Had not been told where it was, they would probably think this village one of the Hollywood settings: in the moonlight, they could clearly distinguish the whole village from its surroundings. The village was not a typical America style, all the exotic shaped houses in which were densely located to each other; paths which seemed to be made from pebble stones were running across, connecting the houses together. This scene reminded Scott of the ancient Indian tribes and from World History of Asian residential buildings.
Whatever the village was, they could tell there was a big turmoil among the villagers. People talking in non-English looking extremely flustered were all outside their houses. It seemed a terrible thing had just happened and everyone was awaken from their deep night dreams.
"Guys, something happened. Stephanie was gone. Oh, God, this is terrible." Jake went back, speaking in panic.
"What? What happened?" Maggie asked.
"When I got back to the car, she was not there. I called. She was not answering either." Said Jake, his pointed pale face even paler in the moonlight.
"I think we need to call the police." As Maggie said, she took her cell phone of out her jacket pocket and dialed "911".
"I think we should." Agreed Scott. "Don't worry bud, she will be fine. Maybe she was just walking around and will be back in a minute." Scott patted Jake on the shoulder.
"Hope so."Said Jake, still breathing hard.
"VA police department, how can I help you?" Maggie got an immediate answer.
"Hi, we are now at a village that we don't know the name. And actually this village is not on the map. Well...we are actually by the roadside of Harmon drive, Elizabeth County I think. We have a missing person and there is something strange going on, we need help, please."
"Ok, Miss, stay calm, is there any identifiable object near you, like a building, a farm, etc?"
"Um, where are we guys?" Maggie put the cellphone down and asked. ":Where exactly are we?"
"I think." Scott scrutinized the map with his LED light from the keychain. "tell the officer we are close to Stanley Cemetery by Harmon drive."
"Spooky." Mike managed to say something finally.
Maggie merely looked at Mike and picked up the phone again."We are by Stanley Cemetery off Harmon drive."
"Do you happen to know the zipcode?"
"Well..."
"Never mind Miss. Two police officers will be there shortly. Could you please leave your name and cell phone number?"
"Cop's on their way?" Jake asked.
Maggie nodded at him and continued to finish her conversation with the operator.
"Why don't we go back? Maybe Stephanie is always in the car." Maggie said.
"Yeah. We can deal with this later, but it is more important to know what's going on with her." Mike said.
They waked cross the woods back. Nobody said anything, only the sound of touched branches and twigs being heard when they walked by.
It was midnight already.
The car was empty, no sign of Stephanie. Jake sat down on the ground, looking extremely horrified and exhausted.
"Sorry, Jake, it was my entire fault. I shouldn't have followed the man at the first place." Scott said apologetically.
"Scott, this is stupid, don't you think? What the hell...Jesus, things are crazy." Jake put his hands to cover his face.
"I think this has something to do with the stranger, the man who was here just now, don't you think?" said Maggie.
"Whatever it is, let's wait in the car. Come on, Jake. She will be ok." Scott gave Jake a nudge and then they saw a police car coming their way.
Jake stood up, walking to the middle of the road and waving at the car.
The car pulled up by the road and two police officers got off. One was a big beefy man in his fifties with a big mustache, grey hair and beady eyes. The other from the driver seat looked much younger and slimmer.
"I am Bob Johnson. We got your call. What's going on?" Asked the older officer.
"My girlfriend is missing. We went into the woods and left her in the car. When we got back she was gone." Jake said.
"What's your name?"
"Jake, Jake Green." Jake showed his driver's license.
"What's in the woods? Sir, I need you to tell me everything." The officer said politely.
Jake told him exactly what happened: how they encountered the man in the middle of the road, how they found the strange village and how Stephanie was left alone.
"I need you to take me the where you saw those people Sir."
"Sure, Scott you go with me. Mike, Maggie, will you two stay here with officer...?"
"Jeff." The younger officer said.
Scott had felt something not quite right when they were in the woods. The noise from the village seemed to have died away and even disappeared. At the point when the reached the other side of the woods, he was again shocked. The village had disappeared, not a trace to be found.
"This is impossible. It was right there." Jake gasped, pointing to the direction where the village had been.
"Mr. Johnson, I swear what we said is true. There was indeed a village, minutes ago. With a lot of people around." Scott explained.
