If he knew her better, he'd offer some comfort to go along with all this bad news but he could only give her the truth as he knew it, with a soft sympathy that was for all of them.

"There is no 'out'. Just trees and fog that'll kill you quicker than anythin' in town." He took a deep breath, glancing at his boots and then the church around them as he continued. "You want the truth of it, Miss Kitty?"

Dark eyes returned back to her face. "I think she's tryin' to do the opposite. Drive us into truama and turnin' in on one another. I.. I think she wants us to start sacrificin' one another." He expected to be told he was crazy. Prepared for it, even.