by Evan Bond
Today, however, was different. Something had actually happened in Carlisle. Something that had not happened in a long time. The group had gathered as quickly as possible to discuss the news. Not the body found earlier this morning. They had yet to hear about it. Instead, they gathered in the old woman's living room to discuss the appearance of a new member to their community. It had set the town ablaze with rumor. Everyone wanted to know her every detail. Where had she lived before? Why did she leave? And just what the hell was she doing out here in the middle of nowhere?
“I hear she’s from a big city. City people don’t end up out here unless they’re running from something.” Josh Gruber said.
“Or someone” Betty Myer finished.
“I heard her husband sexually molested her daughter and they both ran away.” Kyle Ferguson said. The rest of the group groaned. Kyle couldn't help but mention the most disgusting explanations. Half the time, he had simply made them up. Josh always thought he would make for a great shock jock out in the city.
“Where’d you hear that, Kyle?” Betty asked.
“Sheriff Harrison mentioned it to John Williams and he told Brian who told me.”
“A friend of a friend, huh?” Josh asked. Everyone, except for Kyle, laughed.
“I heard she finished with a nasty divorce and was looking to get away from it all. Her ex-husband was the drinking and beating type, you know?” Carol Leighter said. She was always the sensible one and was usually right in her gossip. When Carol spoke, it usually came from a place of knowing.
“See, I could still be right. Guys like that can always do terrible things.” Kyle insisted.
“Oh please, Kyle. No one wants to hear that.” Carol said.
“No one ever wants to hear it.”
Carol rolled her eyes and the group collectively groaned. They continued with their gossip of Sasha and her daughter Tara, going with Carol's abusive husband theory. After all, it was the most sensible. Moving to Carlisle proved she was hiding from something. So, the theory fit right in.
The gossip continued, more coffee was consumed, and ideas shared. A knock at the front door brought a silence over the group. They weren’t used to visitors during their sessions. Everyone in town knew to leave them alone when they gathered. Otherwise, they could fall prey to a false rumor in retaliation. Nothing horrible, just little rumors like so-and-so forgets to wear deodorant or has a secret obsession with dirty magazines. It got people talking but not enough to ruin lives.
Betty answered the door and was greeted by Sheriff Harrison. She smiled and gave him a wave.
“Morning, Betty.” He said.
“Morning, Sheriff. What can I do for you?”
Sheriff Harrison rolled his shoulders and cleared his throat.
“Well, I was hoping you could spread the word about a town hall meeting this afternoon at the community center.”
“I suppose. What’s it about?”
“You’ll find out at the meeting. Please, let everyone know, OK?”
Betty nodded and watched as the sheriff walked away and drove off in his truck. Turning around to face the others, they began to gossip harder than before. Something was up in the small town of Carlisle. And they were certain the new girl in town had something to do with it.
Sasha had finally finished unpacking the last of her boxes when someone knocked on the front door. She figured it was another friendly neighbor coming by to welcome her to the neighborhood. Putting on a fake smile, she prepared to be courteous and friendly. She opened the door, ready to greet the well-meaning neighbor and stopped in her tracks. A man dressed in khaki pants, brown collared shirt, and a sheriff hat stood outside her door. His gold badge sparkled in the morning sun.
“Ma’am, I’m Sheriff David Harrison. First of all, welcome to our little town.” He proffered his hand and Sasha took it.
“My name’s Sasha. My daughter Tara is sulking in her room right now. It’s nice to meet you, Sheriff Harrison.”
“I wanted to let you know, personally, since you’re new to town and might not hear otherwise, there’s a town hall meeting this afternoon at the community center. We’re hoping everyone will attend. There’s an announcement I need to make.”
“Oh? I hope it isn’t bad news.”
“I’m afraid it is. Hope to see you there. You know where the community center is?”
