The Shape of Absence

The worst kind of empty was the kind that shouldn’t be possible. Jessica stared at the frozen frame — an empty couch that shouldn't be empty.

She exhaled, rubbing her temples. "Alright. Let’s break this down. What are the possibilities?"

Leanna leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "None that make sense. Even if he had some kind of technology—teleportation, invisibility—there should be some sign of movement, some kind of disturbance. But there’s nothing. Even ghosts leave a ripple,” Leanna muttered.

Olivia tapped at her keyboard, frowning. "And the timestamps check out. No glitches, no tampering. If this was faked, I’d see a break in the footage."

Jessica took a sip of her coffee, the bitter taste grounding her. She had seen strange things before, but this felt different. It reminded her of the moments when she had woken up in cold sweats, memories of a past she wasn’t sure belonged to her.

"He said he had memories of another life, right?" Jessica's voice was low. Careful. Like testing the shape of a thought before it cut her mouth. "What if this isn’t about him disappearing. What if he didn’t disappear at all? What if he… went home?”

Leanna raised an eyebrow. "Like... a parallel world? An altered perception of reality?"

Jessica shook her head. "I don’t know yet. But we need to start digging. First, let’s talk to Maria again, see if there were any warning signs we missed. Then, we check out the house."

---

Later that evening, Maria sat across from them in the office, her hands gripping a lukewarm cup of tea. Jessica watched her carefully, taking in the nervous twitch of her fingers, the way she avoided direct eye contact.

"Maria," Jessica said gently, "I need you to tell me everything you can remember about Daniel. Even the things that don’t seem important."

Maria hesitated, then nodded. "A few weeks before he vanished, he started acting... different. He’d just stand there," Maria whispered. "Like the reflection wasn’t matching what he felt inside. And sometimes he would say things that didn’t make sense."

"Like what?" Olivia asked.

Maria frowned. "He would ask if I ever felt like this world wasn’t real. That it was... shifting around us. He thought he was remembering something from before, but he couldn’t explain it."

Jessica exchanged a look with Leanna. This was bigger than a simple missing person case.

"We’ll start with the house," Jessica said, standing up. "Something tells me Daniel left behind more than just an empty seat on the couch."

Maria’s eyes welled with tears. "Do you think he’s still out there? Somewhere?"

Jessica hesitated for only a moment. "We’re going to find out. People leave echoes. You just have to know how to listen.”