7

The fact that you now have a way of knowing for sure that your efforts might be paying off fills you with resolve. It's not just some abstract thought anymore; you really can make a difference. And you're going to.

Now that you have a way to keep track of public opinion, you want to do everything you can to get that number as high as possible. You remind yourself that you still have time; you just have to make the most of it.

Setting the computer down at last, you grab your bag, step into your shoes, and head for the front door, ready to leave on your first big mission. You smile to yourself as you turn your key in the lock—a little nervous, a little excited—thinking that if last night is anything to go by, you could achieve a lot during your first day in town.

Next

As you walk along the street and gradually leave the open, emptier suburb behind, you think to yourself how walking through town feels quite different in the daytime.

For one thing, you're not the only one around. Some of the people you pass on your way into town even glance your way as they walk by. You think you recognize them from last night's meeting.

You like that you're already starting to get to know the town, and you don't mind taking the time to be polite. You like the fact that the closer you come to the center of town, the more people there are—going in and out of stores, walking dogs in the direction of the park, stopping on the sidewalk to talk with a neighbor. The town seems alive in a way it didn't last night.

Though now that it's morning, you can also see a lot more of the decay that people were mentioning at the meeting.

A few of the shops you passed in the dark are still shut up, seemingly out of business, with fading "For Rent" signs in several windows. There are more than a few potholes in the roads. Some buildings, which were probably once houses or apartments, seem to have been abandoned to the elements; you even think you see green vines pressing against the inside of a darkened window.

Nevertheless, there's a lot of charm in some of the old buildings, and the stores that are open seem as if they've stood there a long time. You can see why some of the townspeople would be upset at the prospect of so much change; but then again, you can't deny there's some truth to Mr. Clarence's claims that the town is going through some tough times.

Seeing Silvertree in its proper light for the first time, you start to feel: