Chapter 9 begins with an overwhelming sense of fear that blankets Monta Clare, a small town that suddenly finds itself caught in a web of uncertainty. Saint, standing on the front porch with her grandmother, Norma, watches as the flashing lights of a police cruiser cut through the still, dark night. The air is thick with a strange heaviness, prompting mothers to hurriedly usher their children inside, locking doors and windows in a futile attempt to keep the outside world at bay. It’s the kind of night where you can feel the weight of something ominous hanging in the air. Officers from neighboring towns, Pecaut and Lenard Creek, arrive with grim expressions and a photograph of a missing boy, his image burned into the minds of the people around him. His absence is marked not just by the image, but by the eye patch that was once a part of his identity, making the loss all the more painful and unsettling.

As the hours drag on, Saint’s grandmother suggests that she rest, hoping against hope that the missing boy might be found soon and returned to safety. Norma’s words are meant to soothe, but Saint is far from comforted. She dismisses the thought of sleep and the faint hope that things might return to normal. Restlessness builds inside her, a gnawing sense that something must be done, and she ignores her grandmother’s advice. Instead, she sneaks out under the cover of darkness, taking her rusted Spyder bicycle and riding toward Main Street. The glow from Lacey’s Diner calls to her, a beacon in the night that promises information and perhaps some answers. There, among the group of locals gathered outside the diner, she listens intently to their conversations. She picks up fragments of the police investigation—whispers of a suspect near Pike Creek, and an alibi tied to the Roan Arnold Energy Center. The clues are scattered and vague, but they provide a sense of direction that fuels Saint’s determination.

Navigating through the crowd, Saint’s gaze is drawn to the police station, which seems to hum with activity. The building is alive with the bustle of officers working tirelessly, pouring over maps and files in an attempt to piece together the puzzle that is unraveling around them. Saint watches as Chief Nix, the man responsible for the investigation, stands at the center of the chaos, his face etched with stress. He rubs the bridge of his nose in a silent gesture of frustration, clearly overwhelmed by the enormity of the case. It’s evident that the weight of the investigation is taking its toll on him, and the pressure is palpable in the air. Against the backdrop of the case’s growing tension, the grim reality of Monta Clare’s situation becomes even more apparent. Recent statistics about missing persons in Missouri—two high school girls and a college student who vanished in the past few months—hang over the town like a dark cloud. These events, coupled with the growing sense of fear, have made the town more paranoid and cautious, especially as nightfall now signals more than just the end of the day—it signals the potential for more danger to strike.

Norma’s words echo in Saint’s mind, reassuring her that the authorities will eventually catch the person responsible. But even with these reassurances, Saint can’t shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong. She understands that her grandmother’s attempt to calm her is rooted in love and a desire to shield her from the truth, but Saint feels a deep pull toward the mystery that surrounds the boy’s disappearance. As she listens to the officers’ conversations and watches the relentless work unfolding at the police station, the fear that had once seemed distant now feels all too real. She is no longer a passive observer; she is part of a town in turmoil, where the safety of the familiar world she once knew seems to slip further out of reach with every passing moment. The presence of the Pecaut officer’s warning about the lingering threat only heightens the tension, reminding Saint that the dangers facing Monta Clare are not just theoretical—they are here, and they are real.

This chapter doesn’t just capture the fear that has gripped the town of Monta Clare. It also highlights Saint’s internal transformation. The young girl who had once found comfort in the safety of her home now faces a world increasingly defined by uncertainty and danger. As she stands at the edge of the chaos, caught between the reassuring words of her grandmother and the overwhelming reality of what’s happening around her, Saint makes a decision. She won’t wait idly for the world to return to its former state. Instead, she will face the darkness head-on, determined to find answers. As the shadows continue to lengthen over Monta Clare, this chapter underscores the conflict between safety and uncertainty, between comfort and fear. It paints a vivid picture of a young girl’s resilience in the face of overwhelming odds and the collective anxiety of a community struggling to make sense of an increasingly dangerous world.