The World of Tom Stafford by D.A. Sanford - HTML preview

Chapter 6: Loss

On a fall day, Sadie came running over to our house. She was hysterical. She found Gladis murdered with her killer standing over Gladis, bloody knife in his hand. He came after Sadie but she ran. As she arrived, I saw a middle aged man coming up the street with that bloody knife still in his hand. He had a crazed look. I don’t have any doubts so I shot him.

Once Sadie has regained some composure, I ask didn’t they lock their doors?

“How did he get in?” I ask.

“He has been living with us for a few days now. He seemed like a nice man who said he needed a place to rest a few days then he was going to move on.”

I turn around. Putting my arms around myself, I want to scream.

“Why didn’t you or Gladis say anything to us when he showed up?”

“He was nice and was only going to stay a few days.” she said sheepishly.

“Jim, please take a few men and drag that man out of the road. Then get Charles to see to Gladis. There might be the off chance that she may be still alive.”

Jim grabs a few men, then leaves. I turn back to Sadie “Sadie, I’m going to have Nadean take you inside. Doris, please get Susan to look at Sadie.

Everyone returns. Charles tells me that the wound was to the heart area. Her clothes were cut off after the stabbing. Susan says that Sadie is resting. The four of us, Jim, Doris, Nadean and myself make up the counsel that governs Thornton. We have both Charles and Susan with us in our house.

“This has to be a formal meeting. I suggest that Charles and Susan be given a seat of the council. What say you?” All four of us are in favor so I ask them if they accept, which they do.

“We have rules in place that state that anyone that is comes here must be accepted by the council. What we don’t have is what happens if that is violated.” I open with.

“Expulsion would be the normal outcome for violating that. Both the person that broke that rule and the person that they let in.” Doris said.

Susan comments “Sadie is in no condition to be put out.”

“I know” I say, “that’s the problem. What do we do with Sadie? We cannot put her out.

We cannot lock her up. What do we do with her?”

“She will live with us in the fort.” Nadean informs us. “She will be under someone’s constant supervision.”

Charles interjects “What if she says she wants to leave? She is in no mental state to take care of herself. It would be a slow death.”

“I agree with Nadean. We will be responsible for her for now. Doc, we will have her under a suicide watch. I‘ll need you to check on her at least once a day. If you tell us that she is in her right mind. We’ll give her a full tank of gas and food for a week. The let her go knowing that it is a death sentence for her.”

“What is needed right now is a town meeting. We will ring the bell for everyone to gather. The council must address this right now to stress that, if it wasn’t for her age, she would be expelled from here today.” Jim states “They need to know that her age is the only reason she is not already out.”

“Does the council agree on Jim’s motion?” I ask.

There are six yes’s. The bell is ringing and the town comes running.

With all the town members assembled I step forward.

“As most, if not all know by now, Gladis has been murdered. I killed the man who did it.

We have rules for a purpose. They must be obeyed at all times. The biggest is that no one, I repeat no one is allowed to stay here in Thornton without the screening and the unanimous affirmation of all council members. We have just added Charles and Susan to the counsel.”

“Gladis and Sadie allowed a stranger, a non-screened stranger to stay for a few days.

The reason Sadie gave was ‘he seemed like a nice man.’ That ‘nice man’ killed her mate. Not to describe what happened, yes, I’m going to. Gladis was stabbed in the heart. That nice man cut off all her clothes. If Sadie did not stumble upon him, she would have been next. Then who else would have been killed?”

“The rules are there for every one’s protection. Violators will be exiled from this town and if they show up again, they will be shot, period. Now, before anyone speaks, Sadie will not be exiled. Her age and mental condition will not allow it. In this case and in this case only, per council woman Nadean, She and I will take custody of Sadie. She will never be left alone. I do request that some women volunteer to relieve Nadean during the day. Sadie will remain in our custody until such time that she is mentally able to make a decision. Stay here under what amounts as house arrest, leave or choose suicide. Those are her choices. If she chooses to leave, she will be shot if she tries to come back.”

“That seems harsh to some but you all agreed to those terms before you were allowed to stay. Their action allowed a murderer to come into our community. Now you see why

we have these rules. If you don’t obey them someone may die. Council members, any further comments?”

