Patrolling

[Gabriel Edwards]

Gabriel Edwards was the new sheriff in town, and after settling into his new apartment, he felt it was time to get to used to the area. He had been drawn to Westborough because he felt he was needed there. He knew his abilities might come in handy, as he had already sensed there was something dark hidden in the shadows of the town. To the naked eye, Westborough was just a typical place, with normal people. However, he knew that something about it had been tainted by evil, and he intended to find out what that evil was. 

As he was driving around, he decided to visit some of the neighborhoods, just so he get could get an idea of his surroundings.  So far he'd seen a mail man on his daily rounds, a child riding a bike, people mowing their lawns and tending to every day things.  Nothing suspicious had caught his eye, until he saw smoke in the distance.  While he felt the smoke might not be a sign of something bad, he wanted to check it out.  Gabriel drove his police car towards it, and ended up in the historical district.  The smoke was coming from someone's back yard.  He pulled up in front of the house that he had seen the smoke and looked at it.  

The house was an old, Victorian style home.  It had been somewhat maintained, but it's age was apparent.  The grass was slightly long, and there were some herbs growing in pots on the covered porch.  He felt whoever lived there must enjoyed gardening, or at least enjoyed fresh herbs.  Glancing in the mirror to make sure everything was in place, Gabriel stepped out of the car and shut the door.  He then headed up the pathway towards the front door of the house and gently knocked.  

Sarah Ellington

I figured her house would be in the historical district, but if not let me know and I can edit my post. =x  

[Sarah Ellington]

The palm of her left hand tingled, but she ignored it. It was a necessary discomfort for the magic that bubbled in the flames before her. Her eyes watched the cackling embers lick at the air, the smoke rise rhythmically from the fire source, and the shifting light reflect on the silver tray that played host to her sacrifice.

Then, beyond the smoke and flames, Sarah Ellington turned up her nose and smelled the unwelcome company, her right hand tightening around the dagger she held, blade tipped in fresh blood which had already tried to escape onto the grass at her feet. In disgust, she bared her teeth, wrinkled her nose, narrowed her eyes, and looked back down at her flames. They could wait while she tended to this unwanted guest.

The woman tossed her dagger onto her back porch (she could clean out the blood later) as she walked up the stairs and into her home. She had a fresh bandage wrapped around her left hand and her hair comfortably disheveled within a few moments as she made her way for the front door, glancing down to make sure her clothes were ordinary - a black skirt and a white blouse with a small red stain from her recent endeavors - before turning the doorknob and opening the door just enough to peek her head out and put her left hand on the threshold, hoping this man would get the idea that she needed to tend to something very important.

What the hell did he want?

Sarah raised an eyebrow and forced a pleasant, albeit sarcastic and rather unsettling, smile before she said, as sweetly as she could, "Good afternoon, officer. May I help you with something?" Then, realizing he was probably there for the smoke coming from her backyard, she added, "I can't leave that fire unattended for too long, you know."

[Gabriel Edwards]

When the door opened, Gabriel could smell a strong, foul stench from inside the house.  He assumed it was from the smoke filtering in from her fire, or maybe she had been cooking.  Whatever it was it made his nose twitch slightly, but he didn't intend on mentioning it to her.  It wasn't necessarily the most friendly act to say someone's house had an odor, after all.  When the woman stepped out to greet him, his trained eyes automatically went to the small blood stain on her white shirt. He didn't stare at it too long, but let his gaze drift back up to her eyes and he gently smiled at her.

"Oh, I noticed the smoke from your fire and thought I'd make sure everything is okay.  You do know you need a license for controlled burning in this area."  Surely she knew, she didn't seem the type of person to be oblivious to anything.  

"I won't write you a ticket this time, but I'll have to ask  you to make sure and put the fire out before I have to alert the fire department."  He tipped his hat in a friendly manner and looked at her once more.  "I'm sorry to be a bother, but it really is important; especially with a higher risk of fire spreading right now."  It wasn't necessarily all that hot outside, but what made fire risky was the high wind they were getting.  As it neared winter it was getting cooler, and the air was dry.  

"My name is Gabriel Edwards, I'm the knew Sheriff.  I'm sorry our first meeting had to be a warning.  Are you going to the festival on Saturday?"  He was trying to steer the conversation away from the fire momentarily, because he hated the idea of upsetting someone already.  Westborough was having their annual fall festival, and it seemed like a perfect way to meet everyone.  He was sure there had been some sort of gossip about his arrival, and he wanted to make sure people knew him in case they needed help.  

[Sarah Ellington]

Rules. Sarah grew tired of rules. She had lived by them her entire life. Now, she had the power to bend them, to break them, to completely ignore them, and she wasn't going to let this wannabe cop stand in her way. As far as she concerned, that pretty little smile and gentle demeanor created a fragile mask of tender flesh. At that moment, he was her arch rival, and she had to tear that mask off.

Still smiling sweetly, the woman said, "Of course, officer -- it won't happen again! I've just been adjusting to the loss of my husband. I have to make sure I know how to burn the firewood when it gets really cold in the winter."

