The group reconvened at Elena's old childhood home, their hearts pounding with the weight of the clues they had uncovered. Maya had barely made it back from the library when Leo appeared from the old house with a letter in hand, his face pale and filled with quiet urgency. Riley arrived next, breathless, holding a crumpled piece of paper, her face tense.
"We need to talk," Maya said, barely able to catch her breath. The tension in the air was thick with the gravity of their discoveries.
Leo held up the letter. "This is from Elena. She was planning to leave. For good. She couldn't take it anymore." His voice was tight, every word heavy with realization.
Riley added, "And I found something on the rooftop. 'The end is only the beginning. I'm not running away. I'm running toward something.'" Her voice trembled with uncertainty, but there was a clear sense of determination in her eyes.
Leo scratched his head, deep in thought. "We need to figure out what she meant by that, but it sounds like we're missing something. Something we haven't found yet."
"Wait," Maya said suddenly, looking up. "Her mom. She might know something. We need to talk to Elena's mom."
They all nodded in agreement. The pieces were coming together, but they still needed answers from the one person who might have known Elena the best—her mother.
To Elena's Mother's House
They arrived at Elena's mom's house, a cozy, quiet place that felt much different than the chaotic past that Elena had described to them. The house had an aura of calm, yet something about it felt off to Maya. She could feel the weight of unanswered questions in the air.
They knocked on the door, and it was Elena's father who answered. RICHARD looked at them, surprised but not entirely shocked to see them. He stepped aside, inviting them in.
"I didn't expect you all," he said, looking past them. "What brings you here?"
Maya, Leo, and Riley exchanged glances. "We need to talk," Maya said firmly. "We found some things. And we think you both need to see them."
As they all sat down in the living room, Maya laid out the clues she had found: the notebook, Elena's cryptic words, and the letter Leo had discovered at the old house.
Richard's face darkened as he read the letter, his expression twisted in disbelief. "She wrote this?" he muttered under his breath.
"She was hiding something from all of us," Maya said quietly. "And we need to understand why."
Just then, the door opened, and Elena's mother, CLARE, entered the room. She looked startled to see the group gathered there, her eyes darting between them and her ex-husband.
"What's going on?" Clare asked, her voice trembling.
"Clare," Richard said, his tone low and controlled, but anger bubbling under the surface. "They're showing me letters, showing me things that I didn't know about. Why didn't you know what was going on with our daughter?"
Clare froze, her face pale. "What are you talking about? What do you mean I didn't know? I tried everything I could!"
"No, you didn't!" Richard shouted, standing up abruptly. "You weren't there for her when she needed you! All I hear from you are excuses. She was with you most of the time, and now look where we are! She's gone!" His voice cracked with frustration.
Clare stood up too, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I tried my best, Richard. I didn't know she was hiding this much from me! How was I supposed to know that something this... this bad was happening?"
Leo stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation. "This isn't helping. We're all in this together. We need to focus on finding her now, not blame each other."
But the tension between them was too much. Richard and Clare continued to argue, their voices rising.
"I should have known!" Richard yelled, his face turning red. "I should have been there for her, but you—"
"I was the one who had to deal with her every day, Richard! And you never helped!" Clare shot back.
The argument escalated, words cutting deep and old wounds reopening. It was clear this was not just about Elena. It was about the past—their divorce, the breakdown of their relationship, the long-standing bitterness that had festered beneath the surface for years.
Their shouting filled the room, but it was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. Maya looked at Leo, and Riley's gaze flickered toward the window.
The door opened to reveal a police officer—a tall man in a uniform, holding a notebook. He walked in, his demeanor calm but serious.
"I'm Officer Patterson," he introduced himself. "I've been briefed about your daughter's disappearance, and I need to ask you both a few questions. Please try to remain calm."
Claire wiped her eyes quickly, stepping back, as Richard straightened himself, his demeanor shifting slightly at the mention of the police. They had to pull themselves together for the sake of the investigation, even though their marriage was shattered.
"I've told you everything I know," Richard said sharply, his eyes narrowing as he addressed the officer. "We don't need any more questions. We just need to find our daughter."
But Officer Patterson wasn't so easily deterred. He glanced at the three teenagers standing quietly in the hallway, trying to stay unnoticed. "You're all friends of Elena?" he asked.
Maya stepped forward hesitantly, Leo and Riley flanking her. "Yes," Maya said, her voice tight but steady. "We're the ones who found the clues. We've been searching for her too. We think she might've left on purpose, but we need to know where she went. Do you have any leads?"
Officer Patterson looked at them for a long moment before nodding, turning back to Elena's parents. "Any idea where she might've gone?" he asked, his tone softer now. "She's been planning this for some time. We think she was intentionally trying to disappear."
Richard exchanged a glance with Claire, but both remained silent. The officer's eyes narrowed, sensing the tension between them, and then he turned to address Maya and the others.
"I can't give you all the information, but if you have any more clues, I need you to come to the station. We'll follow up with the leads and coordinate efforts." He paused, his expression hardening. "This isn't just a missing person's case anymore. It's looking like she's been trying to leave everything behind."
Maya's heart sank, but she nodded. "We understand. We'll keep looking. We won't stop until we find her."
As the officer left, the air seemed to thicken with unspoken guilt and regret. Elena's parents stood in silence, their bitter exchange now replaced with the cold, empty space of reality. They had failed her in different ways, but the truth was clear: they hadn't been there when she needed them most.
Maya turned back to Leo and Riley, her voice low but firm. "We can't let this go. We know something else is going on, something deeper. We'll find her. Whatever it takes."
And with that, the search continued—this time with the certainty that the truth would come to light, no matter how painful it was.