Richard Hale disappeared on a Friday afternoon, slipping out of school without a word. No one noticed him leave, and no one thought much about it over the weekend. But by Monday, when his seat was still empty, something felt wrong.
Rumors formed quickly. Teachers whispered excuses that didn’t match, classmates invented stories that didn’t align, and every explanation only deepened the confusion. Shirley kept searching for answers, but the harder she looked, the more the truth seemed to blur, as if the school itself wanted Richard forgotten.
By the second week, worry settled into her bones. Richard’s locker stayed untouched, his online accounts inactive, his presence wiped clean as though he’d never existed. Everyone tried to move on, but Shirley couldn’t. Something about his disappearance felt wrong, too silent, too sudden. And silence, she realized, could be terrifying.