142 [A Sentinel Situation] - Lost in the crowd - A Twist

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Val's gaze shifted from the distraught girl to the bustling sea of people around them. Sensing the urgency of the situation, he focused his attention back on her.

Val knelt down and looked into her teary eyes.

"Can you tell me where you last saw your Mom?", he asked, his voice filled with empathy.

The little girl hiccuped and pointed towards a distant shop, her voice trembling.

"O-Over there...hic...", she managed to say through her hiccups.

Val gently wiped away the tears streaming down the little girl's face. With a comforting smile, he tenderly patted her head, hoping to soothe her troubled emotions.

"You did a great job, sweetheart," Val encouraged her, his voice filled with warmth, "You saw your Mom over there! That's a big help. Now, we'll find her together, I promise."

Despite his words, the girl clung tightly to her teddy bear, her sobs persisting.

Val's heart melted at the sight, and he knew he had to take immediate action to alleviate her distress.

Without hesitation, Val scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest.

"Don't worry, we'll find your Mom," he reassured her.

Val carefully made his way through the bustling crowd towards the shop that the little girl had indicated.

As he approached, his eyes scanned the surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of the worried mother.

However, upon reaching the area, he was met with a chaotic scene, a throng of people obstructing his view and making it challenging to locate the girl's mother.

Val looked into the little girl's eyes and gently asked, "Can you give me some details about what your mother looks like?"

The little girl pondered for a moment, then replied, "Mommy looks like Mommy."

Val chuckled softly and responded, "I understand. What I mean is, can you tell me the color of her hair or what she was wearing? Any little details that could help me recognize her in this crowd?"

With furrowed brows, the little girl concentrated and finally said, "Um... Well, Mommy's hair is brown. And she was wearing a blue dress."

Val's face lit up with a warm smile. "Great! That information will be really helpful. Now, let's find your Mom together."

Val scanned the bustling crowd, his eyes searching for someone with brown hair and wearing a blue dress, as described by the little girl.

Minutes passed, and Val's hope started to wane as he couldn't spot anyone fitting the description.

The crowd seemed to be a sea of unfamiliar faces, with no sign of the little girl's mother.

A sense of frustration washed over him, but he refused to give up.

He thought, 'Either she went somewhere else or she might be looking for her daughter. Or she might go somewhere they have been before.'

Val turned to the little girl, his voice filled with empathy. "I'm sorry, kiddo. Your mom isn't here right now."

To prevent her from bursting into tears again, he swiftly added, "But don't worry, we can try another approach. Is there a place you and your mom visited before you got separated?"

The little girl paused, deep in thought, and then nodded, pointing at a shop in the distance. "We were there," she said.

Val nodded in understanding. "Alright, let's head over there. We'll find your mom."

As they made their way towards the distant shop, Val did his best to provide comfort and distract the little girl from the fact that she was lost.

Wanting to create a sense of familiarity and connection, he initiated a conversation.

"What's your name?", Val asked gently.

The little girl replied softly, "My name's Hannah."

Val's face lit up with admiration. "That is a beautiful name," he remarked, glancing at her, "for a beautiful girl."

A small smile appeared on Hannah's face, her cheeks forming cute dimples.

Val couldn't help but find her adorable as they walked in silence for a few moments.

However, his thoughts were interrupted when Hannah suddenly asked, her voice filled with uncertainty, "Am I lost?"

Surprised by her question, Val swiftly reassured her, "No, you're not."

Yet, Hannah's eyes welled up with tears once more, and she repeated, "I-I am lost, aren't I?"

Val quickly wiped away her tears and spoke, "No, you're not. Trust me, Hannah. You're safe. So, please don't cry."

He continued, trying to uplift her spirits, "Besides, you have such a beautiful face. Crying doesn't suit you at all. So, let's keep that smile on your face, okay?"

The girl's tears subsided as she listened to Val's reassuring words, and he lightened the mood with a few jokes that brought laughter back into her world.

After a while, they arrived at their destination.

To his surprise, all they found was a closed shop with an open door.

Val's uneasiness grew as he looked at the scene.

Val looked at the little girl, slightly puzzled, and asked, "Are you sure your Mom brought you to this place?"

The little girl nodded earnestly and explained, "Mommy told me to wait outside while she went in for a few minutes. Then she came out."

Val peered through the open door of the closed shop and gently placed the girl on the ground.

He ordered her, "Stay right here, okay? I'll go inside and check it out."

The little girl nodded, her eyes fixed on him.

Val straightened himself and approached the door.

But before he could step inside, he heard a small voice behind him saying, "Be careful."

A smile spread across Val's face as he turned to acknowledge the little girl's concern, and with her words echoing in his mind, he stepped through the door.

When he stepped inside the shop, an eerie emptiness greeted him.

The entire place was dark, with all the lights turned off.

He cautiously made his way behind the counter, exploring the employee section.

To his surprise, there was no one there.

It was as if the area had been deserted.

His eyes caught sight of a back door, beckoning him to investigate further.

He pushed it open and found himself standing at the entrance of a vast warehouse.

An uneasy feeling settled within him as he pondered the peculiar situation.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Val ventured deeper into the warehouse.

But to his dismay, he discovered that even this large space was devoid of any signs of life.

The emptiness seemed to stretch before him, raising more questions than answers.

Val thought as he looked around, 'I hate to do this but this is the only way.'

Val called out into the vast emptiness, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

His words echoed off the walls, unanswered, as if swallowed by the eerie silence.

Undeterred, he raised his voice, "This is the NYPD! I repeat, is anyone here?"

Once again, his words were met with nothing but silence.

Exasperated, Val let out a sigh of frustration, muttering to himself, "Well, that was a waste of time."

In that moment, an unsettling presence made itself known behind him. Before he could even turn around, a surge of intense energy struck his back, jolting him with a powerful impact.

* BOOM *

Val fell forward and skidded on the floor of the warehouse a few times.

He stopped himself and stood up, only to see the little girl from earlier, smirking at him evilly with her hands glowing.

She said, "We have caught him! Come out!"

Suddenly, four people came out from the shadows and stared menacingly at Val.

Val saw the little girl's body twist and turn until she became a grown woman who shouted, "Attack him!"