Lily had told her mum and dad about the conversation she had with Ivy and begged her father to help them, Peter promised he would do all that he can, at that time he felt it would be very little, his family was his priority, he didn’t want them to get to involved with other people, they were not his problem and he didn’t want them to become his problem, he felt that he had enough on his plate as it was, more than enough, he wasn’t aiming for a revolution, he just wanted to get his family to safety, he had told Eileen what Tony Griffiths had told him the night before, now he was hoping this fine weather would not continue, he was waiting for a storm, the bigger the better if their theory was going to work, they were sat at the kitchen table when they heard a knock at the front door, they looked at each other as if the other had the answer to whom it was.

Peter opened the door and was surprised to see the Police woman there, his mind went back to when she arrested him, he rubbed his arm where the bruise was, his first thought was to put the copper in her place, but he refrained.

‘What can I do for you’ he asked, in an unwelcoming manner, he held onto the door which he had opened halfway, Sandra noticed this, she expected it, she scratched the side of her nose, she gave a nervous smile and Peter noticed how vulnerable she suddenly looked.

‘Can I come in please’ she replied, Peter opened the door fully and gestured for her to come in with his arm, she went inside and before Peter shut the door he looked around outside to see if anyone was with her, the coast appeared clear.

Eileen and Lily was surprised to see her as their eyes widened and Sandra noticed this, she raised one hand in the air, waived it frantically,

‘I’ve come in peace’ she said and smiled her nervous smile, they went into the living room, Sandra took the armchair, Lily and Eileen sat on the sofa, Peter sat on the arm, he didn’t like the law being there, from what he had seen of Underwood, it was the law that were the bad guys, he noticed she looked nervous, she shuffled her hands in her lap, eventually she spoke as three sets of eyes ogled her,

‘I would like to apologise for what happened the day you came here’ her voice was soft and sorrowful,

Eileen and Lily stood up, ‘I’m going to see if Ivy wants to sunbathe’ said Lily and left the room, she didn’t want to hear an apology, not from the person who arrested her father.

‘I’ll make some coffee ‘Said Eileen, thinking there was no threat here, she could tell that by the look of remorse on Sandra’s face.

‘There’s no need’ said Peter ‘I guess you had a job to do’

She looked down at her feet, still shuffled her hands, Peter observed her for a moment, he could tell there was more,

‘You haven’t just come to apologise have you’

She lifted her head and their eyes met, Sandra could see they were friendly eye’s but they had a look of determination about them, for some reason those eyes gave her hope, they had given Underwood hope, she gulped and run her tongue around the inside of her mouth,

‘Ever since you have come here, you have given people hope, I don’t know why, I can see people’s faces, the bounce in their step, they seem to think you’re the answer’, she met his eyes looking for an expression in them,

Peter’s eyes opened wide, he wasn’t expecting that, he didn’t want to be peoples hope, all he wanted was to get out out Underwood with his family, if he could take others along then fine, but that wasn’t his priority, the only person he could trust at that moment was Tony Griffiths, ‘could he trust this woman’ he asked himself,

He didn’t answer he just let her words sink in.

‘I just want you to know that if I can help in any way, then I will’ she added, Eileen came in with the coffee, Sandra thanked her, she took a sip,

‘So you want me to trust you’ asked Peter he was stood up now pacing the room,

‘I’ve come to say what I wanted, that is up to you’

Peter sat back down, he knew he was going to need some help, people he could trust,

‘Let me ask you one question, and please answer honestly’ Sandra nodded,

‘Have you ever seen the sheriff, vicar or judge together?

Sandra gave it a little thought, but it was a question she had sometimes asked herself, so she knew the answer,

‘No’ she replied,

It was an answer he was hoping for ‘Seems Tony Griffiths was right’ he told himself.

Just then the door opened and in walked Nathan, he almost jumped out of his skin when he saw the deputy there, his face grew frightened and his eyes watered as he started to shake,

‘Have you come to arrest me’ he asked in a trembling voice,

The three of them looked at him wondering what was going on in his mind, it was Eileen who spoke first,

‘What have you done Nathan’ she said accusingly, she knew he had done something, she recognised the look, Nathan started sobbing,

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry’ he cried ‘last night me and Samuel went to the woods, I know we are not supposed to go there, we were looking for a way out,

Peter stood, he shouted at Nathan, the anger just took over,

‘You must never go into the woods’ he told him,

‘I won’t do it again it was horrible’ cried Nathan

Sandra lent forward and held out her hand, he took it, he needed the comforting gesture.

‘Did you see what was in the woods’ she asked him?

‘No’ he shot back ‘but I know who did’.

Tony Griffiths sat down in the doctor’s office, he hadn’t really slept much the night before, he hadn’t gone to bed until late as he was talking to the new resident until the early hours, and when he did try to sleep their conversation kept spinning around in his head, he had told Peter his theory and was glad he believed it, then he had thought how could he not, after all less than a week ago they were living a different sort of life, Tony wanted to help him get back to that, he wanted a taste of it himself, something had stirred up inside of him, he thanked Peter for that, he was ready for anything now and bugger the consequences.

David Harris had not seen a patient since the new family had arrived and he had found it hard to recall the time before that, but he had guessed about a week, the population of Underwood was dwindling, probably less than 250 now he guessed, and not one of them seem to get ill, he knew everyone was destined to die in Underwood, and when they had all gone it would be floating about in its own little world, a town that nobody wants, and maybe those three monsters would kill themselves and that thing in the woods, he just hoped he wouldn’t be the last man standing, he couldn’t cope with that, he was sat looking at Tony Griffiths in his office, he had not made an appointment, not that it mattered, it wasn’t as if he would struggle to fit him in, what was puzzling the doctor was that Tony Griffiths looked a picture of health, in fact he thought he had never seen him looking so good.

They sat staring for a while, trying to suss each other out, Tony wondering whether to trust this guy, The doctor just wanting the whole fucking world to end, it was Tony who spoke first, though he wasn’t sure why he chose the words that he did,

‘How’s life doc’

The doctor took his gaze away from Tony, now he was sure this was no medical problem, they had known each other for decades, they had never been close friends but had a mutual respect, they had both seen the demise of Tony’s wife, both watched her fade away, truth was the doctor suspected Tony had eventually killed his wife, he only wished he had the guts to do it himself, he admired him for it, it took courage.

‘Life’s shit, now what do you want?’ the doctor said, he wanted to add ‘stop wasting my time’ but that’s all he had left was ‘time’.

Tony grinned he liked the doctors style, he knew he had done all he could for his wife, he could not have done anymore, and he thought of all the jobs in Underwood the doctor had one of the worse.