Authors: Colin Griffiths
‘Surely someone’s committing crimes’ said Philip to Sandra Skellam as he rubbed his chin, he had called her in for an update as to what was occurring in the town, they were sitting in the Sheriffs house, sat in the front room that had been converted into an office, just a chair and desk and filing cabinets, there was nothing on the desk other than a pen and a blank sheet of paper, Philip was sat in the chair, Sandra stood beside him, he still seem to tower over her even as he sat.
‘No sir, the sheriff has it all in order’ her voice was shaky as she spoke, it always was whenever she spoke to the top three.
Philip took the pen in his hand and rolled it through his fingers, it looked like a child’s crayon in his hands, he turned and looked up at Sandra, he arched his head and met her eyes, he could see the girl was nervous, he liked that,
‘Or are you just not doing your job, you and that other deputy’ he bore no expression, he just stared at her with his head tilted,
Sandra gulped, she didn’t want to be here, she didn’t want to be deputy of Underwood, she had her answered prepared and polished, her shaky voice not quite delivering it the way she intended,
‘There is no need for crime sir, you have built such a fine place it’s virtually crime free’
She wished she hadn’t said the word virtually, she was praying the judge didn’t pick up on it, she stood there like a child in front of the headmaster, waiting to be disciplined, she felt stupid and hated herself for it.
‘Get out and do your work’ came the reply, his eyes reverted back to his desk,
Sandra turned to leave, she couldn’t get out of there quick enough as she rushed to the door.
‘Deputy’ the judge shouted, Sandra’s heart raced, she turned back round,
‘This isn’t a virtual world’ he told her,
‘Yes sir’ she replied and left the building.
Philip got up to go to the bathroom, he needed a shave.
Their jobs were just to patrol the streets of Underwood, to have a visual presence, both Sandra and Dylan hated their jobs, more so Sandra, and sadly as it was most people hated them, or at least disliked them, they were decent people, caught up in a mixed up place, decent honest people given a job that no one wanted, people hated them because of who they represented, truth was neither Sandra or Dylan had ever reported a crime, they couldn’t even recall seeing any crimes, but if they had done they would not have reported it, people hated them for what they stood for and who they represented.
Resignation wasn’t an option in Underwood, you done as you were told or faced the consequences, or even worse, the woods.
‘What did he want ‘asked Dylan who was waiting outside for Sandra, it was just after 8am, the day was fine and warming up with the morning sun,
‘He wants us to start arresting more people’ she replied cynically,
‘Arrest them? What for?’
They turned the corner into Waltwood,
‘Living I guess’
‘Do you fancy a breakfast at the Club’ Dylan asked,
Sandra did but she wanted to go and see someone first,
‘You go I’ll see you later’
Dylan walked towards the pub thinking of Craig’s finest bacon and eggs, Sandra walked in the opposite direction to Hawthorne.
With there being no school, there wasn’t many people about, the shops didn’t open until 10am during the holidays, the only people at work at that time were those attending the crops and the cannabis plants, it wasn’t a long walk to Hawthorne, but she took her time, thinking of what she was going to say, and she was soon stood outside No.12, she knocked the door.
Ivy had gone back home and Nathan had come back from Samuels and had gone straight back to bed, neither Peter or Eileen taking much notice as they assumed the boys had been up most of the night talking, what they didn’t know was Nathan didn’t get much sleep because he couldn’t stop thinking about what happened the night before, he hadn’t seen what was in the woods, however he certainly heard it and he knew the old lady they pulled out had seen it, they could tell by the look on their face, he hoped and prayed she would not tell his dad.
Lily had told her mum and dad about the conversation she had with Ivy and begged her father to help them, Peter promised he would do all that he can, at that time he felt it would be very little, his family was his priority, he didn’t want them to get to involved with other people, they were not his problem and he didn’t want them to become his problem, he felt that he had enough on his plate as it was, more than enough, he wasn’t aiming for a revolution, he just wanted to get his family to safety, he had told Eileen what Tony Griffiths had told him the night before, now he was hoping this fine weather would not continue, he was waiting for a storm, the bigger the better if their theory was going to work, they were sat at the kitchen table when they heard a knock at the front door, they looked at each other as if the other had the answer to whom it was.
Peter opened the door and was surprised to see the Police woman there, his mind went back to when she arrested him, he rubbed his arm where the bruise was, his first thought was to put the copper in her place, but he refrained.
‘What can I do for you’ he asked, in an unwelcoming manner, he held onto the door which he had opened halfway, Sandra noticed this, she expected it, she scratched the side of her nose, she gave a nervous smile and Peter noticed how vulnerable she suddenly looked.
‘Can I come in please’ she replied, Peter opened the door fully and gestured for her to come in with his arm, she went inside and before Peter shut the door he looked around outside to see if anyone was with her, the coast appeared clear.
Eileen and Lily was surprised to see her as their eyes widened and Sandra noticed this, she raised one hand in the air, waived it frantically,
‘I’ve come in peace’ she said and smiled her nervous smile, they went into the living room, Sandra took the armchair, Lily and Eileen sat on the sofa, Peter sat on the arm, he didn’t like the law being there, from what he had seen of Underwood, it was the law that were the bad guys, he noticed she looked nervous, she shuffled her hands in her lap, eventually she spoke as three sets of eyes ogled her,
‘I would like to apologise for what happened the day you came here’ her voice was soft and sorrowful,
Eileen and Lily stood up, ‘I’m going to see if Ivy wants to sunbathe’ said Lily and left the room, she didn’t want to hear an apology, not from the person who arrested her father.
