Fiction Friday - The Neighborhood

She was gone. "Colleen?" She couldn't be gone, but she was. 

"Colleen!" The house looked the same, but felt too quiet. There was no sound, no movement. She was gone. After walking through the house Willis opened the back door and called out into the neighborhood. "Colleen!!" It was early, but the neighbors would be up getting ready for work and their kids packed off to school, so he didn't worry about disturbing the peace. 

She wasn't out back.

He tried the same thing out the front door, standing on the stoop in his robe, calling her name. The paper sat there in its plastic sheath and he bent to pick it up as usual. Everything was as usual. Except his wife was gone.

The neighbor's SUV was pulling out of their garage. Leah rolled down her window and called out, "Morning, Willis! Did I hear you calling for Colleen?"

"Yeah, I guess she's not at your place for coffee this morning, huh, Leah?"

"Not me. I have an early day today. Try Jaime. Is everything okay?"

"We'll see, I guess." Jaime and Ben Holstrom lived on the other side. Willis and Colleen often babysat for their three young boys. He doubted she was there. A routine-follower like Colleen would not intrude on the Holstrom's hectic morning routine. He walked across the yard all the same.

"Sean, get back here and put on your pants!" Willis heard as little Sean opened the door in his underwear. 

"Hi, Mister James!"

Jaime came into the front room, shoving a homework folder into a backpack. "Willis! What a surprise! Everything okay?"

"It's a long shot, but I was wondering if Colleen came over this morning."

"No, not here, sorry."

"Okay, I'll get out of your hair. Have a good day."

He didn't wait for a follow up question. It was time he got himself ready for work. 

He sat at his desk all morning, focusing as best he could at the insurance claims in front of him, but still musing on the morning behind him. What was it she said last night? She was complaining about her bedtime routine being off, but he'd only been half-listening.

Walking to the elevators to head out for lunch, it came to him. He stopped dead in his tracks. "No."

Bob from accounting bumped into him. "Whoa there, Willis, careful!" Looking at him as he moved past, Bob stopped. "You okay? Looks like you saw a ghost."

"I'm... uh... yeah, okay. Sorry Bob." He backed up and grabbed a snack from the break room instead of going for a proper lunch.

Back at his desk he went online. No new expenses, no new social media posts, nothing. She really had disappeared. He sent a text to Ben from next door asking him to stop by after work. Leah's husband Hank, too. Just immediate neighbors. He didn't really know what was going on yet. Maybe he was crazy, but if he was crazy so was Colleen.

Back home after work, Willis poured himself a drink, and kept the liquor out for his friends in case they wanted one too. He looked around the house, but nothing was different. He paced, waiting. No one was knocking yet.

Returning to the counter where his scotch sat, he slugged it back and poured another. Just then the doorbell rang. "It's open!" Hank and Ben walked in together and Willis joined them in the living room, drink in hand. "Anyone need a drink?"

"How about you tell us what's happening first?"

"Colleen's gone."

"I guess I will take that drink, Ben?"

"I guess so. What happened?

Willis poured the drinks as he explained, "This is going to sound crazy, so, just know that I know it sounds crazy." After handing out drinks he sipped his and said, "She created a rift in the space-time continuum."

It's FICTION FRIDAY!
Every Friday, a new flash fiction story, inspired by reader comments (as much as possible). Feel free to leave a prompt for future use in the comments below. This story was actually loosely based on a conversation we actually had at my home. It got me wondering, "what if?"

If you choose to join in for Fiction Fridays, post a link to your story below in the comments. If there's interest or participation, I may start suggesting prompts here for the following week.