Ariel sat on the stairs, hunched forward with her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, fingers twitching and tapping nervously.
Her shoulders were tense, her eyes darting around, unable to settle.
She kept glancing back at the door as if waiting for it to be opened by someone.
It was almost noon, yet Mantis wasn't back.
Ava has been pacing to and fro. Ariel had refused to say anything to her since the night before until Ava figured that Mantis was nowhere to be found.
His phone, his bag, and his car were still in the house. She knows him to be someone who wouldn't go anywhere without his car or phone, and definitely not in the middle of the night.
Ariel's heart and body jumped when the door opened but she slumped back when she saw it was her parents.
“ Dad! Mum!” Ava cried as
