Whispers in the Dark

Interview #2

An excerpt from "A Mother's Hope: Margaret Woods Reflects on Crescentville Beginnings"

Interviewer: "Margaret, can you tell us about your first impressions when you moved to Crescentville?"

Margaret Woods: "Oh, I remember it vividly. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the neighborhood felt like a dream come true. Everything was so perfect – the manicured lawns, the friendly neighbors, the sound of children playing. It felt like the fresh start we desperately needed. We had been through some tough times before moving, and I was hopeful Crescentville would be a place where we could all heal and grow together."

Interviewer: "How did you feel about Jeff and Liu adjusting to their new school?"

Margaret Woods: "I was both hopeful and anxious. Liu seemed excited; he's always been the more outgoing of the two. But Jeff... Jeff had always struggled a bit more with new situations. He's such a sensitive soul, and I worried about how he would cope. But I kept telling myself that a new environment might be good for him, a chance to start over without the baggage of the past weighing him down."

Interviewer: "Did Jeff ever share his feelings with you during those early days?"

Margaret Woods: "Not as much as I wished he would. He's always been the type to bottle things up. I tried to create a space where he felt safe to talk, but I think he didn't want to worry me. I could see the anxiety in his eyes, though. He'd always been a bit of an insomniac, but it got worse after we moved. He'd sit at the kitchen table in the mornings, looking so lost in thought. I'd ask him how he was, and he'd just shrug and give me that half-smile of his."

Interviewer: "How did you try to support Jeff during that transition?"

Margaret Woods: "I did what I could. I made sure he took his medication, I cooked his favorite meals, and I was always there to listen, even if he didn't always want to talk. I encouraged him to join clubs, to make friends, but he was so hesitant. Looking back, I wish I had done more, pushed harder to get him the help he needed. But you always think you have more time. That's the hardest part – thinking you have more time."

Interviewer: "What was your overall feeling about Crescentville as time went on?"

Margaret Woods: "It started so promising, but... as time went on, the cracks began to show. The perfect facade of Crescentville started to feel like a trap, especially for Jeff. He never seemed to find his footing. I still believe it's a wonderful place, but for Jeff, it became a sort of... battleground. I wanted it to be our sanctuary, but it turned into something else entirely."