The Doomed Town of Valley Brook

Freerange Stock

The village of Valley Brook, a small town nestled in the countryside of western Massachusetts, was well known for its wicked fate. What was once a large, thriving village when it had been settled in 1690 was now a rustic town that lacked electricity and running water in the winter. Every summer the town would be lively, nearly every corner of the town was packed with travelers from all over Massachusetts all season long. However, due to the harsh conditions and lack of amenities, the small town was seldom visited by anyone nor had many residents there during the winter time. Solely those whose families had lived there had continued, out of respect, and to maintain the area for the tourists' return in the summer. 

Every building in the town, large or small, had been built of a single layer or brick. Picket fences lined the narrow dirt roads. The doomed reputation of Valley Brook had begun the fateful day several buildings had been burnt by a stray cinder carried by the wind from a nearby campfire. A few years later the city had experienced  heavy rains and had been flooded. Several residents of the town had then decided that the town was doomed and a dangerous place to live. They immediately left to settle the west. 

After so many years, Valley Brook had split into two areas. There was an area near the town center which contained all the essential buildings, and the country that produced the food that kept the town running. Those who lived in the village center were named townspeople, and those in the countryside were named country folk. The unpaved rocky roads to the country had caused little interaction between the two groups. The majority of people, unlike in most towns, lived in the countryside. In reality Valley Brook was almost entirely unlike most towns, for it rarely had any visitors and those who did never stayed more than a day. Winter once again was upon the small town, only a few people were in the town of Valley Brook. These people were Chad Peters, the town tradesman; Abbie Snapper, known for her kind and funny personality; Addam Smith, Chad’s apprentice at work; and Jude Donny, Addam’s former apprentice.

Valley Brook was known for being a religious town. The town had two churches, one for the town and another for the country. Each had one pastor that often would seldom exit their church’s premise. The town center’s church, St.Paul’s Parish, had Father Peter as its priest. All the city's houses and buildings in Valley Brook faced a path that led to St.Paul’Parish. Every Sunday all who lived in the town would walk to St.Paul’s to attend mass. No one ever missed mass in Valley Brook, never in all the years Valley Brook had stood.

Early on a Christmas Eve morning, the winter wind cut through the silent town. As the sun rose above the horizon, a mosaic of colors filled the sky. A large buck softly walked on barely shoveled inner-town roads along the city, his breath creating a fog in the air. As Donny, always the first one awake in Valley Brook, opened his front door the deer bolted away. Donny let out a deep breath, creating a thick fog in the winter air. He soon closed the door and had gotten ready for mass. Upon exiting his home he had been met with the most of the town residents and proceeded to walk with them to the Church. 

“Where’s Addam?” Donny asked.

“I don't know,”Abbie responded. “He usually heads to mass early to talk to Father Peter.” 

Upon reaching the Church Addam was still nowhere to be found. Father Peter, too, was puzzled. Soon, once an hour had passed, Father Peter began mass in confusion as to why Addam had been missing. 

After mass had ended, all the townspeople along with Father Peter walked to Addams house to investigate what had happened to him.. When his house had come into view all had noticed the front door wide open. The group continued walking and noticed Addam was nowhere near the door. Fear filled them all, what had happened to Addam? 

“Addam?” All had called in unison.

No response.

“Addam?” They repeated.

Again, no response.

Reluctantly they had walked into his house and had been met with a horrid site. Sprawled in a pool of blood lay Addam’s lifeless-pale body. His eyes open, his mouth stiff, a deafening silence filled the room. His hand was placed just over a bullet hole though his chest. All had stood still at the sheer horror of the site, the only sound present was the noise of the breath exiting the lungs of those who were still alive.

“Oh my God!” Abbie had gasped. She fell down at his body and began to weep. She had been  dating Addam for several years. Abbie had begun to reminisce on the first memory she had of him, meeting him in October of her freshman year in the small high school Valley Brook High. The moment he first saw him she immediately fell in love. She frantically stood up, walked out of the house, and signaled immediately for the town sheriff.

Chad's eyes become wide upon viewing the site. Even acting, having fought in the Second World War never had he seen such a gruesome sight. He began to worry about his company and its future without Addam. He was afraid that he would not now have an apprentice to work with, he was concerned his company would fall and he would have to move to the country. 

Jude had too been stunned by the sight that laid before him. As much as he had been horrified by the sight, desire for Addam's job filled his head. Now that Addam had died, Chad’s company had once again needed him. Jude would now have a job, the one he had wanted for as long as he could remember. Jude hated himself for thinking like that.

