Dustin was out of smokes and getting a bit fidgety. He was planning on staying in all day with minimal clothing and trolling on Gaia Online’s Life Issues forum, but his own life issues were becoming more apparent with every twitch and mood swing. Without hardly a dollar to his name, he had no choice but to steal a couple bucks from Alexandre’s room before heading to the nearest convenient store for some light shopping. A pack of Twizzlers, a tube of Pringles, a Monster filled his hands as he made his way over to the register.

“Pack of…,” Dustin started, nodding over to his brand of choice behind the counter. But something unusual caught his eye. There was a flyer posted behind the counter for a missing person… and the missing person was him.

“MISSING PERSON: REWARD $50,000”


But what really caught his eye was the photo. The photo of himself.

“HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?
Dylan Van Hootensberg
Age: 19 | Height: 5’11” | Weight: 165
Last seen February 23, 2013 leaving home in midtown Destiny City on corner of Columbus and 73rd

If you have any information or have seen Dylan please contact the police immediately!

PLEASE HELP


His family was looking for him. They were probably heartbroken without him. In all of his identity changing, he had barely considered those he left behind, those that he thought wouldn’t care much about his absence. It was a sudden feeling of guilt, remorse, sadness, anger, helplessness and despair all coming at him with one swift punch to his gut. His face lost all color and he nearly dropped everything to the floor at the onset of a panic attack.

The convenient store clerk turned to look behind him for what may have caught Dustin’s eye and shrugged. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Dustin uttered, trying to shake off his nerves. “Malboro Reds, please.”

“Did you know that missing kid?” the clerk asked as he totaled up the cost.

“He’s just somebody that I used to know,” he said. He slapped whatever cash he had on the counter, not even paying attention to the register as his stuff was bagged.

Could he call home? Let his family know that he ran away, that he’s safe, but that he won’t be coming home? Or tell the truth, if they would believe him? Tag had told him not to contact anyone close from his past, but he never got a say in any of this. In being brought into the Negaverse, in losing his identity – any of it. It was a huge cost, and he didn’t realize just how huge it was. He was angry - no, livid – at Tag for causing this all to happen.

Dustin stormed out, immediately pulling out a cigarette to clam himself down. His hands were fidgeting more than ever, and not even the return of tobacco to his system was doing enough to fully calm him down.