The Storm Gathers

The weather, Mark noted was starting to turn for the worse. Even he could tell a storm was coming. Luckily, when time was stopped, this didn’t actually mater. Even better, it wasn’t his car he was using, since he didn’t have one, but rather it was Ashley’s. Sure, he didn’t want to damage it, but if he did, it wouldn’t bother him all that much.

He and Katie had left his new “dolls” in his bedroom, seeing no need to bring them for this activity. Besides, he knew they wouldn’t mind. They couldn’t.

Their first stop was Phoebe’s house. It was just a short drive, her home situated in a neighborhood that was a bit more upscale than Mark’s.

Using keys they had taken from Phoebe’s stuff, both Mark and Katie were able to enter the house with ease. It was currently empty, Phoebe’s parents were probably still at work when time froze. They didn’t however stop to admire the architecture, and soon both of them made their way upstairs to what they were sure was Phoebe’s room. The door seemed to creak as it opened, revealing a girl’s haven of fashionable clothes, posters on the walls, and books half-opened on her desk.

“Start gathering anything we can use or you think she would take on a trip,” Mark said to Katie. “Clothes, accessories, stuff like that."

Katie nodded, and went straight to Phoebe’s closet, pulling out several trendy pieces: a leather jacket, a well-worn backpack, and a few pairs of boots. Mark rummaged through her drawers, grabbing a few pairs of jeans and shirts, and even her sunglasses. Phoebe had a ton of stuff—stuff that screamed “spontaneous getaway.”

After some quick searching, they found a suitcase, and nearly filled it to the brim with Phoebe’s stuff. Mark actually got hard thinking how he could dress his Phoebe doll up. After a quick second pass around the room, they zipped up the suitcase and headed back to the car.

Next, Make and Katie headed to Gabriella’s house, which was in a quieter part of town, away from the bustle of the main road. It was actually in a gated community, not that helped when time was frozen of course.

“This will be a bit trickier,” Katie said, glancing at the darkened house. “Gabriella’s mom is pretty involved in her life. We need to take extra steps to really make it look real.”

Despite time be8ng stopped. Both teens found themselves being careful not to make a sound, despite that not actually being of any consequence. After a. Short search, they found Gabriella’s (now former) bedroom.

Gabriella’s room was filled with the soft scent of vanilla and lavender, something Mark noted smelled like the doll’s hair when he was inspecting her earlier. Her dresser was neatly organized, her bedspread carefully made, and books stacked along the wall.

“She’s definitely more organized than Phoebe,” Mark said with a smirk.

“All the more easier then,” Katie replied as she walked over to Gabriella’s closet.

Katie started pulling things out of the closet—two jackets, a few pairs of denim shorts, a wide-brimmed hat. Gabriella’s wardrobe was simple but fashionable, and everything they took looked like it belonged to someone who had planned a trip but wasn’t coming back anytime soon. They grabbed some toiletries from her bathroom, and a few framed pictures to help cover the family’s tracks.

Once they had what they needed, they headed to the garage to grab Gabriella’s mom’s car, having encoded randomly to use hers as the one the the three friends “took” for their trip. The sleek sedan Mark noted had a full tank of gas and a set of keys hanging on the hook by the door. All the more easier.

Mark unfroze the car, and decided together that Katie would drive it to Dawn’s house before dumping it where it would never be found.

With the job nearly done, the last stop was Dawn’s house. Both Mark and Katie knew that Dawn, with her typical rebellious edge, would be easier to explain away, but could also be the mostly risky if the story wasn’t perfect. Besides, they still needed to make her disappearance fit in with the others.

Mark glanced at Katie as they sat in the parked car, still frozen in time. “You know the drill. Grab her stuff, make it look like she just ran off.”

Katie nodded. “She’ll need her clothes, of course. Maybe something that looks like it’s ready for a road trip. She doesn’t exactly fit the ‘perfect daughter’ image like Gabriella. But her parents will believe it.”

Mark smirked. “That’s the idea.”

They climbed out of the car and made their way up the driveway, reaching the front door of the house. It was a typical suburban home—quiet, peaceful.

Katie stepped forward. “Let’s get this over with.”

The two of them quietly entered the house. Mark glanced around the living room—it was a bit messier than Phoebe or Gabriella’s homes. The couch was cluttered with snacks, and there were shoes scattered near the door. It was clear Dawn’s family wasn’t as concerned with perfection. Dawn’s room, however, was another matter.

They ascended the stairs, with Mark leading the way. They reached Dawn’s room, the door cracked open slightly. When they pushed it open, they were greeted by a space filled with posters of bands, scattered clothing, and a desk covered in half-done homework and textbooks.

“She definitely has a unique vibe,” Katie commented, looking at a poster of some punk rock band on the wall. “This should be fun.”

Mark moved toward the closet while Katie rifled through the desk. Dawn’s wardrobe was a mix of casual and slightly rebellious—loose shirts, ripped jeans, a couple of graphic tees that screamed “I don’t care” and “I’m too cool for this place.” Mark grabbed a couple of jackets from the closet, some ripped-up denim, and a pair of worn boots.

“This should do,” Mark said as he tossed a pile of clothes into a large tote bag.

Mark moved toward the bed, looking through the nightstand for any personal items he could steal that would make Dawn’s disappearance seem more authentic. He found a few things: a phone charger, some crumpled-up notes that were half-hearted love letters to some unnamed boy who Mark actually suspected to be their mutual friend Steven as he read the description.

They were almost done. Mark quickly grabbed a few more things from Dawn’s dresser—lipstick, a watch, anything that looked personal enough to make it seem like she was planning to be gone for a while.

Katie checked the hallway to make sure nothing had been left out of place. “Alright, we’re good. Let’s get out of here.”

Katie parked Gabriella's mom’s car behind one of the larger piles of scrap metal at the auto yard near the crusher.

Katie looked at him, eyes wide. “Are we really doing this?”

Mark smiled coldly. “Yup. Just have to make sure the yard thinks this is an old abandoned vehicle that got towed in. No one will come looking here.”

Katie watched, her arms crossed. “This is messed up, I’m literally helping you kidnap three of our classmates” she muttered, half-smiling. “But I kinda like it.”

Mark closed the door with a sharp bang. “Three of our former classmates. They’ll think Gabriella went off in the car with the others. Hopefully the yard takes care of it before anyone else finds it.” Leaning down, Mark made sure to remove the license plates, and the car registration. Sure there was still the VIN number, but that was a risk he would have to take.

Soon he and Katie got into Ashley’s car, and began to make their way back to Mark’s house.