Malus Story 5. Disappearances

  It was a seemingly normal day. A woman knocked at the door of a room.

  "Aganennone, it's 3 pm, are you still sleeping? When will you sleep like a normal person does?"

  Saying that, the woman opened the door and entered the room. She almost fainted from the shock when she saw the bed being empty. It was messy, but not in the way someone who got up would have done it.

  "AHHHHHH!"

  The woman's scream attracted other two figures. One of the man was worried, the other was annoyed.

  "Honey, what happened!?"

  "Fuck mom! I was in the mid of a match!"

  The woman gred at her son, who was intimidated by her.

  "Where's Agamennone!"

  The other man was confused.

  "I thought he was sleeping."

  "He isn't though! It's like he vanished! He doesn't even like to go out..."

  "I'm going to call him on the phone."

  The older man went to take his phone to call his son, while the other son remained with the mother.

  "So... Does it mean that his things become mine?"

  "SHUT UP YOU IDIOT!"

  The woman, a woman with shoulder length dark blonde hair and brown eyes, frantically searched all her house hoping to find her son. The other man, meanwhile, returned to py his game.

  "Fuck! My team has lost and they're giving me the fault of it! Thanks mom!"

  The other man then returned.

  "I called him and i found his phone where he left it in the living room, dear."

  The woman, clearly agitated, shed out.

  "Where did he go! He can't be too far! I'll have to ask the neighbours for help."

  Said that, the woman left the house in a hurry, leaving her husband perplexed.

  'Oh... Serena...'

  Meanwhile the son picked up his own phone and made a call.

  "Hi!"

  "Hi baby. It's me Aurelio."

  "I know that... I've memorized you on my phone, honey."

  "Yeah, yeah. But that's not why i called you. I wanted to give you a good news."

  The voice on the other side, a feminine one, was teasing.

  "Oh... Then tell me. Don't leave me hanging."

  "Be ready. That loser of my brother has disappeared."

  Aurelio, a rather tall guy with long brown hair tied in a ponytail, brown eyes and an unkept beard, said the phrase in a very excited manner. That angered his father.

  "Aurelio! Don't say such things in my presence!"

  Aurelio was annoyed.

  "Dad, i'm on the fucking phone! Don't yell!"

  He then returned to his call.

  "Sorry for that, it's just my father that can't mind his own business."

  "You were telling me that the loser disappeared."

  "Yeah yeah. He vanished. That's one of the best day in my life. That thing that threatened my part of inheritance disappeared and all his things are mine now. An unexpected yet welcome event."

  Meanwhile his father left him alone, visibly annoyed by his son's attitude.

  "I'm leaving."

  The father left the house, leaving Aurelio alone.

  "Baby, tonight we'll party really hard. Let's meet at the disco at around 10 pm."

  "Sure honey. Let's party!"

  Aurelio ended the call, and then he started to py again.

  ---

  Meanwhile Agamennone's mother was knocking at any of her neighbours' doors. She was now knocking on the third door. A rather unremarkable man opened the door.

  "Sorry to bother but have you seen my son perhaps?"

  The man massaged his own head.

  "No. Has Aurelio done something stupid again?"

  "It's not about him this time! It's about Agamennone! He wasn't in his room!"

  The man was perplexed.

  "Are we talking about the same guy? Didn't you have to drag him along everytime you wanted to go somewhere?"

  Serena was rather irritated.

  "I know it! And that's why i'm preoccupied! It's strange for him to leave the house. Especially when the bed seems to indicate that he never left it in the first pce!"

  The man was confused.

  "Did he phased through it?

  "DO YOU THINK IT'S TIME TO JOKE, MR. TERENZI."

  The man sighed.

  "I didn't want to annoy you, but you should know it is not a good period for me too."

  The woman sighed, calming herself down.

  "Sorry! I... Forgot that. It's just... It's so sudden though... And pin weird... So... Any news about your daughter Elena?"

  The man shook his head.

  "We have no idea where's she is. But she also disappeared suddenly and in a weird manner... Maybe the two disappearances are connected somehow."

  The woman crossed her arms.

  "Maybe... But then why two days have passed between the disappearances."

  "I don't know. But that's not important now. We have to find our sons first. Conjectures about the nature of such events will have their time."

  The woman put her arms on her hips. She had an inquisitive look on her face.

  "You don't seem too distraught about your daughter disappearing."

  The man frowned, clearly displeased by the comment.

  "I can't be sad all the times, can i? Also... I alteady did everythig i could. I asked for help, i've sent messages on the internet, i called the police! I'm preoccupied for her, but i have to go forward, as i can only hope fore her to be alive and well."

  Serena was not convinced by the man's argument.

  "You do you. I'm going to search for my son. The situation's weird and i want the problem solved as soon as possible."

  The woman then left her neighbour. As she went towards her home, she noticed that her husband, a slightly plump man with short, curly hair and brown eyes, also started to talk to the neighbours. Seeing that, she continued with her interrogation and asking for help to her neighbours.

  ---

  Agamennone's parents spent around an hour asking help from anyone they met. They weren't much successful so they returned home. The man's belly grumbled.

  "I'm hungry honey. We were waiting for Agamennone so we haven't even lunched."

  Serena gred at him.

  "Don't remind me, Paolo. But i think that searching for our son is more important than lunch."

  "Well... Not to die i think it's equally important..."

  As they approached their own house they saw the other neighbour whose daughter disappeared. Serena wasn't that happy to see him.

  "What do you want?"

  The other man raised his arms as to surrender himself.

  "Chill woman! I just wanted to ask how has your search gone."

  The woman was irritated.

  "It was unsuccessful. Now, please, i'd like to eat something."

  Saying that, the woman entered her home. Her husband however stopped to talk with the other man.

  "Excuse her, she's stressed. I think you can understand the situation though, as you have a simir one with Elena. I wonder how can you be this calm in such situation though. You seem almost resigned..."

  The neighbour shrugged.

  "Well... I kinda am. My daughter disappeared suddenly. It's almost if she was teleported somewhere, or if she spontaneously disintegrated herself. Like if a superior force was involved."

  Paolo massaged his chin, pensive.

  "Do you believe in such things? There's no magic in the world. And even if it existed, there are no trucks involved."

  Mr. Terenzi ughed.

  "Trucks, really? You see too much thrash, man. But to answer your question. No, i don't really believe in magic. But since there are not any rational expnation that can expin such disappearance, i started to think that maybe that possibility can't really be excluded."

  Paolo was confused.

  "You say? Were you there when your daughter disappeared?"

  The neighbour shook his head.

  "No, i wasn't there."

  "Then why do you think it's some sort of magic and not something like... A secret second life your daughter has?"

  The neighbour was a bit annoyed by the statement.

  "Do you think my daughter is that kind of girl? I mean she's a bit too... Flirty but she's not a second life, i can guarantee you that. Now... I'll leave you to your lunch."

  Said that, Terenzi left Paolo's yard and returned to his home, while Paolo entered his home waiting for lunch.