The Doctor

Joe and Oliver had no idea what to do. They went to the park just beyond the police station. Sitting on the first bench they found, they remained silent for a while. Oliver was the one to break the silence.

"What are we going to do? With Lucas's situation being what it is, it doesn't look like they'll listen to us,"  said Oliver.

"What we need to do is clear. We wait. We have no other choice."  Joe was calm.

"What good will waiting do? It's not like this hasn't happened before. And do you know how many people have gone off on their own like this? Why are we trying to be heroes?"  Oliver said.

"We're trying to be heroes because right now, we're the only ones who know that this isn't just a missing person case—it's a kidnapping. You saw it yourself; these stupid cops won't listen to us. We're not going to be like the others who disappeared chasing this or anything else."  Joe's confidence was suddenly surging.

"Joe, you're my best friend. But you're also the dumbest person I know. Like you said, we're the only ones who know, and at least we'll wait to catch a clue. If we don't get an opportunity, we won't have a chance to act anyway,"  Oliver replied.

"Yeah, so let's go home and at least watch the rest of the game. We shouldn't overthink this too much."

"I'm going home, and you're going to your place. Your sister was looking for you."

"Ahhh, okay. See you tomorrow at school then,"  Joe said, and they parted ways.

The situation was about to take a different turn than they had anticipated, and they were aware of it. However, they couldn't solve it on their own with nothing but a license plate number to go on. They needed to continue with school and their lives as usual, waiting for a chance to come their way.

Years ago, when similar child abductions had occurred, a few civilian investigators had pursued the case but had either never returned or suffered psychological damage from what they had experienced. These kidnappings usually happened in secluded, camera-blind spots, as if carefully pre-planned. The kidnapper was also remarkably good at hiding himself. Before each abduction, he wore a pitch-black coat and often chose rainy days, making his face almost impossible to see. It was said that the vehicle he used for the kidnappings had a fake license plate, and the plate was always the same, but it had never been identified.

However, after two years of intense abductions, the police finally identified who this person was and killed him the moment they found him. After that incident, the curse over the town was lifted, and it became a peaceful place—at least until that "curse" decided to resurface...

It had been a week since Lucas's abduction. As Oliver and Joe sat in class, their close friend Sebastian approached them. Sebastian had been absent from school for three weeks due to a medical leave, which had caused Joe and Oliver to worry about him.

"Hey, guys! How's it going?"  Sebastian greeted them, looking exhausted.

"We're fine, but you don't seem so great. Where have you been for the past three weeks? Is something wrong?"  Joe asked, concerned.

"Well... I need to have surgery soon, and it's been bothering me a bit,"  Sebastian replied.

"What kind of surgery?"  Joe inquired.

"I have a cyst in my stomach. It's been there for a while, but we hadn't realized it. Luckily, the doctor we went to was really helpful. And he's Jason's father, the guy you two hate,"  Sebastian explained.

"Hah!"  Joe and Oliver reacted in unison. "Jason's dad is a doctor?"  Oliver asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I was shocked too. But when I noticed they had the same last name, I asked the doctor about Jason. He confirmed that Jason was his son. After that, he started paying even more attention to me, which was surprising,"  Sebastian said, still bewildered.

"Yeah, I'd say you're right to be surprised. We beat up his kid a couple of times, but the dad took extra care of you,"  Joe joked.

"Anyway, guys. I'll be out of surgery by tomorrow after school. I expect you to come visit,"  Sebastian said.

After this conversation, Sebastian left the classroom to gather the assignments he had missed during his absence. Oliver and Joe agreed to visit him at the hospital the next day. After school, they grabbed their skateboards and headed towards the hospital. The hospital was located in a more secluded area of town. Due to the town's limited space and growing population, the hospital had been built in a quieter location. As they were entering the hospital, something caught Joe's eye.

"Oliver, do you see that purple car over there?"  Joe asked.

"Yeah, the one by the curb, right?"  Oliver responded, intrigued.

"Yes, I swear that car is the same one I saw during Lucas's abduction."

"You've got to be kidding me,"  Oliver said, astonished. "Look, someone's getting out of the car."

A tall, thin, bald man with slightly pallid skin stepped out of the car. Judging by his coat, it was clear he was a doctor. As soon as Joe felt the man's presence, he froze. It was as if the man was there specifically for him. The doctor radiated an energy that made Joe feel like he was there to take his life and shatter his soul, and Joe could sense it throughout his entire body. Oliver slapped Joe across the face, snapping him out of his daze. Joe was shaken but had regained his composure. They continued to watch the man silently. Once the doctor disappeared into the hospital, Joe had an idea.

"That day, after the car drove off and I ran after it, I noticed something besides the license plate. One of the car's headlights was broken. Let's see if this car has the same issue,"  Joe said.

The two quickly made their way over to the car, only to be confronted with a sight that filled them with dread. Joe had been right to be suspicious. The car was identical to the one from that day. This was the same car that had been used to kidnap Lucas.

"I don't want to believe it. I mean, there can't be another car that's the same color, the same model, and with the same broken right headlight, right? Damn it,"  Oliver said, his voice filled with despair.

"There's nothing we can do about it now. Let's calm down and go visit Sebastian. After we leave his room, we can talk about what to do next,"  Joe said, trying to stay level-headed.

