AÂ girl sat in a chair, head downcast, blond hair obscuring her face. She was not fully aware of her surroundings, but she was also not asleep. She was simply swaying back and forth, muttering to herself as her sole source of company. The gloomy basement, or what she assumed was a basement, was lit by a single faint light bulb.
How long had she been stuck? She was unsure, time passed horribly slowly, and with no company other than her kidnapper's occasional visit to torture her or merely cram enough nourishment down her throat to keep her from dying of starvation, time seemed irrelevant. Time was all she had but her time also seemed to be coming to an end. Like an hourglass filled with sand, carefully draining away.
The girl had given up on screaming and begging for help, no one ever came, Even when she heard footsteps upstairs, it appeared as if her presence was non-existent to anyone who passed by. Whether they heard her or not. She had taken it up on herself to memorize each pair of footsteps. She had came to the conclusion that there was more than one person living upstairs.
The female didn't know if it was her mind playing tricks on her to try and salvage whatever fragile sanity she had left by making her believe it wasn't just her and her captor around. But that somehow made it seem even worse, because if her assumption was correct, it meant there were people up there who probably knew about her predicament.
Or they didn't, that it was just one person who skillfully dodged all suspicion and avoided all questions while keeping the teen captive. Whatever the case was, the fact remained that she was kidnapped and couldn't do anything about it.
There was one point. The female had heard an unidentified pair of footsteps that were much lighter than the other footsteps she remembered, as if the person was walking with a sense of purpose but not understanding what it was. She'd heard the footsteps go past a couple of times and tried to scream briefly before giving up.
She usually spent the passing hours looking around the room she was in, counting the cracks on the ceiling, and naming each bug that scurried by. but recently she stopped. her captor had filled the previous blank walls with photos. photos upon photos, of one random guy. The stranger came in every day for the past week, plastering incriminating, stalkerish photos all over the walls.
She felt bad for the boy, in all the photographs, it seemed like he was blissfully unaware of the photo being taken, leading the girl to firmly believe the boy was being stalked by this maniac. And the moment her time was up, he was next. It was a sad thought, really. knowing someone was getting harassed and stalked but being unable to do anything to prevent the inevitable.
Sooner or later She was going to get killed, she knew this, and she had accepted that fact. She just wished the individual had some type of remorse and made it quick. But even that seemed like a pipe dream.
The girl sighed and tilted her head up to stare at the wall in front of her. She didn't want to look at the photographs for too long, every time she did, she felt a...feeling churning in her stomach. perhaps, hatred? or envy? Who knows, All she did know was that she felt something towards the boy, something that she didn't want to admit.
Her captor appeared to look almost, fond of the unaware boy in the photos, she knew this by the longing looks they shot towards each photograph, and even though their face was concealed by a mask, she swore she heard them let out a shaky exhale every time they put up a new photo.
It made her sick to her stomach to think about how the sick bastard was behaving like a lovesick puppy. It reminded her that they still had a heartbeat, that they were human, despite their vile actions. Intrusive thoughts often popped up.
That if she ever were to escape, she would hunt down that boy and hurt him, badly. just so her captor could hurt like she had. But those were only intrusive thoughts, fantasies that she would never act on...Right?
She violently shook her head to rid herself of the thought. The boy was just as much of a victim as herself, she shouldn't take her hatred out on him. So she tucked the thoughts into the corners of her mind.
The girl let out an exasperated sigh and continued looking through the photographs. The girl felt her stomach drop. Her eyes locked onto a certain photo, her eyes widening as she saw the people in them. The photo had been taken outside a cafe, a cafe she recognized all too clearly, and the person in the image? Even more.
The lens was pointed to a duo sitting inside, talking to each other, one of the pair was the boy in all the other pictures. but the person opposite him? Was her brother. What was her brother doing talking to that guy? Were they friends? She didn't recognize the boy so she assumed he was a new friend her brother had made. She pulled her lips into a small smile.
She was happy that her brother was still moving on with his life and not dwelling on her. She thought about her parents; were they still looking for her? Did they think she was dead? Had they forgotten about her? The thought was sad, but she couldn't blame them if that was the case.
She suddenly had a revelation. She would make it out alive. She would escape. She didn't want to wait for death to come engulf her in it's embrace.
She would survive, and then she would make her captor pay for what they did.
.
.
.
.
Y/n stood in his room with a perplexed expression tapping a pen to his notepad as he started pacing around to jog awake his thoughts.
