Wonsconspile Villiage

Chapter One - Back Again

Way back when, the days of Wonscompile Village were sunny and warm, bright, cheery even. The villagers would be chatting away their mornings, walking to work, the children walking to school with their mothers after a warm, hearty fulfilling breakfast.

I find it hard to believe also.

My name is Henry Stines. I was a traveling architect when the village of Wonscompile caught my eye. It was a wonderful village, exactly like I had imagined and for this reason, I took a liking to the village, and stayed for a couple short months. Staying in the village wasn't on my schedule, but immediately stepping inside the gates, I imagined a small look-out tower on the edge of the town.

Perfect, I thought.

I wanted to get started right away, so naturally, I booked a room in the nearest inn, and set down some construction paper and began designing the tower I had pictured, eager to start my work. Shortly after I finished the foundation, a knock came to my room door.

I got up from my seat, reluctantly, and opened the door.

A tall man with fluffy brown hair, and green eyes like emeralds looked down upon me smiling.

"Hi there!" His voice was deep, but his tone was cheerful. "I just wanted to welcome you to the Wonsconpile Hotel."

"Uh... okay?" I replied, a little caught off guard. I'm not one for much interaction.

"Have a nice day!" he left, and I shut the door.

Well, that was weird, this town certainly wants to challenge the social norms of other places I've been to. I didn't expect what I assumed to be the hotel owner so gleeful. Does he act like that for all his costumers?

Perhaps he's just being friendly, still... it seemed fake.

Nonetheless I took this as a sign to go sightseeing, maybe it'd spark some sub conscious ideas for my tower design.

I strode out of my room, and went down to the tavern below, "Excuse me?" I said to the bartender, "do you know of any fascinating sights to see in town?"

"You a newcomer?" His voice was scruffy and countrylike, like he was from the south. And the cigarette in his mouth moved as he talked.

"I suppose so."

"I feel sorry for ya," he took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew out the smoke.

There was a long pause before either of us spoke again. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, I asked, "Why would you be sorry for me?"

He looked back at me, glaring daggers. "The mayor don' take too kindly to newcomers. I reckon it'd be in your best interest if you left while you could."

So, the mayor didn't want me here? Or any visitors for that matter.

"All the more reason to stay, I suppose." I'm very curious as to why the mayor wouldn't want me here, or just any newcomers in general. It was clear something deep and mysterious was in the history of this town. I felt an urge to uncover that depth.

He mumbled under his breath something that sounded suspiciously like 'imbecil'.

"Do you have a map of the town?" I asked, but he was no longer interested in talking to me, as he was brewing a drink for a customer.

"I do!" The chipper man who greeted me at my room door strode towards me with a map in hand. Must have been seated at one of the tables.

"Thank you," I waved politely and left the tavern in search for some lovely sights to see.

It took a little while to get used to the streets of the town. It was small, and the buildings were far apart, excluding the neighborhoods. Long, wide dirt roads led to the fronts of the various shops and restaurants. I viewed all of this from the front of the Tavern Hotel I was staying at.

The sun glimmered brightly in the bright baby blue sky. The sun blinked. Weird... it was probably mid evening by now. And the sun still set high in the sky like it was still midday.

I checked my watch to make sure.

Yep. 6:42. There's no way the sky should be this light out right now. I'll check my map later to see where Wonsconspile is located.

My tour wasn't all too exciting. Nothing really came to my interest except for a small tailor's shop on the edge of town. Now I know where to go if my clothes don't fit.

I checked my watch. The time was 7:15 when I approached what seemed to be the democratic building. It was large, at least 3 stories high, pillars framing the entrance of extravagant white. Its presence felt intimidating and broad. It didn't fit in with the town at all.

I could hear sounds of intimidation coming from what must be a crowd inside. Clearly there was a meeting of some sort going on.

As a visitor, it would be rude for me to listen in. So naturally, I went inside.

The inside was even grander and bigger than the outside of the building. The wide lecture hall was grand, the floor recently polished, the wooding being a tanned peach kind of color, and the walls painted a bright white like snow.

A tall man with fluffy hair was standing on the podium in the middle well of the stage behind him.

The same man that greeted me earlier.

After I got over the shock, I took in his features. His hair was a dark color, from brown to black, his eyes were a lot less wide, and sharper, the color of an emerald just dug out of the earth. He was wearing dark gray slacks, with a matching tie, tied to his white-collar shirt. A sash slung over his shoulder with the letters, M-A-Y-O-R stitched on.

Next, I finally paid attention to his words.

"This newcomer is a threat to us all! I've seen the tools in his room, a pickaxe? A knife? Even a rifle hooked to his wall!"

Woah, this guy sounds like bad news. I wonder who he could be?

"We must find the architect and force him out of town!" More fear ripples through the crowd.

Oh.

It's me, I thought.

I didn't possess any of those items. All I carried with me was my pen and pencils, some sandwiches I had bought from the previous town, my laptop, and some spare pieces of construction paper.

Now it all made sense, the bartender felt bad for me because the mayor was planning all of this. And the mayor also acted so friendly so I wouldn't be on to him.

But why was the mayor intent on getting rid of me? Has he done this to previous newcomers before? And why is the sky still so damn bright?

Whatever the answers were, I was going to find them out. And I was not going to leave this town, until I found them.