First Part of First Draft of First Draft of Random Short Story

Winter Errands

There are some in this world who moan over as trivial a thing as a little rain or a dusting of snow.

At this mere suggestion of his mind,Vasilius' nose subconsciously wrinkled, his eyes narrowing as if he had been confronted by some great fiend.

Hah- what a waste of time and energy spent on ingratitude, when they could be appreciating the sheer thrill of lacking the company of other such negative folks as themselves.

The irony of this pessimistic thought was not lost on its thinker, but to afford any more time than deserved to a single sentiment would have been more wasteful. No, the wintry man was not one to spend too long on anything of little importance. If done correctly, implying efficiency, nothing should have any business being dwelt upon, inaction or thought. Even his own name was too long—Vasilius Ilexis Nomen—and he despised it, preferring the short, blunt "Lex", a diminutive of his middle name, which was much more suitable for an icy type such as himself.The old name was yet more residue of a time better forgotten, as footprints are following a blizzard's second dawn.

"Mister, are youokay?"

Abruptly, a nasal voice squeaked from below, shocking Lex from his thoughts. Without turning his head, he peered down, his frosty gaze resting on a little girl who could not have been older than six. A fervent annoyance bubbled up inside, but he pushed it down. What's this brat doing out in the cold?

"Jenny!Jenny, dear," a gentle but clearly concerned tone echoed in Lex's ears as a woman hurriedly approached. "How many times do I have to tell you not to talk to strangers? Sorry about my daughter," she said, indicating Lex. He still did not turn to face the young mother, but a side-eyed glance confirmed her close proximity. She had dark circles that mottled her face purplish, and thin mousy brown hair that was pulled up in a messy bun, but still managed a cheery smile.

"Mommy,this man is just standing here and getting snowed on-"

"And it's my own business if I want to stand in the snow," Lex muttered. She gaped up at him with large and dirty eyes. That shut her up, Lex couldn't help thinking smugly, before he realized she was correct- he had just been standing in a daze, wasting his precious time, for how long he didn't recall. He bit his lip to stifle the sharply rising irritation.

"He's right! Come on now, we have a full list of groceries to pick up before school!" The little urchin's mother grabbed her by the arm with eager motions that seemed to be a family trait, and as the two scurried away, Lex was left to his steaming reflections. Frustration pushed him onward as he strove to quickly forget about the rowdy pair, but in vain, as he remembered that he was also going to the store and may run into them again.

Lex was a solitary person— in fact, he prided himself on not associating with folks he deemed too common in mind—and he lived on the outskirts of the town, far from any potential neighbors. More than almost anything,he hated venturing into town for any reason, so he tried to live as frugally as possible. Unfortunately, like the rest of humanity, he sometimes ran out of essentials, forcing him to patronize the local supermarket. Lex hated grocery shopping: the supermarket was veryl arge inside, yet always packed with unruly clowns scrambling to and fro, so much that Lex felt squashed as a sardine in a can just thinking about it. Its air was always permeated with an abundance of overwhelming sounds and smells, and with no refuge from the cacophony, the young man would always make himself as small aspossible and slink along the extreme sides of the aisles like a frightened cat.