The Fog

     In a small town in a small county in Texas, something very strange happens every hundred years on the day of the founding of the town. A fog. A mysterious, dense, and an abducting fog. Arthur Mosley, lean in size with just a touch of brown facial hair is the only lawyer in town. He has a fair-sized family, his wife, Mary stays home and takes care of their two kids Martha and Dewey II. The two kids, both eleven take care of their dog Max and run into town to run errands on their days off from school. 

     Martha, who has long blonde hair and hazel eyes and loves to pick flowers when she is not helping Mom cook or going down to Dad's office. Dewey, short curly brown hair with hazel eyes and fit, likes to play baseball and football and wants to be a pro-athlete when he gets older.  Mary's parents live in Dallas and in the 1950s mom thinks it's impractical to drive 4 hours to see her parents that she did not care for anyway. But Arthur's parents just live on the other side of the small town called Lesma. His parents, Dewey and Viola, are both past their retirement age but 5 years apart they are going to Corpis Christie and will not be back in time for the Founder’s Day banquet.

     The town is in the middle of their local elections. The mayor, Greg, portly, and always dressed to the nines, was running for re-election unopposed. The town council has only one spot open and Edgar Allen Ponds is running unopposed for reelection.

     The grocer, Martin, is thinking about selling the grocer to Jake Roosevelt, the founder's great grandson. The Roosevelts are the founders' descendants ; there are four living in town.One is Lura who has darker skin and brownish hair. Mary Roosevelt, Jake's daughter, who has long blonde hair just like her mother and blue eyes like the Atlantic loves to play the piano in the house just off Main Street. The founder of the town, Eugene Roosevelt , has died but is the matriarch of the Roosevelt family.

     Jake Roosevelt is the only member of the town council that is not running for re election. The others are running unopposed. Sue Thymes, who is always dressed up in her Sunday best with her hair always in a bun, is the longest serving council member who has been serving for 29 years. She is a devout Jew like most of the town. Bill Grimes, who was a great basketball player in high school, is in his first tenure and is alway at the bar talking to various people in the town. He is called the most gregarious person on the town council. Edgar Allen Pounds, or as some people call him touched in the head, of course not to his face, would be expected to lose if there was someone running against him. 

     The townspeople are trying to get Fred, a brilliant person who has a great mind  in the town, to run as a write-in against Edgar but he says he doesn't want that role in the town.       

     Although there could be another option Dr. Ortiz is a perfect gentleman.But if he ran it could interfere with his practice as he is the only doctor in town. His office is right next to the library which the grocer’s wife,Linda is always in there gossiping to the librarian , Mrs.Lancaster. One day just a week before the Founder’s Day banquet, the mayor requested Arthur to come into his office on Monday. 

     When he got there he was expecting to discuss the banquet but when he got there the mayor closed the door without the planning committee in his office. “I have a proposition,” said the mayor. “ If I was to resign would you accept the position of mayor?”  

     “Why would you resign?” said Arthur. “ I mean you have everything, a wonderful place to live,everyone likes you, and you are definitely going to win re-election. Why would you want to forfeit that?”

     “I would not have to resign if you start a write in campaign.”

     “ You want me to run against the man that gets all the votes even if he is ran against ?”

     “ I know it sounds bizarre but I don't want to be in power when.” Greg, the mayor mumbles something under his breath.

     The room turns quiet. On the other side of town in the library Linda, the grocer’s wife is gossiping with the librarian, Mrs.Lancaster.

     “Have you heard about what happens on Founder’s Day?” said Linda. “Because I have heard myths about the hundredth Founder's Day. I have been told that a fog would set in and take three people with it.”

     “Nonsense fog can’t take people away” said Mrs. Lancaster.  It doesn't have arms. Plus that is just some old folk tale nothing like that could ever happen.”

      “ Well some folk tales have come true. I would be on the lookout on Founder’s Day.

     “ You can be but I am not going to let a folk tale ruin Founders Day.”

     Back at the courthouse, Arthur's meeting was over and the planning for the banquet had started. Arthur was still troubled by what the mayor had told him. As he started home, he thought about taking the mayor's seat and he felt like it was a wonderful proposition but he couldn't win against him in an election. Just so it would be embarrassing to take a spot from the man everyone likes.He thought about it and knew what he had to do. The grocer was filling up with people getting ready to make their dish for the banquet. Mrs. Lancaster was getting her ingredients for her famous turkey.

