Nothing Strange

The upside to leading an exile that I didn't exactly care to be a part of was that it was a pleasant day. There was a cool breeze, there were puffy clouds, and the sky was a curulean blue. Yes sir, the nice day almost made me forget how odd this whole thing was. Almost. "How much further are  the outskirts?" Olivia asks. "I don't. Maybe Jack knows." I say. Jack snickers to himself then replies. "Much further."  I stop walking. Which in turn forces Olivia and Jack to stop walking. "What's the hold up?" Olivia asks. "I don't feel like walking anymore." I say. "I don't either, but we have to." "Do we?" I ask. "I think we do." Olivia starts to walk. I still don't budge. "Maybe there's another way." I say. "Like what?" "What if we we took him underground?" I say, glancing at a manhole. "That's not out of town." Olivia reminds. "Maybe not, but it's out of sight." "I don't know about this. He could still come back if we place him underground." "He could, but there's also nothing to stop coming back if we took him way out to the outskirts of town. " "That's right!" Jack blurts. Olivia sighs. "Well, I am tired of walking."

Preparing the Exile

How do you exile someone properly? Easy, you send Olivia and Scott to do it. I was actually starting to feel bad for the madman, or Jack as I've been recently told. He's been smacked, stabbed and bound, but I have to remind myself that he's the bad guy. That he's the one who broke into Bella's store nearly scaring her to death. Wilber wrapped chains around Jack's body. He then gave Olivia and  I the ends of the chain. I remember seeing in a book a man being dragged out of his house in Salem. He was in chains very much like these. I'm not saying that Jack is a witch or even wrongly accused, but the whole thing feels off. Like we're regressing. Then again, I don't know what the right way is to go about this. "Where should we take him?" I ask. "To the outskirts of town." Wilber replies. "That doesn't seem very far." "Then take him further." Wilber scolds. "But how do you know he won't come back?" "He won't."

Not Food

"I'm taking care of things." Wilber says to Bella while still forcing Jack's head. "It looks out of control to me." She says. "Bella, please. I got this." "Do not use my plants like this." Wilber turns his head slightly. Bella has her arms crossed. "I'm teaching him a lesson." Wilber insists. "You don't need my plants to do that." "Do you remember what he did to you?" Wilber asks. "I don't care. My Regina will not be a murderer." Wilber stares at Bella for a moment. "I'm serious." She says. Wilber begrudgingly let's go of Jack. Jack backs away from Regina."Thanks. I knew you had some humanity." "Shut up. You're not out of the woods yet." Wilber smacks Jack hard across the face with the back of his hand. Jack falls over. Wilber glances at Jack on the floor and then up at Bella. "So, what should we do with him?" Bella takes a deep breath then speaks. "Exile him."

Be Afraid

Jack was face to face with Regina, the monstrous Venus fly trap. "Scared?" Wilber asks, placing his blade against Jack's throat. "Not even close." Jack replies. "You should be. This could eat you whole."  "Can it?" "Excuse me?" "Do you know that for a fact that it could eat me?" Jack asks. "I don't have to know it as a fact. Look at it." Jack smiles to himself. "You wanna kill me?Go for it. But maybe you should be asking yourself why you want to end me so bad?" "Because you're a low life punk." Wilber says. "Ah and that'll make you feel better pushing anything that isn't pleasant out of sight." "I want to make this town safer." Wilber shouts. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Wilber, not wanting to argue anymore, grabs the back of Jack's head. He forces it an inch from Regina. Regina opens her mouth wide to reveal razor sharp teeth. She is salivating and Jack has a look of terror in his eyes. "Are you scared now!" Wilber shouts, more crazed than ever. "What's going on?" Out of the corner of his eye Wilber sees a terrified Bella. "What's going on?" She asks again.

