Alex Winter

1:35 pm, Sunday, July 9th, 2023

They were quiet on their walk to town, his outburst leaving a terrible awkwardness in its wake. He regretted it, and yet her calmness was almost unsettling. Almost like there was a strange understanding between them. He was never good at putting on a facade when it came to his emotions. Recent circumstances did little to help.

The sun's heat tickled their shoulders, a cool breeze flowing throughout the fields. Sunflowers, roses, white lilies, and all sorts of other flowers surrounded the grasslands outside of the forest. It wasn't something he hadn't noticed in his desperate attempt to get home the previous night. There was a beach and lighthouse below the hill that caught his eye. Imagining the tiniest shape of a person standing there, watching them.

Chills ran down his spine, yet he never saw anything when he looked around. Rinoa watched him as he did, as if studying his every action. She probably thinks I'm some sort of basket case... Do I even care? I just met her anyway.

The town was lively that day. Alex's eyes wandered to the various shops scattered around. People they passed were kind and offered a greeting at every turn. It seemed like the perfect place for a home, the very kind of environment he had been looking for. For all I know... one of these people could be in on Scarlett's scheme. It isn't smart to assume she's working alone, Alex thought, remembering the bull headed man. The darkness within the eyeholes of the skull.

"You alright, Alex? Never took you for a cold and silent type of guy," Rinoa said, checking herself out in a window's reflection. A white dress glimmered behind the glass.

He sighed. "I suppose you could say I've got a lot on my mind. Is that disappointing?"

Rinoa shook her head, facing him. "Not at all. It is natural for men to tremble before the beauty of a witch as powerful as I," she said, her voice rising in pitch as she pointed at him with a mischievous smile.

He paused, chuckling weakly. "You're not ugly enough to be a witch," he said, crossing his arms.

"Something of a gift actually," she said, winking.

The more they walked around, the less normal the town seemed. Alex felt a strange sense of illusion from it. A weight on his shoulders he couldn't explain. Droopiness in his eyes that couldn't be shaken off. It was like the town's very existence defied reality. Even some of the townsfolk in their numbers felt faceless to him. Most weren't memorable at a single glance except for Rinoa and Scarlett. I know I'm not the greatest at remembering faces of people I don't talk to... Granted if it's someone I see multiple times I might but, there's something strange about this.

Rinoa paused by a mailbox, taking a photo with the camera that hung on her neck. There was a cross hanging on every mailbox and each door they passed on the outer houses around town. If she had any thoughts about it, she kept quiet, merely dotting down notes in her little journal.

Eventually they reached a café called the Seaside Royale. The awkward air between them had left, yet the town's pressure still weighed on him. Rinoa didn't react, her eyes gleaming as they wandered the streets outside the window. She scribbled more notes, her eyes flickering toward him on occasion. He raised an eyebrow.

"Am I the only one getting creepy vibes from this place?" he asked, his fingers tapping against the table impatiently. "What are you writing anyway?"

"Just a little journaling. Wouldn't want to forget such educational memories, after all..."

They sat across from each other in red leather seats. The remains of a breakfast burger and some fries laid between them. Glasses and utensils click clacked all around with the usual chatter of a cafe. So many sounds and yet it might as well have been empty.

Educational? Alex thought, sipping his black coffee. The bitter taste had a hint of caramel.

"Now that we've settled down... I understand if you don't want to tell me, but your hand and your leg. Is that a story you're willing to share?" she asked.

He sighed. "What can I say? I'm a little clumsy when I'm excited."

"Alex, I haven't known you long but somehow I doubt that. You've struggled to look me in the eye all day. Am I that intimidating?"

"Wouldn't want you to assume I'm falling in love just yet. Besides, it's rude to stare."

Rinoa groaned. "I suppose that's true. You know that's not what I mean though."

"...I wouldn't even know where to begin." He flinched when she reached across to grasp his hand. Thankfully it was the uninjured one. The warning in Scarlett's letter about killing them if he spoke about it made him pause. He shook his head. "Alright, I'll tell you."

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By the time he'd finished, Rinoa was surprisingly silent for once. Her eyes pondered in a way he was all too used to when his own brain started working over time. "Are you going to leave this place? I can't imagine you wanting to stay after a night like that," she said, lowering her gaze.

"It's definitely crossed my mind. I could just move somewhere else in this town... but, would that even be smart? Going to the police was another idea..." But what the hell could they do against a spirit that can physically touch you? ...I wonder if even running from this place would accomplish anything? It seemed like Scarlett was waiting for me there. Would she follow me if I left?

"If you need somewhere to stay until you can figure it out, you could always come to my apartment in the meantime," she suggested.

His eyes widened. "Your apartment? I thought you were just here to study that myth or whatever?"

"It's a cozy town, impending doom aside. I have a love for the ocean and small towns to put it lightly," Rinoa said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Alex stopped to think about her proposal. He raised an eyebrow. "We only just met yesterday. You really trust just any guy to stay with you after he was attacked?"