For good measure, she added a chuckle, but Sarah wanted instead to chuck his head off his shoulders and add it to the flames. Maybe they'd grow stronger. They'd certainly smell much nicer.

The festival on Saturday. Of course, it was annual, and the Ellingtons always made an appearance. The coven and their families were always there, even though most of them hated the crowds, hated most of the townspeople, and wanted nothing more than to stay away from them -- or enslave them. That sounded positively darling, didn't it?

Playing her part well, the widow's face contorted into shock, and she said, "Oh, I almost forgot about it! Thank you for reminding me!

Then, she added, "Would you like some tea? I could brew you some and put it in a Styrofoam cup for you to take with you, wherever you're going." This nice attitude of hers made her stomach clench and fill with twisted little caterpillars worming around hopelessly and desperately, unable to find a foothold to metamorphose. There would be no butterflies here today.

But Sarah Ellington needed this new sheriff on her side, and she was going to pull out all the stops today. Quickly, she added, "I know you're new here, so I just want to make sure you feel welcome."

And to pick out your brain and feed it to the wildlife, you disgusting and worthless creature.

[Gabriel Edwards]

He felt immediately guilty after she mentioned she was a widow. He understood the need to figure things out, however it was still dangerous to have a fire going now, even if it was a controlled burn. As she continued to talk, he began to feel uneasy. She was being nice, and saying all the right things, but her eyes spoke differently. She held a firey hatred that burned passionately, and if he hadn't been a stronger person he definitely would have felt somewhat intimidated by her.  

When she offered him a cup of tea, and felt like by saying no it might offend her even more than his verbal warning.  "You know, that sounds really good.  I'll just be going back to the office after I finish my rounds, so a Styrofoam cup will work."  He offered another pleasant smile.  Maybe she would let him inside, and he can take the opportunity to figure out where that odor was  coming from.  

She wanted to make him feel welcome, but then why did he have the sudden feeling that she wanted to do the exact opposite.  As she had said it, the hair on his arms stood up and he cringed inwardly at the feeling. Sometimes it took awhile to get used to being in human form, especially when he was feeling vulnerable.  It would be so easy to reveal what he really was, and then he would be so much stronger and brighter than she was, however that would be very detrimental to his cause.  For all he knew she was just a suffering, depressed woman and a little ticked off he'd spotted her fire.

There was no reason to act angelic yet.

Sarah Ellington

[Sarah Ellington]

As the sheriff gave his response, Sarah's right hand, hidden safely behind the wall, was at work making sure all of her magical equipment was hidden and her sitting room was...well, "lived in." If her sitting room was a little messy, then it might help her cause, she thought. The woman hoped that it would at least distract Gabriel and plant ideas of unhappy widow.

At the proper moment, her smile widened, and she said, "Great! Come right into the kitchen and I'll get the kettle steaming for you."

Sarah pushed open the door with her back and stepped back to let the man in, her good hand pointing in the direction of the kitchen, only a few feet away. With a soft sigh, she added, "Sorry for the mess. My children tend to go to their friends' houses a lot, so I just...well, I don't clean up as often as I should." Her smile faded. She had to play the widow card now. Well, she'd already started doing that when the sheriff brought up the fire, but she was making a greater effort to lay it on now.

At last, she closed the door behind them and walked over to the kitchen before getting right to work making a kettle of tea.

[Gabriel Edwards]

Gabriel nodded his head, and stepped into the house and followed her to the kitchen. The living room had been a little cluttered, but he had been in worse places before.  He tried not to appear as if he was looking at everything and just stood in the kitchen while she began to make the tea.  "I'm sorry to hear about your husband, it must be difficult for you."  Ever since coming to the town of Westborough, he wasn't exactly sure why he had been led there.  So he was just trying to figure out who he was supposed to be there for, and what was going on.  As far as he was concerned, Sarah was just a troubled, depressed woman and might need help.  Maybe she was the reason he was here.  He wouldn't really know until he had met more people, but for now finding out what he could about her would do.

"You really do have a beautiful house.  When I was driving through the area I really liked some of these older homes..."  He glanced towards the living room and scanned it, and then looked towards some of the windows that led to the  back yard.  He had rented an apartment in the Enchanting Escapes complex.  While it was nice, it wasn't necessarily a mansion, but he didn't need much.  "How long have you and your family lived here?"

[Sarah Ellington]

With her back turned as she prepared the tea, Sarah let her smile fade and her eyes narrow and burn. At least he was calm. Not too insufferable for her. How many people had he already befriended in this quaint little town where a demon protected a hundred little demons who pretended to be humans? Did she have competition, or would it be a great alliance throughout Westborough?

She would find out soon enough. For now, smile slowly creeping back onto her perfectly lipsticked lips, Sarah turned around, leaned against the sink, gripped it with her hands, and said, "Oh, thank you, officer. Your sympathies and your compliments are certainly more than welcome in this old house. I'm a strong woman, though. I miss Mr. Ellington an awful bit, but I make it through. After all, even if my children aren't always around, I need to stay strong for them, right?

