~ Nana Aida's House~

Jessy was helping Nana Aida folding the clothes they washed that morning.

Ivy, Aida's daughter burst into the room.

"Mom, can I have a word with Jessy for a minute?"

"You go ahead, Jess, I will finish this myself," Nana said.

Jessy dropped the garments and exited the door with Ivy. They went straight into Ivy's room.

"Jessy, my boyfriend's best friend is going to celebrate his birthday tonight. There's a newly opened disco bar in town, the celebration will be held there. We're invited! You should come with me to meet new people!" Ivy said feeling excited.

Jessy shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think your mother will allow me to go with you," she said, clearly not interested.

Ivy can't understand why her mother was very strict when it comes to Jessy.

"Hmmm, let's find a way...okay? When mom finally falls asleep we will sneak out of the house and attend the party. You can not say no!" Ivy gave her a hard look.

"I dunno Ivy, am not a party person... so it's not a good idea for me to attend the party," she politely declines her invitation.

Ivy's brows knitted, she was in deep thoughts. Her face shows disappointment. "Come on, we won't stay there for long, just three hours max and we will be home by eleven o'clock. Pleaseeeee," she begged.

"I'll think about it," Jessy said, getting tired of her friend's constant urging.

Ivy's face sparkled. "I'll take that as a yes!" she hugged Jessy.

Afterward, Ivy was rummaging her wardrobe for her party outfit for tonight.

Several dresses were strewn across her bed, they were of a different shade of colors, cut, and style.

"How about this?" Ivy showed Jessy a sexy purple dress, it's above the knee cocktail dress, it's a bit too short.

Jessy shook her head in disapproval. "Too sexy..."

Jessy was getting a little bit irritated and amused at the same time with her friend's constant chatter. She thought her head would spin. She can't understand why some girls made so much fuss when it comes to dresses.

Then Ivy tries on a black sleeveless cocktail dress, the hem was below the knee. It's a simple dress and not so indecent to look at.

"You look pretty on that dress, Ivy, that suits you better," Jessy commented.

Ivy smiled at her appearance in front of the mirror, she likes what she was seeing. "I agree, this one looks perfect for tonight," she then looked at her friend. "You can borrow one of my dresses. You can pick one, Jess."

Out of boredom, Jessy picked up a color blue cocktail dress on random and tried it on. It fits her curve perfectly. The dress looks cute and not showing plenty of skin, she will be comfortable wearing it.

"Wow, you look so beautiful in that dress, Jess! It fits you perfectly, awesome!" exclaimed Ivy.

Jessy smiled at herself in the mirror. She had never wear a dress before. She's more of a 't-shirt and jeans' kind of girl.

"Now stop admiring yourself, dear. We've got to try some accessories, we have to look our best tonight." Ivy shoved some earrings, bracelets, and trinkets on Jessy's hands.

Jessy smiled wryly at her friend's excessive mood disorder. She's just excited, she scolded herself.

Ivy giggled in excitement. "I will do your makeup tonight..."

Jessy nods her head and was starting to get amused by all of it. Her friend's jubilant mood was getting contagious as minutes pass by. Surprisingly, she no longer felt bored.

"We already have the dress and the accessories, just perfect!" Ivy exclaimed in glee. "I will try to get mom's permission later, if she won't allow us then we still have Plan B, okay?" she looks at Jessy with a conniving smile.

"I highly doubt if your mother will allow us," said Jessy.

"She will!" said Ivy with determination etched firmly on her face.

