Not From Around Here

2 Heart Event

It was a night like any other for Shane. He sat out on the dock on the lake outside his Aunt Marnie's ranch throwing back beers. He was fully intoxicated by this point when he heard the sound of someone approaching from behind him. He looked back and scoffed a little at the sight of the new farmer who had just recently appeared in the valley and was staying at the old and abandoned farmhouse not far from Marnie's ranch. Well...he supposed it wasn't abandoned anymore. She had been here on the ranch earlier in the day to talk to Marnie.

He scowled at her as she smiled at him. She was a strange looking woman. She was very tall...had to be over six feet at least. She wore a sky-blue dress that almost looked like night gown and a yellow rubber raincoat that she wore tied over her shoulders like a little cape. She had tanned skin and big eyes the color of the night sky. Her hair was grayish white and was long enough to reach the center of her back.

"It is getting late...what are you doing out here?" She asked him. Her voice kinda reminded him of one of those Vocaloid things that Jas was obsessed with. She had an accent that he couldn't quite pinpoint. She looked at him expectantly.

"Trying to get drunk? Maybe drown myself? Whats it to you, huh?" He asked sounding unfriendly and dismissive. The woman's eyes widened a bit, looking shocked at what he said.

"Oh, I hope you do not drown. That would be very sad." She said matter of factly with a frown. "My name is Cosmo...You are Shane, right? Your Aunt Marnie told me." She asked, looking towards the ranch.

"Yeah..." Shane grumbled taking another swig of his beer. "I'm sure she told you all about my alcoholism too...and this depression I'm in." He chuckled darkly as if laughing at himself and his own issues. He probably wouldn't be talking like this if he wasn't drunk.

"No, she did not...but you just did." She said before sitting beside him on the dock. He'd notice now she wasn't wearing any shoes...she was tall enough to let her feet dip in the water. "You are depressed? I am sorry to hear that..." she looked at him sympathetically. He grumbled some more at her sudden closeness.

"I didn't invite you to sit down, you know..." He narrowed his eyes at her. He'd dismiss this transgression quickly though as he wasn't done talking. Maybe he was oversharing, but he was too drunk to care. He wanted this woman to see what a mess he was, maybe then she'd leave him alone and never talk to him again. "I've been depressed since I was a teenager." He took another swig off his beer, not showing any signs of slowing down. "Depression and me go way back." He added. She frowned at him, looking sympathetic. He scoffed at her in response. "Don't look at me like that..."

"I am sorry that depression stole your adolescence away." She said sounding genuine. "Human brains are so complex. Not everyone gets the right chemistry mix in their heads...and it leads to pain." She said strangely...speaking as if she wasn't human herself. He gave her a funny look in response. He was quiet for a few moments just looking at the water and the way the light from his lantern reflected on the surface.

"Do you...ever feel like...no matter what you do you're going to fail?" He asked, not even expecting her to be able to relate. "Like you're stuck in some miserable abyss and you're so deep you can't even see the light of day?"

"No...I do not." She responded softly. "At least...I do not remember feeling that way."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Right...yeah I don't know why I even asked you. I've seen you around town, you always look so damn cheerful. It's honestly annoying." He said cruelly. This caused her to flinch a little bit, but she didn't leave or get angry with him. She just kept that sympathetic look on her face. He wasn't sure why, but it made him feel like he could keep talking.