'So there were 'frat parties' being organized almost every week by a guy named Brandon until the parties stopped being hosted. There were rumors going around that People were being roofied and assaulted, Was this the reason the parties stopped?'
Y/n scribbled down the words as his fingers followed his thought process.
"Alex said That Avery wanted to go to a frat party but was not allowed by her parents," he mumbled to himself. "Does it have a correlation?" the boy put a hand to his forehead. 'Alex also said she went to hang out with some friends...Did she perhaps lie to go to a frat party? It's not uncommon for teens to lie about their whereabouts to their parents. But then, why didn't she come home?'
Y/n put down his notepad on his desk. 'my brain is overflowing with too many questions' The boy walked over to the animal cage, where Coco was nibbling on her food. Y/n reached out to gently stroke over the soft fur. "You don't have to worry about stuff like this, do you, Coco?" He mumbled "Life as a rabbit must be relaxing, not having to worry about pretty much anything, no Serial killer running havoc, no dead sibling, or abusive dad." Y/n snickered softly.
The rabbit merely sniffled at his hand, her nose twitching ever so lightly, Y/n knew Coco didn't understand him, but the small gesture still felt comforting. Y/n pulled back his hand, grabbed Coco's water, and went to the bathroom to refill it, He let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes in a tired motion, 'I'll go to bed early tonight.' Y/n walked back to his room and put back the water container. He stretched his arms, went over to his closet to redress himself into his pajamas, and proceeded to do his bathroom business.
The h/c haired stretched his arms out and ducked under his covers, snuggling into the warm comfort. fluttering his eyelids over his eyes before slowly drifting off to slumber.
Y/n and Lucia were sitting in a class they shared together, quietly talking to each other and making jokes, The teacher had already scolded them for their disturbance but the siblings couldn't care and kept chatting.
"Roy told me about this abandoned house he and Nova found a few days ago in the woods! He came to me and said the four of them would go investigate it today, he told me we could come along if we aren't wussies!" Lucia happily exclaimed.
The younger boy furrowed his brows "Is that really smart? You know Roy and Nova find weird stuff all the time and they're not exactly the safest...Remember that time they found a sewer and some homeless man ended up living there and got super pissed because we 'trespassed on his property.' and then chased us?" He commented with doubt.
the older girl pouted, "Oh, come on! That was one time! This time will be different, no homeless drunkard with even the smallest piece of intelligence would go near that house." Y/n arched his brows "Wouldn't that say something about your intelligence?" The girl's eyes widened at the comment and the tip of her ears went red from embarrassment. "Y'know, you don't have to come along! I can definitely explore that place alone with the others." Lucia puffed her chest out in pride.
"I didn't say I wouldn't come along.." Lucia gaped at him. "But you said-" Y/n rolled his eyes before sticking out his tongue in mockery. "I said it's a stupid idea, not that I'm not coming along.'
"Pfft, you're so unclear sometimes, Y/n." Lucia huffed before the boy could say something, the bell sounded out, allowing students to leave the classroom. Lucia shot up from her seat and darted out, "Y/n, Let's go! We're gonna go meet up with the others!" She exclaimed as she passed the exit. Y/n stayed in his seat and chuckled as his gaze followed his sister's leaving form. "Y/n what are you waiting for?"
"Y/n!"
"Y/n!"
"Y/n wake up!"
Y/n opened his eyes and looked at his door, his mother was standing in the doorway. "Y/n, get up, we are going to have to leave soon!" His mother told him. The boy glanced at his digital clock "Mom, it's 4 a.m. in the morning" he groaned, putting his face in his pillow. "Sherriff Whitelock has called up everyone to start a search party for Harper Smith."
Y/n tilted his head up and looked at his mother in bewilderment. "What?" The woman tapped her nails against the doorknob. "Harper Smith didn't come home yesterday, so her father gave the sheriff a good sum of money to start a search party." She explained.
Y/n furrowed his brows. "That sounds really ominous.." He trailed off. His mother shrugged. "Get ready; we are leaving in twenty minutes." She closed the door and left the boy alone.
The boy was still half-asleep and didn't quite understand the situation but got ready nonetheless. He put on a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, It was early in the morning and even though it was March it still could be a bit chilly, especially in the morning when the sun still hadn't fully risen on the horizon.
