Impossible Search

"...It was my wife. When I saw her, it seemed like she was looking for something, messing with the books on the shelves."

"What? Why!?" I asked.

"I was curious just like you, obviously. When she noticed me and turned around, she was frightened. I tried to calm her down and ask her what was going on."

"What did she say?"

"She said... something unbelievable. She said that... That she had seen her father, and she had to go with him."

"Her... father?" I didn't know in which way it was weirder.

"Her father have died before she was born."

"Huh!?" Needless to say, it was getting more and more confusing. I glared at Sena, who was just as interested as I was, even though she probably knew the whole story herself.

"It is something well-known. I know her family well. My wife's mother had never been married after giving birth to her only child. In fact, this was... I learned about all of this from my wife for the first time."

"Excuse me..." I interrupted. "You keep calling her 'my wife', what was her name?"

"Saka. Her name was Saka." Mr. Idris said.

"Anyway, what happened after that?"

"I thought that she had just seen a traumatic dream at night or something. I persuaded her to get back to sleep. After she went upstairs, I reorganised the shelves and went back to sleep myself."

"Pardon me if I'm asking about too private things, but... did you and her sleep together?"

"We didn't, for some private reasons. That's why I didn't notice that she was not upstairs at first." Mr. Idris answered.

"Okay, but, to continue... When did she go missing?" I asked.

"As days passed, I started noticing some wounds on her skin. Whenever I asked about them, she would say that it was nothing. One day we had a big fight because she kept dismissing my questions; but otherwise, nothing bad happened between us."

"So you didn't know about the cuts and bruises either..." I said.

"No, I had no clue."

"Was she working?" I asked.

"She was working in the small photo studio just at the corner of the street. The owner was a friend of hers. You must have seen the studio."

"Oh, I did. So... she wasn't doing something that could-"

"No, there is no hard physical work there. I told you, I have no idea about how those wounds appeared. But anyway, to continue... Two days after we argued, at night, she just... disappeared."

"Disappeared!? Like... vanished altogether with nothing behind?"

"She did leave a note... Saying that she had to go find her father." Mr. Idris sighed.

"Do you still have the original note?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Can I see it?" I asked.

"Let me find it." Mr. Idris said, got up and went to some other room.

I looked at Sena. She looked back.

"You knew all these of course, didn't you?" I asked her.

"Yes, I know the whole story, but while these events were happening, I didn't have much clue. My father told me after some time passed over the events and I grew up a bit more." she explained.

A moment later, Mr. Idris came back with a small piece of paper in his hand. I took the note.

'MY FATHER IS WAITING FOR ME. I HAVE TO GO FIND HIM. I HOPE WE MEET AGAIN SOMETIME. I LOVE YOU.

-SAKA'

I read the note over and over again. I inspected every nonexistant detail on the plain white paper for many minutes.

"May I have my note back?" Mr. Idris said eventually. I handed the note back.

"So... That's the story, basically. For countless days, I looked everywhere. I even had a search party help me out. She was never seen again."

"Disturbing." I said.

"Indeed. I only hope that you can understand me a bit better now." he said.

"I do. But... I have a suggestion. I think that people would believe you if you just told them the truth. They need to listen to this experience from your point of view." I said.

"No. I tried on a few people already, and besides... Coming out of the shadows after years, with no apparent reason... It would also look crazy." he said.

I had to agree with him, even though it was a bit painful.

"I... want to say..." Sena was talking now.

"Is there something bothering you, dear?" Mr. Idris asked.

"No, I just... Nevermind." she said.

"Please tell. You are making both of us curious." Mr. Idris insisted.

"The night my mother went missing..." she paused for a while. "The light was there. The yellow light."

"Do you think that... they have a connection?" I asked.

"I am just suggesting that she was a victim of that calamity. But it still doesn't explain her weird behaviour in the first place." she said.

"But it probably explains why she was never found." I said. "Because she shared the same fate with those who went missing at nights like those."

"But the fate?" Mr. Idris asked. "We don't know what that fate is, and I am afraid that we will never know unless we experience it too."

"Oh no." Sena suddenly panicked.

"What is happening?" I asked. She didn't answer me; instead, she got up and ran to a window. Mr. Idris and I followed her.

"It is on again!" she said.

"Oh no." I said this time. "I have to go. If my aunt figures out that I was here again, it is not going to end well for me."

Mr. Idris wasn't even listening to me. He was still looking out of the window.

"This is pretty peculiar." he said. "Recently, this light thing has been happening more and more frequently."

"Right... This can't be good." said Sena.

"But why?" Mr. Idris asked. "What is changing?"

"Excuse me, I have to go before it gets dark again." I said. This time, Mr. Idris actually heard me.

"I would prefer that you stayed with us, but if you insist, very well." he said. "Just be careful, the sun is about to set already. Don't be outside when it gets completely dark."

"Sure thing, I promise." I said. "Well then, I am leaving."

"Take care." Mr. Idris said. Sena simply waved. I waved back as I started running.