Safe Harbor?

Elena Borbón sat on the edge of the living room couch, her phone pressed tightly to her ear while Carlos paced slowly by the window. Snow piled up against the curb outside, the streets nearly invisible beneath a curtain of white.

“She said what?” Elena asked, her voice rising.

She was on the phone with Phoebe Page’s mother, hoping, praying, for some shared concern, some acknowledgment that something was off with their daughters recent social media posts.

But instead, Mrs. Page was cheerful. Too cheerful.

“Oh yes,” she said, “we saw the post! Phoebe looked like she was having so much fun. I was a little shocked they left when the the storm hit, but you know kids, spontaneous to a fault.”

Elena gripped the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. “You’re… not worried? She didn’t tell you about this trip beforehand?”

“She texted us. That’s good enough for me. I’m just glad she’s out enjoying herself. They’re only young once.”

Elena ended the call with a quiet “thank you,” her throat dry and her heart heavy. She looked at Carlos, who had stopped pacing.

“Well?” he asked.

“They believe it,” she whispered. “Just like Dawn’s parents. They saw the posts. They think everything’s fine.”

Carlos ran a hand over his face, shaking his head in disbelief. “What’s happening? How are we the only ones who see it?”

“Because we know Gabriella,” Elena snapped, her voice cracking. “We know how she moves, how she smiles. That’s not her. That’s not how she poses for pictures. She doesn’t even like being on camera.”

Carlos sat beside her, stunned. “We’re alone in this.”

Elena clutched the phone to her chest and closed her eyes. “We have to keep pushing. Someone’s pretending to be our daughter. And no one’s listening.”

Outside, the snowstorm showed no signs of stopping. But the Borbón’s were no longer just scared parents. They were determined.

Someone had taken their daughter.

And they were going to find her.

Mark and Katie sat in his room, their attention on the three frozen teens sprawled out on the bed. All three were now naked, and laid side by side, staring blankly at the ceiling. None of them had a care in the world, and never would again.

"You know," Katie said, breaking the silence as she scrolled through the social media of said frozen girls, "I can't believe it worked. The parents are totally buying the social media posts. Everyone thinks they’re fine."

Mark smirked, leaning back in his chair. "I knew it would. People are so easy to fool when they want to believe something."

Katie laughed, her eyes flickering to the dolls on the bed. “Honestly, It feels almost too easy, though, doesn’t it? Like a set up?”

Mark shrugged, his gaze lingering on Phoebe’s face, brushing his hand along her cheek. “Well considering the circumstances, I honestly don’t see how it could be a set up. I think their just that easy to fool.”

“True,” Katie said as she moved closer to the bed, sitting beside Gabriella. She gently adjusted the girl’s arm, positioning her in a way that felt natural, as if she were still a living person. “I’m just bald it all worked out.”

Mark grinned, feeling a rush of satisfaction. “I told you it’d be fine. These three are ours now. I’m pretty sure no one’s even thinking about looking for them anymore.”

Katie’s face lit up with a playful grin. “Lets hope it stays that way.”

Mark gave her a sidelong glance, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “What happened to not being a downer? We can always fake some more photos if things go wrong.”

Katie laughed, nudging him with her shoulder. “True that! However the next question is, now what?”

Mark looked at her with an amused smile. “We enjoy our playthings.” He reached down and groped Phoebe’s breasts as he said this.

Katie smiled, her eyes glinting with excitement. “Sounds perfect to me.”