Tied Up

The prisoner awoke to find himself tied up. Wilber hovered over him, holding his rusty knife. It seemed to the prisoner that Wilber was taking a sadistic delight at his predicament. The prisoner tried to protest, but he soon found his voice muffled by a piece of duct tape. Wilber ripped the tape off the prisoner's mouth. The prisoner yelled in pain. "Who are you?" Wilber shouts. "Why should I tell you?" Wilber sticks the knife in The prisoner's face. "That's why." The prisoner laughs. "You wouldn't use that." Wilber quickly slashes the prisoner's left check, just under his eye. "Fuck.! Ok the name's Jack." "Jack Who?" "O'Brian. Jack O'Brian." "And what do you want, Mr. O' Brian?" Jack laughs again. "Drugs. That's all I ever wanted." "Well, you're not gonna get drugs." "Is that so?" Jack says cockily. "It is." Wilber stabs jack in the leg. Jack bites his lip hard, trying not to scream.  "Hurt me all you want. I don't care. I'll heal." "I could kill you." "But you won't." Wilber pauses for a moment. He knows Jack is right, but would never admit it. Instead he unties Jack. "So, I'm free?" Jack asks. "Not even close." "Then what is this?" "It's Plan B. I'm gonna take you some where. But if you so much cough without my permission then you're dead. And mean that."

Distraught

Bella ran into the fountain shop. She slammed the door against the wall.Every head in the store turned to her, including Wilber. Wilber saw Bella's distraught appearance, and naturally thought she was upset with him. "I'm better now, but I was sick earlier. Very sick. " He says the last part to Norm who is standing next to him. "Yeah. He was sick as a dog." Norm says. "What? No, I don't care about that." Bella replies trying to catch her breath. Norm rolls his eyes. "Nice to know you care about the guy." "I have a problem." She shouts. "Yeah, you and everyone else." Norm remarks. "Would you shut up? There is a man in my store, and no, he is not supposed to be there." Everyone is suddenly quiet. "What does the man look like?" Wilber asks. Bella shrugs. "I don't know. Long, tangled beard. Dirty trench coat." Norm turns to me. "He sure sounds familiar." "I thought you dealt with him." Wilbur says. "I did..sort of. " Wilber sighs. "I got this." "No, I can do this." I say. Wilber shakes his head and throws off his apron. "No. I will do it. I was in the army after all."

Slow Effect

The madman took sips, little sips. It was taking a painfully long time for him to finish his tea, but Bella didn't mind. She knew the end result would be worth it. "This isn't bad. Although I wouldn't say it's good either." The madman remarks. "It's a bit of an acquired taste." Bella says. "I guess. So, when's it supposed to kick in?" "Soon. Just keep drinking." The prisoner slams the mug on the floor. "That's the last of it, and I don't feel anything yet." "You will. It creeps up on you." Bella assures. "You sure this is the real deal?" "I'm positive." "Well, then while waiting for the effects of this drug to "creep" in, you might as well show me around. " He says, pointing the rusty knife at her. Bella gave the madman a tour, just like he wanted. However, she made it point not to show him exotic and interesting that would ignite his imagination. That meant no giant Venus fly traps. She stopped every few feet to drone on and on, throwing out uninteresting facts. She knew she was boring him, and she was happy to do so. Eventually he asked if he could sit for a moment. Naturally she complied. She watched as he slowly gave into his tiredness. The madman closed his eyes and fell over. She studied his sleeping body for a minute before she realized it was safe to move.  She disarmed the man. After that she placed heavy pots on the folds of his coat. This time, when he woke up,  he wouldn't be going anywhere.

Valerian Root

Bella chopped and boiled the valerian root, making it into a fine potion. It took a long time to make. A lot longer than the prisoner was expecting. He assumed that all he all he had to do was chop off some leaf and ingest it. He had no idea there was a fine process to it. But Bella kept assuring him that this was the best drug he could ever possibly get. That afterwards this would be the best feeling he could ever possibly have. Finally, after some time, Bella presented the madman with a steaming hot cup of tea. "What's this?" He asks suspiciously. "It's the valerian root." "Why's it look like this?" "Because it's a tea." "Why'd you make it a tea?" "Because that's how you ingest it." Bella says. The prisoner sneers. "I don't drink tea." Bella takes the tea. "That's too bad." "Wait, is that the only way to take it?" He asks. "I'm afraid so." The prisoner sighs. "Alright I'll have the tea." Bella smiles. She hands him the tea. "I knew you'd come around." The prisoner takes a sip. "It's hot. You mind if I take my time with it?" Bella shakes her head. "Not at all. It's actually better that way. Then you can really feel it's effects."

