Restless

First Encounter: in the Junkyard

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I traveled to an abandoned junkyard to look for some parts. I planned to cobble together my own bike. I could have easily have gotten a rental car or public transport, but I didn't want to talk to anyone right now. I want to keep to myself right now, and night is perfect coverage. I feel as if something is coming, riding on the wind.

With my flashlight, I could still see the faint outline of the sickening black smoke billowing from the stacks from where I stood. I found a frame of a sturdy bike. It will fit my needs for where I'll be going. Which is anywhere, but here. It was still in useable condition. I found two tires still filled with air.

What a waste.

These tires were just thrown because the owners found them useless. I flipped the bike upside down and retrofitted the tires, tightening them on with a multitool I keep around. The tool is useful for just about any trouble. I slipped it back in my pocket and searched through the mounds for a bike chain.

This one would be less likely to be found, by itself at least. The piles of things were astounding for a small town. Some of the objects had been laying around for a long time. It left one with a feeling of despondence. All these things, once used, were thrown away when they became useless. All of the items once brought joy to someone, who then grew tired of the objects.

I did not want to leave with low spirits, so I continued to look.

I found my chain under a hubcap. I fit the chain on my upside down bike and spun the wheels to check how it worked. It spun quite smoothly. I lifted the bike and flipped it back. It was surprisingly light, some quality parts were thrown away recently.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of eyes on me, as if I was being watched. I looked around, but saw no one. I didn't see anyone before I got here. It was strange, I was sure I picked a place no one visited, at least at this time. It was late, the moonlight guiding my sight where my flashlight did not reach.

I put the flashlight in my mouth, gripping it tight with my jaw. I took out my knife and opened it quick, so I could hold my light with my hand again. I held my knife with one hand and the flashlight with the other.

I wasn't in the old, faded town anymore. I only decided to be antisocial a little while ago. I took a late bus out of the town and walked the rest here. It payed to be careful. This place had some rumors around it. A few odd unsolved murders, some deep woods and a little imagination gives birth to some scary bedtime stories.

Still, there could be a mugger or worse in these parts. I slinked around the mounds to see if I could catch a glimpse or sound of it. I listened carefully and heard a quiet shuffle of feet. I was quiet, hoping to catch whatever it may be off guard. If its an animal, then I can relax. If not, I'm ready.

Walking past another mound, I hear a new sound. It is muffled, but I thought I heard something different than before. A sort of gnawing sound, like a dog chewing its bone. It was unnerving. If it was a larger carnivore I may be in for some trouble. It was still strange, this close to town.

Normally, predators would be wary to come this near to town. While it isn't a city, its lights and sounds should scare away most animals. I continued searching through the piles of junk. I had trouble discerning were it was coming from. I kept going around one area of a few mounds.

I decided to take a look inside a mound, the one in the center. I took off a large broken screen door and removed a large scrap of metal to reveal a small space in the junk pile. My flashlight showed something to be found in nightmares. It was a small crawlspace and flat, with a piece of car door that had made a makeshift floor. Inside was a horrid smell of decay.