The Legend of Hope's Edge

Chapter 1

This story is a collaboration between me and emilytubb- check out her profile:-) please comment and vote and all that jazz it would really mean something even if you really hated it because then we can change it to make it better or something. just as a pre-warning, I do talk. an awful lot. so please just ignore all the text at the top because in later chapters I will probably just start to go mad and you will all just die of llamas. so, yeah. if you get fed up of ll the notes just say and I shall stop. oh and this is dedicated to emilytubb because she wrote some of this story, so, yeah.

this is an unedited story it is ongoing and there will be changes made later on!

here is the actual story (ermehgerd)

Tom Smith, 15th November 2012

I have arrived at the town of Hope's Edge to investigate the disappearance of Xavier Delaney, former Chief of Police in this village. His most notable investigation was into the disappearance of several of the town's children. He claims that he solved this case, but no evidence of this has been retrieved, and Xavier was written off, passed off as delusional and slightly crazed. I have not yet found any evidence to aid my investigation, but I am on my way to the Delaney family house, to speak to Xavier's wife, Lily Delaney. There are currently no possible suspects but perhaps my conversation with Lily shall point me in the right direction. However, my hopes are not high. According to a number of townsfolk, Lily Delaney is just as crazy as her husband

"Good evening, Mrs Delaney. I trust you are well?" I ask, eager to start talking, yet apprehensive of the answer.

"My husband is missing. My children refuse to come to mourn his disappearance. The townsfolk think I am madder than Xavier. Yes, I am well." Her tone surprises me. Rasping, full of envy and hatred. Yet, so calm and placid. She talks in an old-fashioned manner, her voice like melting chocolate. But there was so much pain--

"Excuse me. If you have quite finished daydreaming. I must get on. I have a hospital appointment in an hour." She sounds rushed, yet so happy to be here. I must be the first person to talk to her about Xavier. I feel bad because she feels like I care, like she can trust me, like I actually want to talk to her. This is just my job.

"What were you doing on the night of Xavier's disappearance?" this should open her up. This question, it's so simple. Yet, so intriguing, when I ask this, the interviewee usually tells me their life story.

"Well, I was upstairs, in my bed. Xavier was looking at photos downstairs. 'Reminiscing about old times' he calls it. I say that he wishes he could go back to then, when..."

"When, what?" Lily was obviously immune to my technique (ask the questions you know will get to them, then persuade them to talk even more- never fails). She answers so abruptly, almost like she knows the answer, as though this is fact- the disappearance was written in stone.

"When no-one thought he was crazy!" She snaps. "Anyway, I am in bed, half conscious, and I hear a noise. Not very loud, just a faint crackling, static noise. Probably the television, I tell myself, he's probably brought out all the tapes. I hear the noise again, louder this time. Again, I think nothing of it. This keeps happening, I keep hearing the static noise, with each noise getting louder. It's the television, I keep attempting to convince myself, but sooner or later, my attempts keep failing. Something's not right, I know it isn't. 'Xavier!' I call out. No reply. Is this a dream? A vivid, nightmarish, possibly lucid dream? When a scream radiates from the living room where Xavier is, I am praying that it is a dream. I thought he was dead."

"Did you hear any windows or doors open?" It's a stupid question, but it escapes my careful lips without a hitch.

"No. It's strange, the whole night, I couldn't hear or see anything that hinted the presence of another person." this answers is spoken more shakily than the rest, as though this is what she was afraid of. She whispers it like it is foul, dirty and unspeakable of.

"Then, perhaps, we should consider the possibility of Xavier running away." It's strange, I haven't considered this yet. No-one has.

"Xavier was 82! He could not run away! "

"Its is not impossible."

"I woke up the next day, praying that it was a dream, and that I would find Xavier by my side, ready with a new story from his past as a detective. Instead, I wake up to find an empty bed. Shakily, I amble downstairs to investigate the living room. Nothing. except for Xavier's precious ashes. The ceramic pot he kept them in was smashed. He will be most upset." I am startled at this last remark.

"Xavier is dead." I push the thought forward to her, so gently, I am almost offering the thoughts.

"It is not impossible for you to be wrong." This is when I realise her optimism, a side which I have not yet seen. She seems so dead set against the idea that Xavier may be gone forever.

"The ashes. What were they?" this could be a clue. I am suddenly interested in what she has to say (don't blame me for not caring about her sad tale- I have to listen to these kinds of people almost every day. I am immune.)

"I am not sure" replies Lily, brushing away tears. "I think they were notes of sort. Love letters, hate mail, old cases that never got solved, it could be anything. Not that Xavier was the angry kind." she seems desperate to make me believe that.

"I'm sure he wasn't. Thank you, Mrs Delaney. I will contact you later if I need your further input. I will be sure to notify you of any conclusions made after my investigation. However, I cannot promise that a conclusions will be made, though I will still present you with everything found out. Goodbye." I try not to show the disappointment hidden behind the mask that is my face. I have found out nothing, nothing that may be of worth, nothing useful. I sincerely hope that there are other people in this village, because Lily Delaney was the only hope I had.

"Goodbye" she whispers. I feel bad. how can I leave this 80- year -old woman make her own way to the hospital.

"Do you need any help getting to your hospital appointment?"

"No. Xavier's carer will pick me up." I take the hint and walk towards the door. I expected Lily to shuffle behind me, but she stayed put.

"Ah. Well then, goodbye." I step out of the door. Lily is still sat down, staring into the distance with a vacant expression on her face, waiting for the carer, who is clambering out of her car right now.

I head to the library, hoping to find records of Xavier Delaney. Books, diaries, newspapers, census, anything. Lily Delaney's interview was time-wasting. I have found out nothing! I am no closer to coming to conclusions than when I first came here! This angers me. If the investigation carries on in this manner, then I am afraid I may never come to conclusions. Nonsense! I, Tom Smith, have never failed to solve a case, in all the years I have been a detective inspector (10, if you're wondering). I soon realise that I have been stood outside the taxi for precisely 7 minutes, oblivious to the chauffer's angry calls.

I climb into the taxi.

well that was not really much of a first chapter and the author's notes will be shorter in the next ones I know nothing happened but I had to set the scene