There was once a town, and a mayor who spoke on behalf of the people in it. The town was a safe spot, away from the evils of worshippers. The mayor had friends.

Audria, a loyal assistant and love of the mayor’s life.

Sebastian, the town’s messenger, a kind and caring resident to all.

And Hamny, a girl of importance, head of the trade.

The mayor was never quite fit for the job mentally, but her father had insisted that she took the title of the town’s head, and how could she say no?

Life was wonderful. For a while.

But when Sebastian came, saying that Audria’s dog, Bread, went missing, her happiness bolted to the deepest depths of her mind, and the mayor spiraled.

The mayor decided if she were to go mad, she would do it silently.

So, the mayor had Audria take her to her house.

When the door has opened, the mayor grimaced at the setting before her.

The moon shone ahead, quietly observing the discussion the two were having.

“Is this all, Audria?”

Audria turned her head to face her.

“I don’t believe there is anything else if suspicion, Celeste.”

Through the watery flame the candles produced, the mayor could see the distress that rested in Audria’s face. Her eyes were rimmed with panic, and her mouth rested in a way of mourning.

The mayor felt like the heart within her broke, crumbled slightly.

“Say, you look rather shaken. Are you alright?” The mayor walked closer to her beloved.

Audria whimpered with sadness.

“It’s nothing, really,” Audria reassured, “I just hope Bread isn’t sad or confused. He’s a weak dog, he’s twelve.”

The mayor watched her beloved with pity.

Strange, how someone does not feel care or empathy for their love.

They sat in a tense silence.

“I also don’t know what to do about my sleeping arrangement,” Audria admitted suddenly, “Bread was a presence in the house, but now I’ll be sleeping alone.”

“I’m sure Sebastian has a spare room you could stay in.”

Audria’s hope seemed to dim a little.

“What about you?”

“I have to do something.”

Silence once more.

“Will our relationship be on pause forever?”

“No.”

So, the mayor walked her beloved back to Sebastian’s residence, and walked home.

When Hamny found out, she seemed devastated. Bread had been a comfort for her, as her parents were rather cruel.

All together, they would search. One would take over the town, with the exception of Audria. She hated being alone.

Until one day, when Audria mentioned something.

“I’d forgotten to tell you that night,” Audria explained, “But I noticed that some of the wax I own had gone missing.”

The mayor spiraled more.

A worshipper. It was right under her nose.

Hamny tensed slightly.

But the mayor had no care in the world, because she stormed off after Audria’s statement.

She arrived at her houses desk and got out a feather and some ink. She flipped through her bookshelves and found an empty notebook.

And she wrote.

And she theorized.

And she spiraled more.

Eventually, she’d gone back out.

“Celeste. The others have been worried.” Hamny caught her off guard. The mayor hadn’t heard the rock path echo footsteps of another person.

“As I’d assumed.”

Silence.

“You have suspicions, it’s evident on your face.” Hamny spoke, clearly observing the mayor.

“Or is it more like theories?” Hamny questioned.

“It is not a suspicion if it is true, Hamny. There is a worshipper among the town.” The mayor snarled. “Keep your dirty mouth shut about suspicions and theories, you dirty bastard.”

Hamny’s eyes darkened with hurt and amusement.

“I don’t think you have a right to speak that way.”

“I’m your superior.”

Hamny said nothing. She walked away.

After that, the mayor approached Sebastian and Audria about searching once again.

They both seemed surprised by the mayors sudden appearance, but they agreed immediately.

The trees swayed.

The rotting corpse of Bread was stowed away, under the dirt.

The three of them argued. The two of them seemed to think that there was no worshipper. They were fools.

But there was a small detail.

Sebastian was sweating, and it wasn’t from heat. It could be, because it was the middle of December.

The mayor called everyone over to the campfire one day.

She called Sebastian up.

He almost died. But Hamny came up.

She admitted to her crime.

And she payed the best possible price.

Sebastian was in prison. And Audria was alone.