Sorry I didn't get a chance to update yesterday! Review Replies:
MusicalMajesty: Thanks a lot! Yeah, writers block is terrible; good luck with it!
mozzi-girl: Thanks a lot! And yeah, it was! Not so much fear of the dark; but more so fear of being alone.
BreezyFan: Thanks so much!
The Sarcastic Polar Bear: Thanks so much!
Natara Williams
The moment I see that hand, the moment I realize light and color still exists, I don't hesitate. Without looking where I'm going I sprint over to the other side of the room, grabbing the tiny pale wrist that sticks out from the door. I hear someone cry out; an unearthly sound that doesn't even sound human. But I don't let go; this is my only connection to the outside world. The only proof that I still exist. I don't even care if this is the person who took me, all I care is that there's another living person near me.
After the initial shock is over I peer through the small door. It looks like it was once an air vent; but the vent part was replaced with a metal door. When I feel the sides it's smooth; clearly only able to be opened from the outside.
The fresh air is so intoxicating; and I gulp it up like a cold drink. I hadn't realized how hot and stuffy it is in here. Although I can still hear muffled crying I pull harder on the persons arm; wanting to see another persons face so badly. When I do I see a girl; eleven at the most. Although it's nighttime I can see the girls thin blonde hair; and the moonlight reflects on the tears streaming down her face. Why is she here?
"Please, you need to get out of here" I tell her frantically; although in truth I don't want her to leave me. "You need to go back to your parents, okay? Get somewhere safe".
The girl doesn't move; her expression doesn't even change. In fact, her eyes are dusty-looking, glazed-over even. Is she blind?
"Sweetie, can you see me?" I ask frantically. She doesn't respond. "Can you see me? Did you get lost?".
This time, instead of saying something back, she reaches down and touches my face. She feels around until her hand is on my cheek, then doesn't move. What is she doing?
"Listen, you need to get out of here, okay? I'm with the police. We're the good guys, okay?".
She lets go for a second and points to her hand, and then me. Back to her hand, then me. It seems like she wants my hand…but why? I don't see any harm in it, so still using one hand to keep the door propped open, I stick the other one out. Slowly, she takes one small finger and traces letters onto my palm.
R—U—O—K
It takes me a minute to figure out what she's saying; but after a moment it clicks.
"Yes, I'm fine" I answer. Now I get it, not only is the girl blind, but it appears that she is deaf as well. Spelling on my hand is how she communicates; and she uses the way my mouth moves to tell what I'm saying. That would explain the room; maybe whoever is doing this has some connection to this girl. I don't see how Melanie could; her file said she never had any children and that she was an only child. Still, I refuse to drop this suspicion.
"Listen to me–" I say "–You need to—".
I stop when I notice that she's tracing on my hand again.
L-A-U-R-A
Laura. That must be her name. "Listen, Laura–" I start again "You need to get yourself away from here. There's a bad person, okay? A very bad person. I need you to go home".
T-H-I-S she traces, then pauses. I-S-M-Y-H-O-M-E
"Who else lives here, Laura?" I ask "Who else is here?".
M-O-M
"Okay, who else?".
A-M-A-N
"Do you know who the man is?".
N-O
"Is there anyone else?" I ask, surprised at how well she can keep up.
G-I-R-L
"Is she still here?" I ask.
S-H-E-S-I-C-K
"She's sick?" I ask. It has to be Melanie.
W-O-N-T she stops for a moment W-A-K-E-U-P
"Who is your mommy, sweetie?" I ask. She doesn't respond. "Laura, who is your mom?". No response. I know she can tell I'm taking to her, and I have a feeling she just doesn't want to answer. "Laura; can you tell me where the door is?".
V-I-S-I-T-O-R-S
"What?" I say "Who is it? Who's coming, Laura?".
I don't know how she even knows someone's coming, but I don't question it. Without even taking a moment to feel around, Laura reaches over and grabs something on the ground next to her and hands it to me. I can't see very well, but I can feel the cold liquid splash as it touches my hand. It's a cup of water. I take it from her and she nods for me to back up, and before I can even make an unheard protest she shuts the door again; plunging me into complete darkness. It takes a moment for my body to accept the fact that it's back in the darkness once more; and after a few seconds of frozen shock I realize what the girl has given me. Water. I haven't really given much thought to it; but now that water is right in front of me I realize how thirty I am. Without even thinking I gulp down half the cup; knowing it's had to be at least a day since I was taken…right? I mean, I was taken late in the evening; and it's nighttime now. There's no way I've only been in here a few hours. And if I have…then by the time I get out of here my mind will be long gone.
Mal Fallon
Even though Nathan still persistently looks through every scrap of documentation we have, I can't sit still. It's been three days; and night is already coming. I can't bare to go home and try to make it through another sleepless night; knowing Natara has just spent another day in the clutches of a murderer. I can't do that again. Instead I pull out the photo again; the one Nathan said has Melanie's ex-partner in it. Something tells me that he's tied into all of this, him and the blonde woman.
"Nathan?". He acknowledges that he's heard me with a nod. "Are you sure you don't know anything else about this man?".
"If you're just going to keep bugging me about it, just use my computer to find what you need. I transferred a lot of the data from our precinct on there; I probably have something on him". She shoves his recently-used laptop to me, bringing up a list of documents as he does so. "Just type in Mel's name; it should be somewhere in her file".
I take the computer and start typing in Melanie's name, finding what I need almost immediately. It's the same file that sits before me in paper form, and I scan through until I find what I need.
"Former partner: Craig Nickels" I read out loud.
"Yeah, Craig, that's it. He went missing about ten years back. He was proclaimed dead; but his body was never found. His wife and Mel were close I think; there's a picture of them on her desk".
I click on the name and Craig's file pops up, depicting a stiff ID photo resembling the man in the picture. Everything Nathan said checks out; but still I scroll down until I find out more. That's when I see where Craig lived, and my jaw actually drops when I see it.
"Nathan…look at this".
Clearly uninterested, Nathan looks over my shoulder, but when he sees Craig's address his eyes nearly pop out of his head.
"But that's…" he stutters.
"That's right" I say, already getting to my feet. "Right in the center of the woods in Brisbane. Only a mile from where Frank was taken".
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