"For the last time no!"

"Wh-Why not! I want to help Allisa out on her h-h-h-hero stuff."

Dale slammed his hand onto the counter hard. He was at work in the comic book store, and not having a good day. In front of him was Bill, who had constantly pressed him about joining the Hunters, which Dale had repeatedly told him no and his patients did have a limit.

"Look, do you remember that crap that happened about a month ago?"

"U-Uh..... Y-Yeah..." Bill nodded reluctantly.

"Well, you're gonna be going through crap like that on a daily basis. We're talking about monsters, centaurs, and a bunch of other crap! And think, Allisa has to fight that on a daily basis,"

"Uh... fight what on a daily basis?" A new girly voice interrupted them.

As they slowly turned their heads they saw Lucy just entering the shop.

"L-L-Lucy?!" Bill said startled.

"Lucy?" Dale said, scratching his head.

"Oh, I'm a friend of Allisa's. Lucy Dawson." Lucy introduced herself, walking into the store as Bill walked backward in partial fear.

"Oh yeah... I think I heard of you from Allisa," Dale said rubbing his messy hair. "So what brings you here? Here to pick something out?"

"Uh... not really," Lucy shook her head, "Allisa's been coming here a lot recently, hasn't she?"

"Uh... yeah,"

"Is she in?"

"Uh.... no." Dale shook his head.

"Ok. Do you know where she is?"

Dale hesitated a bit. He knew the story that the Elder gave Allisa's parents (which he thought was a cheap excuse they wouldn't buy, surprised they did) but he wasn't sure her friend would buy it.

"Sh-She's in... uh, Belgium on a... uh... World War I tour!" Dale said very unconvincingly.

"Yeaaah, I know that," Lucy said, pushing her glasses up, "but she's been gone for over a week, and no one's heard from her at all."

"Uh.... M-Maybe she's out of batteries for her phone...." Dale said.

Lucy narrowed her eyes, making Dale increasingly nervous. "By the way... I've seen those new kids who started school come in and out of here. They're gone too."

"R-R-R-realllly..." Dale said, unintentionally dragging the word out.

"Do you know them?"

"No-no-no, never-seen-them-before-in-my-life." Dale said in one breath before glancing around nervously for something to save him. "Oh my! The phone's ringing! I should take that!" Dale said snatching the phone before rushing to the door to the back.

"Wait! I didn't-" Before Lucy could speak, Dale rushed out back, slamming the door as quickly as it could. "Ok... that was way too suspicious."

She then glanced around, seeing Bill slowly making his way to the door as quietly as he could. "Hold it!" Lucy called out, stopping Dale in his tracks. "What was that you were talking about? Something about Allisa,"

"U-Uh...." Bill stuttered. "Wh-Wh-We were talking about... uh.... D and D?"

"Dungeons and dragons? Yeah... I'm not buying that." Lucy said, narrowing her eyes, "You know something don't you?"

"O-oh no! I just remembered s-s-s-something I have to do! Bye!" Bill then opened the door and ran away as fast as he could, which was surprisingly fast for someone who did not participate in sports.

"Ok, what is going on?" Lucy sighed as she took out her cell phone, checking her 32, unresponded text messages. "Allisa.... where are you?"

****

Lucy and Allisa had been friends for years, since elementary school where they first met. However, since Allisa got back from summer, Lucy noticed there was something about her that changed. What was strange was that she didn't know what it was about her that was different. Despite being a little more confident in herself, she still acted the same, talked the same, nothing about her had changed.

She couldn't explain it, but the 'feeling' she got off Allisa was different, more intense than before. She could always sense when others were around, a sort of instinct. Even if she hadn't seen or heard them beforehand, Lucy could always tell who was around her by the 'feeling' she got.

Allisa was the same thing, yet she felt different than others, warmer, yet more intense than anyone else. However, when she got back from summer, that feeling was..... different.

There was also the 'feelings' she got from the new students. They felt completely different from anyone she felt before. The sense she got from one of the new kids, Max, was almost terrifying for some reason.

What was more, despite Allisa claiming she didn't know them, she had seen her along with the comic book store owner and three others, all acting as though they were old friends.

Lucy sat in the mall, texting out another message. She and Allisa had promised to hang out in the mall, but she disappeared the next day, along with the new students.

She had asked Allisa's parents, and they said a large old man and the woman who works in the daycare center had taken her on a charity history trip to Belgium, which was weird since Allisa didn't like history, or know the first thing about history.

