3

"Uncle Tim was kidnapped,"

"Wait, what?" I said. The front desk clerk helped me find this place. He introduced me to his family so I could have some help navigating this district.

My mind immediately started to run off to what I like to call Possibility Land. An amazing theme park where overthinking is welcome, gets a discount on all the rides, and comes in handy.

"No, this can't be," I said, looking at the ground, "he has a job inside. His desk is at least ten meters away from any windows. The windows are also textured, so it would not be easy to fire a gun through them with accuracy. Not to mention, the internal system of the hotel's security network would alert any nearby police. The hotel would also be a high priority because of the popularity. They should also have security guards of their own," by this time, Aric had sunk to the floor and looked nauseous. He seemed to be very close to Timbolt.

I continued, "cameras are everywhere in that place. Outside and inside. Even if he was suddenly abducted, they would have gotten it on camera."

Aric took a deep, shaky breath. He stood up, his eyes empty. They were filled with so much emotion just a second ago, emptied.

"In the time of three months," he looked up at me, "no one has ever come back. Not one in two hundred and fifty-three."

He said three months; the news report said two. I knew he was in distress, but I had a theory. And I needed more information to see if it was right or wrong.

"Wait, you said three months. The last time I checked, they have only been happening for two. I have a theory. And I need the truth from you…" He looked down again, "it may help your uncle."

"He looked up again. "I'm closer to Uncle Tim than to my Dad and Mom. He practically raised me. He sent me to the Blacklight district, just the same as little Annie and Jen. I wanted him to come too, but he wouldn't. He only has one job, and it's high paying. He said he needed this."

The life was back in his eyes. His glasses only made the light brighter.

"So," he started, "tell me what you want to know."

A smirkish smile made its way onto my face. I was finally going to get some straight answers.

I asked him the first thing I noticed the news anchors said wrong, "you said the kidnappings have been happening for three months. Not two, like the news anchors say."

He looked at me with an almost disappointed gaze. It reminded me of how my mom would look at me after I got a question wrong on a test. Absolutely dumbfounded that I could be that stupid.

Disregarding my little laugh at the thought, he said, "Who do you think knows more, big shot companies with wealthy owners who never step a foot out of their privileged life, or the normal people who experience nearly everything they talk about; but sooner then they tell the public about it?"

That would make sense, I thought.

"The normal people," I said, a little ashamed that I asked such an obvious question.

"Wait," I started to mumble to myself, "the lack of the bird population started four months ago. He said they started to happen three months ago. Is there a connection?" I raked my fingers through my hair, tracing the braids on the side of my head.

"No," I continued, starting to twirl a lock of hair, "they don't go anywhere without someone herding them there. They have plenty of food too. We made sure of that. So there really is no reason for them to move. So it has to be something else."

Aric took a step closer to me, "wait, what are you talking about?"

"A dead end," I felt my eyes widen, and a devious smile carve into my face, "Timbolt didn't have any sensory disorders? Other than hearing loss?"

"He has APD (auto sensory processing disorder). Where he can't hear other people or things in loud environments and gets easily overwhelmed in noisy, smelly, or bright places."

"Did you know any of the other victims? Did they have anything like that?"

"I knew two. One had ADHD, the other one dyslexia."

"Do you know about any weird sightings of big things in the sky?"

"You mean the City of Birds warrior birds? They've been here ever since the war. They never caused a ruckus, though. They ate a lot of the invasive insects. So we kept them around."

His phone pinged. He looked down at it, "I need to go now… Granny is getting anxious," he said, remembering what happened. His eyebrows scrunched together.

He turned around and started to walk off. Then quickly turned on the balls of his feet and turned towards me, stiff as a bord. "What was your theory?" he asked, "I know you have one."

"To tell you about my theory, I would have to open up at least another ten-minute conversation. But for now, stay out of the sunlight districts. Spread the word to anyone who will listen."

"But if I know, I might be able to help you!"

"If I told you, it would put you in danger. And that's the last thing your uncle would want."

"He's my uncle! I should be able to know and try to help to get him back!"

He's not going to give up, I thought. His eyes and forward-leaning body posture told the whole story. He was not going to give up until he found his uncle. Even if it causes an early grave.

If I don't scare him into not going out, then he might follow me… I thought again.

He looked at the ground and clenched his fists, "I… I know you're from the City of Birds. The same city that took so many away from us. I heard in the City of Birds, citizens are taught things… things that give the city the nickname, The City of Warriors and Monsters. I know you have an idea about what happened."

He looked me in the eyes, "please, let me find my uncle. Please tell me what happened and… and let me find him with you. I'll feel guilty if he dies because I didn't do anything. He would want me to try and be brave. Try to save him."

At that moment, Arics continuous was fragile and lacking judgment. It's clouded by anger, fear, and grief. After all, his uncle may be dead. If his uncle really loves him as much as he thinks, he wouldn't want him to die.

He let out a heavy sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. The lights from the dancers reflected in on it. "At least tell the police about it or let me help you,"

I let out a deranged laugh. One that could only come from the pure evil depths of the soul. His eyes widened as his fear started to surface.

"You're a clever boy," my head tilted up, a gust of wind sent my hair into a frenzy. As if it was trying to grab every single air molecule passing by it.

"So tell me," I continued, "how do I know that I'm wearing a dead woman's clothes?"

He stared at me, his pupils dilated enough to see the blue parts of his limestone grey eyes.

"You seem a little confused," I kind of feel bad for scaring him, but I need him to not follow me.

I continued, "so I'll give you a little hint. You know whether or not I'm going to the police the same way I know I'm wearing a dead woman's clothes."

I took a step closer, and he took a step back. I was backing him into a corner, "because," another step, "that's," he hit his back to a building wall; he flinched as I poked his forehead, "boring!"

I could see the reflection of my dark purple eyes in his grey ones. How they were ignited from the dancer's lights. How animalistic they looked.

I pressed his chest against the wall and swept my foot under his leg. He collapsed to the ground. I heard his hand's skin rip open slightly from trying to brace himself. Crouching down to his level, I grabbed the color of his blueish purple shirt, "follow me," I whispered in his ear, "and it will be the end of you."

"What's happening over there?" someone from the dancer's crowd said, followed by many heads turning.

And that was my queue to leave.

I climbed up a side later attached to a building to the side of us before many people came. I looked down, seeing the utter confusion of the dancers crowd at the situation.

Things like, 'what happened?' and, 'are you hurt?' curled around for at least a few minutes, I assumed. I was gone after hearing the first, 'what happened?'. I was fortunate in the fact that the district's buildings are mostly connected. Some had little gaps in between. But easily jumpable.

I knew two things for sure. One, I would not be returning to my hotel and would not be married off until I knew the truth. And two; this is something way bigger than some gang kidnappings or traffickers kidnappings. This was a ploy to take over an entire city.

"Well," I sighed, with a little bit of anticipation, "this will be fun."

....