Kai (unfinished)

Chapter Two - Fog

KAI - CHAPTER TWO - FOG

"Listen the pub shuts at nine, so I'm gonna head down there now; you're welcome to come, my mates are there." My legs ached as my body adapted to the harsher coastal conditions; not that we were anywhere near the coast, a few mountains stood between the town and the Southern Ocean.
"I need to revisit the old home y'know, to better reacquaint myself." Nathan gave a slight nod of his head, turning his cap as I passed him the rest of my fags. 
"You'll need those cigarettes more than I will." He laughed, giving me a manly hug.
"I missed you Dan, take care and just call me whenever you're ready to fly out." He smiled at me before calling his friend to pick him up, and then a cab for me. 

"Byholt aye? Town's really gone downhill since the Brown case, guess it scared off most of the area. Why'd you want me to take you there?" 
"Just for a look around." I lied.
"It costs me a fortune to run this hunk of metal, they just don't make cabs like they used to, I spend half of my bloody income on petrol alone; and you've been my first passenger in a week." Fog gathered outside, it was such a rural place, to me Tasmania was Australia's last slice of pure Earth.
"Well I might as well make some cash, get in." 

The cab pushed through the fog, the town's sign blurring past in a masked shape; hard to see. 
"Where can I drop you off?"
"Main street, I can find my way from there." He gave me a nod, pulling up to an old waterlogged building; abandoned and falling inwards on itself. 
"How much will that be then?" I queried as he grimaced, looking at his beeper.
"Seventy." I choked.
"Seventy bucks, dude you're fucking kidding me!?" He started to sweat.
"You saw the going rate, fuel is so expensive especially here! Now fork up and next time don't call for a fucking taxi." Pulling out my wallet with anger, I stuffed the money is his hands and went to exit, slamming the door behind me after pulling out my suitcase. The taxi disappearing into the thick, white wall of fog as my middle finger extended. 

As I observed my surroundings I was at a loss for words, the town was not the same one I left all those years ago; it was a much worse place. The main street was a mess, shops boarded up, nobody out and the lights blinked constantly; the only vehicle on the road was a news van, near the town hall. I shivered with the cold, approaching it from behind as a woman slammed the back door; she wore a bright pink suit, tight around the waist and her hair was a mess from the air's water vapour, the red logo of channel 7 shone brightly on the van's side. 
"You alright?" I asked, welcoming myself.
"Me? I couldn't be better." She spoke sarcastically, her voice was articulate and she rushed to pull out her last cigarette.
"I was reporting on the Brown case, now I'm stuck here in this dingy hole, I went to check in at the bloody hotel but there isn't one! Queenstown is fucking packed, and my cameraman is a complete idiot." Her stressed breath rose in the air like a trail of smoke, she was pacing back and forwards. If we needed a place to stay, surely the inn that occupied our old house was open, and so I convinced them to drive me there. 

There it was; number thirteen Forest Road, we walked up to the door; the three of us, like kids in a horror movie.
"Bloody ABC got here before we did, interviewed her and got the footage." I looked back.
"Her?" 
"Karen, Karen Lake; haven't you been watching the news?"
"I try not to pay too much attention."
"Why would you want to stay here? Hang on, I never got your name?" Before I could turn around the door opened and a shorter, elderly woman answered; her eyes worn tired, with thick ugly glasses.
"Are you Karen Lake?"
"Who's asking?" She leaned awkwardly away from us, her gray hairs frizzy with the fog. 
"We were looking for a place to stay..." The newswoman stepped in and spoke. 
"Nobody's stayed at this guesthouse for a long time, nobody ever wanted to after... well, I'm afraid we have no vacant rooms. Goodbye." She went to close the door but my foot was in the way.

"Ms Lake please, I'm Dante Brown, this used to be my house; can we work out something." I sighed with shame as her eyes widened. 
"You were the twin?" I nodded as she shuddered. 
"What?!" The newswoman looked astounded as the small woman let us through.
"You never told me that you were him?" My hands struggled with the luggage, the musky smell of cinnamon and dust filled the entrance room; not the smell I was used to.
"Yeah well I never trust the media, the news in basic ruined my life." 
"Fine, I won't play the newswoman, my name's Amanda." She extended her hand for me to take, but I knew better and left her standing there.