The Calm Before the Storm

The snowstorm outside had grown more intense, the wind howling and the sky darkening as it swept across the city. Inside the Borbón household, the warmth of the kitchen contrasted sharply with the anxiety that had settled in Elena and Carlos. The house felt unusually quiet, despite the usual hum of daily life.

Arriving home to an empty house was not that strange. Although she got off from school earlier than she and her husband got off from work, she certainly was old enough to make her own decisions. No, the strange thing was to find that Elena’s car was gone.

She had carpooled with a worker that morning, and normally Gabriella wasn’t allowed to use the vehicle. So when Carlos got home and discovered it was gone, they were both ready to punish their daughter for taking it. But as the weather grew worse and worse, and time ticked on, this feeling of anger was soon replaced by worry.

"Carlos, this isn’t like Gabriella. She would’ve told us more. She wouldn’t just leave without saying anything."

Carlos, seated at the table with his phone in hand, frantically looking any any missed messages from Gabriella. “I know. Maybe she just at a friends house and got stuck there? What with the storm and all.”

“But not to call or text us? I don’t buy it,” Elena replied, her voice tinged with panic. "She always calls. She always checks in. This is... this is different."

Carlos set the phone down, looking up at his wife. "I’ll call Phoebe’s parents. If Gabriella’s with her, they might have heard something. They could know where they went."

Elena nodded, still pacing. Carlos dialed the number for Phoebe’s parents, praying for some kind of explanation. The phone rang twice before Phoebe’s father, Hector, answered.

“Hello?”

“Hector, it’s Carlos Borbon. I’m calling about Gabriella. She didn’t come home, from school and isn’t answering her phone. Is she at your place with Phoebe?”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Hector responded, his voice sounding unsure. “No she’s not here. Actually we got a weird message from Phoebe. Just about an hour ago actually. She said she, Gabriella, and Dawn were heading out on a road trip together. Said they needed some time away from school and everything now that it’s let out for winter break. I thought it was weird at first, but... I don’t know. I didn’t think much of it. She’s been feeling a lot of pressure lately. Maybe she just wanted to get away.”

Carlos felt the cold grip of unease creep over him. “A road trip? She didn’t say where or anything?”

“No,” Hector replied, his voice thick with confusion. “Just said they were heading out, no destination. Said they’d call when they were ready to come back. Honestly, It didn’t feel like Phoebe. I’m trying to reach her, but her phone’s been going straight to voicemail.”

Carlos clenched his fist around the phone. “Something doesn’t feel right, Hector.”

“I agree, but she’s also an adult now.” Hector said, his voice reflecting his own worry. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything. Keep me posted, Carlos.”

“Thanks, Hector. I’ll keep you updated,” Carlos replied before ending the call. He looked up at Elena, his face pale. “Phoebe’s parents got a message. A road trip with Dawn. They didn’t say where, just that they needed to get away.”

Elena’s eyes widened with disbelief. “A road trip? Together? That’s... it’s too strange. Gabriella would’ve told us ahead of time, Carlos. She would’ve called us.”

Carlos rubbed his temples, frustration mounting. “I don’t get it. Why wouldn’t they say where they were going? Why wouldn’t they give us more details?”

Elena’s worry deepened. “I’m going to try Dawn’s parents. Maybe they know something.”

Carlos nodded, silently agreeing. Elena quickly dialed Dawn’s parents' number on speaker phone.It rang once, twice, before Maria answered in a distracted voice.

“Hello?”

“Maria, it’s Elena. I’m calling about Dawn. Have you heard from her? We just spoke to Hector, and he said they got a text from Phoebe saying she’s going on a road trip with Phoebe and Dawn. Have you heard from Dawn?”

Maria’s voice was shaky on the other end. “We actually just got the same message from Dawn. She said she was going on a road trip with Phoebe and Gabriella. That they all wanted some time to Themselves, away from everything. I knew she had been lashing out at school, with all the stress, but I didn’t think much of it. But now that you’re telling me... it’s starting to feel off.”

Carlos’ concern deepened. “Did she say they were going? Did she mention anything specific?”

“No, nothing specific. Just that they were hitting the road. I thought maybe it was some spontaneous decision, but now... I don’t know. I can’t reach her, either. Her phone’s been going straight to voicemail.”

Elena hung up and looked at Carlos, her stomach sinking. Carlos nodded grimly. “A road trip together. No destinations, no plans... it doesn’t make sense.”

Elena’s voice cracked as she spoke. “This isn’t like them, Carlos. None of them would just leave without telling us more. There’s something wrong. I can feel it.”

Carlos placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. “We’ll figure this out. We can’t drive anywhere in this snowstorm, but once the weather clears, we’ll get in touch with their other friends, with anyone who might know where they are. If that doesn’t work, we will file a missing persons report.”

“I can’t just sit here and wait,” Elena replied, shaking her head. “Something happened. I know it.”

“I know. But for now, there’s nothing we can do in this storm. We’ll take action in the morning. Let’s just hold on a little longer.”