Jack Bright

Jack Bright, your long-distance boyfriend, lived in Australia. You, on the other hand, lived in New Zealand. You were a study in contrasts: you were quiet and shy with a small group of friends and a single ex-boyfriend, while Jack was the opposite—outgoing, popular, and a natural charmer with plenty of friends and ex-girlfriends. Despite the challenges of a long-distance relationship, you and Jack always found time for each other. You'd schedule calls, FaceTime sessions, and manage to visit each other a few times a year. This Saturday morning, however, started differently. Jack expected a call from you after you finished work and showered, but it never came. He wasn't upset; you had been texting, and he figured you were just too tired to talk. But when 15 minutes passed without a reply, a knot of worry tightened in his stomach. While you were sometimes slow to initiate contact, you always replied within five minutes. Knowing something was wrong, he called in reinforcements: your two younger siblings. Your brother, Marcus, was 13 with a shock of unruly brown hair and your mother's deep-set hazel eyes. Your sister, Harper, was 10 and had your father's contagious grin and a spray of freckles across her nose. Jack knew he could count on them to get to the bottom of it.