1 Chapter 1: Blank Canvas

**Intermission- Cycle 2349 Commencing.**

Mack woke suddenly. Chills ran down his spine and his clothes drenched with the sweat that bead across his forehead. He sat up and brought his sock covered feet to the wooden floor. He rubbed the back of his head and groaned from his body aches. He worked day and night on the ranch and with little free time, spent it with his wife Melissa and his daughter Aubrey. Mack was a very imposing figure. He stood roughly six feet four inches tall, broad shouldered, military haircut and had sharp blue eyes covered by his brown bushy eyebrows. Mack strolled briskly to his bathroom just off the master bedroom. Mack finished his morning routine and stared idly into the mirror. Something felt a little off this morning, but he couldn't quite explain it. Mack finished putting on his boots and was beginning to put on his plaid red shirt for the day. Then all of a sudden... he heard screams come from downstairs. He rushed down the staircase, heart pounding. He reached the living room and rushed to the kitchen. His mind was racing.

By the time he reached the kitchen he realized that Melissa and Aubrey were just wrestling around and laughing.

"Well, 'bout time you got up old man. What was all that pounding I heard?" Melissa said with a big grin on her face.

"Daddy!" Aubrey shouted as she ran to Mack and gave him a big hug.

"Sorry about that, I heard y'all and figured I couldn't miss out on what was going on. And the breakfast smells amazing!" Mack said.

"Sausage, hashbrowns and eggs. Just how you like it. Go ahead and grab the hot sauce out and lets sit down and eat." Melissa said.

They gathered around their table and began to dive into the morning breakfast.

"Aubrey, I need you to feed the cows after we eat okay?" Melissa said.

"Dear, I can do that, it's no big deal." Mack said.

Melissa shot him a worrying glance.

"No, its fine. Aubrey, please take care of it. Your dad and I will clean up." Melissa said.

Aubrey nodded and took her plate to the sink and rinsed them off. Their home was right on the ranch. The house was a little dated, but still stood strong. The porch was a wrap around, and the house stood two stories high. Any and all repairs, Mack did himself, with advice from John of course. He worked with the towns best construction company 'Clown Construction' with their cheesy motto of "No joking around with our work". Which was funny, cause John always talked about how he loved the idea of being a birthday clown if he didn't do construction, but in a small town like this, that was pennies on the dollar. Also, Mack felt as if it was a waste of money trying to hire other workers to do something he could do, cheaper and in a more timely fashion.

They had one tv that sat center in the living room. They would usually gather around every night before bed, watch a couple of sitcoms and maybe a movie if it was the weekend. Mack really loved Ironhide. It was a peaceful and quiet town. Mack was all about peace. Of course, the biggest guy in the town was Mack, and that showed by the amount of respect he got. You had all you need in Ironhide, Hotels, hospital, grocery stores, plenty of work and even a butcher for the animals on the ranch.

Aubrey finally put on her rain boots, a puffy pink jacket and ran outside.

"If I am not back in ten minutes, check the cows stomach!" Aubrey said in a playful way. Mack used to say that to her when she was a lot younger and get little laughs. She may have even went through a phase of fear from cows. But she's ten now, and she has overcome any doubt that ranching wouldn't be her future.

Melissa paused a moment and checked to make sure that Aubrey had been far enough away from the house.

"Mack, there was an accident this morning." Melissa said.

Mack stared for a second confused.

"Harold, the towns doc, you know him? He did all of Aubreys check ups since she was a baby." Melissa added.

Mack just nodded, waiting for the news.

"Well, they found out that he had died from an overdose. There may have been foul play, but no one knows for sure."

"Harold never did drugs though?!" Mack said without a doubt.

"That's why they think it was foul play. There hasn't been a hint of anything like that in his past, but what he apparently took, was enough to kill about ten horses." Melissa said with deep worry.

Mack sighed heavily. "When's the funeral?"

"They are thinking tomorrow. But I am sure we will all know soon enough. I just wanted you to hear that from me before you went out into town."

"Well, I need to go fill up the truck, check and see if John needs anything. Winters here, so things slow down a bit with the ranch."

Melissa let out a little smile and grabbed the truck keys beside the door.

"If he does have work for you, please be home in time for dinner, I don't like what happened to Harold. It just doesn't sit right."

"I will do my best babe, and I recommend you check on Aubrey. She might be ten, but those cows look mighty hungry today." Mack said jokingly.

Mack put on his jacket and walked outside, as he opened the screen door, he noticed the lock on it was busted again. He walked over to the truck and in the background he could hear Aubrey laughing and running around while the cows stared with as much confusion as any creature should.

The truck roared to life. Mack switched gears and the truck let out a few groans and took off as good as new. The main road was only a few miles down the way from the house. The radio started off with static as usual. It takes time to find a radio station out in the boonies it seems. Mack felt this overwhelming heartache for Harold. How could he have done something like this? It's not like anyone in this town would do such a thing right?

