"It was about five years ago when it happened. Maybe a little bit longer..."
Geneva started without any buildup.
"There was nothing out of the ordinary. No gate or anomaly was detected. He went to bed on a school night, and the next morning, he just... didn't come down."
Her fingers slowly turned the gum packet resting on her knee.
"I thought he was faking it to skip school. I even pulled his blanket off and counted to three."
"....."
"His eyes never opened."
"....."
"Regardless of how hard I tried, they just didn't open, and..."
Geneva stopped, her hand coming to a stop with her as she turned to look at her little brother. For just a moment, nobody said a single word, but as the silence continued and everyone grew confused, I found myself turning to look at her little brother.
The first gasp came before I realized it, and as I looked, my heart suddenly stopped.
He was staring right at me.
