Trouble in Tiltown

Confrontation

"A-Amber? Like, West's missing wife, Amber?" I questioned her.
Her eyes widened at me, "West? And.." She pauses, "I'm missing?" She nearly yells out the question. How did she not know she's been a missing person all this time?
"I need to bring you to West." I say as I slowly stand, helping her up and off the muddy ground.
"I haven't seen West in years." She mumbled quietly to herself as I gathered up the books into my hands once again.
"Well then, you guys can be reunited again." I motion for her to follow me and she obeys, hesitantly at first.
"I-I don't know if this is a good idea." She stuttered.
"How come?" I asked as I glanced back at her. Her bright green eyes were ruined by the darker bags under her eyes. Her lips, pale as well as her skin tone. She looked as if she'd been living outside with wild animals. She wore a long and white nightgown that barely passed her knees along with slippers that were dirtied and ripped apart.
"He isn't the same person he used to be. When we lost our son, he became angry with the world." She informed.
"Of course. Any father would be like that." I replied. I felt her eyes land on the side of my face.
"But, once I left him, he's gone insane. He isn't the same West I once knew." She said. Lightening shot throughout the dark clouds, accompanied by thunder that threatened to growl louder. My feet stopped when I noticed I no longer heard footsteps.
"How do you know that he's insane if you left?" I asked. I turned around to see red hair deeper in the woods. She had ran away. I attempted to jog after her, but stopped myself when I knew I couldn't catch her now. I have to get back to West.

I pounded on the door with the books still in my other arm. West answered the door with a dirty robe on and a mug in his hand.
"Do you mind?" He grumbled.
"I just found your wife in the woods." I spat out the words in a speedy manner. I could've said that better, I'll admit.
His eyebrows furrowed together, "What?"
"I was walking home when I saw a girl in the woods. When I caught her, She told me she was Amber. She knew so much about you." I informed West.
"Leave." He ordered me as his eyes scanned the woods behind me.
"Excuse me? I just told you that I found your-
"I know what you just told me and I'll take it that you heard me as well. Get off my property." His eyes glared through mine. His eyes grew darker with anger. I stepped back with the books in my hands.
As he began closing the door, he said one last thing.
"Read it." He spat before slamming the door.

Sitting at my desk, I flipped through the pages that stunk of coffee and a hint of cigars. My finger nudged the bridge of my glasses as I began reading the words written on the pages in front of me.
"Most of the parents in this town control this town. Almost as if they are in their own cult. I just need to know who does the dirty work now." Dirty work? Is the dirty work he's talking about, the cause of missing persons? My fingers flipped over to the next page. The writing a bit more messier.
"THEY KIDNAP PEOPLE BUT WHO? WHO DO THEY KIDNAP? WHY? WHO? HOW? WHAT HAVE THEY DONE WITH MY FAMILY?" He must've wrote that with frustration, sadness and fear. I brought my lamp closer to the pages as the day became darker outside.
"I met up with an old friend of mine. We went swimming but he refused to put his head under water. As he chugged water later on, I took notice of a bump on his neck. I have to get him to stay with me longer so I can figure out what it is." My eyes scanned over to the next page that revealed more hectic writing on it once again.
"He passed out completely drunk on my chair tonight. I examined him closer and could almost see a red light. I knew what I had to do." Suddenly, the writing stopped on the page and instead continued onto a new page.

"I did it. It was a tiny chip of some sort with a red light. Even after that, he still hadn't woken up. I fear for the worst." My heart dropped. What had West really done to find out everything he knows now? My door opened up, causing me to nearly jump out of my chair.
"Yes?" I asked, pinching the bridge of my nose with my fingers.
My mother stood with a bowl of food in hand, "I made dinner." She informed me before handing me the bowl.
"Thanks." I said before chowing down.
She glanced around my room.
"Why is it so dark in here?" She questioned me.
"I'm reading." I stated.
"Oh. Well, I won't be a bother any longer." She apologized as she patted my back and closed my door once again. Finishing the meal within just minutes, I continued reading the journal.
"I had to hold a secret burial for my friend. Of course, it was an accident. He knew that. That's all that matters. I dressed in my finest suit before I headed back inside my safe place to return to more studies and research." I stood up from my chair as my heart sped up. He couldn't have possibly done that? Could he? Picking up my backpack and sliding it up my arm, I brought my baseball bat and jogged off to West. The street lamps began to dim, flicker before finally completely turning off. As the buzzing from the lamp posts stopped, all to be heard in the night was my heavy breathing as I hurried to West.

Pounding on his door, there was still no response.
"West, open up!" I yelled through the door. Slow and steady footsteps came closer to the door. As it creaked opened, there stood Jerrick instead.
"Jerrick? What're you doing here?" I inquired him.
He brought his hands up to his eyes as he rubbed them.
"I-I don't know." He mumbled with raspiness.