The Disappearance (part 8 – A short story by Mark Brady)

“She’s gone! She was sitting right here, and then… then she just disappeared!” cried out a lady.

People were doing everything they could to see, although there was nothing but a pile of women’s clothing to see and a woman’s purse left in the pew. Some people started scooting away while a few others got up to leave.

“Hey! Todd Buchman just now disappeared!” People’s attention was turned to where the cry came out.

“Sue Roberts has now disappeared too!”

“Captain Peamont, what is going on? Are we safe? Where are they going? Do you think it’s aliens?” cried one of the attendees.

“Yeah! Are we safe?” asked another.

Captain Peamont raised his hand. “Calm down, everyone. Please, do not panic. There has to be some logical explanation, although we haven’t figured it out or discovered it at this point.”

“We all should leave Seneca! No one has disappeared from any other town around us. Only in Seneca!” yelled out one. “I’m leaving now!” The man scooted out of the pew and left the church.

“Me, too!” another added.

About a hundred people also left.

Captain Peamont turned to the Mayor while covering up the mic and said, “Maybe to protect everyone, we should all leave town.”

“Abandon Seneca?” exclaimed the Mayor.

“Only until we find these people and figure out what is going on is all I am saying.”

“You really want to find the ones that came out of their graves?” asked the Mayor.

“They are missing.”

The Mayor was then approached by a TV crew covering the town meeting. They set up a small TV monitor and played back what they had recorded. Pastor Scott and Captain Peamont stood where they, too, could watch.

“Watch this, Mayor,” said the reporter. “You can see everyone in this shot, and then where the first one to disappear, I believe the lady, you will see a quick flash of light. You will also see the same phenomenon when the other two individuals disappear.” The Mayor gasped each time the flash appeared. Pastor Scott remained silent but asked for the footage to be replayed slower.

“What do you see, Pastor?” the Mayor asked.

“Not sure, but….”

Another scream sounded, “They just took my husband!” Now everyone started leaving the church as if it was on fire.

***

Pastor Scott went back home, where he spoke with his family and asked them if they wanted to leave Seneca. His phone rang.

“Hello, Darcy.”

“Are you all leaving?”

“We haven’t made a final decision yet. Partly because we want to be here if Tamera shows up again.”

“I understand, but something is wrong here in Seneca, and I’m leaving too.”

“But you love this little town,” he said with a smirk. He enjoyed teasing his cousin.

“And I still do, but not when it is acting out! Okay, you all stay safe. I’m out of here.”

“Be careful, Darcy. You take care, too.”

***

Meanwhile, there was a traffic jam in Seneca for the first time in the town’s 154-year history. One officer was standing in the intersection of the town’s only flashing red light directing traffic while the other officers were working minor fender benders.

Word of the mysterious disappearances in Seneca had caused people to stop doing business there. No one was coming into town for any reason, not even to visit friends and loved ones. Fear had set in, not just in Seneca, not just in the surrounding area, but worldwide.

***

Pastor Scott went to his study to pray.

“God, people are scared here in Seneca. Bring peace to this town among the people. If they are leaving, help em to be calm and careful. Give me understanding, Lord. Please show me what is going on. Why are people disappearing? Why did my daughter disappear? Where is she? Where did she go? Where have the other people gone? What do we do, Lord God? What do I do? I need you, Father.”

He saw the list of people who had vanished before the town hall meeting sitting on his desk. He picked it up and started reading the names. He recognized some of them.

Hey, this guy went to the church. I preached at his funeral. And here, Sister Elona. She was in charge of our children’s department.

He now looked at the list in a different light.

I think I know what this is!

…To be continued…