Evergreen, Charlton County.

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Rows of sleepy houses hunched beneath power lines that buzzed faintly, the air heavy with the smell of pine and gasoline. Meanwhile, main street looked like some sort of postcard — faded storefronts, a diner with a flickering neon sign that only half-worked, and a car wash that hadn’t seen a full line in years. It was an oddly cozy town. Somewhere, a dog barked at nothing, yipping into the cold autumnal aie.

The forest surrounding pressed close against the edges of town, like it was waiting to swallow the place whole, trees swaying slow and secretive in the wind with tall pine trees and emerald ferns.

Evergreen looked peaceful enough... Most of the time... Sometimes.