With the last goodbye, he made his way to his car. The funeral had finally ended, and the burial process was perfectly complete, just like he thought nick must've wanted it to be, he hoped it was as perfect as he wanted it to be. The passenger seat contained his resignation letter, which his boss accepted without much question, and few other court documents. He was declared innocent, but they still didn't know what happened to cause the fire and he would most likely have found himself back in the same town until the police finally decided to give up.
Why didn't they just want to let it go about what caused the fire? He didn't fully understand at first, then he started to doubt that it would bring more problems and complications than he wished to have right now. Did that make him selfish? How could he forget and not care about someone he loved so deeply just a few moments after their death? he didn't know which word fits more perfectly with the reasoning, he knew what was to come and what wasn't. it shouldn't have changed the amount of pain he was to feel and on the first days it didn't but that didn't last long as everything fell back into the same place it was three years ago. The difference was the empty pit of guilt that now seemed permanently embedded into his heart.
It was odd and complicated yet simple. He didn't realize he had been staring at the road ahead for the past half an hour until the car coming down the street to his left gave a loud honk, although not directed towards him it brought him out of thoughts. Slowly starting the ignition, he made his way out of the parking lot driving towards the new 'home'. he picked a place about a 6-hour drive from his current home, it was two towns over, and he hoped that none of the news nothing about it his life had made it that far. It shouldn't have it wasn't logical it did since people from just a town over didn't know who he was.
He watched the fields pass by it was a pretty forest area with some patches of plain grass fields. He didn't know if he liked it or not, but he knew the packs of rouges were rumored to live in the forest.
He was smarter to not trust the rumors but also smart enough to not decline them completely just in case it turned out to be true. He himself knew how destructive and false a rumor could be, he was lucky the town took pity on him instead of condemning him to a murderer like the police had done, which was incredibly odd.
He didn't know much about this new town except the fact that it was smaller than his original place and the people were tighter knit. it had obvious signs of being a very close community. Why exactly did he choose a place which had the exact qualities he despised in his previous place? It was easier to exist there, despite all the bad qualities he absolutely hated it was much cheaper to live in a smaller town than it was in major cities and he had no proper degree. There wasn't a way for him to land a secure job that would financially support him, and he had no interest in living with 10 other people. Smaller towns just had less competition, less rent and if you seemed rude enough, people would stay away not without the usual stares and whispers but at least they knew to mind their business and wouldn't be in his face about it.
His pack helped him land his previous job, and he knew that there wouldn't be anyone to help him in any way in the newer town. He didn't how he was going to stay or what exactly he was going to do, he made it rushed partly scared and partly wanting to run away despite his circumstance. He didn't know anything about the town, except for his new house's address. He hoped he makes it to the right place.
He had finally arrived at the first town on his long journey, deciding to stop for some gas, he drove around trying to search for a gas station. For some reason, not just pulling out his phone he drove around for 20 minutes before he finally found one almost at the outer areas of the town. Why was it this far out? It was odd but not enough to ring any red flags to get him to turn around. He slowly drove into the gas station, stopping next to one of the lines. Through his car window, he could see into the mini sort whose door was wide open at a man standing halfway in the action of stacking boxes over the top shelf. He stared straight into his eyes with a look el couldn't distinguish. Both looking at each other none of them planning on breaking eye contact first, he didn't understand what the guy's problem was, but his expression didn't seem aggressive. It was almost as he knew something, something Elmer didn't.
He wanted to ask, he wanted to know, suddenly feeling suffocated and desperately to know what the man saw in him. Before he could talk or make any decision, the man-made steps forward and slammed the store's door closed. He didn't know if he locked it or not and contemplated going in there and asking him what he wanted to know. But now that he wasn't under the excruciating gaze anymore, the curiosity left his body. It was so so fucking odd, one minute he has felt nothing, and the next he wanted to know some untold truth like his life depended on it.
Maybe his life did, but he wouldn't have cared if not knowing the little piece of information lead to his death. Not that it would've mattered much, not anymore at least.
He quickly got out of the car filled putting coins into the slot and filling his car with gas as quickly as he could. He didn't want to be here any longer; something was off about the place. It was like somehow; he could sense the energy surrounding the small gas station and it was not in any sense the good kind. It felt like hours even though it was a few seconds before the tank was finally full. He quickly made his way over to the driver's seat and slammed the door shut before driving off onto the road faster than necessary, only slowing down once the gas station was out of sight.
Continuing his journey, he drove slowly navigating his way through the town trying to find his original path, this was going to one long tiring journey and he wanted to make it to his new place early. He had plenty of time to search for a job, he had enough savings to live for a month without having to worry about rent or food, but he needed a distraction. He didn't want to have to be empty-handed with nothing to do, even though most of his emotions died away it didn't stop the memories from flashing in his mind. They always did, except this time there wasn't a person here to confront him anymore. At first, when they started to get close, he promised himself he would never get used to him, never get used to anything nice he did, never get used to all love he got, and right now he wishes he had kept that promise no matter how horrible and selfish of a person that made him, he really wished he kept some parts of that promise.