"Life is like a taxi. The meter just keeps a-ticking whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still." -Unknown
Chapter 1: The Taxi Ride
The boy hunkered down in the train seat, shoving his hands deep into the warm down pockets of his coat. It hadn't always been this way.
When did it get so cold?
Winter had crept up this year and jumped out without so much as a 'Surprise!'
He tucked his nose under his red wool scarf as the train started to slow.
Trees and snow moved slowly across the window, blocking everything else from sight.
This was way out in the sticks. But this was what he wanted, or so he supposed. At least it would be different here... or so he supposed.
The boy stood as the screeching of the train's brakes filled the compartment. A long high-pitched whistle sounded as he removed his single duffle bag from the overhead compartment.
Shoving gloves onto his frozen fingers, the boy leapt from the train and onto the snowy platform. Or platform of snow, depending on how you looked at it.
A hiss of steam escaped from the gears of the train as he trudged across the platform. The temporary warmth was welcomed.
The station itself was just as impressive as the platform; it wasn't much. It didn't even look like he could get a decent cup of coffee at the ramshackle little building. The windows were covered with posters about upcoming events, advertisements for local stores, and even help wanted posters. He couldn't be sure if the posters were just forgotten, or were being used to keep out the cold. In fact, he would bet his duffel that the inside of the train station was colder than the outside.
He would've won the bet.
Trudging through the snow he passed the wrought-iron archway as the train let out another whistle and began chugging along the tracks in the direction it had just come from. Even though this was the last station this town was apparently too small to even house a train for the night.
Just as the boy was starting o have misgivings, a taxi pulled up alongside him.
An old man wearing a sea captain's hat leaned out of the passenger window and smiled widely.
"Yar, ahoy matey!"
The boy just stared at the smiling taxi driver, whose upper lip looked too long for his face.
Could this man be making a joke? Or did he actually just talk like that? Would it be rude to laugh? Or would it be rude not to? How should he respond?
These questions flashed through his mind in an instant, but his mouth had already taken over.
"Ahoy?"
"Yar, ahoy!" The man said, his small eyes growing even smaller as he smiled - if that was even possible. "Where are ye settin' sail for?"
"Uh..." The boy stared as the taxi driver pulled his captain's hat off and ran a small hand through his well oiled hair.
"Uh... I... uh..."
The driver waited patiently as the boy continued to stare at the large bald spot on the taxi driver's head.
"Um... That is- I... uh..."
"Well, lad," The driver said, blissfully ignorant of the way his potential customer was staring at the doughnut-like ring of hair on his head. He ruffled his hair, undoing his careful efforts of coming it into place, "There's only one city around these parts." He smiled up at the boy once again, "So I reckon yer heading's for Harmony."
The boy nodded.
"Well then... let me jus'," the cabbie opened the door and hoisted himself out of the driver's seat, "get that fer ye." He finished his sentence as he held open the door for his passenger. "Ye want me to put that in the trunk for ye?"
The boy clutched his duffel tightly and ducked into the back seat.
With a smart snap of the rear door, the taxi driver was back in the front seat. The taxi slowly pulled out from the empty station with a quiet rumble of the engine.
"So tell me," the driver said, leaning his head back to make some semblance of eye contact, "Whar ye from, ye landlubber?"
The boy blinked, "Excuse me?"
"Where. Ye. From?"
"Oh. Um... You see... I'm from... Well..."
The cabbie slapped a hand on the rim of his steering wheel happily, "Oh! Wellstone Springs! I know that place! I gots me a cousin up there. At least I think so..." The taxi swerved slightly as he made a sharp turn on the mountain path.
"Yes, Wellstone Springs!" The boy said bracing himself against the door, "I've just moved here from Wellstone Springs."
"Really now! Well Harmony Falls is a right nice place fer a youngster such as yerserlf ta settle down and all. Yer at the wanderin' age... Much better than Wellstone, with all the traffic and busy people."
"Yeah!" The boy said sliding on the slick plastic seats as they rounded another turn, "Too many people too!"
"Ain't that a fact!" continued the driver as he swirled the steering wheel around, "People, comin' an' goin' at all hours o' the day. Never a 'How'd ye do?' to a poor old taxi driver like meself." He sighed heavily, then smiled at his passenger through the rearview mirror, his eyes turning to happy slits once more.
"But that's why Harmony Falls, or just plain ol' Harmony as us locals like to call it, is a real nice place to settle down, Mr. Wellstone Springs... Say now..." A cold rain started to patter against the windshield, "Gar... think it'd be cold enough to snow, but no... the blusterin' north winds have it out fer me!" The cabbie turned his head around again, "Rain's dangerous ye know. Makes the ice slippery and all."
The rhythmic beat of the windshield wipers soon added their part to the soft jazzy song the old cabbie had been quietly playing on the radio.
