When the night rises... *book three*

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!

It's the first time I've left Elliot alone whilst me and Sam go to dinner. I haven't stopped worrying since we left the house. Mia is out at a friends, sleeping over, and so is Ves so we had to get a babysitter. She seemed really nice so that's good.

Sam looks up at me from his food, "You good, love?"
"Um... Yeah..."

He puts his cutlery down, "do you want to go back home and check on Elliot?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. You go, I want to finish my food. Call me when you're on your way back."
"I will, thanks."

I get up, bend down to kiss his cheek and leave the restaurant.

I start walking home and I suddenly get this feeling that something has happened.

Not a good thing.

I start walking a little quicker and a police car follows along slowly and the officer inside rolls his window down, "you alright, love?"
"Um... Well... I-I don't know, something's wrong."
"What's wrong?"
"It-its Elliot, somethings wrong with him, I know. He should be with a babysitter, but something is wrong. Something has happened, and I need to get home."
"Elliot your kid?"
"Yes, he's about a year old or so."
"Want me to drive you?"
"Please."

I get in and tell him my address and he drives as quickly as is legal, and when we get to the end of the street, I open the door and jump out of the car and run to the front door.

I fumble around with the lock and keys until I get the door open and I run inside just as the officers car parks outside.

I run to the living room and the babysitter is unconscious with something sticking in her neck.

The officer runs in after me and runs to the babysitter to check if she's okay.

He puts on some rubber gloves and takes the needle from her neck, "she had a Tranquilizer dart in her neck, someone tranquillised her."

He manages to wake her up.

She suddenly sits up and runs to Elliots playpen, "nonononono!!"

I approach her, "Lucy, where's Elliot!?"
"Last thing I saw, this man picked him up and then shot me with something!"
"No..."

I call Sam.
"Hey hun, you in your W-"
"Someone took Elliot."
"What!?"
"Lucy says that a man was holding Elliot and shit her with something. It was a Tranquilizer, and now, someone has Elliot."
"Shit. Shit shit shit! Im coming Home, okay? I'll be there soon!"

He hangs up and I tear up, "it's my fault, I should have brought him with us."

The officer walks in front of my and puts his hands against my arm, "hey, we will find him, okay? I promise."

He hugs me and runs my back reassuringly, "we will find your son."...

He'd be eighteen today.

Two years ago, the police uncovered the rotting hacked to pieces remains of a sixteen year old male.

They think he's dead but I refuse to believe it.

I'm walking about when someone taps me.

I turn around to see a young male with Brownish gold eyes. Like slightly burnt cake. His hairs jet black and he's got a mixed skin tone.

"Oh... I thought you were my dad..."
"It... it's okay... you... you look familiar..."
"I- I should really get going..."

He steps back and then runs off.

He looked like Elliot, only older...

I watch as the teen runs off to a pale skinned man with light blonde hair. Huh...

I can't help but overhear their conversation.

"Eli, I told you not to go running off!"
"Sorry, I just really needed the bathroom and then I thought I saw you but it wasn't you."
"This is why I don't bring you out with me. It's dangerous! There could be all sorts of people trying to take you! You're my son, okay? I can't lose you."
"Sorry dad... it won't happen again..."

The man hugs Eli, "it's okay. Let's Go Home."

Is Eli his real name, or a nick name?

The man looks directly at me. His eyes widen slightly.

I smile and Wave.

"Dad, is he one of your friends? I thought he was you."
"I... I guess you could say he's my friend. Yeah..."
"Maybe he could come over for some food."
"I don't know. Last time we met, we had a little... falling out. Let's go."

He Leads Eli away.

I go to the police station, "I think I just saw Eliot and the man who took him."
"What?"
"You Heard me, I think I saw them."
"Do you know what the man looks like?"
"Yes, he's about average height for a grown male, seemingly naturally light blonde hair, similar to the dyed light blond of my hair. He's got pale skin, and... yellowish hazel eyes."
"Okay. What sort of face shape, and what's his built like?"
"I'd say he's fairly built, not as big as me, obviously, I think the only person close to being as big as me is my father and his face is... square-ish."
"Okay. I think I may know who you're on about, and we've been looking for this guy for decades."

He clicks and types on his computer and then he turns the monitor to face me.

"Clark Ford."
"That looks exactly like the man I saw."
"Yeah, he escaped from prison about twenty years ago, we've been looking for him ever since."
"We'll I saw him today, with someone who looks a lot like an older Elliot."
"We'll, what do you say we finally find this son of a bitch?"
"I think that would be a good idea. Any rough estimate on his whereabouts?"
"Yes. Well... sort of."
"Okay."
"He lives in the middle of a forest, we just aren't sure how exactly to get into the clearing. We've tried everything, there's no way through. So, unless there's a secret passage or something, we can't get to him."
"Grab a few others, I think I'll be able to get through."
"Okay."...

"Maybe it's like the story of Rapunzel."
"Excuse me?"
"It's a Disney movie. Tangled? It's also a cartoonish TV series?"
"Nope."
"Mother Gothel kidnaps the princess because she was born due to a magical sun drop flower because her hair has regenerative powers and so Mother Gothel uses her to keep young and when Rapunzel is eighteen, she decides to leave with this hottie Eugene, and the Eugene basically dies and before that he cut off Rapunzels magical hair so now it's short and brown and really cute, but the magic isn't in her hair, it's in her, and when she cries, her tears bring him back to life. And they live happily ever after. And that's where the show comes in."
"...right."
"Not ringing any bells?"
"It's... it's familiar?"
"Any of you others get it?"

The other officers shake their heads and only one knows what I'm on about.

"Jesus, guys, just check on that one Disney app when we're done here, I'm sure you'll find it."
"Okay."
"So my point is, there's probably a rock somewhere, that is actually a tunnel, and theirs vines hanging in front of both ends of the tunnel in the rock and so it looks solid but actually isn't."
"Right."
"Imagine if they actually lived in a tower. That would be so cool. Of course, Elliot doesn't have hair about a million meters long, so... yeah."

We walk along a natural stone wall for what seems like hours and I keep my hand against it to see if there's any tunnels.

I fall through something, "Oof!"

I stand and tell the others to stay where they are, and then I walk through the vines and see a cottage...