Darness Rising: Halloween

"A king of men, it makes no sense. When I bow to the priest, while I worship the witch."

***

Sheriff William Baker stood in the center of Braintree commons with his arms crossed, watching as the mystery stagecoach they'd found only a day before was being taken to the police station. It still made no sense, why someone would just abandon it in the middle of the road. Especially around that area, where there was nothing but woods.

"I told the boys to keep it nearby until we can find the owner. They have to be around here somewhere, right, sir?" The deputy asked, looking over as his boss continued to ponder.

"Let us hope, Billy. Let us hope," William replied, watching as the horses came to a halt. The two men driving it climbed out and unfastened the horses, making sure they were taken care of. "I'll be inside if anyone needs me."

"Yes, sir," The deputy replied, turning to walk in the other direction.

"Oh, and Billy?"

"Yes?"

"Stay vigilant. I have a really bad feeling there's something bad going on around here," William noted, stroking the end of his beard as he looked out at the town limits.

"Certainly, sir," The deputy waved before continuing on, heading off to meet the others. William nodded and turned back towards the sheriff's office, striding over to it. His mind was running through everything that had happened the previous day, trying to understand why he felt like something was wrong.

As he reached the front door, he suddenly sniffed, smelling something odd. The scent of flowers was in the air, dancing around his head and making his senses accelerate. It smelled heavenly, and he found that the closer he got to the door, the better it smelled.

He needed to find whatever was creating that smell, and not just from an investigative standpoint. He took hold of the doorknob and suddenly felt his entire body beginning to tingle, as if he were being tickled by a thousand feathers. His trousers were becoming tighter too, a byproduct of whatever was happening.

A confused smile spread across his face as he turned the knob and opened the door, eager to smell more of the heavenly concoction inside.

"Come inside...achieve your destiny, Sheriff..."

The voice filled his ears with sweet contentment, and he just had to hear more of it. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, the tingling becoming better and better.

"That's it, just a few more..."

"Sheriff Baker!"

William spun around to see someone running down the street, nearly out of breath. He stepped back outside and shut the door, eyebrows raised as the young boy stopped a few feet away from it.

"What is it, is someone hurt?" William asked, resting his hand on his pistol.

"Yes, sir, Father Edwards took a spill last night and hit his head. Dr. Graves wants to speak with you, he says it's urgent," the boy replied, pointing at the hospital behind them. William sighed, picturing the angry Pastor making a fuss inside.

"Fine, take me to him," William replied, to which the boy took off running. William followed, heading into the hospital.

The town's doctor, Dr. Robert Graves, stood in the inner doorway. His large spectacles made him look like a scientist, his long grey beard neatly trimmed and presentable.

"What is it now, doc?" William asked, stopping next to the messenger boy.

"It's the Pastor, William. Apparently he fell last night wandering in the woods, hasn't stopped mumbling about some god damn demon since he woke up," Dr. Graves replied, letting out an exasperated sigh as he looked into the room behind him.

"I'll take a look at him," William said, following the doctor into one of the small rooms in the back of the building. The messenger boy tagged along, peering over the side of the Sheriff to get a better view.

The back room contained a row of beds, most of which were empty. Several of them were occupied by people dealing with the effects of last nights party at the tavern, fresh into their hangovers. Father Edwards could be found in the bed at the end against the wall, staring up at the ceiling and mumbling something, his lips moving rapidly. He had white cloth wrapped around the top of his head, covering what appeared to be a head injury. Dr. Graves stopped next to his bed.

"Father Edwards, the Sheriff is here to check on you," Dr. Graves said, stepping back to let William get a view of the Pastor.

"Father Edwards, it's me, Sheriff Baker. Is everything alright?" William asked, leaning over the bed. The preacher of faith remained silent and nonchalant, his gaze still locked on the ceiling as if it were a Rembrandt painting.

"Father Edwards?" William asked, leaning in closer. The Pastor was quiet a moment, before he suddenly sat up and slammed his head into the Sheriff's.

"Ow, fucking hell!" William cried, clutching his head in his hands.

"The lady in the woods, she lives in our souls! Can't you all see, she's here to take us all! The trees are ripe with the sounds of death!" Father Edwards screamed, far from his normally quiet and reserved personality.

