"Sir?" she tried to get his attention once more. "What would you like to order?"
Lam rubbed two fingers, hard, over his left eyebrow. The headache he had throbbed more intensely as he dismissively said, "It doesn't matter… a cup of tea will do."
The employee delivered a worried glance but still took his order.
Walking towards the tea dispenser, she pressed a button under a red sign which poured out clear, amber liquid into a large cup. She placed a lid on it and allowed another employee to take over.
"This headache is killing me."
The pain became more intense as the pressure he felt increased. "Excuse me? How much is it?"
The new employee placed a cup on the counter, then punched a sequence on her keypad.
Lam leaned his tired body on the smooth wooden surface and glanced at the screen. He pulled a few notes from his wallet, dug for some coins, and placed the money against the counter.
"Sir, you gave me the wrong amount for your tea," she says. "You're missing a dollar." He handed over the extra dollar, then rubbed his heavy eyes that screamed of tiredness.
The tea's cold so it should help freshen me up, right?
"Do you want your receipt?" the employee asks. Lam shook his head to confirm no.
A small printer clicks one out anyway and he watched her tear the slip across the serrated wood and drop it mindlessly behind the counter.
Lam walked out the double doors and made his way towards the traffic lights crowding with people. He glanced towards the gigantic trunk of an ancient wooden giant cloaking everything beneath its feet in darkness.
The town, Evermore, was one of the many settlements that resided in the Forest District, named due to its blessed land for cultivating vegetation. With the amount of local flora and fauna, hundreds upon thousands of businesses cluttered the land, becoming one of the wealthiest districts.
Dormant within the crowd of people, Lam drank the smooth amber tasting the gentle and natural sweetness with a slightly nutty taste.
The vehicles slowed to a halt, and the lights blinked green. Lam walked across the road with the crowd as green leaves fluttered with the breeze. Taking another mouthful, Lam checked for any incoming cars just in case.
The sun shone on the furniture for clearance outside the nearest stores. Tables, wardrobes, chairs and many more pieces of furniture laid on the pavement.
Pedestrians flooded the streets shopping for fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs. New species, exotic, beautiful, or dangerous, were being discovered every day.
A plump woman outside a stall was shaking her head as people passed, "Nazle sprouts, get your nazle sprouts, they're cheap, they're mad…"
No cars moving concluded Lam. He turned his head, scanning down the road. The humming vehicles puffing smoke from its exhaust didn't move.
Lam tipped the tea towards his mouth but only faint traces of the amber liquid remained. His eyes squinted in dissatisfaction, "What a rip-off." With the empty cup in one hand, he took off his backpack and zipped it open.
Inside was a massive stationery case, a spare jacket and some books. He placed the cup in a careful position then closed it half way when someone pushed hard against his shoulder.
A boy apologised before running back to his friends pushing each other. "Hey did you hear about the new game," Lam heard one them say, "It will be the first ever electronic game. I'm so excited!"
Although flora oversaturated the friendly town, times were changing and technology had integrated itself with the community.
Lam sighed. The town used to be peaceful where one could breathe in fresh air, but now the sounds of construction filled the town and the air was more stuffy.
A few years ago, a company had arrived in town and showed amazing feats that no one had seen before. They introduced phones, cars, computers and many more devices that made life easier. The company made a name for itself within days and had become the largest company in Evermore.
Although he didn't like that how the environment had changed, he welcomed it with open arms because those devices were convenient. The thing he enjoyed most was the hot water which he didn't need to heat anymore using fire.
It was due to these good services that the company, Etoyoc, gained the support of the people and became a powerhouse in the business industry.
HONK! HONK! HONK!
Lam woke from his thoughts and gave the death stare at the person in the car. The man returned it right back at him and continued honking.
The continuous blaring made his headache worse, and he stepped off the road allowing the cars to drive off. But the pain didn't stop and became worse. Lam couldn't handle it and collapsed onto his knee.
A girl around his age came over and helped him up. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
He glanced upwards and saw round, viridescent eyes staring back at him. It was nice that some people haven't changed.
Hair as dark as night smacked him in the face. "Sorry! My hair gets all wacky with the wind." She pulled her hair back until the breeze went on its way.
"It's okay. Can you bring me over to that bench?"
The girl nodded and led him to the wooden seats, but as if a jealous lover, the headache struck him again.
Lam tripped over nothing tumbling onto the bench.
People turned to see what the screams were about and saw an unbelievable sight. Why did they have to do this in public for? A few snickered while others blushed from the shameful sight.
Lam winced from the pain and tried to get up but something… soft and bouncy obstructed his movement. He opened his eyes, tilted his head upwards and an intense heat blazed his cheeks red.
