Sitting on the wooden chair outside the closed cafe, Mark's thoughts wandered all around the place. It became extremely difficult for him to not go and file a missing person complaint. After all, his only child had been missing for 4 days now.
To say, Annabelle was less than a child to Mark and Kayle would be cruel. They had been nursing the little one like their own for more than 10 years.
They could have adopted her anytime by now if her father would have been a little more lenient in giving her off. Not that they didn't try talking her father into this, but every time they mentioned something similar to her being given away or be taken out of her father's custody it would turn out to be a traumatizing event for Anna.
So to avoid putting their little one in trouble, they stopped mentioning such to her father. They willingly tried to make her life better in any way possible. and as Anna would describe them, 'They are the light in the darkness for me'.
"I wonder where she is, what if... What if that beast of a father did something to her", Mark spoke through his sobs. "I want her to be well, I want her to be happy... Is it a lot to ask for... Is it too much for you to give away to a child? My baby has suffered enough... Please le -Please let her be safe" by now he was fulling crying, tears streaming down his wrinkled eyes and running down covering his face.
He prayed to the heavens in the hope they would answer his call and make it back to normal where his Anna lived a happy life, being herself. His emotions were out of his control. The girl had built her place in his heart like the child he never had.
----***----
From calling to running down the halls of her university every 5 minutes to check whether her friend reported for the day had become normal for Ciara for the past 4 days.
She tried everything in her will to reach and contact her friend but nothing seemed to work. Only if she knew where her best friend lived, she would have rushed to her house as well.
Ron also knew about the uneasiness of his girlfriend and tried helping the best he could to find her best friend but the situation never once seemed to be in their hand.
They asked around every person that would have known Annabelle and would be the possible person she could reach put to in difficult times but nobody could clearly understand where the girl disappeared.
More like the smallest trace of the girl was also not insight from the last time she was seen outside the cafe.
Ciara alongside Ron was currently sitting inside Marks cafe which was closed to customers due to being under minor renovation.
With a cup of coffee in front of the lovely couple sat the older couple with nothing but the hold of similar emotion of sadness in eyes. No one dared speak due to the sensitivity of the moment.
Any exchange of words would break the heart of the four that sat around the table and it seemed that the silence almost kept them sane. The only that that could be heard was soft cries and consoling words from the elders and younger to each other.
"I think we should try and talk to her father?" Ron asked breaking the long-held silence.
Mark and Kayle shared scared looks making the younger couple curious about the situation.
"I think Ron's right! It the best we visit her father and see if she is home" Ciara reasoned trying to convince the elderly to give them Annabelle's address.
"I've said it before and I'm doing it again, I don't know where she lives", Mark lied through his teeth.
He feared his child's dear life if it were to be in the hands of that monstrous father of her.
"Marks right we should not interfere much in this matter" Kayle spoke through the pain in her voice.
"What seriously!!! You both are seriously in to let this matter be... It's been 4 days Mark she i not home are you seriously not worried about her?" Ciara said raising her voice with the hint of annoyance in every word she spoke.
"Like seriously it's just an addr-" Ciara was cut off with the harsh ringing of Marks's word around the room.
"I SAID I DON'T KNOW!!! NOW LEAVE BOTH OF YOU! Please, just... just go" his word sounded more like a plead by the time he finished his sentence only to start sobbing all over again.
Confused and frustrated Ciara grabbed Ron by the wrist and walked out of the Cafe without any other exchange of words.
"This just isn't right" it was clear that Ciara was annoyed and frustrated by the elders behavior.
She knew they were lying, she knew they were hiding something and this only made her blood boil even more.
"Hey look at me, listen we're going to find your friend okay... for now lets just head home... okay?" Ron who had been silently watching his girlfriend sob moved forward placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her nerves.
To say that Ron was not worried would be an understatement. He just was not able to figure out the sudden disappearance of Annabelle yet.
With a heavy heart the young couple sat in their car.
Maybe tomorrow they might hear something from their lost friend.
Maybe they will eventually find her. With little hope, they let silence rule over as they made their way home.