A Stranger Here (CA - Mark)
Quote from Kaqurei on August 8, 2022, 4:44 pmMark nodded understandingly and exited the vehicle. He put his hands in his pockets and kept his head down as he made his way across the small parking lot and into the diner.
The homely little bell on the door jingled. An old jukebox was playing Garth Brooks' Friends in Low Places in the corner. His head was assaulted by the thick earthy smells of maple syrup and fresh coffee--smells he would have found pleasant any other day. At present, it was kind of nauseating.
He shuffled over to a booth near a window, without taking off his shades. He glanced out the window and could see Chapman's car in the lot. They both needed a minute.
Yeah, I'm not big on social graces
He looked around the diner at the other patrons of the diner. Some elders. A family or two with children. There was a larger group over in the corner that looked like they were treating friends from out of town. Then there were the servers coming to and fro between tables.
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis
He leaned back on the seat and closed his eyes. Just let his mind go blank. Shallow breaths.
Oh, I've got friends in low places...
Mark nodded understandingly and exited the vehicle. He put his hands in his pockets and kept his head down as he made his way across the small parking lot and into the diner.
The homely little bell on the door jingled. An old jukebox was playing Garth Brooks' Friends in Low Places in the corner. His head was assaulted by the thick earthy smells of maple syrup and fresh coffee--smells he would have found pleasant any other day. At present, it was kind of nauseating.
He shuffled over to a booth near a window, without taking off his shades. He glanced out the window and could see Chapman's car in the lot. They both needed a minute.
Yeah, I'm not big on social graces
He looked around the diner at the other patrons of the diner. Some elders. A family or two with children. There was a larger group over in the corner that looked like they were treating friends from out of town. Then there were the servers coming to and fro between tables.
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis
He leaned back on the seat and closed his eyes. Just let his mind go blank. Shallow breaths.
Oh, I've got friends in low places...
Quote from Adriana on August 9, 2022, 3:39 pmBob wasn’t long to join him. Or rather, to enter the diner. Joining Mark would be another story.
“Daniel, your colors back! What’d those vampires at the clinic do to ya?” Bob asked loudly at another table. An older gentleman looked up and muttered something about putting him on rat poison. Bob offered some condolences, “oh boy. Well as long as you don’t start skittering around and chewing through walls you’ll be alright.” Were his condolences, and he laughed and squeezed Daniels shoulder.
Maggie was in the kitchen-behind the bar style griddle setup, and already had a cup of coffee in hand upon hearing Bob’s voice. A couple of gentleman at the breakfast bar , tipped their hats and asked about Bob’s wife when he had approached, while the older, but lively and fit Maggie went for a second cup when Bob nodded to his company in the corner.
Bob made his way to the booth after a couple more greetings were exchanged. He sat across from Mark and slid the coffee and a menu over. Their corner was fairly quiet, except the the clink of dishes and muffled banter.
Maggie wouldn’t ignore one of her better patrons, and a long time friend, and soon came to stand by the booth.
“Who’s this one?” She asked, her fuzzy, faded blode hair held back by a paisley ribbon-brown eyes, wrinkled with smile lines at the corners, looked on at Mark.
“Oh, you know. Another stray I just picked up, looked a little lonely. His name is Mark.” Bob responded.
“He looks a little worn out. Hun, you want me to turn the julebox down? Half these folk can’t even hear it.” She asked with some concern.
“Except Jack over there, he’ll be listening to everyones business. Unless you’ve got some earmuffs you can shove on his elephant ears, I think it’s fine. But thanks Maggie, you’re a peach.”
Maggie smiled out of the corner of her mouth. “I’ll get you two a couple of plates. Not the extra bacon, though, Bob-Eleanor told me you’re supposed to be watching your sodium, and said she’d personally be up to visit if I did. You know I won’t cross a gal who’s got the means to slip me a dose of poison and make it look like a mix up at the pharmacy.”
“Darnit, the woman wants to take away everything that makes me happy. If you put it inside the pancakes it doesn’t count, right?” Bob asked with a raised eyebrow. Maggie shook her head and walked away.
