The Safest Place on Earth

Wayfield had always been a peaceful town. It was quaint, and everyone knew everyone. The citizens all got along; rarely did they fight, which made being a Wayfield cop seem simple and easy. And it was- according to Sheriff Xavier Mendall. Whenever someone asked him about the severity of his job, he always responded by saying, "Wayfield needs a sheriff as much as a person needs sunglasses at night"

That was the sad truth for Mendall. He craved adventure, something Wayfield could not provide. Mendall would leave the small town, pursue a different job somewhere else, but he thought that he had an obligation to the city; he believed the people of Wayfield needed him, just to be there as someone to look up to. He made a promise to himself that he would never abandon those who need him, and the people of Wayfield needed him.

It was October 30th, and Mendall just finished his annual "Drug Free" lecture to the kindergartners. After his visit to the elementary school, Mendall strolled around the town for a few hours chatting with the civilians, as he did every year in hopes for some action. He asked every single one of them, "Have you noticed any problems in Wayfield?" and every single of them smiled and said, "Of course not, Wayfield is the safest place on earth." Mendall would nod and agree with the civilians, yet when they walked away the smile fell from his face.

He strode into the police station, and all the men's attention went to him. "Sheriff Mendall," one of the officers laughed as he placed his hand on the officer's shoulder, "How was the drug talk?"

Mendall shook his head and sighed, "Most action I had all year." He plastered a smile onto his face, making his statement appear to be a joke; no one would know that he was unsatisfied with his work. The men in the station all let out a hearty laugh and the officer slid his hand off of Mendall, placing it onto his hip.

"You always know how to lighten the mood," the officer chuckled. His eyes sparkled, something Sheriff Mendall was envious of, and his nose crinkled.

"Now, now, Spencer, stop fooling around and get to work," Mendall instructed. He then

plopped into his chair, back facing the officer. His legs were spread and his chin was tucked into his chest.

"But sir!" Spencer protested. He grabbed the back of the sheriff's chair and spun him

around with such force that Mendall almost fell. "Wayfield is the safest place on earth! What work is there to do?"

Mendall wished he had an answer for him.

Mendall was the only one who stayed in the station after twelve, perhaps because he had no family to go home to. He was merely reading the paper; he could have been reading in his house, but he felt more comfortable at the station. The seats may have been tough and irritating, and the air conditioning may have been broken, but Mendall felt relaxed sitting in desk at the station.

The only sounds in the room was the flipping of the paper and the ticking of the clock, which read half past twelve.

But then the phone rang.

Mendall accidentally ripped the paper. He didn't care, however, as he quickly grabbed the phone and picked it up. His excitement got the best of him and the phone slipped out of his hand. Thankfully, the cord caught it before it fell on the ground.

"Hello? There's someone in my house," the woman sobbed.

"Ma'am please-" Officer Mendall was gripping onto the phone as he spoke. His other hand balled into a fist, turning his already pale knuckles white. This was the action Mendall was waiting for. It sounded bad, but he was thrilled that this woman needed his help.