Chapter Two

.

.

.

During the last bus ride I would have to endure, I was sitting at the far left corner next to the window. From there, I watched the world outside gradually change into a completely different one. From the eclectic colors of the city into the pastel of my hometown's greenery, and there was this inexplicable anticipation inside me that lifted my spirits up. Maybe this decision wasn't bad after all. The only thing that annoyed me with that idea was that I had to thank my therapist for that.

The bus wasn't crowded, given the fact that only a few people live in this side of the country. A little peace and quiet could do me good. Only that, I'd probably stress myself on thinking about how to kill time every day. But, that was the least of my worries right now. It wasn't long before the enormous sign emerged from a distance.

'Welcome to Happy Tree Town,' it said.

Such a cheerful name for a town that was nearly empty. I smiled to myself with that thought. I wondered if the town changed since the last time I was here. I could even get lost on my way and be the casual idiot who asks strangers for directions to my own house.

The vehicle came to a halt and that signaled me to collect my bag and stand from my seat. The people in front of me had already lined up for the automated door, and I saw myself at the end of the line—patiently waiting for my turn to exit the bus.

Then came my turn, and there emerged a picturesque view of the town. I scanned my surroundings in awe. The sky was clear in a gradient of blue, and underneath it were long lines of business establishments and concrete pavements. The muted conversations of people blended with the chirping of some wandering birds. It was a lively small town, filled with blissful people who went on about their lives and routines. As I looked around, I noticed the small smile plastered on my face and I wondered for how long had I been smiling.

Alright, this was definitely different than what I had remembered it to be. Now, I was sure that I would get lost.

The bus behind me screeched away from the bus stop and I was left there standing like a lost bear who just stepped into civilization—with the desire of becoming a domesticated animal. Not sure how was that going to happen, but that was what I was attempting to do. And so far, I was doing an awful job at it.

Before anything else, I still had to find where I used to live.

I made my way to the sidewalk for starters, and tried to familiarize myself with my surroundings. Darting fast glances to anything that might spark memory. How come nothing seemed familiar? Surely, I should be able to recognize something. I felt distant gazes on me, probably baffled to see a new face in town. Once, I caught someone looking straight at me. I smiled at her, causing her to smile sheepishly before returning her attention to her milkshake and her friend.

I hastily walked past by the café and entered the convenience store next to it. Heading straight for the counter, I fished in my pocket in search for my wallet and took a few dollars to pay for what I would buy.

"A pack of smokes please," I requested while placing the money on the counter.

The store clerk took a single glance at me before aiming for what I had requested behind him. I tapped my fingers on the counter's smooth surface in anticipation. He soon handed the item over and took my money in return.

"New in town?" he asked me with a sign of little interest about my identity, as he pressed some buttons to open the cash register. Maybe it was his routine to ask such a predictable question to new faces.

I smiled and shrugged as he handed me my change and receipt. "No, actually. I, uh, used to live here." Kind of.

"Hm, strange." he retorted as he crossed his arms in doubt. "Can't say I have seen you around since I worked here."

"You've been working here for a long time then?" My eyes twitched, annoyed at him for thinking that I was lying. What would I gain from that? Snotty sonofabitch.

He looked away from me for a brief moment, in search for an answer. "No, not really."

I felt the need to chuckle in triumph from our juvenile argument. "Well, that explains it."

He could only glare at me, not being able to think of any witty comebacks to defeat my somewhat insulting remark. I winked at him and added, "Expect to see me around more often then."

And with that, I headed straight for the glass door.

Pushing the door with my hand and then stopping it from closing by leaning on it, I opened the pack of cigarettes to bring a stick to my lips. After that, I took a step forward and searched for my lighter with a hopeful thought that as soon as I light this cigarette—nothing could go wrong.

But then again, I was no oracle.

I smiled victoriously when my hand finally found the nifty lighter which was hiding in my travel bag's outside pocket. Igniting its fuel, I brought it closer to the cigarette's tip, ready to savor the sweet poison into my lungs.

"Move, move, move!" A high-pitched voice exclaimed from afar, stealing my attention. "Move away! Please!"

An image of a young lady who seemed to be distraught in panic was clumsily skating towards me—in a dangerous pace. I, on the other hand, was stunned for a moment that it made me drop my cigarette and lighter on the pavement. When she was about to hit me, she covered her face with her arms and shrieked loudly in fear.

Instinctively, I caught her by the hips and swirled her around in order to lose the force she gathered while skating down the slope. I held her steady on the ground, helping her stand on her skates, and waited for her to calm down.

It took her a few seconds before realizing that she was safe and unharmed, and when she did—she slowly relaxed her arms, revealing the immaculate beauty underneath. The world stood still and the loud gasps from a few bystanders became muted. I saw myself lost and captivated by the young lady before me, and I had to ask myself if she was real.

Smooth alabaster skin that glowed under the radiant sunshine. Long strawberry red hair, spiking and curling in random directions, like a rose blooming during springtime. Her crimson eyes glistening with tears peeked through her long lashes, wide in bewilderment, and beautifully framed by her small heart-shaped face. And her lips, cherry colored and pursed underneath her god chiseled nose.

I just caught an angel.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" she apologized amidst her stuttering. "I was trying to learn how to skate and I-I accidentally slipped off the pole I was holding onto and the next thing I know, I was rolling down the slope."

Still dazed by her, my mind failed from thinking of the right words to say.

"I d-didn't... I didn't mean to hit you," she added with the same amount of stuttering, feeling the need to vouch for her innocence because I wasn't responding. "Are you OK? Did I... hurt... you?"

She trailed off on her sentence, as she stared at me as if she recognized who I was.

"F-Flippy?"

What?

Without any warning, the girl wrapped her arms around me, embracing me tightly.

My heart skipped a beat.

.

.

.