“I do.” Charles says as he raises his hand, “This world that we now live in is going to be cruel for quite a while. Harsh measures for harsh times. I swore an oath to not do any harm to my patients. That was my oath but now I have to modify it. I will not allow anyone to harm my patients. Some times to cure a patient I need to cut out good tissue to save the rest of the body. Expelling someone for this or other types of violations is for the good of our body.”

“Thanks Doc, I’ll now open it to the floor, any questions?”

Waiting for a few moments and no one speaks up. I then say,

“We will have the rules formally written down. Each of you will read them then sign at the bottom. I mean everyone. Any objections to the rules you accepted when we accepted you, you can pack up and leave. Refuse to sign, we’ll pick you up and throw you out. I refuse to bury another person because you don’t want to follow them. This meeting is adjourned.”

I talk to the council

“Let’s get Gladis buried in the cemetery. I hate being a prick!”

Jim tells me, “You’re not a prick. You just hate losing someone.”

“Thanks Jim”

Having the rules and penalties written, as each inhabitant appears in our house, I make it my responsibility that myself and one other council member watches. The rules and penalties take around ten minutes to read. If someone comes in sits then signs is told to read it or one of us will read it to them.

Everyone except for one couple signs the rules. That one couple did not show up. When we visited where they were staying, we found no one. We posted a notice on their door that they needed to sign before the end of the day. We went back the next day to find that they left a note saying that they no longer felt safe and they left.

After that incident, we had a few people try to stay in outlying houses only to have their attempt halted. Because some of them had characters were of a dubious and secretive nature, we had to ‘take care’ of them. Community safety comes first. Now we have signs informing them that they need to raise a flag on the pole by the store and wait.

As far as Sadie, she has decided that she will comply with our conditions and remain in our community.

Our town has seen quite a few people coming through. They are for the most part peaceful but do not want to stay. Most have adjusted to a loner’s life only looking for a brief conversation and some supplies. We exchange supplies for news. We want to find out what is happening.

The most disturbing news is tales about a group called the wanderers. Mostly rumors heard from someone who knew someone that saw them. The information was sketchy at best.

From what could be put together, the wanderers were a group, the numbers varied from a few to an army, of likeminded people who have determined to bring their form of rule to the world. They figured that the only way the world would survive is for them to form harems. Each one of the six elite leaders would have as many women to breed with. To that end they were invading settlements, killing off the males then dividing up the women for breeding.

The thought sent chills down my spine. They started to dominate my mind. Trying to comprehend the situation, my thoughts were on the old saying, “It’s only paranoia until you’re proven right.” We need solid information. We need someone to go out to spy. I’m just the one to do it. Or so I thought.

At the council meeting I brought up the subject of the wanderers.

“There have been quite a few travelers passing through that have described more or less the same group. All calling them the wanderers. I have to believe that the group exists and that they are raiding settlements. I can’t help but get the feeling that there may have been at least one of their groups have passed through our town and collected information on us that shows that we have supplies.”

Susan interjects “We need solid information on them. Not just tales. We need to send someone out to see for ourselves.”

“I agree” I answer. “I propose that I”

“Don’t you dare say that you will go!” Nadean stops me. “You are a vital part of this community. We cannot send anyone from the council out as spies. The council needs to be the stabilizing anchor. I call for a general meeting. We will state the facts we know then ask for a volunteer to go. Any one oppose?”

As much as I really think I need to go, I see her reasoning but wonder if one of the others would have said they would go. No, Nadean would have said the same, I trust her. We all agree.

“Ring the bell”

Explaining the situation and the possible threat to our town, we ask if there is anyone who would be willing to go to gather firsthand information. Much to everyone’s astonishment, Sadie holds up her hand.

“No Sadie” Susan says” We cannot have you go out alone. Not with the risk involved.”

“That is exactly why I need to go.” Sadie replies “Information says that they are looking for breeding stock. They are killing males. I’m in my seventies. Far passed my prime breeding age.”

That gets a hesitant chuckle from the group. She continues.

“An old woman like me would be of little interest to them. Probably not even worth rape or a bullet. I am even willing to act as a whore if it will get information. I should be able to wander off without being missed. I’ll find out if they know about us. I can take my car with a few cans of gas. I’ll park it in a remote area then walk around. That way, if I find them, I will wander off and drive back.”

I hate to say it but she is correct. The silence is deafening. The town’s people know it is sound reasoning. Before I can ask the counsel Sadie adds one more thing.

“I cannot undo our error. I cannot bring back Gladis but I can make up for it by doing this and coming back.”