"I'm so sorry, Sheriff, I thought I sedated him enough," Dr. Graves replied, inspecting William's head. "It doesn't look like he did any significant damage, he's just not himself."

"No shit he isn't himself, you've got him all doped up on morphine!" William yelled, rubbing the side of his head.

"Oh no, Sheriff, I had to give him the morphine to stop the screaming."

William looked over at the Doctor, eyes wide.

"You should have seen it a few minutes ago, he was like a man possessed. This is minor compared to that," Dr Graves said, looking down at the disgruntled Pastor, who was now staring back up at the ceiling.

"Well whatever the hell happened to him in the woods has really screwed him up. Do you think you could have him tied down until I can get some deputies in here?" William asked.

"Can do," Dr. Graves replied, going over to his cabinets. William turned towards the messenger boy.

"Thank you for coming to get me, you did the right thing. What's your name?" He asked.

"Samuel, sir, Samuel Collins," the boy replied, holding out his hand to shake. The Sheriff shook it warmly.

"Stay vigilant, Sam. I've got a bad feeling about the days ahead. Now go home to your mother, okay?" William asked. The boy nodded and took off, running out through the front door. William let out a sigh and headed back out into the cold, his head pounding.

***

"Fuck, we almost had him!" Neris groaned, walking around in circles inside the sheriff's office. Jack and Amelia stood at the main desk, watching their goddess as she circled the room. She thought for a moment and then looked up at them, smiling as she thought of something.

"Okay, new plan. Remember how I said we were going to be acting soon?"

The couple nodded simultaneously, eager to please her.

"Well, it begins now. He should be back any moment, and when he does return, I want you both to say and do exactly what I taught you. We need to trick him, that's the only way to take a town like this. Can you do that for me?"

The two repeated their action, now trying to outdo each other for the attentions of the demon before them. Neris was about to respond when she felt the tingle in her mind, knowing someone was approaching.

"Okay, he's coming! Places!" She hissed, turning and running over to one of the other rooms. She stepped inside and leaned the door on, watching through the crack.

William pushed open the door, shivering as he stepped inside the small office. He shut the door and removed his coat, hanging it on a nearby coat rack. When he turned around to find his desk he suddenly jumped back, finding the Carroway couple standing before him.

"Good morning, sir! My name is Jack Carroway and this is my wife, Amelia," Jack smiled, his mind swirling as he stepped forward with his hand out. Amelia did the same, trying to copy him. They were willing to do anything to return to the attentions of their captor.

"Oh, Christ, sorry there, you scared me, is all. I'm Sheriff Baker. Braintree doesn't have a mayor, so I'm basically the leader here," he chuckled, shaking Jack's hand. There was no grip to the strange man's handshake, William noticed, as it simply fell limp. The same could be said of his wife's hand, as she curtsied for him after 'shaking'.

"We were on our way here in our stagecoach when one of the wheels broke, so we walked down this way until we found your little town. We come with news from the Capital," Jack recounted.

"Wait just a moment, so you're the owner of the stagecoach we found? Are you sure that was yours? The one we found had all four tires working just fine," William said. Jack swallowed nervously. Neris hadn't told him that part.

"Oh, uh...yeah that's us, we, uh...fixed the wheel ourselves before we wandered out here. Couldn't leave it broken down, now could we, honey!" Jack laughed, looking over at his wife. Amelia stood emotionless for a few seconds before letting out a hearty laugh, as if she hadn't been listening at all.

"Well, I guess so..." William said, before a shooting pain in his head reminded him of his headache. "Excuse me, I just need to get some ice."

Jack watched as William stepped around them and walked over to one of the rooms. A heat flashed over him as he realized he was heading straight for Neris.

"Wait, Sheriff, stop!" He cried, running to him. William froze as Jack jumped in front of him, arms held out wide.

"What?" William asked, growing even more suspicious.

"We have serious news from President Lincoln himself, it cannot wait," Jack said, standing firm. William looked him over for a moment, wondering why the man was acting so odd.

"Fine, you have my attention," he said, walking back over to the desk. Amelia took a step back, giving him room. Had she unbuttoned the top part of her blouse in that time?