Knifepoint

"Did they suspect anything?" The cold, far away voice asks Bella. "No,they didn't." "Are you sure?" "They didn't." Bella says with a bite. "Good." "I've agreed to help. Can I see you now?" She asks. "It depends. Will you go to the police?" "I won't." "Then I suppose I could let you see my face." The mad prisoner walks out of the shadows. He removes a jagged, rusty knife from the pocket of his dirty trench coat. Bella stands there in stunned silence for a minute. "Are you scared?" "No." Bella says lying through her teeth. "Have you seen me before?" "No." "But I've seen you." He says with a twisted grin. "Stop being creepy. I'm ready to work." Bella replies. "Good to hear. So you have what I want?" "I think so, but remind what the pink hearts did to you so I know exactly what to get." "They made feel good. Really good. Like nothing else in the world mattered." Bella nods slowly. "I think I may have something, but it's strong." "I can handle strong." "It's a lot stronger than you're used to." "I can handle it!" He shouts. "Don't say I didn't warn you." "I can take it. I'm man enough. What's it called?" Bella half smiles. "Valerian Root."

Rude Reply

Olivia and I went to Bella's first thing in the morning. Wilber was nervous about his upcoming second date with Bella. He needed more time to mentally prepare, so he sent Olivia and I to say he wasn't feeling well. It was an odd task, but who was I to judge? Olivia and I knocked on the door. It took a while for her to answer. When she did answer the door she only opened it a teeny, tiny crack, and  she talked very quietly. It was as if she didn't want to be caught, or perhaps the more logical answer would be that her voice was strained and she couldn't speak. She was quite pale after all, and she did have bags under her eyes. "This isn't a good time." Bella says uneasily. "We'll be quick. We just wanted to say that maybe tonight isn't the best time for a second date. Wilber is not feeling well." Olivia says. "That's fine." Bella slams the door in our face. The act was a bit rude, but we felt worse for Wilber. To us such hostility could only mean that she did not have a good time last night, and she was probably happy to have us all out of her hair. Poor Wilber, what would we ever tell they guy?

The Intruder

"Close the door slowly and turn on the lights." The mysterious, cold voice ordered to Bella. Bella did as she was instructed. However, turning on the lights gave her little, if any solace. She could not find her intruder anywhere. Bella searched the area quickly with her eyes. There were plants and vines everywhere. Finding this man would prove to be a difficult task. "Don't look for me." It shouted. "What do you want from me?" Bella asks, shakily. "I need your help." The man says. "I'm going to have to see you then." "Maybe. I'll be the judge of that." "What do you want from me?" Bella shouts. "What do you know about the girl next door?" "Hardly anything." "Well, you've heard of her, haven't you?" "I suppose. What do you want?" Bella asks. "She naturally produces this substance that resembles a pink heart. The person on the receiving end of the heart will feel a wave of euphoria." Bella raises an eyebrow. "Interesting. I've never heard of a person with those abilities." "But you've heard of a plant with similar qualities?" "What are you getting at?" Bella asks suspiciously. "You must have a plant or something in here that could be of use to me." "It's possible. I'm not sure." "Don't play dumb. I know you do." The voice shouts. "Sure, there may be a plant or two in here that would have the qualities that you are talking about. But why would I help you? Why would I hurt one of my babies?" "Because..." The voice starts to laugh. "I know where you are, and I wont' leave until I get exactly what I want."

Bella's Reaction

Wilber was a strange bird, but so was Bella. She knew this for quite some time. She was prepared to walk through life as the strangest person on Earth. But now she found someone who could possibly match her strangeness. She liked going on dates to unfinished restaurants. A smile was slowly sweeping across her face. Was she happy? Bella decided whatever this new feeling was to embrace it fully. She dropped her guards and let the smile stretch to it's full extent. She was indeed happy. Bella unlocked the front door to her shop. She took one step into her dark store. Before she had a chance to turn on the lights, a cold voice whispered in her ear. "Don't move."

