It's been a week since Danny Stevens disappeared without a trace. The local people searched the forest inch by inch, the night of Danny's disappearance and another three days after.

The chief of the local police station, Mr. John Smith, was announced almost immediately. He was a retired policeman who once worked in the Big City beyond the hills. Old, obese, and with a heavy walking, Mr. Smith thought it would be appropriate to call the police from the Big City for such a serious situation. Hence, five police officers arrived in Goodharts and searched for Danny, in their neat uniforms and followed by their trained dogs. For the children of Goodharts, this unrest was alluring; like a film happening before their eyes.

But for the police, things couldn't be more serious. They searched the forest, the town, and its surroundings. But no trace of Danny. Behind the oak tree where Billy had seen him for the last time, they could still see his footprints in the soft soil. But after a few steps, the footprints had vanished abruptly as if Danny... had flown away.

Yet, with all the unrest in the town, life returned to normal, little by little. Apart from Danny's family, the local people, although affected by the little boy's disappearance, they were actually relieved that the disappearance finally happened. They could now be at peace for the next seven years.

Mr. Porter, the reporter, was the busiest person ever since the disappearance occurred. 'The Voice of Goodharts' finally had a front-page subject, one that could capture the attention of the whole community. His newspaper, in all its years of existence, had never seen such a gripping subject. Or maybe a couple of times, when other people in town went missing in almost the same circumstances as Danny.

Ferry's father seemed to be informed about every detail of the investigation. Every morning, he was reading the newspaper out loud. Until then, Ferry didn't pay much attention to weather prognosis or the cost of the coupons;  this time, he was all ears.

"Miss Beatrice Summer, Danny Stevens' teacher," his father read, "has been dismissedas a result of her negligence she proved while the boy was in her care. Until further information, she cannot leave the town and she will remain at investigators' disposal. A strange map was found among her personal things, with a shortcut to the forest marked on it. And it's also known that Miss Summer behaved strangely a couple of weeks before the disappearance. Which makes us wonder ─ what is her part in little Danny's vanishing?"

Ferry's heart melted. Everybody was blaming Miss Summer as if she knew what was to happen. Even if Miss Summer had behaved oddly, he knew in his heart she wouldn't have been responsible for Danny's disappearance.

At school, things seemed just as somber. The old Biology teacher who was always dozing at his desk took Miss Summer's place. He wasn't a pleasant appearance, always clueless and disorganized. He also smelled like naphthalene, which made children avoid him even more.

In class, the children were bored and sometimes they were leaving their seats to fool around right next to the sleeping teacher, making the other classmates laugh. Those were the only moments of the day when the heaviness seemed to scatter. But Danny was missed. Although he never treated somebody nicely, he was the trickiest child in the class.

Yet the one who seemed to miss him the most was his best friend, Billy Pride. The boy didn't bother anyone, anymore. He was sulky most of the time, sitting at his desk, his mind somewhere else. As expected, nobody asked him anything about what he saw the day of the disappearance. His father took care of that. Not even the policemen dared to bother him, a sign his father had a big influence in the Big City, too.

Meanwhile, the police were trying to talk to all the people who knew Danny. In the local newspaper, the theory of him running away from home was very popular. But why? And where? Danny was a normal child. A bit more prankish than others, it's true, but a normal child, nevertheless. His parents loved him and now they were desperate to find him.

"Poor Danny," said Ben in a soft voice on their way home. "I wonder what happened to him..."

"Whatever happened, I'm sure he's not all right..." Ferry answered, shaking his head.

Yet, Matilda didn't seem to agree. "Are you both out of your mind?" she snapped. "Danny has always treated you badly. He's always been teasing and mocking you. And you're feeling sorry for him? He got exactly what he deserved. And if you ask me, the same thing should have happened to Billy," she finished her plead, catching her breath.

Ferry nodded. After all, Matilda was right. Danny has never treated him kindly. Actually, that happened from the first day they met. He's never been easy on him ever since.

