Wolf

Part 22: Emergency Meeting

Inside the dimly lit town hall, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation as the residents of Ruby Falls gathered for the emergency meeting. Mason stood at the front of the room, his expression grave as he addressed the crowd, his words echoing off the walls.

"We're all here tonight because of the recent tragedies that have befallen our town," Mason began, his voice steady and commanding. "Three innocent lives have been lost, and it's clear that we're dealing with a dangerous threat."

As Mason spoke, Rose sat among the crowd, her thoughts swirling with the weight of Mason's warning. She glanced around the room, taking in the somber faces of her neighbors and friends, each one grappling with their own fears and suspicions.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the back of the room, cutting through the silence like a knife. It was Mrs. Hawthorne, the elderly woman who had shared her grandmother's tale of wolves that walk upright.

"We've seen this before, haven't we?" Mrs. Hawthorne said, her voice quavering with emotion. "Back in '01, when poor Zeke Johnson claimed to have seen a werewolf, we laughed and called him Crazy Zeke. But now, look where we are."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd, a tangible sense of unease settling over the room. Rose felt a chill run down her spine as she listened to Mrs. Hawthorne's words, the memories of Old Zeke's fate still fresh in her mind.

Mason cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Now is not the time for superstition or hysteria," he said firmly. "We need to focus on finding the truth and ensuring the safety of our town."

But despite Mason's attempts to calm the crowd, tensions continued to simmer beneath the surface, the fear and uncertainty of the situation weighing heavily on everyone present.

As the meeting dragged on, Rose couldn't shake the feeling that they were on the brink of something truly dangerous, something that threatened to tear their small town apart.