1980 - A New Start

Hannah Kahnwald stepped into the cold, damp streets of 1980, the city’s gray fog enveloping her. She wasn’t looking for anything specific, but she always found something. A fresh start, far from Winden’s ghosts.

She approached the police station. Its tired brick walls and the hum of fluorescent lights inside were familiar, but this was a new place. No one knew her here, and that’s exactly how she liked it. She walked in, her movements deliberate, confident — the kind of woman who was used to being watched but never letting anyone truly see her.

Her eyes scanned the room briefly: officers scattered about, lost in their paperwork. Then, she noticed him — a police officer, alone at his desk, quietly reviewing something. Hannah’s gaze lingered on him for just a moment, sizing him up, noting the way he didn’t immediately look up, as if he had no reason to expect anyone would come through that door.

She moved toward the front desk, her coat brushing the floor, and waited. She didn’t speak right away. She never did. Her eyes met his, cold, unreadable. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, controlled. "I’m new here... I’m looking for somewhere to stay."

She didn’t smile. No rush. Not yet. It was all part of the game — a game she knew well. He’d offer assistance, maybe a place to stay, and a few days later, he’d regret it. And she would be gone, just like the others before him.