With the snow coming down, blanketing the ground in soft white powder and making the roads slick, dangerous to drive on. To Blair, it was not a shock when they weren't as busy as they usually were, and it definitely wasn't one when a few people had been sent home almost halfway through their shift.

It wasn't to say that no customers showed, there were, but it wasn't enough to help make the time go by any faster, and if his shift didn't end soon Blair felt as though he was going to keel over from boredom itself.

He shouldn't really joke about that, he thought, pursing his lips together as he reached into the warm soapy water near his station and went out to collect dishes and wipe the tables clean, and to see if the customers who were there at the time needed anything.

"Yeah, so, did you hear about the young woman who was found in that old warehouse building down by the creek? You know the one that was shut down because the owner couldn't pay the bills or something?"

"No." One of them said, "What happened?"

"Don't know." The older guy replied, taking a sip of coffee. "Apparently a young woman, in her early to mid twenties was found, almost completely cut in half, one of the chains broke, and it came down on her."

"Isn't that a shame?" Another older man said, taking a sip of his coffee as he leaned against the seat. "Were the police able to identify her?"

"Ah, I think it was that Xander girl."

Blair stilled, overhearing the conversation as he was wiping down a table. Xander? Xander? His eyes wide as recognition clicked.

She was the next victim?

Jordan was an extremely polite, smart and talented young woman who would've had her entire life ahead of her if those dickbags didn't take advantage of her. And those friends? Well, he wasn't too fond of those bitches either.

His heart felt heavy as it dropped into his stomach, his actions on cleaning the tables slowing considerably.

Well, wasn't this a bag of tits.

"And for Douglass? Come on! You knew it was going to happen eventually!"

"Why would you go and say something like that?"

"Well, didn't you hear that years ago when Douglass was just starting up in the restaurant business that he screwed over his partner because he wanted half of the earnings?"

"Ed, that was a damn rumour and you know it."

"Maybe, but what about when Douglass and his wife needed to go to a marriage councillor?" The men paused for a moment, "You know that Douglass cheated on his wife more than once." A chuckle, "I told you, it's karma that came to bite the man on the ass."

This little bit of information had taken Blair by surprise as every time Sarah would come in with their daughter they didn't seem like they were going through any sort of issues.

"It's The Shadow Men." One of them said, shaking his head. "You all know its true."

"Quiet!"

"Fine. Fine."

Blair contemplated asking them, he bit his tongue, taking a few steps and stopping. He really should ask, no, they'd probably think him strange if he did. Another step. No, he needed to, and maybe if they told him he'd be able to find some sort of closure for the reason behind the deaths. After a few long seconds he decided to ask them.

Blair breathed in sharply, turned on his heel and headed for the table, all four of the older men were laughing, stopping as they saw Blair come up to them.

"I-I'm sorry to interrupt, but can I ask you a question?"

"Don't see why not."

Another gulp of air, "The...the Shadow Men...do you...could you tell me how...that myth came to be?"

"The Shadow Men aren't a myth, boy."

"Pipe down Allan!"

"They're real."

"Allan."

"Alright...Okay...fine."

The man leaned into the table and his bright blue eyes looked Blair right into his own light ones, "As what Allan over here said, they're not a myth. They're Milborough's curse."

"A curse?" Blair asked, regarding the man as he leaned back into his seat and his head tilted to the side as he studied them.

"It was said that the town, when it was first discovered by settlers, it was already the land to the First Nations people...what tribe they were, as many have passed through here throughout the centuries. Anyway, when Captain William Archibald and his troops set foot here, a treaty was made, but you know how well they were kept by those men, right?" They chuckled, "Acts of violence began taking place within the village and soon the treaty was broken. The village was upturned and stripped of all necessities. Homes were put aflame, Men tortured, women raped then killed, children dead. And because of that torment, the Shaman of the village put a curse upon the settlers and the generations who lived there."

Well, Blair supposed, that it explained that. But it wasn't right, he thought, why should they be punished for the misdeeds of people from the past? If it was the curse than why wasn't anyone doing anything to stop it and how were they supposed to?

"The Seven Deadly Sins."

Blair didn't realise he was being spoken to until he heard those four words. "Sorry?"

"They come after those who have committed any one of the Seven Deadly Sins." Allan was the one that was speaking, a serious expression on his face, "Do you know what those are, boy?"

"No."

"Maybe you should pick up the bible and read it."

Blair gritted his teeth to keep from saying something that he knew he shouldn't, especially considering, where he was right at that moment. But, these guys should've known that he wasn't necessarily religious, at least, not anymore.

"Allan, not everyone is a damn bible humper like yourself."

Allan took offense to that remark, his mouth hanging open in surprise, eyes wide. Blair could practically see the gears spinning in the old man's brain, trying to come up with a comeback for such an insult, but he closed it, sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

He remained surprisingly quiet for the remainder of the conversation, which Blair was immensely grateful.

"Anyway, you have heard of the sins but you've no idea on what those are, eh?"

"Yes sir."

"Okay then." he gestured to the chair in front of him, "Sit down."

Blair shouldn't have done so as, after all, he was on company time, but it wasn't like he gave a shit anyway.

"The sins are as follows; pride, greed, gluttony, lust, envy, wrath, and sloth." The man picked up his cup, watching his cup as he swirled the contents before downing them, and then placing the cup where it was before. "It is, or always has been, believed that The Shadow Men come after those who are either on their way to completely committing one of the sins or those who already have. "

Even though Carlos was, or has been, his best friend since they were young kids had always had an annoying sense of pride and entitlement, and he loved his alcohol...man did he love it. Was that why he was killed? Because of those? He wasn't a bad man, and he certainly wouldn't have harmed someone because of those things.

Blair's anger risen to new heights, his nostrils flaring as he fought to keep his composure in check.

"How...how do you know?"

A lone brow rose, "How? Son, Douglass committed two of those sins; greed and lust, and there have been others in the past years the same way, it's not rocket science here."

Maybe not but..."Is there anything that can be done?"

A scoff was his answer, "Doubt it...your best bet is to find someone in the town who deals with magic and the souls of the dead to see if something can be done..."

Blair got up suddenly, pushed his chair in, and sighed, nodding his head as he thanked the gentlemen for their time. And as he left he paused hearing Allan finally speak, "Don't do something stupid boy, but if you're going to, I pray that God will be with you."