Bob looked back to Mark with a small chuckle.
“I’m going to come out and say it, Mark. I need you to look into something for me. I think - there’s someone who needs your help. And I think - you need to help someone.”
Bob wasn’t long to join him. Or rather, to enter the diner. Joining Mark would be another story.
“Daniel, your colors back! What’d those vampires at the clinic do to ya?” Bob asked loudly at another table. An older gentleman looked up and muttered something about putting him on rat poison. Bob offered some condolences, “oh boy. Well as long as you don’t start skittering around and chewing through walls you’ll be alright.” Were his condolences, and he laughed and squeezed Daniels shoulder.
Maggie was in the kitchen-behind the bar style griddle setup, and already had a cup of coffee in hand upon hearing Bob’s voice. A couple of gentleman at the breakfast bar , tipped their hats and asked about Bob’s wife when he had approached, while the older, but lively and fit Maggie went for a second cup when Bob nodded to his company in the corner.
Bob made his way to the booth after a couple more greetings were exchanged. He sat across from Mark and slid the coffee and a menu over. Their corner was fairly quiet, except the the clink of dishes and muffled banter.
Maggie wouldn’t ignore one of her better patrons, and a long time friend, and soon came to stand by the booth.
“Who’s this one?” She asked, her fuzzy, faded blode hair held back by a paisley ribbon-brown eyes, wrinkled with smile lines at the corners, looked on at Mark.
“Oh, you know. Another stray I just picked up, looked a little lonely. His name is Mark.” Bob responded.
“He looks a little worn out. Hun, you want me to turn the julebox down? Half these folk can’t even hear it.” She asked with some concern.
“Except Jack over there, he’ll be listening to everyones business. Unless you’ve got some earmuffs you can shove on his elephant ears, I think it’s fine. But thanks Maggie, you’re a peach.”
Maggie smiled out of the corner of her mouth. “I’ll get you two a couple of plates. Not the extra bacon, though, Bob-Eleanor told me you’re supposed to be watching your sodium, and said she’d personally be up to visit if I did. You know I won’t cross a gal who’s got the means to slip me a dose of poison and make it look like a mix up at the pharmacy.”
“Darnit, the woman wants to take away everything that makes me happy. If you put it inside the pancakes it doesn’t count, right?” Bob asked with a raised eyebrow. Maggie shook her head and walked away.
Bob looked back to Mark with a small chuckle.
“I’m going to come out and say it, Mark. I need you to look into something for me. I think - there’s someone who needs your help. And I think - you need to help someone.”
Quote from Kaqurei on August 20, 2022, 11:00 amRiding out a migraine without his prescription was a choreographed dance, Mark was all too used to following the steps. Too much outside stimulation and he would throw up. Not enough, and he'd throw up. So he chose a focal point: the lyrics of the song on the jukebox, and tried to tune everything else, including his pain, out.
For all intents and purposes, he may have nodded off, hard to tell due to the sunglasses. But he managed a thin smile and shook his head at Maggie's offer to turn down the music. "No, that's alright," he said warmly, "Thank you."
By the time that Chapman addressed him, the Tylenol had at least take the sharp edge off the blade in his head. It was a throbbing hammer now. His head felt like a pressurized bomb waiting to go off. But that was more tolerable than before. He could at least focus on what the retired officer was saying without his stomach doing flops.
And Chapman's words caught him off guard. He'd expected some stilted small talk, thinking his offer to breakfast was motivated by a repressed sense of guilt, a need to tie loose ends and maybe convince him to go back to Pinerich. And maybe he would have been successful. Maybe this would have been Mark's last summer night in Middlecrest.
Instead, he perked up. Middlecrest still had him by the throat, refusing to let him go, and now Chapman offered a reason for it. Something to fill that emptiness.
"Oh?" He asked.
Riding out a migraine without his prescription was a choreographed dance, Mark was all too used to following the steps. Too much outside stimulation and he would throw up. Not enough, and he'd throw up. So he chose a focal point: the lyrics of the song on the jukebox, and tried to tune everything else, including his pain, out.
