The Helium Detectives

 

 

All over town cryptic fable-filled balloons were falling from the sky, their origin unknown.

 

It had become a popular hobby for a local group who called themselves "The Helium Detectives" to devote their weekends to combing Brownleaf for the signature black balloons, which had been falling to earth sporadically for three years now. Their website, TheHeliumDetectives.org, which had recently hit 10,000 unique visitors, documented their detailed searches with pictures of the sagging balloons, detailed analyses of the text, a Google map pinpointing the locations of all their findings, and a message board for hardcore members to discuss topics such as the meaning of the messages and various theories regarding the source of the balloons - whether it was some kind of elaborate hoax, an alien conspiracy, or the local killer of a young girl sending out clues in his own secret code, possibly naming his next victims as well, to taunt and tickle the authorities who failed to bring him to justice back in 2009.