Williamsville

As Nathaniel nears the town he looks up. The color of the sky seems to have changed. Where it was a light sepia spotted with yellow clouds while he was in the wooded area, now the sky seems to have changed to a pastel green still dotted here and there with the same yellow clouds. He can't recall when the change occurred. 'It's funny', he thinks to himself in his limited capacity, he can't quite put his finger on the emotion he's feeling. He feels different and he senses it has to do with the change in the colors of the sky. He would later realize that the sky felt cheerier here and gloomier in the wooded area. He would also come to realize how uncomfortable he felt under this cheery green sky cover and more at home under the warm sepia sky. He's in town now. He nears the building with the glowing sign. A beacon which has drawn him to it like a lighthouse, welcoming ships into its harbor. He reads the words on the bright glowing sign, 'WILLIAMSVILLE HOTEL'. Under it another sign announces, 'VACANCY'. A man exits the hotel and steps out onto the sidewalk. It's Vic. Nathaniel watches as the man who is carrying something small in his hand stops and leans against a light pole. Nathaniel understands that it's a book he's holding, and that the thing he's leaning against is a light pole. He doesn't know how he knows these facts; he just does. Things are quickly beginning to make sense to him. Things are beginning to fill his consciousness. He's becoming aware. When he first opened his eyes, he was aware of objects above him, strange objects. But now he knows those objects were trees with leaves and bushes. He doesn't know how he knows these things, when only a short time ago these facts were outside the scope of his knowledge. He doesn't know where the information came from, he just knows. Now he understood what a ball was after the little boy spoke of it. Now, the boulders over which he threw the ball, and the little boy, are things he understands, even if he'd never seen their likes before, he understands their nature. Now, he also understands what he did to the little boy when he tossed him over the boulders. The little boy will never see his beloved ball again. The man leaning against the pole has his full attention on whatever it is he's reading. He isn't aware of Nathaniel's approach. Nathaniel comes to within a few feet of him and still he's oblivious to his presence. Nathaniel taps Vic on the shoulder startling him. Vic drops the book and raises his arms to shield the forthcoming blow which never lands. "Hey, you," Nathaniel says to the strange man. Confident he isn't going to get hit, Vic picks up his book and puts it in his back pocket. He studies Nathaniel. He's tall and dark, a brooding look on his brow. Vic tries unsuccessfully to imitate the look, he shrugs. Williamsville is small and he knows everyone. This is a new face. "First day, huh? My name's Vic..." Vic extends his hand. Nathaniel ignores it. Vic's not offended he's used to it. While he knows everyone in town, most people seem to ignore him. Nathaniel glances around and checks out the landscape. "What is this place?" he asks as he walks around Vic, studying him. While most people would describe Vic as average in all departments, average weight, height, facial features, Nathaniel looks closer. He sees a man with a concerned look on his face, but he's confident underneath. His hair is combed back, long enough to push behind his ears. He has a faint mustache. It's hard to tell if it's new regrowth following a shave or coming in for the first time. His clothes sort of hang on him without outlining his frame, but Nathaniel can sense a soft body underneath the clothing. No formidable musculature. He’s someone who can easily get lost in a crowd, but he can just as easily be the first one spotted. There's a strange duality working here. Nathaniel makes a mental note. "Williamsville," Vic answers. Nathaniel comes full circle until he's again face to face with Vic. "What's Williamsville?" He looks around, he stares up at the many stories of the hotel. "What's Williamsville?" Vic is surprised by the question. Everyone always comes to Williamsville with the full knowledge of what Williamsville is. No one has ever asked this question before. "You don't know what Williamsville is?" Nathaniel, with arms folded, waits for an appropriate answer. Vic shuffles his feet uncomfortably. Vic tries again. "It's hard to explain." With patience thinning, Nathaniel says, "Try." Vic thinks for a moment. "Williamsville is… Williamsville is… You'll figure it out. Come on, I'll show you around." "Doesn't look like much to see," Nathaniel whispers. He follows as Vic walks out to the middle of the street and turns to face the hotel. "Oh, there's lots to see," says Vic. Suddenly the wind begins to howl and the sky flashes. A loud Boom cracks the quiet sky above. The green of the heavens darkens before suddenly lighting up to an emerald brilliance. Nathaniel is lifted a few inches off the ground and begins to spin. Slowly at first but as a dust devil begins to form beneath his feet, he begins to spin faster and faster. The dust devil quickly grows into a funnel cloud completely encircling Nathaniel spinning him faster and faster until he's whisked up into the sky like a toy on a string. It's an amazing sight to behold. In a second, he's gone, the funnel cloud shooting into the sky like an arrow, leaving swirling dust where the newcomer had just stood. The small whirlwind of dust remaining starts to diminish as the sky returns to its calm shade of green.