Chapter 1: The Skip in the Record
I stared at the poster like it was one of my nightmares that I used to have when I was a child. The poster read:
MISSING: KEVIN A 15 YEAR OLD
Kevin is a 15 year old boy from Millwood who is recently missing after a famous Millwood Kitty Concert hosted by Kitty, a famous Millwood singer. Kevin was seen in the concert at 4:30 PM and later went missing, as stated by Ruby and Daniel, his only friends. At sharp 5 PM, they had decided to go to local market but Kevin was not seen for 6 hours. The local police of Millwood searched the entire town and nearby villages but Kevin was not found. Later his mother, Katy stated that she had seen Kevin returning back to their house and he could be seen in his room. After that there has been no recent news of him. The local police of Millwood keep investigating. If you see the boy in the picture provided please contact to this Number immediately.
A tear streaked across my face.
Kevin had been missing for 3 years now. Although the police had lost hope his parents did not.
Kevin had been mine and Daniel's only friend. We had been together no matter what and always used to say we will be together in future too. My parents had left me to study in Millwood and then they said they would take me to wherever they lived. So I stayed in Kevin's home. We both used to study, eat, play together. Daniel would join us in the afternoon and he would go back to his home in evening. Life was until that dreadful day. We still wish it never happened.
Daniel and I still remember the day when Kevin went missing like it plays like a record in our minds everytime we look at Kevin's parents.
3 years ago...
"Ruby! Ruby! Where are you?!"
I could hear Kevin's voice from the distance during the concert. We three friends had just planned to go to the local market as Christmas was almost here.
" You can't leave the concert unless it is over. I checked with the guards, they say they can't do anything because they've received instructions." said Daniel. No problem, I thought. We can go after the concert ends.
"Where is Kevin?" asked Daniel. I really did not know. I was sure that I had heard Kevin's voice just few minutes back but now I could not hear him. "Let's go check where he is" I suggested. Daniel and I went and checked from the entire Audience Seats but he could not be seen.
Just then we heard a loud voice boom over the other side, where the exit was. Then we heard two mens' voice and there was a lot of commotion. The concert was brought to a halt. We went to the exit where everyone was standing.
It was the guards. They were.. were dead.. stone cold dead.
I and Daniel looked at each other. The police arrived and then everyone was sent back home. It was everywhere on the news. No one was allowed to step outside their homes because in our small peaceful town this never happened. Never. But Kevin was still not there. I was back home and Daniel came with me too.
"Hello dear. Oh Daniel! You came too? Come sit. Have you heard about the... news..?" Katy, (Kevin's mum) greeted us.
"Yes we've heard. We were there. We saw it." Daniel's voice was sore. Katy looked at me and then Daniel. She offered us seats and we sat. Then we asked," Umm.. is Kevin home yet? We only saw him once during the concert."
"Kevin? He is in his room. You guys can go upstairs. He seems pretty dull." His dad, had entered the hall.
We went upstairs and checked Kevin's room.
It was a complete mess. His favorite guitar was lying down, broken. The radio on his table looked smashed. Clothes lay here and there with food packets all over the room. But Kevin was not to be seen. We checked the entire house but he was not there.
Finally, I began to panic. I mean, we just saw a murder( the police had confirmed it.) and my best friend is missing and you expect me to stay calm? Never. Daniel looked at my pale face and cheered me up. "He must have gone to the market all alone. Come on let us check." We checked at the local market. We checked at the playground. We checked at our classmates' house. No, he was not there. By now, even Daniel was sweating. We reached back home and Katy asked us," You guys saw him? Where is he? He did not call me thsi whole morning...." looking at our pale faces, Katy sanked to the chair. She held her face in her hands. Kevin's dad entered. He had already tried calling Kevin but he had left his phone in his room. Finally we could not take it anymore and reached to the police station.
The inspector looked distressed like us. Clearly, he had more things to look at. The search for the murder as well as for Kevin continued together. But no news could be found. And all news about Kevin sanked down. For 3 years.
3 years later.. ( back to present)
I was back in my room. With my favorite guitar. I was trying to hum a tune to myself to cheer myself up after seeing the 3-year old poster. My radio was behaving oddly and I was trying to find the right tune.
One click. That’s all it took. I turned the radio dial toward the end of the spectrum, looking for the late-night broadcast. My fingertip hit the metal, and a spark jumped—blue, electric, and impossible. The world snapped like a broken record. The warm dimness of Millwood vanished in a heartbeat. I didn't even have time to scream before the attic was gone, replaced by a roar of fifty thousand voices and a sky made of neon.
Yes. I myself did not know what happened. I opened my eyes, not to the wooden rafters of my home, but to a blinding white room filled with floating screens.
A robotic voice announces: "Syncing complete. Global Idol #409, you are live in T-minus sixty seconds."
I just wanted to find my guitar, but I was being ushered onto a stage by handlers who looked more like machines than people.
