Sleep ended as quickly as it came. Running on little sleep and body riddled with anxiety, her body rejected the idea of coffee. She goes down the hallway and smelled coffee as well as leftover eggs. Daniel was sipping coffee in a ‘Coffee first. Talk later’ mug. Daniel stuck with the mantra and just nodded towards Marissa, not speaking, which was alright. It was too early to talk, despite it being 8 am. She fixed herself a cup of joe, filling it in her cactus shape mug. Sitting at the bar while Daniel stood in the corner, not being one to sit, the two sat in comfortable silence momentarily.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzpnN5mzIk
“Mar, how are you feeling?” His voice filled with genuine concern. As much as he was intrigued about Eastwood, he always knew Marissa was weary about it. His kindness and amount of concern he gave people was admirable.”279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3XziTjMZ9
“Well. I just wished I slept longer. I got to leave sooner. I’m planning on leaving before 9:30. I keep wanting to push it off though. I don’t want to go back. As childish as it is. I don’t want to go back. Not to there.” She word vomited, something she only trusted to do with her business partner.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtACEGwW6Hp
“It’ll be alright.” A three-word phrase. He obviously couldn’t foresee the future, yet the otherwise empty words filled her with temporary peace.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MPqSmnjzK
She supposed it would be alright, by Eastwood’s standard. The town of oddity and horrors. Nothing bad would happen per se. It would be terrifying to a mundane human, but to Marissa. It was nothing. She didn’t get scared easily, especially growing up in a world of demons and disguises. She was just used to Wealdstone. The scariest thing that ever happens was yearly taxes.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI82ihrlXYO
“I should get going Dan. I’ll see you soon.” Hopefully. She wanted it to be a quick goodbye, so it would be less painful for her. She also wasn’t one to confront her emotions. Marissa was upset she would have to leave the man like her brother, but she would never admit that.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhvY7B22yN
Daniel, more accepting of emotions, engulfed Marissa in a tight hug, which she didn’t reject. She hugged him back awkwardly, which she didn’t mind.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzFYTk7CFz
Mar grabbed her suitcase and dragged them to the car. She eyed the street and took a wistful breath in. She would miss this place. She drove towards Eastwood, not stopping to bid farewell to anyone else. She didn’t for a relationship really with anyone else. She talked to people and she talked back. The woman wasn’t socially awkward, she just didn’t really talk to people, preferring to keep to herself unless it's business-related.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjq4wcYAj2B
Driving down the long stretch of road, which was winding and bumpy, the noticeable shield of fog was spotted. The muddy, multi-colored fog usually repels people. It was eerily beautiful though. The way the sun hit the mist, glistening. Even with the sun shining down, you couldn’t peek into the town. The village was hidden to the naked eye.  She pulled up to a worn-down sign that read “Welcome to Eastwood.” All the vowels were crossed out in red marker and illegible graffiti scrawled across the sign. She could already hear the crows cawing and the linger of decay, but maybe that was her memory playing a trick on her.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLogR8l7WS
She looked towards the lighter patch of fog and pressed the acceleration down, driving through the fog blindly. She wouldn’t crash. It wasn’t reckless confidence. It was a fact. 279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGm7JVFtCx
The fog wasn’t multi-colored due to a freak of nature. It was a time passage. A tunnel from now to then.  It scares away the majority of people, mostly because of the rumors. Those who were brave or stupid ended up feeling jet lag. If they wandered on foot, underestimating the distance, ended up aging a few years.  Those who aged ended up staying in Eastwood, not wanting to age more.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkkWsoEG60
Feeling a wave of nausea wash over, she gripped the steering wheel, feeling herself lose circulation in her fingers. Her throat went dry but she kept her foot on the gas pedal. A few more minutes. A few more minutes until she would be able to breathe in the fresh air. Well as fresh as the air in Eastwood can get. She keeps driving, trying to ignore the sickening feeling in her body.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22vs8Byhni
After a couple more minutes, she saw the dull flickering of lights emitting from candles. Not electronically. It was used by homemade wax candles sold by the chandlers in the market place. The main one was at the corner of the main street if they were still in business. The one good thing about Eastwood is change was hardly happening. Business-wise at least. Social progression was the only place where they were kind of ahead of modern society, albeit with minor setbacks that needed some work. There wasn’t segregation or racism. No one cared if you were gay or straight or asexual, as long as you did your part in society. The only reason it was set back was only because of literal time. It was technically 1400’s but on an alternate Earth.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6ow7dEF0V
She drove down the gravel road and felt eyes fall on her. Eyes that went from kind brown to a beady yellow. She recognized many, who she would say hello to when she settled down. The stores were relatively new, of course with some new establishments from newcomers of the outside world.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHaGBgBIxG
She went towards the left side of the forked road and went down the dirt path until she saw it. Starview Cemetery. The graveyard was the cheeriest part of town. The property once belonging to a man who loved his job until the very end. Grandfather Louie believed the dead deserved the utmost respect. Starview Cemetery at a run-to-the mill church. He built it from every plank and nail. Louie held sermons every Monday, which many attended. While she was here preparing the property, she would have to maintain the ceremonies. The church didn’t ask for much. It was more of a prayer session and say a word or two to the gods.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoeASJqeyP
Marissa got out of the car and walked across the browning grass. She would need to water it, which she added to her mental checklist. She entered the house and entered the key sent to her in an envelope addressed to her. Opening it, she walked into a wall of cobwebs and inhaled dust. Louie wasn’t a messy person; on the contrary, he was rather well-organized and neat. Maybe his health made him doing house care rather hard. She ran her finger on the mantel, clearing a path without dust. She would clean the house after unpacking.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBQwm04lDr
She upstairs the rickety staircase and entered the guestroom. She couldn’t sleep in her grandfather’s room. No. Too many memories of her as a kid just being a kid in that room. His chuckles turned to wholesome laughter. It made her look up to the ceiling and took a breath in. Why. Why did he man the cemetery after all these years? Why did he live like this? Why didn’t he give the cemetery to someone more able-bodied? Why did a man, who defied all human laws, die, which was such a mortal way to go? Was he just ready? Guilt ate at her. She written to him but never visited. She was engulfed in her desire to live normally. She wanted to be with humans not ‘monsters’. Her selfishness got the best of her.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyF3Jpqt3V
She sat on the moth-eaten blanket and picked up a painting done when she was younger. It was a picture of her and her parents. She couldn’t help but smile. Her family was truly the best.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dfZLYMo0L
Grandpa Louie was especially well-liked through the community. He took care of the dead and even the living. With the dead, he would grow special flowers in a separate garden. He would individually clean and maintain each tombstone with meticulous care, every day.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6wwCh2JyK
Eastwood would get bad names, which Marissa would give to herself, yet people outside were more hateful and she would never use nor repeat. Even if abnormalities happened, and as much as she craved to be in the human world, Grandfather Louie was a sweet man.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFsWXeakAi
Marissa laid on the blankets staring at the logs on the ceilings. She heard the voice of her grandpa and smiled.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1NaLDfPnw
While some may pin it on memories, Ms. Webb knew he would be ready to talk tomorrow.8964 copyright protection275ＰＥＮＡＮＡUic2U4PIqm 維尼

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