Wellspring

❅ 2. Crossroads ❅

  Two full weeks had passed by since the first time we spoke to each other. I have a strong urge within me to find an answer to all the questions that have been overflowing my head since that day. The only way I could think of finding a solution was by speaking with you. After all, you are part of this enigma. Getting a hold of you, however, wasn't easy. I did find your online profile on various social media platforms, but, I couldn't just send you a friend request, there was no guarantee that you'd accept it. Plus, in a worst-case scenario, there was always the chance you would get weirded out by the invasion of privacy, and I did not want to risk that occurring.

  Thankfully you had just moved into my tiny, old town. There's not much to do around here as an eighteen-year-old. All I had to do was narrow down the places I knew you'd eventually pass by. And such, I spent entire days waiting for you to come around, eager to cross paths with you on the janky streets of this molding neighborhood. This task, this game of hide and seek we were playing, was getting quite tedious. I had wasted more hours just walking around town this week than I had ever done in my whole life. When were you going to show up again?

  And just about when I was mentally preparing to give up, I stumbled upon you. An old abandoned fountain that hasn't worked since before I was born wasn't on my "places of relevancy" list. But I should have guessed a city kid like you would have find attractiveness in these old rocks. Do you always dress this nice? You have this casual-chic aura to you, a not very common presentation among boys. But I didn't need to know you personally to know that you're not like most of the other guys. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were special. Not just because you had made me feel the weirdest, unnerving feeling I have felt all my life, but also, due to your undeniable natural charisma.

  I could feel the sweat on my hands and the palpitations of my heart getting faster. I had to ignore it. That was my first chance in so long, after all the trouble I went through to see you, I deserved to talk to you. So, just like when you did to me two weeks ago, I approached you.

  "Hey! I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I couldn't help but notice you standing here alone. I remember seeing your face before. I was wondering if we've ever met," I said. Even though this is not the first time we're speaking to each other, I pretended that I thought it could have been.

  Hunter turned around and looked at Crimson awkwardly standing there. He looked like the stereotypical introverted kid trying to make friends in middle school.

  "Oh, hello there! Yes, I do believe we've spoken before," said Hunter. He straightened his posture and continues, "If I remember correctly, I asked you for help with directions when I arrived in town sometime in the last two weeks."

  "That's right! So that's where I remember your face from," I said, feeding the façade that I haven't been obsessing over our first encounter for the past days.

  "It's quite nice seeing another boy in this area," Hunter said. "As you already know, I moved here recently, and from what I have seen thus far, most if not all of the residents around town are either adults or elderly people."

  "I would know, I have lived here all my life," I said, reassuring his observation. "And yes, seeing someone else close to my age group in this town is an exciting yet rare sighting."

  There was a brief pause in our dialogue. He was looking me right in the eyes. I could feel his gaze piercing through my soul.

  "You are Crimson, correct?" Hunter asked.

  "Yeah, that's my name," I confirmed to him, feeling like I was about to be ambushed.

  "Is that your real name, as in, your birth name?" He asked, with a suspicious look on his face.