Glowing

Wilber bursted into the shop singing "I Could Have Danced All Night" from "My Fair Lady."  He grabbed a broom and pantomimed dancing with a woman. This was long after closing, so there were no customers around to gawk. Though, I don't think he would mind. He was absolutely gleeful. "I take it your date went well." Olivia says. "Well? That's an understatement. I'm in love." He replies, dipping his broom partner. "When do you see her again?" Olivia asks. "Tomorrow." "Tomorrow? That's awfully soon. Don't you think?" Norm says. Wilber slows his dancing. He is now is self conscious. "You think it's too soon?" "No, you're fine." Olivia assures. "I don't know. He might come off as needy." Norm says. Olivia turns Norm. "Norm, shut up." Wilber stops dancing all together. He holds the broom tightly. "I don't want to look needy. This is exactly what I was worried about." "You won't look needy. She was having a fun time. You were having a fun time. Just be confident." Olivia says calmly. Wilber breaths heavily. "Maybe I should postpone the date." "I don't understand. You just said you're in love." I jump in. "I am in love, but I need some time to mentally prepare. I think it's wise if I postpone it." Olivia sighs. "Do what you have to do." Wilber thinks for a moment then looks at me and Olivia. "Maybe you two could tell her." "What?" "Yes, it would sound much better coming from you than me." "This isn't some weird 80's high school sit com." I say. Wilber folds his hands. "Please, it would mean the world to me." I roll my eyes. "Fine, but not now. "  Wilber shakes his head. "No, it's far too late now. You must go first thing in the morning."

No Deal

"What are you doing here?" I shout to the prisoner. "That was a good nap I had." He says slightly aloof. "That's good to hear, but you can't be here." "Relax. You don't even know what I want." "I know exactly what you want. You want more of those hearts. You're an addict." "Look at you jumping to conclusions. Isn't it possible that maybe just maybe I'm after something else?" I grit my teeth. I decide to play along. "What do you want?" The prisoner laughs. "I'm just fucking with you. Of course I'm after the hearts." "Well you can't have them." I say. "Don't  leave me hanging." I start to walk away. "Where am I supposed to get my kicks now?" I turn slightly. "I don't know and I don't care." I enter the fountain shop, leaving the prisoner alone on the sidewalk. "I'll be just fine." He shouts to no one.

15 Min Break

While Wilber was on his date, Olivia, Norm and I worked away. It was quite busy, and massive amounts of people generally aren't my thing. However, I eventually I grew to like the gig. I made a game with myself. I tried to predict who would order what before they did. I was usually way off the mark, but it made the hours fly by. The pace didn't slow till the summer sun started to set. There was still a line, but it wasn't nearly as long, and Norm knew he could handle it. He graciously let me take a break. The thing is I was so burnt out I didn't want to go too far. So, I plopped down at a booth. Olivia got me a banana split. I took my time eating it. Small spoonfuls. I wasn't about to rush myself. Unfortunately, I could not fully relax. As I'm sitting down I see the mad prisoner outside the shop. I don't know what he's doing, but can't have him loiter. I push the banana split away. I step up, preparing myself to deal with the matter.

Sal's

Sal's would be the new, hip, five star, Italian restaurant. Anybody who is anybody would eat there. Of course now it's barely a skeleton. Windows are cracked, the floor is a mess, and there is no running water or electricity. Bella and Wilber, however don't seem to mind. Perhaps they see past the many flaws and understand the true potential of the place. Perhaps they are the true romantics. For the cracked and broken windows they say it's like eating al fresco. For the mess on the floor, Wilber  easily dismisses it. He says it reminds him of those bars where you can toss the peanut shells onto the floor. It's like being home, he says. For the lack of waiters and electricity, neither Wilber nor Bella mind in the slightest. They say it's easier to get to know one another. It's easier for romance to blossom. Sal's is a bare skeleton at this point, but that is only because no one has imagined better yet. That's just what Bella and Wilber are attempting to do now. They're imagining something better.They're dreaming bigger and brighter.

Behind the Register

I like people enough. They're ok, but when I'm behind a register all I can think of is my anxiety. My crippling anxiety. The customers aren't rude. In fact most of them are pleasant. It's just the line. It goes on and on. Five minutes feels like an hour. Eventually the line slows down. A girl in a sugar skull mask walks up to the register. "One scoop of Peanut Butter Swirl, please."  I scan the ice cream drums. That's one of the flavors we ran out of.  "I'm sorry. We're all out of that one. Can I suggest another flavor?" The girl removes her mask. I was so out of it that I didn't realize it was Olivia. "I was just kidding." She says. I breath a sigh of relief.  "That means you're done with helping Wilber?" Olivia nods. "And that means I can leave the register?" "Not just yet." Norm interrupts. "No?" I say, sheepishly. "No, you're too good. I can't have you leave just yet." I messed up.  I did well, and because of that I was asked to stay.