Sasha nodded, though she wasn’t entirely sure. She was sure, however, she could figure it out. Sheriff Harrison gave her a nod and spun towards his truck. Sasha watched him as he walked away. He was a handsome man with a kind and caring face. His toned body wasn't bad either. She thought about asking him to show her around town but thought better of it. Besides, her depression had kicked in hard. Her mind scolded her for thinking she could truly be happy or find someone who would actually like her. She was a mess and would always be a mess. No man would want her. Surely not a kind, caring, and attractive man such as Sheriff Harrison. And if someone like him did, well, they would turn out to be just like Brent. Their kind and caring nature was merely a show for the woman they intended to capture. Once locked in, all bets were off. Their true nature would bubble to the surface like magma through a volcano. Their anger and hatred and rage would show itself. Then, she would be right back with him. The monster she had worked so hard to get away from would be back in her life, only with a new mask. The mask of a nice-looking man who worked as Sheriff in a small town. Sasha wiped the tears from her face and did her best to quiet her brain.
She looked at the clock in the dining room and saw it was only a few minutes past ten in the morning. There was plenty of time before the town hall meeting. It would take her a while to gain enough composure to go out in public. It was bad enough for her to mingle with people she knew. But strangers? That would almost be impossible. Maybe, she could stick close to Sheriff Harrison. He could make her feel safe. The familiar and menacing tone of her own thoughts returned to tell her it would never work. Sasha shook her head to clear the thoughts and went back about her business.
Chapter Six
The community center stood in the center of town. It was a large building which easily fit the miniscule population of Carlisle inside and yet it still felt cramped. Now, people gathered eagerly inside waiting for whatever news the Sheriff had to share. To Sasha, it felt like thousands of people had crammed their way inside. Had the town population doubled in size in the last few hours? She knew looks could be deceptive, though. Sasha knew that better than most people.
All the important buildings of Carlisle were lumped into one small grouping in the center of town. The community center sat between city hall and the sheriff's office. A few yards away stood the library. The schoolhouse could be seen from the community center front window, though it was across the street. A few shops made up the other areas of the city center and Sasha made a mental note to explore a few of them. That was if she ever felt strong enough to get out of the house.
Many of the citizens of Carlisle walked by Sasha. Some greeted her with a friendly wave, others introduced themselves with a handshake, and several turned their noses up at her. She did her best to ignore these people but it was rather difficult. Hadn't these people been taught any manners? What had she done to deserve it? People sometimes despised change, she understood that. But, most people faked a smile and pretended to be polite. These individuals wanted her to know how they felt. Maybe it was their way of attempting to run her out of town. Well, they were in for a disappointment because she was stuck there for the time being. There was nowhere else for her to go.
Everyone took their seats as Sheriff Harrison stepped into the building and headed for the stage. Sasha hoped the meeting wouldn't take long. The wooden chairs built into the community hall were uncomfortable.
"I'm going to cut right to the chase," Sheriff Harrison boomed into the mic as he removed his hat. "This morning, Claire Shepard passed away."
The crowd murmured quietly. Sasha was confused. Why would they call a meeting about some,
presumably, old lady dying in her sleep? That couldn't possibly have been big news around here. Unless she hadn't just been some old lady who died in her sleep. Maybe she was a founding member of the town? But that couldn't be right. Hadn't the sign on the drive in said founded in the 1600's? She was sure it had. Perhaps this Claire woman was important to the town in other ways, like a mayor's wife or something like that. Maybe, she was the first person to ever die in Carlisle. Sasha's imagination ran wild. She pictured a town full of immortal beings. They looked like regular people, talked like regular people, except they didn't die like regular people. Then, one day, one of them did die. Was that what was happening here? Hadn't she taken a wrong turn on the highway and found herself smack in the middle of a Stephen King novel?
"I can't discuss all of the details at this time because it is an ongoing investigation. However, we are suspecting foul play. It appears Ms. Shepard was murdered in her bed-" A thunderous roar of voices drowned out Sheriff Harrison completely. His attempts to regain control of the crowd were fruitless. Sasha cupped her hands over Tara's ears to keep them safe from the screaming mob.
