draftware

life downtown

life downtown

Aside from the text along the walls, there wasn't much that separated this station platform from the one I was just on, it even looked like the same few people perusing about. I walked out of the station hoping I hadn't missed my stop, and as I pushed the door open and ventured outside, I was hit with a blissful warmth. It was a great day today, wherever this was, and I kind of just wanted to sit at the benches and watch the ocean waves roll in to that delectable beep boop boop beep, bee—ahem, but I needed to find Bit first. Romero said she lives in an empty storefront, so I started a walk around the block to see if I could find anything. There was one building that had its windows blacked out, and I tried their door. It opened, and I stepped inside. "Hello? Bit?"

There was silence. I took a few more steps. "Anyone home?"

A few more. "Hello?"

By now I was practically behind the curtain in the main room. "He--"

Suddenly someone bumped into me. I looked down and saw a frail-looking old woman. "Oh, there you are!" I said, "You're Bit?"

"hmm? oh, yes, that's me, come on in."

She gestured into the back room, where a couch sat, bathed in a cold dreary light. "Mind if I turn on a light?" I asked.

"go ahead"

I flipped the switch, the room suddenly lit up searing orange. I sat on her couch, watching her step into the room behind me. I think I recognized her. "You're the witch from the money!"

"hmm? oh, no, that's my sister, it's been years since we last talked but i get that a lot"

"You talk funny, I don't know how to describe it."

"oh, you'll learn. now then, what brought you here?"

"Um, I can't remember anything, I woke up in the sand earlier today."

"that's always how the story goes," she said, "what do you have on you right now?"

I took out the picture of the cat and the wallet, and she rifled through to find anything else. "this is all too familiar" she responded.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"i mean this," she replied, stepping out of the room.

"Should I follow you?" I asked.

"no, no, it's fine, you can stay there, i'll just be a moment"

I sat in the room. It was starting to get warm, I could feel myself blushing under the heat. I leaned back into her couch a little more, placing both arms across the backrest. It felt kinda nice, but who would install heat lamps in their room? I don't think I would, though I'm not sure, all I remember is this song, beep boop... nevermind.

"no, no, continue," Bit responded from the other room.

"Pardon? Are you a mind-reader?"

"not really, but continue with the song, that might help"

The song goes beep boop boop beep... beep boop boop beep... beep boop boop boop boop... and then it repeats. All the beeps and boops are all so rhythmic, and it's so easy to just zone out and hum the song to myself. I closed my eyes. Beep boop boop beep...

"you must really like that song" she replied, now back in the same room.

"It's the only thing I woke up remembering."

"where did you first hear it? no, strike that, you said it was the only thing you remember. now, the reason i said this sounded familiar is because of this:"