surprise.
After the shock wore off, neither could stop laughing for several minutes.
âLast to be found again, huh?â Tim chortled. âIâm still the reigning hide and seek champ.â
Luke eyed him up and down.
âSorry, champ, but thereâs another. I havenât been able to find Anthony yet.â
Tim frowned.
âUgh, my record is broken by Anthony? The kid already wins like every award in school.â
Luke laughed, and the two headed down to the bottom landing where Max and Nina were waiting. Luke continued on alone down another flight of stairs to the basement where he was sure Anthony must be held up.
Everyone else headed back outside.
Nina grabbed Tim by the hand and led him away from the group.
âWalk?â she suggested. âItâs such a beautiful night.â
He felt light-headed again.
The couple strolled along a path, past friends playing Frisbee and others running around trying to tag each other.
âSo, are you looking forward to school starting up?â she asked jokingly because she already knew the answer. No one looks forward to school after a great summer break like they had just experienced.
âUh, sure,â he laughed.
Nina looked serious now. She leaned close to Timâs ear, âWhat do you really think happened to Eva?â
He stopped and turned to face her, taking both her hands in his. If he answered wrong, he knew he would just upset her.
âSheâll come back. In fact, I bet sheâs already back home, apologizing up and down to her parents for making them worry so much.â
Nina stared into his eyes.
âI donât think so, Tim.â
He had never seen her like this before. She was really scared.
The flames from a nearby torch blazed behind her in the distance, illuminating her hair, giving her an angelic glow. It reminded him of the first time he ever noticed her at summer campâreally noticed her.
She leaned in closer, and the next thing Tim knew she was clinging to him.
He hugged her back.
âNina,â he said softly. âEverything will be okay.â
Thatâs when they heard it.
Several voices were calling out.
âAnthony?â
âAnthony!â
The panic was evident.
Nina and Tim released their grip on each other and ran toward the commotion.
âCanât find Anthony anywhere,â Luke said breathlessly. âHeâs just gone.â
Chapter 6
Vanished
The little girl kicks the ball. Tim chases after it, but the bright yellow orb goes flying under a table in the back part of the playground.
Laughing.
The voices of children everywhere.
A tall, leafy tree hangs low over the table, obscuring it from sight.
Tim is on his knees now, crawling under the table, extending his hand toward the ball. But itâs just out of reach.
Creeping further into the darkness, he feels the fabric on his pants tear away at the knee.
But he will not be deterred.
Further under the table he goes, stretching his arm until he can feel the smooth surface of the ball.
He grasps it with his fingertips, pulling it toward him.
As he begins to inch his way back out, he is startled by a noise.
Did someone just scream out for help?
The man pursuing him is close; he can hear twigs snap under heavy feet, pounding into the grass just behind him. Ahead, a patch of flowers and a yellow house, if he can just get there . . .
Timâs eyes pop open as he quickly sits straight up in bed, covered in sweat, his heart racing.
It was the same nightmare with the same yellow house . . . but not exactly the same.
This time there was a bit more.
The ball, some girl, and a scream?
âUgh, whatever,â he sighed with disgust.
He felt as though he hadnât slept at all. It was the first day back at school, and for the first time he could remember, Tim was not looking forward to it at all.
Eva was still missing.
And now Anthony was gone, too.
What was happening?
At the party two nights