They were scared, that much was obvious. Sasha understood. This was a small town. Everyone knew everybody. A murderer among them must have been similar to finding out your brother was a killer. It was a scary thought to think one person among so few could be a killer.
"Is there a suspect?" A voice cried out from the crowd.
Before Harrison could answer, another voice said, "What type of weapon did they use?"
"Are we all in danger?"
"Who could do such a thing?"
The questions began to melt together as everyone began talking over each other. Sheriff Harrison yelled at the top of his lungs from on stage but no one seemed to pay any attention. The crowd was whipped up into a violent frenzy.
Sasha could see the struggle on Sheriff Harrison's face. He needed to get control of the crowd and quick. Fear turned people into chaotic and terrifying creatures. Harrison reached for his sidearm and fired one shot into the air. The whole room stopped and stared at him in surprise.
"Everyone, please take your seats and try to remain calm. We don't have all of the answers yet but I promise I'll keep you informed every step of the way. Whoever is responsible for Claire Shepards’ death will pay to the full extent of the law. You have my word on this. But we can't start panicking now. I need your help. You need to stay calm and report anything out of the ordinary, anything suspicious. Nothing is too small. Bring it to my attention and I'll look into it. We're going to get to the bottom of this case, everyone. Until then, stay safe and know that I'm doing everything I can to bring this person to justice."
His speech seemed to ease the town into a forced state of calm. Clearly, they were all still nervous but the faith they had in sheriff Harrison was astounding. They were able to look past their fear and follow him into whatever darkness their future held. It was an arousing quality. Sasha found herself daydreaming about going out to dinner with the man. The familiar voice of inadequacy reared its ugly head.
"On a more positive note," Sheriff Harrison stated. "I would like to officially welcome the newest member of our little community of Carlisle. Ms. Sasha Jameson and her daughter Tara. Please, stand up and give a wave." Reluctantly, Sasha did just that. She smiled at the sea of faces staring back at her. More than anything, she wanted to run out of that room and hide under her blankets.
"I want everyone to take time out of their day to make her feel welcome. She's new to our community. Let's show her what a nice one it is, OK?" The crowd gave a half-hearted applause and Sasha sat back in her seat, her face growing hot and red.
When the town meeting was over, Sasha led Tara back towards home. They stopped a few times as neighbors introduced themselves and welcomed them. It was a nice gesture but she wanted to get back home to the safety of being alone. She smiled, nodded, and walked past several people who said hello. She felt like the rudest person in the world but her anxiety was reaching max levels. Hearing about the murder and being put on the spot by the Sheriff immediately after had really done a number on her nerves. This had been the worst day to leave the bottle of Xanax in the medicine cabinet.
The moment she was home, she swallowed one down without water and flopped on her bed. Tara went back to playing in her room without a care in the world. Sasha felt so much envy for the naivety of her daughter. If Tara were lucky, she'd never inherit Sasha's problem. Her eyelids began to grow heavy and she let her head fall against the pillow. In a matter of seconds, she was fast asleep.
When she finally woke up it was dark outside. Groggy and confused, she headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. The Xanax really helped her anxiety but she hated the way it made her feel. Zombie-like was the best way she could describe it.
The room temperature water did wonders for her dry mouth and she leaned against the sink in relief. Sasha looked over at the clock. It was seven in the evening. She felt guilty for leaving Tara alone for so long. She's being awfully quiet, Sasha thought. It may have merely been the talk of murder but she felt on edge. If fear were a monster it could be found digging its claws into Sasha's skull and planting itself in her brain.
She ran from the living room, dropping the glass on the floor. It shattered off in the distance but her brain was too preoccupied to hear it. Terrible images of death and horror flashed through her mind. She fought back tears as she turned the corner and into Tara's room. Lying there in the middle of the bed, face down, was her daughter. She had fallen fast asleep. Sasha let out a sigh of relief and slowly approached her daughter's bed.