He refilled Coco's food supply before he went out of his chambers down to his mother who was in the kitchen. "So could I get a bit of context on why we need to go get up at this hour?" Y/n questioned. His mother peered back at him "Mr Smith apparently discovered his daughter didn't come home last night, and so he went to the sheriff and paid him to start an investigation early, since Harper is seventeen, she's a priority. it usually takes 24 hours before they start a search party, but considering the state of this town, they decided to start early this morning." The woman explained.
Y/n put his hands to his hips "They asked everyone in town?" His mother shrugged and looked out the window "I don't know, I just know Mayor Pierce and Headmistress Levine allowed students to have a day off to participate in the search party."
"Why a search party? Isn't there a possibility she just got murdered?" The h/c haired pointed out. His mother gave him a sideward glance "Because Harper's car was found on the school grounds, which means she didn't leave the property to go home, and since her body hasn't been found anywhere near the school, the sheriff orchestrated a search party."
"So just because her body hasn't been found, they conducted a search party? isn't that biased against..oh, I don't know Avery Emmons?" The boy sarcastically snapped. The older woman gave him a sharp glare "Don't get smart with me Y/n, The sheriff did a search party for Avery five months ago."
"Did they start the morning after her disappearance or did the sheriff not get paid enough by the Emmons to pretend to care?"
"..."
Y/n scowled and put up his hands "There's my answer" he said gesturing a hand to his mother's silence. He shook his head in disappointment and turned around "I'll go take a seat in the car already."
.
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The car ride to the search party destination was silent. They both knew what the teen said was partially true. And for some reason, his mother didn't want to discuss the seemingly corrupt justice system that was rooted in Runswick. Y/n wasn't that surprised to find out the system was somewhat corrupt.
A serial killer had been on the loose killing innocent civilians for three whole years in a small town, and no one could find the culprit. It was bound to be more than just the killer's ability to get away with their crimes. The police force was painfully incompetent, but if it was because of choice or not, Y/n remained uncertain, but he had an inkling of suspicion.
And the speculation didn't seem to brighten the whole situation.
Y/n glimpsed at his mother's form as she was driving. 'A serial killer running loose in a town with a corrupt justice system. That's a fucking feast for them, isn't it?' The boy frowned and shifted his gaze away from the driver 'This is some bullshit.' He took out his headphones and his phone, he didn't wanna think about anything regarding Runswick's wretched predicament.
(play video at 00:15)
Every breath you take
And every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you
Y/n put his phone down on his lap and let his environment drown out. He was glad he decided to start looking into Avery's disappearance on his own. It seems this town has some deep-rooted issues, and the serial killer isn't the only one.
Oh, can't you see
You belong to me?
How my poor heart aches
With every step you take?
'Is the killer aware of Runswick's corruption? That would certainly give them an advantage.'
.
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The vehicle pulled into the school parking lot, The sky was still a dusky blue. There were around twenty people standing around the parking lot. amongst them was Sheriff Whitelock and Mr, and Mrs, Smith. But two people in particular caught Y/n's attention, A raven-haired girl and a brunette boy. Clark and Kiara were here.
Y/n's eyes continued to search the crowd. But didn't see the faces he was looking for. He let out a relieved sigh 'They aren't here...I'm both Surprised but also not...they are the children of the very people who orchestrated this whole search party...but then again they live out of town.' His mother stopped the engine and they both stepped out.
"Ah, Detective Evans, I'm glad you could come." Sheriff thanked. The woman nodded and gestured towards her son "I brought my son, I hope that's no problem?" The man grinned heartily and shook his head "Oh no, not at all, the more people help, the better, there's a few students helping as well so he could group up with them." Y/n pulled his lips into a tight smile and bowed his head lightly before he walked up to Clark and Kiara standing a few meters away.
"Hey, guys. Did your parents rope you into this as well?" Y/n questioned as he neared the duo. The two nodded in unison "Yep, Frankly I don't see the point of this" Clark grunted "There's a high possibility- no scratch that that Harper girl is dead somewhere and they just didn't look well enough." Kiara jabbed Clark in the ribs "Have some sympathy, You don't know that." She hissed.
"Come on Kia, Do you seriously believe she might be alive?" Clark asked, Kiara stayed silent and shrugged "No body no crime." The brunette rolled his eyes and faced Y/n "What do you think Y/n?" Y/n squinted his eyes in thoughtfulness and bit the inside of his cheek "I don't know...All I know is that there's a search party and we need to go look for her, Alive or not." Clark cocked his head "Now that's a statement I can get behind."
