Hidden Inside

Help Wanted

It all started in her bedroom, no, not the way you are thinking. She was studying, really. She was also munching on some of her favorite candies, though an unpopular opinion, she thought conversation hearts were some of the best. Yes, those chalky, color flavored, misprints that we by for our third grade siblings to give to their friends so they don't go in empty handed during the valentine's party. As I was saying, there she was munching on candies and studying for her Criminology Class Cumulative Final. As she studied focusing on the expensive bulky reading material in front of her. She caught something strange in the corner of her eye. The words on the candy hearts churned and shifted. They twisted into new words from affectionate sweet nothings to cries and pleas for help. This couldn't be real, she had been up for 20 hours so far studying for the exam. Maybe it was starting to mess with her mind? Then again why this? Why is everything still good. She decided it was time to head to bed and turned off the small dim desk lamp before crawling into the poor excuse of a bed the college offered her to sleep in.

The next morning, the alarm wailed warning the young woman she was going to be late for her final class of the semester. She hurried into a pair of light-wash denim jeans and a long-sleeved candy apple red shirt. She pulled on some wool socks and slipped on her favorite black boots before throwing her leather jacket on and swung her huge backpack across her shoulder before rushing to her class as she raced against the clock.

Just in time, she made it to her seat as the professor started to hand out the first copies of the test. "Just in time Miss Laqua." He muttered annoyed. She just nodded and took the test copy and began her work. She had set out a few candy hearts to eat during the exam to help keep her focused and worry less about the time ticking away. The professor in front of her had been an advocate to help students, one of the professors who would been over backwards for those in his class. But since his daughter went missing a week before Valentine's Day earlier in the year, he had become a harsh and bitter man. She sighed and shook her head to clear it. She wasn't the only one to go missing, and he wasn't the only one who lost something then. But enough of that. She had a test to take now. It was the last obstacle in finding out what happened to her brother seven years ago, and her best friend earlier that year. The townsfolk had just accepted the disappearances as is and reported it as runaways. She didn't believe that and those who had lost didn't either. It was time for her to crack this cold case, just as soon as she finished answering A, B, C, or D.

When she had completed the novella of questions she handed it in with her head down and simply exited the classroom. She headed to her dorm room and started packing. It was only then did she realize that the candy hearts still had their pleading words inscribed on the chalky outer layer. Only now the words were fading, though there were still some that were clear as day. She snapped picture with her phone of these new developments before they faded so much that you could no longer see them. This was not normal, something was seriously off about it.  Yet she continued on and finished packing. Tonight would be the last night on campus as a student for her. Her finals were over and she was finishing her masters which was all she needed, more than what she needed in the small town.

She had left her sleeping stuff out so she could get one more night of rest before she started her own investigation of the disappearance of the small towns young adults every four years. She decided to go to the bar with her friends. On the way she heard a scream come from a dark alley behind one of the bars. She quickly rushed to the origin of the panicked cry to see a being take off with a male about her age into the night sky. She followed after him from below until they disappeared into an abandoned factory. She crept towards the building that was ready to give out. When she entered, she watched as the boy that had been kidnapped disappeared down a  dark and narrow chute. She looked around for anything that can help. She found a piece of rope and tied it around her waist before slipping into the unknown.

She landed just a few minute later into this underground tunnel. There were multiple people, even some she recognized, though she hadn't known them personally. As she looked around she realized that each person was from a case she studied. The Valentine's Victims as they called them as they all disappeared one week before Valentine's Day. She analyzed each person. How can these people still look so young? She heard the flutter of wings and quickly went to hide. She saw a small creature as he appeared in front of the terrified abducted boys. "Get back to work. The holiday is almost here." He snapped. She looked to her phone, that wasn't possible, she had just finished her schooling. She had just graduated, but the electronic revealed otherwise. She had been down here for years without realizing it. She needed to get home as well as get the victims home too, but how would she do such a thing? There were so many, probably close to 140 guys. All she had was one thing or rope and no back up.