The three friends carried on home, barely dragging their feet. The school was almost over, yet they felt no joy, even if the summer holiday was so close.

"I miss Miss Summer," said Ferry.

His friends nodded.

"Nothing's the same without her..." Ben added.

"It's true..." Matilda agreed. "Even if she used to scold me when I wasn't doing my homework, I still miss her. I don't even feel like going to school, knowing that she's not there..."

And for the first time, her friends saw tears in her eyes. If they came to think of it, Miss Summer has been the only feminine presence in Matilda's life. Then, a thought came to Ferry's mind.

"Shouldn't we pay her a visit? We won't stay long. We'll just stop by to say hello and let her know we're thinking about her."

"Great idea, Ferry!" said Matilda and her smile was back. "We must tell her we don't believe she has anything to do with Danny's disappearance. She needs to know that."

So they set going to Miss Summer's house. But as they arrived in front of the white little house, they had a moment of hesitation. The flowers in the garden were withered, a sign no one has been watering them for quite a while. And the shutters at the windows were drawn. But Matilda didn't give up. She knocked violently on the door until Miss Summer opened it.

Her appearance surprised the children. She had deep, black circles around her eyes and she looked pale. Like she hasn't been sleeping for weeks.

"What is it, children? Did something happen?" she asked in a low voice

"Nothing happened, Miss Summer," Matilda answered in a sweet, gentle voice her friends never heard before. "We're just here to see how you are doing. Or if you need anything... Can we come in?"

Miss Summer hesitated for a moment, but then she opened the door. They went in the small, dark corridor where they almost stumbled upon each other. When they went into the living room, the place looked just as dark. Miss Summer opened one of the shutters and the room became a little lighter. It was a neat, cozy room, with a few pieces of furniture. But the dust and stale air said differently. The room looked sad and quiet. Just like Miss Summer.

The three friends sat on the small couch in front of the TV, now turned off. Miss Summer took a seat on the small stool near the coffee table in the middle. She looked uncomfortable, wringing her hands over and over. "Would you like some crackers? I think I might have some left in the kitchen. I haven't been out shopping..."

"No, thank you, we're fine," said Ben as polite as can be. Then, silence fell. A heavy silence, making all feel uncomfortable.

"Any news about Danny?" Miss Summer broke the silence.

The children shook their heads.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," she said in a low voice and tears came to her eyes. "If I had known, I swear I would've never planned that trip. Hurting you, the children, was the last thing I wanted..." she said between sighs.

Ferry felt his stomach clench, "Don't cry, Miss Summer... We know you meant well..."

"But is it true what they say in the newspaper? That they found a map with your handwriting on it?" Matilda asked while massaging her foot from Ben's kick. He tried in vain to make her keep her mouth shut.

"What?" she blustered at Ben, "I'm just trying to help her. It's better to speak your mind," she said, casting a threatening glance at Ben.

Miss Summer smiled. Matilda was quite a character. "It's true," she said, "they found a map among my stuff. An old map with my notes. But I swear I don't remember where I found it, nor when I made those notes."

"What were the notes saying?" Matilda asked.

Miss Summer hesitated again, "Well, I suppose everyone will find out, eventually. It was a small note to myself saying: YOU MUST TAKE THE CHILDREN TO THE FOREST!!!"

The children were listening and their jaws dropped.

"Why would you write that when you promised you wouldn't take us to the forest?"

Miss Summer got up and walked back and forth, wringing her hands. "I don't know, I don't know..." she sobbed. "I don't remember any of those..."

"Do you remember something odd happening before the trip?" asked Ferry. He had that question in his mind for a long time.

Miss Summer stopped from her nervous walking. She was staring at the vase with dry flowers on the coffee table.

"There was something actually..." she said, frowning. "It started a few weeks before the trip. Every day, when night came, I felt a strange presence here, inside my house. I couldn't tell whether it was good or evil, but as the darkness was falling, I felt like I was being watched by unseen eyes... Then, objects my house moved by themselves. I would see them in one place, and then, a few hours later, in a totally different place. At first, I blame it on the fatigue. Tiredness," she corrected herself when seeing the children confused. "Then, I thought I was going mad. And then... the whispers began..."

