Somebody is gonna get hurt real bad...

Chapter 20 :- The Past, Present and Future

"Some days I wish I could go back in life. Not to change anything but to feel a few things twice."

Trapped between the turmoil of past, present and future, men have gone insane

Time doesn't heal the wounds, it teaches us to live with the pain

The man everyone thought to be courageous was in fact a coward.

While trying to uphold the so-called justice, his own morals he devoured...

The old calm days filled with sunshine and rainbows were finally making a comeback for the Irisvile County. The unpredictable weather was returning to its foreseeable form as the notorious demon was caught. The uneasiness of the people was fading away and the vegetative, stagnated life was back for the residents. The man who always stood out from the crowd was going to blend with it. On the last day the realization of how easily an individual's identity could be robbed off, and given to someone else had dawned upon him, and he wasn't happy. The fallacious perfect man who was now the part of the coward pretended to play along. He smiled and cheered and laughed in his present, while his prior actions and future worries were eating him alive. Is this individual epitome of strength or weakness?

"Cheers..." The room was filled with the melodious sound of the clinking of the beer bottles. Sheriff looked around as his stomach twisted a bit. This is it... He plastered a smile over his face as he glanced over the room filled with known unknown faces. It was indeed a long road, but I made it... I guess! Sheriff with goosebumps was viewing his other family which he was going to leave. Dammit! Goodbyes are the worst. Still, time to consider that consultation offer... Nope! A stern warning was given by the Sheriff to himself.

"Now..." Officer Ted demanded the attention of the room. "Sheriff Jackson will speak a few words..."

"Hey..." The Sheriff who was already pining over his last day didn't want to give it a closure "It's not necessary..."

"Come on Sheriff..." Officer Ted almost made a puppy dog face "Please... Enlighten us..." He said with a sly ambiguous smirk.

Sheriff pressing his lips in agitation, smiled "Ok." He said, sighing. The room was filled with cheers and claps as Sheriff Jackson stood in the center.

"Sheriff. Wait." Officer Dennis came rushing with a flat, rather short stool "You are not going to make a speech without a podium, you know that right?" He said as he kept the flat tripod before him after dusting it roughly. Sheriff confused, about what expression to bear, put up yet another forced grin, as raising his eyebrows he cleared his throat. This is getting more and more official. A part of Sheriff Jackson still wanted the time to stop, for this day to never end. Be careful what you wish for...

"Ahm..." Sheriff was scrambling for words "So... I've known..." That doesn't seem right. Sheriff stood up on that stool perturbed. "I have been here..." No that's not correct either! "Ahm... Ahm..." Sheriff pretended to clear his throat, as he stared at his audience blankly. What the hell is wrong with me? Sheriff opened and closed his mouth, which, with every passing moment, was becoming drier.

"Sheriff..." Officer Ted, who had now become nervous looking at the Sheriff's state, asked in concern "If you don't want to, then there is no compulsion..." Sheriff looked at Officer Ted with an agitated face "I just wanted to..." Officer Ted became rather defensive. Sheriff after a few seconds started to chuckle looking at Officer Ted's bewildered expressions. Officer Ted swallowed.

"Got you..." Sheriff said as the room which had fallen silent due to Sheriff's incompetency slowly started to breathe again, and in the next few seconds, it erupted with laughter. Fake it till you make it, baby! I don't want to be... I can't let these officers bid adieu to a broken Sheriff; I want them to remember me as I am right now, as I was once upon a time. "Sorry Sheriff Ted, it's kind of a ritual of Irisvile County station, you can ask Hitchcock. He was there during my time..."