Pulling the covers up over Tara, Sasha gave her a kiss on the head and walked out of the room. Relieved that nothing was wrong, Sasha made her way back to the kitchen and began to sweep up the glass.
The clearing in the woods behind Sasha's home was not empty. A masked man dragged an elderly woman by the hair through the dirt and fallen leaves. A thick piece of duct tape had been secured over her mouth and her wrists were bound by ropes. Her eyes were red and puffy from where she had been crying. A small stream of blood trickled from her eyebrow from where the man had struck her.
Even now, she cried and mumbled through the tape, begging her captor to let her go. He barely recognized her cries for help. To her, he didn't even seem human. He dropped her in the center of the clearing and began to search around. While his back was turned, the woman began to slither away like a wounded snake from a hawk. Before she could get far, she felt his hand wrap around her left ankle and yank her back.
Before she could react, she was spun onto her back and straddled by the masked man. In his right hand, he held a white knife which looked to be made of bone. She cried harder than she had ever done in her life. Urine streamed down her leg as the man brought the knife down on her chest. She felt the white-hot pain before she heard her sternum crack. Blood poured from the wound and soaked the dirt beneath her body.
A pain, unlike any pain she had ever felt before, erupted through her body. In an effort of survival, she desperately tried to flail her arms and legs. Terror gripped her as she realized she could no longer feel them. Her body felt cold and numb now. Her attacker stood over her with the bone knife clutched in his hand, her blood still dripping from the blade. His gloved hand was gripped tightly around the handle. Darkness seeped into her vision and she could feel herself slipping away. The last thing she saw before her world went dark was her attacker removing his mask and smiling down at her. It was a crooked and evil smile from a strange man she had never seen. In her final moment of life, she truly thought the devil had come to collect her soul.
Chapter Seven
Sheriff Harrison was a tough man. He had served in the gulf war, winning several medals. Some of the horrific sights still kept him up at night. The bodies of friends, innocent civilians, and enemies crowded his memories. Before him now was one of the most horrendous sights he had ever seen. Eileen Granger, an elderly woman who mostly kept to herself, had been stripped
naked and left in the woods. Her chest hung open like a zippered tote bag, the bits of jagged skin substituting for the zipper. It was hard to tell at first glance because of the amount of blood and carnage but her heart was missing. Harrison would have suspected wolves had it not been for the bone knife resting only a few feet away from the body. Somehow, a person had managed this. It seemed almost inhuman.
Harrison swallowed hard, not wanting to vomit in the crime scene. The gray tape over Ms. Granger's mouth was stained with blood. Her eyes were frozen open in a look of sheer horror. Worst of all, they bulged out of her head farther than he thought humanly possible. Much like the body of Ms. Shepard, upside down crosses had been drawn on her cheeks with her own blood. Harrison didn't want to admit it even to himself. There was a serial killer in Carlisle.
But why? Of course, that was always the question when someone took a life. A more important question, at least to Harrison, was who was next? Sheriff Harrison intended to find the killer before more people turned up dead. He would have to. A second victim would whip the town into a panic. There'd be no controlling the storm. Even in big cities, fear gripped the communities affected by murder. He could only imagine the fear a small town like Carlisle would handle it. Especially one which had never dealt with it before.
For only a moment, Sheriff Harrison thought about sweeping the whole thing under the rug. Perhaps he would tell the town she had been attacked by a bear or a wolf. He dismissed the thought. They needed someone to trust in right now. If they were to learn the sheriff, the one person sworn to keep them all safe had lied...well, there'd be no town left to protect.
With a gloved hand, he picked up the nearby knife. The white blade and handle were stained with crimson splotches. Harrison thought it looked more like a piece of bone than a knife. It must have been carved from the rib of some sort of animal. At least, he hoped it had been an animal. He shuddered and slipped it into an evidence bag. After, he took a few pictures with the camera on his phone, forwarded them to his work email, and called the mortuary. He would want them to be ready for an autopsy.