Missing by Miss_Guided01

Michael was the kind of officer who'd been born in a suit. He was a serious man with a serious gun who rolled off the assembly line in Quantico, Virginia. He had the standard issue white face with the omnipresent square shoulders and squarer chin. He was close shaved 24/7, and he spoke with a profound voice and trimmed legalistic words. Life had no colour for him; it was all black/white and right/wrong. When he wasn't formulating flawless paperwork he was chasing down criminals with that action-man run of his - his fingers held straight as if their aerodynamic form could conceivably make a difference. He clocked more hours than any of the rest of us in the firing range.

"A storm occurred on the 31st of October, ever since then we've had twenty-seven missing person cases within three days," Michael paused for a moment, "They were all near an area within a five-mile radius, of course at different instances. Your job," He pointed towards me, "Is to figure out why these people are all connected and missing near the same place. You'll have two days to locate them all. Of course, you'll be in disguise, but to ensure your safe you might need to wear these instead," Michael held up a pair of boots.

"What so special in these sneakers," I scoffed. The soles were worn, and there was a stain on the side where it'd looked like someone spilt a raspberry slushy on them. The parts that should have been white were dirty grey, and it seemed once bright blue stripes were as faded as her jeans.

He split the sole off, and a mini electronic piece popped out. "Welcome home gift, eh Maya? Uh, actually inside is a tracking device. It works like your phones GPS system. It transports a signal to a satellite and bounces back to us. Don't worry we'll be following you every step of the way."

Every step of the way, that's what he said, and I was going to have to trust him on this one. I could either find the people or something may happen to me...

"Michael can you hear me," I whispered into my earpiece. "Loud and clear, Maya. Be careful out there and don't give too much away, by talking to me," he replied. I strode casually until I came across a wall. The moss clung to the stone wall like green snow, clinging to the crevices and lying on the upper surfaces. I searched everywhere for an entryway, 'til I found a tunnel. A tunnel. The same place where one of the missing persons got lost.

"Emily was a great child," Her mother spoke at an interview while blowing her nose, "She would go down to Fairport, the route through the tunnel and offer community service every weekend. I just hope she's okay."

That brought me back to reality. The tunnels once seemed beautifully arched brick walls were covered in graffiti. The floor was littered with hypodermic needles, broken bottles and sewage. It was populated by the most desperate low-life's, locked in their own dog-eat-dog existence. No-one in their right mind would go there without a hazmat suit and some serious weaponry. But I needed to get to Fairport fast, and the tunnel would cut right through the long distance.

Chills washed over my body as I appeared in the tunnel. Every two metres a small LED lightbulb were placed on both sides of the tunnel. "Michael?" I whispered. No response, dang it! My shadows were sharply defined puddles at my feet. Already this adventure had an unsettling feeling. I wonder how if I could make it back to Perryville. A dark figure crawls, ominously advancing as I walked hesitantly down the abandoned passageway, impersonating my every faint movement. A flicker of the light bulbs and I momentarily lost it, but to my horror, it rises out of the murky depths of a mud puddle again, breathing life into the cold cobblestone.

I felt the panic begin like a cluster of spark plugs in my abdomen. Tension grew in my face and limbs, my mind replaying the last attack. My breathing became more rapid, more shallow. In these moments before my personal hurricane, I understood the drug addict, the alcoholic... anything to stop the primal urge to flee.

I fled. Sweat rolled down my skin in dense, briny droplets. I could feel my heart throbbing inside my chest. My skin felt like it was roasting. I began bouncing slightly as I jogged, which wore me out quickly. My bag was pulling me down, but I kept pushing forward. My lungs felt like they would burst and my throat was so dry. I could see the light speeding towards me, and I finally stepped out of the tunnel.

Darkness surrounded me. Except for the occasional street lamp. I checked my watch, 3:00 AM. Witching Hour. I'd have to take precautions. I felt something tugging me, pulling me to go in a particular direction. I walked straight, having no control over my body. I struggled to try to hold onto the grimy lamp post, but I kept walking. I reached a cave. It was obscured by bushes and fallen rocks and sloped high into the valley. The path halted, and a cave appeared. Ivy wound round the cave and concealed every aspect of the cave except for the entrance which was a jagged opening. Inside was dim although being lit by two small fires in the corner of the cave. In the gloom, a hunched figure lurked.

I turned around to see a bunch of people eyes greeting me. They all had no pupils, and only the whites of their eyes showed. They all stood straight in an array, not one person moving an inch. All of them had animals skin as clothes to wear. I heard an inaudible voice. The people started picking up rocks and started to hit themselves over the head repeatedly. They all started to bleed horrifically. I saw Emily banging her head on the door, and I went to stop her. I pulled her, "Emily, look at me!"