“No one has come into or out of The Valley for weeks. We’ve been too snowed in for anyone to. Addam’s killer had to be with us, no one else could have killed him.” Said Abbie in a broken voice, tears flowing down her face. “I will do whatever it takes to find who it was that killed Addam.”

Police sirens began to fill the quiet room. 

“Let’s leave that to the people who know what they’re doing.” Jude said sarcastically. He regretted immediately after. He often got angry in times he was stressed, he hated himself for being mean to Abbie in a time of loss, and hated himself for thinking about how he might get Addam’s old job. 

A large Ford pulled into the driveway, red and blue lights flashing on the top. Large letters lined the door, Valley Brook Sheriff’s Department inscribed on the door. A thick layer of mud covered nearly the entire bottom half of the doors. The dying engine stopped, creating a once again silent world. The driver’s door had opened, and a large figure stepped out. He walked around the front of the car and headed to the scene of the crime.

The sheriff, the only policeman left in the town during winter, walked inside the scene of the murder. His leather boots made a loud thunk on the snow with every step he took. He wore a long brown leather trench coat paired with jeans and a black cattleman hat. The eyes under white bushy eyebrows on a wrinkled face was his reminder of nearly 40 years serving Valley Brook. Upon viewing the site he looked behind him, then again at the lifeless body.

“Oh my God,” He said in a deep raspy voice. He walked out of the house, stood on the front porch. He looked around, paused,  then walked back in. 

“It had to have been one of us,” Abbie said. “I want to find out who killed him just as much as any of you. Sheriff Brady, do you think we should head back to the department building and get ready for interviews?" 

“Come into my car, we'll head over all together.” Sheriff Brady commanded. Abbie, Jude, Chad, and Sheriff Brady walked out of the house towards the car. Father Peter followed behind until all had entered the car.

“I’ll head back to the church and make the arrangements for his funeral.” said Father Peter. 

“Fine with me, just don’t move anything.” responded Sheriff Brady. He put the keys in the ignition, and gave life to the 10 year old car. His foot pressed on the accelerator and began to drive to the sheriff's office. Once they had reached, they stopped out of the car and walked inside. The building was a single story and smelled of stale coffee. Nearly the entire interior of the building had been made of laminated wood and brick. The door from which the group had entered led directly to the front desk, behind which was a row of five chairs and a small room the department used for interrogations. Each person took a seat Abbie closest to the door to the room, then Chad, and then Jude. Sheriff Brady locked the door and walked towards the metal room. 

“Abbie, you're up.” Said the Sheriff as he took off his coat.

“What, why? I would never hurt my Addam!” refuted Abbie.

“Listen, all of you need to be interviewed. Just to be safe, also you might give some information that could be helpful” responded Sheriff Brady and he opened the door, waving to invite Abbie in.

She rolled her eyes and walked in, Sheriff followed after her and closed the metal windowless door

“It was Jude, I know for a fact.” said Abbie immediately after the door had been locked. 

“Just wait Abbie, let me make that decision, not you.” He responded

“Listen to me, Jude hated Addam more than I think anyone ever had."

“Take a seat, I understand how hard this is for you. Just take a deep breath.” 

Abbie sat on a metal chair facing away from the door. Sheriff Brady took a deep breath, then sat on a metal chair facing Abbie. A metal table separated them. The room was dimly lit by an old oil-lamp above the middle of the desk with a metal string hanging from it.

“Abbie, where were you last night?”

“This is ridiculous-"

“- Just answer the question.”

Abbie pinched the bridge of her nose. “I was… I was at my place. I had to pack my bags for a trip to Vermont to meet my cousins for New Year’s. .”

“I hadn’t seen Addam and you hang out very much. Trouble in paradise?"

“What? No, I mean we have our moments, but I would never hurt him.”

“Thats not what I asked, were you guys fighting?”

Abbie breathed out loudly

“No, I loved him..”

Sheriff Braday took a pen and note pad out of his breast pocket and took notes.

“Why do you think it was Jude?”

“Jude was fired a while back.” She said while looking behind her at the closed door, “ He was fired so Chad could hire Addam as his apprentice at work. Jude has a real hot temper, and I would not be surprised if he wanted to kill Addam.”

Sheriff Brady wrote again.

“Thank you Abbie, call in Jude for me. Take a seat outside.” Abbie walked towards the door, unlocked it, then walked out. 

“He wants to see you Jude” she said in a disgusted voice. 

