Thick Bark

Prelude

They used to love the warm, welcoming season of Summer. Oh, definitely going on camping trips, hiking trips, a few trekking adventures. Heck, sometimes they'd leave their children under the watch of a trusted camper only so they can trek mountains! At least their mother would. Their father isn't very into adventurous and steep terrain, but he has a hidden love for activities like these.

The family bask under the sun at least once a year. After all, as a hard working CEO of their own company, the father was approved of a break by his workers. The mother was a housewife who sometimes gets a little out of hand, considering her wild personality. However as a mother, she never forgot to tend to her two children and always give them enough attention.

Sure enough, the children were raised quite mannerful. The older sister took care of his three-years-old brother when her mother can't. Over all, the four of them was like a hard working team and they never left each other.

Until that summer...

It wasn't her fault. Neither was it theirs.

"I thought I heard you being a klutz, need help?" their mother, Camilla, swung her head inside the trailer's front door. A smile on her lips, she teasingly asked, "can't handle Miggi, huh?"

"No, it's just-" the door was shut off and their nine-year-old daughter can't hear further. It was quiet, considering their site was guarded by thick foliage. Camilla and Zeke never saw it coming. Because really, who would when they're in a trailer truck that blocked out the outside noise? Hell, the windows were even closed because their three year old hated the sun shining into the interior.

They didn't even realize that their nine-year-old daughter was gone. She was never one to be loud and make a ruckus, so she was always silent like a phantom; giving heart attacks to the maids and staff.

In a situation like this, she was taught to scream and wag around, but why didn't she? Maybe she was grabbed from behind, and the kidnapper used something to pipe her down? Perhaps she moved on her own; a lure? She could've also fallen asleep and the suspect made use of the advantage.

However when Camilla stepped out the RV and checked on her daughter, she was nowhere to be found. The only traces were the sticky cereal she was given she declared she was hungry.

"Zeke," Camilla was too stunned to even raise her voice, "Zeke, please come."

"What is..." Zeke couldn't tell what was happening, but whatever is going on, it's bad bad. In front of him was Camilla with her hands on the temples of her head and her eyes wide open, tears gushing out from her blue eyes. He slowly approached her, while she sobbed on her knees. Noticing that Camilla was looking at the portable chair, he quietly asked her, "where's... Where's Blythe?"

"Can't you fucking see?! She's nowhere! Nowhere. She's gone, Zeke!" that was all Camilla ever blurted out before wiping her tears, which did no help whatsoever.

In hopes to comfort his wife, he kneeled and wrapped his muscled arms around her shoulders, but she blantly rejected and pushed him off. With a hint of sadness in his frown, he stood up and walked to the RV, "I'll be calling the cops."

It was only a five-minute wait but for Camilla and her husband, it was an eternal. She was tapping her fingers on another chair and her husband was carrying their younger son, Miguel.

A man with a recognizable uniform approached them, "hello, you must be the Gemmer's?"

Camilla bolted up faster than Zeke could follow, "yes, w-we are the Gemmer's. Sir, please, what happened to our daughter?"

Her question was completely out of the  box and would be considered idiotic as they've not done any investigations, but the officer answered, "no, mrs. Gemmer, but we're going to work on it after we interview you."

And so Camilla told them all that happened, even prior to the incident, and so did Zeke, who appeared more and more agitated through the end of the interview.

"We'll do our very best to find Blythe, mr. and mrs. Gemmer," the search and rescue officer who claimed to be Jacques Dubois assured the couple and ruffled Miguel's hair.

"Yes, thank you, s-sir," Zeke shook his hand and Camilla returned the same gesture, before pulling her hand back to her.

But after all that... It's been a year. A year has already passed since Blythe disappeared. Zeke's handling it well, so is Camilla, but their son, Miguel, more prefered to be called Miggs, isn't. All he kept asking was if he can go back and search the forest to find his sister. He was too young to recognize Blythe, so his curiosity only grew more.

"Oh, but, hun, your sister is.. Probably dead out there.. You.. Wouldn't find her body," Camilla reasoned, now more afraid to let her only child slip from her. She would let him go and search for Blythe, but the thought to losing another kid... Was a harsh, harsh experience and she never ever wanted to experience that again.

Meanwhile at the Dubois household, Jacques has been keeping everything safe, including his only son, Nephele, despite his absences. He's not always around, so Nephele had to learn basic chores.

Today however, Jacques is on a day off and he decided to spend his leisure time with his child at a local amusement park.

"So.. Which ride, Neph?" Jacques asked, a cold drink on his hand, his other on Nephele's shoulders, "you can ride any ride!"

"Um.. Dad, I'm hungry, though. Can we eat first?" Nephele asked, a sheepish grin formed on his lips.

"All for you, sunny," and so they headed over to a near restaurant to have a fast meal. But the TV was on and the news came on. The two were sitting relatively close to the TV so they had no trouble hearing enough.

A picture of a woman with wavy, black waves flashed on the screen, along with a news reporter who informed the lady's name. At the sound of her name, Jacques flinched and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Dad...?" Nephele looked up at the TV before realizing that the woman found bitten to death in the forest was the same woman her father was within the wedding portrait. The same eyes, hair and fair skin; that's definitely her and there was no way he can find out for sure if it's her because her limbs were torn. And her crimson blood were sprayed on the leaves and plants.

"Is that.. Mom..?"

And here it is! I told you guys I'd sure the recuer!Levi x Reader idea back in the oneshots. Please enjoy and support the story!