The Darkness comes hunted

This story is about a town, the small town of Lakewood, Oregon. Once a wholesome and innocent town, now forever changed because of the mysterious missing of the Lakewood football team, The police still can't figure out where they went or who kidn*pped them. The town, which once had a peaceful life and prosperity, is now a haunted place. Every week, the police discover a body of the player that has been missing, This is the fourth week and the fourth body has been found floating down Lakewood River. A strong knock on the door knocked Cole out of his obsessive diary. “Cole, you have a visitor,” his dad shouted from downstairs. Cole looked up from his diary, where he had been writing furiously for the last hour. He took off his headphones and sighed. “Who is it, dad?” “Some girl with dark blonde hair. She says she knows you from school.” Cole felt a surge of anger. He knew exactly who it was. He grabbed his diary and hid it under his pillow. He didn’t want anyone to see what he had written. He had a lot of secrets, and he intended to keep them that way. He stormed down the stairs, ready to confront his unwanted guest. But as soon as he saw her face, he stopped in his tracks. It was Cheryl Blossom, the daughter of the mayor and the most popular girl in Lakewood High. She was also the reason why he had been expelled from school and lost his scholarship. “What the hell are you doing here, Cheryl?” he snapped. “Cole, please, hear me out. I’m sorry for what I did to you. I know I was wrong. I’m here to make it up to you. Please, forgive me.” Cole scoffed. “You’re sorry? You sold me out to Principal Hiram, you b***h. You told him I cheated on the exam when you know damn well I didn’t. You cost me my future, Cheryl. I don’t want your apology. I want my scholarship back.” Cheryl bit her lip. She looked nervous and guilty. She knew she had betrayed Cole, but she had her reasons. She was under a lot of pressure from her family, especially her dad. He wanted her to be perfect, to get good grades, to be popular, to date the captain of the football team. He didn’t care about her happiness, only about his reputation. She had always admired Cole for his intelligence, his courage, and his independence. He didn’t care what anyone thought of him. He followed his path, even if it meant going against the grain. He was the only person who ever understood her, who ever made her feel alive. She had hoped that he would like her back, that they could be more than friends. But he had rejected her, saying that she was too shallow, too fake, too spoiled. He had hurt her pride, and she had acted impulsively. She had told Principal Hiram that Cole had cheated on the exam, knowing that he would be expelled and lose his scholarship. She had hoped that he would come crawling back to her, begging for her forgiveness. But he didn’t. He hated her even more. She regretted her actions, but she couldn’t undo them. The only thing she could do was try to fix them. She had a plan, a way to get Cole back into school and restore his scholarship. But she needed his cooperation. “Listen, Cole, I have some good news for you. Principal Hiram is gone. He was fired by my dad.” Cole raised his eyebrows. “Why? He was a d**k, but he was a good principal.” Cheryl shook her head. “Not according to the families of the football team. They blamed him for the disappearance of their sons. They said he didn’t do enough to find them, to protect them, to bring them to justice. They protested in front of the town hall, demanding his resignation. And they had the support of the Prescott family.” Cole frowned. “The Prescotts? The drug lords? The ones who ruined my life?” Cheryl nodded. “Yeah, them. They have a lot of influence in this town. They built the roads, the hospitals, and the new football field. They also have a lot of money, and they use it to buy people’s loyalty. Or silence.” Cole clenched his fists. He hated the Prescotts more than anyone. They were the ones who had framed his dad, the former chief of police, for corruption and embezzlement. They had bribed the judge, the jury, the witnesses, and anyone else who could have helped him. They had taken away his dad’s job, his reputation, and his dignity. They had forced his family to move out of their house and into a rundown apartment. They had made his life a living hell. “And your dad is in bed with them, right?” Cole asked bitterly. Cheryl sighed. “My dad is the mayor, Cole. He has to work with them, whether he likes it or not. He has to keep the peace and maintain order, to prevent chaos. He has to do what’s best for the town, even if it means making compromises.” Cole snorted. “Compromises? More like sellouts. Your dad is a puppet, Cheryl. A puppet of the Prescotts. And you’re his little puppeteer.” Cheryl felt a pang of pain. She knew Cole didn’t respect her dad, but she didn’t expect him to insult her like that. She loved her dad, even if he was flawed. He