THE INNOCENCE (A Thriller) by Ruddy RICHARDSON Page A

the festivities of Halloween looming still in our minds it is with a heavy heart that I write yet another missing persons announcement. Last night Nicholas Perrins went out trick-or-treating with older brother Mathew Perrins and Mathew’s girlfriend Melissa Marks. At some point in the evening, between Maple and Rich Ave, Nicholas was lost. Mathew reported that when his brother failed to reappear with the other children perusing the street looking for houses offering treats, Mathew began searching for Nicholas, but found only his brother’s pillowcase, used for carrying the night’s bounty, propped against the large maple in Miss Franwalski’s yard. After this discovery Mathew called the Sheriff’s office straight away. Nicholas was dressed as a caped super-hero carrying a white pillow case for his treasures.  Nicholas is the third child in the last month alone to be reported missing. This is distressing news for our little community and threatens to turn us from tourist destination to “avoided” destination. If anyone has any information please contact the Sherriff’s Office.
     
     
     
Oyster Ridge Express
November 4 th 2003
By: Daniel Hutchins
     
Heart Wrenching Discovery in Rock Caverns
     
Yesterday was a day of mourning for our seaside community when the bodies of Nicholas Perrins (age 9, missing Oct. 31 st ), David Coller (age 6, missing Oct 12 th ), and Patricia Willson (age 8, missing Oct 22 nd ) were found together in Rock Caverns. Lawerence Hill, our local guide and mineral expert, was going in for his monthly geological testing of the caverns’ famous stalagmite formations when he spied a girl’s shoe that seemed to have fallen to the side near one of the shallow calcium pools in the cavern. When he walked over to retrieve the lost item he saw the small pale feet of Patricia Willson. “I couldn’t believe what I was looking at,” Lawerence later told this reporter. “I must have stared for a good thirty seconds before it occurred to me to do something.” When asked to describe the scene Lawerence turned a deathly shade of pale and his hands began to quiver. “I can’t. I don’t want to think of it for the rest of my life.” Police later released that the children were indeed all murdered. “This could not have been any kind of accident” Police Chief Merrels mentioned. They were all killed, executed. I don’t know how else to say it. But it looks like someone made them a part of something.” What that something is and other details of the crime are as yet unreleased.  
Condolences can be paid tomorrow at All Souls Catholic Church on Moor St. throughout the morning as the families have decided on a triple burial ceremony.
     
     
    When Rita walked through the doors of the public library on the morning of November 3 rd she had the chilling feeling of walking straight in on a burial service. Kelly, her childhood friend now reacquainted over the last two years, was buried in a stack of archives that partially obscured the large extent of her frizzy, short black hair. Besides her there wasn’t another soul to be seen. Since the library was one of three hangout locations in the town for people under the age of 18, Rita was surprised to see the empty seat and shelving units.
     
    “What is going on today? Is there a parade I don’t know about?” Rita asked as she slammed into one of the two librarian chairs.
    Kelly turned a tear-stained face towards her; chin quivering as she told Rita the morning news. “You didn’t hear? They found the missing kids.”
    From the look on Kelly’s face Rita’s heart filled with the dread that she had been holding at bay for the last month. With the prolonged disappearance of each child came the knowledge that it was no mistake or error behind the happenings. The local talk around town circled around daredevils and midnight swims, a return of the local shark that once attacked a fishing boat back in ‘62, tales of drifters abducting children and so on