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2

2

She yawned for the hundredth time, nearly splitting her face in two.

“Uhn…oww,” Lauren moaned sleepily as she drove down the long road leading into Woodfair.

The town came into view where it sat in a large clearance on the flat bottom of a wide valley, its surroundings made up of nature’s woods and many little rivers. The sight was one that took her breath away as she stared at the beauty.

Bathed in the glowing sunset, the town looked like a little piece of heaven and suddenly, Lauren wasn’t so nervous about going there anymore.

How many bad things could possibly come out of such a beautiful place? Can’t be many. Well, besides... the obvious.

Enjoying the glorious view, Lauren drove down the long road until she passed a large sign that read Welcome to Woodfair.

“Thank you,” she murmured distractedly to herself.

She drove for a short while more and soon enough, she was driving through the main roads of the town.

Lauren felt her mouth curve into a reluctant smile.

God, this place wasn't half bad.

Her very own town. The place where they'd lost everything.

Slowly, the smile melted off her face. She wondered if the younger people who lived here knew what happened twenty years ago. They probably did. They probably knew all about the boy who'd killed the Reverend and his daughter from the stories their parents told them.

She wondered if they knew how this town let that boy go free as if he hadn't just murdered her mother and grandfather. As if he didn't have blood on his hands.

Staring as she drove past little markets, she could see the people packing up for the day.

Little children ran around under the tall market tables, a big furry dog bouncing along with them.

She drove further. People walked around the pavements calmly, everyone seemingly acquainted with each other as conversations flowed from isolated couples to merry shouts across green parks and back to warm greetings shouted from high windows.

It was absolutely nothing like what she had expected to find here. Lauren had come prepared to see everyone trudging about in dark clothes, all probably Gothic or depressed with shackles around their ankles. The weather a constant downpour.

No such.

There was rather a warm buzz in the air as she drove through the small town, but soon enough, curious eyes started to follow her car as surely the people could tell that she was not one of them.

She’s never really been one of anyone.

Lauren rolled her eyes. She didn't care nor did she want to be one of them. Although she knew that it didn't make sense, she still felt a little betrayed by this town.

Realizing that she’d been driving around the park for the past five minutes, she slowed her car down.

It suddenly hit her that she didn’t know where she was going at all.

“Aaww, shit,” she muttered. “Why didn’t old Hutson bring me a hotel room reservation with his doom and gloom?”

There was a man and woman standing a few feet away from her car as she brought it to a stop.

They were both looking at her curiously and she eyed them warily as well, not sure whether she should ask for directions to the mayor’s office or she should just get the hell out of there and away from their staring eyes.

Finally, Lauren gathered her wits about her and stepped shakily out of the car.

Damn her wobbling knees! She was a strong, independent young woman, she would not fold in front of anybody!

Having restored her self-confidence, Lauren walked bravely up to the two people.

“Hi—”

“Hello!” Lauren jerked back as the woman cut off what she’d been about to say. “I’m Samantha. You’re new here.”

The man wrapped a hand around the woman’s elbow and tugged her to his side.

“Let the woman breathe, Sam.” He said, before turning to Lauren. “James.”

Lauren nodded at both of them.

“Uh, hi. James and Samantha. Yes, I just arrived and I was wondering if you would show me the way to the Town Council office?”

Samantha blinked her blue eyes in confusion.

“Don’ know ‘bout a town council, Miss, but I can direct to you to the mayor.”

Lauren frowned. Hadn’t Hutson said...?

Oh, for heaven’s sake. Whatever. She was tired and hungry and needed to sleep.

“Um, alright. Could you do that then?” Lauren asked tiredly.

“Why, of course!” Samantha quipped. “I’m the best at giving directions, I am. You just go straight that way and turn right when you see the green ducks by the lake, don’t run over any rabbits on your way!”

Her blonde hair bounced in its ponytail and Lauren looked at her curiously.

“Uh, green ducks? Okay…”

Not wanting to deal with any more weirdness, Lauren turned on her heel and got back into her car to try and follow the lady’s directions as best she could.

She went on at a creeping pace, straight just as Samantha said, driving past the couple in the process.

“Looks an awful lot like the newspaper lady who’d gone missing long ago, don’t she?” Lauren overheard Samantha say suspiciously and her eyes widened as she increased her speed.

God, were they linking her to her mother already? And with that would come the entire Burns family tale to sit on her shoulders and drag around with her for the duration of her stay here in Woodfair.

Fucking yaay.

Newspaper lady. Lauren scoffed. That was her mother and she didn't go missing, she was murdered by that little piece of shit that they had set free!