Spots or Stripes?

The tie with the big, red polka dots, or the one with the electric blue, vertical stripes? These were Wilber's options. Neither one seemed ideal in my opinion. Both made him look like a clown. Wilber holds up both the ties against his grey suit. "The stripes?" Olivia says, a little unsure of herself. "I was hoping you'd say that." He replies. Wilber places the polka dot tie back in the sock drawer of his oak dresser. He then takes out a bottle of cologne. "Not too much." Olivia says, before he has a chance to spray himself. "What's too much?" "Just a dab. You don't want her to think you bathed in cologne." Wilber sighs deeply. "I should know these things, but I don't." "That's fine. That's why I'm here." "I'm nervous." He admits. "Just be yourself." "Myself? I'm an ex soldier who is trying to reclaim his former life. I have PTSD. I have done things. Terrible things." "Maybe don't mention that ...at least not on the first date." Olivia says. Wilber holds up his grey suit. He looks at his tired, worne face in the mirror. Olivia walks up next to him. She joins him in looking in the mirror. "You'll do just fine."

Benedict Arnold

The missing vagabond didn't bother me too much. I figured as long as he wasn't in the fountain shop no harm no foul. Thankfully, he wasn't. I entered the shop. Norm hugged me and gave me unearned praise. I wasn't about to correct him, but I did redirect the conversation. "Where's Wilber and Olivia ?" I ask. "He just remembered he has a date with the broad next door. So Olivia's helping him pick out a tie. The guy's a wreck." "He's just nervous." I say. "They're both Benedict Arnolds if you ask me." "They're not the enemies." "Yeah? Then why did they abandon me during busy time?" He asks. "I'm here." I say firmly. Norm's eyes light up.  "That's right you are! Alright, get behind the register."

Which Shoes?

Bella only had two different pairs of shoes, but they could not be more different.  Her choices were an old pair of converse or a pair of black, high heels. I don't  enjoy telling people what to wear, but Bella was hell bent on hearing my opinion. So, I told her "whatever is more comfortable." She said several times that that was not a real answer. Eventually she did choose the more comfortable one. That just happened to be the converse. She laced up her shoes and gave me permission to leave. When I exited her shop the sun was going down and there was no prisoner in sight. He had vacated the sidewalk.

Jitters

Move the nice, unconscious, homeless man here. No, not there, here. No, here. After a while it started to drive me crazy. I decided to take a much needed break, so I went to Bella's. I wasn't going to purchase anything, and I wasn't in the mood for conversation, but I felt Bella's was my best bet to hide. Unfortunately, I had no such luck. Since my last visit Bella had placed a bell above the door. As soon as I opened it it made a loud chime. It only took seconds for Bella to find me. She came to the door wearing a fancy black dress and diamond earrings. He hair was up. It was obvious she was going somewhere. It was even obvious that she was expecting someone else. Her face gave it away. "Don't look too dissapointed." I say. "It's not that. I Was just expecting Wilber." "Are you going out with him tonight?" I ask. Bella nods. "Yes. He helped with a few things around the store. So, I offered to take him out to dinner and he said yes." "That's wonderful. I'll let you get ready." I say, with my hand on the door. "Could you stay?" She asks. "You want me to stay? Why?" "Because I'm nervous." "That's natural. You'll be fine though. Just enjoy yourself." I assure. "But I don't know what to wear." "You look fine to me." "No. Look at me closely. I'm not wearing any shoes." I looked down. She was indeed barefoot. "You should probably put some shoes on." "But what kind?" "I really don't know." "You have to have some idea." "No, I don't." I start to exit. "Where are going?" She asks. "I gotta get back." I say. "Please stay. I need your help. I have Regina and I love her,but she doesn't know about these things." "I don't either." "But you can talk." I sigh. "Fine. Five minutes." Bella smiles back at me. "Five minutes. "