June 5, 1882 - Exter, Minnesota
- population 56
Like so many days the sun rose and struck the mountain in the distance. The light fog lifted. The day began.
But unlike no other day before the day began with the knowledge that death was almost certain to come to someone before it would be over. There were seemingly have no limits to what those who killed David will do to get their hands on Henry. I checked on him this morning before everyone would wake and gather and he is hanging in there pretty well under the circumstances of losing is brother. He knows he needs to lay low and just wait things out and that I'll be checking on him at least twice a day, so he's holding on to that knowing I'm doing what is best for him and his now-dead brother and all I can hope is that this is all over soon.
Those I had coming to meet slowly started to arrive at my cabin at different times through the morning hours. Most chit-chatted about meaningless things, some reamed quiet, most helped themselves to the fresh batches of biscuits and bacon I had been making all morning, and some put their own bringings of edible goods on the table to share for the day. As more and more gathered everyone prepared themselves to get on with the task at hand.
As people arrived I'd been keeping a tally of who had shown up. By a little before 9 most had arrived and by 9 all but 1 who was supposed to gather had arrived.
"Okay, everyone, time to listen." I said to them all, and they all got quiet relatively fast. "Has anyone seen Amanda Hills?" I asked. There was a murmer among the group, with no affirmations to my question. "She is the only one who hasn't shown up yet, and it is 9 o'clock and we should get started."
"Maybe give it another couple minutes?" Someone said, I don't remember who.
Just then Hugo Hills came bursting in my home. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" He screamed. "She's dead!!!" We all knew who he meant, the timing was impecable to where our focus was at. "Amanda is dead! If this is the group that is tasked with figuring out who is up to all of this, then you all must figure out who did this and resolve it! Take all day, take all week, take all month, take a year, I don't care, just figure it out!" And then he ran back out the door.
And so the day began...
