I awoke to the hum of the old radiator that filled my uncomfortably warm room. I searched for the light switch in my dark room before getting dressed and heading downstairs for breakfast. After searching in the fridge for something to eat, I found Thursday’s pancake batter. Stored in a light blue mixing bowl, with a film of plastic covering its top, and acting like a lid. I put the batter bowl next to the oven and searched my cupboards for a pan. When I found one, I put some butter on it, before turning up the heat on my stovetop, and setting the pan down to let the butter melt.

I became a bit panicked when I heard faint footsteps behind me. “What are you cooking?” Phel asked, I mentally sighed in relief. “Pancakes, want some?” I asked.
“Sure”

A silence ensued, as I focused on cooking. The butter slowly melted into a shallow golden brown pool that coated the bottom of my pan. I grabbed a rubber spatula, the type used for mixing batter, and used it to portion out a pancake with batter on the pan. I smoothed it out with a metal spatula.

“It snowed while you were sleeping, you know. I think it started at around noon.” Phel said.

“How much, I don’t want to walk to work in a foot of snow.”

“I don’t know, let me go check.” Phel went over to the window as the pancake batter began to bubble, I grabbed the metal spatula and flipped it over. A slight sizzle filled the kitchen, and I went to grab a plate to put the pancake on when it finished.

“L—ks like a c—-le inches.” Phel said.

“What did you say? Sorry I was a bit distracted.”

“It looks like it snowed a couple of inches.”

“Sounds like a pain.” I said as I took the pancake off the pan and put it on the plate I had grabbed, before starting another one.

“Can I have this one?” Phel asked.

“Sure, if you only want one pancake that is.”

“Thank you!” Phel took the plate and grabbed a fork from the silverware drawer. She then went to the fridge and searched in there for a bit. The pancake I was working on began to bubble, so I flipped it before grabbing another plate.

“Do you know where the syrup is?”

“I don’t have any, that stuff is too sticky and gets everywhere.”

“Yet you decided to make pancakes? You can’t eat these without syrup.”

“Why not, the syrup just covers up the taste of the pancakes to me. Seriously there is no reason to have any.”

“That is just you, you know? It is not like you wouldn’t have any guests who prefer to have syrup on their pancakes.”

“Like who?”

“Don and me.” It was quiet for a second, I took the second pancake off the pan before portioning out a second one. I looked back at Phel, she was sitting on a chair staring at the ceiling. Well, I guess that was a bad point to stop our conversation.

“Don’t you mean me and Don?” I said trying to change the subject

“Does that really matter?” She muttered while keeping her gaze on the ceiling. That was an old habit for her whenever she was uncomfortable with a topic she would stare at the ceiling, or at the very least keep her gaze up at the sky. She would stay there until she figured out what to do next. I guess we are similar in the fact that we tend to get lost in thought regularly. Though what tends to cause it is different between us.

I looked back to the sizzling pan, and I could feel the awkward silence between us. I felt the metal spatula grow a bit heavier in my hand. There I stared at the pancake waiting to flip it. The sizzling was deafening, yet also strangely comforting.

“Have you heard anything from him, Don I mean.”

“No.”

I tightened my grip on the spatula and flipped the pancake. My heart began to race and a bunch of thoughts came into my mind: ‘I guess I really am hiding that letter from her.’ ‘I hope she doesn’t find it.’ ‘I hope she doesn’t figure this lie out.’ When the last of those thoughts passed, I let out a sigh.

“I have been asking around since he went missing, but no one has heard anything. Though I haven’t really had much contact with the police, outside of them asking me questions about Don and when I last saw/contacted him. Perhaps you could start with them, they probably have found much more than I have.” I said, perhaps to take my mind off the guilt I felt.

“I … I will visit them then, though I do hate going outside by myself at this time.”

“I guess I could escort you there then.” I said as I took the last pancake off the pan. I covered the mixing bowl once more with plastic wrap before putting it in the fridge. I grabbed myself a fork and a glass of water before taking the pancakes to the living room. I slouched down on the couch.

‘I need to get rid of that letter.’ I thought. ‘Perhaps I could head to the gas station after leading her to the police station.’

I grabbed the first pancake and folded it like a taco while ruminating on that plan. When I finished the pancakes I put on my coat, a scarf, and a hat. Phel had already gotten ready to go out.

The snow was about two inches deep and cracked with every step we took. The crescent moon hung high in the winter sky. The walk to the police station was quiet, and we barely spoke. It wasn’t until we got to the police station that I told her I was going to the gas station a block from here. I told her that I was going to ask them if they had seen anything.

The gas station was the only business in eyesight that had its lights on. It reminded me of a time I wandered around the area trying to find something to eat, only to realize that gas stations were the only things open at this hour.

The first thing I did was grab a lighter and a snack for Phel. She has always been a fan of gummy worms, for some reason. The cashier was talking to an old man, probably a customer, about local gossip. I decided to ask about Don. If there was really a group watching me, then stopping my search out of nowhere would make them suspicious.

“I am sorry too but in, but have you seen this guy? His name is Donald Fredrik, and he has been missing for two weeks.” I said as I pulled up a couple of pictures of him on my phone.

“That police guy right? I had the police ask me about him a couple of days ago. Sorry I can’t be of any help, but I haven’t seen him in over a month. A lot longer than the amount of time he has been missing I hear.” The cashier said.

“Thank you, that is pretty much what everyone I have asked so far has said.” I sighed as I put the lighter and gummy worms on the counter.

“Wait, you said he has been missing for two weeks, right?” The old guy asked and I nodded my head. “Damn those corrupt asses, when my son went missing it took them a month before they decided to look into it. They had told me that it is common for adults to leave for long periods of time, and there was no point in searching for him. That was until they found his foot abandoned, 15 miles off, on the road to Renemeade. Yet, it took less than two weeks to look into one of their own going missing. Damn them.”

“Now that you mention it they did act pretty fast. I haven’t worked here long, but this is the first time I have seen them act so fast.” The cashier said while scanning the gummy worms and lighter. I pulled out my credit card, lost in thought about what the two had said.

“Well, they don’t really serve the people anymore, only the rich….” The old man continued as I paid for the two objects before leaving. When I got to the police station I handed Phel the gummy worms.

“Did you get any news from the gas station?” She asked.

“No, I knew it was a stretch but still I don’t like that I haven’t heard anything.” I sighed.

“Well, apparently the police haven’t found anything either, and are preparing to put up missing papers across town.”

“Hopefully that will help.”

“Yeah… I hope he is safe.”

“As do I, Phel, as do I.”

“What are you, an old man?” She joked.

“Perhaps.”

We conversed as we went back home. Phel went to her room on the first floor. I grabbed a cup and a candle before heading to my room. I lit the candle before putting the crumpled paper in the ceramic cup. I opened my window and lit the letter on fire. The letter slowly unfurled as it disappeared into ash. When the letter had finished burning I grabbed a handful of snow from the windowsill and put it in the cup. A bit of ash that was stuck on my hand was smushed on the window when I closed it. I sighed in relief before opening my phone and looking for something to read. All of the fear of someone finding the letter that I had felt since I got that letter had disappeared, I was safe.