Barbee rushed past a workman, attempting to appear nonchalant despite feeling the chill of the air and an unsettling sense of dread. His thin red robe offered little warmth, and he experienced goosebumps as he navigated through the seemingly calm city. The surface serenity felt deceptive, masking a lurking horror that he believed was too overwhelming for rational thought.

In Barbee's perception, even an ordinary bricklayer could embody something sinister. This thought amplified the atmosphere of unease, suggesting that beneath the city's facade of tranquility, darkness and madness might be hiding, ready to emerge from the shadows and disrupt the false calm. Such fears lingered in his mind, illustrating the thin line between normalcy and terror.