"Just in case something'll happen, uhh, there's something I have to say - not that anything bad will actually happen, you'd all follow suit if I let myself get shaken like that, right? But you know, just--"
"Ash..." Stan interrupted the nonsensical...
"Sorrow has a human heart, from my god it will depart."
- : - : - : - : - : -
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Being empathetic in a town full of borderline-apathetic people generally did not have as many benefits as one would hope.
A lot of the time Ash tried to act more as an adult, she still couldn't understand the ones she was imitating - so many of them appeared dismissive or contemptuous, and were generally unreliable when it came to talking about personal issues or asking for help on problems, which eventually would be left forgotten and a blind eye turned to anyway.
With the way she was, even she felt a little distrustful of (most of) them and surmised if all children naturally would grow up to be like that. Maybe it was the town itself which made people act a certain way - considering it's high criminal rates, it almost seemed like a curse, but she wasn't the one to believe in such things. There must've been something else going on, something under her feet, even thinking or trying to figure it out was an arduous task in itself.
She wondered if anyone else particularly felt the same or even thought about it.
...
Doubtful, she'd decide.
Ash tried to carefully pass by the other students in the crammed hallways as more people were coming out of their classrooms - some of them purposefully bumping into or shoulders with her. The chatter of others was merely an echo for her and gatherings made to be ignored. She made it to the front entrance in one piece and outside the building, the bright early afternoon sun radiating onto her as she stepped away from the cover of the roof.
Heading to her right as she walked down the concrete stairs, making sure to occasionally take a glance around the campus in both directions - in case of oncoming 'predators', so to speak. The usual chilliness of spring had worn off rather quickly as summer was nearing.
Ash did not join her friends for lunch that day – instead opting to stay in the library.
Reaching her destination, she could feel the air of tranquility and quietness whilst taking a step inside the school's library. About less than ten people in there - most adults – doing their own thing. Shelves were lined up left and right, resting against the hazel-colored walls. Setting her bag down on the furthest empty table, Ash shuffled around and took out her notepad and a pen, figuring there was enough time to look for some inspiration for her poetry.
What better ones to choose from than history or anthology books, she thought. Wandering over to the right section, she momentarily skimmed over the early modern period of history. Her hand was about to pull out a crimson, old-looking book, when somebody else had already gotten to it at the exact same time.
