wally's lament.

[ 2 ]

⫸——⫷

When you awoke, it was 7 P.M..

Thin white curtains were drawn open on either side of the singular window in your motel room, exposing a darkening sky and unmoving clouds. You sat up and yawned, glancing around the room with bleary eyes. The stillness of the room was so serene. It was something to be cherished.

The motel was no expensive venue. It carried a homely vibe, with off-white striped wallpaper and navy blue carpets. The bedspread was all white and plain. There were two nightstands on either side of the bed, holding table lamps with blue lampshades. You had left them off before your nap, so the only light entering the room came from outside.

You stood and opened your suitcase. You unpacked what little items you had taken with you and chose a comfortable, but classy, outfit suitable for the chilly air outside. This was your first night here, so you planned to take a look around town, buy some groceries, and hopefully find some potential places to work if time allowed. However, you were still quite exhausted. It would take a couple of days for you to fully adjust yourself to this new place.

Once you were ready, you headed out. There was nobody at the check-in desk when you left the motel. Out of habit, you went to reach for your phone to look at maps and see if there was anywhere to eat nearby but, upon finding your pockets empty, you remembered that you had destroyed your phone before you left so they could not track you.

You sighed, irritated now. Perfect new life, you told yourself sarcastically.

You began to walk back to the intersection behind the train station so you could turn down a new road. The air was certainly chillier now than earlier, but the breeze had died down, as if silencing itself so the beautiful sunset could steal the spotlight. The birds were quiet aside from a few gentle sparrow chirps from up in the trees.

Eventually, you came upon a circular round-about in the road. Some homes stood on the opposite end, but next to you was a store. It was a squat blue building with a sign above the door that read: Howdy's Place. There were several wooden bins sitting against the exterior walls of the store holding fruits and vegetables. Groceries; exactly what you needed.

You entered the store. A quiet bell chimed over head, as if to let any employees know that you were entering, but the place appeared empty from here.

Suddenly, you felt another chill run down your spine and froze in the entrance. Someone was certainly here. But where? Who? Them?

"Good evening," a voice nearby — too nearby — said.

On your left, a man stood a couple feet away from you. He had appeared out of nowhere and was now quite close. You stared at him with wide eyes until the nerves in your stomach finally settled and the paranoid chill vanished from your skin.

"Hello," you replied. You were about to ask if he worked here before you saw the brown bag of shinning red apples in his hand. Definitely just a shopper. He was about your height, with lazy black eyes, a content smile, and a deep blue pompadour atop his head. The flashy haircut choice went well with his similarly flamboyant outfit: a blue top with pants that were vertically striped with multiple colors and a red ribbon tied around his neck. It suited his ordinary face shockingly well.

He watched you for a moment. His stare made you feel like his eyes were melting into yours; like in this moment, nothing mattered other than his eyes absorbing your presence.

"You're new around here, aren't you?" he asked finally. His voice was very pleasant, like that of a singer's.

"I... yes," you said. "I just got here by train. Looks like a small town..."