One
Cold winds of winter blew through the streets of the lonely town of Porstville. They kicked up leaves that littered the creaky roads like a bored child kicking up stones. Along the paved path, they skipped, blissfully away from the sedentary life that gouges through the town.
Secluded by forest and mountains, Porstville was a distant land from the waking world. Fancy shops and quick fluttering trends were only faded myths and legends to the residents. What business would expand into such a dreary town? Hardly the budget to keep itself alive, barely holding its head above water through whatever funds manage to find its way through town hall.
There just weren’t any people here, and those who were, dreamed of living elsewhere. Life was stale like a wasted meal, bland to the senses to eat yet one had no other food. Just squandered bread that could have been something.
It was easy not to care.
A gentle fog had settled throughout the town giving it a melancholic mood. Not thick enough to obstruct one’s view but enough to where a ghostly mist painted the residents’ sights.
It was a quiet day.
A weary day.
Inside a lonely convenience store was Daniella, or as she preferred to be called, Danny. Lights were dim with the occasional flicker as if they too begged for rest. The shop had few items to buy, but also little need to buy. Items such as your basic office supplies, basic food categories, basic children’s items, and one’s basic necessities.
Danny was kneeling aside a shelf, restocking it with toiletry items; a frown of complete apathy covered her pale face. Bags from sleepless nights hung under her eyes.
To put it simply, Danny did not enjoy her job.
She didn’t enjoy many aspects of her life.
She hated the boring town yet lacked the funds to leave.
She hated her job yet could find no other place to work.
Danny was tethered to a life she didn’t deem to be worth her effort. She dreamed of something else, yet here she was, unhappy and doing nothing about it.
Depressing thoughts to distract, her box was soon empty. Her task was now over. She picked up the box beneath her arm and made her way through the vacant store to the break room.
The withering tiles sparked with each step, thumps from her worn-out running shoes slowly falling apart. The soles were tearing up and the heel was scratched. Not to mention dirt that’s speckled the originally bright surface.
They still worked, Danny would defend, but the instant they were left alone in public, someone would throw it away with the trash.
Maybe the next paycheck….
Rounding a corner, out of the aisle, Danny noticed one of her coworkers at the store’s bulletin board.
Molly was her name. A cheery high schooler who would pick up a shift after school for some extra cash. Her hair was blonde and fringy, make-up heavy with highlights and sparkles. Vibrant freckles added to her youthful appearance. She had this chewing gum habit, too. Always blowing bubbles.
Danny sighed, rolling her eyes. She made her way over to see what she was up to. Curiosity or boredom, it was something other than restocking shelves.
Molly was analyzing the board, looking for the best place to hang up a new addition.
“Uh, hey Molly,” Danny began.
“Oh! Danny! Hey!” She turned. “Uh, do you mind helping me out? I want this to be noticeable…”
She handed Danny a paper, a cold pang sinking in her gut at its sight.
Missing person.
Kala Henderson.
A large photo covered the page of a young lady. The town wasn’t so small to where you knew everyone but being in one of the only convenience stores, Danny was sure this lady had been around.
Her photo showcased a bright, joyful lady who extruded a peace Danny wished she were able to experience. A shimmering head of rich, dark hair in perfect care. A dark complexion resembling the quality of skin a model would have. Eyes that welcomed the world with open arms. This girl seemed perfect; life was perfect.
She looked healthy.
She looked young.
She looked happy.
And now she was missing.
Probably dead, if you want to be pessimistic.
“I- uh, I think anywhere is fine…” Danny replied, handing back the paper.
“You know, it’s really sad,” Molly remarked, followed by a pop from her gum.
“Yeah… sad,” Danny replied dryly.
“I mean… in our town! Nothing ever happens here!” Molly continued. “And you wanna know what’s crazy? This isn’t the first one!”
Danny glanced out the board, looking for the other missing person posters, yet all that was there were town advertisements.
“What makes you say there are others?” She asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
“My dad’s in the police; he tells me about these things.”
“Why are there no posters then?”
“I think he said they were homeless types or runaways… something like that.”
“So, no one cared about them?”
“Guess not…”
“Huh, real sad.”
Feeling the conversation die out, Molly just shrugged. She placed the poster on an empty spot towards the middle and stapled it in. Quite a stark contrast to the vibrant, outgoing posters from the community.
‘Hey, want your house cleaned?’
‘In need of a used car?’
‘House Tour!’
‘Grand Opening!’
‘Missing Person.’
Danny sighed before continuing off with her job.
What was she going to do about it?
Yes, it was sad. It may even be a little scary, but that didn’t involve her.
She hoped for the best; maybe it wasn’t even that serious.
But one thing was for certain, Danny would have nothing to do with it.
