Shadows Peak |✔

Chapter 9: Casey

Finally. I think I made it just in time. It looks like the storm is about to start any moment now.

Casey rushed into Yorke, excited to see what he could before the dark of night took over. He saw plenty of stands along the main road of the town. People were selling trinkets, fruits, and tons of other kinds of goods. He didn't plan on buying anything, but he wanted to get a good look at as much as he could. It wasn't everyday he got to travel to a new town.

Seeing the sun had already set, and the storm was coming in, he knew people would be packing up their stands soon, so Casey moved right along, suddenly feeling energized.

Stopping at each stand, Casey made conversation with the vendors. Some people even offered him things for free, which he gladly took. He knew it was possible they did that because it was nearly the end of their work day, but he pretended it was because of his charm.

Eventually, he came across a vendor selling scarves and jewelry. Looking at them, he thought of his mother.

She deserves something nice for once.

"How much for this necklace here?" Casey asked, pointing to a simple chain with a pale green stone pendant.

The vendor looked at him, then the necklace. "Twelve spitchels," he said.

Twelve spitchels? Seriously?

"Come on, that's a bit much for that!?" Casey protested.

"Twelve spitchels," he said again, crossing his arms. "That's the price I'm willing to sell it for."

As hustled as he felt, Casey nodded his head and began counting out the money he owed. Although he wished he'd gotten it at a better price, he knew there was no way he was leaving without it. His mother would love the necklace, specifically because of the stone. It's shade of green was very familiar.

It was the same shade of green his father's eyes were; his mother's favorite feature on him. Casey knew how much she missed him; she deserved something special. This was it.

Feeling satisfied, Casey tucked the necklace away in his bag. He planned to head to another booth, but just then it began to rain. It started off slow and light, but slowly he could feel the rain picking up. Not waiting for it to get worse, Casey began to run for cover, keeping his eyes peeled for a pub. But, after running just a few steps, something caught his eye.

What is that?

Casey stopped running so he could get a good look at what was a few feet away from him. At first, he thought it was a pile of linens; possibly someone's laundry. But then it moved, revealing a face.

Wait, is that a girl?

Squinting his eyes, Casey focused in on her face. Her eyes were closed, and some of her blonde hair was spilling over.

Is she sleeping?!

Unconsciously, Casey started walking toward her, ignoring the weather as the rain turned into a shower. He started to say something, but then she suddenly woke up, looking around her.

Casey darted off, not sticking around to see if she noticed him there. A few buildings down, he heard a ton of laughter and music coming from inside.

Now, that's a pub if I ever knew one.

Casey ran in, his hair soaked. His jacket was pretty wet too, but it managed to keep most of his shirt dry. Taking it off, he found a seat at an empty table and laid his jacket on the chair next to him.

The first thing that caught his eye was a group of men, probably in their late thirties, at the end of the bar. They seemed to be arguing over something. He made a mental note to avoid going near them.