"Are you saying I have to worry about you? I'm not going to be ravaged in my sleep, am I?" Rinoa teased, making his face burn.

"What? No, of course not!"

"What a shame..."

"Wait, what?"

She waved her hand, holding back a giggle. "Nothing of importance."

"You're a real handful, you know that? ...How did your meeting last night go?"

Rinoa took a sip of her cappuccino. "Last night was a snooze fest to say the least. Just a group of people talking about some woman named Cherie Mousie. Apparently she went missing."

At that, Alex looked up. He remembered the poster he'd seen. "Why would they call you in for that? Aren't you just a novelist or some paranormal hunter woman?"

"Paranormal hunter-" Rinoa burst out laughing, wiping away a tear. Other customers gave them curious looks. "I love the unknown, but I'm not licensed in the paranormal sadly."

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel a bit peculiar. Almost like we've caught ourselves walking in some sort of fantasy," she said, a smile spreading on her lips. Her pen paused as she met his gaze. There was a beauty behind them. Coldness. Piercing. "I love it."

"Seriously?"

"But of course. It's this very atmosphere that writers like us kill for! So peaceful, yet tense. Lively, yet as quiet as a graveyard. A presence that follows you within every inch of this town. Our very lives are hanging on the edge of a knife," Rinoa said, rising to her feet. She stood puffing out her chest as she put her hands on her hips. "Isn't this amazing?"

He nodded, yet his eyes fell to his hands on the table. The gash in his right hand still throbbed. His eyes narrowed.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," a voice rang a few feet away from them.

"Steven? Steven!" Rinoa jumped to give the new person who walked up a hug.

Steven had slicked back brown hair, a gray suit, and eyes as sharp as a hawk's. Everything about this man screamed that he was of a higher standard. He removed his shades and gave Alex a curt nod. "You must be the one Rinoa was referring to in her messages. I am Steven Whitman, at your service," Steven said, bowing his head.

Alex glanced at her and grinned. "Talking about me already, huh?"

"Nothing distasteful, I assure you. If anything she seems to have taken quite a liking to you if I dare say so myself," Steven said, cleaning his sunglasses to avoid the look she threw at him. "I've read your works. The Unknown series is a fascinating story. "

"People read that in this town too? Geez..." Alex said, trying to suppress a grin. It was only recently that he had finally published his own series. It wasn't well known yet, yet the positive feedback he'd received was more overwhelming by the day.

"Oh yes. Leon's fight against Death. Charging forward and creating your own future, no matter what the cost. To create something out of nothing. Truly powerful motivations that I have a deep respect for," Steven said, giving a proud smile. One of the café workers handed him a coffee.

I don't recall seeing him go to the counter. Guess he's a regular, Alex noted. There was a distinct sharpness in Steven's eyes. A similarity most people in this town seemed to share, although his was different. It felt like the eyes of a predator stalking its prey. I don't trust this guy.

Steven pulled a card from his breast pocket and handed it to Alex. "I don't have much time, but I'd be delighted if we could share a conversation over dinner sometime. I own the hotel at the end of town, so don't hesitate to reach out."

It was a business card for Whitman Enterprises, a world renowned soap and bathhouse company. Compared to other people in town, he was one of the few people who didn't feel like a painting in the background. Hope I don't regret this. "Thank you."

"Of course. Rinoa, Alex, farewell," Steven said, giving them both a small bow before heading out the door.

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"Smitten... me?" Rinoa muttered, biting her thumbnail.

They were walking through Diaedem University. The buildings within it were tall and spread out. A track field could be found behind the gymnasium. Most of the ground was a brick road. It felt like a mini town within itself. "You good? You've been talking to yourself for a while now," Alex said, following close behind.

She sighed. "You know, you're awfully calm for a man who just became friends with the richest man in town."

"Oh please, is that supposed to impress me?" he asked. "You're the one whispering crap about being smitten."

"Augh! I knew you'd let that statement get to your head," Rinoa said, looking away.

He scoffed. "Jokes on you. I could care less if you liked me or not."

She turned full circle, her cheeks flushed as her finger jabbed his chest. "What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him. "I walked for an hour! An hour through that long, creepy forest and this is how you repay me?"

"Who asked you to walk? You gave me your phone number!"

Rinoa scowled, turned her back and crossed her arms. "Asshole! You're the worst! Meanie!"

"Meanie? What are you, twelve? So-rry," he said, laughing to himself. He ducked as she swat at his head.

"Are you laughing at me? You're terrible!" she yelled, pushing him. "A beast! A mindless, scruffy looking- A- H-hey! Put me down!" She pounded his back as he carried her over his shoulder. Her legs wiggled as she tried to keep herself from laughing. Onlookers watched them with bewildered expressions as Alex carried her to the Administration Building.