Mr. Scientist (Cecilos)

Perfect Hair

I was in the lab today dissecting clocks. I noticed for some reason, they have stopped ticking. I call Cecil. He doesn't pick up, then I realize he is doing his radio show. So I leave him multiple messages. One asking him if he wants to go grab coffee while we were doing our tour around the city. He called me back during the weather. He said yes.

I urgently watch the clock, waiting for 4 to come. Every 15 minutes feel like an hour. Ugh. Work. I forgot to say, a man came to the door today. He was wearing a long tan coat and he was holding a leather suitcase. I have no idea why he was here. Or what he was here for. But that killed some time.

3:55 came along and I started cleaning up. 3:59 I flew out of the lab's doors and onto the main street of Night Vale. Cecil had been sitting on a bench nearby the lab.

"You took a while." Cecil says.

"I came out at exactly 4." I say. "I thought I'd be a bit early, if not perfectly on time."

"I usually do things earlier than usual." He pushes up his glasses. "I didn't want to waste time either so I came here instead of going to Town Hall."

"Oh. Okay then." I say. He gets up.

"I know this great little coffee shop about two blocks from here." He says. I nod then he walks off. I follow right behind and then right next to him. We round the corner when I see a fenced area with a sign that says "Dog Park- Dogs are not allowed. People are not allowed. Do not approach. Do not think about it for too long. Do not be consciously aware of. Violators will be taken to the the abandoned mineshaft and/or taken for re-education." I blinked. A mysterious figure appeared. I blinked again. He was gone. I realized Cecil had walk a few yards ahead of me. I run and catch up to him.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't ask. Stop thinking about it." He says. Oh.

We walk into a small coffee shop a few minutes later. In silence. I sit at a small, round, marble table, while Cecil orders two black coffees. Then he sits back down in the chair in front of me. Awkward silence stands between us both for many moments until he goes up to get our coffees. I take a scolding sip, and think of a conversation starter, also trying to hide the pain of my scolded tongue.
"Have you met anyone else in Night Vale, Carlos?" The low-pitched voiced radio host asks.
"I've met a woman named Josie, so far. She's a sweet old lady, but she was talking about Angels which made me a bit suspicious." I respond.
"Oh. If she says anything or does anything strange and out of the ordinary, don't think about it." He takes a sip of his coffee. After that we just talked casually. Things I cannot remember. The whole day. I couldn't remember anything after that.