Jayden's footsteps echoed through the quiet streets, the sound muffled by the cool night air. His mind raced as he approached the corner where Uriana usually walked home from Mark's place. The familiar path was bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, but tonight, it felt ominously empty.
He pulled out his phone again, dialed her number, and held his breath. This time, it rang longer than usual before it went to voicemail.
"Come on, Uriana. Where the hell are you?" he muttered under his breath, anxiety creeping into his chest.
Jayden quickened his pace, his thoughts swirling. Maybe she was just caught up in something. Maybe she was having fun, laughing with friends, losing track of time. He tried to convince himself that everything was fine, but the gnawing feeling in his stomach wouldn't let go.
He reached the block where Mark's apartment was located and stopped, scanning the area. No sign of her. No texts, no updates, just the ringing silence. Jayden's fingers trembled slightly as he dialed Mark's number.
The phone rang three times before Mark answered, his voice slightly hoarse. "Yo, Jay. What's up?"
"Hey, man, have you seen Uriana?" Jayden asked, trying to keep his voice steady, but it cracked at the end.
Mark paused, and Jayden could hear the shuffle of feet on the other end. "She's not here. She left like, an hour ago."
Jayden's heart skipped. "What do you mean she left? She was supposed to be home by now."
"I don't know, man. She said she was going to meet up with some friends. I figured she was just hanging out."
"Did she say who?" Jayden asked, his tone sharp, his mind racing. "She wasn't supposed to be out this late."
Mark sighed. "No, she didn't. But you know how she is... she probably just got distracted or something. You know how she is."
Jayden didn't respond immediately. His pulse was pounding in his ears, and he felt a chill creep up his spine. There was something off about this, something that didn't sit right.
"I'll keep trying her," Mark added, sounding more nonchalant than he should have. "I'm sure she's fine."
Jayden ended the call abruptly, his mind already moving in a different direction. "I'm going to check the usual places," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.
He turned and began walking towards the park, the one place Uriana often went to clear her mind. It wasn't far, and she sometimes went there when she wanted to think things over or just enjoy the silence of the night.
The park was dim, with only the faintest light spilling from the streetlamps that bordered the path. As Jayden entered, the sound of his boots crunching on the gravel was the only noise breaking the eerie quiet.
He walked deeper into the park, his eyes scanning the shadows. "Uriana?" he called out softly, but the only response was the rustling of leaves in the breeze.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Jayden pulled it out, his heart skipping when he saw the name. It was Uriana.
He answered it quickly, a rush of relief flooding him. "Uriana? Where are you?"
But it wasn't Uriana's voice on the other end.
It was a muffled noise, something between a scream and a cry, followed by heavy breathing. The sound made Jayden's blood run cold.
"Uriana?!" he shouted, his voice panicked now. "What's going on? Where are you?"
There was no response. Only more heavy breathing and a shuffling sound. Then, a click. The call ended.
Jayden stood frozen, his chest tightening as the dread settled in. He dialed her number again, but this time, the call went straight to voicemail.
"Come on… come on!" he shouted into the empty air, his mind racing, heart hammering in his chest.
His instincts screamed at him to act, to find her before something worse happened. But where? What was happening? He felt helpless, confused and scared. Scared that the bad feeling he's having might be true.
He looked around, his eyes narrowing as a thought struck him. Uriana had mentioned a party a few days ago. A party some of her friends were going to in a building not far from here. It was a place they'd gone before, a place they often frequented to blow off steam.
Without thinking twice, Jayden turned on his heel and sprinted towards the building, his breath coming in shallow gasps, the fear pressing in on him like a vice.
The city seemed to close in around him as he ran, the lights blurring in his peripheral vision. Everything felt off tonight, and the feeling gnawed at him as he ran forward.