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
