Dottie Millburn's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

The first business owner stepped through the door at seven sharp. Then another. Then three more together. Dottie counted twelve people by the time she closed the town hall entrance. They filled the circle of chairs she'd arranged. Some carried folders. Others held receipts and photographs. Mr. Chen showed bite marks on copper wiring. A woman from the bakery passed around a chewed apron. Dottie stood and welcomed them. She explained they would each share what the gremlins had cost them. Then they would decide on their demands for the council. One by one, the owners spoke. Dottie wrote it all down in her notebook. When the last person finished, Dottie read back the list. Destroyed wiring. Ruined stock. Lost customers. The total came to thousands of dollars across twelve businesses. She looked around the circle. Everyone sat quiet, but their faces showed the same anger she felt. They needed to take this to the council together. But first, they needed to show the whole town what was happening. Dottie suggested they move their next meeting outside where everyone could see them. Three days later, she stood behind a wooden podium outside the town hall. The weathered surface felt rough under her hands. Twenty-four business owners gathered in front of her this time. Word had spread. She raised her voice so everyone could hear. They would meet here every week. They would share information about gremlin sightings. They would track the damage together. A man from the hardware store suggested they needed a warning system. Dottie nodded. If someone spotted gremlins, everyone should know right away. By the end of the meeting, they had a plan. Someone would string up a tripwire with bells near the old market. When gremlins appeared, anyone could pull it. The bells would bring people running to document what happened. Dottie would take photographs with her camera. Others would write down what they saw. They would build a case the council couldn't ignore. As the crowd broke up, Dottie felt something shift. These people weren't waiting anymore. They were acting. And they were doing it together.