First Part of First Draft of First Draft of Random Short Story

Winter Errands

Caroline.

To a nameless,drab creature with a soul composed entirely of colorless darkness,the radiant gleam of pale hazel cast from such a glance was altogether blinding, devouring such a creature's very nature and existence like a fire intent on purifying a murky land infested by weeds. Even this fleeting gaze in all its brevity overwhelmed Ilexis; his entire body was engulfed in an agonizing physical pain as if a smoldering stream of flame had burned away his eyes and invaded though their sockets.

Although he could feel his icy exterior melting away from the inside, Lex braced himself, determined to save his dignity with endurance; he quickly looked away, furiously brainstorming how he could escape the situation. He opened his mouth to speak, but with his throat scorched dry, could not even force out a stammer.

"Ilexis ... ?What are you doing here?"

The words rushed him like a bullet, a wave of panic slamming into his mind as he wasstill unable to muster a reply.

The foreign man discerned the scene in apparent surprise. "Oh! The two of you area cquainted?" he exclaimed, and Lex thought he caught the corners of his mouth drooping ever so slightly.

"If you'll excuse me, I must be going now," a small, weak voice uttered from somewhere. "Goodbye."

Some unseen force seemed to take over Lex's physical form as his feet automatically turned away from the stranger and Caroline, his gait speeding up as his legs carried him in the opposite direction like they were a part of some mechanical vehicle. No! Walk! Ilexis panicked allover again as he struggled to reassert his will over his own body. Scampering away like a rascally child was not dignified in the least. Goodbye ... goodbye ... goodbye ... The disgustingly meek voice that must have been his own rattled around inside his head to the point of throbbing. He wondered why that was all he could manage to say after all this time, all these years.

Thus ensued what seemed an eternity following Lex's flight from his humiliating attempt at asking for directions. Though still clueless about the location of Morton's Market, and as the minutes continued to expire,such trifling cares had abandoned him as he reeled in shock. The sole concern at the forefront of his mind was to get as far away as possible from anyone who had witnessed his dignity's desertion. Carried on by wings of shame, he had given in to fear's desire of a speedy exit; each breath he drew was increasingly ragged and less satisfying until he finally threw himself, gasping, onto a wooden bench.

Lex had no idea where he was nor the time, but he didn't care much. At this momen the wished that the cold affected him as harshly as it did others,that the biting January wind would penetrate his skin and cool the searing blood beneath. With sweat drenching his hair, his innards aching in tumult, and vertigo dominating his equilibrium, Lex felt feverishly ill. Coming to his senses slightly, he raised his hand to wipe his face, and felt betrayed by his own body to see how it still trembled.

After a few minutes of deep breathing, the rapid rush of his blood had calmed; he stood up, and was relieved that the world did not spin with the sudden movement. With the emotional fog of adrenaline now dissipating, his thoughts meandered back to the mysterious foreigner,whose image was now of significantly less fond recollection. Lex was certain that upon the stranger realizing his acquaintance with- she who he didn't even wish mentally name- that the man had donned a troubled expression that even he with all his charisma couldn't disguise. Why? Just a moment before, he had been acting amiably—rather exceedingly so—and at that point, Ilexis hadn't yet made his disgraceful flight. No, the man's displeasure, if not merely imagined, was definitely not caused by Lex alone, and absolutely not by her either, as he had previously been speaking quite fondly of "his friend". Did the stranger ...assume there was something between them? Definitely not; the motive couldn't be jealousy, for what did Lex have that he could possibly covet? From even a brief interaction, it was clear to Ilexis that this man had everything: internally he was blessed as a model of social grace and charm, externally with the build and beauty of famed Apollo, and these qualities he further dressed in ultimate class and elegance to the point it could be considered as gilding the perfect lily.

Lex snapped back to reality upon noticing in his peripheral vision a particularly reflective storefront window that housed a two dimensional dour little man with an unpleasant scowl. Ah, yes- a very dour, sour fellow indeed, the epitome of social ineptitude and ultimate foulness; a pathetic little person who Ilexis would certainly not wish to interact with; a dull weed that perhaps deserved just a little of the gilded lily's luster. He looked away and heaved a deep sigh.

Abruptly, a shrilly cacophonous jingle pierced the air; although it was only made from a small wreath of bells slung on a door, the reverberations seemed to rattle Lex's brains with childish persistence. He turned and fixed his best death glare upon an aggravatingly jolly, round man, who had appeared right behind his bench as suddenly as the bells had begun jangling. The man was unfazed, and stared right back with bulging pale blue eyes and a wide smile that Ilexis found slightly disturbing.

"Why halloooo there, my good, my good sir! And how might you be this fine and frosty morning?" The man, apparently a shopkeeper, leaned in as he bellowed this greeting, and Ilexis noted that he smelled of dusty,musty antiques. Before Lex could even consider how to reply, he went on: "It's a bit chilly to be out without a coat, eh? Aha, I jest,I jest! After all, your sweater is of a fine material and rich color! I take it you're an artist?"

The sun had only been up a few hours, but Lex felt he had already had the entire new year's worth of socializing before this man decided to impose. However, he was internally conflicted; anyone who thought well of artists and noticed his own creative eye was worthy of a modicum of respect, no matter how otherwise irritating he deemed them.

Before Ilexis could contemplate a reply, the shopkeeper's words tumbled out once more: "Aye, my good chap, no need, none at all for that gape; your creative vision is obvious! You know, I have a most wondrous little item here in my inventory today that someone like you may find quite handy-dandy! I believe you've already seen it,actually; fancy a closer look?!"

As the jovial older man practically shouted with excitement, Lex flinched in befuddlement. Despite the question opening up a moment for him to speak, he was still unable to compose an intelligible sentence. In sheer confusion, he could not find it in himself to be characteristically offended by such boldness, and again, a gelid,gradual feeling of panic seeped into his veins.

"Um ... what?"He blabbered,but immediately felt embarrassed .

"Huh?" The shopkeeper seemed taken aback. "None but the pretty little paintbrush in that shop's window!"

The old shopkeeper briefly paused, and Lex, suddenly realizing the situation, began to speak: of course, he was cut off.

"You know, good chap, it's my own shop! It would be a right show of bad manners were I not to invite you in on such a blustery morn!"

Ilexis couldn't help but feel that forcing himself on a random stranger was an even worse show of bad manners, but the shopkeeper's unusual, even desperate persistence rendered him speechless. Dumbstruck and dazed,Lex's limbs dangled, and it didn't take much strength on the part of the jolly shopkeeper to hoist him up. With a cheerful "come,now!", he nigh dragged Lex toward the shop, a quaint little brick building that looked as if it boasted of the same antique scent as its owner.