Author's notes: So here's another chapter. Enjoy!

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DragonBallPrincess: Thanks for the review! And you're right, there were a few mistakes, I went back and corrected them:)
Thanks for pointing them out to me!

Black Seconds

2 september.

Eighteen woke up sharply. She raised herself halfway from the bed. A fraction of a second everything seemed like before. She was Eighteen and a new day waited for her.
Then she rememberd everything. Reality pushed her back down on the matress. On that moment she heard the slamming of a car door and soft, mumbling voices. A couple of people were heading towards the house. She lay there, hands sweating and listening. She heard how careful they walked. No hasty footsteps, no excited voices. She kept reclining, completely cramped, on her bed. That was how she wanted to keep reclining until Marron returned home. She didn't want to move, eat nor drink. If she kept lying long enough, the miracle would happen. And if it didn't happen, she would let herself sink through the matress. She would disappear in the stuffing. Others could sleep upon her, they could walk in and out of the room, she wouldn't pay them attention. Wouldn't feel anything anymore, never.
She heard Krillin's voice. Feet that shuffled slowly on the floor. The door that was closed softly. If the worst thinkable had happened, Krillin could stand in her doorway every given moment. He wouldn't utter a sound, would only stare at her, with a soundless yell on his lips. His eyes, the big brown eyes she had loved would grow dark. And she would raise herself and scream. So that all the windows would shatter, so hard that everybody would hear it and so that the earth would stop turning. All the people on the street would stay to listen, baffled. They would feel the earth move beneath their feet, would feel that everything was over. But the seconds ticked by and he didn't appear. In the room downstairs the mumbling hadn't ceased. That means they haven't found her yet, not dead but also not alive, Eighteen thought. The hope was so frail. She scrabbled with her fingers over the duvet in order to grab it and never let go.

Krillin Chestnut left Tien and Yamcha in the living room.
'Eighteen is sleeping,' he said. He searched his pocket for his glasses. The glasses weren't completely clean. Judging from his clothes you could definitely see that he had slept on the couch. If he had slept.

'What do we do now?' he asked nervously. 'You haven't found her bike either yet?'

'No,' Tien said.

Yamcha Westwood listened intently. His black eyes were deeply concentrated. While Tien spoke, he studied Chestnut detailed. Meanwhile he made some notes.

'What does that mean?'

'We don't know,' Tien said.

Krillin rubbed his forehead. He started to grow bald already. His eyes were big, like those of Marron and his mouth was quite small. He seemed to be younger than Eighteen, according to her age, frail, almost feminine.

'But what do you think?'

Tien took his time answering. 'We think nothing', he said simply. 'We search.'

They stared at each other. Tien had to confirm the seriousness of the case to Marron's father. He needed that, that's why he was pushing so hard.

'I worry,' Tien said. 'I can't deny that.'

His voice sounded as solid as a mountain. His own serenity brought him sometimes close to despair, but he had to. He had to support the Chestnuts.
Marron's father nodded. He had gotten what he had asked for.

'But what happens now?' he asked then, with a sudden dimmed voice. 'What are you doing to find her?'

'We have plotted the route that Marron would cycle,' Tien said. 'And we have to find every person who could have been around there during the time. We ask people to call us and they do that. Everybody who has seen something of importance will be heard and everything will be noted. This works for automobilists, cyclists and pedestrians. We're hoping for that one golden tip that will bring us further in the investigation.'

'Further than what?' Krillin asked feebly.

He dimmed his voice, out of fear that Eighteen would hear it. 'If a child disappears in this manner,' he continued, 'then it is clear that somebody took her. To use her. For... you know... And that he has dumped her somewhere, so she can't talk. That's what I am afraid for!' he whispered. 'I don't see any other explanation.'

He burried his face in his hands. 'How many people have called? Has somebody called anyway?'

'Unfortunately we have only had few tips,' Tien admitted. 'It was quiet on the street when Marron left home. And it's about a route of several miles. But something always needs some time. At the moment we know that Marron was seen from the Ginger Route. Another, somewhat unsure observation has happened in Madseberg.'