With her legs spread apart over his lap, and her curved butt resting on the thigh, he couldn't do anything but be embarrassed.
She also noticed the awkward situation as well. Her cheeks kissed pink like a spring rose, the blooming colour looked cute against her snow skin.
Every single pair of eyes were looking at them - all waiting for a reaction, a response, like predatory beats.
'Slap'
It was as loud as a clap and stung Lam's face. It was an open-handed smack, and it left a striking red welt behind. Just below his eye was a small cut where a ring had caught him.
However, he couldn't care less because that strike became the bottom line for his headache. He clutched his head in pain, eyes watering, and whimpered.
It flabbergasted the crowd. What was going on?
The girl became stunned, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."
She got down and knelt beside him, however, what could she do in this situation? He was in pain and no one even tried to help him.
"Please someone! Call an ambulance already!" She turned around and faced towards the crowd.
Some people were looking at Lam with disgust while others were fumbling for their phone.
"I've called for an ambulance. They said to calm the man down so he doesn't injure himself anymore." Someone in the masses responded.
A little relieved, the tension on her face lessened but what she heard next gave her a shock.
"What is that black noodle?"
Her eyes widened and turned back towards the young man. He had a dumbfounded look and was rubbing his eyes from time to time.
When everybody was panicking before, the pain he felt dialled down and what greeted him was a black noodle. But what surprised him was that the noodle was dangling from the girl's butt.
Lam applied firm pressure against his eyes back and forth and examined it again to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, and just like before, it was still dangling there.
He repeated the same motion again, "Looks like the pain has gotten to me."
Some people turned to Lam to see how he was holding up, but they noticed that he was glaring at something with such devotion. It was impressive that he was putting so much effort into it.
Curious, part of the crowd checked what he was looking at and discovered that he was staring at the girl's bottom.
Disdain replaced their awe for the man and judged him for his viral crime. Why are you looking at that girl's ass when she is trying to help you? You're just faking sick so you can take advantage of her innocence, aren't you?
Lam noticed the gazes and realised that the actions he was committing were that of a pervert. His already flushed cheeks blazed more and intense, and he wished he could bury himself a hole.
However, the girl didn't get angry or even upset, instead, she panicked even more and left, squeezing through the small spaces in the group.
Although her reaction was weird, there wasn't much to say. The crowd dispersed like smoke going their separate ways, leaving Lam and a few others behind.
A few people asked if he was all right, and he responded like any person would.
"I'm fine. I didn't need an ambulance anyway."
They waited for a while, chatting with one another until the ambulance arrived.
A siren resounded down the road and stopped before the waving hands. Two paramedics in navy blue uniform asked what the situation was, and a few people explained.
When they finished, a paramedic came to check Lam's condition.
"When did your headache occur?
"About a week ago I guess."
"Was there anything that made you stressed over the past week, Lam? Maybe some food you ate or work?"
"Um… maybe… I have been working a lot, but it's nothing I can't handle."
The paramedic nodded and continued questioning him about his health and lifestyle as if he was being interrogated like an escaped convict.
They also began light examinations to check for any problems and noticed a tiny scar near Lam's eye. They gave him a band-aid and carried on with the procedure.
By the time it ended, the sun was already setting over the horizon and life on the streets became more empty.
"There isn't anything serious that should be of concern, but we suggest you see your doctor and get your migraine treated. Fainting at such a busy time of day can lead to dangerous situations."
Lam nodded his head in response as the paramedics stepped back into the ambulance.
"Take care of yourself now."
"Will do and thank you."
The shining blue and red lights disappeared into the distance. It wasn't until it turned a corner that Lam walked back to his place.
The wind blew hard against his face making him shiver. It was definitely going be a cold night.
…
On the streets, a flimsy piece of paper flew with the breeze going on an adventure. It went up into the sky then descended back to the ground. It was having the time of its life until a quick swoosh grabbed it.
A man in his thirties flicked the newspaper page and stared at the bold black font at the top of the page.
'Red Moon Strikes the World.'.
A frown slowly replaced his confident smile, which made the woman beside him worry.
"Sweetie let's head back to my place. I have cookies for us to munch on and we'll have some fun."
He glanced at the woman and smiled once again not saying a single word, but she understood his intentions and continued walking hand in hand beside him.
-/-/- Bonus Scene
After noticing that the crowd of people became a tiny speck, she sighed in relief. Then a sudden realisation struck her like a lightning bolt.
"He was staring at my butt!"
She covered her cheeks as best as she could but the sweet pink still appeared beneath her sleeves