[center][color=red][h1][b]CONNER NATHANIEL HUGHES[/b][/h1][/color][/center]
[center][img]https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/portrait-young-red-haired-man-close-up-13596537.jpg[/img][/center]
[COLOR=RED][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]Conner's Apartment[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][/COLOR][hr][indent][sup][color=gray]Tuesday, August 21st, 2018 - 5:39| Conner's living room[/color][/sup][/indent]
The couch sagged under Conner's weight he plopped down on the plush cushions. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead. He beheld the product of his last few hours of work. The apartment was neat, tidy, in perfect order. It was a small one bedroom affair, with a kitchenette, living room, a tiny dining room, and a surprisingly large bedroom. In the few hours following his landing in Crestwood Hollow, Conner had unloaded his things, put everything away, and cleaned the place top to bottom. Sheer frustration drove him. His flight had been delayed and he had arrived just after noon. Missing the first day of school made Conner angrier than he cared to admit. For hours that familiar itch of scale growing down his back fueled those embers in the pit of his belly. Truth was the combination of the long flight, being held over twice and for no less than twelve hours each time had driven him a little crazy- never mind the fact he hated flying!

In the end the clean, orderly apartment made him feel content for the first time in nearly thirty six hours. A sigh escaped his lips as the itch subsided. Conner wiped his brow and sank into the cushions a little further. Things were looking up from the second he'd gotten off that damn plain. He was in a nice neighborhood, overlooking a park, and his neighbors were nice enough, even giving him a casserole; said casserole lay in scattered remains on the kitchenette counter. What’s more, Crestwood reminded him of his home, quaint, quiet. Sadly a tension hung over the town that was impossible to ignore. The recent disappearance of a girl had the entire town scared and confused. His neighbors had had said they would joining the search party. A big gathering would occur in a nearby park around six or so. A glance at the wall clack told him it was twenty to six.

Conner spent the next several minutes drumming his fingers`s on the arm of the chair and his leg refused to quit bobbing up and down. He needed a distraction or he’d go mad he just knew it. Dressed in a thin, black sweater, dark grey slacks and a thick pea coat headed out the door. Conner stopped when he brushed his hair back and felt his quartet of fashion disasters were growing in again. With a huff he stomped back inside to retrieve a dark grey wool fedora; he just wasn’t in the mood to deal with the pain it was to shear the damn things. He fussed with his hat in the mirror for a moment or so before heading back toward the door.  

[COLOR=RED][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]MATHER PARK[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][/COLOR][hr][indent][sup][color=gray]Tuesday, August 21st, 2018 - 6:05pm | Search Party Registration[/color][/sup][/indent]
More people than he expected were at the park that evening. Conner expected ten, maybe twenty, but he lost count how many people shuffled about. Worst part was he could feel the amount of eyes on him. Standing well over six feet tall with a farm boy's physique and having impeccable taste in fashion had that affect Conner knew, hell he relished the looks he got once upon a time. Since that cursed monster inside him reared its ugly head however Conner couldn’t help but think people knew what he was when their eyes fell on him. [color=red]"If only past me could see what we’ve become,"[/color] he joked under his breath. [color=red]“The disappointment would be palpable.”[/color]

Conner shook his head of such thoughts, trying to conjure up the old Conner; a swaggering mountain of a guy with confidence for days. He shook his shoulders, straightened out that coward's posture, and got in line behind another young man with short brown hair and tanned skin who- if Conner allowed himself to be honest- was rather attractive with. In a rush of anger fueled courage at how timid he was fast becoming he struck up a conversation with the other young man. 

[color=red]“Did you know the missing girl by chance?”[/color] he asked, tapping the other boy’s shoulder.