Mack was cruising along when he noticed something in his mirror. Humming filled his ears, and he got dizzy. When he peered fully into his review mirror, he noticed something horrific. His face was charred and his eyes were filled with fire. As if he had turned into a crisp corpse. Mack swerved a bit and pulled over. When he had looked back, everything was normal. His heart had never raced so hard before. Mack was terrified of what he just saw. Was he losing his mind? He shook it off after a few minutes and slowly crept back into his truck. He turned his review mirror upwards, uncomfortable for driving but it definitely gave him peace of mind.

Mack had arrived into downtown Ironhide, the Holmes hotel towered in the center of town announcing its annual state fair. It was a huge event and everyone had enjoyed it and participated. Mack had finally arrived at Johns office and parked his truck. Curiosity was getting the better of him and he moved his review mirror back down and with squinted eyes, he noticed everything was normal. He let out a huge sigh of relief, laughed it off and got out of the truck.

As was most days in Ironhide, it was cloudy and cold. Thankfully, Johns office was warm and comforting.

"Hey there darling, Johns in the back. He said you might be coming by." Marie said. Marie was a kind woman. Been at Johns construction company since he built the building. She was presentable and even went to college for criminal law. But her family got sick and she had to come back home and ended up working with John to help pay some hospital bills.

"Thanks Marie. I heard about Harold. Weird right?" Mack said.

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting it. But it does seem a bit odd. But you never know what kind of skeletons hide in someone's closet huh?" Marie winked as if there was some kind of inside joke.

I approached Johns office and walked in.

"Hey Mack!" John exclaimed proudly. "Yes, let me get one large pizza with just pepperoni on it. Thanks! I will pay in person. Nope that will be it. Ok great! Thanks Jeffrey."

"Pizza this early John?" Mack said judgingly.

"C'mon Mack. Don't judge me like that. It's eleven o'clock and my stomach has been angry today."

Johns office kind of gave me some creepy vibes to say the least. He always kept framed pictures of clowns and political news clips around the room. Two things I actually hated the most.

"Anyways, you got anything extra, under the table for me John?" Mack asked.

"Right to business huh?" John said with a smile.

"Well to be quite honest, yes."

"Well Mack, it's winter time, and I understand ranching ain't got too much of your plate for you, but that means no real things for here either. I was thinking, maybe we go check some stuff out about that Harold guy. I mean, dude, that was weird."

Mack simply nodded.

After thirty minutes of deliberating about how to actually decorate an office, John decided cowboy boots weren't for him and the pizza had arrived.

"Ahh Ted, come on in." John said

"Hey there John, Mack , how's it going?" Ted said trying to balance the pizza in one arm.

Ted was a good looking average built guy. He was super nice and helped out whenever someone needed it.

"Now how the hell did you get a cast on your arm Ted?" John asked.

"Oh it was nothing. Some lady was asking for some help and I felt obligated and I feel awkwardly on my arm on some concrete. Wasn't gonna let this cast keep me from workin' though." Ted said with a smile.

John offered a piece of the pizza to Mack which he declined and sat eager for what today held.

John clicked on the radio in the office to allow some sound to drown out his chewing. John was a bigger guy to say the least. He definitely over indulged in food and loved being the center of attention. Mack constantly told him to get into politics, because he knew how to communicate better than anyone he had ever met. Plus, Mack knew John would have most of Ironhide in the palm of his hand then.

"The state fair has been pushed to tonight! Due to the passing of doctor Harold D. The funeral would preside tomorrow and Holmes felt it was needed to try and hide the gloomy feeling of what had happened." Marie said bursting into the room.

John was mid check and Mack had a look of surprise. The radio filled the room with the same static as Mack's truck.

"Well John, I guess that means, I gotta go! Melissa and Aubrey said they look forward to this every year."

"Well Mack, I guess I will see you then." John said still stuffing his face.

Mack walked out of his office in somewhat of a rush, there was still so much to do before he could spend the night out in town at the fair. He was welcomed by cold air once again and started down the sidewalk to his truck.

A man walked past Mack, and he glanced at him in horror. His face... it was gone. It was like a blank canvas, just... skin. Mack almost fell to the ground in fear and the man had continued walking past him. Mack quickly regained his posture and turned around to the man.

"Hey you!!" He shouted with heavy breathing.

The man turned around and was as normal as ever. An older gentleman, in a suit. He looked shocked by Mack shouting at him. But Mack felt more confused than ever by what he say.

"Can I help you sir?" The man said with his eyebrows arched.

"No.. sorry.. You just reminded me of someone." Mack felt awkward by the response and didn't break the gaze he had on the man as he continued down the sidewalk. Mack got back into his truck and began driving away.