Plague of Pythons

A strange hush hangs over the small town, where rumors of a mysterious “python” influence have begun to seep into everyday life. The local high school’s all‑purpose room has been turned into an improvised courtroom, its stale air thick with leather, sweat, and an uneasy anticipation that something unseen may be pulling the strings behind the scenes.

At the center of the drama sits Chandler, a man accused of violent crimes against a teenage girl and another resident. The proceedings are overseen by Judge Ellithorp, a figure whose own recent, unsettling behavior hints that he may be under the same uncanny sway. As the bailiff’s booming voice recites the charges, the crowd shifts uneasily, and a child’s cry pierces the tension, prompting a reluctant, half‑hearted prayer that feels more like an exorcism than a benediction.

The trial quickly becomes a window into a community grappling with fear, authority, and the unsettling possibility that the “python” menace is more than just metaphor—a force that could change the town’s fate forever.