A sea of faces lines the windows of the Gas and Guz down the street from my apartment. These are the faces of the missing. Young and old, women and children are the majority that take up space; yet no one bothers to glance at the pictures of the lost souls as they walk by. It's like all the pictures are a normal fixture at this run down gas station. Not to me, I've come by everyday for the past six months to stare at the poster of one person in particular. Her picture is dead center, in between two other girls with similar features. 5'3, 120 lbs, red hair, blue eyes, female, age 17, last seen on 01/27/2021. My sister. Solia Page. She is among the many who've vanished and ended up here on these windows.
The cops say she's a runaway and they've stopped searching for her. I know she did not run away. She planned on moving in with me after she graduated, something she'll never get to do. There's only one possible explanation. Solia was taken. Knowing this and dealing with my parent's false sense of hope that Solia is coming home has become too much. If the cop's won't search for her or find out what happened to her, then I will. Her last cell phone ping was just outside the city, in the desert. This doesn't make sense because her last text to me said she was buying a drink at the Gas and Guz and then she would be right up to the apartment. The person who took her must've used her phone. My gut is telling me I will find my answers in the desert.
My lease is up on my apartment and everything I own, aside from the basics I can carry in my pack, is in storage. In order for me to solve what happened to her, I must leave everything I know and love behind. That means quitting school, my job and dealing with my mother. She's called me everyday since Solia went missing, worrying about me which is why this phone call is going to be hard. I take a deep breath and select mom from my contacts, hoping it goes to voicemail.
Mom: "Hello?"
Me: "Hi, Mom."
Mom: "Tibby, why are you calling me right now? Shouldn't you be at work?"
Me: "No, mom. Don't freak out okay?"
Mom: "What do you mean don't freak out? What's wrong?"
Me: "Nothing is wrong. I promise. I just need to go away for a while. You don't need to worry about me."
Mom: "Go where? Tibby, I'm not sure I understand why you're leaving. You know how hard it's been for me since your sister went missing."
Me: "I do know how hard it's been. She's the reason why I'm leaving. Listen, I need to do this and I really can't answer too many more questions. Okay?"
Mom: "Tibby…"
Me: "I love you, bye."
I hang up and gather my pack. While shutting off the lights and going room to room, I take a mental picture of what's been my home for the past four years. I'm really going to miss this place. I leave my bedroom and look around one more time before throwing my cell phone in the garbage. Upon opening the door and exiting the apartment, my reality starts to sink in. Here goes nothing.