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Secrets of Changling Village
墨書 Inktalez
The letter had been lying on my desk for three days. The tan-colored envelope made of cowhide bore a red urgent seal at the corner, and the handwriting on it had yellowed, as if it had been tucked away in some corner for a long time. It was not unusual for our criminal investigation team to receive old case materials, but this time was different; this letter came from Changling Village, the place that had taken my family away sixteen years ago.
The coffee on my desk had long gone cold, and the raindrops outside were incessantly tapping against the glass. I opened the envelope for the third time and reviewed the contents: three missing persons cases, all involving children around ten years old. The incidents occurred three months ago, two months ago, and last month. Each case happened on a full moon night, with no eyewitnesses and no traces left behind, as if those children had simply evaporated from existence.
"Li Hao, the captain is looking for you," Xiao Zhang poked his head in at the door.
I closed the folder and accidentally knocked over my coffee cup as I stood up. The dark brown liquid spread across the table, soaking one corner of the letter. I hurriedly wiped it up but only made it messier, finally giving up altogether.
The captain's office was filled with swirling smoke. Old Liu, my captain and mentor, stood by the window smoking. Ever since he quit smoking, he rarely indulged in it unless faced with a tough case. It seemed that this case from Changling Village was indeed complicated.
"Sit," he gestured to the chair across from him. "Have you gone through the materials?"
I nodded. "Three missing persons cases, all occurring on full moon nights."
"There's more," Old Liu extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray. "In the past six months, three neighboring counties have reported similar cases—eight in total. All the missing children are around ten years old and disappeared on full moon nights."
My heart raced suddenly. Sixteen years ago, my family vanished during an investigation into a missing persons case that also occurred on a full moon night in Changling Village. I was only ten then and had no idea what was happening; I only remembered that night when Old Liu came to my house with a grave expression, saying he would take care of me for a few days.
Those few days turned into months, and months turned into years. It was as if my family had completely disappeared from this world without leaving even a body behind. Later I learned they were on a secret mission trying to expose a cross-province human trafficking ring, and Changling Village was one of their transit points.
"You don't have to take this case," Old Liu's voice pulled me back to reality. "Considering your special circumstances, I can assign this task to someone else."
I shook my head. "I'll take it."
Old Liu sighed. "I knew you would say that." He handed me a document. "This is a summary of all missing persons cases in Changling Village and surrounding areas over the past decade. Take a look; you might find some clues."
Back in my office, I carefully read through the hundred-page file. The data showed that similar missing persons cases had occurred every few years since it all began. The ages of the victims and the times of their disappearances were alarmingly similar. But what was most bizarre was that these cases had never been truly solved; every investigation seemed to come to an abrupt halt just as it was about to break through.
A new email popped up on my computer screen. It was a comparison report from the forensic department: at the scene of the most recent missing persons case, a fallen button had been found with residual traces remarkably similar to those on my family's belongings from sixteen years ago.
My hands began to tremble. This meant that the killer who had taken my family away sixteen years ago was still active in Changling Village. Moreover, their methods and targets had not changed at all.
As night deepened and rain intensified, I stood by the window gazing at the distant hazy lights. Tomorrow would be a full moon night; I needed to set out for Changling Village before dawn broke. This time, I not only aimed to uncover the truth but also to complete what my family could not.
While organizing my materials, an old photograph slipped out from the folder. It was a family portrait taken during my last encounter with them, with the date written on the back: a month ago—also a full moon night. I solemnly tucked it into my notebook.
"Mom, Dad, this time I will uncover the truth," I silently vowed.
The sound of rain outside gradually diminished, replaced by howling winds. I began packing up in preparation for tomorrow's mission. Changling Village—the place that harbored countless secrets—was finally going to confront me once again.
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