You are Ben Higgins, a person of no consequence living in the town of Van Hove. The town was large but not big enough to be a city, not that it matted to you since your world is mainly your home and the small yard around it. For most of your life the idea of going out into the world made you uncomfortable, along with the idea of social interaction. Of course when the situation called for it, like getting food or mailing a letter at the post office, you could handle it no problem, but you found it joyless and were glad when it was over. In addition you rarely watched TV or even the news on the internet, unless it was happening on your property it didn't affect you or at least that's what you believe. As for money you work from home on your computer fixing problems on other people's computers via remote desktop connections. The company you work for pays enough so you have enough food and pay the bills. What is most important is that they leave you alone while you work.


Your little sister Victoria says you do want to go out and do more, but you're afraid. Victoria is your main source of social interaction and the only person who have any real connection to. Several years ago, your parents died in a car crash and Victoria has been living with you ever since. The two of you get along for the most part, you have the same squabble that all siblings have but you genuinely care for each other. It's summer now and in the fall Victoria is leaving for college, which is going to leave you more alone than ever. Oh sure, she is going to visit and stay here between semesters, but you know this is the beginning of her going off to forge her own path and living her own life, something you never got around to doing.


Alas you are happy for her and would never want to hold her back. Certainly you would not want her to live the same dull and somewhat depressing existence you have. You do wonder if she is right and you do want to go out in the world and make friends but the fear is simply more than you can handle, while giving up and crawling back into bed is just too easy. If Victoria is right then what exactly are you afraid of? Not being able to fit in, or perhaps it's the shear unpredictably of life. It doesn't make a difference as you have no plans on changing your lifestyle in the foreseeable future.


You wake up late one morning, planning on spending the day working, you head into the narrow hallway and into the kitchen. The kitchen is cramped and needs to be cleaned soon, as you brush crumbs off the kitchen table you notice something is off. It's relatively quiet, normally when you get up Victoria is making noise doing one thing or another. She can't still be asleep, she was always an early bird, maybe she is feeling ill, you decided to check on her as you head back into the hallway and knock on her bedroom door.


"Vic, you alright?" You call out while knocking.


No response, you open the door just a tad to peek in and see her bed is empty. After this discovery you head back into your room and grab your cell phone off your dresser. There are no text messages or voicemail, Victoria always leaves one when she heads out. You send her text asking where she is. Several minutes pass and there is no reply. Victoria is glued to that phone and she always responds quickly, even though it's usual a text to stop bugging her. You begin to worry, but perhaps you're being overprotective. Your sister is an adult and unlike you has a life, although this is a big departure from her usual behavior. Her best friend is Moira Estacado, she owns the bar and restaurant "Moira's" located in the center of town. Maybe she would know where your sister is, or you could search Victoria's room, there might be something there you could find.

You search Victoria's room

Victoria would kill you if she saw you entering her room, but you own the damn house so that gives you permission to go in. You walk in and find it a mess, clothes are thrown everywhere, there is a plate with bread crumbs on her nightstand that is beginning to attract ants, but you're not bothered since her room is always like this. You look around but can't find anything that would give a clue as to where she went. In a corner is a desk with her laptop on it, you turn it on but find it's password protected. It was you who insisted that she set up a password, why did this have to be the one time she would actually listen to you? Next to the laptop you find a framed photo of you and her. She has a big grin on her face while you look miserable complete with frown and tilted eyebrows.


The search has turned up nothing and you come to the conclusion you're simply overreacting, she's probably out having fun and enjoying life, something you should start doing someday. Her cell phone most likely has a dead battery or she lost it, hence the lack of response. She'll presumably be home in a few hours and that will be that. For now you head into your and sit at your desk to begin working on your computer. Your computer is your sanctuary, your escape from reality. Talking to people via online chat is far less stressful then dealing with them face to face. Not long after you log on to your company's website, you begin working on fixing someone's computer, most of the time the problem is a virus someone got while trying to download porn or a pirated movie. After a while your work is interrupted by the growling of your stomach which reminds you that you never had breakfast. You go into the kitchen and have breakfast which consists of stale cereal and milk that's only one day passed its expiration date. When you put the milk back in the fridge you spot a note that had fallen off the door and sailed underneath the refrigerator. Picking it up off the ground you read the message on it.


Ben, since you don't ever bother to check your phone, I'm leaving this note to remind you to wake up early so you can get me to Jan's dance studio tomorrow 6/26 at 10 AM. I can't get anyone else to do it and yes I know I should have my license, please try to remember because I hate going into your room to wake you up since it smells like feet in there  -Love Vic


Victoria loved dance and wouldn't miss it for the world, the worry you had earlier comes back and is a bit more potent this time. You decide to call the police, it may be a bit extreme but you figure it is better to be safe than sorry and take out your cell phone.


"911, what is your emergency?" The operator on the other end inquiries.


"I'd like to report a missing person," You answer.


"What's your name sir?"


"Ben Higgins."


"Who is it that's missing?"


"My sister, Victoria Higgins."


"How old is she?"


"Twenty."


"How long has she been missing?"


"I woke up and she wasn't here and she hasn't been answering her cell phone."


"I'm sorry sir, but the law states a person has to be missing for at least twenty four hours before we can investigate, in most cases the person comes back on their own, if she is still missing by tomorrow morning, call us back."


"Thanks, I guess." You hang up the phone, unsure of what to do next, you could wait to see Victoria comes back by tomorrow and call the police if she hasn't. It's also still possible to go to Moira's and see if she knows anything.