“Hello, I thought I’d never see you again”, said Jones while  eating burger on couch with his friends Richard and with some else whom I had seen somewhere before but I could not recall where exactly.

“I am alive, in one piece.” I told before turning towards his friends who were on the other side of couch “Hi Richard, and you are….?”

“This is Avery,” said Richard. I glanced at Jones who just gave me awkward smile, but his eyes were saying a lot more than his mouth this time unlike the other instances. Richard looked at them and said, “Avery, this is Christopher, who has been living with Jones for more than a year now and we don't know how he has lived so long without losing his sanity.”

They both laughed, while Jones rolled his eyes.

I waved over to Avery; they waved back but with hint of confidence, unlike mine which I lacked in general. I slid off my bag which I was wearing and said, “I need to freshen up, so excuse me.”

Then made my wave towards my room and did my best to not bang my head over the wall for my most awkward way introducing myself to Jones’s friends.

~~

I called Adam; he said he was busy with some of his work but asked me to visit the station once again tomorrow. I agreed, wondering why he asked me to do so.

I looked through my messages, Mason and the others had by now reached home. I turned my attention towards the voices coming from the living room. Jones had asked me join them a while ago. I gulped before entering into the living room and took a seat on other couch chair, while my brain still searching for where I had seen Avery before. Jones had talked about them before, but it still did not help me connect with dots about where I had seen them.

“Oh, so how was your trip?”, asked Richard while sipping some coke.

“It was nice, like a breath of fresh air.” and has now left me with more doubts and questions over what’s happening with this whole city and my feelings over Michael, the person I met one and half months ago. But I spare out those details to them.

Richard slumps back on couch, while Avery turned towards me. “Breath of fresh air?” They point their finger towards Jones. “Jones was literally worried that you had applied for a death sentence on your own along with your some other friends, Chris.”

I lightly laughed. “Um well that sounds like a lot, but we were fine. One of my friends has a lot of experience with camping.”

Jones frowned. That’s something I have seen him do only for like twice, I sit up straight. Jones flicks through the news channel and motions for me to look at it. I do while noticing the other two heads turning to it too though their faces said they knew what was coming.

There was one of the news headlines stating that Haltin’s mayor had announced for the entry into the Haltin National Park prohibited. All the camping and other activities were now not allowed. One would have to take permission from the Forest security officials before entering into the forest.

“Oh”

“‘Oh’ is all you could say now, Chris?”, exclaimed Jones. “The number of people who went missing this is month is around 15 now and somehow all of them happen to be last seen near the Haltin’s National Park.”

I raised my eyebrows, “15 just in one month, was it not 19 for last 3 months?”

“Well, the numbers skyrocketed then my grades could ever.”, said Richard while staring towards T.V. screen. Avery shot him a bewildered look, telling him its serious issue.

Jones sighed. “Yup, they did and the police still does not have any clue about why this is happening. They are still searching for that criminal organization.”

Avery sits back, looking up at the ceiling. “Yes still looking for that group. Or maybe they are aware about what’s happening but they are not telling the locals.”

Richard gives them a weird a look. “Avery, you make it sound like a giant cover up of government or something.”

“When did you all learn about the statics of missing people?”, I asked while looking at all of them.

Richard shifts his gaze towards me. “This morning. And now there are further orders by the police officials for the locals to stay in groups or pairs at night and in general avoid being unnecessarily outside at night for too long.”

Avery sighs looking in between Richard and Jones and fold their hands. “As if locals are gonna listen.”

Jones and Richard share a guilty glance. Jones shifts into his place, straitening up, “Oh yeah but no we will be cautious.”

Avery raised their eyebrows.

Jones eyes soften the moment he looks into their eyes. “Okay we will be very very careful. How does that sound?”

Avery sighed. “I want you all to be okay, not get missing and then forgotten over time.” They shiver in their seats, fear evident in their eyes. “Just stick to the orders, okay.”

I gave them confused look, “Forgotten? What do you mean by that?”

The living room silence masked by sounds of the T.V. and the air conditioning’s air slipping into the room.

“Nearly half million people go missing in our country in a single year,” Avery states. “But luckily, the majority of them return.”

We all take a breath of relief.

“But the rest are never seen anywhere.” They complete their statement.

Richard and Jones turned towards them, bewildered by the fact. But it was not really surprising to me as I had experience with it.

Richard puts his hand over his head, seriousness residing in his eyes. “Then what is the possibility of missing students to return?”