Terranauts: Ruby Warrior 13: Misguided Confrontation

David kept a cautious distance as he followed Melissa toward the abandoned hardware store. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cracked pavement of the old strip mall parking lot. Johnson's Hardware had been closed for nearly three years, its windows covered with weathered plywood and faded "For Lease" signs.

The way Melissa moved disturbed him on a fundamental level. This wasn't the dark, brooding girl he'd known since middle school. Her movements were too precise, too calculated—like watching a machine trying to mimic human motion but not quite getting it right.

His phone buzzed with a text from Morgan: "Dad and I are at the police station. Where are you now?"

David typed quickly without taking his eyes off Melissa: "Following her to old Johnson's Hardware. Something's really wrong with her, Morgan."

He hesitated, then added: "Be careful if you find her."

Melissa had reached the abandoned building and was circling toward the back. David slowed his pace, suddenly aware of how isolated this area was. The neighboring businesses had all closed years ago when the new shopping center opened on the other side of town. Now, the strip mall was just a row of empty storefronts with broken asphalt and weeds pushing up through the cracks.

His phone buzzed again: "Police sending patrol car your way. DON'T APPROACH HER ALONE."

Too late for that, David thought. He'd already followed her behind the building, staying just far enough back to avoid detection. Or so he thought.

Melissa stopped suddenly, her back still to him. "Why are you following me, David Lamb?" Her voice was flat, emotionless, with a strange cadence that didn't sound like Melissa at all.

David froze. "Melissa? Everyone's looking for you. Your family's worried sick."

She turned to face him with that same unsettling mechanical precision. Her eyes met his, but there was no recognition in them, just a cold, analytical gaze.

"This vessel's designation is known to you," she said, head tilting slightly. "Interesting."

"Vessel?" David took a step back. "What are you talking about? Melissa, are you okay?"

"This form is functioning within acceptable parameters," she replied. Her eyes never blinked as she studied him. "You witnessed the light in the park. With the other human. Explain your perception of that event."

A chill ran through David. How did she know about that? He and Tony hadn't told anyone except Morgan.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he lied, taking another step back.

Melissa—or whatever was occupying Melissa's body—moved closer with that same unnatural fluidity. "Deception is inefficient. You have awareness beyond the other humans. This makes you potentially useful."

"Useful for what?" David asked, finding himself backed against the wall of the abandoned hardware store. His heart was racing, but curiosity was beginning to overcome his fear. This bizarre encounter might actually provide answers to what had been happening in Millridge.

"For understanding the Terra-Enhanced," she said, her head tilting at an odd angle. "You have observed them, without knowing what you saw."

"Terra-Enhanced?" David repeated. "I don't know what that means."

Her expression remained blank, but something changed in her eyes—a flicker of calculation. "Then you are of limited value. But you have seen the vessel's brother recently. What information has he shared about the search?"

David's mind raced. Something was clearly possessing Melissa, and it wanted information. Information that could potentially put Morgan or others in danger.

"Morgan hasn't told me anything," he said carefully. "Just that they're worried about you."

Melissa took another step closer, her movements unnaturally smooth. "The vessel's memories indicate you are prone to deception when frightened. Are you frightened now, David Lamb?"

"Honestly? Yes." There was no point lying about that.

"A reasonable response," she acknowledged with that same flat affect. "Yet you followed this form regardless. Curious behavior. Potentially useful."

David heard the distant wail of a police siren, and silently thanked Morgan for sending help. Melissa heard it too, her head turning with mechanical precision toward the sound.

"Authorities approach," she observed. "Inconvenient."

"Melissa," David said, trying a different approach. "I don't know what's happening to you, but your family wants to help. Whatever this is, whatever you're going through, you don't have to do it alone."

For a brief moment, something flickered across her face—a flash of the real Melissa, frightened and fighting to break through. But it was gone so quickly David couldn't be sure he hadn't imagined it.

"This interaction is concluded," she stated. "You will not interfere further."

Before David could respond, Melissa moved with startling speed, darting around the corner of the building. By the time he followed, she had vanished among the abandoned stores of the strip mall.

The police cruiser pulled into the parking lot just as David emerged from behind the hardware store. Sheriff Thompson and a younger deputy stepped out, hands resting cautiously on their holsters.

"David Lamb?" Sheriff Thompson called. "Morgan Altura's father called in. Said you were following his daughter?"