For all intents and purposes, he may have nodded off, hard to tell due to the sunglasses. But he managed a thin smile and shook his head at Maggie's offer to turn down the music. "No, that's alright," he said warmly, "Thank you."
By the time that Chapman addressed him, the Tylenol had at least take the sharp edge off the blade in his head. It was a throbbing hammer now. His head felt like a pressurized bomb waiting to go off. But that was more tolerable than before. He could at least focus on what the retired officer was saying without his stomach doing flops.
And Chapman's words caught him off guard. He'd expected some stilted small talk, thinking his offer to breakfast was motivated by a repressed sense of guilt, a need to tie loose ends and maybe convince him to go back to Pinerich. And maybe he would have been successful. Maybe this would have been Mark's last summer night in Middlecrest.
Instead, he perked up. Middlecrest still had him by the throat, refusing to let him go, and now Chapman offered a reason for it. Something to fill that emptiness.
"Oh?" He asked.
Quote from Adriana on August 20, 2022, 12:24 pmBob leaned forward with his elbows on the table and fingers intertwined. He had to proceed with caution. He had seen a lot of people step into the threshold lately. There were a lot of moving parts that went into that, each one a fragile glass gear in their complex world.
Bob’s job was to protect that threshold-to help gatekeep a secret minority.
Yet… the humanity of his many allies, friends and loved ones, regardless of circumstance-was precious and worth taking care of. The human mind and soul, when broken and despairing, was not something just anyone could mend.
“I recieved a letter, from my granddaughter, when I visited her recently.. my granddaughter, Bianca is her name - has always been a ray of sunshine, but there were things in that letter that concerned me. She was one of Kimberly’s closest friends, and I’m not sure she’s come to terms with everything in the healthiest way. There’s also reason to believe, the friends she has surrounded herself with, could also use a listening ear and sound counsel.”
He leaned back. “I of course got her consent to speak with you. But her situation is unique-she’s staying a private retreat camp-some deal a rancher started after her father passed on, where they teach an array of life skills, and do wilderness treks-which is all well and good-but I can’t convince her to come back to Middlecrest for therapy.”
Maggie approached the table with the food, and told them to “just holler” if they needed anything else, to which Bob thanked her and sipped his coffee.
”I would like to see if we can’t set you up to stay on the ranch, and act as a camp counselor for her and her friends. Several of them were impacted by Kimberly’s death in some way or another, and there are a couple others who may need your counsel.”
Now Bob put his hands up, “Money is no object, and you won’t pay for food or transportation, I’ll make sure of that.” He clasped his hands in front of himself again, “but I don’t know the length of time needed for the work. Not until you get some assessments done and let me know. I also need to communicate it with the rancher, you would be staying at her home… and this is in Reknab Bend. Also.. I understand to ask this of you, isn’t something that’s easy. This is close to home. I just feel as if helping them might help you in some way as well. I’m not asking for an answer right this second.”
Bob leaned forward with his elbows on the table and fingers intertwined. He had to proceed with caution. He had seen a lot of people step into the threshold lately. There were a lot of moving parts that went into that, each one a fragile glass gear in their complex world.
Bob’s job was to protect that threshold-to help gatekeep a secret minority.
Yet… the humanity of his many allies, friends and loved ones, regardless of circumstance-was precious and worth taking care of. The human mind and soul, when broken and despairing, was not something just anyone could mend.
“I recieved a letter, from my granddaughter, when I visited her recently.. my granddaughter, Bianca is her name - has always been a ray of sunshine, but there were things in that letter that concerned me. She was one of Kimberly’s closest friends, and I’m not sure she’s come to terms with everything in the healthiest way. There’s also reason to believe, the friends she has surrounded herself with, could also use a listening ear and sound counsel.”
He leaned back. “I of course got her consent to speak with you. But her situation is unique-she’s staying a private retreat camp-some deal a rancher started after her father passed on, where they teach an array of life skills, and do wilderness treks-which is all well and good-but I can’t convince her to come back to Middlecrest for therapy.”
Maggie approached the table with the food, and told them to “just holler” if they needed anything else, to which Bob thanked her and sipped his coffee.
