Frizz.22 and trherring are wonderful! Thank you for the reviews (overused smiley) :)
Dated eighteen months ago, the front page of the newspaper, continuing on pages 15-17 in depth on the families stories and thorough searches, listed the names of those already disappeared. Natalie's was at the bottom, just above the bleary picture of a young girl.
The charcoal grey picture took up most of the remaining room. An article detailing about the most recent disappearance, Natalie's, was squished into any available remaining space. It bordered the right-hand side of the picture and ended in two columns underneath.
The squiggling words evaded her gaze as her sky eyes fell to the girl. She was smiling, nervously, as though she had been caught off guard by someone with the camera. Her small hands clasped the bunch of flowers she was holding for dear life, close to her chest.
Her face was perfectly rounded, Natalie traced it with her fingertip. It was so familiar, yet unrecognisable. Even if her memory was in tact, she doubted she would place the resemblance, given her present gaunt look.
The hair that framed her face was tinted dark grey, almost black. It hung in ringlets. Having no knowledge of anything before re-awakening, Natalie couldn't be sure if it would have been her choice or her parents.
Another glance at the apprehensive smile, and she was almost convinced it wasn't out of surprise, but embarrassment.
Her attire was much different to her present one. After quickly comparing her loose cotton clothes to what seemed to be a pale-coloured summer dress, Natalie scanned for a caption.
Natalie Fallow, aged 11.
Taken on her 11th birthday, just a few months before her disappearance.
Natalie hadn't been aware that she was standing, until her legs buckled and she sunk into the lumpy cushion once again.
Following the number of disappearing young teens that have occurred over the last three years, Natalie Fallow (pictured left) is the most recent youth to have gone missing.
This year alone has already seen five teens to vanish mysteriously without trace. All aged from ten to thirteen, experts believe there may be some connection.
Unable to determine quite what, it has been narrowed down to either the horrific prospect of murder or the sickening possibility of grooming.
"At first we thought it might be the work of a savage pokemon," Officer Jenny, the only authoritative figure brave enough to speak out, admits. "However, the destruction left by the beast would be evident. Unless working on orders by a trainer, its not a possible conclusion. And I for one can't think of a reason why a trainer would order their pokemon to kidnap young children…"
Her conclusion was one that was already on the authority's lips.
Natalie took a staggered breath before continuing.
Natalie Fallow, like many of the others, was last seen playing in some open area.
It was late afternoon, already growing dark, due to the approaching winter nights. November 7th is a day her parents will never forget.
Her parents claim she was a quiet, obedient child, preparing for her nearing pokemon journey that she would take once she hit thirteen.
"Although she had two years to go," her mother tells us, "it didn't deter her excitement and she'd often wander the field and wood nearby our cottage, looking, almost studying, the native pokemon."
"We never dreamt someone, or something, would snatch our precious daughter from right under our noses," Natalie's father sadly proclaims. "Else we would have taken more precaution."
But is this something that could be stopped? Authorities are advising parents to be cautious of every person, or even pokemon, their children are seen with. At times like this, no-one can be trusted.
Continues pages 15-17.
Murphy and the other girl remained silent long after Natalie had finished reading. She stared at the paper that had floated to the floor, still spread wide on the double page spread.
Random blank faces stared up at her, scattered all over the pages. The last sentence cut off from finishing. The last word, a chilling one, jumped off the page. In fact, all others like it did. Loved ones were convinced the young children were dead.
Or else they hoped.
Given the two alternatives, one couldn't blame them.
"Well?" The girl asked succinctly, devoid of all tact, once she was sure that Natalie was done.
Murphy glared at her from Natalie's other side.
"They're wrong." It was odd hearing herself speak aloud after the length of silence. Getting carried away with the article, reading about constant remembrances, she felt like she shouldn't be there. Like she had been murdered.
Her pale skin, clammy from the rain, did look like zombie flesh. Or even the transparent air of a ghost.
Her lost memory could be a result of passing through to the afterlife.
If she wasn't so sure that the ragged breathing coming from her chest was hers, she would have been convinced. And the lack of hunger for brains was another contributing factor.
"Who's wrong?"
Natalie was drawn back to overcrowded room. It was funny how claustrophobic one could feel around piles of books, instead of people.
"I wasn't murdered."
Talk about stating the obvious.
Given the stranger's impatient sigh, she was thinking of some sarcastic quip. But she regained control. "Were you… Were you… You know?" She failed to ask, but it was obvious as to what she wanted to know. This prompted another glare.
Natalie took a while to answer. The atmosphere was so tense and uncomfortable. It was funny how Natalie, the victim, was the only one able to stand it.
"No."
She sounded so sure. Murphy, who had taken to pacing a few feet away, wheeled round. She was looking up, straight ahead. Still pale, but so sure. So sure that not even the nosey stranger questioned.
Instead, an audible breath of air escaped her lips.
"Then," Murphy was much more careful. He approached the fragile girl, shivering as the dampness seeped through her skin and the terrors broke the chain of questions in her mind, and kneeled beside her. "What happened?"
He spoke slowly, letting her no that there was no rush, no forcefulness. If she didn't want to answer right now, she didn't have to.
It was barely a whisper. What escaped barely lingered on her lips.
"I don't know."
He blinked, ignoring the blonde girl's continued need to know. As he stared into Natalie's weary eyes, yesterday's scene replayed in his mind.
"…Please," Natalie turned to the equally pale, equally fragile woman separated from the crowd, hidden behind the desk. "You have to tell me what they did!"
"What were you going to tell me?" Murphy asked gently.
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Fed up with being ignored and left out of the loop, the stranger stomped over to the pair.
"Sorry, but what business of this is yours?"
"What of it is yours?" She countered, hands on hips, her gold bangles jingling musically on her wrists.
As the two them started another bickering session, Natalie snuck past them and back out into the coldness.
The rain had stopped, the grass and leaves glistening with raindrops. The break of the afternoon sun, shining through gaps in the paling clouds, caused the drops to twinkle with the colours of the rainbow. If anyone ever took the time to just pause and take it in, they'd be overwhelmed by the breathtaking beauty.
Gathering her thoughts, breathing in the cold air deeply, Natalie took that moment in.
A pleasant break from the madness.
Happy chattering was the distraction she needed from the buzzing in her head. Mud trailed many paths in the lobby, both dry and wet. More and more trainers pushed past the stationary girl, in order to leave or enter. Now that the rain had ceased, fire, ground and rock type trainers were eager to resume their training. Others, who weren't big fans of the water themselves, were eager to continue their journeys. And now that the rain had stopped, water type trainers, amongst a few others, were bringing in their worn out pokemon to rest them.
There was a scarlet-haired woman stood behind the desk, talking into a headset. Her long, wavy hair was tucked back, behind her ears, held into place by a simple headband. She sent tremors down Natalie's spine as she recalled her last pokemon centre experience.
She sunk into a vacant seat, hidden in the corner to remove herself from the attention of others. She hoped Murphy would know where to look, but she had to escape the library. The argument that had broken out between him and the strange girl was a stroke of luck, she needed some time to mull over her thoughts and make some sense of everything, before she revealed what she knew.
And before the automatic doors slid open to reveal the kindly saviour, Natalie had come to a decision. What better way to explain what she knew than to show him?
I've just realized, I haven't introduced many pokemon or battling. I apologise. There will be, just bear with.
Murphy's past will be back next chapter, how he got his wonderful furret, Prancer. And the stranger will be sticking around. You'll meet her team soon, and Natalie will get her first pokemon. I'm unsure of which.
Answers on a postcard please- charmander, cyndaquil, vulpix, growlithe or ponyta.