What the heck's going on? Lucy thought to herself as she sat on a bench, watching as the various people of the town went about their business. She hasn't responded to my calls, she hasn't contacted her family. She should have been back by now.

While Lucy was busy rattling her brain, she spotted another peculiar thing in the corner of her eye. Two 'men in black' making the usual patrol through the mall. Everyone around obviously did their best to ignore them, but it was clear how they were acting that they felt the same as Lucy, creeped out.

Allisa wasn't the only thing that was acting out of the norm. When Lucy got back from her summer archery course, several brutal murders had occurred around town. Three days after school began something wrecked it and the school ended up being closed for a week while they repaired the ruined entrance and corridor.

The day after that, Lucy hung out with Allisa, where she was acting strangely at the end. After that, she picked up a strange 'feeling,' one that was colder than anything she felt before. Shortly after that, there was an explosion at the baseball pitch where the serial killer struck again, killing four kids from school.

If that wasn't strange enough, there was a massive explosion that occurred in the west of the town, powerful enough to wake the entire town. The day after that, government soldiers started pouring into the town, sealing off the west woods. The serial killer case also ended then and there, a little too conveniently for Lucy.

There were obviously various conspiracy theories that came out, ridiculous stuff like aliens, cults summoning demons or a government experiment they're trying to cover up. Lucy didn't believe any of it, but she recalled that Allisa slept for the entire day, which was strange since Allisa never sleeps in, even if she wanted to. But when she met with her again, the 'feeling' she got from her was different again.

But after that, Francesca, a high school 'beauty queen', Tristan, the bully, and Bill, all acted strangely differently. Tristan seemed to have turned over a new leaf. Bill was acting more evasive towards her and his friends and was spending a lot more time at the comic book store. Francesca who had always gone out of her way to torment both her and Allisa, was now doing everything in her power to avoid the two, not even staying in the same room as them.

"I don't know what's going on anymore," Lucy let out a loud sigh.

"That was a loud sigh," A voice came from beside her.

Looking, Lucy saw a man with a massive bulk and blond beard. "Uh.... who are you?" Lucy asked, feeling very intimidated by the man's sudden appearance.

"My apologies, I did not mean to startle you," the man apologized.

"No, it's ok," Lucy shook her head. Despite the man's intimidating stature, Lucy could tell he meant her no harm. The 'feeling' she got from him told her.

"You seem perplexed. Is something troubling you?" The man asked.

"No not really," Lucy said, letting out another loud sigh, "just... things in town have been so weird lately,"

"Hm, I see what you mean. Things seem to have been interesting these past few weeks." The man said, rubbing his beard. "Tough I get the feeling that something else is bothering you,"

"..... Its nothing," Lucy shook her head, glancing down to the ground. "Having some issues with my best friend is all. Nothing that would interest you."

"Try me," the old man said.

"Ok.... Well, it's kinda hard to explain..... she just feels.... different,"

"Different?"

Lucy explained her strange sensation, sensing things from her friend, the strange sensations she's been picking up from different people, as best as she could, and about her situation with Allisa.

"That certainly sounds peculiar," The old man said.

"Sorry.... I don't really know how to describe it," Lucy glanced up at the mall's glass roof, lost in thought, ".... I'm not sure what it is, but.... guess I'm just scared... scared that I might be losing her."

"I don't think you have to worry about that," The old man said, "from what you've told me, this friend of yours doesn't seem the type to push you away."

"I know...." Lucy nodded, "but.... I can't help but shake the feeling she's hiding something from me."

The old man kept silent, only stroking his beard.

Just then, a beep came from Lucy's phone. Lucy took it out quickly, hoping it was a response from Allisa. Instead, she was disappointed.

"Oh, it's from Chris." Lucy put her phone away and got up from the bench. "Sorry, that was my stepdad. I need to go."

"I understand," The old man nodded. "Thank you for keeping an old man company."

"No problem," Lucy nodded. "Thanks for listening. It felt good to get that stuff off my chest.... Uh," She then stopped herself, pushing up her glasses, "Sorry, I don't think I caught your name."

"Oh of course, where are my manners," the old man chuckled, "Just call me Elder. Everyone calls me that anyway."

"O-Okay... Elder," Lucy chuckled, "Oh, my name's Lucy Dawson by the way."

The Elder nodded. "Nice to make your acquaintances, Lucy."

"You to old ma- I mean Elder," Lucy said as she ran off leaving the Elder alone, stroking his beard with an intrigued look.

"Allisa's friend ........ Interesting."