Chapter Text
Elliot had reluctantly stayed in the town's small but sweet hotel after his car broke down, barely able to sleep from the stress of not having a story. Early in the morning, his phone rang. He woke up and answered it, hoping for the best and not notice that he would be fired.
"Hello?"
Over the phone, his boss spoke "Elliot, we will unfortunately not be able to get you a plane back until July...I know 6 months in a whole different country is a lot, but you must understand we don't have the money...."
Elliot had to process this information. Stuck in a small town with a population of about 3, with only a few days of clothes and money?! They had to be crazy. But, he had to act like this wasn't completely insane. "I understand. I'm sure I can find a way to stay here for so long. Thank you for informing me." Shortly after hanging up, he groaned loudly into his pillow. How in the world would he manage to find a living here.
A few hours later, Elliot finally stopped sulking in bed, getting dressed slowly and going outside to see everyone crowding the police officer he had seen the day before.
“What in the world is going on…?” He pulled out his camera from his bag quickly, snapping a photo before approaching, hoping the officer wouldn’t mention their last interaction.
“Ah..you’re still here. Ready to yell at me some more?” Tim spoke, a smirk coming across his face as if he had said something very intelligent.
“My apologies about yesterday…you see, I’m trying to be a junior reporter for the gazette, since I already work there..and the lack of a story was..very upsetting to me.” Elliot avoided eye contact as he spoke, a guilt etched into his face.
“Oh, I see…well, we can leave that in the past I suppose..what did you need today?”
Elliot thought for a moment, his camera resting in his hands. “Um..well what’s all the excitement about? Everyone seems to be surrounding you.”
Elliot's face lit up. A mysterious fire that everyone thinks was on purpose? This was perfect for his story.
"That would be due to the fire that occured nearby last night. For some reason, people in town are convinced it was on purpose. I've tried telling them, I looked around the property and on the sides of the property...nothing there. But they just won't listen."
"Oh, that? There's been a fire nearby, and everyone seems to think someone did it on purpose...I mean, i scoped out around the area, and ..next to the area.
“Oh, that? Well..there’s been a fire at a local home..the police department is still unsure where it’s come from.”
“Um..aren’t you the only person in the police department..?” Elliot raised a brow before changing the subject again. “Anyway..so do you think I could take some pictures? I may be able to help you find the cause of the fire…”
"Hm...I don't know if that's a good idea after yesterday. I'll think about it." Before Elliot could even start to reply, Tim was walking away and talking to the citizens once again.