Walking Wild

Chapter Two: Mafia Mayhem

Pulling into the gravel parking lot of Riverside Cafe, I realize two things. One, Riverside is in fact not by a river, and two, I may be walking right into a trap.

Looking down at the plants lining the cobblestone walkway, I spot mint, snowdrop, and winged seeds from the pine and maple trees above.

These plants shouldn't be in bloom all at the same time. They're from different seasons. How is that possible?

Shaking my head, a sudden knot of suspicion forms in my stomach, all the while hope flutters in my heart. These messengers are providing insight to whomever this 'very special' person is. Impatience claws at me like ivy winding it's way around my legs.

I spot balsamine near the door. It's red and white stripes spark urgency in me as I start toward the building. The click-clack of my combat boots on the cobblestone makes me smile as I survey the building and the land it sits on.

Though not by a river, the relatively small building is surrounded by woods on two of four sides. The trees seem to whisper quiet conversations among themselves and suddenly stop when they notice my scrutiny, only to wave jovially before they continue to sway in the warm breeze.

The thermal squall is a temptress, begging with melted-chocolate eyed sorcery for me to go to the cafe; the warmth shocks me in the middle of the night.

Quietly, not uttering a syllable, I break free of her hold and venture to the right of the cafe where I notice that ivy has taken hold of the entire wall. Only in some spots is it missing, and only there can I see the intricate brickwork that makes up the building. The windows are bare.

Someone has painted diminutive suns all over the wall, and I scarcely catch a glimpse of them before ivy crawls over the amber speckles. Gravel crunches underfoot as I veer off the beaten path, away from the creepy-crawly ivy.

My pace quickens as I head toward the trees, wave hello to them, and carefully step around their roots.

Dark blue monkshood blossoms start cropping up everywhere as I go further back. I trip over a root I didn't see and go sprawling. After opening my eyes, a wave of white foam roars by, only inches from my nose.

Panicked, I scramble to my feet right as a spray is thrown into the air and mist assaults my face. Taking a deep breath, I peer into the chasm I almost fell into, and promptly get a face full of water.

'A river. Cute,' I think with a scowl. The water seems to giggle like a giddy school girl as it dances downstream.

Fed up with exploring, I stalk past the laughing trees, glide by the high bay windows, yank open the ornately carved door and stand inside for a minute, huffing and puffing with irritation rather than exhaustion.

It takes merely a second for my subconscious to register the faeries, dwarfs, and fanatical spotted mushrooms carved into the wood on the inner door, but in an instant, my body registers the unimportance of these facts without consulting my brain.

"Hello, and welcome to Riverside!" a chirpy blonde waitress smiles radiantly at me as I step through the object I've been blatantly staring at.

"Umm... Hi," I finally stammer after what feels like years, but I know is only seconds.

"Do you have a reservation, or would you like to wait for a table?" The woman's smile is blinding, like a combination of too much Crest and brand new dentures. Her eyes are huge, as though surgically altered to never close. In an attempt to make up for these flaws, her skin is darkened in a natural tan that's only revealed as a tan by the wrinkles beginning to form between her eyebrows.