Changed by Time ✔

eight.

It was late afternoon by the time Wendy and Nolan arrived in Wickward. The town reminded Wendy of Wadesburg with its small shops and many cafes with loads of outdoor seating. The town was very beautiful – Wendy couldn't help but feel as if she were back in New York, heading back to her apartment after a trip into the city.

The only difference between the two was that there was barely anyone outside. Wadesburg was always as busy as a small town can be – with people going up and down the sidewalk, cars barely stopping at stop signs and just continuing to go regardless, and every other outside café table was filled. Rain or shine, the town was busy during the day but dead silent in the night.

In Wickward, Wendy maybe saw one person out on the street. It wasn't as if it were freezing cold or raining outside. It was a little cloudy and damp from the night before, otherwise it was the perfect weather to walk around the town.

"Where is everyone?" she questioned, looking back to Nolan.

He looked up from his notepad to the window, furrowing his brows as he looked upon the nearby streets and sidewalks. "That's a good question."

The taxi stopped in front of a small hotel, although it looked more like a bed and breakfast from the outside. Nolan led the way into the place with Wendy close behind. While her hour nap definitely wasn't enough to make up for her jetlag, it certainly left her feeling a little more alive than she was when the first arrived.

There was a couple at the front desk, appearing to be waiting to check in as there was no one manning the desk. To the left of the desk was a door that most likely led to the kitchen while on the right there was a flight of stairs that led to what they assumed were the rooms. Nolan leaned to Wendy and whispered to her, "I'll go ahead and get us a room if you want to go sit down."

Her eyes flicked towards the small seating area around the lit fireplace and couple bookshelves and then back to him. She blinked a couple times before she asked, "Wait, are we sharing a room?"

"It's most likely only for a night or two," he responded. "I'll get one with two beds if you're really that worried about sharing a bed with me."

"Yeah," she scoffed, "I'm so worried about that." She walked off, leaving Nolan on his own as he processed the statement.

Wendy dropped her backpack in front of one of the cushioned chairs and fell back into it. She pulled her hair out the messy bun she had put it in for the trip and began to redo it into a low ponytail.

It certainly wasn't cold outside, but it was a little chilly. Wendy leaned forward, warming her hands against the fire and rubbed them together. She pulled down her rolled-up sleeves and leaned back into the chair as she let out a heavy sigh.

She could feel her eyes getting heavy again. The combination of the warm fireplace and the comfortable chairs led her to a dreary state. She rested her arm down and placed her cheek against it, keeping her eyes on the fire as she watched it grow and shrink, flickering with every passing second.

"You never get used to the time difference."

Wendy nearly jumped at the sudden comment. She snapped her head up from her arm and looked over to the chair diagonal to her own – closest to the fireplace.

There sat a young woman with long, dark hair. She had hazel eyes that turned a little orange in the reflection of the fire and tan skin. She wore a pair of cargo pants, a cropped black tank-top, and what appeared to be a red and blue varsity jacket.

How the hell did I not notice her?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she said, her voice smoothly coming out.

"You didn't." Wendy shook her head. "Are you American?"

"Yeah, I'm from Virginia," she replied with a slight nod. "What about you? Ohio?"

"New York."

"Ah, I was close."

"Not really."

The woman chuckled slightly. She got up from her chair and sat in the one next to Wendy's. She held out her hand as she said, "I'm Abigail, by the way."

Wendy took her hand. "Wendy. What are you in Wickward for, Abigail? Leisure?"

"Actually, my friends and I are on a research trip." She gestured to the two at the desk in front of Nolan, who all were finally checking in as someone came back to man the desk. "We're gonna keep going North to some of the other towns, but we're just here for the night. What about you?"

"Leisure," Wendy replied without hesitation. "My cousin and I came here to check out some of the shops." She pointed to Nolan as he moved up to check in, the two ahead of him walking back towards them. "We're gonna start going East in a couple days. We saw Wickward on some travel site and we just couldn't help ourselves but stop for a visit."

"Very nice." Abigail stood up and readjusted her jacket. "It was nice meeting you, Wendy," she said as she walked off with the other two. "I hope to see you around some more."

Wendy watched as she walked off, taking a bag from one of the two. She turned back towards the fire, her eyes trailing back to where Abigail was first sitting. Something about that young woman just didn't feel right with Wendy. Maybe it was her extroverted friendliness to someone she probably wasn't sure spoke English or the feel of her reasoning for being in Wickward.

She fully jumped as she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She shot up from the chair and spun back around. Nolan held his hands up and took a step back as she faced him.

"Sorry, I was just gonna tell you I got the room." He held up the key, which had a large tag on it that said 3. "If I knew you were going to jump, I would've approached a lot slower."

Wendy rolled her eyes as she threw her bag over her shoulder. She took the key from him as she made her way behind the desk and towards the stairs to the rooms.

"Come on, intruder," she said as she made her way up the stairs.

"Is that ever going to go away?"

"Absolutely not."