[1:1]
“Who’s that guy?”
“What, you think I know? He ain’t from around here, that’s for sure.”
All eyes were on the shiny, black Cadillac that had stopped at the gas station. The entire car had not a spot of dirt or grime on it, and there was no sign of wear on it at all. A car fresh out of the parking lot that it had been purchased. A leather interior that had hardly had any visitors that sat down on the cushioned seats. The driver sat in car, unmoving for a moment. His dark-blue eyes were centered on the store in front of him. The gaze he sent towards the building was so scathing, it could’ve dropped bodies left and right. It was almost as if he was using x-ray vision, peering into the heart of the store, and the town.
And indeed, this was the heart of the town. Several shops, apart from the gas station. A CVS, a liquor store, and a small eatery. The gas station was far right, at the edge of the shopping center. It came with a small restaurant of its own; where all the regular mechanics and gentlemen would visit regularly through the week.
This man in the Cadillac was no regular. When he got out of the car, his face was sun-burnt, and the skin around his nose was peeling. His eyes were bloodshot. His hair was dark and greasy, as if he hadn’t showered in days. He wore a dark, Stetson coat and dirty jeans. The stubble on his face was almost three days’ worth of growth.
He might’ve blended in as a regular, were it not for the Cadillac. But that set him apart, and in the end, that was the catalyst for the town regulars to keep their distance. Out of mild curiosity, a few of them watched as he came into the gas station, setting the bell on the door as he entered ting-a-lingin’ and approached the cash register. The girl manning the register, a pretty young thing, no doubt the daughter of one of the regulars, smiled politely and asked him how she could help him.
“Yeah, I’m wondering if you happen to know a Bryan Baker.” The newcomer’s voice was soft; but the underlining of the tone was cold as ice.
Everyone glanced around. Bryan Baker, the mechanic? What could a newcomer want with Baker?
The girl answered. “He’s not here. He went on a fishing trip to Mississippi.”
The newcomer shrugged this answer off easily. “Hm.” He glanced at a few of the regulars, sitting at the restaurant at the end of the store, either smoking, eating, or drinking. No one smiled.
“Do you know when he will be back?” the newcomer asked the girl.
She shook her head. “He just left two days ago. He usually takes a week or two off.”
“Thank you then.” Just like that, the man was leaving, the bell set off as he left the station. Everyone watched as he started the Cadillac and was off, leaving the town behind.
It might have been a wise move had someone taken better notice of the man and his motives. But none of the regulars cared. Let Baker deal with it when he got back. That was the decision everyone conformed to.
And just like that, the town would put the newcomer out of mind, not realizing that they had just witnessed earthly evidence of the Supernatural. Life and Death. Flesh and Spirit combined. But it would occur to them later, recalling him, when Baker would return, and so would the newcomer, seeking Baker.