"I was," David confirmed, approaching the officers. "But she's gone now. She went around the building and disappeared."

The deputy scowled, clearly skeptical. "Disappeared how? We just pulled up. Would've seen her if she came out this way."

"I don't know," David admitted. "She was here, we were talking, and then she just... moved really fast. By the time I followed, she was gone."

Sheriff Thompson studied him carefully. "Son, was Melissa behaving strangely? Morgan's family mentioned she hasn't been herself lately."

David hesitated, wondering how much to share. The truth sounded completely insane—that Melissa was possessed by something that called her body a "vessel" and was asking about "Terra-Enhanced." But lying to the police wouldn't help anyone, especially Melissa.

"Yes, sir," he finally said. "Very strangely. She was talking about herself in the third person, calling herself a 'vessel.' She knew things she shouldn't know, like something I saw in the park a week ago. She moved... wrong. Like someone was controlling her body remotely."

The two officers exchanged a look that David couldn't quite interpret.

"Drugs, maybe?" the deputy suggested. "Bath salts can make people act pretty strange."

Sheriff Thompson nodded slowly, but his expression remained thoughtful. "Possibly. We'll need to find her first, either way." He turned back to David. "You said she was asking about something you saw in the park?"

"Yes, sir. A strange red light, like nothing I've ever seen before. My friend Tony saw it too."

The sheriff's expression shifted subtly. "When was this exactly?"

"About a week ago," David replied. "We were cutting through the park, and there was this pulsing red light moving between the trees."

"Did anyone else see it?" the sheriff asked.

"No, sir. Just me and Tony."

Sheriff Thompson nodded dismissively. "Probably someone flying a drone. Those new models can have pretty unusual lighting effects. Could even be some kids with colored flashlights—that's been popular lately."

David didn't argue, though he knew what they'd seen wasn't a drone or flashlights. The way the light had moved—almost like it was searching for something—had been unlike anything man-made.

Sheriff Thompson pulled a small notebook from his pocket and jotted something down. "Did Melissa mention anything else? Any place she might be going?"

David shook his head. "No, sir. She just asked about the light and about what Morgan had told me about the search. Then she heard your siren and took off."

David checked his watch, realizing he needed to get back to work. "My shift ends at 7:30, and I'm supposed to meet my parents for the town meeting."

"Alright, son," the sheriff nodded. "We'll take it from here. Officer Parker will drive you back to the grocery store. And I'd appreciate it if you'd come down to the station tomorrow to make a formal statement."

"Yes, sir. Thank you," David replied, relieved to have a ride back.

"I'll radio Morgan's father, let him know what you told us," Sheriff Thompson said, already heading back to his cruiser. "Parker, get the boy back to work, then join the search."

The ride back to Morgan's Grocery was brief and awkward. Officer Parker didn't seem to fully believe David's account of Melissa's behavior, and David couldn't blame him. It sounded ridiculous even to his own ears, and he'd experienced it firsthand.

As the patrol car pulled up to the store, David noticed Mr. Morgan standing outside, arms crossed, looking anxious.

"Your boss?" Officer Parker asked.

"Yeah," David sighed. "He's probably wondering where I went."

"Good luck explaining that one, kid," the officer said with a hint of sympathy. "For what it's worth, I hope they find your friend's sister safe and sound."

"Thanks," David said, climbing out of the car. "Me too."

Mr. Morgan's expression was a mixture of concern and irritation as David approached. "Everything okay? Mrs. Grady said you ran out of the store chasing after someone."

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Morgan," David began. "It was my friend's sister—the one who's been missing. She came into the store earlier, but when I saw her leave, I just... reacted. I should have told someone first."

Mr. Morgan's expression softened slightly. "Next time, tell someone before you go running off. I was about to call your parents."

"It won't happen again," David promised, following his boss back inside.

"Did you find her?" Mr. Morgan asked as they reached the store entrance.

David hesitated. "I did, but she ran off when the police arrived. Something's off about her."

The remainder of his shift passed in a blur of customers and restocking duties. David's mind kept returning to his bizarre encounter with Melissa, trying to make sense of what he'd witnessed. Terra-Enhanced. Vessels. The terms circled in his thoughts, strange and ominous.

His phone buzzed occasionally with updates from Morgan. The police had expanded their search to include the abandoned strip mall, but so far, there was no sign of Melissa. Morgan and his father had joined one of the search parties, combing through the wooded area behind the strip mall.

