It was on the morning of January 16, 1973 that James Hakner, a young man of 22 years, had first begun to hear the rumors of “The forgotten.”
It was a Saturday morning and James sat at his computer. Dark bags lay proof of the long sleepless night he had had, for his article was due on Wednesday and he had only just begun.
“The mysteries of the unknown”
Article by: James B. Hakner
“One lousy sentence! James, you only have four days to finish and all you have is a lousy sentence! Oh no wait! It’s not even a sentence, its FIVE WORDS! Incase you didn’t know, the article requires FIVE paragraphs NOT words!” Robert Thomas, one of James “friends”, stood behind him holding a half eaten donut and blabbing on about the articles requirements.
“I know”, said James as he yawned and reached for his coffee mug. “I wonder if there’s any more coffee.”
“Coffee? Did you hear anything I just said to you?” Robert paced quickly form one side of the room to the other.
“Said or yelled? And yes I heard you, the whole town heard you. Just relax I’ll have the paper done by Wednesday.” He reassured his friend, filling half his mug.
“How, may I ask, do you plan on doing that?”
“Like any great writer does. I’ll sit in front of this computer until something hits me” James made his way back to his computer spilling some coffee on his night shirt.
“If you don’t get this done I’m going to be the one who hits you.” Robert gave one last glance at the computer before storming out of the apartment.
James set down his mug on a coffee stained paper and began to slowly type the first sentence to his article.
Many wonder about the mysteries that lie hidden in this small town we call home.
“I’m good”, he said to himself. Pleased with what he had written, he began writing the second sentence when a frantic knock erupted at the door. Startled by the sudden knocking, James jumped out of his seat and stumbled to the door. His best friend, Steve Linder, ran in and sat down on the nearest wooden chair trying to catch his breath before speaking.
“Did…..you hear….the news?” he asked between breaths.
“What news? What are you talking about?” James took a seat back at his desk.
“You didn’t hear! Everyone’s talking about it.” Steve rose from the chair and headed towards the kitchen. “Two more kids “mysteriously” disappeared. Their parents claim the kids were on their way to the park.” He said pouring himself the rest of the leftover coffee. “And you’ll never guess where they live”, he added.
“Where?” James asked taking a sip out of his own mug.
“208 Frinksten Street. Which means? “
“The only way they could get to the park is to take-“
“Old Gama Road”, said Steve cutting James off.
“But that doesn’t make sense. There are about 6 houses near Old Gama Road, someone should have seen them”, James placed his mug back down and walked to the bathroom.
“Yea right, you know that every house there is bared. They don’t even have the nerves to peek out there own windows much less take a step outside.”
“That’s true. But what kid would be dumb enough to take a step into that forest?” James asked grabbing a black comb from the medicine cabinet.
“You were”, Steve said chuckling.
“Yea but that was different, you pushed me in”, he said placing the comb under the sinks running water and brushing his hair back.
“Yea that’s true, but how do you know some other kid didn’t push him in. Pushing is very common among children”, Steve finished drinking his coffee and placed the mug in the empty sink. He quickly glanced at the computer that still held James unfinished article. “You still haven’t finished that. Isn’t it due Wednesday?”
“YES! Why is everybody badgering me about that? I’ll get it done”, James exclaimed walking back to the computer and saving the file. “You do know what this means, right?” he added turning off the computer.
“That you’re never going to finish it in time.”
“I wasn’t talking about the article. I meant we have to investigate the kid’s disappearance.” James stared at his friend waiting for a response.
Steve seemed to be dazing off before he finally spoke, “No way. There is no way I’m going back inside that forest.”
“You weren’t the one who got pushed in, I was”, James said reaching for a wrinkled shirt lying on top of the printer.
“Yet you still came running out screaming your head off, besides you’re a columest not a detective”, he said.
“Come on it’ll be fun. You and me, a dark forest. It’ll be just like camping. You know you want to”, said James tossing out the cold coffee that still filled his mug.
“Yea lots of fun.”
The smell of mothballs and perfume filled the air as Steve and James made there way into the stuffy copy room. “How’s it going boys? Haven’t seen you down here for a while, James. Working on a new article?” asked Melissa, Robert’s secretary and the Sargent’s daughter.
“Yea, I got assigned to the “mystery” column”, replied James.
“Don’t expect to see one this week”, chuckled Steve.
“Shut up.”
“What did you pick as a subject?” she asked stapling some papers together.
“Don’t know yet.”
“That figures”, said Steve.
James stared at him for a few seconds and said, “Not many to pick from in this boring town.”
“I wouldn’t say that. A lot of weird things happen in this town that many don’t know about.”
“Like what?” asked James raising an eyebrow.
“You’ve never heard the rumors of that forest down by Old Gama Road? That’s were the police think the kids disappeared to.” she said giving them a questioning look.
“Yea but we never thought they were true”, said Steve sitting on a plastic chair.
“I think they are. Rumors of that forest go back to when this town was first built.” Melissa said rising from her chair and walking to the copier.
“And what did the rumors say exactly?” asked Steve fiddling around with some paperclips.
“They talked about a creature that lives in the woods that drags the kids away”, said Melissa in an eerie voice.
“That’s what the rumors say. They think it’s a monster”, said James giving Steve an amused look.
“Yea, what do you think it is?” she asked
“I don’t know, but doesn’t a monster sound too much like ‘The Village’?”
“Yea it sorda’ does” said Steve shrugging his shoulders.
“I was just telling you what the rumors said.” Melissa turned to face both of them and said, “No one actually knows the truth.”
James handed Melissa a folder of documents that needed copying and left the crowded room. “Do you honestly think it’s a monster?” asked Steve trying to keep up to his friend’s quick pace.
“Well there’s only one way to find out”, replied James glancing at the trees that surrounded the Town.
“James can’t we just leave it up to the police?” asked Steve in a whiny voice.
“5 kids have already disappeared this week, how many is it going to be next week? What’s it going to do after it’s gotten all of the children?” said James turning to go to the pharmacy.
“How do you do it?” asked Steve glancing at his friend.
“Do what?” James opened the glass doors leading into the pharmacy.
“How do you always get me to go?”
“What can I say, I’m that good”, James chuckled.
“Alright I’ll go, as long as we have all the supplies we’ll need”, said Steve Grabbing a snickers bar.
