Chapter 10 (Flash back)

The Retribution

chapter 10

 6 weeks earlier
It was the first night of the disappearance of Michael Ashen; the entire community of Ravens Fair were involved in the search. They were walking through secluded woodland and derelict buildings after searching the streets in case he was lost or messing around.

"Michael!" individual members of the crowd yelled out repeatedly, shining their lanterns all over, as they walked through a small patch of woodland.

It was dark, and he still wasn’t home - nor had been seen by a single soul since 5 that afternoon. He was last seen playing out around the streets of Ravens Fair, but kept disappearing into a woodland area with a group of other local Children, who had been interviewed briefly, and had admitted that they left him playing alone whilst they ran away to hide, as they were playing hide and seek and had left Michael counting, ‘facing a tree’, so they knew nothing apart from that he had been counting and the next minute, was missing. They had grown concerned when they were bored of hiding, so they went to look for him, only he was nowhere in sight and they never saw him, so they went to ask his parents why he had gone home - only they hadn’t seen anything of him either!

.

It was pitch black, going on half past 10, so everybody was becoming increasingly anxious. The boy’s mother was standing outside the family home sobbing, whilst being interviewed by the Local constabulary.

"Can ya remember what he was wearing?" the head of Ravens Fair department asked. His name tag read Vernon Francis: Leading officer, and he was accompanied by police officer - Marvin Hacking and a few other policemen.

The mother replied, "He was wearing his tuxedo, only without the jacket. The trousers were plain black. He had a red bow tie - and the shirt was a white plain one."

"What exactly does he look like?"

"He has red hair, a darker red. He’s normal height and has quite pale skin with freckles over his nose."

The officers noticed that she was becoming more hysterical, and she started to cry out repeatedly, "Find my baby! Please!"

Marvin walked over to her to put his arms around her, before Vernon asked, "Where’s his father?"

"He’s out there looking. He ain’t giving up until he’s found," she replied shakily. She was in her late 30’s with long, dark blond hair which was tied back, dark blue eyes and had distinct facial features; and was rather thin as well.

"Can I have you and your husbands full names, please?" asked Marvin.

"Natalie Geneva Ashen, and my husband’s name is Victor Maurice Ashen."

Vernon smiled, as he got out his pen and notebook, "We’ll just write you both as Natalie and Victor Ashen." He put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly, before saying, "Hey, we’ll do our best to find your son…even if we have to postpone other things."