1 Destination
"Often all it takes to start over is a different point of view…"
The sun was high and bright as the cab I was on took a pretty scenic route to my destination. Fields of lush grass soothed my rather uneasy mood about going to some rustic town in the middle of nowhere. They tell me it's a quaint hamlet known for its farms but the name 'Mineral Town' makes me think of some desolate mining village. My eyes as well as my thoughts drift through the clear blue sky.
"Here ya go, mate. Mineral Town." The cab driver was anxious to get me off. I paid my fare and he helps me unload my luggage for a little extra cash. Not too long after, a very tiny man approaches me with a ridiculous smile and greets me. To my surprise, he was the mayor of the town. In the back of my mind, I wonder if I had wandered into a Halfling village by accident.
"So would you like a tour?" His question broke of my trail of thoughts. I nod and as soon as we left my belongings at the inn, he proceeded to tour me around the village. Along the way he tells me of another young man who moved in about a year ago to inherit his grandfather's farm. I pretend to be interested with a series of "Oh" and "I see…"s. He should understand that I could only be so interested in another guy in the village. It made me wonder if the mayor thought I was gay. My prayers go to the Goddess hoping he doesn't. The last thing I need in my new home was the impression that I did freaky things with other men in bed. Could the mayor be gay? Another prayer goes up to the Goddess' request desk.
The town wasn't bad. In all fairness, it actually had most of the basic things any normal human being needed to lead a fairly decent life. It was no high-strung city, that's for sure. Why, the TVs in the village had access to only 4 channels! But it looked to me that the whole world could face a catastrophic disaster and life on this little town would go on just like the day before it. This was somewhat reassuring, in its own way. I could probably spend a few hours in the library and then just hang out at the inn by nightfall. From what the mayor told me, there are only 5 girls in the town close to my age. I haven't met any of them yet but hopefully, they'd be interesting. Who knows? I just might my future wife here. Not likely, but I'm open to the possibility. Just how interesting could a girl be from a town like this be?
"I hope you enjoyed the tour, Virgil." Mayor Thomas looked like even he got tired of his own tour. I respond with a happy nod, "I appreciate it a whole lot, mayor. Thanks. I pray to the Goddess that I'd fit in."
The mayor was ready to leave but he turns around once more with a rather embarrassed look on his face, "What did you say your line of work was again?" A nervous laugh escapes my lips. 'Novelist', I tell him. He waves goodbye and leaves. I plop myself onto the sofa. Coughing ensues immediately. Apparently, no one had lived in this house for Goddess knows how long. After the dust settled, I promptly pick up the broom and start to sweep around the den. I wonder just how I'd get used to life around these parts. I don't exactly have a regular day job like most of the townsfolk. That farmer kiddo my age probably has his hands full everyday so he's lucky. He doesn't have to be worried about not having something to do.
Some hours pass and I look at the interior of my new home. Decent. It was no manor but it was enough. The sun had already retired some time ago. A moment's contemplation pushes me to go around the town a bit for a little R&R before I hit the sack.
The town is pretty desolate at night. It doesn't help that my house is rather isolated from the rest of the village. I wonder if my house is really a part of the village. I look around a house a bit and find a dirty bike in the storage shed. The color's a faded red and the dust on it reminds me of the sofa. I wipe the dust off and to my surprise, it still works pretty well. A little air on the tires and I don't really need to worry about getting around town anymore. The shed is a mess but I manage to find an air pump somewhere amidst the clutter of items after some diligent searching.
Mineral Town's evening breeze is a nice change from the typical city air I got accustomed to. It's relaxing. The light at the inn is still open. I suddenly remember the fact that the inn also acts as a bar when evening comes. I park my bike near the entrance trusting that Mineral Town can't possibly have thieves with its population. A red-headed man greets me upon entry. His eyes seem to light up seeing that I'm an unfamiliar face.
"Hi there! The name's Doug. I'm the innkeeper. Might I interest you in a room?" His sales pitch sounds like it's been practiced to perfection. Tough luck for him, I have a house. "Oh I already have a place to stay. Thanks for the offer though. I just moved in earlier today."
"So you're the new guy that I heard about from Manna." Doug peers at me as if checking me out. I swear, why do I get the feeling this village is filled with gay men? However, my suspicions are proven wrong. "You're around the same as my daughter, I reckon. You might want to meet her some time. She tucked in early today but if you want, come by tomorrow morning. That aside, what can I do you for?"
"Pardon?" Although I know he doesn't mean anything by it, his phrasing is a bit wrong to me. That or I'm just getting paranoid of these people. Either way I respond with an order for a bourbon. Doug stares at me blankly for a moment. I look around and see that everyone else has tankards of wine. I guess that's the only alcohol they have to serve here. A bit flushed out, I change my order. "Wine."
It's going to be a long, long night.
"By the way, we're only open until 9pm." Doug adds after serving my drink. I look at my watch. 8:40pm.
Guess not.
A/N:Whew! After a pretty long time, I've gotten around to typing something out for I hope you guys manage to appreciate this. It's based on BTN. Please review if you have the time so I can get some feedback on what to fix up.