Chapter 2: A Strange Town
Upon arrival, Johnny and his therapist/friend Bruce stopped to get something to eat at a local coffee house.
The Talon
Exiting their vehicle, Bruce comments on the surroundings.
"One of these days, instead of trading in one town for another, we're going to Cancun or something"
"Come on, Bruce. It isn't all that bad"
"And what the hell is an Egyptian looking café doing in a town like this," he comments even further as Johnny tries to hold a laugh.
"Take comfort with the fact that Smallville doesn't lack diversity, my friend"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Get your mojo working so we can get out of here?"
Johnny just shook his head amusingly then walked over to find themselves a table. Looking around, "See, it isn't all that bad around here"
Bruce pretended to cover his ears, "I ain't listening"
Johnny laughs before looking up at the waitress who had just come over to their table to take their order.
"Good morning, fellas. What can I get for you?" the waitress dutifully asked with a smile on her face.
"I'll just have coffee, black, and no sugar." He turned to look at Bruce, a sour expression stretched across his face. "And my friend here will have a caramel macchiato in ice." The waitress nods and leaves. "You could at least pretend you're interested"
Bruce shrugs. "Sue me"
A few minutes later, another waitress brought their orders, and as Johnny reached out to take his cup, a slight touch of her hand sent him reeling into one of his visions.
Meteors falling. A pick-up truck flipping over. A little boy. The images were so erratic he couldn't get a grip on one vision without it going into another before even stopping to think.
He came out of it only to find part of his sleeves drenched in hot coffee.
"Ouch!" he says, waving his wrists around, coffee dripping all over the place. Bruce jumped up and immediately grabbed some table napkins to hand to his friend.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry about that," the older lady apologized with deep sincerity.
"No, it's all right," says Johnny, taking a look at the red head closely. She was definitely the woman in his vision, only older. "It was my fault, I wasn't paying attention"
"Here, let me get you another drink. On the house," she insisted.
"It's not necessary"
"Please, it's the least I can do." Behind her, Johnny could see Bruce mouthing 'free coffee' and Johnny could do nothing else but oblige.
As she went to get their drinks, Bruce leaned in. "What the hell was that, dude? Did you get another vision?"
"Yes, I did, and it packed a hell of a punch"
"Are you gonna tell me about it?"
"Not yet"
"You're no fun"
"Sue me"
"Smart ass," Bruce remarked, getting a chuckle out of Johnny.
Later in the afternoon, Johnny left Bruce at the hotel as he decided to walk around the town by himself, surveying the area. Every time he touched something, he was sent into one bizarre vision after another at the point where he even contemplated on his sanity.
One of his last visions led him to a school.
Smallville High School, to be exact.
Wondering around in the halls, he remembered his life as a teacher back home. He missed the classroom very much, and has often debated with himself if he should go back, but with his unique condition, he knew it was next to impossible without getting emotionally involved.
Taking a turn, he found himself inside what looks like the school's news room.
He looked around to see if anyone was there. "Hello?" he says once, then twice. When there was no answer, he invited himself in.
Taking a look around, it looked very professional for a school newspaper. As he reached the back wall, he noted the empty space before him, concluding that it was once used as a backboard for articles posted.
Removing his gloves, he let his hand hover over the wall and let his visions take him where it wants to take him.
He stood still as his vision took him through a time where one article became two, then three, then another and another and another until the wall was filled with articles that spanned from rescues to unexplained phenomenon's. The fast forwarding effect stopped at a single photo.
"America's Heartbreak," the titled said with a devastated photo of a little girl in tears.
He is taken out of his vision as a voice spoke out from behind.
"Can I help you?"
He quickly took back his hand and put his gloves on. Turning around, "Hi, my name is Johnny Smith," he introduced.
"Chloe Sullivan," the young blonde replied, taking her hand out to greet his.
When he didn't take, curiously, "What can I do for you?" she asked.
"This your paper," he pointed around the place.
"Until the end of the school year," she replied proudly.
"A great operation you got here"
"Thanks." She surveyed him up and down. "You new here?"
"No, I'm just passing through. I was a teacher once"
"Oh"
Johnny turned back towards the empty wall space. "Was this space always so… naked?"
Chloe held back a smirk. "Not always." There was something off about this guy, but she wasn't quite sure if he was a threat or not.
"What happened to it?"
"I took it down"
"Any particular reason why?"
"Any particular reason why you're interested?" she rebutted.
"Thank you for your time, Ms. Sullivan," he exited before she had a chance to respond back.
Leaving the school grounds, Johnny turned back around to see Chloe Sullivan looking out from her school window, staring at him as he was to her.
Inside, Chloe had a feeling something was wrong.
To be continued…