”I would like to see if we can’t set you up to stay on the ranch, and act as a camp counselor for her and her friends. Several of them were impacted by Kimberly’s death in some way or another, and there are a couple others who may need your counsel.”
Now Bob put his hands up, “Money is no object, and you won’t pay for food or transportation, I’ll make sure of that.” He clasped his hands in front of himself again, “but I don’t know the length of time needed for the work. Not until you get some assessments done and let me know. I also need to communicate it with the rancher, you would be staying at her home… and this is in Reknab Bend. Also.. I understand to ask this of you, isn’t something that’s easy. This is close to home. I just feel as if helping them might help you in some way as well. I’m not asking for an answer right this second.”
Quote from Kaqurei on August 24, 2022, 6:13 pmMark was silent a moment, though a small crease appeared briefly in his brow. The proposal was... odd. An all-expenses paid job as a camp counsellor for an indeterminant amount of time, alright, okay, fine. But why him, and why now? And what was the warm, friendly, by-all-appearances open and honest retired Officer Chapman hiding? Because he was hiding something.
Mark's brain was a throbbing mass of pain. He didn't have the energy at present to pick the proposal apart. But he'd been a psychologist long enough to recognize when a client was dancing around the truth without lying outright--and Chapman certainly did so with grace. That was all the thought his grey matter could spare regarding that.
So. Important, likely uncomfortable, details had been omitted. So what? What else did Mark have going on that would prevent him from reaching out and helping these kids? That's right, nothing.
Mark believed in people, and he believed in God. The two had something in common: oftentimes, neither people nor God made sense. But there was always a reason for what they did. Maybe this was all part of the Plan.
He'd wanted to get away. Chapman's offer was a get away, of sorts. A get away where he could be useful. Perhaps in helping Bianca and her friends navigate their grief, he could find the path through his own. Kimberly's life had so much purpose. She'd touched so many lives. Her... her death... It couldn't be meaningless. Maybe that was why he was still here. Someone had to help these kids. And by what Chapman said--or rather, what he didn't say--grief wasn't the only obstacle they needed to navigate.
He shifted in his seat, kind of hunching over, and traced the rim of his coffee mug thoughtfully. "Reknab Bend, you say?" he asked after a moment, and looked at Chapman.
Mark was silent a moment, though a small crease appeared briefly in his brow. The proposal was... odd. An all-expenses paid job as a camp counsellor for an indeterminant amount of time, alright, okay, fine. But why him, and why now? And what was the warm, friendly, by-all-appearances open and honest retired Officer Chapman hiding? Because he was hiding something.
Mark's brain was a throbbing mass of pain. He didn't have the energy at present to pick the proposal apart. But he'd been a psychologist long enough to recognize when a client was dancing around the truth without lying outright--and Chapman certainly did so with grace. That was all the thought his grey matter could spare regarding that.
So. Important, likely uncomfortable, details had been omitted. So what? What else did Mark have going on that would prevent him from reaching out and helping these kids? That's right, nothing.
Mark believed in people, and he believed in God. The two had something in common: oftentimes, neither people nor God made sense. But there was always a reason for what they did. Maybe this was all part of the Plan.
He'd wanted to get away. Chapman's offer was a get away, of sorts. A get away where he could be useful. Perhaps in helping Bianca and her friends navigate their grief, he could find the path through his own. Kimberly's life had so much purpose. She'd touched so many lives. Her... her death... It couldn't be meaningless. Maybe that was why he was still here. Someone had to help these kids. And by what Chapman said--or rather, what he didn't say--grief wasn't the only obstacle they needed to navigate.
He shifted in his seat, kind of hunching over, and traced the rim of his coffee mug thoughtfully. "Reknab Bend, you say?" he asked after a moment, and looked at Chapman.
Quote from Adriana on August 24, 2022, 7:10 pm"Yes," Bob took another sip of coffee and began to work on his plate, his eyebrows raised and his forehead wrinkling. "I can take a square answer, but maybe think about it. I have to make a trip up there to see if everyone is comfortable with the idea."