Her deathly stare pierced through my skin. "Don't do this," I shook her by the shoulders.

Emily's hand swung around, ducking and she missed me by an inch. I didn't expect her to come back my way from the other side. "THUNK" The sound of the hard, cold rock hitting my skull echoed in my head. I felt woozy. As I started to sink to the floor grasping my throbbing head in pain, I started to see colourful and black spots slowly blocking my vision until was totally dark.

I glanced at my watch, my head still throbbing. 4:01AM. Their eyes turned back into a regular human being' eyes. They all turned and stared at one person. Emily. Within a couple of seconds, Emily yelled. They all seemed to understand, and a few people joined her and went outside. The others stood, guarded the frontier of the cave. I swooped my bag off my back and opened the zip. All the missing files fell out, and to my horror, my file stared back at me.

I picked it up and thrashed through the file for any more information. It said that the last I was seen was at the tunnel. I wasn't missing; I was on a police case, I wasn't even missing at that point and- Unless... I ran outside and re-traced my steps.

I reached the end of the tunnel and tried to leave, but the force was pulling me again, pulling me towards the cave. I struggled hard enough for the force to stop, only the see a dark and eerie shadow behind me.

"Maya is that you?" Only one person could have that voice.

"Michael?" I ran towards him and gave him a big hug, "Boy am I glad to see you...But where'd you come from?"

"I followed your GPS Tracking system, towards the tunnel and I just came out. I stopped here to wait for you. How, how are the victims?"

"What victims?"

"Didn't you just say you found them?"

I was shocked, how did he know, except... His innocent face turned into a scowl, and he looked as ready as to jump on his prey.

"I should be going," I pointed towards the tunnel, and made a run for it. But something kept me out from there.

'Why, why would you do it, hide so many people, take over their souls during Witching Hour and make them act like cavemen?"

"Oh, innocent Maya, I was going to get promoted, get that position of Senior Constable. You just walked in and took my job instead. I was walking near here when the storms hit. That's when I found the cave. The cave was asleep for so many centuries, and I awoke it. All the cave wants is everyone to act like lunatics, and me? I only want control and power. So I placed some spirits at the end of every entry, so whenever someone arrived, they would be sent straight to m-."

I got my chance, and I ripped off a rock and threw it right in his eye. He groaned in pain.

He snarled, "You cheeky little-"

I jumped at him, pushing him into the side of the tunnel. He grabbed me and pushed me along the floor. He grabbed me by my feet and dragged me along in front of the cave. I looked him in the eye and saw something dark. I felt little pebbles denting my skull as I was hauled. I groaned when I released. Pain scorched through my abdomen better than a branding iron, my mind approved to the torment, unable to bring a thought to completion. Without connotation to my body curled into something foetal, something primaeval and all the while the pain burned and radiated.

"Why are we here?" I whimpered.

"Are you stupid, I want to sacrifice you, and what better way to do it in front of It."

He brought a caveman's spear and ignited a fire on it, which he threw on the ground. A ghastly orange grin, tearing through the verdant woodland. Unfettered flames, devoured hungrily, licking and lapped at the coppice, twisted and swayed in a dance without rhythm. He chuckled.

I had an idea, but it was a risk. I rapidly I took a long piece of wood, placing it in the fire, and I quickly picked it up a dropped it on the edge of the cave. He started struggling, trying to dissipate the flames. I picked up the spear and jumped on him, the blade slowly sliding into his chest. He groaned in pain, and his body dropped limp.

The others looked towards me confused, stumbling on their legs, the effect of blindness turning on them now.

Pieces of rock dropped from the cave as moss and vines were rapidly grew covering the entrance. I felt the ground tremble with the weight, and the tunnel started to sink underground. I rushed to the others, guiding them into the passageway — our only escape. As soon as I was sure everyone reached there safely, I stepped into the underpass.

The gunshots cracked into the air as loud as thunder, but without the raw power of the storm. The metal remains, spiralling through the air pierced my chest, and with more speed of the fastest of living things. The small wound started to leak blood, just as crying eyes leaked tears. I was stunned, to know that I was dying, and not be dazed, I would assume would complement such a violent end. There was something tranquil, as bled out losing conciseness with a smile on my face. The images spun before me, until the end, leaving the last scene of Michael holding the gun as he winced, the other hand covering his wound. Which engraved upon my mind without the oxygen to endure it.

***