The trio chatted with each other before a microphone was heard "Ahem, Excuses, The search will start, Everyone must be in a group of at least three, and not walk away more than one hundred miles from this location.." Sheriff Whitelock instructed.
Y/n leaned over to Clark and Kiara "What's the point of a search party if you're limited to a specific area?" Kiara was gnashing her teeth. "Hell if I know, probably safety precautions or something, it's still dusk outside."
"Probably, should we go as a group?" Y/n asked Clark and Kiara nodded in agreement.
.
Timeskip
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The three teenagers were walking through the thick woodland, sometimes shouting Harper's name. "Harper!" Y/n shouted into the forest, and the echo of his voice bounced off the trees into the abyss. The h/c haired slumped "We've been walking for an hour or so and still nothing." He sulked bitterly "We need to keep looking. The search is open from 4:30 to 8:30 a.m." Kiara commented.
"I'm not looking for some random girl that's mostly dead in a ditch for four and a half hours." Clark sternly remarked, "Clark, You need to seriously start showing more sympathy...gods." The black-haired girl scolded. The brunette stopped his navigation through the thick woods and turned around to meet the female's gaze.
"I'm just being honest, The possibility of her being alive is very slim, come on Kiara you're smarter than this, there's a serial killer on the loose, do you believe it yourself?" Clark hissed his voice raised in high as he spoke. "I don't know what the problem is with trying to be optimistic!" She bit back.
"There's nothing to be optimistic about, a fucking serial killer is running havoc in this town! when someone goes missing, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened to them!" He countered "And I think it's very stupid and very dangerous to walk around in a forest, early in the morning looking for someone who's most likely already dead!"
Kiara opened and closed her mouth before she shut it tightly and turned her head away. Y/n noticed the tension and stepped in "Hey let's keep going. We still have a bit to explore." Clark didn't answer and pivoted to continue navigating through the forest. Y/n let out a deep sigh and glanced towards Kiara "You okay?" He inquired. The black haired girl gave a short nod and strode after the brunette.
Kiara and Y/n followed Clark until he eventually halted his step. "What's up?' Y/n questioned walking up to the male. "I see a wood cabin a few miles away from here." Clark flatly stated, pointing towards a cabin standing a few miles away from his line of sight. Y/n followed his gaze and indeed a few miles away stood a small wood cabin. 'Let's go see if there's anything in it." Clark said.
"Is that smart? We're already over the one hundred miles line." Kiara uncomfortable spoke up "I thought it was you who wanted to try and find this girl, Kiara, if you really wanna find her, are you really gonna listen to some lousy order, when a cabin is not even five hundred meters away?" Clark condemned with a snark tone.
Kiara and Clark stared at each other in a match for dominance with Clark eventually won when Kiara looked away "Fine...Let's check it." She mumbled.
Y/n looked between the two and let out an internal grunt 'Are they gonna be like this the entire time?'
The trio walked to the cabin and the Brunette knocked on the wooden door "Is someone in there? No reply. Clark glanced over to Y/n and Kiara and they shared a look before Clark slowly opened the door. And they all three walked in.
They halted when they saw the inside of the cabin and they all let out an audible gasp of horror.
In the middle of the cabin was a corpse, or more a skeleton, of someone, Their skin had been melted off and their remaining skin and bones had an ashy, dark color. The smell emanating from it was horrendous and the three teens had to quickly cover their noses.
The corpse was strapped to a chair and above the ceiling was a barely functioning small light bulb swinging from side to side. Next to the corpse was a table, the table was covered in dried-up blood.
Y/n hurried out of the cabin as he saw the burned body feeling his throat sour up. Kiara jogged after him. As soon as the two were just outside the cabin the h/c haired male hunched over and discarded the contents of his stomach. Kiara stood over him and patted him on the back.
Clark was left alone in the cabin, his eyes trailing from the corpse to big black plastic bags that were leaned up against the wood wall, the brunette narrowed his eyes 'Why would the killer leave those here?' His gaze went to the table with dried-up blood and then to the big flasks of bleach stationed next to the plastic bags.
his eyes widened in realization and he felt the color drain from his face, his feet staggering back, he needed to warn Y/n and Kiara. 'They're not done yet.' Clark stumbled out of the cabin.
"GUYS! We need to GO! Right now!" he shouted. Stopping dead in his tracks as burst through the door to Kiara and Y/n, the three of them stared wide-eyed at the sight before them.
Cliffhanger :0 sorry guys, this time you actually have to wait a few days for the next chapter <3