The Night I Died by Anne Frasier

Author:Anne Frasier [Frasier, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-23T16:00:00+00:00

17

Late the next morning, Will headed to the café. He was wearing the yellow-and-green cap with the flying corn, but he’d left the plaid shirt with the missing sleeves back in his room. Glancing around, he could see that his local attire had been a stretch. People didn’t really look a whole lot different than what he was used to, except for the Instagram influencer crowd.

At the café, he sat at the table he’d used the day before. Someone other than Imogene put a glass of water and silverware in front of him.

“No Imogene?” he asked.

“Didn’t show up.”

The waitress was maybe in her fifties and had clearly been doing this a long time. He felt her pain while also feeling intimidated by her.

“She didn’t even call,” the woman said. “So I’m doing the job of two people.”

“Is that unusual behavior for her?”

“I don’t know. I just started working the morning shift, but I’d say it’s typical for people her age.”

He fiddled with the menu, pretending to read it. “I’m not sure that’s fair.” Imogene hadn’t struck him as someone who’d flake like that, but then he recalled what she’d said about human sacrifices, and he decided flaking might be exactly what she’d do. Seemed like he might have lost his only lead, and it was a weak one.

The café door burst open and a woman practically fell inside. Her face was red, her eyes large. She seemed like someone lacking total awareness of her surroundings. “Where’s Imogene?” she screamed to anybody who would listen, turning herself around, swaying. “Has anybody here seen my daughter?”

The people sitting at tables appeared stunned.

“She always comes home when she says she’s coming home,” the mother said. “Always. Has anybody seen her?” She looked around, from person to person.

Customers shook their heads.

“She was meeting someone last night,” she said. “She just said she had to go out. It was late. She left, and I haven’t heard a word since. I know something’s happened to her!”

The waitress’s demeanor softened. She put an arm around the upset mother, hugged her, gave her shoulder a pat. “Girls are like that. She probably overslept. Just give it a little time.”

“Not my girl. She’s very responsible.” Imogene’s mother moved toward the door. “I gotta go. Gotta talk to the marshal.” She lunged for the door, paused in the opening, turned back. “If you hear anything, any of you, let me know.” She burst into tears and left.

Will sat there as stunned as anybody else. More than anybody else.

It took some time for him to realize the world was turning again and the waitress was looking at him, pencil in hand, waiting for his order.

He slid the menu back behind the napkin holder. “I just remembered something I have to do.” His mouth was almost too dry to talk. Feeling robotic and jerky, he left the café. Outside, he pulled out his phone and searched social media, looking for any recent information on Imogene, but found nothing.

He walked aimlessly.

He lost track of time and began to feel weak.

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