CHAPTER 2: HOME

Well I thought I would be gone sooner rather than later but the town grew on me. I couldn’t just leave here.

It seemed peaceful like I wanted to settle down here. The community was so helpful.

I had made a new friend while I was here.

It had been ages ago since I made a friend. For the first time I actually felt at home.

Alice the diner girl

She was the owner’s daughter and she was still in high school. This was a way of helping out during her free time. She was more than helpful because she would see this guy every day.

She was very easy going with her sandy blonde hair which was always up in a ponytail.

It was strange how people warmed up to me so easily. I had a seer read me once and she said I had a trusting aura.

“ I mean who even does that nowadays, here you go” she handed me my food and went on to the lady sitting in the next booth.

I nodded digging into my waffles. I have been having breakfast here. It was literally the only diner in town.

“ I guess he would have made the first move by now” I added

“ Yes! Thank you” she exclaimed.

I smiled at her giddiness

Young love was so complicated especially with social media.

I know I am young as well but I was older than most people think. One of the reasons why I decided to stay in this town.

“Anyways gotta go, thanks see you again tomorrow” I said as I put down a few dollars on the table and left.

I was heading to the library again. I had applied to volunteer. The place was actually a mess.

I thought this town was just like the rest of them until I got a creepy letter saying I should check the archives of the library.

To my surprise I finally figured it out or I thought I did.

The present mayor looked identical to the mayor which was dead about 100 years ago.

First I thought it was just pure coincidence that maybe because they share the same blood there would be a sense of resemblance after a century or so.

Happens all the time.

Nut when I found the archives in the basement the following day. I knew that this was just no ordinary coincidence.

I dug deep and found that 200 years ago the mayor still looked identical. That changed my mind to stay a bit longer and go through the archives.

There was something weird going on in this town and I was going to find out what is was because this would shed some light on my issue

That I was stuck forever like this

And I finally found a clue to where it originated from.

And it had something to do with the mayor.

I just had to find out more.

I got a lot of stares; I guess the town is not used to newcomers staying for as long as I have.

I don’t mind it.

The books in the basement were so unorganised

I kept to myself divulging in books finding out more and more about this town.

I kept on getting dead ends except for the identical mayors which could be explained away by evolution.

I locked up the library swinging the keys around my fingers.

I rounded the corner like I used to and made my way to the woods.

Creepy I know but I couldn’t just park it in the diner.

At least I was closer to nature which brought me to peace.

The hairs on my back rose as I made my way to my van door. I still felt like someone was watching me.

This time the feeling of the person on me was too long.

I waited so that I could confront the person.

But there was never anyone there when I looked around

Weird

I opened my van door and was greeted with an earthly scent. I always loved how it smelled inside here like home.

It has been my sanctuary for almost 100 years now. I put on some hot water for my herbs.

Crickets played their love song trying to find each other through the beautiful melody.

It helped with the solace

All these years have made me realise that life is too precious and flies by so fast when you are alone.

When you are forced to move from what you know as home.

The silence makes noise.

I hear my sisters footsteps chasing after mine like it was yesterday.

My brother in the middle trying to pull us apart.

I close my eyes and lay on my comfy retractor thinking of all the precious memories of my family.

It was awful watching them grow old, have kids and I was just there in the background witnessing it all unfold.

No one dared speak about the obvious around the town and I made it easier for them by staying indoors and far away from the local community.

But it got more difficult as my family started to wither away in front of me.

That’s when the whispers began more apparent and that’s when I decided to leave.

That’s when I knew I would never feel at home again

I hope I find the answers that I need.

As my heavy eyelids closed I saw a shadowy figure cross by but I was too gone to realise that someone could be breaking into my house.

But I slept anyways