Corwick

Chapter One: Centralia

Harmony Reese-Chael knew her husband was cheating before he even knew she knew. But when she caught him in bed with Pastor Smith's wife, she knew for certain. The woman was younger than Harmony was, still thin and lithe from a lack of child birth, while Harmony herself was swollen with child, feet and ankles swollen from working to keep the family fed and develop their soon-coming son's room.

There had not been a huge fight that day, while Patty Smith was still there, but when the woman left, all hell broke loose.

"In my goddamned bed, Stanley!"

"Watch your language, woman, and don't take the Lord's name in vain!" Stanley warned her.

"Oh, don't you tell me what to do, Stanley Chael, not after that! I'll say what I damned well please! We have a child on the way, Stan. You can't be doing this anymore. What on earth is our child going to think of his daddy if his daddy is running around with the Pastor's wife?"

Stan could see his wife was upset, and he figured she had good reason to be, too.

But after the sheets were washed and dried, Stan went to sleep, and Harmony slipped out into the hot summer night, waddling through Centralia with a bible under her arm. Where she planned on going she couldn't tell you, but she knew she was headed somewhere. There was a magnetic pull, leading her towards the mines, and all she could do was follow her feet.

The mines were dark and Harmony couldn't see where she was going, causing her to trip and fall, bible skittering away from her in the dark, bashing her elbow of a dangerously sharp rock. She felt the blood before she felt the pain, warm and oozing down her arm as she scrambled back to her feet, checking carefully for any injury to the baby.

"Oh, that babe is fine, darling," a voice cooed, and Harmony became aware of the smell of brimstone all around her, and a strange ambient glow lit the mines. Spinning, she saw a blonde woman, naked as her name day before her.

"What are you doing here?" Harmony asked, skeptical. She wasn't expecting to find a naked woman in the mines.

"You came seeking guidance, and I am here to give it. But I must ask for something in return, of course."

And so Harmony bargained with the woman. In return for making sure her husband never cheated again, Harmony promised her first born to the woman, damning them both.

But as for what happened in the four years between then and the next time our story visits Centralia, that my friend, I do not know. But this is not the end of Stanley and Harmony. We will see them again, later down the line, this I promise you.