Author's notes: The next chapter's here! Like I told you: no special powers, no aliens, no weird things (e.g. three eyes), and ooc. Be warned.

Reviews:

Steveo: You're going to find out in this chapter.

Enjoy

Black Seconds

The disappearance of Marron Chestnut was registered at the emergency room at 20.35 pm. The woman who called introduced herself as Bulma Briefs. She tried hard to sound businesslike, because she was afraid they wouldn't take her call seriously if otherwise. But her voice had a hysteric tone. Deputy officer Yamcha jotted down what the woman told him, while conflicting feelings raised inside him. Marron Chestnut, a girl of ten years from West City was two hours late. It was clear that something had happened. But that didn't mean it had to be something terrible right away. Most of the time it happened to be something small. First poignant like a sting of the wasp, then the sweetest comfort of everything: mother's lap. He smiled, because he had seen it happen before. But at the same time he weaponed himself for what might still come.

Around 21.00 pm he steered his surveillance car on the lane of Eighteen Chestnut's house. She lived in the Capsiglass street, number 17, two kilometres outside the city. It was far enough to be rural, with some farmes and pastures, and big and small plots. The neighbourhood had its own little centre with a school, shops and a gas station. The house lay in the residential area. It was painted red and looked welcoming. A hedge of red cornel formed a dramatic sharp border around the garden. The grass showed yellowed spots thanks to the everlasting heat.

Eighteen stood in front of the window. When she saw the white car she started to get dizzy. She had gone too far, she had defied fate. With this, she admitted that something horrible must have happened. She shouldn't have done this. If she hadn't done this Marron would have come home by herself. She wasn't able to follow her own thougths, she wanted someone to take charge so badly, to decide for her. A couple of police agents were walking up to the door and Eighteen stared at the oldest of the two, a tall man of around thirty, with no hair. He moved slowly and cautious, like nothing could face him. He's exactly what I need, thought Eighteen. He's going to arrange this, because that's his job, he has done this before. It felt surreal to give him a hand. This isn't real, she thought, wake me up from this terrible dream. But she didn't wake.

Eighteen looked good, tall and firm, with blond hair that was cut short. She had a light skin and fine, fair eyebrows. Inspector Tien Shinhan looked at her with a steady gaze.

'Are you alone?' he asked.

'My friend will come back any moment. She called you. She had to inform her own children.'

Her voice sounded panicky. She looked at the two men, deputy officer Yamcha with his short black hair and Tien Shinhan with his bald head. She looked at them imploringly. After that she walked inside. She crossed her arms again and went to stand at the window. It was impossible to go and sit, she was forced to keep standing, to look at the road and the yellow bike when it finally came. Because now she would come, just as she had started this huge machine. She started to talk. Had the need to fill the emptiness with words to keep the images at a distance, they were so horrible.

'I live alone with her. We got her very late', she stuttered. 'I'm almost fifty. Her father has moved out eight years ago. He doesn't know yet. I don't dare to call him. There must be an explanation and I don't want him to worry needlessly.'

'So you don't think she might be with her father?' asked Tien.

'No', she answered, very sure of herself. 'Otherwise he would have called. He has a huge feeling of responsibility.'

'So, what concerns Marron you can discuss it with your ex-husband?'

'Absolutely!'

'Then I think you should call him', said Tien.

He said this because he also had a child of his own and he didn't want Marron's father to be excluded from this. Eighteen walked over to the phone with disfavour. It was quiet in the room when she dialed the number.

'He doesn't pick up', she told them, while she hung up.

'Leave a message', Tien said. 'If he has an answering machine.'

She nodded and dialed the number again. Her voice sounded a little shy because she had audience.

'Krillin', they heard her say. 'With Eighteen. I'm waiting for Marron, she should have been home ages ago. I just wanted to hear if she might be with you.' She paused a second and then started sobbing. 'Call me please! The police is here!'

She turned around. 'He's travelling a lot. He can be Dende knows where.'

'We need a good description of her', said Tien. 'And a picture. I'm sure you have one.'

Eighteen felt how strong he was. She thought it weird that he must have gone through the same situation before, multiple times. In other rooms, with other mothers. Most of all, she wanted to lean against him and never let go, but she didn't dare that. So she set her jaw firmly.

Tien called the number of the police station and ordered two surveillance cars to drive via the main road to the edge of West City. A girl of ten, on a yellow bike, heared Eighteen. And she thought it weird to hear him speak about Marron like that, it sounded like he was talking about a front wheel. Afterwards there was a flurry of voices and cars, a nightmarish scene that flickered before her eyes. Telephones that went over, short orders and strange faces. They wanted to see Marron's room. She didn't like that, because it reminded her of something. Things she had seen on the television, in police series. Rooms of young girls, glaringly empty. Slowly she walked up the stairs and opened the door to her bedroom. Tien and Yamcha hovered in the doorway, completely overwhelmed by the size of the room and the chaos inside. Animals. In every size, species and form. Made from every material thinkable. Glass and stone, earthenware and wood, plastic and plush. Horses and dogs. Birds and mouses, fish and snakes. They hung by thin wires from the ceiling, filled the whitewooden bed, were mounted on top of the bookcase and were being showed of in the window frame. Tien also saw immediately that all the books in the case were about animals. There hung pictures and posters of animals on the wall. The drapes were green and covered in seahorses.

'You can see for yourself what she's full of', said Eighteen.

She stood in the doorway, shaking. It was as if she was also seeing this for the first time, in all its vehemence. How many animals were in there? Hunderds?

Tien nodded. Yamcha was speechless. The room was unbelievably messy and much too full. They went back downstairs. In the living room Eighteen took down a picture frame. Tien took it from her. When he looked into the blue eyes it happened. Marron was immediately branded on his retina like a glowing fire. Children are cute, he thought, but this girl is charmed. Truly ready to be eaten. Like the girls described in fairytales. He thought of Redcape, Snowwhite and Cinderella. Big innocent eyes. Round, red cheeks. Slender and small. He looked at Eighteen Chestnut.

'You have searched for her? Along with your friend?'

'We have driven around for almost an hour', siad Eighteen. 'There was almost no traffic, not many people to ask. I called a few girlfriends of her and I also called Mama Betty's Shop. She hasn't been there. What do I have to do now?' She looked at him with burning eyes.

'You don't have to be alone', he said. 'Keep calm, sit down and wait for your friend. We are going to round up some people and then we'll look for her.'

Author's notes: So, good installment? Sorry if it's short, I thought it was good.

Review