Jude stood from his chair, and walked into the dimly lit interrogation room.

“Jude, have a seat,” said Sheriff Brady. Jude sat down slowly, nervousness filled his face

“Jude, Abbie told me about how you lost your job. Tell me about that.” 

“There’s not much to it,” responded Jude. “He fired me so he could hire Addam. I'm over it now. I have a new job anyways as a delivery driver for the country folks who don't have cars. ”

“Abbie said you were really mad about it when it happened.”

“I was, then I realized it was just God’s plan and eventually got over it.”

“You a religious man, Jude?”

“I guess, I just put my faith in God as much as I can.”

Sheriff Brady took note.

“Where were you last night?”

“I was at my parents’ house on the country side of town, with the roads snowed in. I had to use my father’s snow plow attachment on my truck to get back home and clear the roads for a few deliveries I have tomorrow. It’s still at my house if you want to see.”

“That's okay Jude, I believe you. You can take a seat outside. Call in Chad for me.” Jude walked to the door, unlocked it, then walked out. Once out he breathed a sigh of relief and told Chad to go into the room.

“Chad,” Brady said, “have a seat.” 

He took a seat under the dying fire of the oil lamp.

“Chad, tell me a bit about Addam.”

“He’s a really social guy, real kind. No one really hated him, not even Jude. Working with him was swell, he always knew what he was doing and was always willing to learn more.”

“How was his relationship with Jude?”

“Real good, obviously given their circumstances. They got along fine—that is, the two times I ever saw them together.” 

Sheriff Brady leaned back in his chair, disappointment filling his face. He took his notes, read them, and suddenly his face filled with confusion.

“Chad, how was his relationship with Abbie?”  

“What relationship? I mean he dated her a while back in high-school, then again when they went to the same college in Boston for a month. He always complained about her during work and how obsessive she was. She was insane, he said, once a girl hit on him at the bar in Boston and she nearly killed him.”

“Nearly killed who, the girl or Addam?”

“Addam.”

A pause filled the room. The light of the lamp flickered.

Chad continued. “She said the only girl he could ever even look at was her. She pulled a knife out and threatened to kill both him and the girl. That's actually the reason they broke up, but Addam was too nice to ignore her forever. That's why he talked to her, but he always kept his distance. Just a month back in November Addam began talking to this girl, Leah, and she's pretty sore about that.”

Another pause filled the room.

“Why do you suppose she was so emotional and motivated to find Addam’s killer?”

“I just figured she was emotional.”

“What about you, how's your relationship with Addam?"

“He's a real good help, I don't know what's gonna happen to my business now that he is gone.”

“Thank you Chad, take a seat outside.” Chad stood up and began to walk to the door. Just as he was about to open the door, Sheriff Braday interrupted. 

“Could you call Abbie in?”

“Sure.” Chad walked out and motioned for Abbie to enter the room. Anger filled her face as she stormed in the room

“You better be calling me in here to tell me you found out whether it was Chad or Jude that killed Adam" She said angrily

“I just had a few questions for you Abbie,” Sheriff Brady calmly answered. “Just take a seat and stay calm.”

“Fine!” She said as she forcefully pulled out the chair, nearly blowing out the dim oil lamp.

“Abbie, were you still dating Addam when he was killed?”

“I mean…. We were just taking a break from each other. He still loved me, I knew it."

“But you were not dating?”

A pause filled the room.

“I mean-”

“Yes or no”

“No”

“What was he to you then?”

“My lover.”

“Did he feel the same?”

“He better have, I'm the only one for him.”

“Tell me about the fight you had with him in that bar a few years back.”

“It was nothing, I just got a bit mad at him.” She said while pinching her nose.

“I was told that you pulled a knife on him” 

No response came from Abbie.

“Abbie, you said you were packing for a trip to Maine to see your cousins, right?"

Abbie began to breathe heavily.

“Yeah, but-”

“Funny thing is, I swear you told me your grandparents lived in Vermont last time you were here. So I’ll ask you again what you were doing last night.”

“Keeping Addam from leaving me for Leah.” 

In an instant, Abbie took a hunting knife out of her coat pocket and attempted to lunge at Sheriff Brady from her side of the table. Before he realized, Sharff Brady had taken out his Smith and Wesson Model 10 from his hip holster and with a loud bang killed Abbie. The dim fire from the oil lamp lighting the room blew out, the room filled with darkness. Abbie, killer of Addam, had finally found her place in death with Addam.