Okay, lets take it back.

It was 1980, I don’t know about you, but back then things were not so good.

Soviet is breathing on our neck, people are believing that they will eventually shoot their missile at us.

People are snitching at each other for fear of ‘communism’. The government take those thing seriously, if anyone report you on a hunch that you are a ‘communist’ then soon the Agency will came knocking on your house.

The fact that the leader in White House is paranoid also doesn’t help, they prefer to take those people who has been reported and keep them in a camp and only then do a ‘reeducation’ effort to make sure the people doesn’t have a scant of communism and socialism in their blood.

Communism is a disease, and it spread through our mouth and ear, or be born in our mind.

Meanwhile the only thing we got, is Smiling Sunset.

---

“When do you first hear about Smiling Sunset?”

Look, I’m not really into that, I think I first hear it back on a bar under the influence of alcohol. One of the woodworker on the side is having an ’episode’ of political commentary while drinking hard. He keep blabbing stuff about how bad the local government, Governor Jonathan Klaus is, and why we should not elected him on the next term.

‘Its because of him you know, the migrant that infest this town, all of this missing tree, missing cow and that damn UFO. All is because of him, I bet he himself ride that UFO and take our cow away at night. '

Governor Klaus face goes through my mind, his shinny white teeth especially. His speech about, money-making-machine is the one thing that he keep promising to us. Prosperity for the business owner and for the worker alike.

“How do you get acquittance with agent Basil Underwood?”

That very night, I was drinking with my pal. We didn’t talk much, just watching the sport on tv while drinking away. Then cold wind creep in from the door. I look behind me and see the man is walking in through the door, he is a straight man, white skin, thin hair, I think he is about mid 40. He wear suit with tight tie. A single look and I, no, everyone knew he is from the Agency.

He goes to the bar and order a drink.

I’m still waiting for the game to finish so I doesn’t even bother. He pull out a list and start ticking mark on it. I can’t help but notice, my pal too. The bartender also try to peek while giving him his drink.

‘Still working sir?’

He just smile at me.

“What does you do?”

This small town feel the brunt of Soviet hostility the most I think, the military bring their scientist and weapon here. They dig something in the mountain yet no one know what they are doing. We were given some buck each to look the other way and keep our mouth shut.

At night, we can hear humming from the mountain.

What? oh, well the mountain itself is nothing special I think, our grandfather used to dig gold on that place. But back in 1920 the mine is already dried, our grandparent switch to trading, farming, woodworking, you name it. Somehow, this town survive.

We never think the mine is anything special, if anything the weirdest part of this town is the forest. There are many story of something lurking in the dark, well I now know that the story is just to make sure the kid stay in the road and in the bed. I myself told it to my kid.

When something happen in the forest, mostly is just tiger or snake. We used to find carcass of thing that freshly dies from claw or bites or all of their limb is teared away while their blood spread everywhere. Tiger can be vicious isn’t it.

I hunt game here and sometime the tiger, trying to keep them away from the town, be a local hero you know. If you also have issue with snake, I also can handle it.

“What do you do after you hear the news?”

I’m glad, I’m glad that I choose to stay on this small town instead of following my brother to New York. This may seems to be cruel, but in my perspective thing are better here since the, ’thing’ happen, condolence to you if you have family there.

I believe I saw a lot more limousine, helicopter, and aircraft on that time than I have ever seen on TV. They all heading into the mountain. I even get to see that Klaus guy, one day he just came to greet me at work and I shake his hand while telling him we need better street lighting here, some place is just too dark and dangerous for lone woman at night. He look at me weird, but I think he got the message.

there is lot of new people in town, business is booming for everyone. I myself also start a hunting weapon shop. The banker is much more friendlier to me than ever, even when I buy my first home back then.

I also began to see that agent much more after that. He went around the town with one or two of his colleague. I also often see him at night escorting some person in suit back on their black car. One day he also have grandma Olivia on the black car, she look so afraid, but since he is around I guess we can look the other way now.

Now you remind me, I think I start to see people gathering in the forest at night. A weird church that burn cross at night, I myself is not a religious person so I don’t bother.

The agent thou, he seems to take that black car a lot of around the mountain. One day I meet him again in the bar again at night, and he still working on that list. A list of name and photo.

‘You should rest sir, the game is still going’

He just smile at me.

“Do you support Governor Klaus?”

That weird church seems to be gathering member, their number slowly grow every week whenever I see them.

The bar also has less people now, but I guess I like it quiet.

The humming on the mountain still can be heard every night, does it grow louder? maybe not, I’m just getting accustomed to it.

The governor thou, he keep smiling, his white teeth is all I can see from afar whenever he come to local business to talk with the people.

One year after ’the event’, the silence on the mountain broke. I was patrolling like usual, but the humming from the mountain is not there.

Instead, many vehicle is coming to the mountain and soon many explosion and shoot can be heard from afar. I was trying to get some deer for food, but all that ruckus make want to check on the mountain, so I drop by.

As a local, I do know safe path to observe the mine from far away. So I take a forest path, only with light from moon. I do have my lantern, but at night its never good to turn it on.

There I see blood and fire everywhere on the mine. Limousine, helicopter, aircraft, tank, all on fire, I think I miss the big thing, all is quiet now. Then I see limousine and black car is coming to the mine with escort of multiple military vehicle.

I see governor come out from the car. The soldier from inside is carrying the hostage back to the surface and make them kneel in front of them. Governor clap and I think talking to them, I can’t hear them. Except that damn, oh well you know.

I knew its better for me to go buy supply and barricade my home, at least until everything quiet down

the next day, that shiny white teeth appear on news. The president is addressing the country saying that soviet attack our small town.

That smile that will spell doom for us all.