Crime by design

Prologue

Mill Hills was your typical small town - or at least it was. Once upon a time, until one summer night on labor day weekend when most of its youth was at the town's bonfire. In the moonlight, a beautiful young woman named AmayaJune stood on the curb of the parking lot near the woods where the bonfire was being held as she waited for her beloved father to pick up his little princess from a night full of memories. She kept checking the time on her phone. Ten minutes, half an hour, and finally an hour passed, but still her father was a no-show. Getting more concerned by the second, Amayacalled her father, but her call went straight to voicemail.

"Hey Dad, it's just me. I was hoping you might be able to give me a ride home. Hope to see you soon. Love you." As more time passes, she paces back and forth, trying to reach her dad, but again, there is no answer. Amaya is sitting on the curb, getting worried.

"Hey, Me again, It's not like you to not answer your phone. Please call me as soon as you can. I love you, dad." Even more worried, than before. Her knee started shaking with stress. Amaya looked at the time on her phone. It was past midnight. Amaya stood up and started walking when she heard a loud bang ringing through the night. She looked towards the woods where the sound came from and walked toward it. Amaya made her way through the branches, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Tears filled her eyes, she quickly shut her eyes as everything went dark for her.

Opening her eyes, she found herself at her family's home. She stared at the front door where she felt a cut on her forehead. Amaya grabbed onto the railing of the front porch to help herself to stabilize her stumbling and weak state, as she grabbed her keys and unlocked the front door. When she entered the home, she was met by her beautiful, overprotective mother Elizabeth June coming down the stairs in a cheetah print bathrobe. Her mother's expression was as concerned as Amaya's was.

"Gab-Amaya? Is everything okay?" Elizabeth saw her cut.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Elizabeth walked towards Amaya examining her cut. Amaya pulls away.

"My head just hurts. I'll be fine, mom." Elizabeth nodded, letting it be.

"Is your father with you?" Amaya went from neutral to worry.

"He isn't here? Something doesn't feel right," Amaya said.

"I'm sure he's okay. It's not like he hasn't been late before," Elizabeth walked towards her daughter and took her into her arms to calm her.

"His phone went straight to voicemail every time I called him, earlier."

"I'll call your uncle Scott and see if he's heard from him," Elizabeth responded, still holding onto her daughter's hands. Amaya nodded in agreement, and then Elizabeth left to call Scott. As Amaya slid down the wall, she buried her face in her knees once she landed on the ground.

The following day, Amaya's childhood best friend Tyler showed up on her front porch with his grin and smile. The moment she saw him, she hoped it was her father but was disappointed when it wasn't. Then she threw her arms around her with tears running down her face. Tyler was concerned as Amaya pulled him onto the porch swing and told him what had happened.

"Do you think, he's gone forever, Ty?" Amaya spat.

"Hey, no. Don't think like that. He's going to come back to you and us," Tyler said.

"How do you know?" Amaya sniffled.

"I just do," Tyler smiled.

"Your father shows up and at the right time. He'll be back, maybe he got lost and doing everything he can to come back to you," Amaya took a breath.

"Am, your father loves you. He's doing everything he can to come back to you and your mother. Besides anyone who says otherwise is crazy to leave you behind," Tyler swiped away her tears.

"Tyler, you are the best friend I could ask for," Tyler smiled as Amaya laid her head on his shoulder watching the view from the porch.

A week later: A dead body was found in the woods by a hiker and identified as Gabor June. The cause of death was put down as a car accident. Despite everyone believing that Gabor's death was an accident, Amaya did not believe it for one second. She decided to make it her life's mission to find the truth, whatever it took.

From that night on, the previously idyllic Mill hills was no longer safe, it had forever changed. Now every time someone enters the town, they can feel the darkness coming upon them.