"These balloons, these pink cat balloons." Jenny ran a finger through the dust on an image of a small boy she picked up from the fireplace within 316 Willard Street. "What do they mean?"
Leland leaned against the wall nearby, fiddling with a piece of wallpaper that was peeling away. "They could just be the sick calling card of a loony dead paedophile. Loony people don't really have a method to the madness. They're just crazy and should be locked up."
Jenny turned until her hazel eyes rested on Leland. "Loony people don't just start collecting legs. There's always a reason."
"I was saying that you..." he stopped and let the piece of wallpaper fall til' it rested against the wall again. "I didn't mean...you're different. I'm sorry."
Leland didn't know much about Jenny. But he knew that she had spent most of her life in and out of homes and institutions. Just looking at her, you could tell she'd drawn the short straw.
Her long black hair was tangled and dull, and her olive skin was covered in patches of dirt and grime. It had surprised him when she asked him to come with her, he had been coming for his weekly visit, but he never expected to find her waiting for him. When she asked him to join her, he was quick to accept. Something had gotten her speaking again, and he wanted to see where this would go.
Jenny slipped the picture out of it's frame and flipped it over. 'Danny Walker. 12. Harvested 20/03/1954'
"Harvested?"
Leland looked over her shoulder at the writing's scrawling on the back of the picture. "Well, that's gross. This guy was totally messed up."
"What are you two doing here?"
The picture frame shattered on the floor as they both turned to see the sheriff, May Vacay standing in the doorway. "This is no place for...children."
Leland quickly slipped into a fake grin. "We were just..."
"You killed Jordan!" Jenny stomped her foot on the ground, flicking a cloud of dust into the air. "You are a murderer!"
"Where did you hear that? That is a dangerous thing to go around blurting out." May's words slurred and Leland noticed a bottle hanging loosely from her hand.
"We know you've killed not only Jordan, but the vet, and probably Marie Valkyrie as well!"
This time, Leland turned wide-eyed to look at Jenny.
"Well..." May slowly shut the door behind her. "...I gave you a chance to walk away."
Leland slipped in front of Jenny as the sheriff pulled her pistol from her pocket.
"Please. Just let us leave. We won't say anything, I swear."
"I will." Leland heard the steel in Jenny's words. "I will tell everyone."
"Well kid, this is your unlucky day." May raised the pistol at Leland. "You should've just stayed home instead of slumming it up with wackos."
He saw her finger push on the trigger and closed his eyes, waiting for the pain that followed. He heard a crash, a loud yell, and when he opened his eyes, the sheriff was on the floor, struggling with something unseen.
"Sammy!" Jenny yelled.
"We need to run!" he grabbed Jenny's hand and ran toward the opening leading to the room upstairs. They turned the corner at the top of the stairs, finding themselves in a hallway with a door at the end, and several doors opening into rooms along the way. "Jenny, hide in here."
Leland opened the nearest door and pushed Jenny inside. "Stay quiet." Leland realised as he closed the door, that those words were insensitive, but he'd have to apologise later.
