Forgotten Pines: The Chronicle of the Kodnikado

NINE

NINE

Cemre
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There was something off about Max but I couldn't put my finger on it. He was acting normal. Distant, anti-social, and blunt. But every once in a while I would catch him staring at the wall for a moment too long.

In those moments it looked as if he were trying to piece together a puzzle.

When I mentioned it to Donny he simple wrote it off as the meds messing with his cranial nerves.

It wasn't really a big deal.

Just a tiny speck of atom out of place I guess.

Besides I only really noticed it this morning.

There was also the fact that Uncle Gavin wouldn't allow him to sleep last night due to the doctor's orders.

A person tends to stare off into space when their exhausted, and in pain. And Max was both of those things.

Which is why I took it upon myself to excuse both Donny and I from the cabin.

Max needed peace and quiet; and with Donny around that was almost impossible to gain.

So, like yesterday, we headed off for town. But this time I made sure that we stuck to the path.

"Do you think this town is only made up of old folk or will there be teenagers?" Donny asked.

"How could I possibly know the answer to that Donny?"

"Dunno. Just thought I'd ask".

Why is it him that I've gotten myself stuck with?

"So what do you think happened yesterday?" He asked out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"With Max".

"What are you talking about? He fell".

There was a beat of silence before he said, "Maybe".

And that was that.

We walked the rest of the way in silence.

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Forgotten Pines was one of those towns with a sleepy atmosphere. In other words: boring.

With a cluster of shops here and a row of cafes there.

With one gas station, and that "big" supermarket that all the moms used as a gossip spot.

I'd bet a thousand bucks that everyone in this town knew each other by their first name.

"You wanna get ice cream?" Donny asked, pointing to a small parlor; wedged between a cafe and a dress shop. If the sign wasn't flashing I would have mistaken it for a closed down store.

Before I could even say no Donny grabbed the front of my shirt and started dragging me across the street.

The inside of the store wasn't all that bad compared to the exterior. It was small with booths aligning the walls, and a few round tables peppered around. The walls were a deep maroon colour with inspiration quotes strung up here and there.

"Hi there boys". A voice called out. "Welcome to Sprinkles & Scoops".

Is that really what they call this place?

The person speaking was a short girl with ash blonde hair and bright silver eyes. She was smiling at us like we were somehow the greatest thing that had happened to her.

"What can I get you two?" She asked.

"Umh". Donny narrowed his eyes at the menu. Which was just a blackboard with neon handwriting. "I can't read any of that".