Shadows Of Red

CHAPTER 1: The Disappearances

CHAPTER 1: The Disappearances

I WALKED out of my small, almost empty apartment towards the street to the university grounds. The breeze is starting to chill, coaxing everyone to start wearing their winter coats. I hugged myself as another cold breeze passed by me as waves of people started running towards that popular post outside the premise of West Vanders University.

"Oh, my gosh."

"Stacey Kennel is really gone?"

"Yes, she was last found on Tuesday at the University proper. That's why West Vanders University is also under investigation right now."

I stopped as another wave of chills erupted on my body. But now not due to the November winds, but because of the news I just heard. The new post about the new missing person in West Vanders.

Stacey Kennel, the reporter's daughter. I know the girl. That sweet, reserved and decent Stacey Kennel who was kind enough to help me get the part time job I have now. But, she's gone?

"The seventh victim." I muttered to myself. Feeling the hairs on my arm and back raise because of the news. Wondering why a girl such as Stacey would be the next victim with the chain of missing girls in town.

Speculations about serial killings, drugs, and other illegal activities started circulating around the town, thinking it were the reasons why these girls were suddenly disappearing. And there's this one common characteristic among all the girls abducted. Being a lady of the night. A pr*stitute.

But now that Stacey was involved, everyone was once again confused, which led back to its being just an unspecified case. Or to simply put, 'the case of disappearances', without the ‘ladies of the night’ on it.

One thing that gave hope to the people in town was not a single body was found. It could mean that they were alive, but the worst is still out there. In which they could be dead but the police just wasn't able to get nor identify their bodies.

There were also no records seen of anything that may lead to making them vanish like that. With everything said, people stuck to the implication of it being a drug addict or a psychopath's game. At one point, I believed those were the possible reasons too, but not until that one night I could never forget.

I swallowed at the immediate images that crossed my mind.

Halloween. Alley.

I shook my head to get the images out of my head and clutched my arms. But my mind couldn't help but remember the exact things I saw that one night I badly wanted to erase in my mind.

Blood. Dark eyes. Cold.

I thought I was being delirious, but those images kept on playing inside my head even when I try so hard not to think of it. It is a memory I don't want to keep. A memory I wish that never existed.

"Maybe you saw wrong." I clutched my chest as my heart started beating rapidly. "Yes, maybe you really did," I muttered to myself.

Like I do almost every day, I once again convinced myself that it was purely because of my very first time drinking liquor in the nineteen years of my life, that it made crazy images pop inside my head.

But the reality about Helena Vergara being the sixth missing person in town that next day slaps me in the face every time I try to shrug those images away.

I remember clearly those dark glinting eyes. Glistening with danger that assured anyone of their demise. I never saw its entire face. Yet, I remember clearly the chills that ran through my body at its presence. The feels that the figure brought with him in the already chilly air. That was a thing that was very clear to me. The thing that brought nightmares to me at night.

I didn't know what to do when I saw a silhouette of a body, slumped on the ground almost naked and eyes strangely opened.

Helena. I never knew her personally, but I saw her often in the bar where I was working.

I was frozen and wide-eyed when I saw her. Too scared to even do anything. And when I saw that dark and huge figure moving, I did the only thing I could do in my fear-filled mind that night, the easiest thing that I could do: run away.

Since then, I started doubting the speculations of the investigators about the prolonging case. Thinking that maybe the reason why not a single lead towards anything that may drive the investigations further was because every speculations they made were wrong. That maybe, there was something other than...people actually doing it.

And since then, I felt guilty and responsible for not doing anything depsite with everything that I saw with my own eyes. But was it my fault? Did I even have the capability to save the unresponsive girl on that dark alley when my life was also at stake that night? Did I even have a choice but to run? Would anyone even believe a drunk teenage girl running around in panic at that time?

I heaved a deep sigh and made my way towards the university. I shook my head in an attempt to get rid of the vestiges of feelings I got from that incident.

Seeing how the area where the post about the newest victim got so crowded in such as short span of time, I dragged myself away from the crowd that was getting even bigger as wave after wave of people noticed the new post about the missing person in our small town.

Stacey Kennel was one of the very few people I talked to in here. Despite basically growing up with most of the kids in this town, I didn't get to be around them that much. I was different. Different in a sense that I may not fit in. At one point, I was unhappy about it, but I eventually just got over it.

That's because of some people like Stacey. She was one of the popular yet undramatic rich kids in town. She was nice enough to talk to me every now and then. We never had any conversations that would have allowed us to grow our being acquaintances into a much closer friendship, but we both knew we're friends—well, kind of. It’s just that she even helped me get in the bar where I am working as a waitress right now. It was her uncle's. The biggest night bar in town.

