Hey Everybody! Thought I'd say Hi. See, now that I've said 'Hi', you have to say 'Hi' back. I was born and raised in a small town where everybody says 'Hi', so that's almost compulsory. Now I wouldn't force you to do this, I would just be really, really, really, really disappointed if you didn't. So, you can say 'Hi' back by pressing the little ?purplish? button at the bottom of the page. Hey, and (pure coincidence) while you're there, you could leave a review!
Pretty Please! Thank you to Stacy James for her review, it was much appreiciated!
Jack had now been in the small town for a full week, and was starting to consider looking for an apartment. His job was going well, and he badly needed the money. He continued trying to work himself into the ground, not only from habit, but the more tired he was the less energy he had to think about the past. And everything that came with it.
Jack entered the small coffee shop and the waitress looked up from where she was. He had been coming to the small cafe every day now for a week. She was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to leave town or not. She wondered what he was looking for, and how long he'd been searching. Although Mexico was a warm country it was almost winter, and the nights were cold. She knew for a fact that most travelers like him just slept on the road if they weren't close to a town, and on nights like these he would freeze.
She greeted him with a cheery 'hello', and he replied with his usual small grin and brief nod. Although he didn't talk much, she enjoyed his company, and he was a good listener. He ordered the same thing everyday and Sara had taken it upon herself to order as soon as she saw him coming down the street. She was grateful for his company. Although she was part Spanish, the other townspeople knew her history, and didn't make much of an effort to get to know her.
He sat down at the same stool in the corner, and nodded his thanks as the waitress brought him coffee. She decided to start the conversation by getting straight to the point, and brought the stool that she had behind the bar over to sit with him.
"Jack, it's none of my business, but are you staying for the winter?"
He looked up, and was mildly taken aback. She hadn't asked him any questions about himself since the first day they had met, he had assumed she'd understood he didn't want to talk about himself. Still, he was also shocked at how accurate her thoughts were to his own. He began to realize that he hadn't responded out loud yet, and was now simply staring at her.
"Haven't given it much thought," he replied, as he quickly ducked his head. It was partially true, he'd only been thinking about it for less then a day, and that didn't qualify as much, did it?
"Jack, it gets cold at night, colder than you think, and-"
"Thanks, but I can take care of myself." His response sounded harsh even to him, and he mentally winced as he said it. But he was caught off-guard, and had responded as such.
She looked disappointed, but stood her ground.
"Jack, it's going to be a long way to the next town, and I doubt you could make it. Now you seem to be at least mildly intelligent, so would you listen to me." Her outburst stopped him dead in his tracks and he just looked at her.
"I've seen just about everybody and their uncle pass through here, so I know what I'm talking about. I'm not wrong all that often either. It's going to get real cold, real fast these next couple days, and if you leave now it's going to hit while you're in the middle of nowhere." She had stood up and put her hands on her hips, defiance in her voice.
"I'll be fine, I can move fast an-"
"Jack, did you here a word I just said? The fastest man in the world couldn't make it. The only thing between here and anywhere else is desert. Trust me, that'll kill you as fast, if not faster, than most things."
As soon as she said it, she realized something was wrong. She had seen him visibly flinch when she'd said 'If not faster'. Something gave her the impression that he knew just how powerful and fast death could be, and gave it more than a healthy amount of respect.
She sat back down in her seat, and leaned forward. Suddenly realizing that he wasn't looking for anything at all, but running from something.
"Look, Jack, whatever, it is that you're running from. Winter'll stop it too." She smiled gently, trying to lighten the mood.
Then Jack looked up.
As he did, she saw more about the man named Jack then she could ever hope to get him to say. She could see the pain he held as she looked into his eyes. There was so much pain, and so much of it was new and fresh, it almost overwhelmed her. But so much of it was old too. She had never been able to read him before, and this sudden version of an almost outpouring of emotion, shocked her. There had always been a deadness to his eyes, that contrasted to the vibrant life that had also glinted in them, and she had often found herself what they meant.
However, beyond the pain, she could see so much contrast in his mind. As much as she could see the pain, she could see the strength. She could see the guilt, and the shame that ran through him. But, there was one more thing she could see, and she couldn't immediately place it. In fact, she could more sense it than anything else. Wild. For the first time she sensed how truly dangerous the man could become. She could feel his anger, almost pure fury, rage beneath the surface. She could also sense the immense effort it took to keep it under control. She had seen many men angry, many violent, but this was different. This man was...different. He was raw electricity, he was the natural rage of nature, he was pure.
Then there was nothing. He had closed, and become an emotionless, cold mask. He sat as still as a rock, on his stool, his coffee forgotten. She was still reeling at the silence, and looked at him in a new light.
"I don't know what happened to you, and I don't know if I really want to know, but stay, please." He remained motionless, as if the simple act of letting his emotions break through the surface had not only shocked, but drained him. She grabbed a napkin and wrote two numbers on it.
"The bottom number is my landlord, he might have an extra apartment. The top number is mine, Jack, you call me if you need something, okay. Jack?" He nodded slowly and took the outstretched napkin. He looked up and nodded again, then turned and walked quickly out the door.
Hope you liked it. More soon. And look, there's the little purplish button I promised would be there. Thanks for reading:)