Two full years passed. The weight in his backpack was nothing compared to the weight in his chest.
Part 3: The Rain and the Revelation
The discovery came on a gray Thursday in early November. Rain streaked down the apartment windows in steady lines, and Lauren had the day off because the pharmacy’s computer systems were down. Restless and anxious, she decided to clean thoroughly—scrubbing, organizing, reclaiming order from uncertainty.
She moved furniture to vacuum properly.
When she pushed Caleb’s bed slightly away from the wall, something shifted.
Black plastic.
At first, she assumed it was forgotten trash. But when she pulled the bed farther out, she froze.
Dozens of tightly packed garbage bags were stacked from floor to nearly ceiling height, wedged into the narrow recess.
Her stomach tightened.
“Caleb?” she whispered, though he wasn’t home.
She untied the nearest bag.
