As the search continued long into the night, reaping no rewards, the frantic distant shouting from the village as all the adults ran around checking any hiding spots big enough to hide a child, none of them being able to think straight overcome with dread.

As I walk around the perimeter of Freyview looking for some tracks to follow, hoping for something to point me in a direction, anything that could give me some sort of clue that could help to narrow down what in Krottorus was going on.

With my eyes constantly trading glances between the outskirts of town and the ground at my feet taking in as much information building a schematic of the layout of town as well as the surrounding area.

Racking my brain for options that the kidnapper may take.

“Can I help you two?” distracted by the two guys tailing me from behind following me since I felt the town square. Not even trying to be subtle, each scowling at my mere presence, completely disregarding the fact that I’m trying to help.

“Who might you be exactly?... aint seen you around here”

“Rudsek” Meeting their gaze refusing to be intimidated by too men smaller than myself, their eyes full of suspicion and dismay, refusing to let me out of their sights as they proceed to follow me as I return to meet with Damian in the square.

“Is that all you have to say?” They both scoff in dismay and distrust from behind me, followed by one of them planting a firm grip on my shoulder trying to turn the weight of my body around, clearly insulted by my choosing to ignore them. “Were talking to you”

“My name is all you’ll get from me if you don’t show me some respect.” swatting his hand off of my shoulder, clearly asserting my discontent to his approach of getting his answers.

Refusing to indulge them any longer, making my way into the square where a large board sat at the centre surrounded by wooden benches appeared to be hand crafted out of dark shaded wood, resistant to the elements despite being outside.

As all the adults gather around the square all huddled together in a panic.

“Has anyone found my child” a woman pleads held in her partners arms tears flooding down her face as she covers her mouth weeping into her hands

Scanning around a vast sea of adults looking to group with Damian to tell him that I couldn’t find anything around the border.

“If we follow the footprints ,perhaps we’ll know where they are?” A voice offering an impractical solution to their current predicament.

“Which footprints will you be following are at least a dozen different in this labyrinth of tracks, you people have created” I argue, speaking my logic towards the crowd, arguing exactly why we shouldn’t do that resulting most likely in more people getting lost in the surrounding area just wasting time.

As all eyes started to catch my distinct presence amongst the crowd each person bearing a look of hostility towards me was unsure of my purpose of being here. The crowd started to whisper amongst themselves.

“Who is he?”

“I haven’t seen him before”

“Does he know what happened?”

Each person whispering to one another acting as if I’m unable to hear their questions in which no one else can answer.

“He’s with me.” I turn immediately recognising Damians voice as the crowd starts to part down the centre, each person making way for Damian to make his way through. I don’t think Damian was considered to be the town leader but I do believe he was respected amongst the people that reside here.

“How do we know he had nothing to do with the abductions.” One of the men that had been following me prior retorted, stepping forward to face me, a sternness in his eyes as if he was convinced I had something to with the abductions.

“He only came to town earlier today and was essentially comatosed when I brought him back, and he’s been with me and my family all day.” He stated the facts coming to defend me in front of all these people. “He didn’t even know about the abductions.”

“How do you know he has nothing to do for them, huh… Did you ask him?” The man continued to argue, refusing to listen to my reasoning, his face turning red in his self proclaimed righteous fury. Refusing to accept the pure coincidence that I happened to end up in this town shortly after the abductions began.

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“You clearly have no idea what’s going on, where and why the children are being taken otherwise you would have done something” Stating the hard truth for all to hear, all averting their gazes from me looking at each other in their own guilt as my words ring truth within each of them.

“You bastard!” He Screams in frustration at his own helplessness, bunching his hand into a fist

Without any hesitation, he strikes my face as hard as he can leaving my cheek a glowing red.

Damian and the others rush in to pull him off of me, preventing him from throwing any more punches at me, restraining his arms, binding his movement, preventing him from any more outbursts as he grits his teeth whilst struggling desperately trying to get another punch in.

The taste of blood filling my mouth as he burst my lip with that last punch, as the blood builds in my mouth with no other options but to spit it out as unpleasant as that may be.

