wally's lament.

[ 1 ]

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The air was cool when the train arrived, offering a chilly breeze that rustled the autumn leaves of the trees and combed the dry grass. The train's brakes squealed as it came to a halt, clearly rusting with age, and this was the sound that awoke you. Your eyes blinked open to find yourself in the similarly aged train, the walls a velvety red with imprints of roses, the seats a pine green felt. Your suitcase sat beneath your seat, holding all of the belongings that you took with you. It bumped gently against your feet as the train finally halted.

You inhaled a deep breath. Here you were — your new home. This was the town where you would begin your new life, unburdened by the people that kept you trapped in their mind games for so long, your hands no longer constantly stained with blood. There was so much you were leaving behind. So much death, so much guilt, so much pain. But all of it would be worth it if this town proved to be safe.

Outside the window next to your seat, you saw the small, wood-based train station waiting for you. Above the front door sat a sign with blue letters on a yellow background that read: Welcome Home! The sign was aesthetically displeasing against the rustic beauty of the station itself. If the train itself were slightly taller and there were no huge, brushy trees in the way, you could see the town from here.

You stood, took your suitcase, and headed for the door. You stepped onto the train station alone. Nobody else exited with you. Perfect. A lonely town for a lonely person. You walked into the train station, suitcase rolling behind you, eyes gazing over everything in sight, evalutating everything. Perfect, all of it. A lady sat at the front desk just behind the front door. She had a smiling face, bright purple hair, and wide blue eyes.

"Hello love! Hope your trip was lovely," she said, holding out her hand. Clearly, she wanted your ticket, which was previously hole-punched by an attendant on the train. You gave her the slip. She turned to the computer on the desk next to her and typed some things in with the pointer finger of her left hand. "Okay, you're all set! Head to the exit doors straight ahead. If you want to rent a bike for traveling across town, see the man at the desk to your right!"

A bike was needed to travel across town. No Uber, no car rental. Perfect, absolutely perfect. "Thank you," you replied kindly, walking ahead, past the front desk and the bike desk. You did not have the money to rent a bike; all you had was enough to stay a couple weeks in the local motel that you researched extensively.

Your plan was to ration your coin amongst food, the motel, and other basic necessities until you found a job. Then you could continue to ration and save until you saved enough to put a down payment on a house or apartment. After that, slowly but surely, you could build yourself up to a normal, sustainable life and save up some money. Only once you were secure and the looming threat of them chasing your tail was well behind you would you start to search for your family once again.

Expecting a rustic, southern town, you opened the door on the right wall and stepped outside. What you saw briefly stunned you.

The town looked nothing like the few images you saw online. There was a wide concrete road stretching to your left, your right, and straight ahead. Even though you stood right in an intersection, there were no stop signs or street lights, almost like all of the road was just one big sidewalk. All of the buildings up ahead were bright, painted all colors of the rainbow, with shutters painted other variations of color. Bushes, flowers and trees of every sort sprouted in every open inch of space, lining the road. It was... beautiful. In a childish way, almost. So many flowers, so much color...

The spinning of a wheel sounded to your left, followed by the gentle creak of a bike braking. You turned to find a chubby, tall man stopping his bike in front of you, his foot falling to the ground to hold himself up on the seat without teetering off. He was handsome, with tan skin and reddish orange hair hidden beneath what looked like a mailman's cap. He was wearing a white shirt tied at the collar with a rainbow tie, blue jeans, and carried a brown sachel around his shoulder. "Well hi there," he said with a smile. His voice carried a light southern lilt, a gentle sound that made you feel warm inside. "It's not often you see a new face around here."

You smiled back at him, unable to resist being friendly. "That's what I like to hear. My name's..." You paused, almost having said your real name. But your new name was Charlie, and you had to remember that. "...Charlie. It's a pleasure to see you." You stuck a hand out to shake his, and he obliged, telling you that his name was Eddie. You looked at his sachel to find it overflowing with mail. "A mailman like yourself must know your way around town."

He chuckled. "Well, I sure do. How do you figure I'm a mailman?"

"The mail in your bag," you said.

Eddie looked down at his bag, as if he forgot it was there. "Ah, yes." He smiled, appearing flustered, and changed the subject. "Is there anywhere I can guide you to?"

"I heard there was a motel around here. That's what I'm looking for."

"Oh! Lucky for you, that's quite close by," Eddie said. "I don't often deliver there, since people usually only stay for a short time, but I pass by it on the daily. Just go straight down this road-" Eddie pointed ahead of him, which was to your right, "-and keep going until you see the stout red-brick building. It will have a sign letting you know you've reached your destination."

"Ah, thank you so much!" you replied greatfully. "Hopefully I can see you around soon. I plan on staying for a while."

"I look forward to it," he said, tipping his hat before hopping back on his bike. "Have a jolly rest of your evening!"

You stepped forward a couple times, watching him turn down the road that was to his left, but straight ahead of you. "Curious," you whispered. This town was certainly a quiet one, and certainly not normal. But, again, that was nothing but perfect.

You turned to your right and followed the path that Eddie had given you. Eventually, you reached the motel. It was a very small building, making it obvious that this town did not get many visitors. Your heart settled with a sensation of content as you stopped in the road, looking upon the building. It looked comfortable, surrounded by beautiful oak trees that were turning bronze with fall and freshly trimmed bushes. A squat yellow sign sticking up from the grass advertised a pleasant nights stay for anyone who passed by.

As you took your first step towards the building, you felt a sudden chill run over your skin. Halting, you turned to your left, then your right, but there was nobody nearby. The chill must have simply been a shiver from the breeze.

But you could not shake the feeling that you were being watched, not when you were so paranoid about being followed. The sensation lingered with you as you stepped inside and reserved a room, as you went into your room and locked the door behind you, as you took a hot shower and finally laid down for a nap.

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