Mr X.

[Even shorter than usual, I\'m afraid. I lost my groove. x).]

Amanda was curious, more than anything. She felt an odd worry of sorts, that was rare, she was not usually a panicky girl, but she knew something was wrong. Thus why she’d dragged her boyfriend Richard with her. Her fingertips squeezed on his as they rested locked between hers, and she knew that she’d transmitted a lot of her worry across to him. His pace was quick; he had a frown creased over his brow.

‘Don’t panic Rich… I just think we should check.’ Amanda smiled reassuringly, and slowly, Richard nodded.

‘Shit, Mandy, I’m just worried, you know? I’ve known that guy since high school, how the Hell could I not notice him vanishing like this? He never missed a day of school, never mind work. And it’s just not like him not to tell us. I know he’s not a… A socialite or anything, but I just don’t think he’d wander off like this.’ Amanda nodded, understandingly; however, a small, malicious, possessive part of her was pleased. She’d always felt jealousy over the relationship between Richard and Darren; their closeness always seemed just a little too close. She hated to have to sit at the side whilst Richard played his guitar and Darren found all the right words to flatter him, whilst she was left floundering, simply with exclamations like “Wow”. She hoped Darren was gone, oddly. Her fear was more centred around if he was not, if he was hurt. She knew she’d loose Richard until Darren was right as rain and over any problem again. It hurt her. It hurt her that she could be so horribly selfish, but she supposed this was love, and she did love Richard. She knew this as she looked at his profile, the angularity of his features, the olive tan of his skin, the dark gelled hair, the silver of a thin chain around his neck. She knew she loved him.

They reached the house, and Richard knocked. A little too hard, a little too desperate. Each time his knuckles hit the wood, it seemed to pierce Amanda so that the green-eyed jealousy seeped in just a little deeper. She watched, quiet, as Richard knocked harder. His voice cracked a little as he yelled the missing one’s name. Amanda looked around slowly. She had always liked Darren’s house. It was just on the outside of town, nestled amongst trees. Close enough to be attached to everything, far enough away for solitude. He’d chosen well. Her thoughts where broken with shattering glass, though she did not jump. Merely watched as Richard broke and entered. She was shocked however when she heard the loud explanation of ‘Fuck!’ as it left the mouth of Richard. He had always used colourful language, but now it seemed to be a jerk reaction, no other words found.

The place was completely, utterly trashed. Littered with broken and strewn objects.

Richard stepped over the glass he had broken and looked around slowly at what seemed at first glance to be a burglary effort. His stomach fell, however, as he quickly realised that nothing of value was missing, and there was plenty on display. It seemed more to be random destruction, the act of bizarre maliciousness. He began to run, up the stairs, nothing, no Darren. He went from room to room, and stopped, and suddenly felt oddly helpless. Amanda’s arms wrapped around him, and he turned around to her, expression seemingly stricken, dewy eyed. Amanda met his distress with equal fervour, her jealousy now pangs of overwhelming guilt at all the wishes made and thoughts which had ran through her mind at night.

‘We’ll call the police, Rich… Don’t worry… It’s all gonna be okay, Darren’s going to be fine…’ Richard just shook his head slowly, his eyes roaming, the broken plant pot, the ripped apart drawers, the clothes flung everywhere.

‘How the fuck could this have happened? God… When I find the cunt who did this, who took him…’ Fingers pressed to his lips, shushing him as Amanda nodded, and Richard sensed understanding and settled. Amanda gazed at the destroyed phone a moment. No dial tone, it had been torn from the wall and shattered. With a soft sigh, she fetched out her mobile, as Richard wandered away and collapsed on the bed of Darren, curling in on himself as the conviction appeared in his mind that this must be his fault.