A day in Imil
~Chibi-Biro
John Parkins walked down the stairs from his house, above the town's Sanctum. He was the town's fifth oldest person, yet also the fifth youngest.
"Hey Timmy." He said, rather over-jovially, to the young boy staying at he Sanctum as an apprentice healer.
"Hey John. How are things?"
"As good as they can be in a town with less than five buildings, friend."
John replied, with a hearty laugh.
He kept walking, passing through the graveyard, then nearly falling down as he crossed the iced-over river into the main part of the town.
"Ahh!" He yelled as he slid into a rock. Timmy looked over, as he was still standing outside, even in the frigid weather.
"You okay, John?" He yelled.
"Just a little startled, Tim." John yelled back.
"Alright. Be careful."
"Sure thing, you can never be too careful."
Tim laughed. "You can be so cliché sometimes, John."
Looking down at the ice below him, John saw the reflection of his ruffled black hair, set above what he thought to be a pretty face. His wide shoulders were covered by a hand-me-down brown vest, which overlapped just under an inch of his green pants.
"Do I look okay, Tim?"
"What do you mean?"
" 'Would a girl think I look good', is what I'm trying to say."
"Well, I'm not a girl, but I'd say you look great, considering how you usually look."
He found himself at the other side of the river, hoping that he wouldn't be making the trip back anytime soon.
Keeping a slow, but steady pace, he strolled over to the house at the front of the town, which belonged to an old couple.
"Hello, Winfred." He said to the old woman, which was sitting on an old chair on her porch.
She coughed violently, then said "Hello, John. I haven't seen you in a while. Where are you headed?"
John smiled. "I have a special someone, down at the inn."
She gasped, then clutched her right arm and said sarcastically, "Oh my! I think I'm going to die! John Parkins got the girl! Oh, my heart…"
He stifled a laugh and said "It's your left arm, you old fool. And it's not that big of a deal. Just don't tell your husband, because he might actually faint!"
They both laughed, exchanged their good-byes, then John strolled around the corner to the Inn.
Once inside, Jim spotted his target, Amy Willis.
"Hello, Amy."
END CHAP.1