     Mary Moseley, Arthur's wife, was getting her ingredients for her amazing mashed potatoes and her creamy corn casserole. Martha was there helping Mary choose the best corn and the perfect potatoes. Jake Roosevelt was there with his daughter because she has never been old enough to be in the store the day before Founder’s Day. Sue Thymes was there getting her daily groceries and picking up some extra for her three pumpkin pies she makes for any town banquet. As always, Linda was in the grocer gossiping to any one that will listen.

     As the grocer cleared out and everyone started to cook. The mayor was leaving his office when he heard footsteps coming up the dark stingy alley way. Then, he  pulled into the alley only to realize that it's Arthur. As the mayor caught his breath, Arthur gave him his decision. The mayor felt relieved as he told him what to do tomorrow at the banquet. He told Arthur “When we do the final ceremony outside, get right in front just beside the steps to the stage.”

     The morning of the Founder’s Day banquet everyone got up and finished off their dishes for the banquet. As everyone was getting ready, Linda could not shake the feeling that the folk tale was right. So with the sick, horrible feeling she passed out right there on her seat of her vanity. As Arthur was getting ready, he was thinking about what he was going to say when the mayor brought him onto the stage. He could not bring his mind to a clear resolution. 

     The banquet hall was decorated in gold and silver. There was  punch that flowed from a punch bowl fountain. Chandeliers were golden and shining. There were fifteen tables in lines with linen tablecloths on each table. The stage with a grand wooden lectern solid as a brick, stood at the head of the room as people arrived .   

     After everyone arrived at the banquet and all the food had been brought to the various tables, the celebration began.First with the dedication of the library to the longest serving librarian, Mrs. Lancaster. Second, they unveiled Roosevelt Square in the center of town. Then the food was rolled out of the kitchen.

     As the day was winding up, Arthur was getting extremely nervous. He still did not know what to say. Now that the town was gathering  outside  of the court house, the mayor had his speech ready. 

     “ As we all gather here on Roosevelt Square on this our hundredth anniversary, this gives a hope for renewal.As we pass this election year, we have no change. We have no renewal. So it is with a heavy heart that I willingly resign. I will also name my successor. I have put hours of thought into this. I have decided to put Arthur Moseley in the mayor's position.”

     As Arthur was walking up to the lectern there was a chill. Then , it turned dark. Then the fog rolled in and rolled out as quick as it came. When it went away the mayor,Jake Roosevelt, and Fred were gone. No one could find them. The town decided to go on a search for them. 

     As the townspeople searched for them they found one but, not in the way they hoped. They found Fred dismembered in the dumpster beside the library. Naturally people started to speculate and turn on each other. Arthur tried to step in and calm the situation but he only made it worse. So the bickering continued.

     Another week passed without any sign of Greg,the mayor and Jake Roosevelt. As the town gave up hope on finding them , they started to smell something horrible in the sewer. So they designated someone to go see what was down below. As he searched he found a body and then found the head was, it was Jake! Everyone was expecting to find Greg next but they didn't. 

     They found cows,chicken, and pigs. The following week was a particularly calm week. Nothing strange happened. There was no sign of Greg. Everyone  thought they would never find him. 

     On that Friday, Arthur was leaving his mayor's office and as he was packing up he heard footsteps. They were getting  louder. The floorboards were creaking. As the door opened to reveal a tall ,dark phantom. 

     The phantom started to slowly reveal itself. First, a gun became visible. Then ,a long wooden cain. Finally, the phantom was completely  revealed with the gun pointing at Aurthur. The phantom was Greg! 

     As Arthur's heart was pounding, he reached for his gun in his desk drawer. He felt the gun and then bang. The shot was heard around the town. Arthur's staff rushed to his office.Once they got there, they were surprised to see Greg.

     As Greg laid there on the floor bleeding out Arthur’s staff began speculating what happened. When Dr.Ortiz got there he put Greg on a gurney and was taking him to his operating room that was always cooled and grey. When the police got there they began questioning what happened. They thought that Arthur was the murderer that was killing all the pigs and cows; not to mention Fred and Jake.

     The stories started to line up. They all said that they never saw Greg come into  Arthur’s office. When they interviewed Arthur, the story lined up with everyone else's. They spent weeks in court fighting for Arthur to be found not guilty. When Greg survived the charges were dropped to attempted murder. The jury found Arthur not guilty. He always said after that incident that Greg killed Jake and Fred but there was no evidence, plus no one believed him.

     About a year later, Greg moved out of town to a small town in California. He changed his name to Ted. No one heard of him again until the 70’s. Greg, now Ted Bundy, was a serial killer and had confesed to murder. Two of which happened in a small town in a small county in Texas named Lessma.