by Evan Bond
"I don't feel safe anymore. I'm afraid to even leave my house. What are you doing about it, sheriff?"
"You people turned this into a zoo. All I wanted was cooperation and assistance to catch the one responsible for these horrible crimes. While you all proceeded with your little witch hunt, someone is planning to take another life. Focusing on the new woman, whose name is Sasha by the way, is getting us nowhere."
The murmuring turned to a dull roar as everyone exploded at once. It was no use trying to quite them down. Harrison had lost all control. Fear had gripped the small town and pulled them deeper into the dark abyss of chaos. Fear could make people do unspeakable things and Harrison now feared for the future of the town and worse, Sasha.
The murmuring quickly turned hostile and people began yelling and screaming. Harrison had to break up one fight which nearly broke out in front of the stage. He yelled for the crowd to calm down but no one seemed to hear him. It was only a matter of seconds before the group formed an angry mob and ran Sasha out of town.
"Harrison is right," a woman screamed from atop her chair. The phrase had stopped everyone in their tracks, including the sheriff. Everyone stopped in an instant and stared at the woman. The woman looked around at the crowd and wagged her finger. Harrison looked down at her and nodded.
"Thank you, Mrs. Hazel."
Her husband had died a few years ago but that didn't stop everybody from calling her Mrs. She preferred it actually. After the loss of her husband, she had become something of a hermit. Rarely did she venture out of her home and when she did, she always had statements to say which made her seem unbalanced. Harrison took pity on her, fearing it might be early stages of dementia. Now, he wasn't so sure.
"The sheriff is right. It's a witch hunt people, open your damn eyes. That witch has cursed this town. Slowly, she's killing us all." Harrison listened to the woman ramble longer than he should have, nearly dropping the mic in surprise.
"Oh, fuck." It was all Harrison could mutter.
No one said a word for nearly a minute. Many were silent out of disbelief and uncertainty of how to respond. Others seemed to be nodding in agreement. Sheriff Harrison thought about praying to God, asking him to send these people common sense. But he knew it would do no good. Like the townspeople, he wasn’t listening.
"It's why she keeps the curtains closed at her house," Mrs. Hazel continued. "She practices her dark magic there and dances with Satan in the trees. The woman is a witch from hell. Mark my words."
"Mrs. Hazel, this is ridiculous. I need you to-"
"What if she's on to something?" Carol Leighter blurted out. Harrison, who couldn't think of anything to say, rolled his eyes. "Seriously, sheriff, think about it. The symbols found on the bodies, the black candle at the first scene, even the knife found with the second body. It all seems to point to one conclusion."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. I have no idea what you’re talking about." Harrison said.
"Please, Harrison. I saw the police report myself."
"How the hell did you get this information?"
"I can't give out my sources."
It was Donald, one of his deputies, he knew it was. The man was an idiot. All Carol had to do was come into the precinct, show a little interest in him and he fell apart. Harrison would have fired him years ago if his father wasn't on the city council. Granted city council was only two people, they still held power.
"If you do anything like that again, Carol, I'll-"
"What? Have me arrested? Are you covering for her?"
"There's nothing to cover for. What in the hell, people? Have you all lost your minds? You're blaming an innocent person for the death of our friends. Now, I know it's hard to hear but there's a killer among us. And I mean one of us. Sasha is innocent in all of this, I can promise you that. We're scared, I get it. But that doesn't give us the right to point fingers at anyone we deem as different. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. Are you all so scared that you're willing to become monsters to feel a little bit safer? Jesus, that woman has a young daughter. They moved here to start a new life and didn't ask for any of this. Get a grip, everyone, or this fear will destroy this whole town."
Silence finally fell over the crowd. Harrison’s hands shook as adrenaline rushed through his body. Never had he been so worked up during a town hall meeting before. There was nothing left of this town to recognize. Fear had changed it into something else entirely.
"We need to run the witch out of town" Mrs. Hazel cried out, to which several people stood up and cheered. Harrison shook his head in disappointment, realizing there was no way to get through to them. Sasha wasn’t safe anymore. Harrison was well aware of that fact. There was no chance of talking the town down anymore. Something drastic had to be done.
"I have no choice then. Effective immediately, there will be a curfew in place. Everyone is to be in their homes no later than six in the evening and remain there. Anyone caught out of their homes after that time will be detained and questioned extensively. Do I make myself clear?"
No one responded. In fact, he doubted anyone heard him or even cared. One by one, people exited the town hall. Mrs. Hazel chanted, "Stop the witch" over and over as they went. Some looked at her in disgust but Harrison noticed too many had looked upon her in acceptance. There was no way around it now. For her safety, Harrison decided to stop by Sasha’s home and see what he could do.
Chapter Fifteen
Sasha raced straight home after the town hall meeting. First thing she did was pack a bag of clothing and essentials. She intended to skip town, even if only for a few days. What had happened in the meeting had been terrible, frightening, and all-around embarrassing. The entire town was blaming her for murders she couldn't possibly have committed. To make matters worse, her affair with the sheriff had been exposed. There would be nothing but more trouble for her now.
