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A Wonderful Dinner:

It wasn't long before Dean and his family arrived at the Edgecomb residence. Unlike everyone else in the room, they were a very young family. Dean and his wife were in their early twenties; while their children were approximately around the ages of eight and nine. Paul had gone through the early childhood phase, and knew that young children needed their minds and bodies occupied in some sort of way; usually by playing games with themselves, or with other children and adults. A treehouse and swing still stood its ground in their backyard, but it was a little rusty; though it was still good for playing, and wonderful for the memories that it treasured. Dean and his family walked out onto the patio, greeting Paul inches from the door; Brutal took charge of the barbeque.

"Good evening, Dean." Paul started, shaking Dean's hand with a firm grip. "Good evening Emily."

"Good evening Mr. Edgecomb," Emily spoke in a soft and quiet tone. Her southern accent was heavy; sometimes it was hard to understand the words she said. Emily turned her attention towards Brutus. "Hello Mr. Howell."

Dean waved a hand, "Hey Brute, what cha' cooking?"

"None of your business…it's a surprise."

"Hell it's a surprise," Dean laughed. "Steaks, awe damn they smell fine."

Brutal dusted the charcoal from his hands, and turned to the Stanton family. He gazed down at the two children at either side of their mother's hips. Children were rather shy when surrounded by adults; Brutal knew this from past experiences. It was odd though; he thought that to a child, a man his stature would be deemed terrifying, but their thoughts were the exact opposite. Most youngsters saw Brutal as a big, huggable teddy bear. Last year, Dean's offspring followed the big man wherever he went; it annoyed him considerably. After constant pestering, he finally gave in to their demands. They all enjoyed a quick gamed of tag, hide and go seek, and Brutus even taught the children how to perfect the art of smores by the campfire. He terrified the children with clichéd ghost stories; but all in all, it was one of the best times of Brutal's life. It had been a full year since the children parted Brutus; however, nothing changed in the slightest. They were older now, but they still trusted Brutus; as a friend and playmate; it amused both Dean and Paul. Emily released the two kids from her grasp. "You can go play now," she said to them gently. The children directed their attention towards Brutal. They latched onto his arm, and dragged him away from the very job that he was given.

Dean smiled with glee, "Alexandra and Blaire will keep him occupied for some time."

"Hey kids," Paul shouted. He was able to get their full cooperation. "There's a playground on the other side of the house!"

There was a sparkle in each of their eyes when the thought of a play structure entered their complex minds. Brutal looked at Dean and Emily, he winked. "Call us when dinner is ready."

Paul stood by the barbeque, and noticed that the steaks were ready to be served. Janice was boiling the lobsters inside the house. Emily joined along with the other women. They chatted about world problems; mainly the economic crisis currently storming the world. Some of the women were as quiet as a mouse, whereas others couldn't learn to shut their mouths. Paul enjoyed their company though. Hal and Melinda Moores were the next popular guests to arrive, and approximately half an hour later, Harry and his wife, Mary Terwilliger, decided to attend the festivity. Paul's son arrived minutes after, kissing his dear wife before mingling amongst the other men, with a beer in hand.

When the food and china was set, the guests seated themselves at a large table outside. They seized each other's hands before the meal, and said a quick blessing. It was a prayer to remind everybody that they were the lucky ones. Unfortunately, the unlucky ones in the world were starving amidst the streets; suffering from poor economics. Afterwards, the guests snatched the various foods along the table, and moved in a counter clockwise direction. Everybody carried casual discussions. Harry, Dean, Hal and Paul discussed modern sports; whilst the women chatted about the latest movies; and how cute the latest actors were compared to their own husbands. Paul's son sat beside Dean's kids at the "kiddie table"; Brutal was alongside them as well. Brutus had known Paul's son since the kid was ten years of age. The two hadn't seen each other for over five years, so catching up on life, school and sports were the main subjects of the conversation. They also kept the children in company; Dean's children clung onto Brutus like leeches.

"Brutus," Alexandra yelled. "Do you have any brothers, because I don't like them?"

Brutal laughed. "No I don't have any brothers, or sisters, but enjoy each other's company, because one day, when your sister gets a boyfriend, you can drive him out of the house."

Alexandra bore a face of repulsion. Her tongue escaped her lips. "Boys are gross! I'm never going to get married!"