Lauren sighed in irritation as her eyes landed on a bunch of green splattered ducks waddling all over rich green grass and she quickly turned onto that street, squinting at the strangely colored ducks and realizing that the poor things were splattered in green paint of some kind.

“This place is weird,” Lauren muttered, shaking her head.

The glow over the town was a dark, fiery red now as the sun casts its final light for the day.

Lauren saw a sign pointing to the Mayor’s house and wondered why his house and not office, but she thankfully followed it either way. She'd let them know she was here and why, then would be on her way to find a hotel.

Very soon, she came to a stop at the white picket fence of a lush green yard.

Stepping forward, she touched the gate, looking for an intercom of some kind when a large gold colored dog came bounding from around the house, barking his head off at her.

Lauren jumped back, tucking her fingers away to prevent them being chewed off by the barking canine.

“Chase! Chase, you stop that.” somebody yelled from within the yard.

A few seconds a later, a tall, slender, white haired woman came from the backyard, pulling gardening gloves off as she walked.

“Hello. Who might you be, darlin’?” she queried sweetly as she approached.

Lauren felt herself relax a little.

“Hi, I’m…” she started, but trailed off when she saw the woman’s face turn pale.

“I...dear, God, I know who you are!” the woman said and Lauren felt like shrinking away.

“Martin!” the woman suddenly yelled over her shoulder. “Martin, come over here!”

She turned back to Lauren with a wobbly smile as she reached forward to open the gate.

“Come on in, you poor darlin’. My husband will be along in a second.”

Lauren hesitated, eyeing the restless dog who eyed her back with just as much interest.

“Oh, don’t you worry ‘bout Chase, he’s a sweetheart,” the lady said.

Lauren stepped in slowly, a little shaken by how the woman seemed to immediately know her. It had been twenty whole years since they'd left.

She muttered a quiet ‘Thank you’ as she looked up and saw a tall, chubby-faced man with a head of white hair coming out of the house in a hurry.

“What’s…wheeze…what’s the…the matter?” he questioned breathlessly as he hurried down the few stairs.

Was he the mayor? Lauren hoped he wouldn’t have a heart attack or something.

“Look,” the woman said to him and his anxious gaze landed immediately on Lauren.

He stared at her blankly for a few seconds, before turning back to his wife.

“That new assistant you were talkin’ about?” he questioned and his wife gave him a frown.

“Honey! It’s the little girl. The Burns’ granddaughter!” she chided and they both watched as her husband’s eyes went wide.

“Well, I’ll be damned, Martha! Look at that!” Wide-eyed, he rushed forward to shake Lauren’s hand and she warmly took his, although a little skeptical.

“Lauren Burns, sir.” She introduced herself as the older man shook her hand enthusiastically.

“Lauren Burns!” he repeated. “My God! It’s a miracle that you’ve come back. I’m Martin Ezekiel Stanford II, I’m the Mayor of Woodfair now. This is my wife, Martha May Stanford.” Lauren nodded with a genuine smile as Martin continued speaking.

“You have nothing to worry about now, dear, I’ll take care of things. Have you just arrived?” he said to Lauren before turning to Martha. “Honey, won’t you please prepare our guest a room?”

“Absolutely, you bring her right in,” Martha said and hurried into the house, tossing her gloves on the porch.

Lauren watched them, stunned by their immediate hospitality and how the Mayor immediately wanted to ‘take care’ of things, he didn’t even know why she was back yet.

“I don’t want to intrude, Mayor Stanford, I could find a hotel…”

“Nonsense! Your grandfather, the late Reverend Jonathan Burns, is the most important man in this town’s history. I will not let his granddaughter sleep in a hotel like a common stranger. Come along now.”

Lauren felt her cheeks warm and smiled at the old man.

“Thank you so much. But...my bags,” she pointed at her car as he lead her into the large Farmhouse styled home.

“Oh, leave it. My son, Marcus, is home. He’ll get them.”

Lauren’s protests died as Martin lead her into the beautiful, exceptionally clean home, welcoming her over and over again.

She’d really never felt more like a princess.

However, her royalty was cut short as a tall, brown-haired man wearing black-rimmed glasses appeared from a different room, looking more royal than she ever could.

She stared at him, his toned physique, visible through his shirt and black jeans. His face was carved artistically and she didn’t fail to note the sharp jawline or the high cheekbones.

Martin was still talking, but Lauren was focused on the beautiful man approaching.

Suddenly, he looked up.

His gaze focused on her and she froze.

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