Town Darling by Holly Copella

She feared mind-altering medications and the dreaded
psychological evaluations.  If she could just hit something or break something,
she was sure she’d feel much better. 
    “I just can’t believe this
town actually thinks we somehow brought this heinous act down upon ourselves,”
she lashed out with bitterness in her tone.  “That we stirred the pot and got
burnt because of it.”
    “No one thinks that,” Dina
quickly interjected in a quick attempt to keep Casey’s anger from rising.
    Casey eyed her friend and
raised a cocky brow in response.  “I hear them at the nurse’s station, Dina. 
All day I’ve heard things from around town coming out of that nurse’s station,”
she hissed.  “I know what’s being said.”
    “Well, I haven’t heard
anyone blaming any of this on you or your family, and I work in gossip
central,” Dina said firmly.  “Sure, people are talking about it.  Nothing like
this ever happened around here before.  They’re going to talk, but no one’s
blaming your family that I’ve heard.”
    “These people were supposed
to be my parents’ friends.  It’s very disrespectful to them and their memory,”
Casey said lowly while staring into Dina’s eyes.
    Dina saw the look in
Casey’s eyes and tensed.  There was something frightening and unfamiliar about
Casey.  She brushed it off.  “Those are just words from the small-minded
people; not the ones who really matter.  In fact, the town is having a memorial
for your parents on opening day of the fair,” she announced, managing to
swiftly change the subject.  “Any relatives you want me to contact?”
    Casey felt her body once
again sag with exhaustion.  There were too many drugs coursing through her
system.  She speculated the nurses were giving her more than the standard
painkillers that she had requested.  Despite the sore subject of relatives,
Casey maintained a more sedate state.
    “No, my uncle is a lush and
hasn’t been around since I was born,” Casey replied and once again felt
defeated.  The anger was gone and depression was quickly taking its place.  It
was a vicious, never-ending circle.
    “Oh--”  Dina continued to
maintain the lighter mood.  “You and Grey will attend, right?”
    Casey drifted out a
moment.  Her mind was everywhere but on the current conversation.  She snapped
out of her trance and realized Dina was still waiting for a response. 
    “When Grey comes down from
his high, we’ll discuss it,” Casey replied without enthusiasm.
    †
    I t was two days later.  The
town was going about business as usual while preparing for the upcoming town
fair.  Dina stood outside the antique shop with a stack of memorial fliers
clutched in her hands.  She stared at the building with a look of confusion. 
Boards covered the door and windows.  They hadn’t been there yesterday, and how
they got there so fast was a mystery.  Mayor Lance approached Dina on the
sidewalk, appeared bewildered, and stared as well.
    “Are Grey and Casey selling
the shop?” Mayor Lance asked with a look of surprise on his face.
    Dina uncertainly shook her
head and appeared unable to take her eyes off the boarded up antique shop.  “I
don’t know,” she replied.  “I went by their house to inspect it after the
cleaning crew had been through.  The house is boarded up too.”  She remained
stunned and continued to stare at the building.  “Casey called me last night
and said something about her uncle visiting them in the hospital.  She said
they were moving in with him.”
    “And he had the house and
shop boarded up that fast?” Lance asked with surprise.
    “I assume so,” she replied
softly.  “Her horses are gone and the barn’s been cleaned out.”
    “That’s strange.”
    “Yeah, especially since
she’d never met this uncle of hers,” she informed him.  Dina slowly shook her
head and fought her tears.  “I just get this bad feeling that I’m never going
to see her again.”
    “Casey and