Mysterious Man

Prompt: "Sometimes at dusk we would see him come out from the hidden interior of his island. For years we had no idea who he was or what he did until..." 
FINISH THE STORY
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The man who lived on the island was a quiet man. He rarely came into town and when he did he would buy strange things. Everyone had always assumed he wasn't married and had no children because we only ever sawa him. Yet when he came into town, he would go straight for the women's isle for the tampons.

He looked like he was middle-aged, maybe 45. His hair was already starting to turn grey at the roots and he was always dressed in wool cardigans and beige khakis. We never knew his real name so we all called him The Mysterious Man, for he was nothing if not mysterious.

Sometimes at dusk we would see him come out from the hidden interior of his island. He would stand at the boarder of trees, staring out at the water. Looking at him from our homes he was like a sort of Urban Legend; the way the light from the falling sun was just enough for us to be able to see him. Since nobody saw much of him, the older kids had convinced the children that he wasn't really there. That he was a ghost and would take them away in the middle of the night. If only we'd known how true that story actually was.

The morning of December 10, 1986, everyone was awakened by the screams coming from the Samson house. They all rushed into their boots and outdoor coats as the screams continued. Running in through the open front door they pushed and shoved each other to the top of the stairs.

Kneeling on the soft, grey carpet by his daughter's bed was Mr. Samson and Lucy Samson was nowhere to be found. The whole town searched from top to bottom, by both the townspeople and police. They never found her; she was missing for months.

People were starting to give up hope. It had been six months since that day and not a single clue had been found. Many of the people in the town had, had suspicions about The Mysterious Man but he seemed to act as if this lose had effected him as well. He even paid his condolenses to the Samson's, who were still holding on to the last bit of hope they had.

On June 15, 1987, a little boy was playing close to the coast when he thought he saw someone running through the trees on The Mysterious Man's island. He described them as being no taller than himself and quite thin. The boy also mentioned that he thought it had been Lucy; with the way this small person ran and their long brown hair flowing behind them.

At hearing that their daughter could be somewhere on the island, the Samsons insisted that the police investigate into who the man really was. As it turned out, this mysterious man had been the suspect of another child abduction four years prior. It was almost the same case. A twelve year old girl had gone missing on his block and he been the prime suspect. Unfortunatly when the police had investigated, nothing had turned up.

When brought before a judge the next day, a warrent was granted, although rather hestitantly. What the authorites found on that island shook the small town to its very core.

The trees that cluttered the island blocked any light from making it's way to the ground, making it impossible for any new plants to grow. This was reflected in The Mysterious Man's house. All of the shades were drawn making all of the rooms dark, except for the small amount of scattered candles throughout the bungalow.

Searching the house with the man close behind the police came across a locked door near the rear of the house. Breaking down the door a squeal was heard in the right corner of the closet sized room. Turning on a flashlight to see in the pitch blackness, one of the officers shoved The Mysterious Man against the wall and put him in handcuffs.

Inside the room, huddled against the far wall was Lucy Samson. Her clothes were slightly ripped and her hair was a mess. One the floor was a pillow and a single blanket. Moments after they'd opened the door a crash sounded in the next room and a teenage girl ran out of the kitchen. She was wearing a plain green apron and a blue dress with her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.

Later they confirmed that the sixteen year old was Samantha Wilson, the young girl The Mysterious Man had kidnapped four years before.

Months later The Mysterious Man got a life sentence, and both Lucy and Samantha were doing well in counciling and they'd both been re-united with their families, although it was harder for Samantha.

The man who lived on the island was a quiet man; only now everyone knew the reason.