Secrets of the Country (New Title)

Kate finished the last few strokes of paint on the picket fence. She dropped the brush into the near-empty can and took a step back to look at her new home.
"Well, Stacie, what do you think?"
Her daughter took a pause before answering.
"Looks boring." She turned aroun, with her hands on her hips, and starred down the lonely road standing before her.
"Everything here is boring. I don't even see another house anywhere. What do you call this place anyways? Loser Town?"
"This, my dear, is called, the country. There isn't another house out here for miles. Oh, but look, look!" Kate pointed across the way to an overwhelming forest. Stacie caught interest.
"What, what?"
"Over there. Do you see it?"
Stacie's eyes were wide. "What is it?"
"It's a deer."
"Wow! Are there lots of them here?"
"Hundreds."
"Well, maybe this place isn't all lame!"
The sound of tires on gravel made Kate and Stacie focus their attention on a car strolling up the road. The black and white car came slowly to a stop in front of their house; kicking up clouds of dirt as a man stepped out. He walked calmly toward the two.
"Hi there." He spoke as he got closer. He stopped a few feet from the mother and daughter, touching the brim of his hat and nodding his head. "How ya'll doin?" He offered Kate a handshake, "I'm Rick Hiller. But ya'll can just call me Sheriff."
She shook his hand. "Kate Dawsing, and this is Stacie, my daughter." Kate's natural southern accent could really be detected now.
Sheriff Hiller bent down close to Stacie's eye level. "Well, hi there, Stacie. You excited for school to start tomorrow?"
Stacie gave a shy smile and nodded.
"How old are ya?"
She shied at the question.
Kate chimmed in, "She's seven."
"And a half." Stacie added.
"Cute. I have a daughter who is eight. Gonna be startin' second grade tomorrow."
There was a pause.
"Oh, won't you come in for a cup of coffee, Sheriff?"
"Oh, I don't believe so. My house is just down there about a mile. I just came by to introduce myself. Always feel the need to when someone new moves in...to make them feel safe."
"That's nice."
"I better get to goin'. Oh, but Kate, I'll still take you up on that offer for coffee. The diner, down in town, makes it nice and strong. I do hope you'll join me tomorrow."
With that, he took his leave, blowing up dust again as he headed down the road. It was beginning to get dark.
"Alright, missy, off to bed." Stacie didn't fight it. She was tired and eager for school tomorrow.
The next morning, Stacie got up before the sun. She dressed in her finest outfit, a flower skirt and a matching halter. Her shoes lit up, too. She thought that was pretty cool. Kate was downstairs, making waffles and pouring orange juice into small glasses. She heard her daughter roaring down the stairs as if there was a fire. She rounded the corner and plopped down in her chair with the biggest smile on her face that Kate had ever seen.
"You excited for school, or somethin'?" Kate asked as Stacie ripped into her waffles.
"Um huh." She answered back, cheeks full to bursting.
"Well, slow down, slow down." Kate said, placing a glass of juice in front of Stacie, "your not gonna be late."
"I know," She said between bites, "I want to get there early so I can start making friends!"
"Let's go goin' then."
Stacie grabbed her backpack and rushed to her moms car. Soon they were off to school.
Kate dropped Stacie off in front of the school, and headed to the diner to meet with the Sheriff.
Sheriff Hiller was already there at a table for two, with another coffee sitting across from him. Kate joined him.
They talked for hours about nothing. Kate shared some memories of her old house in New Hampshire. Sheriff Hiller talked about his deceased wife, and about his daughter. They shared alot of laughs and went through alot of coffee. They really hit it off, and the Sheriff even asked Kate on another date.
"So, tomorrow at 7. Okay." Kate said, getting into her car, and talking through the window to the Sheriff.
"Yup, and bring your dancin' shoes!"
Kate drove off, waving goodbye to Rick. She didn't realize how tired she actually was until she got home. Coffee never could keep her awake. She lay down on the couch just for a little nap.
Kate woke to the sound of her dogs tapping at the back door to come inside. She rolled over and tried to get her eyes to focus on the clock across the room.
She gave a worried gasp, "Oh no. It's already 3."
Kate rushed out of the house faster than ever. She was already 15 minuets late, and didn't want Stacie to be at the school by herself.
When Kate rolled up to the school, a worry line formed across her forehead. She noticed that there were no kids standing outside. In fact, there were no kids anywhere around the school.
Kate rushed inside the building and went straight for Stacie's classroom. The teacher, Mr. Whitman, was straightening papers together on his desk as Kate burst through the door. Mr. Whitman gave Kate a stare and walked over toward her.
"Can I help you?" He asked, couriously.
"Do you know where Stacie is?" Kate asked.
"Well,yeah, she went home with her father. I waited with her because she was all by herself. Is everything okay?"
Kate starred at him in silence. "Stacie's father is dead."
Before Mr. Whitman even realized what had happened, Kate's legs carried her to her car, and she drove off in such a hurry, she even ran a few stop signs.
Kate was at the home of Sheriff Hiller and she was running toward the house.
"Rick, Rick..." She hollared as she ran. "Someone has taken Stacie..."
She got to the front porch. The front door was wide open and Kate stepped inside.
"Rick?" The house was dark and empty. The only noise she could hear was a tiny tapping sound.
Kate approached descending stairs that led to the basement. The noise was beginning to get louder.
"Rick?" She said, placing each foot carefully on the squeaky steps. She got to the bottom stair and peaked around the corner.
There, in the middle of the room was Stacie. Tied to chair, and gagged. Beside Stacie, a wooden table sat, with a man leaning over it. Carelessly dropping the end of a rusty knife into the table, and pulling it back out.
Kate heard Stacie's muffled screams.
"Rick? What are you doing?" Kate said, carefully approaching him, with a plan already brewing in her mind.
"Huh. They always ask that."
"What?"
"You know, I was hoping that you would come, Kate. It's so nice to see you." Rick walked slowly to the back of the chair where Stacie sat, poking the end of the knife into Stacie's cheek. A tiny trickle of blood ran down her face, and she screamed those muffled screams, pleading under a covered mouth.
"Rick, please, I'll give you whatever you want, just please..." Kate was walking toward the Sheriff and her daughter, observing the table that was near her. She knew what she would do, "Don't hurt her."
"Oh, I'm not going to hurt her." He said, giving a little laugh, "I'm going to kill her."
Kate stopped walking and starred at the man. Rick began to walk toward Kate, knife in hand.
"But, you know. I have to kill you first...It's the rules." Rick ran full speed at Kate, swinging the knife in the air. Kate, thinking fast, grabbed the picture frame from the table and smashed it across Rick's head. Slivers of glass flew into the air, positioning themselves into Rick's eyes, blinding him. Kate grabbed the knife that had been dropped to the floor and cut her daughter free. But, Kate wasn't quite ready to leave yet.
"Stacie, go upstairs." She did as she was told.
Rick thrashed around, covering his eyes with his hands. Kate came up behind him, knife up and ready to strike.
"No, Rick. I have to kill you first, that's my rules."
Silence fell over the whole house.
Kate wobbled her way up the stairs and to her daughter.
"Come on, Stacie, let's go home."