By the time his shift ended at 7:30, David was mentally drained. He clocked out and waited outside for his parents, who were picking him up for the town meeting.

The family sedan pulled up precisely at 7:35, and David climbed into the back seat.

"Sorry we're a bit late," his mother said, turning to look at him. "There's been some excitement with Morgan's sister being spotted. Your father was just telling me you actually saw her earlier today?"

"Yeah," David confirmed. "At the store, and then again later near the old hardware store."

"Did you talk to her?" his father asked, pulling back onto the main road. "Is she okay?"

"I tried," David said carefully, unsure how much to share. "She's... not herself."

His mother frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Just acting really strange," David replied. "Like she didn't even recognize me."

"Poor thing," his mother sighed. "Mental health issues can be so difficult, especially for teenagers. Her family must be beside themselves with worry."

David nodded, staring out the window at the passing streetlights. Mental health issues didn't begin to explain what he'd witnessed, but he couldn't find the words to describe it without sounding crazy.

As they approached the community center, it became clear that tonight's meeting would be unusually well-attended. Cars filled the parking lot and lined both sides of the street for a block in each direction.

"Wow," his father muttered, searching for a parking spot. "Looks like the whole town showed up."

"Everyone's worried," his mother said. "These disappearances are frightening people."

Inside, the community center's main hall was packed with people. Folding chairs had been arranged in neat rows facing a raised platform at the front, but many attendees stood along the walls or gathered in clusters at the back of the room. The air felt thick with tension and the murmur of worried conversations.

David spotted Francine near the front, clipboard in hand, directing late arrivals to available seats. His heart did its usual flip at the sight of her, but tonight it was tempered by the seriousness of the situation.

"I see Tommy and Janice over there," his mother said, pointing to where his sister sat with a friend. "Let's join them."

As they made their way through the crowd, David noticed unfamiliar faces mixed with familiar ones. Mr. Carver from woodworking class nodded as they passed, and Mrs. Reynolds the college counselor was deep in conversation with someone David didn't recognize.

He also noticed a striking woman with auburn hair watching the crowd with unusual intensity. Something about her poised alertness made her stand out from the anxious townspeople. David didn't recognize her, but she carried herself with a quiet confidence that seemed almost out of place amid the general unease.

Suddenly, as if sensing his attention, the woman turned and locked eyes with David. The directness of her gaze made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. There was something penetrating about the way she looked at him—not hostile, but assessing, as if she were cataloging everything about him in that brief moment. After a beat that seemed to stretch much longer than it should have, she smoothly turned her attention elsewhere, leaving David with an inexplicable chill.

They found seats in the middle section, just as Mayor Harrison approached the microphone. The conversations gradually died down as he cleared his throat.

"Good evening, Millridge," the mayor began, his normally jovial face solemn. "I want to thank you all for coming tonight. As you know, our community is facing some troubling circumstances with the recent disappearances..."

David's attention drifted as the mayor continued with formal acknowledgments and procedure. His gaze moved across the crowd, looking for anyone else he recognized. Tony had found a seat near the back with his family. Morgan and his parents were nowhere to be seen—likely still out searching for Melissa.

Up front, Sheriff Thompson had taken the microphone and was addressing the crowd.

"I understand everyone's concerns," he was saying, "and I want to assure you that we're taking these disappearances very seriously. We have increased patrols throughout town, especially in the state park area where several individuals were last seen."

A murmur ran through the crowd. Someone near the front called out, "Are they connected? The disappearances?"

The sheriff hesitated. "At this time, we don't have concrete evidence linking these cases. However, given the unusual frequency, we are investigating all possibilities."

Another voice rose from the crowd: "What about the strange lights people have been seeing in the park?"

This caused a stir. David straightened in his seat, suddenly alert. He wasn't the only one who had seen something unusual.

"We've received several reports of unexplained phenomena," Sheriff Thompson acknowledged. "But I want to caution against jumping to conclusions. Many of these can be explained by natural causes, misidentification, or technology. There are several quiet drone models on the market now with various lighting configurations. We've also seen teenagers using colored flashlights for night games in the park."

David frowned slightly. He knew what he and Tony had seen wasn't any of those things. The red light had moved with purpose, almost like it was alive—nothing like a drone or flashlight game.

The crowd's murmuring grew louder, dissatisfied with this response.

Mayor Harrison stepped back to the microphone. "Folks, please. One at a time. We have a sign-up sheet for questions, and we'll get to as many as possible."

