text: “......an’ I had to tell him that he wassa beening too uptight, eh?” Jonathan smirked. “Yes, that does sound like him. Really, Alden is really uptight. Oh, that reminds me, I planned a trip to your town. I hope you don’t mind me visiting you and Agatha, old friend?” There was a pause. Then the man named Johnathan spoke. “Yeb, er, I ain’t minding ya! Me and my wife willa seeya ther!” Beep. The unnamed man sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around his cozy, but cluttered mess of a room. Guess I will be packing . The man reached down and picked up some papers off the floor. He then walked out of the room to pack. *** As his own private jet arrived, the man quickly noticed one thing. He had just landed in the middle of... Nowhere? Soon, though, the man had regained his bearings, and walked to the town one mile away. As he neared his destination, he realized what he had waltzed into. A neat little town. But there was an odd atmosphere lingering around this town. It was a little too neat, a little too quiet. It was so quiet that you could hear water evaporating, your heart beating, your watch tick tock-ing . Suddenly, a burst of life exploded in the too neat, too quiet town, transforming it into a bustling village. He smiled at the people, but then it hit him. Literally. As he was rubbing the sore spot on his neck, where the shoe had hit him, he thought, these people are angry at me. But why? His rescuer soon arrived on the scene, in the shape of.... “Nathan! Yer back so soon?” He frowned. He had known Jonathan for eighteen years now, so how did he forget his best friend's name? However, when he saw the look of total fear on Jonathan’s face, his angriness was replaced with nervousness, and he gulped. Right on the spot, he decided to play along and pretend to be this so-called “Nathan.” “Yep, uh, I’m back! Hahaha, I’m back!” All the brooms and dusters went down as the mob dispersed. There were only two people left. A grayed hair woman walked over to “Nathan”, looked at him, and walked away hurriedly, murmuring things to herself. The latter turned around to face “Nathan” and he could not help but blurt out “Agatha!” He regretted this immediately, as she advanced on him. “HI NATHAN! I can’t believe you are back so soon!” Agatha gave him a Don’t-you-dare say-anything-or-I-will-knock-your-head-off look. “You WILL join us for supper, right? RIGHT?! I’ll see you in my house!” She walked away to her house and pulled the dumbstruck Jonathan in. Good acting, drama queen. “ Nathan” thought. He then joined them for supper. *** “This town does not like visitors?” “Ai, yeb mate. I sent a message to your phone b’ you ain’t looking at it, ai?” “You are right. I should have looked,” he changed the subject. “Your house is impeccable!” He was right. A sparkling crystal chandelier hung across the glittering ceiling, as the floor danced with light in a dual tango. The walls hung photos of Jonathan and his family, all smiling. The stairs intertwined paths and created a beautiful rainbow walkway. The house seemed to be held up by some sort of magic, as it was remarkably high. The kitchen was pleasantly kept and cleaned, not like the town. Everything was in order, and well-made foods sat on the table, waiting to be eaten. The living room was a whole other world. Chairs, couches, seats, armchairs, cantilever chairs, wing chairs, deck chairs, and desk chairs were all chatting as the fireplace crackled nicely. A sweet aroma filled the room as flowers of all kinds spread their petals. Carnations. Irises. Lavender. Roses. Tulips. Sunflowers. Gardenias. Orchids. Those were just a few of the lovely flowers in the choir of sweetness. The large, billowing curtains swayed to and fro, creating a lighting show. “Ai, mate. It ain’t half bad, once yer get over da brightness, ai? Any who,” continued Jonathan in an airy tone, “I no’ tha you ain’t from ‘ere, so do’n be looking fer trouble, hear?” “I--Of course I won’t, but why do you guys not like outsiders?” Jonathan was opening his mouth, but then a riot broke out in the streets. They both hurried to the door to see what was happening. “Brooke, there is someone in Johnathan’s house that is not Nathan!!!” “Nathan” gulped and looked at Jonathan. His face said it all. He was utterly terrified. “Should we run, mate?” Johnathan whispered. Just as he was about to reply, he heard Brooke exploding, “WHAT!? Where is he..., thank you two for reporting this, but I suggest you do not get involved here, alright? The mayor is hearing about this...” As the duo attempted to nod, Brooke spotted Jonathan and “Nathan” on the doorway. She marched up to them and started to pull “Nathan’s” hand. Jonathan tried to stop her, trying to block her way, distracting her, but Brooke was unfazed by his pleas. Her grip was tight, her mind was made up. A single