Ivy spent the whole afternoon convincing her mother about the party. Nanny Aida finally relented, on one condition, Nathan will accompany them to the party, Nathan is Ivy's older brother. Ivy agreed to it, thinking that it's a much better alternative than her Plan B.

~~~o0o~~~

Jessy was brushing her hair in front of the mirror inside Nana Aida's room. Then her phone rings, she smiled upon seeing the caller's ID.

"Adam..."

"Hi, Jess...Are you enjoying your time there?"

"Not much happening here, Adam. Hmmm... by the way, we're going to attend a birthday party tonight, it will be held in a newly opened disco bar in town," she said.

"Huh? Are you going with whom-?" he sounded alarmed.

"Ivy, Nathan and I, will be attending the party," she explained.

"D-Did Nana consent to it? How come she allowed you to attend the party?" Adam's voice hardened.

"Don't worry...Nathan will be our escort tonight and Ivy's boyfriend will also be there at the party," she explained further.

"I'm just worried about you, Jess. You've never been to a disco bar before. And you will be surrounded by strangers. Just don't talk to strangers, okay? And be careful with the spike on drinks, don't accept drinks given by strangers. Don't trust anyone there...!"

"....and?" she rolled her eyes.

"Am just uncomfortable with the whole thing," he finally said.

"We will only stay there for a total of three hours and then we will go home...safe and sound. The party starts at eight o'clock tonight, we will be home at eleven by then," she said.

"Good, just don't stay late, okay? I will only feel relieved if you're already back home safe," he added.

"I will call you when we're already back home at eleven," she reassured him.

"Call me when you already arrive at the venue. You have to call me every thirty minutes when you are already inside the bar. I just want to be sure you're safe every minute. I won't be sleeping tonight until I know you're already home safe. Please call me, okay?"

"Yes, I will call you," she promised.

"I miss you, Jess!"

"I miss you more, Adam." She replied sweetly. "Talk to you later..."

"Wait-don't forget to call me every thirty minutes, okay?" he reminded her again.

She smiled, touched by his over-protectiveness. "Isn't that too much...?" she protested.

"When it comes to your safety, nothing is too much, Jess," he replied in adamant voice.

"Okay, thanks for the concern. I love you," she smiled, she felt his love enveloped her in a tight embrace.

"I love you too, Jess."

"Bye Adam..."

"Bye Jess..."

Jessy put back her smartphone on the table and continue brushing her hair. Later, she will take a shower and prepare herself for the party.

~~~o0o~~~

Adam was watching a science fiction movie on his laptop. It's already thirty minutes past ten o'clock. The last time he received a call from Jess was thirty minutes ago. He was waiting for her call anytime soon...they were not able to talk much earlier because of the loud music blaring inside the venue.

The clock hanging on the wall of his bedroom showed eleven o'clock. Still, she didn't call...

He keeps calling her on his phone, it keeps ringing but nobody answers the phone. Where is Jessy? Why she's not answering her damn phone!?

He started worrying, his worries intensify as minutes passed by...

He kept pacing back and forth in his bedroom...

Answer the damned phone, Jess!

This waiting is killing him...

The movie continues playing on his laptop but he was no longer interested in it. He felt very anxious!

When the clock strikes at eleven thirty and Jessy wasn't answering her phone, he already prepared himself for the worst.

Seriously, something was wrong with her!

He went to the closets and snatched his black face mask, black gloves and black hoodie sweatshirt from the bottom drawer and donned them on his body in a hurry. Next, he tied the black cloak behind his back.

When his phone starts ringing, his heart skipped a beat, hoping it was Jessy calling. He felt a huge disappointment upon seeing that it's not her.

"Adam! Jessy is missing! We can't find her!" Nana Aida's frantic voice almost shattered his eardrum. His worst suspicion was finally confirmed.

"Please calm down, Nana! I will find her, she will be fine. Please don't call the police yet. Wait for my call first, okay?" He tried to comfort the hysterical woman. He also tried to stay calm but deep inside his heart was already falling apart. His heart was beating faster, it's getting harder to breathe with every second and every minute. He was very worried about Jessy and no amount of words can explain what he feels right now.

He already got himself fully covered from head to toe...he wasted no time, he suddenly opened the window of his bedroom and leaped into the darkness of the night.

I will find you, Jess! I will search the whole damn town and if I have to tore the whole town upside down just to find you. I will do it! I swear!

He leaped between trees, buildings, and vacant spaces...camouflaged with the darkness, providing him total immunity against human's watchful eyes.

He was racing against time...