NEED TO KNOW

Giovanni Pelletier's mom says he has been missing since Aug. 1, when he was picked up by some relatives

Bridgette Pelletier says one of his last messages now haunts her amid his bizarre disappearance

The eldest of Bridgette's five children, Giovanni has a heart of gold, she says

An 18-year-old from North Carolina vanished last week during an out-of-state trip to reconnect with some relatives, according to his mom — and she says one of his last messages now haunts her amid his bizarre disappearance.

Giovanni Pelletier traveled to Florida in late July with his mother, Bridgette Pelletier, her fiancé, Jeremy Brown, and Giovanni's four siblings to visit a relative who was completing chemotherapy, Bridgette tells PEOPLE.

Giovanni had been looking forward to the trip: After he

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