As I spit the pool of blood from my mouth into the snow below forming a vibrant red puddle where it sits and slowly drains into the snow itself turning the patch red.

Looking back at the man that struck me a look of realisation at what he had just done, shifting my eyes from side to side accessing the state of the crown a mixture of expressions to be seen mainly consisting of looks of concern front the woman whilst the men look with a subtle look disapproval towards my approach of expressing my views.

“Right now I'm your best bet at helping to find these kids that have gone missing so when you gain some sense and are ready to ask for my help i’ll be on Damians porch, where you can keep an eye on me as well… making sure I don’t do anything suspicious.” Taunting him further whilst wiping away the last of the blood that sits around my lower lip.

“You arrogant bastard” He yells whilst spitting up launching saliva from his mouth as he gains a second wind rekindling his fury and frustration.

“I’m as arrogant as you are prideful, refusing to accept help, just because I'm an outsider.” Scoffing aloud for all to hear, all eyes fixated on me once more, as I state the hard cold truth once more, refusing to sugar coat my words. “When you're willing to put that pride aside for the sake of the kids, then I'll help.”

With everything I had to say said the rest was out of my hands, taking my leave and returning back to Damians with him close in tow, the crowd murmuring becoming quieter and quieter the further away I become, the discussion becoming heated in the distance as a divide amongst the town people became apparent, those wishing for my assistance and those who still reluctant to trust.

Returning to Damiens after what seemed like the longest night of my life after meeting the not so friendly neighbours, he said they were distrustful but that’s clearly an understatement.

“Dear, would you go say goodnight to Sasha, please.” Sapphire asks as she comes down the stairs exchanging a subtle kiss with Damian as they pass each other, honestly it’s quite a sweet sight to see.

“I’ll start clearing the table” She adds making her way into the kitchen, honestly I completely forgot about the mess we made whilst eating dinner, there was so much going on outside, dinner completely skipped my thought.

“Let me help”

“Please you’re our guest” She politely responds making her way to the kitchen.

“I insist” following behind into the kitchen to see food still left on the tables, looking at the remaining food on the plates I can’t help myself all that drama I stirred ahs made me hungry once more grabbing my plate once more picking off the remaining pieces of food, shovelling it into my mouth refusing to waste even a scrap left.

Noticing Sapphire looking at me from across the room grinning in her amusement at the sight of me shovelling the remainder of the food into my mouth one bite after another.

“That’ll be cold”

“Tastes just as good cold as it does warm” I respond grinning as I finish off the last of the contents of the plate collecting up the rest along with the silverware and glasses, taking them over to the sink and grabbing a tea towel ready to dry them as she washes.

“What was the noise about?” She asked her tone to be completely different, low and quiet as if to ensure there's no way for Sasha to over hear.

“Another child’s gone missing” I reply, keeping my voice down, knowing it’s a sensitive topic especially for a mother herself, unable to imagine the thoughts that must be going through their heads, knowing that it could very well be her child next. “How many does that make if you don’t mind me asking”

“Three” she responds, pausing on the dishes for a moment, clearly distraught at the mere thought of what the other parents could be going through.

The rest of the night was quiet as we carried on the dishes, Sapphire didn’t say much else after that withdrawing into her thoughts just the occasional piece of small talk, shortly after taking herself off to bed, kindly offering me the sofa to sleep on in front of the fireplace wit some extra blankets and pillows to try and make myself comfortable… as difficult as that may be on a sofa I couldn’t fit on laid down.

Grabbing my journal wrapped in cloth and my makeshift graphite pencil, slowly making my way towards the porch ensuring not to wake the family that slept soundly above, finding a comfortable spot on the steps outside, just out of reach of the snow coming down, but it was a lighter downpour now as the blizzard had finally subsided, in which I could sketch in my journal both the Hyokla and the Jaggerjacks that I had previously encountered.

Ever increasing its contents with information from all over the world, kept together in a leather bound covering with stained crinkled pages, from its general wear and tear throughout the many years I’ve owned, sealed with some string tied off at the front.