It was December 22 and Travis Kasperbauer still hadn’t found Missy a Christmas present.
He had two days to look before he went home to be with his family. He had already tried Forever 21, but being in there was just too overwhelming for him, so he left immediately.
He then stopped at the Pawn Shop, but the guy behind the counter was eyeing him suspiciously, so he left after a quick scan of the merchandise.
He thought about getting Missy a gift card to Casa d’ Waffles, her favorite restaurant, but he hated getting people gift cards. They are just too unoriginal, and he couldn’t bring himself to get Missy such an impersonal gift. After all, she was pretty much his best friend. His only friend.
Walking aimlessly down Poplar, Travis thought about his social life. Or, more accurately, his lack of a social life. It bothered him that he didn’t have many friends, but at the same time, he didn’t know many people who he wanted to be friends with anyway. Is that my problem? That I don’t know anyone? He thought. Or is it that I just don’t like anyone? He pondered this for a moment. Does anyone like me?
While walking past a light post, something caught his eye. There, stapled to the wooden post, was his painting of Laney, the little orphan girl who recently went missing. The girl who Vinny Johnson from the fifth floor was looking for.
Vinny, Travis thought. I know Vinny. Maybe he’ll be my friend. He smiled, proud of his epiphany.
He continued walking and instantly noticed the row of light posts lining the street, each with the same ‘Have You Seen This Girl?’ sign with his painting on it. A few posts down from Travis, a man was hurriedly tearing the signs off the posts and shoving them into the messenger bag hanging at his side. Travis furrowed his eyebrows, confused.
"Hey!" Travis shouted, approaching the man. "What are you doing?"
The man turned to Travis, but his features were barely visible under his dark hooded sweatshirt.
He had two days to look before he went home to be with his family. He had already tried Forever 21, but being in there was just too overwhelming for him, so he left immediately.
He then stopped at the Pawn Shop, but the guy behind the counter was eyeing him suspiciously, so he left after a quick scan of the merchandise.
He thought about getting Missy a gift card to Casa d’ Waffles, her favorite restaurant, but he hated getting people gift cards. They are just too unoriginal, and he couldn’t bring himself to get Missy such an impersonal gift. After all, she was pretty much his best friend. His only friend.
Walking aimlessly down Poplar, Travis thought about his social life. Or, more accurately, his lack of a social life. It bothered him that he didn’t have many friends, but at the same time, he didn’t know many people who he wanted to be friends with anyway. Is that my problem? That I don’t know anyone? He thought. Or is it that I just don’t like anyone? He pondered this for a moment. Does anyone like me?
While walking past a light post, something caught his eye. There, stapled to the wooden post, was his painting of Laney, the little orphan girl who recently went missing. The girl who Vinny Johnson from the fifth floor was looking for.
Vinny, Travis thought. I know Vinny. Maybe he’ll be my friend. He smiled, proud of his epiphany.
He continued walking and instantly noticed the row of light posts lining the street, each with the same ‘Have You Seen This Girl?’ sign with his painting on it. A few posts down from Travis, a man was hurriedly tearing the signs off the posts and shoving them into the messenger bag hanging at his side. Travis furrowed his eyebrows, confused.
"Hey!" Travis shouted, approaching the man. "What are you doing?"
The man turned to Travis, but his features were barely visible under his dark hooded sweatshirt.
Travis picked up his pace. So did the hooded man.
"Stop!" Travis was running now. "You can’t do that!"
He was closing in on the man, who, reaching into has bag, wrapped his hand around something heavy and raised it into the air, ready to swing.
As the object struck Travis’ head and knocked him to the ground, he got a quick glimpse of the man’s face. He had dark, sloppy hair covering his forehead, a hard jawline, and piercing light brown eyes that held contact with Travis’ until his vision faded to black.
But just before he lost consciousness, Travis thought to himself, that’s the man who kidnapped Laney.
"Stop!" Travis was running now. "You can’t do that!"
He was closing in on the man, who, reaching into has bag, wrapped his hand around something heavy and raised it into the air, ready to swing.
As the object struck Travis’ head and knocked him to the ground, he got a quick glimpse of the man’s face. He had dark, sloppy hair covering his forehead, a hard jawline, and piercing light brown eyes that held contact with Travis’ until his vision faded to black.
But just before he lost consciousness, Travis thought to himself, that’s the man who kidnapped Laney.