David's phone vibrated in his pocket. A text from Morgan: "Search expanded to the woods behind the strip mall. No sign of her yet."

He replied quickly: "Keep me posted. I'm at the town meeting."

Morgan's response came immediately: "Will do. Dad's worried."

As the meeting continued, David found his thoughts drifting back to his encounter with Melissa. Terra-Enhanced. The term lingered in his mind, strange and unsettling.

"David?" His mother nudged him gently. "Are you listening? Sheriff Thompson just asked if anyone has additional information about any of the missing persons."

"Sorry," David whispered. "Just thinking."

The meeting continued for another hour, with officials trying to reassure the increasingly anxious crowd. They announced increased patrols, a volunteer search coordination center, and a new hotline for reporting suspicious activity. But David could see from the expressions around him that people wanted more concrete answers—answers the officials didn't seem to have.

As the formal portion of the meeting concluded and people began to break into smaller discussion groups, David's phone buzzed again. Another text from Morgan: "Dad spotted something in the woods. We're checking it out."

David felt his stomach tighten. After his encounter with Melissa, the idea of Morgan and his father confronting her alone seemed risky.

"Are the police with you?" he texted back.

The reply took several minutes to come through: "No. Called them but they're busy with another lead. Dad wouldn't wait."

"Be careful," David texted, not knowing what else to say.

The three dots appeared, showing Morgan was typing, then disappeared. After a moment, they appeared again, then vanished once more. Finally, a message came through: "Something's wrong. Dad's not answering his phone. I can hear him calling for me deeper in the woods."

David stared at the message, a cold feeling spreading through his chest.

"Where exactly are you?" he texted, already rising from his seat.

"Woods behind Johnson's Hardware. David, I'm scared."

"I'm telling the sheriff," David replied. "DON'T GO DEEPER IN ALONE."

He quickly made his way to where Sheriff Thompson was speaking with a group of concerned citizens, apologizing as he pushed through the crowd.

"Sheriff," David interrupted, "I just got a text from Morgan Altura. He and his dad are in the woods behind Johnson's Hardware. His dad went deeper in and now isn't answering his phone."

The sheriff's expression sharpened. "When did you hear this?"

"Just now, sir." David held up his phone to show the text messages.

Sheriff Thompson immediately excused himself from the group and touched the radio at his shoulder. "Parker, Miller, I need you at the wooded area behind the old strip mall. We have a situation." He turned back to David. "Stay here. I'll handle this."

As the sheriff strode quickly toward the exit, David stood momentarily frozen, unsure what to do next. The cold feeling in his chest had intensified into full-blown worry for Morgan and his father.

Looking around, he spotted Francine near the refreshment table, deep in conversation with two people he didn't recognize. One was the auburn-haired woman who had given him that penetrating look earlier. The other was a tall, athletic-looking woman with dark hair who seemed to be doing most of the talking. Francine was nodding, her expression unusually serious as they spoke in low, urgent tones.

This was his chance to talk to Francine as he'd planned with Tony and Morgan. Even amid the chaos of the evening, seeing her made his heart beat a little faster. David took a deep breath and made his way toward her, rehearsing what he might say.

"Hey, Francine," he began when he reached the group. "Great job organizing tonight."

Francine glanced up, her expression distracted. "Oh, thanks." Her attention immediately returned to her conversation, barely acknowledging David's presence.

The auburn-haired woman gave him a brief, assessing look before returning to whatever she was discussing with Francine. The other woman didn't even look up.

"Um, I was wondering if you needed any help with anything?" David tried again, feeling increasingly awkward.

"We're good, thanks," Francine replied, offering a quick, polite smile that didn't reach her eyes. She was clearly preoccupied with something more important.

"Okay, well... see you at school, I guess," David said, feeling deflated.

He turned and walked away, his earlier worry for Morgan now mingled with a sense of disappointment. The evening wasn't going as he'd hoped, in any respect. His friend was out in the woods possibly in danger, and his attempt to talk to Francine had fallen completely flat.

As he made his way back to where his parents were chatting with neighbors, David couldn't shake the feeling that there was more happening in Millridge than anyone was willing to admit. Something about the intensity of Francine's conversation with those strangers, the strange terms Melissa had used, the disappearances—it all felt connected somehow, pieces of a puzzle he couldn't quite see.

Whatever was happening, David had a feeling it was just beginning.