Thursday morning began with Rachael's heavy footsteps clattering down the stairs. As she reached the bottom, she turned to her mom and sighed.
"I've been trying to reach him, but he's not answering. I've knocked on his door multiple times, and all I got was silence," she said.
"He must have gone out already," Mike's father replied, glancing at his watch. "Isn't it a bit early for that?"
Rachael shook her head. "His door is locked from the inside, so he's probably still inside," she replied. "Is he going to tell me he didn't hear me knock?"
Mr. Smith furrowed his brow. "That's odd. I called his name and knocked, but he didn't respond."
"Maybe he's just sleeping in, or using his earpiece. He's on suspension, after all. Let him rest," Mrs. Smith intervened, adjusting her handbag on her shoulder.
With that reassurance, Mr. and Mrs. Smith bid their goodbyes and headed to work.
Their departure was swiftly followed by Stefan's arrival. He knocked on the door, and Rachael answered, her expression a mix of surprise and curiosity.
"Good morning," Stefan said, stepping inside. His eyes scanned the room. "Where's Mike?"
Rachael replied before he could finish, "He's still in bed. I have no idea what's going on; he hasn't come out."
Stefan's brow arched in surprise. "At this hour? That's unusual. He's always up and about by now."
Rachael nodded. "I know, it's strange. This rarely happen."
Stefan's intrigue grew. "Strange indeed. Come on, let's go wake up the sleeping giant, shall we?"
"I've knocked multiple times, but he's not responding," Rachael said, heading towards the couch in the sitting room, her concern growing. "His door is also locked; we can't get in."
Stefan's concern escalated. "Then we break the damn door!" he exclaimed.
Rachael spun around, her eyes flashing with displeasure. "No one is breaking anything here!" she warned firmly.
Stefan backpedaled, hands raised in surrender. "I didn't mean it, really. No need to glare at me."
Rachael's expression softened. "I apologize for yelling. Let's try again." She approached Stefan.
"Maybe he'll open up if he hears your voice," she suggested.
Together, they approached Mike's room, concern etched on their faces.
"Mike! It's Stefan, open the door," Stefan called out.
When Mike didn't respond, Stefan's tone turned urgent. "Mike! Open this door! What's going on in there? It's after eight, buddy!"
The silence was deafening.
Stefan's unease intensified. "Take me to his window; something's off."
Rachael swiftly led him to the back of the house, pointing out Mike's window. "That's it."
Stefan's eyes locked onto the window, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.
With agile precision, Stefan scaled the rugged, stone-textured wall of the house, its rough-hewn surface providing ample hand and footholds for his swift ascent.
Within minutes, he reached the expansive, sliding glass window of Mike's room, its sleek, modern design featuring a smooth, unobstructed glide that allowed it to be effortlessly pushed aside, granting Stefan unhindered access.
Luckily, the window wasn't locked. Stefan slid-opened the window and entered, then looked down to see Rachael but she wasn't there anymore.
"Open the door, lizard!" Rachael's muffled voice came with a continuous knock.
Stefan scoffed and opened the door for her. He turned back to see Mike lying motionless on the floor.
"What the hell is going on with him?" Stefan wondered, concern etched on his face.
Rachael came in and saw Mike on the floor, she rushed to his side, kneeling beside him.
"Mike, wake up! What's wrong?" She tapped his leg, but Mike remained unresponsive.
Stefan's anxiety escalated. "Mike!" he shouted, hoping to rouse him, but the silence remained the same.
When Mike didn't stir, Stefan hastily knelt beside Rachael, placing his ear on Mike's chest to check his heartbeat.
"Stop being dramatic, he's alive," Rachael said, rolling her eyes.
But Stefan's expression transformed from concern to alarm. He lifted his head, jaw slack, eyes wide with unease.
Rachael sensed something was amiss. "What's wrong?" she pressed.
Stefan struggled to articulate his thoughts.
"Him... something's off... his heartbeat... it's not right."
Rachael's patience wore thin. "Snap out of it, Stefan! Explain!"