Blaire copied his sister's expression. "Girls are gross too!"

"Okay, kids settle down."

"Why are you so tall?" Blaire suddenly questioned. The question was so unexpected that Brutal was lost for words.

He pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed alongside his forehead; which was now sweating uncontrollably. Two young kids, plus the sun wasn't a good sum. He coughed slightly before continuing to eat his mountain of food placed onto his platter.

The scene moved to Dean, Harry, Paul and Hal. Paul turned to Dean and smiled. "Your kids are the cutest things in the world. They are going to keep Brutal occupied all night long."

Dean took the bowl of scalloped potatoes, and shoveled them onto his plate. "Yeah, they are a handful, but I love them. Emily and I are thinking of another one."

Paul raised an eyebrow, and gawked at Dean, "Another child?"

Dean nodded, "Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

Hal took a large bite of steamed vegetables, and wiped his mouth politely, "Nothing Mr. Stanton. It's just…do you really want to raise another child in hard economic times such as this?"

Paul agreed, "It's inconvenient."

Dean chuckled. "Having kids is always inconvenient, whether you like it or not."

Harry agreed with Dean's side of the argument. He had three girls of his own; it was inconvenient at the time, all the time, but they got past that obstacle; and he loved them very much. Paul nodded before taking a sip of wine, "What's wrong with you Dean? You seem a little uptight?"

Dean furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. "No, it's nothing."

Paul rolled his eyes and locked his with Hal's, who was finished his meal. Hal peered at his wife, Melinda. They had places to go, and other people to see. "Paul, it was a wonderful meal, but Melinda and I must be leaving. Thank you for having us over; I'll see you at work."

Paul bobbed. "See you tomorrow."

Hal gently took his wife's hand, and wandered off in the distance; the house now blocking the view of the couple. It wasn't long before they were seen down the graveled road; dirt trailing behind them. Paul turned back to face his company, Dean in particular, "What's wrong with you, boy? I hear from Brutal that you snapped at him, gave him a five minute lecture on how our jobs are supposed to be done."

Dean huffed, "It's not about the job; it's about how the people should be treated. Like a democracy."

Paul stared at Dean in shock. "The workforce is a democracy, not a dictatorship. I'm just your supervisor."

Dean responded without hesitation. "Then how come I'm still being treated like a baby. I've been at the mile for more than five years. The least you could do, is give me some respect."

Paul shook his head in disbelief. "Son, we give you all the respect you deserve. And how am I supposed to do that when you are giving me attitude like this? Dean, I've been working at the mile for as long as I can remember, and I'm still learning. We don't make you climb ladders for punishment. We do it, so that you can get a sense of responsibility. You won't be able to hold a key, until you prove to all three of us that you are a responsible human being."

Dean snarled. "So that's it then? When the Warden asks you who should be canned out of the four of us, the first will be me; because obviously, I'm not responsible enough."

Harry became the voice of reason. "Dean, shut up. For just one second, shut up. We don't mean it like that. But you did spark my curiosity." Paul's ears perked. "I've noticed some sort of personality change in the last week; did something cause that change?"

Dean scratched the side of his head; he should have told them sooner, but he was still tentative. "I'm sorry guys. I'm just worried about losing my job, and I'm worried about foreclosure." Dean stabbed his fork into the beets violently. Harry bore a worried expression. Something was bothering the poor boy. Paul started to believe Brutal when he said that Dean's sudden anger issues, Harry's major anxiety and Winnie's attempted escape from Death Row was linked together in some way. Something strange was occurring within the mile; it was infectious and spreading fast. Paul wouldn't be surprised if the next victim was Brutus; but either way, Paul was going to investigate the difficulties, and find out why, how and when these controversies first entered into the Green Mile.

It was approximately nine o' clock at night, and the campfire was set; the flames dancing amidst the darkness. Dean's youngest, Blaire, was slowly falling asleep by each passing minute, and the family thought that it was a good idea to hit the hay; for it was past the children's bedtime. The problem was that Alexandra was on Brutal's lap, finishing up their third round of smores; and she insisted on staying put. It took a while for Dean to finally convince his daughter that it was a school night, and that she needed to go to bed, because her father had to work early the next day. Dean drove both his children to school every morning, before work. They were great kids! They never got into any trouble, and listened to their parents; even when they disagreed with some of their rules and decisions. The other women were confined inside the house; gossiping over a nice cup of coffee. Paul's son had to catch a plane early the next morning, for he had school to attend the following day. Outside, by the fire were Paul, Brutal and Harry. Brutus was still busy roasting marshmallows, while Harry tightly wrapped a blanket around his shoulders; holding a mug of coffee. All three grown men glowered into the fire, enjoying the heat, and watching the sparks soar into the night's sky. Paul smiled at his friends beside him. They all shared their beams of joy; all relishing the time that they shared together. It was a time where everyone could escape politics and work, and focus on what was most important in life; friends and family.

