Pokèmon: The Anglos Region

Chapter 12: The Trapper's Woods

The girl wasn't very old, perhaps five at the absolute oldest, and she held her balled up fist to her eyes as she wiped away her tears. Several people were already gathered around her but Luna pushed her way forward to get a better look.

"What's going on?" She asked a young woman standing next to her.

"I don't know," she stammered, "but I do know who's child this. They live on the Western edge of town. It's this girl, her older brother and their mom, but usually they're all together if they come downtown."

Luna listened and then looked back at the sobbing child. Even though many people were trying to comfort her nobody could get a coherent word out of the babbling.

Out of compassion Luna reached out and took her hand lightly in hers. Sentinel rubbed his head against the girl and cuddled against her, his tail wrapping around her knees.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Luna cooed as she slowly brought the child's head into her chest. "We want to help, but you have to let us know, okay?" She gently rocked her body with the child.

After a moment the sobs calmed down although the tears kept coming amid the sniffles.

The little girl stuttered out, "The trees," and pointed towards the west, "Mommy and Billy went there and haven't come back! We were playing and then Billy was gone and Mommy went to look for him and I'm scared-" she managed to get out before she started to sob uncontrollably again.

A murmur from the crowd rippled through the room as Luna tried to comfort the girl again.

"What are the trees to the West?" Jett asked the woman who talked to Luna.

"We call it the Trapper's woods," she started, her face going slightly pale. "Long ago it was used by hunters to start up a settlement away from here. The story goes that over time less and less of them started coming back here until they stopped entirely. It's all legends now but the rumor is that there's some kind of monster that lives in there. Nobody who goes in comes back out, that part is known and still true today. Something is in there, that's for sure..."

Jett narrowed his eyes and sighed, "Shit..."

He started towards the Center door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Luna asked him.

He stopped, "I'm going to go look for them."

"Shouldn't the police handle it or something?"

"I really doubt they will, considering how much help they were last night. So either I go, or this poor girl's family is... Look, I'm going."

"Me too," Luna stood up and gave the girls hand to the woman. "Take care of her, we'll be back."

The woman's eyes widened in shock but before she could say anything Luna wrote her number down on the woman's free hand. "Send me any information you get about the family, if they show up, anything, got it?" She turned and went back to Jett

"You're not going alone," she told him as she came to his side, "it's always safer with backup, and I want to help this girl and there's nothing you can say to stop me."

Jett shrugged, "fair enough, come on," he said as he hurried out the door.

"That was easy, why didnt you stop me?"

"I could have said no and fought with you about it but then you'd just have extra incentive to follow me and sneak behind me anyway. If I agree then you at least are in my sight and easy to keep track of."

"That almost makes me sound like a burden!"

"If these woods are actually that dangerous, you could be. It's too unknown to say anything for certain but I do appreciate the help anyway and so far we've made a good team. It's just, I dont know what's in there so I don't know what to expect. I'm cautious."