Who: Thomas and Bridget What: Kidnapping! Where: The Autumn Festival When: Early evenings Rating: Bad Things
Bridget was having the time of her life this week. The girl was cheerful by nature, of course, but when there were market days or festival times that cheerfulness magnified ten-fold. She had spent every evening this week at the festival, and Thomas was sure she must have seen everything there was to see, or at least she might have been tired of eating the sweets hawked by the street vendors, but the girl showed no signs of slowing down. For Thomas' part, he enjoyed the time as well- it wasn't often that he got to leave the inn on a busy night, but it had long since been a tradition that he and Bridget would attend this festival, and the girl wouldn't let him break that promise.
As the week, and the festival, drew toward its close, the festival only seemed to grow larger and louder- as if the people could deny its ending with more boistrous festivities. Bridget and Thomas were there for the penultimate evening, her in a new dress and bonnet (bought by Abby earlier that week), him laughing and following her around wherever she guided him. She rode human-powered push rides and at sweets until her fingers were permanently sticky, but still she wanted more- and Thomas, ever obliging to his little girl, was glad to provide.
It was after dark when she started to grow tired, and Thomas knew it wouldn't be long before Bridget was asleep on her feet and he'd have to carry her back to the inn- just as he had every year before now. Talking to a street vendor, Thomas suddenly became aware that he couldn't hear Bridget's laughter or her merry chatter anymore. He wheeled around, searching- she was gone. His mind whirled- where had she gone? He called for her, his voice echoing over the crowd, but no one turned and there were no cries in return. He ran. How far could she have gotten? Why did no one seem to notice him so frantic? Weren't these all the same people he served every night at the pub? Did they see Bridget get taken, and say nothing? How could she have just--
Something hit him square in the back of the head, and Thomas crumpled to the ground, seeing nothing but black.