Bullet of Justice (Town of Salem #1) ✔

What Happened Before

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE

In a blink of an eye, she just disappeared. No more shadows. No more fragments. Not even a tiny hint of black smoke left in the air.

I ran outside and went straight to the castle at the right side of my shack. The door creaked open before me and without hesitation, I went in. Walls were made of bricks with cracks that go well with it. I could see my own reflection as I stared at the shiny, polished floor. The sound of my footsteps created the only noise one could ever hear in this place, simultaneously reflecting my walking feet.

A cold, swollen hand peacefully opened like a bud turning into a well grown rose. It rests flat on the ground, lifeless and absent of color. Then I saw his face before me, his eyebrows were curled but what surprised me the most was the smile that lingered on his lips. There I saw a triumphant ending, where justice has taken place all over him.

Seeing the light from the sun even shining brighter, I slightly shook his shoulder. I tapped his cheek a couple of times and brokenly called his name. Xang. How stupid of me. His eyes are closed in ease. He is already dead. Xang is dead. Stop waking him up, you idiot! Your friend is now resting in peace.

My knees surrendered in a flash so I knelt to support myself. The weight of my body fell on the floor and I heard the ground shake beneath me. A tear from my eye dropped on the shiny floor and once again, I saw my reflection on a tiny puddle of tear. For the very first time in this foreign place, I saw myself cry. Everything was so real.

My shoulders moved up and down quickly while I was sobbing. My trembling knees couldn't carry the weight of my body anymore, so I faced up laying down. The sun rays peeked on the hole of the ceiling, giving light before my eyes. That was everything I saw before my vision turned black.

--

I heard her voice. Her hands pushed my stray hair away from my face. With my back still cringing in pain, I got up. I was still here.

"Are you okay?" Hayley asked. Her free hand tapped my shoulder. "Voting session will be in a few minutes."

I grabbed the hand she lent me and together we stood. We brought Xang's dead body to the circle of death. There he lay down peacefully together with a short boy with dark auburn hair.

The voting session has come to an end. The fight was getting tougher and ironically, no one was sent to trial.

--

"Where are we going?" I asked her. Hayley held my hand and ran somewhere, the view of the houses disappearing after us.

We have gone past the woods into a shade away from the trees. The wind was less chilly in the cozy area and the place seems isolated and very private.

"Just trust me on this."

We entered an old, small cottage. It seems like it was the only structure present in the area. In a small turn, the door opened and the smell of dust welcomed my senses.

For a moment, Hayley disappeared saying she was getting something and then she came back. Along with her, she brought a large, thick, old book with almost worn out pages. She opened it and carefully turned the pages.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A book that contains everything you need to know about Salem. Look, the roles are all here." She said, pointing at the page.

"How did you know about this? Who told you--"

"No one. I discovered it myself."

I think she was right. I scanned through the pages of the book. The content was almost complete.

My eyes scanned through this one particular page and read the words. I saw my very own role.

"Hey, that's you." She said in surprise.

An ex-captain of the Salem militia is infuriated by the increase of crime on the streets - HIS streets!

Although the Vigilante was fired for his violent and rash methods of war, he still has a strong sense of justice, or so he tells himself. As the death toll in the Town rises, his anger only grows as he finds the killer's identity obvious. That night, he makes his final, heavy decision: If the law won't take down this fiend, he'll have to do it himself. He fishes the pistol out of the end table beside his bed, loading it with his two remaining bullets. One to kill, and one for backup. He usually doesn't miss, but it pays to be cautious.

Using the shadow of night as his disguise, he sneaks into the suspect's house to find him cleaning a bloody knife. "I knew it!" the Vigilante tells himself, his lips curling in disgust at the sight. Letting out a quiet, steady breath, he raises his gun and pulls the trigger. His target hits the floor, all signs of life disappearing from his now limp body. Pleased with the results, the Vigilante slips back into his home and climbs into bed. He sleeps soundly, feeling as if a heavy weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

The following morning, a panicked frenzy meets him in the square. The Doctor has been discovered dead in his home after performing surgery on a wounded patient. Nausea washes over him. He has killed a fellow Town member. Self-preservation pins his lips together during the day, and misery drags his feet back home that night. He finds his gun resting on the end table, just where he had left it after slaying an innocent soul. The weight returns, crashing down on him heavier than before. One bullet left.

"I didn't know that it is possible for a Vigilante... to commit suicide" I shook my head in disbelief.

"I've heard about that but I did not tell you, Evan. I brought you here because I want you to see the truth revealed right before your eyes. Seeing the truth would be the easiest way to believe everything." She said with her firm words.

I read the rest until I reached the end of the page. And there came the statement that made me pause.

Weakness: THE WITCH

"The Vigilante is forbidden to shoot on the first night... unless controlled by The Witch." I read out loud. Hayley and I shared gazes and I continued. "The goal of The Witch is to kill the Town and if lucky enough... she might find the Vigilante and control it to shoot his allies... and later on, shoot himself."

I closed the book and let the words slowly sink in my mind.

"The Witch. We have to find and kill her."

--

After a long run, once again we were back to the battlefield. The sky was orange, almost red above us. Hayley accompanied me back to my shack.

"Only a few more nights left, Town of Salem will declare a new winner." She sighed.

"We can do this, Hayley. We will raise the banner of the Town. Just believe."

I cupped her cheeks and looked her in the eyes. We only have each other now. Slowly, the pair of blue eyes disappeared as they hid under her eyelids, closing them totally. Her face changed its angle and I tilted my head in response. I closed my eyes and suddenly forgot the world above us. Just physical darkness... and the touch of her soft lips on mine.

We pulled back and coped up with the air we breathed. A flush of color visibly appeared on her cheeks as she smiled.

"Trusting you was the best decision that kept me alive." She said. "Good night, Evan."

The sunlight faded, replacing the skies with darkness. I shut the door behind me with relief.

I am never alone in this chaotic place of bloody misery.

--

Sources: Town of Salem Wikia

One more chapter + Epilogue = FINISHED STORY

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