"My family and I were all born here. Most of us in this town were, I think," she added, shrugging her shoulders. "In fact, some of my recent ancestors founded this town. We have quite the history here!" She chuckled for emphasis, even though this was no laughing matter. This was her home, not his. He didn't belong here. Immediately after her chuckle, Sarah asked, "What brought you here, Gabriel Edwards? A place like this in the middle of nowhere isn't exactly a hot spot for...well, anyone outside Westborough!"

Another chuckle for good measure. That nice-lady routine was starting to get annoying, but the witch gripped the sink behind her more tightly so that she could fight off her mask's desire to fade into the shadows and reveal the monster that lay beneath. Sarah Ellington wasn't quite ready for that just yet.

[Gabriel Edwards]

He nodded his head in response when she mentioned she'd lived in Westborough all of her life. The house was old enough that it would make sense they'd lived there for a long time.  "Oh, so you probably know just about everyone then, right?  Is there anyone I should be keeping my eye on, as far as trouble makers?" So far he'd begun to feel more and more at ease with her, and he wasn't sure if it was because their conversation had grown more casual, or not.  People always did get a little tense when they saw a Sheriff standing at their front doors.  He knew that by experience, his profession alone could be a little intimidating to most people.  

"I was looking for a job, and I noticed that Westborough needed a Sheriff.  They had posted something about it online, so naturally, I came to fill in an application and they called me a few days after to accept it.  So I just decided to move here to make things easier.  I'm renting an apartment in the Enchanting Escapes complex....so far it's nice."

He had been living in New York city beforehand, so the town of Westborough was far different than where he'd come from.  It would definitely take some adjusting.  But perhaps the smaller population would be less stressful as far as crime rates and everything else that went along with being a Sheriff.

Sarah Ellington

[Sarah Ellington]

Sarah had almost replied, "Just...about," very dryly, but she had managed to catch her tone. She had to come off chipper, after all. "I try to keep eyes on everyone myself -- in case I get some inspiration for the next great novel, of course," the woman added with a slight chuckle. "No one of real trouble around here. They'd be shunned pretty quickly, if the townspeople had anything to say about it."

The truth, of course, was that the troublemakers did their work in quiet, like the clockmaker, always working his magic throughout the course of time unnoticed and unbothered. It was a real science, the work of the coven witches. Magic was every bit practical and empirical as it was artistic and abstract.

The Internet. Attracting unwanted visitors for years, she thought. Sarah chuckled again to hide her irritation before responding: "I'm glad you like it here, Sheriff Edwards." Then, quickly, she raised her eyebrows and asked, "Could I call you Gabriel? I know we're not exactly friends and you're new to the position, but everyone in town knows each other so well. It would be a shame to destroy our happy little dream."

Her smile was innocent and convincing, right? Everything about her simply had to be.

At least, as the tea whistled, Mrs. Ellington released her uncomfortable grip from the sink, turned on her heels, and started reaching for teacups before she realized that she didn't want him here and that she had offered to send him on his marry way quite recently. Instead, she went for the Styrofoam in her pantry and came out with two. No need to dirty a teacup, right?

As she went for the sugars and creams, she turned her head over her shoulder just enough and for just long enough to ask him, "How do you take your tea, Gabriel?"

[Gabriel Edwards]

When she said that there weren't any troublemakers around Westborough, he raised an eyebrow. The previous Sheriff had left an entire cabinet full of notes and remarks about the citizens living there. Some scenarios he'd been reading about had definitely been strange. However, what he had read was strictly police business and confidential, so he didn't really want to bring it up. "Well I guess I'll have an easy job then," he said with a slight chuckle. 

Gabriel nodded his head when she asked if she could call him by his first name. He supposed it didn't mind, after all, he did want to come off as a friendly and approachable person. He couldn't see himself being called "Sheriff Edwards" all the time anyway.  "Certainly that's fine, as long as I can call you Sarah."  The Sheriff winked at her and grinned, assuming it would be alright to call her by her first name.

"Oh, just a touch of milk and some sugar, thanks."  He noticed the Styrofoam cup, which was nice because then he could take it to go and get on with his rounds of patrolling.  He wondered if this would soon become routine.  He certainly hoped so.  However, he had a sneaky suspicion that nothing would be routine for him over the next few days, or even months that he was in Westborough.  Something was just in the air, and he normally had a good instinct about things.  But maybe this time he was wrong.

Sarah Ellington

[Sarah Ellington]

On cue, Sarah chuckled along with Gabriel and busied her hands and feet with his desired ingredients. Milk and sugar in the cup, she poured some tea and got a spoon to stir as she answered, "You can call me whatever you'd like, Gabriel. I'd prefer it, actually: some are still used to calling me Mrs. Ellington, and it can be a little uncomfortable."

Sarah Ellington truly was heartbroken. She had loved her husband with all her heart, birthed two children with him, and raised them together for several years. She didn't need to be reminded of her lost husband, even if people had called her Mrs. Ellington for years. She was finally a woman of her own name, not her husband's name, and she wanted everyone else to remember that, too.

Tea stirred, the woman handed the cup to Gabriel with a smile and said, "I hope it's to your liking, Gabriel."