was the only family she had left after her mom died in a car accident. He was the only person who cared about her, even if he was strict and demanding. He was the only person who could help her, even if he had his own agenda. She decided to ignore Cole’s remark and get to the point. She had a proposition for him, and she hoped he would accept it. “Cole, I have an offer for you. My dad said he would give you back your scholarship if you joined the Bulldogs, the football team.” Cole looked at her incredulously. “The football team? Are you kidding me? Why would I join the football team?” Cheryl shrugged. “Because they need players, Cole. They lost their entire team, remember? They have to rebuild from scratch. They have to find new talent, new stars, new heroes. And you have what it takes, Cole. You’re smart, you’re strong, you’re fast. You have the skills, the potential, the spirit. You could be a great football player, Cole. You could be a legend.” Cole let out a bitter laugh. “A legend? Me? A football player? You must be joking, Cheryl. I used to love football. I used to live for the game. I used to be the star of the team. But then you ruined everything. You took away my chance, my dream, my identity. You made me hate football. You made me hate sports. You made me hate everything that has to do with physical activity. I’m not a jock anymore, Cheryl. I’m a nerd. A geek. A loser. I belong in the library, not on the field. I don’t care about fame, glory, or popularity. I care about knowledge, wisdom, and truth. I don’t want to be a legend, Cheryl. I want to be a writer.” He opened his diary and showed her the pages filled with his stories, his poems, and his thoughts. He showed her the words that gave him hope, that gave him meaning, that gave him life. Cheryl smiled. “A writer? Is that what you want to be, Cole? A writer?” Cole nodded. “Yes, Cheryl. A writer. That’s my dream, my passion, my calling. That’s why I write in my diary every day. That’s why I read every book I can get my hands on. That’s why I study hard, even when I don’t have to. That’s why I applied for that scholarship, to go to college and study literature. That’s why I hate you, Cheryl. Because you took that away from me.” She wanted to help him, to support him, to encourage him. She wanted to give him back his scholarship, his chance, his future. She wanted to give him back his happiness, his hope, his dream. She wanted to give him back his love, his trust, his forgiveness. She wanted to give him everything, but she needed something in return. She needed him to join the football team, to play for the Bulldogs, to work with her dad. She needed him to make a deal, to make a sacrifice, to make a compromise. She needed him to make a choice. She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes, hoping to see a glimmer of hope, of gratitude, of love. She reached out her hand and touched his arm, trying to convey her sincerity, her urgency, her desperation. She spoke softly, but firmly, knowing that this was her last chance, her only chance, her best chance. “So, what do you say, Cole? Will you join the Bulldogs?” she asked. Cole looked at her, torn. He wanted his scholarship back, but he didn’t want to join the football team. He wanted to be a writer, but he didn’t want to lose his chance. He wanted to hate her, but he didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to say. ________ Cole walked into Principal Parker’s office, feeling nervous and excited. He had been expelled from Lakewood High a few months ago, but thanks to Cheryl’s intervention, he had been given a second chance. He wanted to show his appreciation and gratitude to the principal, who had agreed to let him back into school and restore his scholarship. As soon as he entered the office, he was hit by a strong scent of Cheryl’s perfume. It was a sweet and floral fragrance, one that he had smelled many times before. He looked around and saw a large portrait of Cheryl hanging behind the principal’s desk. It was a picture of her smiling and holding a trophy, wearing a red dress and a crown. She looked like a queen, a goddess, a star. She looked like everything he wanted, and everything he hated. He felt a surge of mixed emotions. He loved Cheryl, but he also resented her. She had betrayed him, but she had also helped him. She had hurt him, but she had also healed him. She was his friend, his enemy, his lover. She was his angel, his demon, his savior. He shook his head and tried to focus. He saw Principal Parker sitting at his desk, typing furiously on his laptop. There were piles of files and papers on the other side of the desk, indicating that he was very busy and important. He was a tall and bald man, with a stern and serious face. He was wearing a black suit and a red tie, matching the colors of the school and the football team. He was the leader, the boss, the authority. He was the one who had the power to make or break Cole’s future.