Kino: Don't ask how I came up with this. Hopefully you will recognize what this is based off of.
The School Project
By Kino Lady of the Divine
Chapter 1: Abentis
"Missing?" the red haired woman asked. "As in, they are no where to be found?"
"Well," the officer said, "not exactly. We have found a vehicle. It was registered under your son's name, Ms. Nuwanga."
"You…you found Tahu's car? Where is it? Where is it! And where is my son!"
"Ms. Nuwanga, I assure you, your son is safe. He…just hasn't been found.
"What do you mean 'he hasn't been found?' I want my son! Tell me where he is!"
"Ma'am, please, your son isn't the only one missing. There are other families whose children are gone." The officer gestured to the few others behind her, all standing nearby, wrapped in their coats, which protected them from the November gusts.
"Neasca, please!" a blue-black haired woman said, laying a gloved hand on the jacketed shoulder. "I want Gali back, as much as you want Tahu back. Here, have some cocoa."
"God dammit, Anara!" Neasca said, smacking away her friend's hand that held the foam cup of sweet, dark liquid. "Our children are out there, cold and hungry. Cocoa won't fix anything. It won't bring them back. Tahu may be strong, but he isn't bright, like your Gali. He needs his mother— "
"He doesn't need you, you just want him back so you can baby him." a dark skinned man spat through his teeth.
Anara held her friend back from saying a thing more.
"Neasca, please, I know you are on edge, but for your son's sake, please, do not argue further!" Anara begged. Neasca sighed and gave a stubborn 'humph' to the small company. "Please, officer, are you sure there is nothing else?"
"Not yet, ma'am, but I promise, you will be the first to know. I trust you will tell the others?"
"Of course."
"It didn't feel right," Neasca said, "by the woods."
"I know what you mean." Anara said, pouring water into the coffee maker.
A timer beeped, and the dark haired woman seemed to float over to the stove and took out a roast beef which has been in there.
"How can you cook at a time like this?"
"Sorry. Whenever I'm nervous, I tend to cook."
"Typical housewife."
There was a pause in their conversation.
"Neasca…?"
"Hmn?"
"Do you think that we'll ever have them back? Tahu? Gali? And the others?"
"Ana…"
"I mean, no one ever goes into the forest. I never should have let them go. Gali is so convincing when she wants to be. She really wanted to go, and…and I let her."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. I shouldn't have let Tahu do a report on her. He wanted Gali to go with him, more than anything. The two have been through a lot together, since you three moved here."
"Yes, but still…It's been two months since they've gone into those God forsaken woods. You think we'd in the least have heard from them by now. Kopaka had a cell phone, wouldn't he have tried calling?"
"From what his records online show, multiple times, he got through only once."
"And that's when we knew they needed help."
Neasca nodded. She sighed and looked at the pot roast.
"Why let this food go to waste?" She grabbed two finely detailed plates from the white washed cupboards, and loaded them with the food.
Anara followed her, as her friend set the food on the table. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. Not eating for a few days can do that to you, she reminded herself.
The two women ate in silence. At times they would poke their food, while drifting off, thinking of the missing children. Other times they would just eat.
It was Anara who broke the silence, by bursting into unwanted sobs. Neasca was instantly at her side, saying soothing things and giving her warm hugs.
She needs this. Neasca told herself. She hasn't cried this entire time.
"Hey, hey." the red-haired woman said in her softest voice. "Ana, hey. It's alright. Come along, let's get you to bed."
The two clung to each other as the rain pattered down on the glass of the windows. Outside, lighting struck far off and thunder gently rolled over the land in low rumbles.
As the two went along, Neasca turned off lights, leaving them in the silver light of the dim lights from out in the storm.
Their soft shuffles of feet over the wood and carpet was the only sound, except for their breathing.
Neasca didn't like the sound, it was too soft. She hummed a lullaby she had sung to Tahu when he was a young child. Tears slowly began to brim her eyes at the thought of her only child. Would she ever get to see him again?
Officer Jon Margous sigh and wiped his sweating brow. The recent case of the missing teens had pretty much taken over his life.
"How do six teens just disappear into nothing?" he asked himself. "It's impossible! That witch best not be involved in this."
He shuffled through their files. Tahu Nuwanga, Age: 17, Red hair, Pink eyes. Kopaka Naverange, Age: 16, White hair, Blue eyes. Gali Naverange, Age: 16, Blue hair, Gold eyes. Pohatu Noramba, Age: 15, Brown hair, Brown eyes. Onua Necrama, Age: 18, Bald, Green eyes. And Lewa Nyzolen, Age: 14, Green hair, Yellow eyes.
These kids weren't ordinary kids, odd hair colors and eye colors and what not. They were Americans, nonetheless, and were to be found like any other, respectable U.S. citizen.
"You don't get many kids like them in Maryland." he muttered.
He opened the first file, Tahu Nuwanga. He was an average student and was a bully at a young age, due to the death of his father. Lived in Burkittsville his entire life. Has many friends, though is in fights at school.
He set the file down and picked up the next. Kopaka Naverange was the cousin of Gali Naverange. Moved here three years ago. Straight A student, little friends and practically no social life.
Gali Naverange was the next file. A well respected student, highly involved at school. Many friends since she moved here after her father's death, twelve years ago. Good friends with everyone that was missing.
Pohatu Noramba was a friendly student, average in his grades. Well liked and a part of the Track and Field team. He was also into film making.
"He was filming everything." Margous said softly. He set the file down and looked at the next.
Onua Necrama was the oldest of his friends, along with the oldest of the school. He scored high in academics and was well liked. He also had many secret admirers. He was good friends with Noramba and Nyzolen, who grew up in the same neighborhood he did.
Margous picked up the last file, Lewa Nyzolen. He was the youngest and probably the most missed. He was very involved and highly liked. He never ranked high in school, but he wasn't low, either, more of a C ranged student.
These six teens were friends and were missing, gone off on an assignment for school.
It was Nuwanga's assignment, he thought, Noramba thought a documentary would be perfect. You'd think they would have known better, living here most of their lives. They have no fear. I don't think I'd ever have the courage, that's why I became an officer.
He chuckled, and turned off the little lamp deck before leaving the office.
It was days later before any news was heard about the children. But when there was news, it came late into the night.
Neasca and Anara had been living together since the children had gone off on the documentary. Both enjoyed the other's company, so they often found comfort in knowing where the other was.
The two women could not sleep, both sat laughing, playing poker. They had found it amused them when neither of them could go to sleep. They sat on the patio, wrapped in their robes with steaming mugs of coffee.
The phone inside rang, making both women jump out of their seats. It was Anara who rushed inside and picked it up.
"Naverange residence, Anara speaking, who may I ask is calling?" the blue-black haired woman asked.
"Ms. Naverange," Officer Margous's voice said over the phone, "we found something."
The families had gathered at the station to see what the search partied had found.
"Video footage." Margous said, holding up a film canister. He brought it over to the old projector. "We nearly missed it, but we found it, nonetheless."
He easily fed the film through, after the lights had been turned off. Training the rookies gave him plenty of practice of feeding the film to the projector in the dark.
"We being at the beginning, day 1..."
Kino: And so, we begin. Let me know what you think. I open to criticism , so don't hold back.