scared, Steve Duce just looked into her eyes, and she gazed at his, sunken and dark, he looked tired, as if he had not slept for a week, ‘please just smile’ she thought to herself, but Steve Duce didn’t smile, for Steve Duce very rarely smiled, ‘ I’m just the bus driver, a very tired bus driver’, The emptiness in his eyes showed it.
‘The sheriffs coming he’ll explain’ and again he pointed with his arms for them to go into the bar, he showed no passion it was if he had done this before, Nathan and Lily clung onto their dad, one either side, both unsure what was happening and wishing they were someplace else, Peter was thinking ‘ Since when did they have sheriffs in Britain’ , they walked into the bar, it was quite full with nearly everyone eating breakfast, as soon as they walked in everyone stopped what they was doing and an eerie silence fell over the room, Peter, Eileen, Lily and Nathan just stood looking at the people who were looking at them,
‘Can you all stop staring at us’ screamed Lily and she burst into tears, Eileen offered her comfort with an arm on her shoulder,
‘Sit down,’ said the voice behind them ‘I’ll explain’
The immediate reaction was for them all to turn around, stood before them, was one of the largest men they had ever saw, it wasn’t just his height which was 6’6, it was his overall appearance, he was broad and looked strong, his arms was as thick as Peters legs, the kind of figure that demanded respect, he stood in his Police uniform, clearly visible was the holstered gun and his baton, he was cleaned shaven, round faced and eyes that were as dark as night, but the strangest thing about him was that in his uniform he didn’t seem to ask for respect, it didn’t seem to represent the law, it gave an aura of fear, and the whole bar seemed to sense it as the atmosphere in the bar appeared to change, Peter wondered since when the British Police were allowed to carry guns, his eyes were directed to it, the sheriff tapped his gun with his fingers, Lily and Eileen shivered at his presence, Nathan thought it was like something out of a movie, the sheriff gestured for them to sit at a table, all four of them did what he demanded, Craig bought a pot of coffee over and soft drinks for Lily and Nathan, Eileen thanked them, Peter wished she hadn’t, he didn’t want their coffee, Lily asked for crisps, she promptly got them, Craig asked Nathan if he wanted a game of pool, and Nathan duly obliged, anything to stop this boredom, the people in the bar carried on eating and chatting, getting on with their everyday lives, but everyone noticed the change in the atmosphere, even the barman looked as if he could not look the sheriff in the eye, whoever he was he was all powerful in Underwood.
Allan Herapath sat down with them his big frame looking out of proportion as he sat on the small chair, he smiled, and that kind of made things worse, it felt like he was taunting them, and for some reason not quite known to him, Peter thought things were going to get worse, when the sheriff spoke his voice was deep and strong, and without passion, he spoke in an accent that no one recognised, it certainly wasn’t Welsh, but in perfect English he said,
‘Welcome to Underwood,’ his round face was expressionless, his eyes deep as he looked at them, eyeing them up and down,
To the four people listening to him, sat a table they didn’t want to be sat at, in a place they didn’t want to be in, the sheriff may just as well said “welcome to hell”
‘What part of we don’t want to be here you do not understand’ thought Peter, Lily swung her legs underneath the table in an act of nervousness, Eileen had one eye on the sheriff and one on Nathan playing pool, she caught the eye of Craig the barman and he gave her a forced smile, that made Eileen feel worse and she grimaced in response, she knew something was about to happen, she just didn’t know what, Craig turned his eyes from
‘The sheriffs coming he’ll explain’ and again he pointed with his arms for them to go into the bar, he showed no passion it was if he had done this before, Nathan and Lily clung onto their dad, one either side, both unsure what was happening and wishing they were someplace else, Peter was thinking ‘ Since when did they have sheriffs in Britain’ , they walked into the bar, it was quite full with nearly everyone eating breakfast, as soon as they walked in everyone stopped what they was doing and an eerie silence fell over the room, Peter, Eileen, Lily and Nathan just stood looking at the people who were looking at them,
‘Can you all stop staring at us’ screamed Lily and she burst into tears, Eileen offered her comfort with an arm on her shoulder,
‘Sit down,’ said the voice behind them ‘I’ll explain’
The immediate reaction was for them all to turn around, stood before them, was one of the largest men they had ever saw, it wasn’t just his height which was 6’6, it was his overall appearance, he was broad and looked strong, his arms was as thick as Peters legs, the kind of figure that demanded respect, he stood in his Police uniform, clearly visible was the holstered gun and his baton, he was cleaned shaven, round faced and eyes that were as dark as night, but the strangest thing about him was that in his uniform he didn’t seem to ask for respect, it didn’t seem to represent the law, it gave an aura of fear, and the whole bar seemed to sense it as the atmosphere in the bar appeared to change, Peter wondered since when the British Police were allowed to carry guns, his eyes were directed to it, the sheriff tapped his gun with his fingers, Lily and Eileen shivered at his presence, Nathan thought it was like something out of a movie, the sheriff gestured for them to sit at a table, all four of them did what he demanded, Craig bought a pot of coffee over and soft drinks for Lily and Nathan, Eileen thanked them, Peter wished she hadn’t, he didn’t want their coffee, Lily asked for crisps, she promptly got them, Craig asked Nathan if he wanted a game of pool, and Nathan duly obliged, anything to stop this boredom, the people in the bar carried on eating and chatting, getting on with their everyday lives, but everyone noticed the change in the atmosphere, even the barman looked as if he could not look the sheriff in the eye, whoever he was he was all powerful in Underwood.
Allan Herapath sat down with them his big frame looking out of proportion as he sat on the small chair, he smiled, and that kind of made things worse, it felt like he was taunting them, and for some reason not quite known to him, Peter thought things were going to get worse, when the sheriff spoke his voice was deep and strong, and without passion, he spoke in an accent that no one recognised, it certainly wasn’t Welsh, but in perfect English he said,
‘Welcome to Underwood,’ his round face was expressionless, his eyes deep as he looked at them, eyeing them up and down,
To the four people listening to him, sat a table they didn’t want to be sat at, in a place they didn’t want to be in, the sheriff may just as well said “welcome to hell”
‘What part of we don’t want to be here you do not understand’ thought Peter, Lily swung her legs underneath the table in an act of nervousness, Eileen had one eye on the sheriff and one on Nathan playing pool, she caught the eye of Craig the barman and he gave her a forced smile, that made Eileen feel worse and she grimaced in response, she knew something was about to happen, she just didn’t know what, Craig turned his eyes from
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