Stain [H.S] - Major Editing

Chapter Twenty Eight

“I gotta go to the farmer’s market to pick up some ingredients." Harry said as we turned to Summer Avenue. “It’ll only take a sec.”

I reached for some Kettle corn and dumped a few in my mouth. “Okay.”

“Hey, don’t be greedy. Give me some.” Harry said, and I hand the bag to him.

He smiled and tossed a kernel into the air. He caught it in his mouth with ease. “Woohoo.”  

“Easy. I can do that.” I say. I tossed a kernel and it hit my nose. “Damn it.”

He laughed as we parked in front of a street filled with tents and canopies. “Your reflexes are horrible.”

“I am aware.” I grimace. “No need to rub it in.”

We walked into a large canopy overflowing with fresh looking fruits and vegetables. People of different ages were busy looking around, carrying grocery bags, arguing about prices. I stagger around the crowded space and see Harry approach a man wearing a blue apron. I squeeze between a bunch of shoppers and follow him.

“Give me six of the radishes, I use the greens, don’t toss it, and…a bunch of those cabbages.” He said and the guy nodded. He patted the asparagus. “Three of these, and two of those tomatoes—”

“Hey, Harry.” I called. He turned to face me. “We should buy a hand.”

“Which reminds me,” he walked over to a table filled with red apples. The bored-looking grocer followed him like a puppy dog. “Ten of these and a hand of bananas for the lady.”

I smiled at him and he returned it.

A few minutes later, as I busied myself choosing more fruits to buy, a man stood beside me. He blew a cloud of smoke and I cough.

“Hey, you, spunk bubble,” He called a grocer's attention. “I need three of these juicy ass mangoes right now.”

“Yes sir.”

“Hurry up. Chop-chop!” He grabbed a mango. He tossed it into the air and caught it. “Look at this, what a specimen. What a specimen.”

I look up and thought he seemed familiar to me. He had brown messy hair with a side-swept fringe and his eyes, though red from (I assume) weed, were crystal blue. They were quite menacing. He caught me staring at him and I look down at my hand—not in embarrassment, but in strange apprehension.    

“Alice,” I turn around and see Harry carrying two grocery bags. “Anything else to buy?”

“N-no.” I shake my head, wary that the guy standing next to me was watching us, blowing smoke as he did. “Let’s go.”

“Okay. Come on.”

I nod and follow him outside the canopy. Looking back, I see the man staring at us with hooded eyes, bearing a malicious, fiendlike smile that made me shudder in fear.  

.

We parked in front of my apartment and Harry, being the gentleman that he is, opened the door for me even though I told him I can do it myself. We rode the elevator in silence. The man in the farmer’s market still haunted my mind. He really creeped me out. I swear I’ve met him. I just can’t remember when.

As soon as I opened my apartment door, Harry slumped to the floor and I jump in shock. 

"What the hell?" I switch the light on and see him moving his arms back and forth across the floor as if making a "snow angel".

"I'm bushed." He groaned. "And I can't wait for it to snow!"

“You squashed the groceries!” I kicked him on the knee. "Get up!”