The two of them headed to Room 19, where Sebastian was staying. They were greeted by Sebastian's mother. Sebastian was in no condition to talk, having just come out of surgery. Oliver left Sebastian's favorite food beside him. After discussing his condition with Sebastian's mother, they were about to leave the room when the doctor walked in. Joe and Oliver were stunned—Sebastian's doctor was the same man who had stepped out of the purple car. His eerie presence and soulless eyes completely changed the atmosphere in the room. The doctor remained calm.

"Hello, boys. You're Sebastian's friends, right?"  the doctor asked.

"Yes, I'm Joe, and this is my friend Oliver. We came to visit Sebastian,"  Joe replied, trying to maintain his composure.

"Haha, I'm Dr. Mark Anderson. Nice to meet you, boys. Now, why don't you head home, and I'll take care of your friend, okay?"  Dr. Anderson smiled, but his tone was devoid of any warmth.

Oliver and Joe left the room. As soon as they closed the door, Oliver exploded with anger.

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT? Why did you give that man our names?"  Oliver's voice was harsh.

"I thought if we introduced ourselves, he might do the same. Look, we got his name, didn't we?"  Joe said, trying to defend himself, though clearly shaken.

"Oh, great. We got his name. The guy's already Jason's dad. We could've just asked any receptionist for the doctor with the last name Anderson, you idiot,"  Oliver snapped, even more frustrated.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Let's go outside and figure out what to do."

They headed outside, unsure of what to do next. Oliver kept ranting angrily while Joe tried to focus on coming up with a plan. But finding a way to secretly approach a doctor seemed impossible. As Oliver continued to vent, Joe suddenly stopped.

"I know what we're going to do,"  Joe said.

"What are we going to do?"  Oliver asked, still tense.

"Tell him what we know."  Joe suddenly became very serious, staring off into the distance.

"What? What do you mean? What are you talking about now?"  Oliver asked, confused.

Before Oliver could grasp what Joe meant, he followed Joe’s gaze and saw Lucas's father, Henry Foster, sitting on a bench outside the hospital, looking intently at the doctor's car with a sad expression. Oliver quickly understood Joe’s plan. Instead of going to the police, they were going to tell everything to the person who cared the most. The two of them approached Henry. As they neared, Henry noticed them coming. He recognized these two kids from that night; they had caught his attention while trying to explain something at the reception desk. Joe spoke up, his tone serious.

"Mr. Foster, we're so sorry for what happened. But I’m going to get straight to the point. I saw what happened that day,"  Joe said.

"I know."  Henry's voice was flat and devoid of emotion. "Otherwise, why would you be inspecting a broken headlight?"

Joe and Oliver were stunned. Did Henry already know they had seen something? The questions racing through their minds suddenly seemed irrelevant. Henry understood what the boys were going through. He had been in the same state initially—unable to react, unable to speak. He hadn’t even been able to give a proper statement to the police. He had his own suspicions about who was behind this. As Joe and Oliver grappled with their own thoughts, Henry abruptly stood up.

"Follow me,"  Henry said.

The boys began to follow him. They walked for ten minutes, leaving the hospital behind and heading toward the town center. Joe and Oliver didn’t say a word the entire time. They continued walking until they reached Henry’s home. Joe recognized the house—he’d been there a few times before when he and Lucas had skateboard races. Seeing the house again brought a fresh wave of shock. Henry opened the door and, gesturing for them to enter, said:

"Come inside. I'll tell you everything."

Joe and Oliver entered the house. As Oliver walked in, his eyes caught sight of Lucas's room at the end of the hallway. He wanted to go there, but he realized it wasn't the right time. Henry entered and sat down in his chair facing the television. Joe and Oliver sat down on the couch across from him.

"So, son. Tell me what you saw,"  Henry said with curiosity.

"It was a rainy day. Lucas and I were in detention. There had been rumors for a few weeks about Lucas acting strange, and it seemed like they might be right. I don't know... The Lucas I saw that day didn't feel like the same person I'd heard about or been around before. After detention, we were waiting outside for the rain to stop. While we were waiting at the school entrance, he suddenly started moving as if he’d received some sort of command from outside. I wouldn’t have followed him if he had just gone straight out, but when I saw him head towards the back yard, my curiosity got the better of me. I followed him quietly and saw a car pull up, knock him out, and kidnap him. I tried to catch up, but I couldn't. During that time, I managed to get the license plate and noticed one of the headlights was broken."

As Joe recounted the entire event with clarity, Henry's face fell with each sentence.

"This can't be real... It's all the same, everything's the same. All the methods are still the same. I can't believe it,"  Henry said, his voice trembling with emotion.

"What were you going to tell us, Mr. Foster?"  Oliver asked.

"Kids, it's all clear now. Even if the police pursue this case, they won't find anything. They didn’t find anything seven years ago either. They never found out what happened to those children."

"Why not, sir?"  Joe asked, equally curious.

"Because the bodies of those children... all of them... all of their bodies disappeared with everything,"  Henry said.

A deep silence filled the room. Joe and Oliver couldn't quite grasp the full meaning of that sentence. As they pondered deeply, Henry finished his thought.

"I'm going to tell you everything. Because at this point, you two are the only ones who can put an end to this curse."