Ricky and Danny went up the tallest hill in the village to catch up. Ricky and Danny are older gentlemen who have had a brotherly bond since the beginning of their youth. They always trekked up the tallest hill to talk or play, a tradition by this point. It is a special hill, the village’s trademark.

And a great spot for gossip.

“Ricky! There you are brother!” A friendly greeting, a hearty embrace. Ricky looks like he barely slept. Danny is bright and jovial.

“Hey there, Danny. Nice to see you.” They sit. Ricky pulls out two cigarillos. Danny, two home brewed beers. They lit and popped the tops, cheered, drank and took a drag. Quickly falling into routine. They savor the moment for a couple of blinks before Danny turns to Ricky, mischief sparkling in his wide, evergreen eyes and secretive smile. Ricky takes a longer drag and even longer drink as if to mentally prepare his tired and aching ears for what he’s about to become privy to.

“Did you hear about the Blue Bonnet case?” Danny inquires, conspiratorially. Ricky doesn’t say anything for a minute.

“Of course I have. That’s all anyone has been talking about, man.” He responds as if he is already bored of the conversation. And perhaps he is. He wasn’t lying when he said everyone was talking about it. He doesn’t even remember when the buzz even started, he was so out of it. But ever since his morning started, there have been whispers about the case. From the youth to the pastor’s wife, whom he enjoyed the warmth of that night. The case spread amongst the people of the village.

“Allegedly, the witness had pleaded to remain anonymous. Said they knew who did it.” Ricky said. The wind is starting to pick up around, making the clothes stick to them. Danny catches a whiff of his brother’s strange smelling perfume. Smells familiar. He didn’t comment on it.

“Yeah! It must be so weird knowing someone who may have something to do with such a thing. The witness must feel so betrayed.” Danny said, sympathy in his tone. His bright eyes dimming at the thought of the witness wishing to remain anonymous due to the heavy nature of what they saw. He notes Ricky tensing up after he said “betrayal.”

“Maybe they lied about it? Wouldn’t be the first time.” Which was true. But this time, it didn’t seem like it. There have been many disappearances and key items being left behind. Though, many have come forward about being responsible for them. It was often the younger adults or teenagers causing such chaos. Can’t really blame them- nothing “exciting” ever happens here.

“Hm, I don’t know man. Seems way too spooked to be fake. Said they recognized the shape of the so-called killer and the clothes. Couldn’t see their actual face but knew it was them. Scared they might have been seen!”

“You sure know a lot about this. Do you know who the witness is?” questioned Ricky.

“They came to the confessional to speak to me last night, brother.” Danny chuckled while clapping Ricky on the back and jostling him. Ricky choked on his drink as Danny took a long sip from his own, his chuckling dying down. An awkward silence hangs deep between the lifelong brothers.

Ricky is tense now. His eyes are darting about as he pulls at the tall grass blades, ripping the little white daisies and tossing them about. Taking hurried swigs from his almost forgotten beer. Takes quick puffs of his cigarillo. Danny is very quiet, yet he can feel evergreen eyes piercing his soul. He’s sure Danny knows about the affair. Ricky can’t sneak for shit! Danny has a gift. He can see right through people, said it was a gift from God. Ricky quickly rises to his feet, dusting himself off and clearing his throat. He shoots the empty bottle inside the stone trash can. Danny follows suit. Ricky missed.

“Another score for me, brother.” Danny jests, grin not meeting his eyes. Neither is Ricky. Still, he turns to Danny to say goodbye.

“I have to get home to prepare for work. New shipments at the port today. Stop by?” He invites Danny. The hug isn’t their usual send off. A side hug, which leaves Danny confused, but goes through with it, nonetheless. Something is definitely wrong with his brother, but he agrees. He gives Ricky the brightest smile he can muster as his brother finally meets his eyes. Upon seeing such a sweet smile, Ricky visibly relaxes and lets out an air of relief. He claps his brother on both shoulders a few times before descending the hill.

Danny watches this, the same bright smile plastered on his bearded face as he watches Ricky leave like he always does. His smile promptly falls off the face of the earth the moment Ricky is out of sight, leaving behind a blank stare and clenched jaw. He clenches his fists, nails digging in his palms, making a little blood dribble from his hands. Does nothing to quell the forest fire in his eyes nor inside his heart and mind. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, falls to his knees and begins to pray.

Ricky never made it home.

Abigail and Brislyn have joined together inside of Abigails’ home to have a secret conversation. With all the rumors going around about who the killer may be, they don’t know who they could trust, if not each other. They speak in hushed whispers. You never know who could be trapped in the walls if you can ignore the skeletons in Abigail’s closet.

“My stars, can you even begin to believe all the noise today? So many flies, Abby!”

“So many, yeah. And it stinks. You know, they said the smell was coming from behind the church!”

“No! Say it ain’t so?”

“It’s true! But folks be out there lyin’ all time, Bri. Especially them children.”

“Those crazy kids. Glad I never had any.”

“Same here. Too much to worry about. And they’re expensive. But so cute!”

“That they are. I’m concerned for their wellbeing, Abby. Heard it was a young girl.”

“That can’t be right. I heard it was a young woman.”

“Hm, maybe. But you know how they always age up the female victims.”

“Makes me think sexual violence was involved, why else would they make it seem like whoever she was, was older? I honestly don’t know what to believe.”

“Yeah, well, I’m sticking to the poor thing being a young girl. It was a bonnet hat.”

“Oh. Oh my, yeah, she was a young girl. Those hats are popular with young girls. We don’t’ even wear such a thing anymore. I can’t believe this.”

“Exactly! But Abby, everyone is being so skeptical about everyone. But it’s understandable.”

“Right, because we honestly have no clue who the killer could be. I know it ain’t you.”

“It ain’t you either. It’s scary. Aren’t you scared?”

“No, I’m not scared of no killer. I’m scared of the actions. Young girls and women aren’t the only people that have disappeared, you know?”

“It seems like more than one person could be at fault.”

“You’re right! I was literally thinking the same thing, Bri. Because ain’t no way.”

“Do you suspect anyone around here?”

“Yes, actually. Though I don’t want to. Do you?”

“Yes! One of them I was thinking could be Pastor Daniel Fuentes.”

“Stop it, not the holy man!”

“Yes! You know, I saw him Richard Bryce on that tall hill a week ago. I saw Richard come down and he went somewhere. I know he works the port.”

“Wait, you saw him? Like, physically?”

“Yes, why?”

“And it’s been a week?”

“Abby, why are you asking me?”

“It’s been a week since you last saw him. A week! I haven’t seen him in a while, either. I went to the port that evening to get some gear for our fishing trip this weekend and he wasn’t there. Phil said he didn’t show up at all. I paid it no mind, of course.”

“Oh damn, you don’t think anything happened to him, right?”

“No, what if he’s killer?”

“Nah, he’s a lot of things. A homewrecker, a liar, and greedy. But he could never steal a life.”

“You could say that about anybody here, Brislyn.”

“I still think it’s a reach, Abigail.”

“Going back to you thinking it could be Fuentes, maybe he did something to Bryce? We all know he’s been fucking his wife. Except him. Maybe he finally caught on. I still think Bryce could be responsible.”

“I’m not sure. This shit is making my head spin. What is in this tea, Abigail?

“A new herb that Shelly had been growing. It’s supposed to be calming. Perhaps it’s working?

“Did you put some in yours?”

“Abby?”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

And just like that, the A and B conversation came to a close. But you saw everything. You did nothing to stop it. You couldn’t. Because just like the others, you were trapped in the walls. Forced to watch Brislyn become another skeleton in Abigail’s closet.