“Yeah yeah. I have it all right here.” A wiry frame thrust forward a wad of cash kept together with a rubber band. 

“If I count it right now, is it all going to be there?” Another man beside the first spoke, slightly shorter and wrapped up in a worn denim jacket.

“Yes sir, I mean yes. Yes, all the money is right there.”

“Let him off the hook.” The first man spoke again.

“We should probably do that with Johnny too.” The shorter man said before both laughed heartily. “Want to see what happens to people who try to scam us?” It wasn’t really a question, but the nervous buyer nodded anyway.

The second man turned around to shine his flashlight further into the dark room. The young man was relieved for a second to no longer be under the criminal’s scruntanty, but sucked in a breath as the flashlight landed on its target.

Suspended only two feet off the ground a man hung by a hook pierced through his mouth and out his chin.

“Edward where are you?” Daphne shouted in fear that Edward had been taken.

Edward jumped out from behind the rock, embarrassed that he was hiding from his little sister. As he approached their carriage, Daphne’s expression shifted from fear to disgust, then to enthusiasm. 

“What’s wrong?” Edward asked. He looked behind him, thinking maybe she wasn’t looking at him. To his surprise, Daphne started backing away from him.

“Seriously Daphne, what is it.”

“Please stay calm, but you are covered from head to toe in crickets right now.”

Edward peeked down at his cream-colored button-up, only to see it sullied with crickets, chirping intensely. Edward screamed, and dropped to the ground, patting himself while rolling in circles on the dusty road.

“Mama and I are on our way to the market.” Their mother peaked out of the back of the carriage. “Would you care to join us on our venture?”

“You know what, I’d be delighted to. Anything to get me away from here.”

Edward hopped up into the carriage, and off they went down the bumpy dirt road. The market was busy today, as it is strawberry picking season, and this place is known for its fresh produce. At the market, Daphne was forced to be accompanied by someone which infuriated her greatly, but Edward enjoyed it. They argued about where to go because Edward wanted sweets and pastries, but Daphne wanted fruit. Their dispute went on for minutes until they decided to have fruit, then sweets, with the logic that the sweets could be like dessert for them. Their outing consisted of laughs, arguing, and eating. Edward wouldn’t want it any other way.

Like clockwork three fire trucks pulled into the parking lot of the burning apartment building, all from different stations. The city had been poor lately from the rise in crime. twenty-four firefighters got out of the trucks immediately nine of them rushed inside after spartan kicking the door in,  inside  there was five unaccounted people , the three chiefs congregated together to discuss the best plan of action while the rest of the men started to unravel and hook up the hoses only one hose could be hooked up because recently a bank truck was stolen and took this street as part of its route knocking out 2 fire hydrants a 3 lampposts and a stop sign. they did the best they could with the single hose the rest of the men started climbing the ladders to peer through windows suddenly a man was heard and seen walking into view through the ash it was the firefighters carrying the trapped members , one by one they all climbed down the ladder with black ashy faces burnt and torn clothes and some with mild injuries, the building abruptly exploded but at least everyone was safe. at every human that is … 

“You have to tell her, it wouldn’t be right not to”, Abraham insisted.

 

“I have not the know how to dear friend, I have loved Elizabeth since the fall of the war, nearly years ago, I could not bring myself to be her bearer of bad tidings at such a irksome hour”, William rubbed his head and gazed into the orange eyes of the warm fire.

 

“It is her own brother William, if you let her believe everything is alright when the truth does come to light she will then of course only have you to blame, and by then you will simply have to rely on your love alone and that does not always endure through the tides of a closely related 

family death fair gentleman”.

 

“I understand that, I understand that and much more the fact that George’s death was my fault”

 

“Well now that is simple rubbish young lad, you yourself did not slay George, the beasts of the hollow did, tis’ a tragedy of fate, that is what it was and that is what you must realize it to be.”

 

Deep down William wanted to believe he was innocent, he wanted to understand that he in fact did not kill young, poor George. What could not sit in his head well enough to be left alone was the fact that he froze. He watched the dark woods entrance this boy, just as he watched the black demon beasts with gnashing teeth tear him limb from limb. A massacre that he could only behold as a regretful witness, and not the hero. 

Everyone in the town knew from simple legend not to travel to the northern boundary. The woods there were an undefeated foe that had swallowed many into death. It was always dark and cold. A hopeless scape of misery and dispear, and if you did not die from suffering of condition, the slow, torturous, painful death that awaited you made the prior choice that of a cool drink on a hot day. The beasts of the hollow were not to be deem illusions. They hunted like men, with the hunger of beasts. The pack could not be dismantled with an arrow or a bullet, nor the mobs that attempted to raid the woods years earlier. The same mob never returned to town.

 

“...And then I missed my period, and then again, and again..” She sighed. “And I knew I couldn't stay in the running pregnant.. And couldn't continue after I had a child.” I looked over at Vada, she was bored. I had heard the story every time I was over the house so I could only imagine how many times she had heard it. Vada had this sorry look in her eyes, she looked like she was apologizing for the 1000th time. Her face always said, I said I'm sorry, I didn't ask to be born. I could sense the dynamic of Vada and her mother even at a young age even if I didn't understand it. 

I remember the day it happened, we were laying on our sides rolling down the grassy hill at the end of her road, excited to start middle school. Our moms were going to take us back to school shopping in a few weeks and I was getting my braces put on in a few days. Her mom ran outside holding her phone to her ear with her shoulder getting in the car, she yelled at us to go to Jackies, Jackie was Vadas next door neighbor, an elderly woman with no kids and a small yappy dog.