Welcome to Saintfour

In the heart of the forest, a revitalizing freshness fills the air, momentarily quelling the flames of my anger. Unlike the urban landscape of Baltimore, where the sight of massive old trees is a rarity, here they stand proudly, their ancient forms cloaked in verdant moss, lending an enchanting hue to the surroundings. The scent of earth and foliage permeates every breath, transporting me to a realm untouched by city chaos. Each towering tree serves as a testament to nature's enduring beauty, weaving a tapestry of greenery that soothes the soul and invites a sense of tranquility amidst the wilderness.

It was quite, but soon I heard footsteps approaching from behind. A guy rushed pass, apparently out for a jog After a couple of minutes, he came running back towards me again. Our eyes met, and he stopped, deciding that this was a reason to introduce himself. "Uh, well how 'bout this weather, huh? Only the beggining of the year, and already the sky is covered with clouds. But I guess it's pretty much the norms for Saintfour

"Yeah, it really chilly and gloomy here." I said with a small smile.

"My name's Luke" He extended his hand. Hesitating for just a moment, "Sarah."

***

(Present day)

"No, not...Luke." Candy frowned.

"I shouldn't have brought that up." I felt that bringing up the past make her uneasy.

"It's fine. He's part of our story, whatever it is." Candy said.

Outside the rain began to subside, but the wind was still wailing wistfully. The heat of the candles made the house warmer.

"So what happened next?" Bobby asked me curiously.

"What?...oh, right! So then..."

***

"Nice to meet you, Sarah. I haven't seen you around before. Are you new here?" Luke asked slightly excited.

"Yes..."

"Passing through or here to stay?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "For an undetermined amount of time, I guess."

"Haha. I see. You are worrying about this place, a little? I was a little nervous too, when I got here."

Seeing someone who have the same thoughts as me made me feel a little better. "You're not from around here either?"

"No, I'm from Chicago. My family moved here a year ago"

"Why did you move?"

"Let's just say... Saintfour seemed like an interesting town to my family."

"Interesting?" Even though I've not been here for long I've never noticed anything interesting.

"Yes. Well, you know...nature...the people. This city has an interesting story. Life kinda seems to slip through your fingers back in Chicago, and here time stands nearly still, and you can feel that you are alive.

"I feel it, but I'm still not sure weather I like it, or actually want to win the racr against time. You know what I mean?"

"Haha. Yeah, I think so. Glad we have something in common."

No matter how I want this conversation, I promised my mom not to stay out late. " OK, I should get going."

"So soon? Did I scare you off?"

"No,no. It's just..."

Luke nodded knowingly, never ceasing to smile. "Pleased to meet you."

"Same to you."

"See you at school, I imagine?"

"Haha. Yes, of course."

Luke weaved and jogged on, deep into the forest.

Arriving home, the darkness had already enveloped the surroundings, with only the gentle glow of the moon casting its ethereal light from above. The streets lay deserted, devoid of the usual hustle and bustle, as if frozen in time. The moon, a solitary sentinel in the night sky, bathed the road in a soft, silver luminescence, aided by the faint illumination of streetlights lining the deserted thoroughfare. With no signs of human activity or passing cars to disrupt the quietude, I found myself walking unimpeded, tracing a solitary path down the center of the deserted roadway, enveloped by the serenity of the nocturnal realm.

'The school year begins tomorrow..."

Thoughts about tomorrow and returning to school disheartens me, I don't know anyone and nobody knows me. All eyes are fixed on me—all of the judging all of the first opinions being formed.

'OK. Well, Luke seems to be a nice guy... maybe the rest of the town will be equally friendly...'

Memories of meeting Luke distracted me from the grey reality. The future was not looking too interesting.

'I will have to spend highschool in this provincial town!'

Thoughts swirled in my head, but my attention was suddenly caught my a blinking street light. Stopping to look, I waited till it lit up fully, and then went on. After a couple more steps, the next lamp began to blink. I turned behind me and saw the one behind me blink and then turn off.

"What's going on?"

Fear welled from somewhere deep within me. My heart raced. I took a couple of steps back, peering intensely towards the end of the streets, swallowed by the night, where the light had all gone out. And then, I ran...

My heart had almost stopped by the time I reached my front door. But looking back, all the lights were on, as if nothing had ever been wrong with them...

Throughout the night, nightmares tormented my sleep, refusing to release their grip. As dawn broke, my weary eyes struggled to open, greeted by a somber, gray sky outside. The world seemed cloaked in a veil of gloom, mirroring the heaviness in my heart. It was evident from the onset that the day ahead held little promise of joy or respite. Each moment felt weighed down by the lingering shadows of the night, casting a pall over my spirit. As I reluctantly faced the day ahead, uncertainty loomed like a heavy cloud, obscuring any hope of brightness on the horizon.

"I don't want to go anywhere...or do... anything."

There was nothing in the room yet: just bare walls and a mattress in the corner. It made everywhere seem even less cozy.

"OK, this isn't going to work. I got to decorate this place. What should I do with it?"

I got to work and after some time I was able to bring out a cozy room. Just then, the door opened and mom appeared.

"Wow! It's so great here, I wouldn't mind a stay...Do you want to switch places?"

"No...not really, mom."

"Should we go? You've got to be on time for your first day."

"Yep—lets go."