"Enough! This isn't funny young men!" Snapped the officer. "Now, we are going back."
"But my girlfriend is missing, we can't go back."Jake said almost like a yell. He regretted having no pictures taken.
"I am not sure if I could trust you. Anyone of you." The officer said suspiciously.
"Okay, maybe the village was gone or it was our hallucination, which I highly doubt. But our friend is missing. This is the fact, Mr. Johnson. Her name is Stephanie Richardson." Scott said.
"Let's go back first and I will sort this out." The officer turned around and went back into the woods.
"Don't be sad Jake, I am not sure what happened tonight. But I am sure the officer will help us find Stephanie." Scott comforted Jake.
"I don't know. This is insane." Jake shook his head. He looked up at the full moon and sighed. Then he suddenly realized something. "it must the man, Scott, the man on the road, he must've kidnapped Stephanie while we were lured here. This whole thing must've been a trap. I don't know how he managed to create the village scene."
"Let me think about it. We better go Jake. They are waiting."
Jake followed Scott back reluctantly, looking to his back frequently as if there was someone in the woods who was watching them.
"...you've got to believe us! I swear..."
"Your friend has sworn to me, now I need you to tell me the truth. This isn't funny business. You are wasting my time." Maggie's high pitched voice was interrupted. Obviously, the officer told them what he just saw with Scott and Jake.
"What happened Scott?" Maggie saw him coming out of the woods. She ran at him and grabbed his arm.
"The village's gone Maggie. Don't ask me. I had no idea."
"Stephanie was kidnapped by the man! He showed up and made us follow him, and then he took my girlfriend away." Jake insisted that the man was the criminal.
"Come down Jake, this doesn't make sense. How would he know it was Stephanie who was staying in the car, not you, or not me?" Scott had this weird feeling that ever since he saw the man's eyes, he felt like he was a good man.
"That doesn't matter! The man was up to something I just know it and that's why he ever came to us." Jake defended.
"I will call the department asking for a searching team. But I want to warn you all, you will be in dead trouble if you lied to me." Mr. Johnson said and summoned the younger officer to him, talking in private.
"For now, let's search around this area. Don't act alone. Jeff will be with you two guys and I will go with this lady and this young man." Mr. Johnson pointed at Maggie and Mike. He got two portable lamps from the back of the police car and handed Jeff one. "Don't go too far and keep in touch, you got that?"
"Yes, Bob." Jeff said.
"Thank you Sir!" Jake said in gratitude.
"Jeff, you go up alone and woods and we will go down. Wake the farmers if necessary. Let's go."
They left their cars by the road, the lights on the police car still shining.
"Stephanie! Stephanie!" They were shouting as walking along.
On they went searching for about half an hour, and to their greatest dismay, not even a trace of people couldn't be seen except for the passing cars, which slowed down or pulled up to ask what's wrong. As a matter of fact, their lamps didn't improve their visual much since the moon was so bright at night that everything was clear in the blue haze. Though Scott didn't quite agree what Jake said about the connection between the man and Stephanie's disappear, at this point, he somehow felt there might be some relevance after all. But how? Scott thought hard and couldn't explain. Officer Johnson had confirmed that there was no sign of kidnapping at all. It was more likely that Stephanie just left herself, unless, somebody was pointing a gun at her. But why? She hardly knew anybody here. Besides, how could a remote area like this be full of crime? All kinds of possibilities were flashing on Scott's racing mind.
And then the search team arrived, five more officers joined them. But neither Stephanie nor any clues were found. Jake looked like as if he was on the verge of a big mental collapse. Everybody knew how much Stephanie meant to Jake. They had been a classical couple ever since the freshman year.
They didn't really know how long they had been searching, but the morning twilight had appeared from the east.
"Gentlemen, I suggest that you all go back, having some rest, and we will keep on looking. We will let you know once we find anything. Please also provide the telephone number of Stephanie's parents. We need to notify them as well. But again, I have tell you what you did last night was not very wise. Now go home with your friends." Said Mr. Johnson in an orderly voice.
Jake didn't go hyper this time, which surprised Scott. He had expected an over reacted Jake blaming him for leaving the car first. But Jake merely told him to call Maggie and Mike. As for him, he needed to call Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, not knowing what they would act like.
Stay tuned for Chapter 4. The man from no where