Issue 1.3: The First

One morning, you wake up and find the air at the breakfast table unusually thick with tension. Your father, Lawrence Talbot, a forty-two-year-old, sits hunched over his coffee, his brow furrowed. As the manager of the local sawmill, he’s usually the first to hear about anything unusual in town.

“They found a body in Wolf’s Woods,” he says, his voice low. “Bill Stanler. He was out hiking. The wounds... they’re unlike anything the sheriff has seen. Too savage for a bear or cougar.”

Your mom, Charlotte Talbot, a thirty-nine-year-old, shudders, her fingers tightening around her mug. “If it isn’t a bear, then what kind of animal could it be?”

Your dad grimaces. “The workers at the mill said they saw a massive wolf near the crime scene. It’s just rumors, though.”

A cold shiver runs down your spine. The rumors about a giant wolf in the woods have been going around for weeks, but this is the first time it actually feels real, not just small-town gossip. The first time it feels dangerous.

School is canceled for the day. A hiker being mauled to **** in the woods is unheard of in a small town like Silverbrook, where nothing ever happens. Instead, there’s a town meeting at the gym. You go with your parents, scanning the crowd as you enter. Near the back, you spot Maria standing beside her uncle. She looks tense, her silver eyes darting around the room, while John Trent leans against the wall, his massive frame looming over everyone. His arms are crossed, his expression unreadable. You also notice Jake, Tyler, and Lisa, sitting with their parents. Jake has his arms around Lisa, as if comforting her. They were always close, but clearly, they are an official couple now, and with parental approval. You wonder when that happened.

Mayor Ned Philips stands at the front of the gym, flanked by Principal Ralph Jones, math teacher Annie Rubenstein, gym teacher Steve Kirby, and Sheriff Barry Brown. The stage feels too small for all of them, as if the weight of the town’s fear is pressing down on their shoulders.

“I am sure you have all heard of the terrible tragedy that happened in Wolf’s Woods,” Mayor Philips begins, his voice trembling slightly. “A terrible, terrible thing. You all knew Bill. As experienced a hiker as you can find in Silverbrook. To think he was mauled by an animal... like I said, a terrible, terrible thing.” The mayor continues, talking about community and strength in the face of tragedy, but his words feel hollow. Principal Jones steps forward next, his voice steady but strained.

“I ask the students to be careful about going into the woods,” he says. “As Ned said, Bill Stanler was an experienced hiker. Yet he still died in... an animal attack.” There’s a brief pause before he says “animal attack,” as if he’s not entirely convinced. “I urge the parents to maintain curfews,” he adds, which earns groans and protests from the gathered students. “At least until we find the animal and put an end to it,” he relents.

You drift toward the back of the gym, where your dad is deep in conversation with Steve Kirby and Sheriff Brown. In small towns like Silverbrook, the sheriff’s office lacks the manpower to handle crises alone, so he relies on trusted locals. Your dad, as the manager of the sawmill, is one of those locals. So is Steve Kirby, the gym teacher, the biggest and toughest man in town, at least until John Trent showed up. You notice Steve shaking his head whenever his gaze lands on John, a flicker of jealousy in his eyes at no longer being the most imposing man in Silverbrook.

The sheriff’s voice is low but urgent. “It might not be a wild animal. There could be a killer among us for all we know. I need your help.”

Steve Kirby nods, his jaw set. “You can count on me, Barry.” His eyes flick toward John Trent again, suspicion etched into his features. The outsider. The newcomer.

Your dad, however, is skeptical. “You said the body was mangled beyond recognition. That doesn’t sound like the work of a human killer. It sounds more like there’s a wild animal out there in the woods... one that we don’t recognize yet.”

The conversation sends another cold shiver down your spine. You glance at Maria, then at her uncle. John Trent’s gaze is fixed on the stage, his expression unreadable, but there’s something in the way he stands, like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.

What’s really happening in Silverbrook?