strand of her gray hair fell on “Nathan’s” arm. He brushed it away subconsciously. In the Mayor’s office, it was just as neat as the town, everything placed in order, everything where it was supposed to be. But “Nathan” could not help to notice a clear inch of dust on the organized items, as if they have not been moved for the past few years. As “Nathan” began to look closer, he noticed a small frame of two little girls holding hands at the beach, with their mother watching over them. The setting was picturesque, and the girls glowed with pride near a sandcastle that almost rivaled their height. Just then, the mayor stepped into the doorway. “So you decided to visit me, stranger? Figures. It took you long enough. But why are you here, an’ what are you doing in my town?” he said. “But I shon’ be gettin ahead of myself, right? My name is Alden, an I’m the Mayor of our town.” “Uh, hi, I did not know this town had a mayor. So----” “All towns ave a mayor, right?I don’t see what the fuss is about, so why don't ya tell me summat of yourself, hm?” “But, Alden......” Brooke butted in, but Alden held up a hand. “Nothing you ave to worry over, Brooke! Why don you go home, you’ve done yourself a great job, me beautiful wife!” Brooke gave Alden a swift, searching glance, narrowed her eyes, and left his house. Thus, they began the conversation, which slowly stretched into a long,long, long story. They were talking like old pals, and “Nathan” was ready to ask the big question, the only reason he was still here. But then he remembered something. “Hey, in that photo, there was a girl I recognized. Don't you think--” Before he could work out what was happening, Alden was on his feet and shouting at him. “I KNEW IT! YOU ARE ONE OF THEM!!! YOU JUST WANT MY FAMILY! LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!!” “This is a misunderstanding, I don’t want- “ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES! I’VE HAD IT WITH YOU-YOU PEOPLE!” This was enough to get “Nathan” to start hollering, too. “YOU NEED TO LISTEN! I DO NOT WANT YOUR FAMILY! I ONLY CAME HERE TO VISIT MY FRIEND! I HAVE NOT SEEN HIM FOR TWO YEARS!” “I DON’T CARE! I CAN’T LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN! WHY DO YOU THINK I DON’T ALLOW PEOPLE IN MY TOWN?! I- Alden suddenly knelt down and started to sob. Calming down, “Nathan” sat down, too, patting Alden on the back, and asked for the whole story. In a shaky voice, Alden started, “W-when this town was younger, we used to be very happy an welcoming. But then those rich p-people came.” Alden said the sentence with such scorn that it burned a hole though the words. “They were alright at first, helping us out, cleaning stuff. But they left unexpectedly w-with-” Alden paused and took several deep breaths, then went on. “T-they took my o-oldest daughter. W-we never found h-her. Tha pic wassa before they captured my beautiful girl. Since them, we h-have been closed to the public, as to protect my last daughter.” “Nathan” stared soberly at Alden. Then he stood up, making up his mind in the spur of the moment. “Keeping it in your heart for all these years must have been eating you from the inside.” “Nathan” paused and looked thoughtful. Then he spoke. “I must also reveal the truth. I am a detective, working to stop kidnappers. I came to this town because, well, I had some cases of missing girls. I just found out that one of the missing girls had disappeared from this town.” “Nathan” looked at the mayor, who had tears brimming in his eyes, “Help me to find more, please, I know it’s hard to talk about this never-healing wound. I promise I will work with my team to find kidnappers, and, if possible, your daughter. The only thing I ask for is for you and your town to be more welcoming to this world. And, let me make things straight.” Pause, “The other reason is that I just want to visit my friend.” Alden looked at “Nathan”, shocked. Then he also stood up and said “I’ll-I’ll give it a shot. Thank you... for this information.” *** Six months later... ... “Thank you for- for just everything you have done to help this town. You have brought back joy and life to our town and helped us reform into our old selves. You have also taught me and my wife, to not stay in the past, but accept the present. You are right ,my daughter will love it when she comes back. ” “That is what I do, Alden. I will see you next time, then. Mrs. Lewandowski’s gray hair looks like an angel's harp under the sun.” He added.” Pause. “Ok, mate! And er, never got yer name. What is it?” “Reid.” “Reid.” “Reid Falcon.” Then Reid Falcon walked away, leaving Alden to bask in the peaking rays of sunrise. He looked at this town, and saw Agatha, Jonathan, Brooke, and many others waving good-bye to Reid. *** “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” ― Mahatma Gandhi