My dreams were haunted by eyes of Lapis Lazuli that burned deep with anger. The storm raging in them could have taken me off my feet. Yet, somehow, despite all the anger, I had seen no hatred in his eyes.

Once my alarm went off, though, I had no time to think about it. My every thought was taken up by cramming things into my bag and trying not to bump into people as I ran through the city. Arriving in History, I found Kacie slumped over the table. Her chin rested on the table and her arms reached out in front of her, holding her phone. I wasn't sure how she could see it with all the purple hair spilling across her face.

Kacie didn't even look up as I sat next to her. Picking up her spare earbud, I placed it in my ear and found myself listening to one of her favorite youtubers. The guy was talking about the recent rise in criminal activity, including the deaths caused by Storm and Phantom Banshee's kidnapping of Anna Gray. He speculated on why there had been no demands to exchange for the girl and commented on the coverage it was getting, spreading much farther than Lenoir.

The video finished and Kacie finally looked up at me.

"It's just so awful. Who would take a child like that? What monster can make themselves point a gun at a little girl?"

Luckily, the professor started class so I didn't need to find an answer... what could I have possibly said?

I managed the rest of the day without anyone bugging me. Elliot didn't show up to classes, which meant a whole lot less problems for me, and I really didn't know anyone else, so they didn't talk to me. After my last class, I slipped down into the tunnels to feed the kid. By the time my light hit the post, I had already figured something was wrong. Just casting the beam across the area told me I was right. The girl was gone.