"Yar... where was I... Tha's right! Ye wee snappin' turtle. I never got yer name! I can't very well go callin' ye Mr. Wellstone Springs, now can I?" The cabbie glanced at the boy in the back seat with a raised eyebrow, "Unless ye are the descendant of Mr. Wellstone, founder of Wellstone Springs?"
The boy laughed heartily, "No, no. I'm no descendant of Mr. Wellstone. I'm just a normal kid, looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, you know?"
"Well then." The cabbie said trundling along the narrow mountain path and through a tunnel, "So, ye gonna tell me yer name, lad? Or do ye like being called Mr. Wellstone?"
The orange lights in the tunnel slipped out of the cab's interior as they exited.
"My name's Jack."
"Jack, ey?" The cabbie said tilting his head to cast a sidelong look at the boy, "Yar..."
The boy fidgeted a bit under the piercing stare that came from those too small eyes, with that too long upper lip. And practically almost nonexistent flat nose.
"Jack, is it?" The cabbie turned to face the front once more, "So, fond o' the name Jack, are ye?" Ye smell a bit fancy to fer a 'Jack'. Ya look more like a 'Johann' or a 'Johnathan' or sommat. Johnathan Wellstone Springs... Ye know what? I like it. That's what I'll call you. Johnathan Wellstone Springs. Yar har har!"
Seemingly content, the cabbie let Jack ride in silence for a few moments.
Jack opened his mouth, but then shut it.
Should he continue with the small talk? It seemed only proper, but he had decided to keep to himself when he moved. But he'd also promised to turn over a new leaf. And if he was going to live here for a long time, it would be nice to have friends. The old cabbie seemed friendly and nice enough.
"The name's Captain Quentin Kumber," the cabbie said, smiling at Jack's fish-gaping way of trying to keep their conversation going.
"Captain?" Jack quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.
The man chuckled, "No worries, lad. I used to be a captain of my very own ship, believe it or not. But that's neither here nor there. It's all in the past now. Now I'm just a cabbie. Cabbie Captain Quentin Kumber." The driver chuckled, and glanced at Jack through the rearview mirror.
Jack smiled back, "Captain Cabbie Kumber!"
"Cabbie Captain Q!"
"Captain Cabbie Quentin!"
"Quentin Kumber Cabbie Captain Extraordinare!"
"Q. Kumber the Cappie-tan!"
At this the taxi skidded to a halt, causing Jack to slam into the passenger's seat in front o fhim. He really should have remembered to put on his seatbelt. His eyes were watering and his nose was throbbing.
"Captain, are you ok?" He made to touch the old man's shoulder, but stopped. The man was shaking.
Jack panicked.
Was he injured? Was he having a seizure? A stroke? Should he call 911? Or did he cross a line with the silly names? Was the Cabbie Captain mad? Oh man!
He knew he should've just kept quiet. Kept to himself and lived a life away from people. He just knew it!
"You know what... here's fine. I can wal-"
"Yar har har har HAR!"
The old cabbie threw his head back and laughed.
Jack already had his bag on his shoulder and one hand on the handle, stopped stunned.
The driver continued to laugh, a window-shaking booming laugh that rocked the whole car.
"Yar har har har har HAR!"
Maybe it was a stroke...?
The Captain continued roaring as he wiped a tear from his eye, "That was the best one yet!"
Jack just stared, not quite able to get the idea that his driver was having a stroke right before his eyes.
"And not only that! Ye called me Cappie! Yar har har har har har!"
Well at least he wasn't mad... at least Jack didn't think so. The Captain continued to laugh and Jack could feel an infectious bubble start to swell in his stomach. Soon the two of them were laughing up a storm as they continued to drive through the rain.
"Cappie! Oh... that was a good one, Wellstone!"
"Keep calling me Wellstone and I'm going to start calling you Cappie." Jack chuckled as they both regained enough control to breathe properly.
"That's a promise, yar?" The Captain turned around in his seat, holding out a pinky.
Jack smiled at the childish grin and the proffered pinky, but he took it nonetheless.
"Promise."
Cappie smiled and turned back around, "Yer a good kid Wellstone. You'll get along just fine in Harmony, that ye will."
Jack couldn't help smiling at the back of Cappie's white hat that perfectly covered up the large bald spot on its owner's head. But even as he smiled, he couldn't help feel the growing sense of unease as they came upon a large wooden gate flanked by two guards that read "Welcome to Harmony Falls."
Two guards smiled, saluted, and waved Cappie through the gates.
Cappie smiled and with his own salute, followed by a wave, pulled into the town.
I thought my Cappie's name was funny...
A/N: This will story is based on characters that can be found in Animal Crossing, and will incorporate some characters that you can find in the games. Points to those of you who can figure out who a character is. Also please note, that characters will be (and are) human in this story for all intents and purposes. I hope you enjoyed my attempt at something not so... dark. Please stay tuned for more.