Rumors
The rumors- smoke and mirrors, suitcases of money, everything that makes a good story.
There is power in fear. Spread the rumors. Yes, they were rich men, senators, women with no names, big fish in a little pond. no real significance. AMCO salesmen.
Except—the villagers consumed the rumors like starving dogs. So they fed the dogs with rumors.
All the while pretending to be purebred leaders of the pack.
On the other side—the mongrel dogs. Drugs and deals, Squid Queens, death, death threats, more rumors, smoke and mirrors, dirty money, everything that makes a good story.
There is power in fear. Spread the rumors. Yes, there were crooked cops, politics, backroom deals, bad people, good people with bad histories, guilty, but at different levels, really no one was innocent.
Except—the children who were consumed and grew up to be dogs. Some stories aren’t worth being told.

The First Riot
Flames rise with their words,
Chaos sparked, but swiftly scorned,
Silence when tides turn.

 Rural areas have experienced a surge in drug-related deaths. The struggle of those who fall prey to the unpredictability of addiction and the darker undercurrents in Maine's small towns is exasperated when the dealers of drugs go unchallenged.
Post-2020, the world faced profound changes—social, political, and existential—due to the COVID-19 pandemic, economic instability, and social justice movements. 

The idea of survival was no longer just about strength or success but about collective care and community. The pandemic highlighted how interconnected society is, with many recognizing that the vulnerable were disproportionately impacted by the crisis.
Societal debates about this inequality and injustice surged during and after 2020. Access to healthcare, economic disparities, and systemic racism were some of the deeper questions many people asked as they faced inequities highlighted by the pandemic.
Even the legal system benefits those with the power and resources to manipulate it. During this period, there was increased scrutiny of how laws and corporate power intersect, leaving ordinary people at a disadvantage. In a time when systems—economic, healthcare, legal—seemed to fail many people, the role of personal contemplation and action should become a central question.