Tick Tock

Tick tock, tick tock!

I watched the clock in my bedroom and it felt like it wasn't moving. It felt like the more I stared at it the more it told me to suck it up and sleep.

It was at night and the night was meant for people to sleep, and my eyes were wide open. Mine was not closing and all I wanted to do is go to my parents' bedroom and ask them if we could watch the clock together as we await the morning.

My day had been boring as hell, I didn't have anything to do throughout because I couldn't focus. Mrs. Kaden kept on trying to cheer me up but nothing worked.

I had to wait for my parents so we could eat dinner together, and even that, it was the most boring dinner we ever had as a family.

But I couldn't call that family dinner, Brandon wasn't there.

My parents had asked me whether I wanted a company with them but I had said no to them which I regret now, staring at the clock wasn't any fun.

I woke up to go and get some milk from the kitchen where I found Mrs. Kaden sitting by herself in the darkness holding her cheek, my mother had told her what was going on while we were eating supper and I guess it was eating her up.

I gave her some milk too and sat with her for a little while both of us quiet and after a while, I went back to my room and took our family photo album and stared at it.

"Have you ever wondered some of the traits you used to have since you were young were still there? Such as the nose, the shape of the mouth, the eyes oh, especially the eyes. Do the ears change?"

I was hoping to have anything to help me pass time through the night without me going crazy, but the pictures were not helpful either as I was staring at Brandon's picture of him holding me smiling.

An hour turned into hours and then the morning came, I stood up placing the album on the table and I had to catch myself fast before falling.

My head was spinning, I haven't slept for two days and it looked like if I didn't any time soon, I was not going to be able to walk.

"Hi, I am calling to ask about the report on my son. Yes… yes… Okay."

I found my father speaking on the phone I guess to the police. He looked at me and continued speaking on the phone and from his answers, there was going to be nothing.

"Hi, love. That was the police, he said they still have nothing." My dad said and I only nod at him.

We went to the table ready to eat and I was surprised to find my mother not at the table.

"Where is mom?" I asked my father.

"She left, but she will come back," My father said looking at his phone. We took our breakfast and waited for my mother to come back. My mother came back with the investigators and still, the news was the same as the police, "NOTHING."

Hours turned into a day and the day turned into a month with no sign of my brother, it was the worst with the three of us trying the best we could to keep it together.

At the beginning of the new month, we kept on looking at the media for any sign of Brandon but nothing. Then one day my father said something either my mom and I thought we will ever hear, "We need to share the story and Brandon's photos with the media, we need every help we can get."

I was surprised my father said that as neither did I nor Brandon like our photos put on social media let alone the media like tv and magazines.

"I don't think that is a good idea," my mother told my father.

"We don't have a choice, if we share the photos maybe someone will inform us if they see him." My father said.

My father's point did make sense, if we share the photos someone will call us if they see Brandon, at first, people will be surprised that the son of the Keys has grown but then they will forget about it and all we will do will be sitting and wait to hope that anyone called for the news about Brandon.

We shared Brandon's pictures, and every media kept on running it over and over. It was not useful as my parents only received more questions from people and the media.

I kept thinking of how Brandon was mad at me if he was watching his pictures displayed in the media some candy but all I wanted was for him to come home so we could explain how desperate and hopeless we are.

The media tried to help and we only received non-important calls regarding Brandon. Most of the calls were mostly about people asking for job opportunities, and others kept on harassing my parents.

The cops tried all they could and got nothing.

The private investigators and the detectives tried, and with all their expertise they still turned up with nothing too.

And then one day the story died, the media worked in its way.

It was not going to stay on one story for that long, other things were happening in the world, in town, businesses were failing and rising, the economy was going up and down and there was no way Brandon's story was going to stay in their headlines as breaking news.

Even my parents' money didn't help at all.

I guess when someone goes missing that is it.

With nothing at all, I checked through Brandon's stuff trying to get any clues but I got nothing. I felt bad as I hoped I was going to get anything mysterious and new about my brother.

I even went back to where Brandon Sean Corner in the hope of getting anything new and I still got nothing, it was bad, and the way the time passed I became more and more worried with questions Brandon was the only one who would answer.

Where the hell was he? What was my brother eating? Was my brother sleeping well?

I tried to inquire from my brother's best friends if they ever heard him saying anyone was threatening him, and they had the same answer, Brandon never told them anything about being threatened.

I had nothing, no answer.

And my brother was still missing.

With no clues at all.

With a dead-end.

My brother was missing, yes missing as the bond we have was still there and I know he is alive and he was somewhere waiting for me.

With that, I decided one thing; I was going to be a better sister.