When the party was finally over, and all went their separate ways; Paul sat on the living room sofa, with an arm around his wife. They both sat in complete silence, focusing on the mantle; which was full of pictures, and vases. They reminisced the night that they adored with their family and friends. Paul whispered into his wife's ear, "We should do that again sometime."

Janice smiled, and once again, the two were together in peace.

The sun slowly rose on an early Wednesday morning. It had rained the night before, creating a chill in the morning air. Fortunately, the sun would reach its peak, and the heat would radiate to Earth; causing distress to the farmers, and pleasure to ordinary civilians. Drops of excess rain still clung to the flowers, bushes and trees in the fields. It was a beautiful morning, and a perfect one for a morning ride.

Cassandra Casselii loved to ride every morning and night. Her husband owned a farm approximately half an hour outside of town. They harvested oats, and barely every year. She tended the garden, while he tended the tractors and wheat fields. Every day, Cassandra would find the time to take a stroll down the lake, and the gardens surrounding it. Cassandra trotted down a long graveled road, gawking at the beautiful trees and other assortments of vegetation as she passed by. The young woman continued further. Sometimes her husband would ride beside her in the evening, and then make love. Cassandra loved her life as a whole. She had a caring and respectful husband, a beautiful farm, in a beautiful state.

But something ensued that morning. Something hiding within the bushes seemed to have spooked the strong horse. It was nothing but a mere gopher, but to her stallion, it was a monster. It took Cassandra by surprise for she didn't know what had spooked the animal at the time. It wasn't long before the horse jumped onto its hind legs, screaming into the thin air. Cassandra was thrown from the back of the steed; she landed onto her spine with sheer force. But it didn't stop there. The petite gopher continued to scurry, causing the horse to stir into another panic attack. It kicked its legs back and forth, attempting to kill the enemy, but instead, colliding with Cassandra's beautiful face as she tried to stand up from the fall. She was knocked unconscious, but the horse was still extremely alarmed. While the young woman lay unconscious upon the gravel, the uncontrollable animal continued to kick, jumping like a bull in a rodeo. The steed trampled upon Cassandra's complexion. After what seemed like minutes, yet was seconds, the horse stopped, and slightly tapped Cassandra's side. She rolled over, revealing her face; which was covered in blood. Her skull was crushed, making the young woman unrecognizable to a random bystander, let alone a relative. Cassandra Casselii lay halfway into the nearest ditch, limp as a noodle and motionless. The stallion casually walked away; continuing down the road as if nothing had occurred; leaving the lifeless body alone in the dirt.

Harry Terwilliger ate breakfast alone, near the kitchen's island. His wife, Mary Terwilliger, was a receptionist for the nearest hospital. She did shift work, but her hours were very steady; the mornings usually. Harry didn't work until ten that day, making him selfish enough to sleep in. He wandered around the kitchen, cleaning up the mess he previously made before leaving for work. He was somewhat dressed in uniform. His white dress shirt was buttoned to the collar, and was accessorized with a black tie. He wore his black work uniform pants that were held in place by dark red suspenders. As he cleaned the kitchen, he continued to eat his breakfast, consisting of only white bread and eggs. Harry peered out the kitchen window and observed the sunny morning before him; it was going to be a humid day. He'd have to pack large amounts of water; of course he would be the one prepared; for the others often "forgot." Harry glanced at a small hand clock. It was almost nine thirty; his shift started in half an hour. Harry grasped the dish towel hanging from his shoulder, and neatly placed it on the countertop.

Then a continuous ring was heard throughout the kitchen. Harry turned towards the phone. He let it ring a few times, contemplating whether or not he should answer it. The ringing would not cease.

"Terwilliger residence," he finally answered. "Yes, this is Harry Terwilliger."

Chapter seven is next...

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