The Silent Visitor

Chapter 1 (They Come Calling)

Like the nights before, an uneasiness settled into the brown-eyed woman's home. The breeze from her window showed its presence with a harsh hit to her skin. She jerked from the uncertainty that had weighed her and the city down for months. With sweat dripping down her temple, she could not believe what she heard; another was missing. She had hoped she could keep count, but as the numbers increased, she lost count. An eerie presence lurked about, leaving her restless, eyes puffy, red, and dark circles.

Bodies littered the lakes of Minneapolis. Police had lost faith in finding the culprit; she believed they were purposefully dragging their feet. Or maybe they could be involved with this whole scheme?

It had a name everyone knew all too well, feared by many. It had become known as the Silent Visitor, a harmless name, but the thought of being killed by the unknown induced fear in the community. No one knew who was next on the list or what these people had in common, yet everyone presumed they were next. She whispered a soft prayer in hopes of saving the city.

A rumor had been floating around about the victims hearing whispers before their abductions. It had everyone hallucinating, doubting their neighbors, family, and even themselves. A young girl was snatched the day before, a beautiful innocent girl. Clarita Andrews's face hung everywhere, desperate for someone to find her in her time of need. The police lacked the right equipment and manpower to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Her eyes closed in hopes of getting some sleep, something she lacked these days. Behind her closed eyelids, it played out in her head. The dream that played constantly. Reminding her she could not rest, knowing people were being killed. Innocent people, people she could have saved. A lone tear fell from her eye. Even in her sleep, this nightmare haunted her.

A loud bang echoed throughout the woman's house, catching her attention. She could not decipher if it was in her dream. Again, the loud bang bounces off the walls, making her jolt awake and leading her gaze towards the window located across the living room. There was a brief moment of hesitation before she got to her feet. She was well aware of the danger lurking outside her window at night. That's how women in Minneapolis vanished. The room resonated with the sound of yet another loud bang. Her heart started racing, beating rapidly and alarmingly. She rejected the idea of getting up to see what it was. The loud bangs continued, but then she heard a voice right after. A voice she knew all too well, a voice she hoped she never heard again.

Her neighbor Nicolas Cambridge made it his mission to get to know the mysterious woman who moved in across the street from him three years ago. To his surprise, it was quite hard. She remembered all the times he would try to start a conversation with her when they were out getting the mail. "Lyn! Get out here."

She peered out her window, hesitation still lurking about. "Why?" Lyn watched as Nick pointed down the street. His finger quivered as he held it up, frightening her more than she already was. Her head followed the direction of his finger. She reluctantly headed over to her front door, unable to see what he was showing her. As she opened the door, the cold October winds hit her face, regretting her decision already.

"Down there." Nicolas' voice seemed to tremble as he kept pointing down the street. Once again, her eyes followed the direction of his finger. There stood a badly beaten and bruised little girl. Lyn knew that face all too well. A face she'd hope to forget. The girl shivered from the cold outside, almost making them frozen in their spot.

Nicolas gazed at his neighbor with a questioning look. What were they supposed to do? "Go get her?" Lyn was not sure. Nobody in this situation would be sure of what to do. What if it was an ambush? What if it was watching them?

"Let's go together." She looked over at Nicolas like he'd lost his mind. Go together? She didn't want to die. She already had enough to put up with, considering she had dreams of people being taken and killed. "Okay? But you go first; I'll follow." They looked at each other for another second before Nicolas took the first step. A step that Lyn matched, afraid that if she was left behind, she could go missing within a mere second.

"Clarita?" Nicolas hesitantly calls out to her. The little girl failed to respond, almost like she was in a trance. "Clarita?" This time, Lyn felt more confident to speak. They approached Clarita with caution so as not to scare her away. Clarita's green eyes met with Lyn's. For a split second, she saw relief flash over the little girl's face. Relief that she had been found.

Clarita watched the two strangers who approached her with caution. As if she would bite them at any given second. She remembered the man calling her Lyn and him Nicolas. Her watchful eyes never left the two figures in front of her. The man told her not to trust anyone but one woman. Yet Clarita had no clue who he spoke of. She hoped that the lady who could save her would be out here.

Lyn hesitated as she took the girl's hand, guiding her out of the middle of the street. She didn't know what overtook her, but she felt the need to protect the little girl. Almost in a sisterly way. Like she owed Clarita her life, after what must have or maybe could have happened to her. She watched as the little girl's eyes stayed glued to her brown ones. "It's ok, you're safe now."

Lyn had doubts about the statement she just made, but in her heart, she believed Clarita was safe now. But she made a mental note that a belief is always a doubt.