“Hello Mr. Austin, this is Mrs. Johnson. A group of us parents will be presenting a petition to the school board demanding we keep our schools closed.Would you be willing to support us in this action?”
“I most certainly would.” He hangs up the phone, smiling. He takes one last drag on his cigarette, grabs his young daughter’s wrist and firmly buries the red-hot end into the tender palm of her hand, causing her to let out a blood-curdling scream that no one seems to hear.