Epilogue
The world spun as Daniel lay on the cold ground, his shoulder ablaze with pain.
He pressed his hand to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but the agony was unbearable.
Every breath sent a searing ache through him, and his vision blurred as he looked up at William, who stood over him, gun still in hand, a sneer of triumph twisting his face.
“Should’ve stayed out of this, trapper,” William growled, cocking the gun, preparing to fire again.
Edith screamed, and Daniel braced himself, the weight of failure crashing over him. He had promised to protect Edith, to keep her safe, but now, as the cold barrel of the gun pointed down at him, it felt like he had failed.
Just as William’s finger began to squeeze the trigger, another shot rang out, echoing through the clearing.
William staggered back, the gun flying from his hand as he clutched his arm. Daniel’s foggy mind barely registered what had happened before the sheriff’s booming voice cut through the chaos.
“Drop the gun, William!” Sheriff Jackson barked, his voice full of authority as he stepped into view, his own rifle raised, the smoke still curling from the barrel. Sam and Mary stood behind him, their faces etched with worry and determination.
William froze, his face twisting with fury as he realized the sheriff had him cornered. Slowly, he raised his hands, his eyes burning with hatred as he glared at the lawman.
“You ain’t got the right,” William spat, but his defiance faltered when the sheriff stepped forward.
“Don’t make this harder than it already is,” the Sheriff warned. “You’re under arrest for attempted murder. Don’t think for a second I won’t shoot again if you force me.”
For a brief moment, William’s eyes flicked to the rifle still in the Sheriff’s hands, weighing his chances, but after a tense pause, he dropped to his knees, defeated.
The sheriff quickly moved to secure William, pulling out the cuffs and snapping them over his wrists. As William’s sneer faded into a look of bitterness, Daniel felt the tension in his own body begin to unravel. He had no more strength left.
“Get him out of here,” the sheriff ordered one of his deputies, who had come running from the distance. The deputy hauled William to his feet, dragging him toward the sheriff’s cart.
But Daniel’s focus was fading. He heard movement beside him, and then Edith was there, falling to her knees by his side. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with panic as she frantically pressed her hands to his bleeding shoulder.
“Daniel!” Edith’s voice trembled as she looked him over. “Stay with me, please!”
He forced a small smile, even as the pain threatened to drag him under. “I’m all right,” he mumbled, though the words felt heavy on his tongue. “Just a scratch.”
But as he said it, his body betrayed him, a wave of dizziness washing over him, and his eyes began to flutter closed.
“No, no—stay with me!” Edith cried, her hands trembling as she tried to keep pressure on the wound. “Sam, Mary—help! We need to get him to the doctor.”
Daniel could barely hear the commotion around him as Sam and Mary hurried over, their voices fading in and out. His vision dimmed, and he felt himself slipping.
The last thing he knew was Edith’s tearful voice, her hand clutching his, and then everything went dark.
***
Daniel’s eyes fluttered open slowly, the familiar scent of wood smoke filling his senses.
The ceiling above him was blurry at first, and it took a moment for the haze to clear.
His body felt heavy, and there was a dull, throbbing ache in his shoulder.
He shifted slightly and winced as pain shot through him.
“Easy there,” a soft voice came from his side.
Daniel blinked, turning his head to see Edith sitting beside him, her eyes filled with a mix of relief and worry. Her hand was gently resting on his chest, as if afraid to let him go.
“How do you feel?” she asked, her voice quiet but steady.
“Sore,” Daniel replied, his throat dry. He managed a small smile, though the ache in his shoulder was a sharp reminder of everything that had happened. He glanced down and noticed the bandage wrapped tightly around his upper arm. “But alive, thanks to you.”
Edith let out a shaky breath, her hand moving to gently brush a lock of hair away from his forehead. “The doctor said you’d be all right, but... I was so scared.” Her voice wavered, and for a moment, she looked as if she might cry.
“I’m tougher than I look,” Daniel teased softly, his smile growing, though the effort made his shoulder throb.
Her lips quirked upward, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She leaned down, her forehead nearly touching his. “You scared me half to death, Daniel,” she whispered. “When you went down, I thought...”
“I’m all right,” Daniel interrupted gently. He lifted his good hand to touch her cheek. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She nodded, her eyes closing for a brief moment as she gathered herself. “Sheriff Jackson arrested my father,” she said after a pause, her voice steadier now. “He’s gone. For good this time.”
Daniel let out a long breath, his chest easing slightly at the news. “Good,” he muttered, his voice low. The weight of William’s presence had been a constant shadow over them both, and now, for the first time, it felt like the shadow had lifted.
Edith leaned down, her lips brushing against his in a gentle kiss. It was soft, tender, filled with the unspoken emotions that had been building between them for so long. When she pulled back, her eyes were shining with tears, but there was a smile on her lips now.
“I love you, Daniel,” she whispered.
Daniel’s heart swelled, and despite the pain in his shoulder, he couldn’t help but smile back at her. “I love you too, Edith,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.
She kissed him again, and this time, it was a promise—a promise that no matter what, they would face whatever came together.
As the soft glow of the late afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows, Daniel and Edith sat in a quiet embrace.
The weight of the past few days was slowly starting to lift, but the exhaustion still clung to them both.
Daniel’s shoulder ached, but with Edith beside him, he felt a sense of peace that had been foreign for so long.
A knock at the door interrupted the stillness, followed by Sheriff Henry Jackson’s familiar, steady voice. “Daniel, Edith—may I come in?”
Edith pulled away from Daniel slightly, her hand still resting gently on his arm. “Come in, Sheriff,” she called softly.
The door creaked open, and Sheriff Jackson stepped inside, his hat in hand and a grave look etched into his face. There was something different about him, a weight to his expression that made Daniel’s gut tighten.
“How are you holding up?” the sheriff asked, his gaze briefly sweeping over Daniel, noticing the bandages.
“I’ll be fine,” Daniel replied, though his eyes were locked on the sheriff’s face, sensing that something was off. “What brings you here?”
Sheriff Jackson sighed heavily, his brow furrowed. He stepped closer, holding his hat tightly in his hands. “I came to give you both some news… about William.”
Edith stiffened at her father’s name, her hand tightening around Daniel’s arm.
“After we arrested him,” the sheriff began, his voice heavy, “we decided to search the old cabin. Just to see if there was anything else he was hiding.” He paused, as if bracing himself for what came next. “We found the missing girl… she was being kept in the woodshed.”
Edith gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. “Oh my…”
Daniel’s jaw clenched, his body going tense. “She was alive?” he asked quietly, though there was a hardness to his voice.
Sheriff Jackson nodded grimly. “Yes. She was alive, though in bad shape. It seems she had been there for quite some time. We got her out, and she’s with the doctor now.
But that’s not all…” He hesitated, his eyes darkening.
“We also found graves, old ones. Several of them. We believe your father might have been responsible for more than just this one girl’s disappearance, Edith. ”
A cold silence fell over the room. Edith’s face drained of color, her body trembling as the horror of the news settled in. Her father—her own flesh and blood—had been capable of such unspeakable things.
“No,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “How… how could he…”
Daniel’s arm tightened around her protectively, his heart sinking as he watched the devastation in her eyes.
“We can’t know for sure how long this has been going on,” Sheriff Jackson said quietly. “But I thought you should know. Your father will face justice for what he’s done, Edith. The missing woman… and those others…”
Edith looked shocked, unable to speak. Daniel’s heart ached, watching her process the news.
Sheriff Jackson bowed his head slightly, as if unsure what else to say. “I’ll leave you to it, but if you need anything… you know where to find me.” He turned to leave, but not before placing a hand on the doorframe. “Take care of each other.”
As the door closed softly behind him, Edith buried her face in Daniel’s chest, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. The weight of what her father had done was too much to bear.
“How could he…?” she whispered, her voice breaking. “All those people… all those lives…”
Daniel held her tightly, grieving for the girl who had lost her father long before this revelation. “I don’t know,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “But you’re not like him, Edith. You never were.”
She sobbed softly, her body trembling as the grief and horror washed over her. “Those poor women…”
Daniel gently lifted her chin, looking into her tear-filled eyes. “Let’s pray for them,” he said softly. “For the women… for their families… and for peace, wherever they are now.”