"Tara, honey, pack whatever you can, OK? We have to leave for a while."
"But we just got here. Where are we going?"
"I don't know, sweetie. Just pack some things, OK?"
"OK."
Sasha hadn't thought about where they would go and with what money they would travel with. She had used every penny she had, and a lot of her mother’s, to get here. There was nothing left. But that wasn’t going to stop her. She'd sleep in the car if she had to. Of course, she hated putting Tara through such a thing but it was better than staying in Carlisle. It wouldn’t be long before some nut job hurt her or Tara to “protect” the town.
"Hurry up, Tara. We have to go."
"I don't want to go."
"I know, sweetheart. We just need to leave for a little while, OK?"
"But why?"
"We just do. Now please, hurry."
But it was too late. She could hear the crazed mob forming outside of her home already. Before long, it would turn violent. They were screaming something and she couldn’t quite figure it out for a few seconds. Then, she realized they were screaming for her to leave. I'm trying, she thought as she searched for her cell phone.
"What the hell?" She said to herself as she tore the living room apart. It was only last night she had used it. There was no chance it had vanished since then. Sasha was certain she had left it on the end table before rushing over to Sheriff Harrison’s place.
It was a surreal moment for Sasha. Outside, a mob chanted for her to leave town while she scrambled around looking for a cell phone. In a less chaotic time, she might have seen the irony in the situation. There was nothing she wanted more than to disconnect from people and there she was looking for a device with the primary function to connect. But her mind was elsewhere and on more important things. Like the missing cell phone and- “The candle!” She yelled, surprising herself. She had remembered the candle. Like her phone, it, too, had gone missing. Someone must have broken in and stolen her cell phone as well. But why? A thought made her shudder. Someone didn’t want her calling for help. It was all too much for her to take. Bursting into Tara's ro
om, she took her daughter by the hand.
"We have to go right now."
Before she could lead her daughter outside, something large hit the front door. It sounded like someone had thrown a brick against it. Two more thudded loudly and Tara screamed. "Mommy, why are they throwing things?" Sasha couldn’t reply. All she could think about was leaving town to escape this utter nightmare. The town had turned rabid in a matter of hours. How was that even possible? She understood fear was a powerful emotion but these people seemed to have a heightened sense of it.
About the time tears started flowing down her cheeks, Sasha heard the familiar roar of Harrison's truck. Seconds later, he was out and pushing his way through the crowd. "Get the hell out of here, everyone. What's gotten into you?" He screamed as he made his way to the front door.
He didn't even bother to knock, he pushed open the door and stepped inside, making sure to lock it behind him. "You're lucky none of them tried that."
Sasha said nothing and wrapped her arms around him in a fearful embrace. There had never been a moment in her life where seeing a familiar face had brought so much relief and joy. Harrison wouldn’t have all the answers she needed but it felt safer with him around. With the entire town ready to lynch her at any moment, his presence was a calming relief.
"I have to get out of here, Harrison. Your town's gone mad."
"I know. They're scared. You’re the first major change to this town in over thirty years and it happens to coincide with the first murder in Carlisle. It's too easy for people to connect those dots. It will all go away once I catch this killer."
He cleared his throat.
"Which leads me to a question, actually."
"Can't it wait? If you haven't noticed, there's an angry mob out there ready to string me up. All they're missing are the torches and pitchforks."
"It can't. Do you have any reason to believe someone from your past is here to hurt you?"
Sasha's heart nearly stopped beating. What was he talking about? Did he mean her husband? That was impossible. He was dead. She had buried the body herself. There was no doubt in her mind her husband was dead.
"I hate to put it this way but did you owe money to the wrong people? Maybe your ex-husband did?"
"No," she snapped. "Why would you even think something like that?"
He looked nervous and ashamed. Sasha did her best not to be mad at him.
"Whoever is doing this seems hell-bent on targeting you. It’s almost as if someone is trying to send you a message, not frame you."
"I'll tell you what's going on. Someone in this town doesn't want me here. They're willing to kill just to run me out of town. This has nothing to do with me. How dare you think it does."
"I'm sorry, Sasha. I had to ask."
Another brick landed against the front door and Harrison grew angry. As he turned towards the door, undoubtedly to give his town's people a piece of his mind, the distinct sound of glass shattering filled the air. They thought it had been one of the windows at first but Harrison realized something far worse had happened. Someone was breaking into his truck. He removed his pistol from its holster and flung the front door open. Before anyone could react, he put a single round into the bed of the truck. The group of angry townspeople who had been grabbing at any bits of the truck they could get their hands on, had backed off.
"This has gone on long enough people. Give it a rest. Is this what you all have come to? Breaking into my truck? I'm a God damned officer of the law and that's a felony. You people have lost your minds. I know we're all scared-"
"What the hell is this?" A man next to the truck cried out and held something above his head. Harrison's eyes took a moment to adjust and spotted the black candle. Even from where he stood, the name S-A-S-H-A in bold, carved letters was clearly visible.
"That's evidence from a crime scene. Put it back."