Suddenly Krillin jumped up from his chair. 'My Dende. This is too much!'

Tien tried to contain Krillin's panick by staying calm himself. Krillin fell down in the chair again.

'Eighteen says that Marron sticks to the rules,' Tien said. 'Such rules that children have to keep to in accordance to stangers in strange cars. What's your opinion about that?'

Krillin thought about it. 'Marron is very open,' he said. 'Curious and happy. And she thinks the best of everybody. So when she would meet someone who is nice to her and promises her something, yeah, I wouldn't know.'

He was talking nervously. He put his glasses off and on again, couldn't keep his hands still.

Tien thought about all the pedophilic men he had encountered in his years. Most of the time, they could entertain a kid very well, they were caring, sympathetic and friendly. They knew the art of seduction and they knew how to pick the most naive children out of the crowd. They have a good nose for that, Tien thought.

'She could have left out of free will with someone?' he asked.

'Yes, I suppose,' Krillin said helplessly. 'Everything is possible. Such a question, it's impossible to answer a yes or a no.'

Tien knew Krillin was right. Yamcha took the lead of the conversation.

'Is she interested in boys?' he asked carefully.

Krillin shook his head. 'She's only ten. But I think that soon she'll start to develop and interest, maybe. Although I think it's still early for that.'

'And a diary? Does she have that?'

'You have to ask Eighteen that, later,' he said. 'I don't want to wake her up right now.'

'You and Eighteen,' Tien spoke carefully, 'you can get along fine?'

Krillin nodded. 'Yes, absolutely!'

'Whe she called yesterday she couldn't get a hang of you. Where were you yesterday?'

Krillin blinked his eyes in rapid succesion. 'At my work. I often put off my mobile to work quietly.'

'You work in shifts,' Tien said, asked.

'No. But I don't have a family anymore. Like before, I mean. I work a lot. Spending a lot of my time at work. I even sleep there sometimes,' he said.

'What do you do for work?'

'I'm in the advertising. Text and lay-out. The bureau is called Dragonheart,' he added. 'If you need to know that.'

Yamcha wrote down the adress and phone number. Krillin started to talk about his work. He avoided the worries of the moment by seeking refuge in his profession and he relaxed a bit. His face got a boyish outlook. He shone with the sudden charm of somebody who loves his work and was allowed to talk about it.

'Eighteen had been dismissed,' he said. 'Because of the migraine. So I support financially, for her and Marron.' His face clouded over again, because he didn't know what so say more and because his daughter was back in his thoughts.

'Marron is very precocious,' he suddenly said.

'Precocious?' Tien asked. 'In which way?'

'Energetic. Diligent. She scared for nothing. She very self assured,' he admitted. 'And she thinks highly of herself. It would never enter her mind that someone she meets might not mean the best for her. Because she's used to that.'

Krillin laid his glasses on the table. Finally it kept lying there. 'Can I do something?'

'we are going to contact as many people as we can in order to search the surroundings,' Tien said. 'There will be enough people ready to do that. The whole neighbourhood knows about Marron's disappearance. They will be asissted by proffesionals and will get clear instructions on how they have to search.'

'And the river?' Krillin asked softly. He didn't want to say it out loud.

'We're considering to dredge,' Tien said. 'But first we are searching the surrounding area and every house that lays next to the route to Mama Betty's Shop will be visited by our people.'

'I want to help searching,' Krillin said.

'You'll be notified,' Tien said. 'About where you will need to admit yourself. Probably it will be on the school yard. Take care fo Eighteen, meanwhile.'

Krillin walked them to the door. He looked at them from the sidewalk. Put his hands on the railing and leaned over it. His eyes searched the landscape, looking for Marron.

'She's been gone a whole seventeen hours,' he moaned. 'It's too late, and you know that!'

He hid his face in his hands and kept standing there, trembling. Tien came back. He grabbed Krillin's arm en pressed it hard. He couldn't do any more. Afterwards he walked to the car. He had the feeling he turned his back on a drowning man.

Author's notes: Review.