A hollow wind swept through the streets as George exited his apartment. Normally, his peppy neighbor, Mrs. Pleili, would have greeted him. Only the wind answered today. George pulled his scarf higher. His footsteps echoed across the metal walkway, clanging as they reached the stairs.
He looked to his left at the street-side arcade and remembered the constant laughter of children and how much it annoyed him.
Normally, a person accustomed to the busy sounds of the streets would be afraid of the overpowering silence, but George reveled in it. He let the silence wash over him like a cool spring. He could hardly remember the last time he felt so calm.
Glass crunched underneath the soles of his shoes as he passed by long-forgotten shopping centers, their displays laying bare in the afternoon sun.
Cracks stretched across buildings like vines, entangling every corner of concrete. The wind howled behind him, and George softly sang along.
~
What kind of cans should I get? he wondered. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get some canned peaches. "Or maybe there's some meat in a can, that'd be cool," he said not realizing that he had already passed the market.
Chapter 2 [Weak Link] end.