"Thank you," Jack said, taking center stage in front of the Sheriff. "As you know, the war has been moving further north by the day..."

"It has?" William asked, trying to remember if he'd read that in any of the newspapers.

"Yes! I cannot believe you don't know about that. The Confederate Line has reached New York, and they're quickly approaching Massachusetts," Jack said, remembering exactly what Neris had said.

"That's nonsense, we would have heard about that!" William retorted, placing his hands on his hips.

"That's why they sent us to tell you ourselves, sir! President Lincoln has ordered that all nearby towns enter an immediate lockdown. You must close off all exits and keep your citizens inside the town limits."

"Well couldn't we just send more men to fight for the Union? We were told that they had enough, and only needed volunteers from around here," William said.

"No sir, it's beyond that at this point. We just need to lock down the town and stay where it's safe," Jack said, trying his best to be convincing. William didn't believe a word the strange man was saying, but his head was pounding too much for him to care.

"Fine, I'll gather the town together and let everyone know...what did you say your name was again?"

"Jack, Senator Jack Carroway," Jack grinned, hoping that his extra effort to smile would be seen by his mistress.

"And I'm Amelia!" Amelia cheered, going over to shake his hand again. Neris watched from inside the other room, laughing softly to herself as she watched her pawns do the work they were born to do. She wouldn't turn the Sheriff, not yet. She needed him to have his senses before he could be hers. They would all be hers soon enough. Braintree wouldn't rest until they had sworn their allegiance to Neris, Queen of their little town.

***

"Good morning, everyone. I apologize for bringing you all out here so early, but I promise it's important," William explained, standing in the center of the bridge that marked the edge of Braintree. The townspeople stood on the other side, some groaning with displeasure as they wrapped themselves up to fight the Fall chill. One of them, John Buckman, stood with his arms crossed, waiting for William to speak.

"Now, we recently received two guests who bring news from the warfront. Mr. and Mrs. Carroway, please step forward."

Jack and Amelia emerged from the crowd, looking around with sheepish looks as they joined the Sheriff at the front.

"This is Senator Jack Carroway, and his wife, Amelia. They come from the Capital, and according to them, the Confederate Army has reached New York."

The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves, John raising his eyebrows with surprise.

"Yes, I know, it's worrisome, but we must band together. President Lincoln has ordered that we remain under lockdown until further notice," William announced, hands resting on his ammunition belt. An elderly woman emerged from the crowd, clutching a shawl to keep warm.

"But how will we collect our harvest, Sheriff?" She asked, stammering from the chill.

"We can worry about that later. Right now, my deputies will close off the bridge, and we'll work from the food we have growing within the town limits. I'm just as confused as the rest of you, but we need to work together to make this better, understood?"

A general reply of agreement emerged from the crowd, but John didn't respond. His gaze was focused on one of the nearby barn's, specifically the top door. It was wide open, and he could swear he saw the silhouette of a woman standing in it.

The sound of clacking knocked John's mind back into focus, and he turned to see George hobbling over to him on his crutches, the left pantleg of the Blacksmith's overalls hanging vacant with every hop.

"Mornin', John. What did you think of the speech?" He asked, a pipe hanging from the corner of his lips.

"It's pretty scary, huh? I never thought they'd even make it through Virginia," John confessed, imagining a line of Confederate soldiers fighting their way North. The image alone made him shiver.

"Aye, but that's the thing, you see...they aren't anywhere near here. I should know, I was just in Virginia. They made it into Maryland, but that was it. Now, the bastards are strong, but there's no way they could have made it to New York within a week," George replied, pausing to take a puff from his pipe. John's eyes widened.

"So you're saying William is a liar?" John asked, looking back out at the bridge. Their Sheriff was now talking to the Carroway couple, who seemed to not care for meeting his gaze as they looked everywhere but at him.

"It's not him, it's those two whackos there. What they're saying doesn't make a lick of sense. Something's definitely wrong with this town..." George trailed off again, staring at the Senator on the bridge.

"I feel it too, I've been having these...visions...they show up in my dreams, too. I can't shake them, they happen everywhere I go," John said, before looking back at the barn. The top door was now closed, invalidating what he'd seen.

