Chapter 6

Just then, James returned with his dad. I peeled my eyes from the woman, focusing on the reason I'd come.

"sheriff Smith, good afternoon."

"Eva, how you doin', James here told me you needed some news articles for a uh, an essay?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, you can check our old records, James will take ya,"

"Come on," James nudged me, and I followed him down the corridor and into a small office by the left. The room was filled with shelves. Stacked on each shelf were books and old news articles. The room wasn't dusty, a sign of regular cleaning.

The only furniture in the room was a desk and two chairs on opposite ends of the table. They still looked brand new. Perhaps no one was actually posted in the office.

"This is the storage room. Well, one of them. This place is accessible to the public under the right circumstances. The main storage room for sensitive information is elsewhere."

I looked at all the work before me. As I advanced further into the room, I saw that the files were properly organised by year, and some were categorised under different incidents like robberies or accidents. They were majorly news articles, so I would only be able to find the most important occurrences.

I first scanned through for anything fire related, but I couldn't find anything related to the manor. Then I checked under vandalism and then riots, but there was nothing. What if the article I was looking for wasn't here? Or what if nothing was ever published about it?

"Umm... are you sure all the news articles are here? I mean, everything that's ever happened in town? I'm just trying to find the right one to work with. So is this all of it?"

"Yes, mostly. Everything should be here. If you're looking for something in particular, let me know so I can help."

"Oh, no, don't worry. I'll know once I see it." I gave him a small smile as I resumed searching through the archives.

"Well, I need to get back to my dad real quick. Are you sure you're fine here?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll be done soon, and I'll meet you outside if you're not back yet."

"Okay." With that, he stepped out of the room, and I started searching frantically. It would be better if I found it while he was away so he wouldn't ask questions.

It might've been out of place or something. When I still couldn't find anything under incidences, I moved around to the other section, which was compiled based on the year of occurrence.

From what James had told me, the fire had happened 15 years ago. I did the math in my head, as I scanned the labels on the shelves for the year 2006. I was again met with disappointment as I found nothing pertaining to the fire or the manor.

The only thing somewhat related was the animal attack cases published in some news articles. I inhaled deeply and then let out an exaggerated sigh. I dropped the folder on the desk as I sat on the chair closest to me.

I felt defeated. In my hopes of finding answers, I hadn't stopped to think about the possibility of every news related to the manor being hidden, especially since the townsfolk thought something paranormal was going on there. I felt like such an idiot. Of course, something like that would be in their top secret storage room.

I began to think of alternatives. If I could somehow find someone who had a copy of what I was looking for... I couldn't just visit every person above 40 to ask them if they had any papers about the Crescent Manor fire. I would end up raising too much suspicion.

I picked up the files and put them back as I'd seen them. I left the room all the anticipation from earlier had fizzled out, leaving downcast. I left the station and sent a text to James that I needed to leave.

As soon as I got outside, I leaned back against the wall. I was just so sure that I would get something. I kicked a small stone in front of me. I

"Hello, child." I stood up straight and turned to the side. It was the same woman from earlier. The old woman I'd been staring at.

"Umm, hi..." I was unsure of how to reply to her.

She only smiled again as she looked at me. She slowly reached for my palm and placed her hand over it. She closed her eyes as I stood there baffled and unmoving.

She opened her eyes again as she let go of my hand.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" I said cautiously to avoid sounding rude. After all, I was the one who had been staring at her first.

"I think it is I who can help you." Her voice was gentle, and when she spoke, it felt like her words came from years of wisdom. I found myself believing that she could help me, although I still had no idea what she meant.

She seemed to be observing me as I questioned her words in my head. She stepped back from me. The woman was slightly taller than I was. She still had a very upright posture for her age. I subconsciously stood upright, as though I had been slouching all along.

"You will not find what you seek, not here." She spoke in a funny way, too, like she wasn't from around these parts. "Come to the woods, where the river runs. You will find my cottage. If you want any answers, come find me."

With that, she turned her back to me as she walked away. I kept staring at her back as I wondered who she was. How did she know what I was searching for? How could she help me? Instinctively, I looked down at my right palm. It still felt warm from when she had held it.

I heard some footsteps coming in my direction. James called my name as soon as he spotted me.

"Eva, thank goodness. I thought you'd left. Why were you in such a hurry?"

I remained speechless, and his eyes followed me to the woman who had gained some distance already. He looked back at me again.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you know her?"

"Who? Mrs Danbury?"

I finally peeled my eyes away from her retreating figure. "That's her name? She lives around here?"

"Yes, she comes around often to complain about kids trespassing. You should know her. I mean, everyone knows her. She lives alone somewhere in the woods, and most people think she's a witch. But personally, I think she's just an old woman who enjoys solitude."

I had heard stories about kids and teenagers daring themselves to go into some house in the woods. I never realised that someone actually lived there. Of course, I wasn't one of those kids. I never had a social life, and I wasn't even the kid who got bullied into situations like that.

"Why? Did something happen?" James asked, concern evident on his face.

"No, I was just thinking that I'd never seen her around before."

"No offence, Eva, but you don't exactly go out much." I rolled my eyes at him, but I couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped.

"Come on, I'll drive you home,"

"Thanks."

James dropped me home and returned to the station. I knew he spent a lot of his free time there. He wanted to be a cop one day, too. And who better to learn the ropes from than your sheriff dad.

As soon as I walked into the living room, I could sense something was different. There was an extra coat at the door, one that wasn't there when I left in the morning. I spent most of my time in the room, so the living room was usually neat. This evening, it was cluttered. There were files spread out on the table, and a brown bag rested on the couch.

The lights were on too. I never left the lights turned on. Then came a strong aroma from the kitchen. It smelled like mashed potatoes, my favourite. I hadn't had them in a long time because I never cared much about cooking. There was no joy in coming home every day to cook for myself and an empty house.

I ignored everything and went straight up to my room. With any luck, she hadn't heard me coming in. I would face her later, not now. I'd had a bad enough day already.

I took off my clothes and went for a soak in the tub. The moment I got in the scented bath, I felt most of my stress being relieved.

I specifically took a long bath and then took extra time with washing my hair. I was trying to delay the inevitable. After what felt like hours, I got out of the bathroom and put on a pair of pyjama shorts and a plain top.

I pulled out my phone and saw a couple of texts from Esme. I was avoiding her too. I just wanted to get away from everyone and everything. I turned my phone off and left it to charge before leaving the room.

I walked down the stairs quietly. Sitted on a couch in the living room, was a woman in her 40s with short auburn hair. She had reading glasses on as she seemed engrossed in the files she was reading. I felt annoyed at that picture. Even when she came home once in a blue moon, she couldn't leave her work behind.

She must have felt my eyes on her because she turned in my direction. As she saw me, she took off her glasses, revealing her green eyes which so closely resembled mine. Of course they did, we were blood.

"Hello mum"