"She's not picking up the phone." - Dima was pacing around the room, as he called Aya multiple times, but still no answer. Then halted and went to pack. - "I did tell you I'd come."
After half an hour of packing, then getting on a taxi, the airport and now the town that has the airport - Verga. Roughly 100 kilometres from Rene. Due to being late in the day - Dima got his rented car and headed to the hotel that's closer to the border of the town, one that's in the direction of Rene.
Having sleep was still needed, as he was awake for two full days by now. The whole sense of not functioning well was definitely here.
The room was nice. Quiet, facing the weird garden and weird house just opposite the hotel. The hotel itself was just the rooms that were above an old pub. "A tavern with a backstory" - thought Dima, as he got in.
After the shower and change of clothes - Dima went to sleep.
The dream was rather hectic - he saw someone being chased in a church, or maybe a cathedral, but it was so messy. Screaming to that person to get out, but they couldn't. Dima woke up in cold sweat, checking the alarm clock on a bed stand - 3:33 am.
"What the hell?" - He wiped his sweat off of his forehead with the palm of his hand, then turned around to sleep on his side. "Some weird shit." - He thought as he went back to.
Morning came early, as he got up at 6, then packed and went ahead to get the rented car from the parking lot. As he headed to, an old lady came to him, grabbing him by the wrist of his hand.
"Grave danger, I sense grave danger." - She looked down onto the pavement, as she spoke, then looked up to look Dima in the eyes. - "I'm so sorry. So really sorry." - The old lady did genuinely look sorrowful.
"I uh, I gotta go." - Dima pulled his hand out of her grip, as he hurried to the car.
It took an hour and a bit to get to Rene. For some reason the whole lot of the hotels were booked up. Some damn event took place here for a week, so the whole lot of 14 days - absolutely not possible to find anything. But that was just a check and precaution. Just in case.
Dima hurried to the Academic town, as he got there, to the dorms where Aya was staying - he met the attendant.
"Is Aya here?" - He asked at the desk.
An old man with a beard, grey as his hair, glasses thick as a window pane, chubby and somewhat looking hateful of all that is - stared at Dima with disdain.
"Not here." - The old man replied.
"What do you mean not here? She was staying here for a few months, working with Levin." - Dima insisted.
The old man got a more sour expression.
"Not here!" - He barked at Dima.
"But she was here!" - Dima shot back. - "Did she leave?"
"You fucking rascals with your shenanigans!" - An old man threw the newspaper he read at Dima. - "I told you no such person is here! Now bugger off!"
"Fuck!" - Thought Dima to himself, as he left the man alone, turning to his car, walking towards it. - "The office should know then."
He got to the office - asked about his wife and to his own bewilderment - nobody knew what he was on about. They all claimed that she was never there.
"What do you mean she was never here?" - Dima was boiling over from the whole situation.
"I'm telling you sir," - The Office Clerk Lady was holding the fort with her customer service level. - "I've just checked the system, not a single person by the name Aya Litatio was in this place. No personnel, not even a student. I suggest you sort this on your end. We just don't have the information."
Defeated, confused, angry, fuming, Dima went to his car. He stood near his car, smoking, with the car parked in the parking space near the office.
"That's fucking insane. It's all fucking insane." - He was jittery, looking around to maybe get answers from the air.
A student walked up to him, handed him a piece of paper and walked off.
Dima was caught off-guard, but intrigued. Once the cigarette was finished, he got in his car and opened the folded paper - note inside had the address in Rene, with time noted - 5pm.
"Fine." - Dima said, as he got out of the Academy town and headed to the address mentioned by the note.
He parked in the spot near the pub. By the looks of it - some really old pub with a pretty odd bunch walking in and out. Though as it stood - not one person noticed anything odd.
People on the street were about their own life. Who cares about someone who is not there by their merit. Or perception even.
"Hey." - Dima dialed the number of his coworker.
"Found her?" - Pietro replied.
"No. The damn place said she did not exist. Never was. It's absolutely mad." - Dima was telling him, with utmost disbelief in own voice.
