Journal entry from 2000

"Back down on the beach, the breezes were picking up.  Sniffing the air, Jeff could somehow tell a storm was brewing off coast.  He crouched inthe sand, resting one arm loosely on his knee.  A bright, smooth stone had caught his eye, glittering in that strange metallic sunlight that happens right before a storm.  His hair whipped about as the wind rushed through, moving the waters and beach grasses.  His jacket, snapping about his arms, was plastered to his chest and his nose was turning rosy in the cooling temperature.

Back at the house, the white wooden columns holding up the veranda stood out like beacons on the deep browns and greens of the beach.  Back up there on the dune, Miri was, or at least, should be making dinner.  He imagined a mussel soup with ginger and white wine broth, perhaps.  The imagined aroma made Jeff rise up from his crouching position, smooth stone clasped unconsciously in his hand.  He turned from the ocean towards the house, trying to see into the dark, dead eyes of the windows.

Noticing the little azalea bush being pushed back and forth, the small read flowers the only specks of color in the diachrome world; Jeff's eyes slid the parking circle.  Something was missing from his vision.  Realizing with a shock that made him unclasp the stone, Jeff saw that his wife's car was not parked at the house or anywhere near it.  Had it been there when he had looked up at the house a while ago?  He couldn't remember and his brows furrowed as he concentrated.  Staring at the windows and the wild azalea bush, he noticed a seagull flopping dangerously in the air currents above.  Realizing himself, he bent to brush the sand from his knee and picked up the dropped stone.  Where had she gone?  He didn't even see the ground slide beneath him as he made his way up the wooden stairs leading to the house.  Perhaps she'd left a note of some kind.  After all, there was not really any place she could have gone that would be close by.  Their nearest neighbors were about 5 miles away and the town was about 45 minutes by car.  He trudged up the gravel path to the side door, letting it squeak open as he entered the house.  It felt lifeless and close inside.

There had been no note on the door, but perhaps the front door of the fridge?  Jeff passed through the family room to the glass front door.  Even though he could see both sides, he wanted to make sure and cracked the door to run his hand along the wooden frame.  No note there, either.  He frowned, playing with the stone in his pocket, flipping it through his fingers.  He turned from the door and shuffled through the eating room to their wide, white kitchen.  None of the lights were on in the house and it was getting darker fast with the approaching storm.  No notes on the fridge as well.  Where had she gone and not left a note?  Had she said something to him that he had just forgotten?  He started to get worried now, pinching the stone ever harder between his fingers in his pocket as his frown became deeper.  He stepped over to the big calendar on the side wall facing the bathroom.  No, nothing written down.  He checked the phone messages.  There was only some message from the tailor's shop in town saying something about the alterations on his suit pants.  Now angry, Jeff shoved his finger into the "Erase Messages" button.  She hadn't said a word!   Jeff could feel his ears burning and knew his face was red.  She hadn't made dinner!  He looked into the refrigerator and saw the same old set up; no prepared meals, only condiments and raw ingredients.  He slammed the refrigerator door.

"Where the f--- did she go?!" He yelled out in frustration as he pounded his fist onto the kitchen island counter top.  Huffily, Jeff marched to the hall closet, ripped off his jacket and threw it inside.  He now went on  a search through the house to find any clues to Miri's disappearance.  Nothing! Nothing seemed out of place which would lead him to any conclusions.

He went into the bedroom and searched quickly over the drawers and bureau surfaces.  Stopping to look out at the dark sky and first splatters of rain against the glass pane, and out of the corner of his eye, Jeff saw a small, white piece of paper, half-tucked into his side of the bed."