"I hear ya. We should stick together as much as possible, maybe form some sort of neighborhood watch with a few others. Don't believe what you hear; someone around here is spreading lies," George replied, his eyelids half shut as he looked over the crowd around them. John nodded in agreement, trusting his friend.

"I should get back and set up for the day. I'll stop by later, we can talk more there," he said, giving George a nod before heading back towards the town. So many questions ran through his mind. Was he hallucinating? What had been in that barn? Or better yet, whom?

***

Father Edwards pulled on his coat as he emerged from the hospital, ignoring the growing footsteps behind him. His forehead was still wrapped all the way around with cloth to protect his head wound, but the rest he'd managed to pull off himself before storming out, determined that he was healed.

"Pastor, come back inside and lie down, it'll only get worse if you don't!" Dr. Graves called from inside. Edwards shook him off, pulling his coat further up onto his shoulders as he trudged away. Dr. Graves and shut the hospital doors, shaking his head as he returned to his other patients.

"Those fools think they can keep me locked away, just to get revenge against me. I'm fine, I tell you. Fine!" Father Edwards yelled, turning down a sidestreet and heading towards the church. One of the loggers passed by, turning to the Pastor and smiling.

"Good morning, Father!" He called, giving the injured man a wave.

"Blow it out your pipe, Moriarty!" Edwards glared, giving him a cold look. The man's smile faded and he stared at the Pastor for a few moments with wide eyes before going about his business. Edwards turned back towards his path and continued on up the hill, finally arriving at the church.

As he walked towards the front door, he was suddenly halted by the sound of footsteps coming from nearby. He turned and walked to the side of the church, and what he saw took his breath away.

Jonas pressed a wooden ladder against the side of the church, slowly climbing it. The Pastor's young apprentice carried a bucket of water in one hand and a sponge in the other, ceasing his climb as he noticed his mentor watching.

"Oh, Father, I'm so glad you're back! I was just cleaning the egg residue, as you asked!" Jonas called with a smile, unphased by Father Edwards' open mouthed stare.

"J...Jonas? How...I saw you go into that lake!" Edwards cried, stepping closer to the boy. Jonas laughed.

"A lake, sir? That truly is funny. Dr. Graves informed me that you hit your head in the woods last night, are you feeling alright now?" The boy asked, dipping his sponge in the bucket.

"Apparently not, for I am seeing ghosts," Father Edwards whispered to himself, putting his hand over his heart to see if he was still alive himself. Maybe he'd hit his temporal lobe and died instantly, now trapped in some strange sort of hell. But what hell could be worse than Braintree?

Edwards shook his head and walked back around to the front doors of the church, heading inside. As he made his way into the main hall, he noticed Nora, Sheriff William's wife, waiting for him at the end of the line of pews. He sighed, not wanting to deal with the confrontation.

"Father, oh thank goodness!" I'm so glad you're okay, you had the entire town worried," Nora smiled. Father Edwards stopped next to his bedroom door, letting out an audible sigh before he turned around.

"Yes, Ms. Baker, I'm fine. Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to pray with you, if I could. For your speedy recovery!" Nora said, walking over to him. The Pastor still had his head down, not looking at her.

"Fine...let's get this over with," he replied. He held out his hands, and when she took them, he finally got a look at her.

And his entire world stopped.

A thick wave of lust clouded him, nearly sending him falling backwards. As he gazed at the woman before him, thoughts that were not his own crept up in his head. He imagined himself dragging her down to the floor and tearing off her blouse, kissing every inch of her wonderful skin.

His hands trembled as he imagined cupping her breasts, which were accentuated through her open blouse. He wanted to feel her, to love her, to let out every aggression he'd ever had through lust against her. He wanted it all, and it seemed like the only way to achieve peace.

"Father?" Nora asked, turning her head to the side in confusion. Edwards felt his mind calm as he let out a deep breath, finally coming back to reality.

"Yes...just some complications from my wound. Let us pray, yes?"

***

While the others left to attend the town meeting, Josephine Buckman remained at the tavern, cleaning up after last night's festivities. She stood near the bar while carefully sweeping across the wooden floor with a broom, collecting each bit of dirt dropped by Braintree's uniquely dirty populus.