"That's definitely fucked up. I got even more sad news though - I checked with the aviation company, she never boarded the plane." - Pietro said, solemnly.
"Fuck…" - Dima let out tiredly.
"What now?" - Pietro let out with his breath, as if he was asking his own self. - "Dima, how about you stay there and seek for her. Any traces. Anything. I'll try to get things going this side. File some reports. Shall let you know once I do. Hang in there. I'll come to you once I finish up here."
"For now just keep doing the job. Otherwise the superintendent will have us on the chopping block, if we both disappear." - Dima replied.
"Be careful out there." - Pietro added.
"Yeah, you too." - Dima let out, then tiredly pushed the button on a phone and showed it in his jacket pocket.
The cold was pretty annoying. Smoking outside was not too bad, but standing in one place - sure bit the skin with cold even through the clothes.
Once it was time - Dima walked to the address. A book shop just a bit lower from the pub.
Walking in felt nice - warm air felt cozy, the smell of the books, coffee and pastry was filling the place. That's when he noticed that the books were in the front, but the back of the place had a little cafe. Sort of a hidden nook with the magical feel about it, having all those curtains draped in there, lanterns and suncatchers.
There was the student, sitting at the small rounded table, coffee in front of him. Once he saw Dima, he shot up, standing there like a soldier.
"Hi." - The young man said. - "Ah, please sit." - He added after a moment's pause.
Dima sat opposite him.
"So why did you ask me here?" - Dima asked directly.
"I uhm," - The youngster leaned in and spoke in a more hushed tone. - "I rather others not hear what we'll speak about, so please hold your voice down." - Youngster checked the rest of the premises - which were empty. No other customers in this shop. Then turned once more to Dima. - "You asked about professor Aya. I heard you when you were in the office."
"Do you know where she is?" - Dima leaned onto the table, closer to the youngster, eager for the answer.
The youngster shook his head, sorrowfully.
"I wish I knew. I truly wish I knew. But all I do know is that she was here. Assisting Levin the whole time. Then she disappeared. It was a week ago. Since she just…" - The boy flailed his hands. - "...Wanished."
"Wait." - Dima leaned back. - "What do you mean a week ago? I spoke to her just a day before yesterday. Late in the evening." - Feeling absolutely confused he was trying to piece it somewhat together.
The youngster shook his head.
"No, we saw her a week ago. She seemed fine then. Levin was his typical creepy self. But then after a few days, when I asked others if they find it off that professor Aya is not here - they looked at me all crazy. Asking me who that was. One of the students asked Levin about Aya, never saw the guy again. So I held out from asking him. Something just felt too creepy. Then when I asked where Ryan is to others in class - they all did the same thing when it was about professor Aya. I'm too scared to ask now. But then you showed up, asking about her, so I thought that I am not insane and she really was here."
"What?" - Dima asked, looking at the youngster, absolutely confused. - "What do you mean with that? Do they not remember?"
"It's not that… It's like suddenly they never existed in here to begin with." - The youngster answered. - "I feel like even talking to you like this might put me in danger. I just hope I don't disappear as well."
"That's madness. Why would you disappear?" - Dima felt odd.
"Ryan disappeared. And he asked. I don't want to disappear." - He replied.
"Wait, what's your name?" - Dima asked.
"Ah, it's Ilya." - Youngster replied.
"Ilya, ehh…" - Dima let out a sigh. - "How about we keep this a secret for now? So that you won't disappear."
"I agree. Secret." - Ilya checked his watch on his wrist. - "I gotta go. Otherwise it'll seem odd that I don't study in the library at this time."
"Can we meet again?" - Dima asked.
"Maybe the day after tomorrow? Same time." - Ilya said, as he got up, getting his bag.
"Sure. The day after tomorrow." - Dima repeated. - "See you then."
"Mhm." - Ilya gave a nod and went off.
Dima watched Ilya leave. The place was like the den of quiet. Looking at the coffee, at the empty plate on the table, at the curtains and the books.
"This whole situation is absolutely confusing. Just what is going on here?" - Dima thought to himself.