Missing person

Jayden’s POV:

I woke up gasping for air, my body drenched in sweat. My hands were trembling as I sat up in bed, my heart racing like I’d just run a marathon. I looked around the room, my chest heaving. It was dark, and the only sound was the faint ticking of the clock on my desk. My head throbbed as fragments of the nightmare flashed through my mind. Was it just a dream?

I rubbed my face, trying to calm myself. “It felt so real,” I whispered to myself. The man, the blood, my mom’s panicked voice—it all felt like it had happened. I got up, my legs feeling weak beneath me, and slowly made my way downstairs.

The house was quiet, eerily so. The faint scent of coffee drifted through the air, and I could hear the sound of the kettle whistling in the kitchen. Everything seemed normal—too normal. I paused at the bottom of the stairs, my eyes scanning the living room. The floor was spotless. No blood, no body. Nothing.

“Mom?” I called out, my voice shaky.

She appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee. Her face was calm, too calm. “Morning, Jayden,” she said with a small smile.

“Mom...” I hesitated, my voice barely a whisper. “What happened last night?”

Her smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “What do you mean?” she asked, her tone casual.

I stepped closer, my heart pounding. “I... I remember something. There was a man. Blood. You said he wasn’t human.”

She froze, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Jayden, you must have been dreaming. You came home from school, went straight to bed, and that’s it. Nothing happened.”

I shook my head, my hands trembling. “No, Mom. I remember. You were scared. You told me to stay quiet. You said he was a... a werewolf.”

Her eyes darted toward the window, her fingers tightening around the cup. “You’re imagining things,” she said quickly, her tone firmer now. “Nothing like that happened. You need to stop letting your dreams get to you.”

“Mom!” I nearly shouted, my voice breaking. “Stop lying to me! I know what I saw!”

Before she could respond, there was a knock at the door. The sound made both of us freeze. My mom’s face went pale, and she placed her coffee cup on the counter with trembling hands.

“Stay here,” she whispered, her voice sharp.

I stood rooted to the spot as she walked to the door, opening it just a crack. My stomach churned when I saw two police officers standing there.

“Good morning, ma’am,” one of them said, his voice polite but firm. “We’re investigating a missing person. A man was last seen in this area last night. We were wondering if you noticed anything unusual.”

My mom’s body tensed, but her face remained calm. “I’m sorry, officers, but I didn’t see anything,” she said smoothly.

The second officer glanced past her, his eyes landing on me. I felt a chill run down my spine as his gaze lingered. “Is everything okay here?” he asked, his tone slightly suspicious.

“Yes, everything’s fine,” my mom said quickly, stepping outside and closing the door behind her. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but her voice was low and steady.

My chest felt tight, and I struggled to breathe. My mind raced with questions. Why were the police here? Did they know something? Was the man from last night really dead?

When my mom came back inside, her face was pale, but her expression was firm. “Go get ready for school, Jayden,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

“But, Mom—”

“Do as I say!” she snapped, her voice shaking slightly.

I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening. “Why won’t you tell me the truth?” I whispered.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Jayden, listen to me,” she said softly. “What happened last night... it wasn’t a dream. But you need to forget about it. For your own safety. Do you understand?”

I stared at her, my chest tightening. “How am I supposed to forget something like that?”

“You have to,” she said firmly. “If anyone finds out, we’re both in danger.”

I didn’t respond. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions—fear, confusion, anger. I turned and walked back upstairs, grabbing my bag for school. My hands were still shaking as I headed out the door.

The walk to school was a blur. My thoughts were spinning, and I couldn’t focus on anything around me. The nightmare, the blood, the police—it all felt like a heavy weight pressing down on me.

“Jayden!”

I looked up, startled, as Liam walked toward me. His bright smile made my heart skip a beat, and for a moment, I forgot everything else.

“Hey, man,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I forced a smile, trying to act normal. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just... didn’t sleep well.”

Liam frowned, his blue eyes filled with concern. “You sure? You don’t look fine.”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, my voice sharper than I intended.

He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. No need to bite my head off.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Sorry. It’s just been a rough morning.”

Liam nodded, his expression softening. “I get it. If you need to talk, you know I’m here, right?”

“Yeah,” I muttered, looking away.

As we walked into school, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. My mom’s words echoed in my mind. Forget about it. For your own safety.

But how could I?

Suddenly, I felt a chill run down my spine. I turned, glancing over my shoulder, but there was no one there.

“What’s wrong?” Liam asked, noticing my unease.

“Nothing,” I said quickly, forcing a smile. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t nothing.

Something was coming.

Something that would change everything.

And I wasn’t ready for it.