"Whispers?" Ferry wondered, his heart skipping a beat. "What kind of whispers?"

Miss Summer was shivering. "You must think I'm mad," she said, forcing a smile.

Matilda placed her tiny hand over Miss Summer's shaking hands, "We don't really believe that," she said. "We've noticed there was something wrong with you. Do tell us! You can trust us."

Miss Summer smiled. But then, her smile faded away, "At first, there were only whispers I couldn't understand. Then, the whispers turned into a song. A little song without words which someone unseen was humming, over and over again... And after that, I lost my sleep. I was simply too scared to sleep. I could fall asleep in the morning when the sun was rising. And when I would finally fall asleep, I was having the strangest dreams."

"What kind of dreams?" Ferry asked, ever more curious.

"I don't remember too well," she said in a whisper as if talking about it out loud would bring the nightmare back. "It was as if someone was following me through a forest, at dusk. Dozens of glittering eyes were watching from all over and I was running, running without knowing where to. Without knowing if I'll ever get out of that forest. And then I notice a being of light in front of me. And I stopped. That being turned towards me. Slowly... I never got to see its face. I was waking up that very moment. But when I woke up, I was more scared than ever."

 Ben and Matilda were fussing on their seats. Ferry wasn't feeling very comfortable either, although he's seen some eerie things in his life. Then, silence again.

"We have to go," Matilda said, eventually. "Our parents are probably waiting for us."

"Of course," said Miss Summer rising from her chair to lead them out.

On their way out, the children smiled at their teacher, hoping to make her feel better.

"Don't worry, Miss Summer," said Ben, trying to be as convincing as possible. "I'm sure Danny will show up and everything will be as before."

Miss Summer forced a smile, and then slowly closed the door behind them.

"Poor Miss Summer," said Matilda in a low voice, "now I really wish Danny would come back..."

On their way home, no one said another word. Ferry noticed that almost every tree on the side of the road had a poster with Danny's smiling face from the group photo.

When he was close to home, a woman stopped him on his way. She had swollen eyes, and she was disheveled as if the clothes were put on at random. She gave him a poster of Danny.

"You're Danny's classmate, aren't you?" she asked in a low voice.

Ferry nodded.

"I'm Danny's mother," she mumbled. "Please take this poster and show it to as many people as possible. Maybe someone saw my Danny... Maybe my boy will come back home..." she added before tears fell from her eyes again.

Ferry took the poster with trembling hands. He was standing still long after Danny's mother went away. Then, he burst into a run. Not home, but to the forest. He arrived at the edge of the forest sooner than expected. The forest looked quiet and peaceful, as always. As if nothing had happened. Ferry searched for the tree behind which Danny disappeared. It wasn't far from the edge of the forest. He walked a few steps into the forest and then, he stopped. He thought he heard someone calling him. Then, he carried on. He heard that voice again, calling him. This time clearer. More heartrending even.

"Ferry! Ferry, help me!" the voice said.

To his surprise, and horror, Ferry thought he saw Danny right there, in front of him, near the old oak tree. He was wearing the same clothes from the day he disappeared. Only he looked scared. He looked terrified.

"Please, Ferry, help me!" he wailed, stretching his arms towards Ferry, without moving.

As in a dream, Ferry moved towards him. But before he could reach him, Danny's image vanished right in front of him, like a bundle of steam. Only his voice could still be heard, ever more faint, his words scattered by the wind which began to blowall of a sudden:

"Please, Ferry... Help me..."

Another chapter, another mystery :) What do you think? Was it intense enough? What do you think happened to Danny? 

I'm sitting here, biting my nails, waiting anxiously for your comments :) And votes :) Thank you for being part of an amazing writing journey! I'm thrilled to have you as readers!