Edmund Harrow's Arc

Chapter 1 of 5

Edmund knelt in the mud behind the storage shed, examining the metal box he'd just pulled from beneath the warped floorboards. The cult leader had hidden it well, wrapped in oilcloth and buried deep. Inside, a simple speaker connected to a microphone lay nestled in black velvet. He'd tracked the charlatan's operation for three weeks, watching families arrive at the crumbling temple with cash-filled envelopes. They'd kneel before the gilded statue while muffled voices emerged from its base, speaking the names of their drowned children. The widow who'd lost her son had sobbed with relief when the statue "spoke" his final words to her. Edmund had watched her hand over everything. Now he understood the trick. The cult leader hid nearby with the microphone, whispering into this transmitter while families wept before the statue's speakers. The ritual markings on the temple walls were just theater. The ancient swamp deity was just painted plaster and electronics. Edmund photographed the device from every angle, then carefully rewrapped it. He placed the box back under the floorboards exactly as he'd found it. The families had left tokens at a small shrine near the temple entrance—photos, toys, candles for children the swamp had taken. Those grieving people deserved to know the truth. Tomorrow, he'd bring the sheriff and a crowbar.