Blink and Vine: Origins

Chapter 1: Welcome to Ohio

Even now--- with my lifelong home burnt to the ground, the previous population of eighty-three now reduced to three--- Ricky still found a way to make me smile. As he pulled a flower from the cracks in between the concrete slabs, I could do nothing but hope that Florida would possess a better home.

Yeah. That's what my world currently looks like. It wasn't always like this, though. Just a stupid mistake made by a girl who was thought a little extra money in her pocket couldn't hurt. Spoiler alert: It could.

Hi, I'm Jamie Ray. I'm twenty-one years old, and I live in a small town called Birch Springs, Ohio. Really, my life started going downhill when my dad went missing in Augusta, Kentucky, when I was eight during a visit to my great aunt Amber. Though I think responding to that stupid flyer in '84 really takes the cake.

In retrospect it was a stupid decision. I was already well-off working as a Deliveryman for both Birch Springs Mail and Pizza Lovers Emporium, but you can't change the past.

It all started when I was walking home from work on a sunny Tuesday evening, I saw a flier posted on an electrical pole advertising an illegal experiment by this guy named 'Dr. Cyantist.' Now, the name alone should've been a red flag-- but that is his legal name. Birch Springs has eighty-three people in it, everybody knows everybody, and everybody especially knows the local mad scientist that moved in a couple of years ago. We just don't really care, he's proven to be the equivalent of a little kid playing dress up and making baking soda volcanoes for his second grade science fair.

Well, obviously we don't care. This sign has been up since he moved in. Only now did I seriously start to consider taking him up on his offer.

WANTED: Totally legal test subject for experimentation in attempt at giving man superhuman powers

REWARD $100 $200 $300

LOCATION: 230 Stephon Alley, it's a warehouse, you literally can't miss it

ASK FOR: Dr. Cyantist

The man may be clinically insane and an official cryptid to the state of Ohio, but three-hundred dollars is three-hundred dollars. I took a paper strip dangling off the flier, snickering to myself as I noticed that I was the only one to take a paper strip, and made my way to the least suspicious warehouse probably ever.

On the way, I passed by the heart of the town. You see, our town is in a circular pattern, built around a square park. Three rows of buildings, the farther the row the poorer the family. We used to live in the last row, but my help around the house upgraded us to the middle row. All of the stores and snobs are in the row closest to the park.

Speaking of the park, wow, it was breathtaking this time of year. The Silver Birch stood tall in the center of the miniature springs surrounding it, gently swaying in the cool breeze as summer transitions into fall. I could hear children laughing on the playground and the birds that nested in the tree chirping a sweet song.

I smiled to myself at the sight, before refocusing my attention on the path to the warehouse. I walked through the pathway that led to the middle row and the farthest row. I looked to my right, seeing my own home a few houses down. A school bus drove away, my little brother starting his walk down the driveway.

"Ricky!" I called out. Ricky turned his head, thick brown hair swishing with his movements. His eyes lit up, a smile formed on his face. "Hi, Jamie!" He waves, smiling wide enough for his dimples to show. "Are you on your way home?"

"Nah, I left something at Carter's yesterday," I lied, "I'll be back soon." Carter Carter was a close family friend. Yes, you read that right, Mr. and Mrs. Carter decided that Carter would be a genius name for their son. Poor kid. We were neighbors when my family still lived in the outer city, and we did go over to Carter's place yesterday. It was a pretty believable lie.