A growing crowd gathered around Charlie Richardson and the town’s medical team. Dr. William Mallory and his nurse, Deanne Newhart, were already on the scene and cleaning Charlie’s wounds with an antiseptic. Once Deanne cleaned an area, Dr. Mallory sewed up the gash. The sheriff pushed his way through the crowd and asked no one in particular what happened.
No answer.
“Charlie, why did you try to swim across the cove?”
Charlie’s voice sounded weak. His words were slow and forced. “You know exactly why, sheriff.”
Larry thought for a moment. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. The journals said they had time – days, weeks, maybe even months. But people felt something. Anne knew; so did Charlie.
“So you know?” Larry asked.
“I’ve always known. I’ve known for seventy-five years. Something like that,” he coughed, “you just don’t forget.”
“Something like what, Charlie?”
“Horrible deaths. 1704 was pretty bad because no one knew what was happening. 1780 was a little better. There were almost no deaths in 1856 because everyone decided to stay in town and wait it out. But in 1932, we took a stand, tried a hundred different ways to bust out of this prison, but nothing worked. Hundreds died.”
Larry looked stunned. The crowd became restless.
“What are you two babbling about?” Nurse Newhart asked.
Larry ignored the question with two of his own. “Why didn’t you say anything, Charlie? Why didn’t you warn us?”
“I couldn’t, sheriff. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t. I tried. God knows I tried, but the spell. It keeps people from talking.”
“So you knew this whole time but couldn’t say a word to anyone? Charlie, my God, that must have been hell.”
His eyes grew heavy. He barely kept them open. “You know what is hell, sheriff? Standing paralyzed at the edge of those damn trees every single day. Dipping a toe in the waters of the cove, but not being able to dive in and swim for freedom. Hell,” Charlie coughed again, “is knowing you are a prisoner and not being able to do anything about it. You guys had it easy. We were in the same prison, but you all were oblivious.”
“Ignorance is bliss, right?”
“Freedom is bliss, sheriff.”
Larry sensed Charlie didn’t have much time left. “So why jump in now? You knew something was out there waiting for you? Why not just stay in town and play it safe?”
Charlie smiled for the first time. “Freedom is worth dying for, sheriff. I’ve been waiting seventy-five years to take that swim. Seventy-five years of dreaming what is on the other side of that lake.”
“But you didn’t make it.”
Charlie looked into Larry’s eyes and his smile grew wider. “But I tried. Now go save this town, sheriff. Go set Bayberry Cove free.” Then Charlie took his final breath.
The sheriff released the old man’s hand, stood and turned to stare into the night sky, and repeated the last words to ever cross Charlie Richardson’s lips. “Go set Bayberry Cove free.” Then, after a long pause, “How in the hell am I supposed to do that?”
“I might be able to help you out with that, sheriff.” The raspy voice belonged to Joe Tabor. Joe and Charlie were two peas in a pod. They had been best friends since sitting next to each other in Mrs. Mason’s first grade class.
“Joe, I’m so sorry about Charlie,” Larry sympathized. “He was a good man.”
“He was a great man, sheriff. And a helluva lot braver than me or you. I knew he was going to jump in that lake and make a swim for freedom. I knew it the minute that blasted horn sounded two nights ago.”
“We’ll have a proper burial, Joe.”
“Oh, I know we will, sheriff. This town is always so proper, isn’t it?”
Larry motioned for Joe to join him away from the crowd. Once they were alone, Larry spoke in a low voice. “So how can you help me, Joe? How can we set Bayberry Cove free?”
“Someone in this town can defeat Boreas,” Joe said. “Someone in every generation has the gift.”
“What gift?” asked Larry. Absurd statements no longer rattled him.
“Nature has a way of balancing the equation, sheriff. For every villain, there is a hero. What kind of world would this be if God didn’t give us light to chase away the darkness?”
“I’m not sure I believe in God anymore, Joe. What kind of God allows this to happen to good, innocent people?”
“No offense, but what you believe isn’t important, sheriff.”
Larry chuckled. “None taken. So what is important, Joe?”
“The truth. And the truth is, someone in this town can free us from Boreas.”
“Who?” Larry asked impatiently.
Joe looked disappointed. “I have no idea, sheriff.”
“Perfect,” Larry said sarcastically. “So let’s say we find this miracle person. Why hasn’t it worked in the past? Why didn’t your generation’s hero save the day?”
“We didn’t find out until it was too late. Even the person doesn’t know. By the time we made the connection, the year ended and the spell was back in place. Unless we figure out who has been given the gift, we’re doomed.”
“So how do we figure it out, Joe?”
“Well, anything strange happen lately? Anything you can’t explain?”
“I can’t explain anything that’s happened in the past two days! You need to be more specific, Joe.”
“I can be more specific.” The masculine voice reverberated through the morning air. Larry and Joe turned to find Max peering over their shoulders.
“Max, how much did you hear?” Larry asked.
“Enough,” replied the burly hunter. “Last night, I didn’t shoot the beast.”
Larry looked confused. “What are you talking about, Max?”
“I never pulled the trigger. I took the second shot, but I hit thin air. The shot that clipped the beast – well, I don’t know where the hell it came from.”
“Another gunman?” asked Larry.
“Not a chance,” answered Max. “No one could have made that shot without giving away their position. We were the only six people in those woods.”
“So what are you saying, Max?”
“Well, Larry, based on what Joe just told you, I think our hero saved our asses last night.”
Joe shook with excitement. “Who was with you last night? Who is the savior?”
“Well,” Larry said quietly, “There were six of us – me, Max, Sam, Bobby, Jed, and Caroline.”
Joe grinned. “There’s your answer, sheriff. One of you six is going to save this town.”
“But which one?” asked Max.
“That’s what you two need to figure out.”
