Who Are You?

Welcome to Riverdale

Ciana was looking out the window. Her head was leaned against it and she was looking at the long road ahead of her.

She saw nothing but a long road and trees on either side of the road. It was like a big forest around the road.

She had headphones in her ears to block out the sound of the bus. There were some crying and screaming children in the back of the bus. There were two women who it seems could never stop talking to each other and didn't really realize that they were talking quite loud.

A couple who was seated a few seats ahead of her were all too touchy to be out in public. And then there was the man beside her. He was sleeping and snoring loudly. She had tried to be without her headphones for a while at the start if her journey but decided that she soon would get mad if she continued to hear all of the noise around her. She was currently listening to "rap god" by Eminem. The song came to an end and she went to her playlist, she searched until she found something she liked and put it on.

The beat and the voice overpowers the noise in the bus but she could still hear the faint crying of the young baby. It couldn't have been more than 6 months old. And as much as the sound had annoyed her after a while she couldn't blame the mother. The mother seemed young and tired and besides the young baby, she had a 2-year-old boy who wouldn't stop moving. She was alone with the kids. No father was there. Ciana wondered what the mother could have been through to be sitting in this hot, cheap bus. She felt sorry for her.

The bus kept on driving for an hour before it stopped in a little village. She saw the two loud talking woman get their bags and get out of the bus, walking into the village. She studied them until they were only small dots on the horizon. The bus was back on the road after a few minutes.

The woman in the background had somehow got her baby to fall asleep but the older boy was still wide awake playing around.

Ciana wondered if she would find what she was looking for. What was she even looking for? She wasn't entirely sure herself. She had figured she would figure it out when she got to the town

She had a stack of money in her bag that would help her on the way. She drank a gulp of water from her flask that she had beside her. The bus was extremely hot.

It was summer and the sun was high in the sky, no clouds in the way. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a simple black top. She was wearing a pair of black sneakers and she had a black cap beside her. Her naturally wavy dark hair was in a high ponytail.

She put her head back on the window and she was again back to watching the road ahead. The bus kept on going until it stopped to let out some passengers. The last ones who left were the mother. Her baby was awake again and crying for her mother's attention but the mother was busy dragging out her 2-year-old boy out of the bus. The only ones left now was her and her snoring neighbor. From a bus full of people only 2 were left.

They traveled for a while and she watched the time on her phone to see how long she had left of her journey. It shouldn't be much. And it wasn't that long after that she could see a sign at the right side of the road. It was simple and green, the letters Riverdale pained with white color.

Ciana sat up and after 10 minutes the bus came to a stop. She stood up and took her bag from the floor. As she climbed over her snoring neighbor she wondered if he meant to travel so far or if he had missed his stop when he was sleeping.

She walked out the bus and strapped the bag to her shoulder. She put on her cap and pulled her hair out the hole in the back. She watched the bus drive away and started to walk.

She didn't really know where she was walking but went into the direction of the town. She walked straight and turned right into a street. Big houses were on either side of the big street. She walked down the street and passed a big white house. She stopped at the house. The house had a red door and stairs that led up to the house. It felt expensive. She saw an old rusty truck in front of the house. It felt less expensive. She thought it was odd. Before she could think about it too much as she always did she started to walk.

She passed another house, this one a yellow one. It wasn't as big, fancy and expensive looking like the white one but it was big enough for her. She walked to the end of the street and took left this time. She walked for a while until she came into what seems to be the center of the town. Some markets and stores were open and people were buying stuff, living their lives. She walked until she saw the building she was looking for. Finally a hotel.

She walked into the hotel and stood in front of the reception. An old woman was sitting there. "Hello, and welcome," she said with a smile.
Ciana returned the smile "Hi".
She read the receptions name tag. Trisha. She looked at her kindly.
"What are you looking for"
"I was wondering how much a night costs"
Trisha looks up at her "it costs 55 dollars for a night"
The girl's eyes widen "55 dollars"
Trisha looked at her"yes"

Ciana ran a hand through her hair.
"Is there anything cheaper?"
"No, not anything here"
Ciana looked at Trisha. "Anywhere else"

Trisha gave her a long look. "You may find something on the Southside"
What was the southside? Ciana had never heard of it.
"What is the Southside?" She askes.
"The southside is the poor side of town"
"The poor?" Ciana was confused.
"Yes, there is a poor side and this side the Northside is more of the rich side"
Ciana looked around her.
"Oh okay," She saw Trisha studying her. "May I ask you something"
Ciana tilted her head "Go ahead"
"You're not from town are you"
Ciana shook her head "No I'm not"
"Only brave or stupid people would come to Riverdale"
What was that supposed to mean?
Ciana ignored the comment.
"Where can I find the southside"
Trisha waved her hand in a direction.
"Just walk south"
Ciana backed away from the reception. "Thank you for your help"
"You're welcome" Trisha waved her goodbye.

She walked out of the hotel and started to walk the direction Trisha said, assuming it was south. Again she studied the people around her and saw how they lived their lives. Ciana walked for a while until she saw a bridge. She walked over it.

She could now see why they called it the poor side. It was so different than the Northside. The people here didn't have elegant clothes they had over the Northside. Many of them had a leather jacket with a snake on the back. They watched her as she walked by. She straightened her back and held her head high as she walked.

She walked past an abandoned car that had its window smashed, no daubed that someone had stolen something.

She came to a building and stood in front of it. It was an old motel. The letters were white and rusty. She walked into the motel and walked to the reception.

"Hi," she said with a smile. The woman in front of the desk looked tired.
She didn't great her back. "What can I help with," she said instead.
"I was wondering how much a night costs?" The receptionist chewed gum "We have a room for 20 dollars"
Ciana fished out 40 dollars from her bag and handed it over to the woman. "I will take one for two nights."

The woman only handed her the key and told her to go up to the second floor. Ciana took the stairs up to the second floor and walked along the hall. She walked down to the end of the hall, room 55. She opened the door with the key and walked in.

There weren't many things there. A kingsize bed on the left side of the room. A desk was against a window and a clothes drawer was standing on the right side if the room. Beside the drawer was a door that led to the bathroom. It wasn't big or fancy but it had to do. The walls were yellow wallpaper and the floors were of Oakwood and had an ugly grey mat.

She walked to the bed and put the keys on the bead side table. She put down her bag on the floor and sat down at the bed. She laid down on the bed. She was exhausted. She sat up again and opened her bag. She took out her PJs and quickly changed. She let her hair down and turned off the light. She pulled down the covers of the bed and curled up like a ball under them. She put her hand under her head and couldn't fight off the sleep.

........

So I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. And I hope that you will continue to read and find out about who Ciana is and what she does in Riverdale.