"Maria…" he whispered. "I'll find you."
The Next Morning
A loud sound of morning prayers echoed through the house.
Sam was sleeping in his room. Still half-asleep, he groaned and buried his face into his pillow.
"Come on, Dad… not again."
His sleep had been incomplete. He had gone to bed late the previous night, and now the loud prayer made it nearly impossible for him to get any more rest.
He tried covering his head with the pillow, but the sound was too intense.
Eventually, he gave up.
Sam opened one eye and slowly got out of bed. As he remembered what had happened the previous night, he made his way toward the hallway.
The house was a single-story home with two additional rooms upstairs, both connected directly to the staircase. The ground floor consisted of one room, a hall, and an open kitchen.
While walking downstairs, Sam noticed Bruce sitting at the table, writing something on a piece of paper.
Sam walked over and turned off the speaker.
Bruce looked up.
"Hey, Sam. You're awake. How's your back feeling?"
"It's fine," Sam replied.
"Alright. Get fresh and have your breakfast."
Sam looked at the paper in Bruce's hand.
"Are you making a grocery list, Dad?"
"Yeah, of course." Bruce continued writing. "Is there anything wrong?"
Sam tried to remember something.
"But why so suddenly?"
Bruce looked at him with a confused expression.
"What do you mean by 'suddenly'? It's the weekend, and we have our weekend gathering as usual. We need groceries, don't we?"
He paused and looked at Sam more closely.
"Is your head alright?"
Sam scratched his head and smiled.
"Yeah, it's all fine."
He turned toward the stairs.
"Alright, I'll be ready in an instant."
About an hour later, Sam and Bruce were ready to leave.
As they stepped outside, Sam stopped at the doorstep.
"Are we going by bus?"
"Uh… yes. Why?" Bruce replied.
Sam pointed toward the front yard.
"Then when are we going to use that?"
Bruce chuckled.
"Alright. Go get the keys."
Sam quickly went back inside.
Bruce walked toward the object covered by a dusty sheet. He grabbed the edge and pulled it away.
Underneath was a classic cruiser motorcycle, covered in a thin layer of dust.
Sam returned with the keys and looked at the bike.
"Hmm… it still looks the same, but it's covered in dust."
"Don't worry about the dust. Just give me the keys."
Bruce took them.
A moment later, the roar of the motorcycle echoed through the street as they headed toward the supermarket.
Bruce and Sam entered the supermarket and began gathering everything from the list.
Later, Bruce realized that a few things they needed weren't available there. He handed a small list to Sam.
"Get these from the nearest store."
Sam took the list and headed outside.
He got on the motorcycle and rode toward the nearest store.
After finding everything on the list, Sam stood at the billing counter while the staff member prepared his bill.
Suddenly, a girl behind him spoke urgently.
"Sir, please move aside. It's urgent."
Sam moved his things aside.
"Yeah, ma'am. Sure."
The girl quickly placed an item on the counter and asked the staff member to bill it as soon as possible.
Sam was busy arranging his things, so he didn't get a chance to see her face.
By the time he turned around, she had already left.
He looked toward the exit.
The door was still swinging slightly, as if someone had just walked through it.
Sam turned back toward the counter.
"Alright, let's finish mine too."
After paying, Sam turned to leave.
Then he noticed something beneath his foot.
He moved his foot and looked down.
It was an ID card.
"Hey… whose ID is this?"
The counter staff glanced at it.
"Oh, that belongs to the girl who just left."
The staff member added, "It must have fallen when she was taking out her cash."
Sam picked up the card and flipped it over.
His expression suddenly changed.
The name printed on the ID was:
Maria Williamson.
The voice of the counter staff became distant.
"She was in a hurry, so she lef—"
Sam clenched his grip around the carry bag.
Without another word, he sprinted toward the exit.
He rushed outside and looked around.
There was no sign of her.
Sam approached a few people standing outside and held up the ID.
"Hey! Did you guys see her?"
Nobody knew anything.
Sam stood there, staring at the ID in his hand.
What should I do now?
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
It was Bruce.
Sam answered.
"Hey, where are you, Sam? I'm looking for you."
Sam lifted his head and looked around the crowded street.
"I've got some important work, Dad. I'll be back later."
Before Bruce could respond—
"Even on the weekend?"
Sam hung up.
He looked down at the ID again.
Then something caught his attention.
The permanent address printed on it was in the same city where Sam currently lived.
His eyes widened.
How is this possible?
I've been living here for about many years. How could I have never seen her even once if she lives here too?
He shook his head.
I'll deal with this later. I should find her first. She must still be nearby.
And so, Sam began searching.
He wandered through the market, checking shops, streets, stalls, and every possible place where he thought he might find Maria.
Hours passed.
By the time twilight arrived, Sam was still searching.
He stood on a crowded street, looking around.
Suddenly, a cyclist passed dangerously close to him and bumped into his shoulder, pushing him backward.
Sam steadied himself.
"What's wrong with him?"
He started moving forward, still watching the cyclist disappear into the crowd.
Then—
He bumped into someone.
Before Sam could even turn around, a girl's frightened voice came from behind him.
"I'm very sorry. I was—"
She suddenly stopped.
For a moment, she stared at him.
Her expression changed.
She looked as though she was trying to recognize him.
Then, almost subconsciously, she whispered—
"Sam…"
Sam's heartbeat suddenly peaked.
He knew that voice.
He slowly turned toward her.
It was Maria.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
The colorful lights from the nearby stores illuminated the crowded street. People continued walking around them, cars passed by, and the city carried on as usual.
But for Sam and Maria, everything seemed to stop.
They stood frozen in front of each other.
They were close enough for Sam to see the scratches on Maria's face, wound on her neck—and the unmistakable terror in her eyes.
Sam tried to break the silence with a forced smile.
"Um… hey. I guess I know you."
He hesitated.
"Are you Maria?"
Before she could answer, someone suddenly grabbed her.
A man in a corporate outfit, holding a blazer in one hand, stepped beside her and pulled her closer.
He looked at Sam with a suspicious smile.
"Yes, she is Maria. Maria Williamson."
He paused.
"And I'm Kane Williamson."
The man was noticeably older than Maria.
Kane looked at Sam.
"Do you know my wife?"
The word wife struck Sam like lightning.
His expression froze.
He didn't even know why those words affected him so deeply.
All he could do was stare at Maria.