But Stefan remained transfixed, staring at Mike's motionless form.
"His heartbeat," Stefan muttered, "it's... different."
Rachael's worry intensified. "What do you mean?"
Stefan's gaze lingered on Mike, his face pale. "I don't know, but something's seriously wrong."
Rachael pressed her ear against Mike's chest, verifying Stefan's concerns. Her eyes widened as she listened.
"Mike! Mike! Wake up!" she exclaimed, shaking him vigorously.
Stefan's thoughts spiraled. "His heartbeat's irregular... only animals hibernate, not humans. It's impossible."
Rachael's panic intensified. "No, no, no! We must have misheard. A human heart can't beat less than ten times a minute!"
Stefan's musings were interrupted by Rachael's urgent cry.
"Call 911, now!" she shouted.
Stefan snapped back to reality. "Good idea, but I don't have my phone."
His gaze fell upon a book on the floor. He picked it up, scanning pages frantically.
"He must have collapsed while reading this... but what the fuck...?!" Stefan's voice trailed off, alarm etched on his face.
"Rachael snatched the book and riffled through the pages, furrowing her eyebrows as she found the book empty - no writing, not even a dot of ink.
"There's nothing written here!" she exclaimed, sniffing in disgust, and threw the book to the ground.
Mike's eyes fluttered open, his gaze unfocused. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, and his skin felt cold to the touch.
Rachael and Stefan exchanged worried glances.
"Mike, can you hear me?" Rachael asked, worried.
Mike's lips moved, but no sound emerged. He tried again, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Where...where am I?"
He rose up to sit, his eyes flickering. "Why is it so dark here?"
Rachael and Stefan exchanged bewildered glances, then turned back to Mike, trying to unravel the enigma surrounding him.
"Are you serious?" Rachael asked, incredulous. "You're complaining about darkness when it's already morning?"
Mike's voice trembled. "Morning?! But why can't I see a damn thing? It's pitch black!"
Rachael's frustration boiled over. "That's because you're just closing your eyes, idiot!" she yelled.
Mike's whisper was laced with uncertainty. "Was I?" He opened his eyes, hope flickering across his face.
But his expression crumpled. "I still can't see! Something's terribly wrong with me!"
Rachael's exasperation turned to dismay. "Unbelievable! Minutes ago, you were kind of...hibernating, unresponsive, and now you wake up on your own, claiming blindness with your eyes wide open? What's going on, Mike?"
Mike's desperation intensified, tears streaming down his face. "I'm telling you, I can't see! Please, help me!"
Stefan intervened, his eyes locked onto Mike's. "But you're looking right at me. Are you sure you really can't see?"
Mike's voice grew louder. "Are you fucking with me? Of course I can't see anything!"
Rachael's anger dissolved, replaced by concern. Her eyes filled with empathy as she grasped the depth of Mike's terror.
Stefan's grip on Mike's shoulder tightened. "We'll figure this out, buddy. You're not alone."
Rachael and Stefan stepped away from Mike to discuss the next step. As they struggled to comprehend Mike's mysterious affliction, an unsettling question lingered: What if Mike has really gone blind?
What do you think is going on with Mike?" Stefan whispered to Rachael, his brow furrowed.
"I don't know, but I don't like it," Rachael replied, her voice barely audible.
"I say we take him to the hospital," Stefan whispered, his eyes wide with fear. "This is insane and beyond our knowledge."
"Good idea, we need to get him to a hospital, now," Rachael agreed, her voice firm. "But what if it's not just a medical issue? What if it's something more... supernatural?"
Her gaze fixed on the mysterious book lying open on the floor and she felt a shiver run down her spine.
"What's this book's connection to Mike's condition?" she wondered.
Stefan followed her gaze, his expression grim.
Rachael rushed to the bed, her heart racing. She grabbed Mike's phone, her fingers trembling as she dialed the numbers, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.
"This is seriously messed up. We're in deep trouble."
"Yeah, really big one."
"What are you chatting about? I said I can't see!!!"