Lucas, heart pounding and mind racing with the surreal events that had just unfolded, burst through the front door of his house, where the buzz of conversation and laughter seemed alien, a stark contrast to the gravity of his situation. The partygoers, immersed in their own worlds, barely registered his panicked entrance.

“Where’s Josh? Where is he?” Lucas’s voice cut through the noise, urgent and edged with a desperation that turned a few heads in his direction. The crowd, sensing the shift in atmosphere, parted slightly, their expressions a mix of confusion and curiosity.

Finally, someone pointed towards the back of the room, where Josh stood, a bottle in hand, caught mid-laughter. His smile faltered as he caught sight of Lucas’s distress, morphing into a look of concern.

“Lucas, what’s—”

“No time,” Lucas interjected, already moving to grab Josh by the arm, his grip firm. “We need to go outside. Now.”

Josh, taken aback but recognizing the seriousness in his friend’s tone, allowed himself to be pulled toward the exit without further question. The chatter of the party faded into the background as they stepped into the cooler air of the evening, the door closing behind them with a sense of finality.

Once outside, under the vast expanse of the night sky, Lucas and Josh stood alone, the muffled sounds of the party inside creating a dissonant backdrop to the urgency of the moment.

Eric’s Disappearance

“Josh, Eric just disappeared. Vanished,” Lucas blurted out, his words tumbling over each other in his rush to explain. “There was lightning, and then… then he went through this purple portal, light, or something. I don’t know how else to describe it.”

Josh stared at him, the gravity of Lucas’s words slowly sinking in. The joviality that had marked his demeanor moments ago was gone, replaced by a serious, calculating concern.

“Disappeared? Lucas, are you sure? This sounds like—”

“I know how it sounds,” Lucas interrupted, frustration and fear evident in his voice. “I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. But Eric’s gone, and we… we need to do something.”

Clearing Out the House

The weight of the situation settled between them, a silent acknowledgment of the unprecedented reality they now faced.

“We need to get everyone out of here,” Lucas continued, his decision firm. “We can’t risk anyone else disappearing.”

Josh nodded, a determined set to his jaw. “Alright, let’s clear out the house. I’ll handle it.”

Josh stepped back inside, raising his voice above the hum of conversations. “Hey, everyone!” The room quieted.

“I’ve got some news. Eric got sick,” Josh announced. “Really sick, and, well, it’s probably best if we all just call it a night.”

Reluctantly, the partygoers began to gather their things. Within minutes, the house was empty, leaving Lucas and Josh alone in the eerie silence.

Return to the Oak Tree

“Thanks, Josh,” Lucas said. “Thanks for trusting me on this.”

Josh, pacing, finally stopped. “Honestly? I thought you and Eric were pulling some kind of elaborate joke. But you’re telling me this is real? Eric is actually missing?”

Lucas met Josh’s gaze. “I wish it were a joke, man. But Eric… he’s gone. One minute he was there, and then… just gone.”

“This is insane, Lucas. If what you’re saying is true, then we need to do something. We need to figure this out.”

“We need to go back to where Eric vanished. It’s the only lead we’ve got.”

Josh nodded. “We’ll take my truck. The headlights should give us enough light to see anything we might have missed.”

They drove back to the oak tree, its towering branches eerily silent in the stillness of the night. As Josh parked, Lucas exhaled sharply.

“This is it,” Lucas said, staring at the spot where Eric had vanished. “This is where Eric disappeared.”

Josh killed the engine. The darkness swallowed them whole.

“Alright,” Josh murmured. “Let’s find our friend.”