getting closer, he covered his nose with his free hand, gagging at the smell. It was coming from what looked like an old freezer.

It had to be spoiled meat or something.

Nico’s gut told him not to open it, but his curiosity got the better.

Moving his hand from his nose, he lifted the lid, only to be hit with the odor of death. Shining his light inside, he felt his stomach lurch into his throat. Inside were the messy remains of Vala, whom he had promised to see today. The very person he had been walking around with, or had he?

Moving to the corner of the room, he emptied his stomach. Coughing, he used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe his mouth.

“I told you not to look! Why? WHY DIDN’T YOU LISTEN?!” her voice yelled at him, and the freezer door slammed shut, beginning to rock across the floor.

Taking that as his cue to leave, Nico ran from the back of the shop to the front, opening the door to the outside. He did not stop running until he got to the plaza’s centerpiece before looking back. Earlier, he had not realized that the shop he had just left had police caution tape covering it, and the windows were all boarded up.

“Excuse me, young man. Are you a student?” a deep male voice asked from behind Nico, sending shivers down his spine. He looked over his shoulder at the individual behind him.

The man, dressed in dark clothing with a hat pulled down to cover the top half of his face, approached Nico from behind, asking in a deep male voice, “Excuse me, young man. Are you a student?” Nico noticed scratch marks on his right cheek, as if someone had dug their nails into him.

Was this the man who took Vala away? Taking a step back, he distanced himself from him. Nico heard the man chuckle, pulling some rope from his hoodie pocket. “Oh, please run. It’s always much more fun when you do,” he smirked while chasing after Nico as he ran.

Somehow, he felt he would not be going home tonight.