Dallas sits at his desk shifting through some papers when a man in a nice blue suit comes striding through the office. He gets up to his feet and sees him disappear into Sheriff Mayer's office.
He looks to the jail cell holding Georgia, she's looking out it, her eyes having follow the man in the blue suit.
The man comes out with Tucker following, his body still heavily wounded from the bear attack. He walks over to Georgia's cell and unlocks it for her. She slinks out and wraps a hug around the man.
"What are you doing, Sheriff?" Dallas asks, approaching.
"Georgia's bail has been posted. I believe this is her lawyer."
"You'll be hearing from me a lot."
Georgia winks and follows the man out of the office as Tucker and Dallas watch her leave. The doors close behind her.
--
31st of October, 2019
Unspecified location
Alanis the bear walks unhinged and hobbles as blood seeps out from bullet and stab wounds inflicted by the Sheriff's department. Its bones crack and she lets out a howl. It cannot drag itself any longer through the desert.
The bear is parched and dying. But something inside it is stirring. It's going to be sick. The bear crawls over to a bush and curls up into a ball.
Then it sheds its skin and fur and grows smaller and smaller until...
...she's a woman.
--
31st of October, 2019
Mayer household
Rooney is stepping through her house, most of it having been wrecked by the strange storm.
"Wow, it really was destroyed," Poppy says, whistling. "How's your dad holding up?"
"He's fine," Rooney admits. "He seems more irritated than worried." She keeps walking through the broken-down house until she spots a journal lying on the floor. She opens it and inside it, it says Property of R. Mayer. "This is Uncle Roy's."
"Let me see," Poppy says, grabbing it.
"What are you girls doing?" The girls gasp and spin around to see Uncle Roy. He stumbles over and takes back his journal. "Mighty big storm that swept through, innit?"
"Yeah," Rooney says, clearly embarrassed.
"It's been thirty-four years, now." He chuckles. "Thirty-four long years. I just want it to end."
"Then-"
There's a loud bang. Poppy and Rooney both jump and watch as Uncle Roy falls to his knees. "No!" Rooney cries. She runs...
...and catches her uncle as blood pumps from his chest. He stares up at her.
Poppy searches the immediate area frantically. "I don't see anyone."
"What's happening here is a dangerous thing, Rooney." Uncle Roy pulls out a piece of paper and scribbles a word on it. "Whatever you do... d-don't say the word out loud."
"Okay," Rooney says, trying to take the paper.
Uncle Roy snatches back. "Promise me, Rooney. If you say it, you'll get yourself killed. I'm telling you. Don't be dumb." He starts coughing and puts the piece of paper into her hands. "Stay strong. Use that Mayer blood." His head hangs back as the last bit of his life drains from him.
Rooney shaking, let's him lie down on the ground. She sobs as Poppy pries his journal from his hands. Rooney unravels the piece of paper and reads it, her eyebrow furrowed. Before she can say anything, Poppy claps her hand over Rooney's mouth. "He said not to say it."
Rooney forcibly removes Poppy's hand from her mouth, "Right." Rooney gulps.
Then she looks back down at it again, her eyes still in total disbelief.
