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Hebe had gotten off her shift late and was suddenly wondering why she’d agreed to stay behind when she could have gotten to her house earlier and met up with Jiro. Hebe had been brewing some tea when her cell phone sounded. Excited that it was Ella or Jiro who had sent her a text she rushed to her phone.

“I have your twins. Come alone to this address and you can get them back.”

Hebe’s heart suddenly beat wildly. Was this a rude joke? Or was she really going to get her babies back? Hebe wanted to scream and yell but quickly grabbed her keys rushing for the door. However, when she opened the door she found Selina standing there.

Silence stood between them for a moment.

“Selina, what are you doing here?”

“Uh…hi Hebe.” Selina seemed nervous.

“Is something wrong?” all the anxiety from earlier suddenly left her mind.

“Hebe….” Selina paused for a long while. “I think I’m pregnant. Ella isn’t in town right now. Is it alright if you can accompany me to the hospital for a checkup?”

Hebe felt her heart thud. She hadn’t realized that any of this seemed familiar yet.

“You’re pregnant?” Hebe repeated.

“I’m sorry.” Selina apologized.

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Hebe corrected herself then glanced at her phone. “I have some place to go to. Is it alright if we attend my matter first? Afterward I promise I’ll go with you.”

“Where are you going?” Selina questioned as she followed Hebe down to her car, but Hebe didn’t reply.

Selina got into the car, surprised with herself that she felt reluctant right now. Something didn’t feel good. Once the car started Hebe was suddenly driving at a horribly fast speed.

“Hebe, you need to tell me where we’re going first. Are you listening to me, Hebe?” Selina asked. “Where are we going?”

Hebe didn’t reply again.

“Hebe,” Selina tried again.

“Someone has my children. I need to get them first. Sorry, Selina.” Hebe uttered her words at such a fast rate that Selina wasn’t quite sure she heard what she just heard.

Selina found herself sitting in silence realizing that Hebe was in a state of anxiety.

“Who told you?” Selina asked suddenly gripping onto her seatbelt.

“Someone sent me a text.”

“Your brother?”

Hebe suddenly turned to look at Selina. “Why my brother?”

Selina stared at Hebe for a long time and finally turned away, “Turn back Hebe. Lets just go to the hospital. Someone’s playing a trick on you and I know you know better than to be acting on impulse like this. You should get that investigator to trace who that message came from. Ok, Hebe? Turn back, please.”

Hebe didn’t respond, but stepped on the accelerator and Selina felt herself panic slowly. Silence arose between them. Selina knew it would be no more help to her even if she tried to persuade Hebe to stop right now because she obviously wouldn’t. Hebe was on a rage…something like that. The text was driving her mind wild. Hebe wouldn’t be able to listen to anyone else right now.

“Please…please let everything be ok.” Selina silently prayed. “Let the twins be alive…just let us get them and come back safely.”

||||||||

Aaron had desperately tried to call Selina, but she wasn’t answering her phone. Was she asleep or was she somewhere else? She had been looking so pale earlier he felt himself become even more worried by the minute. If he could just get a hold of her he wanted to take her to the hospital for a check up.

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The car came to an abrupt stop and Hebe unbuckled herself taking the keys. Selina also unbuckled her seatbelt and reached forward to stop Hebe from getting out.

“Don’t go, Hebe. Think carefully. Is that text really credible? Don’t those people want something from you?” Selina questioned.

“You stay in here, Selina. Don’t come out, please. You can’t show yourself for even a second. I was supposed to come alone.”

“This is not safe, Hebe. Do you realize that?” Selina wanted to calm Hebe down as well as herself. “Lets go back and get help. No matter what we will get the twins back. I promise.”

“Just stay here.” Hebe pried Selina’s fingers off her and got out closing the door after her.

Selina watched as Hebe started running toward the dead looking house and suddenly climbed out of the car running after her. No matter what she couldn’t let Hebe go alone.

||||||||

Jiro had just gotten out of his car and was heading down the small trail that had been made at the side of the graveyard for people to walk on. He glanced around at the gravestones and fresh flowers that some family members had left behind. Hebe’s heart would break if she saw this place. Taking a breath Jiro finally made his way toward the back where he found a few lumps in the ground. Probably where Keven had been trying dig up a grave. For a moment Jiro let thoughts and questions run through his mind. If the twins weren’t alive anymore, how would the world spin on for Hebe? She had held so long onto the hope that her children were still alive. Jiro suddenly didn’t want to look any further into the case anymore. If it would just break Hebe’s heart at the end then what would he benefit from this whole thing?

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Once she had taken a step forward she could feel her heart pounding behind her ribs so intensely it felt as if her heart was a prisoner trying to squeeze its way out behind bars. She had been walking slowly at first, but now she was running…toward…a house. A run down house that reminded her of those old houses in murder movies, always in the middle of nowhere.

The curtain behind the window had been there so long that even moths had made continuous holes in them. There was a hole in the window but had been blocked from  inside with a piece of cardboard. The house looked dirty as if it was eating itself. Roof tiles were on the edge of the house and looked like they would fall any moment. Bird poop occupied every empty space on those tiles. Even the outer layer of the house was peeling off the walls…the house looked gloomy.

She ran up the old wooden stairs which creaked with each and every step she took. The white paint on the run down door was peeling off slowly, the very sight of it made Hebe feel sick. She opened the door and entered the kitchen. The tiles on the floor were old and peeling off the ground, yellow unknown stuff occupying its corners. The pale white counter was made out of dishes from weeks ago that no one had bothered to wash. A refrigerator that she slowly walked passed was dead. She entered a room next and looked at the deer antlers hanging on the wall…it looked somewhat familiar and she suddenly realized that Keven had had them in his room back then when they still lived together. An oval table sat in the middle of the room with a long, thick pink tablecloth that reached the floor. Only two chairs surrounded the table.

Selina’s footsteps were getting louder. Hebe needed to get out of sight…but could she hide? Hebe’s eyes landed upon the table before her and she climbed under it to hide herself from Selina. If she ever found her she was sure Selina would try to drag her back to the car.

“Hebe! Hebe! Where are you?! Hebe!” Selina’s desperate calls reached her ears.

Hebe turned her head to the right as she heard Selina’s footsteps slowly go up the stairs. Now that she was gone Hebe would be able to look for the person that had text messaged her. However, before Hebe got out footsteps came from the kitchen.

Two men were laughing.

“I saw two of them.”

“We’re going to get this over with quickly, right?” his voice was familiar. “You won’t do your pathetic torturing here. You told me you wouldn’t.”

“Just shut up. I’ll take care of the other girl. You know who’s in your hands, don’t you?”

“I know.”

“Don’t forget about the twins’ message to their mother.”