Missing

Jacob woke with a start as a loud beeping sounded from his phone. He groaned and rolled to the other side of his bed. 7:30am already. He grabbed his phone and shut off the alarm. Time to start another day. Jacob rubbed his eyes vigorously as he left the comfort of his sheets. He opened his blinds, letting the sun bathe him and his room in warm, orange light. His eyes slowly adjusted as he glanced outside. The street was quiet, save for a large yellow bus driving along the newly paved road. Jacob wondered what it was being used for now.

He made his way to the bathroom, hardwood floor giving way to linoleum tiles. Two toothbrushes stood next to the sink, one a dull blue, the other a mix of bright pink and purple. Jacob grabbed the blue one and set to work getting ready for the day. A shower. A shave. A white dress shirt with a black tie. Jacob considered cooking something but decided against it. He did not have as much good food in his kitchen anymore as it was. The deli by the office would do just fine. Jacob was about to head out when he spotted something glinting on the end table by his door. It was a small golden locket in the shape of a heart. A look of confusion passed over Jacob’s face. He thought he had put the locket in his dresser, hidden under old clothes. Evidently, this was not the case. Jacob considered for a moment. Having the locket on him was dangerous. If an Observer found it...but he could not bring himself to leave it. Not today. He put the locket around his neck, hiding under his shirt so it could not be seen by any passerby. Jacob took a deep breath, steeling himself for the day to come, and opened the door.

There were a couple more people outside now. Some were walking on the sidewalk, others were getting into their cars. With his office only a few blocks away, Jacob usually walked to work. The exercise was good for him now that he was not as active. Sometimes Observers patrolled this area, but it seemed like none were out today. Ironic. Still, Jacob preferred not to linger and started to move at a brisk pace down the road. He passed quickly through his neighborhood, stopping only to nod at the few neighbors, but said nothing. He did not have much to talk with them about anymore.

Jacob was about to cross to the other side of the street when he saw them. A pair of tall, thin figures clothed entirely in bright white body armor, their faces covered by reflective helmets. Observers. Jacob looked ahead, not wanting to make eye contact. He could continue going straight instead of turning right like he usually did, but that route would take him by the old elementary school, a place he usually tried to avoid. However, given the circumstances, Jacob supposed it was a better option. He did not turn and walked straight forward, hoping the Observers would not follow him.

The elementary school had fallen into disrepair. Half the letters in SUN VALLEY ELEMENTARY were on the ground beneath the sign. The once bright yellow paint on the outside walls was faded and peeling. The monkey bars on the playground had rusted over. The swing set creaked as a slight breeze caused the empty swings to sway back and forth. The garden, which the former students had worked so hard to plant and maintain, had withered and died. Jacob did not know why they did not just tear it down. What was the point of keeping it intact? It only served as a reminder for what they had all...Jacob tried to push that thought out of his mind. Dwelling on the past would do him no good. Despite that, he clutched the locket under his shirt, keeping it close to his heart.

At last, Jacob came upon the deli next to his office. He opened the door, the bell atop the frame ringing as he did so. The smell of meat, cheese, and bread hit him immediately.

“Ay, Jake, good to see ya,” said the man at the counter.. He grinned ear to ear, his smile so wide one could see almost every tooth in his mouth. Jacob used to enjoy that smile, now it just made him uncomfortable. Now he knew it was not real.

“Morning Chuck, the usual.”

The man nodded. “Coming right up.”

Jacob sat at one of the small tables while he waited. He watched Chuck make the sandwich until something caught his eye. A small sign in the back that read “Kids under 12 eat free on Tuesdays.” Jacob’s eyes widened. “Uh, Chuck?” he asked, pointing at the sign. Chuck turned, and his smile instantly disappeared. His face paled and he nearly dropped the slices of cheese in his hand.

“I-I didn’t realize I still had that. I was moving some stuff around and it must of got put out by accident.” Chuck rushed over to the sign and moved it out of the way of public view. He then rushed back over to the counter and continued making the sandwich. “Let’s keep this between us, okay? This is on the house.” Jacob noticed him struggling to put the big smile back on his face, but it kept twitching, ready to vanish at any moment.

“Course Chuck, it’s not me you gotta worry about. And thank you.” He got up from his table as Chuck finished making the sandwich. The deli owner handed it to Jacob with shaky hands.

“Thanks Jacob, you have a good...well I just hope it’s not too bad.”

Jacob nodded. “Same to you Chuck.”

As Jacob exited the deli, he heard a commotion outside. He turned to see the same pair of Observers he had seen earlier struggling to hold a man yelling at the top of his lungs.

“Where are they you bastards?! Tell us where they are!” Jacob grimaced. He understood the sentiment, but this would do no good. Other onlookers clearly felt the same way. Some looked sadly at the wretched scene, but no one stopped to help. What could they do? What could any of them do? The Observers forced the man to the ground, one of them pulling a syringe from its waist. It stabbed the man in the neck, injecting a glowing green liquid into his bloodstream. The man convulsed for a moment, then lay still. Jacob turned towards his office. A clean up crew would be on their way, and he was in no mood to see more Observers.

Jacob entered his office to see his assistant already there waiting for him. She smiled at him sweetly.

“Good morning sir, you have a call waiting from Dr. Isaacs.”

“Good morning Tera, thank you. I’ll take it in a moment.” Jacob tried to match her pleasant demeanor, but found himself unable to do so. Sighing to himself, he headed into his office and closed the door behind him. The blinking red light on his office phone beckoned to him. He reached out to grab it, then stopped. The locket around his neck suddenly felt very heavy. Jacob was not sure why. Maybe it was the school, maybe it was the deli sign, maybe it was the raving man outside. Or maybe it was simply because of what day it was. Whatever the reason, Jacob knew he could not go another minute without seeing her face. Slowly, he removed the locket from under his shirt. He took a deep breath and opened it.

His daughter’s smiling face looked up at him. Like every human under the age of 18, she had been taken three years ago today, when the Observers first arrived. The older generations had been, as the Observers put it, freed from the burdens of childcare. And to ensure that the human race would never have to suffer this burden again, the Observers had sterilized everyone on earth. Children were to be forgotten, all mentions of them wiped from society. Life would go on as normal. Disobedience would not be tolerated. Those who questioned, who rebelled, who demanded answers were not heard from again.

A single tear rolled down Jacob’s face and onto his daughter’s picture. He tried to maintain his composure, but the sight of her face was too much for him. He crumpled to the ground, sobbing quietly.

A few minutes passed, and Jacob heard a knock on his door. Tera’s voice entered the room. “Sir? Dr. Isaacs is still on the line for you, should I tell him you’re busy?”

“N-no,” Jacob muttered, struggling to his feet. “I’ll take it now, thank you.”

There was a moment of silence, followed by an unsure “Alright sir.”

Jacob made his way to his desk and sat down, wiping the tears out of his eyes and face. He put the locket in his desk drawer without looking and shook his head a couple times to try to compose himself. Then he picked up the phone.

“Good morning Dr. Isaacs. No, no, you weren’t interrupting anything, I was just getting settled in. Yes, it does look like it’s going to be another great day. What can I do for you?”