Prologue
The coastal town of Santa Carla was a well known and idyllic place to live. It sat nestled amongst rugged cliffs and rolling green hills. The popular and busy beachfront of this idyll was accessible via the promenade at the far end the main fairground. A beautiful expanse of white sand and crystal blue seas awaited any and all who walked down the boardwalk.
Santa Carla itself was popular with young and old alike. Largely in thanks to the nouveau riche. It was a tax haven of sorts for semi-professionals and families.
This little town had everything to offer. Restaurants, cinemas, good nightlife even bingo halls for the older residents. A huge array of hobbies and pastimes for people to indulge in, anything to keep them happy and here.
The outdoors was what brought people here. The cliffs, scenic walks and the beaches were the most popular places. Of course, the young and old alike enjoyed sunning themselves when the weather was good. The younger ones, always preferring to flaunt their supple young skin in copious amounts. The elders, however, were simply happy with enjoying the sun and its accompanying heat for the additional vitamin D attained, as an adjunct to their medical supplements.
This place was almost perfect during the day. Nothing was remotely suspicious when the sun was shining.
Then there were the locals. Mostly all typical families and people of good standing. The same as any other town really, nothing odd about the place except for the huge and ever increasing signage that depicted hundreds of missing kids and teens that grew year in and year out.
It was just one of those things, the local PD swept it under the carpet as cold cases, archived as lost causes.