I’m participating in the Forward Motion writer’s site’s May Story A Day challenge. I’m not writing a story every day but I have committed to writing at least 10 stories this month. This is one of them. Enjoy.

Brittany’s thumbs flew over the keyboard on her Nova 238 touch screen phone as she walked to the coffee shop. Have you heard? she texted.

What? Her best friend Candy typed back.

Another 150 people missing.

OMG! What’s happening?

Don’t know. Hang on, text from Danny. Brittany pulled up her friend Danny’s text.

Brent is missing.

Brittany’s hand flew up and covered her mouth. OMG! When?

His mother called the police this morning.

She entered the coffee shop and stood in line at the counter. Everyone in line was on their phones, typing. Know anything?

No. Cops are searching.

Tks. Gotta get back to Candy. CU. The line moved forward as she tapped the screen keys. Brent is missing, she texted Candy. I’m gonna get on Flutter. She got out of the text app and signed into her Flutter account. She scanned the first few posts. It was all about missing people. Brent is missing, she tapped onto the page.

The barrista asked, “How can I help you today?”

Brittany never looked up from her typing. “Frappachino, whip, half caf.” His poor mom and dad, she typed as she moved to the end of the counter to wait for her drink.

OMG! Candy replied to her post. What are the cops doing?

Don’t know but so many people R missing.

Somebody shud do something.

The barrista placed the drink in front of Brittany who nodded absently as she picked it up. She went to sit at a table. Everyone in the place was on a phone, typing. Word, she typed in reply.

In a new post Candy asked, Seen Betty?

Not since yesterday. Brittany took a sip of her frappachino.

Hope she’s not missing too.

Brittany took a quick look around the coffee shop. Betty came here too. She’s not at the coffee shop, she replied.

The only sounds in the shop were the barristas making coffee and the music coming over the sound system. Brittany shook her phone.

Bad reception, screen is going all wonky.

Mine too, Candy replied.

A noise to her left made Brittany look. The table was empty, except for a paper cup and a phone. She could see the screen, on the person’s Flutter page, still on. She looked around the room. Everyone’s heads were down, focused on the screen in front of them. Weird, she thought. Maybe he went to the bathroom. She sipped her drink and returned to the screen.

Everything is weird lately, she typed.

Danny responded. Tell me about it.

The phone screen fluttered again. Damn. What’s wrong with Flutter today? Candy posted.

Don’t know. Brittany replied. It’s been going on for weeks.

They should fix it. Candy answered.

Dan, is your Flutter acting strange? Brittany posted.

Mine is, Candy responded.

Dan? Brittany posted.

Maybe he got off?

The phone screen fluttered again. Brittany shook her phone again and looked around the room. Half the tables were empty, phones lying on them. Something strange is going on at the coffee shop, Brittany posted.

She sipped her frappachino while she waited for Candy’s response. A minute went by, Candy? Another minute went by. Brittany was looking out the window of the coffee shop, when she saw a woman at the window table turn to smoke and get sucked into her phone. It fell, clattering, to the table. She blinked. “That did not happen.” She called over to the barrista’s. “Did you see that?”

One of the girls behind the counter stopped making coffee and looked at her. “See what?”

Brittany pointed. “There was a woman at the window table. Her phone is still there.”

The barrista shook her head. “People have been leaving their phones behind for weeks. We have a box full of them in the back.”

“No, she was sucked into her phone!”

The barrista’s eyebrow’s raised. “Sucked into her phone?”

Brittany looked around the shop. “Anyone else see that?”

Only two people looked up. They stared at her, then shook their heads and went back to their phones.

The barrista shook her head and went back to work.

Brittany picked up her phone, Candy still hadn’t responded. That wasn’t like her friend at all. They talked all day on Flutter. She typed, Candy? Danny? You still on?

The screen fluttered again. She waited until her frappachino was gone. I’m going to her house, Brittany decided.

Outside she flagged a taxi and gave Candy’s address. When she got there, no one answered the door. She tapped her foot. Candy worked from home. Where could she be? Brittany pulled out her phone and tried to text her friend. She could hear the text notification signal from inside the apartment. She pounded on the door. “Candy? It’s Brittany. Are you OK?”

No answer. She dialed 911.

“Hi,” she said when the operator answered.

“I’m at my friend’s door. I can hear her phone but she’s not answering the door. I’m afraid something might be wrong. Can you send someone?”

The operator took some convincing but she agreed to send a patrol car.

Brittany waited. When the cops arrived she told them about her fears. They called the Super to unlock the door. Inside, everything was in order, no signs of struggle. The phone was on Candy’s desk. The officers took her report and locked up.

Brittany signed into Flutter. My friend Candy is missing, she typed into a post. The screen fluttered again. Condolences from other friends poured into her feed.

A week later, the Flutter site crashed permanently. Bugs in the software, the news reported. Brittany stopped using social media. Her friends Candy, Danny, Betty and Brent were never found.

 

The End

939 Words

Find more of the Forward Motion Flash Friday Group here: http://www.fmwriters.com/flash.html