"Evidence?" A voice returned. "It was hidden in your truck. You're covering for her."
"Her name was found at the crime scene. She is guilty." Another voice cried.
"It doesn't make her guilty," Harrison pleaded. "I believe someone is trying to scare her. And right now, you all are. Please, everyone return to your homes so I can do my job."
But the crowd was no longer listening. Instead, they yelled and screamed and hurled insults at Harrison. "We demand she be arrested." A voice called out and Harrison ignored it. Sasha watched the whole thing from the window, making sure to remain unseen. The last thing she wanted was a rock to smash through the window and break her jaw.
Seeing the candle had nearly made her faint. Her name was carved on the side, clear as day. Harrison was right, it was a message for her. But who? And why? Her husband was out of the question. But maybe he had a friend or a connection that knew what she had done. Maybe they had come looking for her. Maybe the town was right. She might have brought this killer with her, albeit unknowingly. Though, she didn't think the town would care much about that.
Another voice broke the silence. It was one Sasha had not heard before, having narrowly missed her speech at the town hall meeting. Mrs. Hazel called out, "It's proof that she's studying the dark arts. Only a witch would use that candle."
Witch? What the hell? Sasha was beyond confused now. What kind of town, in modern America, believed in witches. Was everyone in Carlisle a complete lunatic or was she truly losing her mind?
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response, Mrs. Hazel," Harrison said. But the old woman didn't give up so easily.
"You find demonic symbols on the body and black candles and you don't think it odd? The witch must have you under her spell."
"Mrs. Hazel, you've lost your mind. Why would her name be on the candle if she were the witch? Shouldn't someone else's name be on it for a curse or something like that? Jesus, I can’t believe I'm even entertaining this farfetched idea."
Mrs. Hazel shook her head. "I don't know anything about black magic but that whore of a woman in there sure does."
"Hey, watch it."
"That's right, you slept with that woman. Maybe Mrs. Hazel's right, maybe you're under some sort of spell." An angry voice cried out.
"Get a fucking grip, people. There's no such thing as witches and there are no spells."
"Maybe she hypnotized you then." The same voice said. Harrison shook his head and rubbed his temples. This was only getting worse and he needed to put a stop to it fast. Sasha couldn’t help herself from shaking, terrified of what the people of the town might do to her. They were accusing her of witchcraft now. It had escalated faster than she thought possible.
"That's what someone would say if they were being controlled." Mrs. Hazel said. Someone who had once been viewed by the town as "off her rocker" was now being idolized and followed blindly by countless people. It didn't matter what she was spewing was utter nonsense. The irony of the situation was palpable.
"Alright, I've had about as much of this as I can stand. Everyone disperses now or I'm going to start arresting people. You're going to go back to your homes and lock the doors. Everyone stays inside tonight. I'll keep Sasha at the station under supervision for her protection and to prove she's not guilty. I should be out on the streets tonight looking for a killer but you all have forced my hand. Instead, I'll be babysitting an innocent woman. I hope you all are happy. If another person dies tonight, the blood is on your hands. Go home and think about that. Now! Or you’ll sleep in a cell."
He screamed the last sentence and the group started to break apart. Sasha sighed and dropped to her knees. Finally, it seemed as if something had gotten through to them. Maybe it was the threat of being arrested. Or, most likely, it was the promise of leaving Sasha locked up in a cage like an animal which had quenched their anger.
With the curtains completely closed, Sasha missed all the nasty looks which were flashed towards her house. People still distrusted her. Had she seen them, she might have still been worried. Who knew if one of these fanatics would come for her in the middle of the night to kill
her. She hoped Harrison was being serious. Being locked in a cell all night sounded better than being beaten to death by the entire town.
Harrison remained outside to make sure there were no stragglers. When they were finally gone, he headed back inside.
Sasha threw her arms around him and held back tears. Nothing in her life had been as terrifying as this. She would elect to face her abusive husband a thousand times before being ambushed by an angry mob any day. With Brent, she knew what to expect. With these people, she had no clue.
"I think I better make good on my promise," he said. "For your sake and the towns."
Sasha nodded, happy he had been serious. When she pulled away from him, she saw a black candle in his hand. There was something carved into the wax but she couldn't quite make it out. Before she could ask Harrison about it, he held it up in front of her.
"Sasha, I have to ask. Do you have any clue about this?"
She could see the words clearly now. Her name, clear as day, had been etched into the side of a solid black candle. In fact, it was the solid black candle which had been stolen from her home. Ice raced through her veins and she thought she might faint. Nothing in her life had ever come close to the fear she was feeling now.
"What do you mean? You think I have something to do with this?"
"No, but I need to cover my bases here."
"What exactly are you asking me?"
"Do you have any reason to believe someone may have followed you into town and did all of this?"
"Of course not! Don't you think I would have told you if I thought I knew who it was?"
"I do. But maybe you don't know the person directly."
"Meaning?"
"Well, maybe your ex-husband had some bad gambling debts he never made good on. Or he had some enemies that might be looking for him."
An image of the freshly dug hole in the middle of the woods flashed into her mind.