Hidden Valley (D. SWING)

XVIII. Amnesia

Foggy forestry along the outlining of the town keep everything quite dim. The temperature's dropped gradually over time and it becomes more noticeable everyday. Windbreakers no longer cut the bare minimum of staying warm in North Carolina. This seems to be something Don understands and so he sits on the hood of his car in a hoodless puffer coat, his hands snuggled within his pockets. He sits, watching his exhaled breaths float away to replicate the steam that somehow emerges from the icy lake.

Life's been funny for Don. His biggest emotion has been confusion as he questions what it is that he is to do with his life. He sits in his bedroom, playing his piano, and the sign never comes. The confusion and the stress of going back to work don't mix. To truly top off the decline of his happiness is a heavy heap of guilt that he carries within his heart. The way his biggest fan almost drowned because he stopped watching her for three seconds to listen to Marlene stutter... it haunts him in a sense.

He sighs, adjusting his positioning on the automobile. A pair of headlights come to flash against the waters, stealing his attention from his thoughts.

Don turns to see a female bundled up in a juniper green Colombia jacket, a black scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, as she stomps through the leftover crunchy leaves that remain behind following the past fall season. "What you doing here?" His eyebrows furrowed in utter confusion, he leans forward to glance behind her. The car is driven by the one and only person within Cynthia's main clique who can legally drive, Tasha.

"Cyn sent me to get you. Well," Paulette cuts herself off and leans on top of the car. She adjusts her gloves on her cold hands. "She actually had an attitude because you were supposed to take her to work, I guess."

Don looks around in a slight state of confusion. "Derek been taking her to work because she don't like when I drive with my thing on." He signals to his arm that is still in a sling.

Paulette's head shakes in a strong decline. "Derek hasn't taken her to work since... God knows when. Where have you been? I asked her today why she didn't just ask him and she practically had a meltdown," she says, playing with the hem of her glove. "She called Tasha to drop her off and the whole time she was looking for you. I told her we'd find you to shut her up but, then, Tasha was all..." Paulette begins to imitate her friend. "Noooo, we have to do what we promised."

Don glances over his shoulder at the 1982 Volkswagen Caribe behind him. He waves, earning a double honk from Tasha in response. She thought it was too cold to be talking to Don near the water and so, she sent Paulette to perform the deed by herself.

"You okay," asks Paulette.

Don shrugs.

He's been quite careless about hiding his sadness. Yet, not too many people question his state of mind. When most do, it seems that they are only doing it to be polite and not out of genuine curiosity. He hasn't felt as if anyone genuinely cared to know whether or not he felt okay with his current situation. He's grown prone to simply slithering past the question or ignoring the words as a whole before moving on to a brand new topic.

"You seen Marley," he replies.

Paulette's head shakes from left to right. "It was my little sister drowning, of course she's been staying away from me. In practice, she acts like I don't exist."

The guilt has done a lot.

Everyone seems to feel a hint of guilt at the fault of Evelyn nearly drowning in the group of teen's care. Never has any blame been officially placed on anyone by God himself, however, those beneath him seem to be passing and taking it fluently. Marlene has come to also feel bad. When the moment replays in her mind, she recalls stopping Don as got up to go sit closer to Evelyn. This is the truth. When she stopped him, she choked, and in a way... she wasted his time. This too, in another way, is also the truth. As she came to realize her role in the accident, she moves further away from those who were directly effected, those being Don and Paulette. Don, the injured hero, and Paulette, the victim's sister.