Eternal Echoes ✔

Chapter 25: The Truth About Mayor Hawthorne

Olivia leaned against the damp wall, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she fought to push the dark voice back into the recesses of her mind. She closed her eyes, trying to find a moment of peace amidst the turmoil. But peace seemed an elusive dream, slipping through her grasp like smoke.

Thomas kept a wary eye on Olivia, his concern deepening with every passing second. He wanted to help her, to break through the barrier she had erected around herself, but he knew that pushing too hard could make things worse. He glanced at the others, huddled together, whispering urgently about the pendant and the curse.

Daniel's voice broke through the heavy silence. "If it wasn't Thomas and Eleanor, and it was not Elizabeth who made that deal with the entity, then who could it have been?"

"Assuming that deal happened." Micheal threw in the discussion, adjusting his glasses.

Thomas took a deep breath in and fused himself with the conversation. "Mayor Hawthorne."

The name hung in the air, an unspoken question in everyone's minds. Emily furrowed her brow, trying to piece together the fragments of their collective knowledge. "Mayor Hawthorne?"

Thomas nodded carefully, stepping closer to the group. "I didn't realize it sooner 'cause I was convinced that he disappeared because of what he did to Olivia, Everyone saw it at the Townsquare. But it might have been the curse."

The whole group fell quiet once more, all eyes on Olivia, her face, her scar—a silent reminder of the past horrors. Olivia instinctively touched the scar on her cheek, the old wound throbbing with the memory of that fateful day.

"See, they're already talking about you, about how you don't fit in anymore. Stop trying to push me away sweet child, I am not going anywhere." The voice was resilient.

Emily broke the silence, her voice soft but steadfast. "What exactly happened with Mayor Hawthorne and Olivia?"

Thomas sighed, glancing at Olivia. "He accused her of witchcraft, he told everyone that she was the reason the town was cursed. He even used the pendant, his pendant, as proof." Thomas paused for a second, visually debating on which part to say next. "I had stolen that pendant earlier that day, it felt strange, heavy, almost like it was alive but it had some dark feel to it." The guilt was hearable in his voice.

"Wait, but if you had stolen it, how could he have used it to blame Olivia?" Rachel questioned.

"Because, when I showed Olivia the pendant, she put it in her pocket for safekeeping," Thomas Explained, his face etched with remorse. "When I had the crowd convinced that She was innocent, the town square got darker, almost like a big shadow fell upon it. This hooded figure with a deep voice appeared. Don't ask me what it said cause I don't remember but that was not human." Thomas continues, giving Olivia a chill down her spine by the mention of the dark figure.

Olivia shuddered at the memory, her mind swirling with images of that ominous day. The hooded figure's appearance had changed everything, casting a pall over the town that no one could forget. The darkness, the fear, the whispers—it all began then.

Emily's eyes widened. "But why would he do that? What did he gain from striking that deal?" Her voice broke through Olivia's reverie.

"Power," Thomas replied, his voice grim. "Control. Maybe even something more sinister. He disappeared the night the figure appeared. No one saw him again after that."

The group exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of Thomas's revelation sinking in. Rachel rubbed her arms as if warding off a chill. "So, Mayor Hawthorne made a deal with this entity, then framed Olivia to cover his tracks?"