‘I’ll make some coffee ‘Said Eileen, thinking there was no threat here, she could tell that by the look of remorse on Sandra’s face.
‘There’s no need’ said Peter ‘I guess you had a job to do’
She looked down at her feet, still shuffled her hands, Peter observed her for a moment, he could tell there was more,
‘You haven’t just come to apologise have you’
She lifted her head and their eyes met, Sandra could see they were friendly eye’s but they had a look of determination about them, for some reason those eyes gave her hope, they had given Underwood hope, she gulped and run her tongue around the inside of her mouth,
‘Ever since you have come here, you have given people hope, I don’t know why, I can see people’s faces, the bounce in their step, they seem to think you’re the answer’, she met his eyes looking for an expression in them,
Peter’s eyes opened wide, he wasn’t expecting that, he didn’t want to be peoples hope, all he wanted was to get out out Underwood with his family, if he could take others along then fine, but that wasn’t his priority, the only person he could trust at that moment was Tony Griffiths, ‘
could he trust this woman’
he asked himself,
He didn’t answer he just let her words sink in.
‘I just want you to know that if I can help in any way, then I will’ she added, Eileen came in with the coffee, Sandra thanked her, she took a sip,
‘So you want me to trust you’ asked Peter he was stood up now pacing the room,
‘I’ve come to say what I wanted, that is up to you’
Peter sat back down, he knew he was going to need some help, people he could trust,
‘Let me ask you one question, and please answer honestly’ Sandra nodded,
‘Have you ever seen the sheriff, vicar or judge together?
Sandra gave it a little thought, but it was a question she had sometimes asked herself, so she knew the answer,
‘No’ she replied,
It was an answer he was hoping for ‘
Seems Tony Griffiths was right’
he told himself.
Just then the door opened and in walked Nathan, he almost jumped out of his skin when he saw the deputy there, his face grew frightened and his eyes watered as he started to shake,
‘Have you come to arrest me’ he asked in a trembling voice,
The three of them looked at him wondering what was going on in his mind, it was Eileen who spoke first,
‘What have you done Nathan’ she said accusingly, she knew he had done something, she recognised the look, Nathan started sobbing,
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry’ he cried ‘last night me and Samuel went to the woods, I know we are not supposed to go there, we were looking for a way out,
Peter stood, he shouted at Nathan, the anger just took over,
‘You must never go into the woods’ he told him,
‘I won’t do it again it was horrible’ cried Nathan
Sandra lent forward and held out her hand, he took it, he needed the comforting gesture.
‘Did you see what was in the woods’ she asked him?
‘No’ he shot back ‘but I know who did’.
Tony Griffiths sat down in the doctor’s office, he hadn’t really slept much the night before, he hadn’t gone to bed until late as he was talking to the new resident until the early hours, and when he did try to sleep their conversation kept spinning around in his head, he had told Peter his theory and was glad he believed it, then he had thought how could he not, after all less than a week ago they were living a different sort of life, Tony wanted to help him get back to that, he wanted a taste of it himself, something had stirred up inside of him, he thanked Peter for that, he was ready for anything now and bugger the consequences.
David Harris had not seen a patient since the new family had arrived and he had found it hard to recall the time before that, but he had guessed about a week, the population of Underwood was dwindling, probably less than 250 now he guessed, and not one of them seem to get ill, he knew everyone was destined to die in Underwood, and when they had all gone it would be floating about in its own little world, a town that nobody wants, and maybe those three monsters would kill themselves and that thing in the woods, he just hoped he wouldn’t be the last man standing, he couldn’t cope with that, he was sat looking at Tony Griffiths in his office, he had not made an appointment, not that it mattered, it wasn’t as if he would struggle to fit him in, what was puzzling the doctor was that Tony Griffiths looked a picture of health, in fact he thought he had never seen him looking so good.
They sat staring for a while, trying to suss each other out, Tony wondering whether to trust this guy, The doctor just wanting the whole fucking world to end, it was Tony who spoke first, though he wasn’t sure why he chose the words that he did,
‘How’s life doc’
The doctor took his gaze away from Tony, now he was sure this was no medical problem, they had known each other for decades, they had never been close friends but had a mutual respect, they had both seen the demise of Tony’s wife, both watched her fade away, truth was the doctor suspected Tony had eventually killed his wife, he only wished he had the guts to do it himself, he admired him for it, it took courage.
‘Life’s shit, now what do you want?’ the doctor said, he wanted to add ‘
stop wasting my time
’ but that’s all he had left was
‘time’
.
Tony grinned he liked the doctors style, he knew he had done all he could for his wife, he could not have done anymore, and he thought of all the jobs in Underwood the doctor had one of the worse.
‘If I wanted to kill an animal, could you supply the poison’, Tony had said it now, put his trust in the doctor, there was no going back, if the doctor was going to turn him in then Tony would have to end the doctors life, he somehow thought the doctor wouldn’t worry to much about that’, it certainly wasn’t the question the doctor was expecting, but it didn’t matter, he knew the answer and his response was quick.
‘I have nothing to cure people, but enough to kill them in a 100 different way’s, now who are we killing?’
The “we” threw tony a little,
‘An animal’ was the simple response, then Tony took him in complete confidence and told him about the idea that he had run by Peter Ford, the doctor listened intensively, taking in every word that Tony spoke,
‘So if we take out the thing that feeds them, it’s curtains for those three’ Tony finished.