What Now ⇔ Muke ✓

[1] Dude, you're tall

intro: hello

so this is a muke fanfic bc lesbihonest its the best ship around am i right

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LUKE

I'm not exactly impressed by my new town. There is no pavement for cars to drive on, only dirt with a couple sharp rocks that could easily pop your tire. The stores are old, with dull signs hammered into the dusty wood walls. Torn tents hang above each front door in a failed attempt for a shady area or shelter from rain. While the inside of the stores are mildly updated, the rest of the building looks as though it's part of a ghost town. I lick my lips, standing on the gravel, and wonder what the hell I'm doing here.

"Okay, so that's the hang out area our school normally goes to- the Mini Mart." my cousin, Ashton, points toward a slightly renovated store among the others. It is flocked with high school kids, all crowding around the few tables set up outside the building. "I'll introduce you to a few friends of mine in a minute." I stare at the loud teenagers, my eyes shielded by my dark sunglasses, so thankfully they can't tell I am looking at them. I break away when I hear Ashton continuing on with his tour, his high voice blabbering about more of the stores and the people who work in them. I could care less, but I shove my hands in my pockets and follow him, dully listening.

Ashton and I walk down the narrow sidewalk, him talking mindlessly and me barely listening. Our shoulders bump into each other occasionally and I apologize quickly every time, while Ashton just lets out this huge laugh that shocks me every time I hear it. It's weird seeing a muscular boy with a tough looking bandana around his head giggle. Thats one of the few things that hasn't changed since I last saw him.

Ashton continues to show me to all the run down areas of the town, and when he finished, he crosses his bulky arms and grimaces. "Not much, eh?" He laughs and dimples sink into his cheeks. "Greenwood is a pretty small town. I don't even think it's on maps."

I smirk and chuckle a little. "Yeah, not much." I look around me, and let out a small sigh. I don't know if I can ever get used to this. The town is so quiet, so peaceful. Where I'm from, I'm used to cars blaring horns and bright lights and sirens, all day and all night. I can't tell which I prefer. As I look around, I see the tall oak trees towering over everything in the town, their bright green leaves slowly fading into brown. A few red and orange leaves are beginning its fall transition into winter, coming loose from its home on its stem and fluttering to the ground. It is rare to even see anything that breathes carbon dioxide in the city where I live. The air is stuffy and over used, unlike the crisp, fresh air here. I take a deep breath and sigh, enjoying the clean air. That is definitely a plus.

I can hear Ashton talking somewhere a little while away, but I am distracted by something I overlooked when I first observed my surroundings- a river. Nearly hidden behind a wall of shrubbery, water flows smoothly, tumbling over rocks. I suddenly notice the sound of the river, magnifying from its even hum now that I am aware of it. Ashton notices my absence by his side and wanders back over to me.

I peer around me for a moment before something caught my eye. A flash of purple disappears beneath two towering stone rocks, providing some sort of a canopy above a stone platform, which is dangerously carved above a strong, rushing river flooding the area, and nearly hidden beneath the forest of trees.

"What was that?" I say aloud, stepping forward as I try to squint and see if I saw any more purple. I don't see anything else remotely close to that color, and I lean back, crossing my arms over my broad chest and chewing on my lip.

"What?" Ashton pipes up from behind me. "Nothing is down there but the river. Don't go down there though, dude. One wrong step and you're gone. That current is strong."