She also wasn't like the other ones in her supposedly social circle, namely Amanda's group. Stacey never even attempted to join them. I guess we both were just the same, which made me want to really befriend her.

But now I wouldn't have the chance to do it, because she's gone.

I trotted towards the university as I clutched my jacket, feeling how the cold seeped through my clothes towards my skin. The clouds were blocking the sun today, forbidding its rays to shine some light for the new day. I raised my eyes upwards and saw the thick clouds heavily passing through the sky. It looked like it's going to rain anytime. It only made the ambiance even more of a mystery with the latest case of disappearance.

I watched every fearful face while walking inside the university grounds. Watched how the fear of the mysterious disappearances cloaked the entire area that's slowly eating everyone alive.

Not a day that the news about those girls were not being talked about in town. And as much as I didn't want to hear them, I just couldn't stop them. Just like how I can’t stop my mind from always going back to that one fearful night. That night of the Halloween when I was too tired and exhausted of everything and just took a shot of one strong liquor I had no idea about.

I lost control. I almost lost my senses, not until that sight woke me up. Waking me up to another set of nightmare I want to run away from.

***

I CLOSED my locker as I heard a couple of gushes beside me. I looked over to my side only to see those mysterious grey eyes again.

Girls beside me started giggling at the sight of Calum Price, leaning against the wall, still looking so lean and tall. His dark eyes glistening with that same magnetic force every girl willingly follows.

He stood there, while people watched him. His jet black hair swept up and those grey, mysterious eyes glistening with that 'come hither' pull.

He's basically the Prince of the town—no, more like the dark prince. Yeah, that title suits him better. With his mysteriously dark yet magnetic presence, no one can ever deny how mysteriously hot this guy is. Not even me, who always try to shrug the thought of guys away. Because even when I try not to care, there's just really something so... enticing about him.

People walked by the hallway without not taking a glance at his tall figure on the side. Girls giggled and swooned over him. I didn't even notice how I also just stood there, watching him like all of these girls and even some other guys did. I mean, we just can't help it.

But like a lightning that shook me out of my reverie, those dark eyes met mine. Staring. Piercing. As if he knew I was staring at him. As if I was the only one staring at him.

I immediately felt my face heating up. I turned around and started walking to my first class with my heart pounding faster than normal.

What the heck was that, Nat?!

Still utterly embarrassed, I focused on walking in the midst of the sea of students in the hallway. Still oddly feeling something on my back that felt like it was following me.

I held my breath as my heart quickened with the anxiety I don't even know where came from. I took in a huge breath.

Breathe, Natalie. Stop being so awkward!

I swiftly took a turn in the hallway to hide from the embarrassment I was feeling at getting caught staring. I stopped on my tracks and leaned on the wall, finally out of that piercing stare I thought I felt that was following me.

I looked back to see if I was right, but I sighed as a different sight welcomed me.

If Calum was the prince, there will always be a princess. And that princess is Amanda. With her blonde hair in perfect curls behind her, she clung to Calum and smiled at her friends who hovered over them to watch the town's 'perfect' pair.

Calum Price and Amanda Wilson. Both from the wealthiest families of the town—or even of the state, have been seen together for the last couple of months. Almost everyone was pining for them, seeing it was fitting for both the son and daughter of the town’s plutocrats to be together. But the thing was, people knew they were really not in a relationship.

Calum is the type of guy who likes playing around and never settles with a girl. Well, we never really know. Despite he's family being a famous name in the business industry and in town, they are quite private. Even choosing to stay in a town as small as West Vanders when they came from a big city.

They transferred here when we were on eighth grade. And that started everybody's obsession of the Prices. Still, with everyone's attention on them, they maintained their privacy, most especially him. Calum. And I guess that's one of the reasons why people are so attracted to him.

One can not deny he is gorgeous, but it's his eyes that lures and traps people to fall into the abyss of his mystery. Making people want more of him.

I heaved a deep sigh. I admit my attraction towards him. But I'm not like the others who thinks anything with him could be possible. Besides, I don't even have the luxury to even think about it. And his decadence towards women is not so appealing to me.

I've known most people in university since most just came from the same high school. West Vanders may be small, but its name of being the 'state's hidden treasure' has its truth laced on it.

Some of the wealthiest people in the state lives in here, thus, the nickname of the town. I looked around the university grounds which lacked nothing of the nature's view and breathed the fresh yet chilly air.

I thought that after all, I may understand why people as rich as them would choose to stay in this place. It's tranquil and quaint ambiance is bound to make anyone feel at home and at peace.

But along its silence and tranquillity, I can't help but think that something lies hidden in this town. Something that was bound to be remembered. Yet, now almost forgotten by everyone. And now it's making its presnce to be remembered by everyone again.

And being the person who may have seen it first, brings a huge black hole in my system that makes me shudder in anxiety.

Why does it have to be me?