The steeple of the Hawthorne First Baptist Church is vividly described as a sharp white structure rising above the bare trees. This imagery evokes a sense of warning or reprimand, as if the steeple is pointing down at the surroundings, drawing attention. Its prominent presence in the landscape suggests its significance in the community, serving both as a place of worship and a symbol of moral authority.

This visual contrasts the church's pure, white color against the starkness of winter, enhancing its role as a guiding force in the narrative. The author, Robert R. McCammon, uses this imagery to create an atmosphere that hints at deeper themes of vigilance and perhaps the scrutiny of the human condition within the mystery unfolding in the story.