Page 66 of First Kiss with a Mothman

MORT

My attic has never felt so empty. In fact, it’s never felt empty at all. But as I gaze at the pillow where Arie’s laid his head almost every night, an ache gnaws at my chest. I lean down and take in his scent. Then I stand up and glance at my overflowing hamper.

I’m being ridiculous. It’s just one night! I shouldn’t miss him, and I shouldn’t stare forlornly at the windowsill where his weird bird has been sleeping. I need to ignore the fact that my room feels so empty without Arie.

Being in my solitude doesn’t feel right without my boyfriend. He’s kind of ruined my attic for me. I’m pathetic.

But we’re in a new relationship, and we both deserve to navigate our time without each other. I head down to the kitchen where Caleb is baking some treats. I talk to him briefly about the intricacies of his weird bet-turned-real relationship. When the door knocks, he goes to open it, and I gaze at the basket above the fridge.

My agent’s letters. Arie accepts my present, so perhaps I should welcome my past. Maybe I can face my fears and start by opening the letters. Before I can, Caleb returns with a familiar face.

“Hey, Mort?” Caleb seems uncomfortable, but not as distressed as the woman standing next to me.

“Hello, uh, m-moth…person.”

“Miss Baker?” Arie’s mom in my frat house kitchen certainly gives me pause. Concern grows in my gut, and I escort her back to the foyer. Whatever she’s about to tell me, I don’t want Caleb or the other brothers to hear.

“Is everything okay?”

“N-n-no,” she stammers. “I need you to come with me.”

“Why?”

“I think Arie could be in trouble.”

A hundred terrible scenarios pop up in my head. Did he fall down in a ditch somewhere? “What happened? I just spoke to him less than an hour ago.”

“There’s no time.” She swiftly beckons me to walk down the street. I take a brief moment to run back into the house to get my keys. After bidding a quick goodbye to Caleb, I briskly walk back to Miss Baker.

“What happened? Want me to call him?”

“Come with me to my car first!”

As we quickly stride down the obscure suburban streets, I try to pull out my phone, but Miss Baker puts my hand down. When I shoot her a confused glance, she shakes her head. “That might make things worse.”

“How?” I reply.

She shakes her head again and says, “All will make sense once we get in my car and take you to him. There’s no time to waste!”

None of this makes sense, but my head is buzzing with concern. Arie’s mom cares about him more than anything, and I care about him. So, it seems I need to find out what’s happening to Arie in a minute.

I get in the passenger seat of a dark-tinted minivan. Once we’re buckled up and she starts to drive, panic takes hold of me. “Where are we going? Did Arie get hurt?”

“P-p-possibly,” she stammers. I notice we’re driving far down a wooded road, farther away from the suburban houses.

“Let me just text him.” Once again, I take out my phone, but she gently puts her hand on mine, preventing me from typing.

“If you do, Arie might end up in worse shape.”

My heart beats faster. “What…how? Has he been kidnapped?”

She studies me and slows the car to a stop. The sun hasn’t completely set, but we’re on a shaded, obscure, woodsy road.

And there are no stop signs, streetlamps, or buildings around us. The moment she shuts off the engine, darkness engulfs us. “What’s going on?” I ask, looking around.

The last thing I remember is white cloth and the smell of alcohol smothering my face.

My head is pounding when I come to. A groan escapes my lips when I land on a dirty, wooden floor.