Eyebrows lowered, he frowned at the two over-easy eggs and the one, sad little piece of bacon looking back at him in the form of a smiley face. "Hah, hah, very funny..." he muttered. "She and the wife are in cahoots and I don't like it."
"Yes," Bob took another sip of coffee and began to work on his plate, his eyebrows raised and his forehead wrinkling. "I can take a square answer, but maybe think about it. I have to make a trip up there to see if everyone is comfortable with the idea."
Eyebrows lowered, he frowned at the two over-easy eggs and the one, sad little piece of bacon looking back at him in the form of a smiley face. "Hah, hah, very funny..." he muttered. "She and the wife are in cahoots and I don't like it."
Quote from Kaqurei on October 13, 2022, 8:34 pmMark nodded slowly. Slowly, too, the stabbing pain behind his eyes began to subside to a dull throbbing. It would be the best the Tylenol would do. Or maybe it was the coffee. Either way, he'd take it.
He sipped some more of the bitter brew, a bit more eagerly now that the smell wasn't turning his stomach. He mulled it over. The coffee and his options. And finally cracked a smile at Bob. "Women always are," he said, and he didn't mean it in a bad way.
He took another long swallow of his coffee and sighed. Relieved. The pain was still there, just not so gnawing, and the relief granted him a little euphoria. He was nodding again, to himself, and seeming a little surprised, then encouraged, and finally confident. He looked at Bob, squarely in the eyes, though his own were still hidden behind his dark shades.
"I'll do it."
Mark nodded slowly. Slowly, too, the stabbing pain behind his eyes began to subside to a dull throbbing. It would be the best the Tylenol would do. Or maybe it was the coffee. Either way, he'd take it.
He sipped some more of the bitter brew, a bit more eagerly now that the smell wasn't turning his stomach. He mulled it over. The coffee and his options. And finally cracked a smile at Bob. "Women always are," he said, and he didn't mean it in a bad way.
He took another long swallow of his coffee and sighed. Relieved. The pain was still there, just not so gnawing, and the relief granted him a little euphoria. He was nodding again, to himself, and seeming a little surprised, then encouraged, and finally confident. He looked at Bob, squarely in the eyes, though his own were still hidden behind his dark shades.
"I'll do it."
Quote from Adriana on April 20, 2023, 10:02 pm"Great."
Bob smiled, his teeth still bright.
"The job's not promised. I've got to make a trip up to check in on things. If it's meant to be, it'll happen.. if not, well, don't give up on me yet. I'll be in a touch in a few days... oh - why don't you come stay with Eleanor and I in the meantime? She makes a mean breakfast. Gotta be better than muffin and dry eggs the hotel gives you in the mornings. No hurt feelings if not, but we have a couple of spare rooms on the second floor."
"Great."
Bob smiled, his teeth still bright.
"The job's not promised. I've got to make a trip up to check in on things. If it's meant to be, it'll happen.. if not, well, don't give up on me yet. I'll be in a touch in a few days... oh - why don't you come stay with Eleanor and I in the meantime? She makes a mean breakfast. Gotta be better than muffin and dry eggs the hotel gives you in the mornings. No hurt feelings if not, but we have a couple of spare rooms on the second floor."
Quote from Kaqurei on April 27, 2023, 3:35 pmMark thought to say something along the lines of, Oh, no, I couldn't impose, but instead heard the words "Are you certain Mrs. Chapman wouldn't mind?" tumbling out of his mouth.
Mark thought to say something along the lines of, Oh, no, I couldn't impose, but instead heard the words "Are you certain Mrs. Chapman wouldn't mind?" tumbling out of his mouth.
Quote from Adriana on April 27, 2023, 6:47 pm"Of course not! She'll be glad to have the company. Been quiet around here lately. I have a meeting tonight around five - feel free to come by anytime after seven."
Chapman sipped his coffee and worked at the eggs and bacon on his plate.
"Of course not! She'll be glad to have the company. Been quiet around here lately. I have a meeting tonight around five - feel free to come by anytime after seven."
Chapman sipped his coffee and worked at the eggs and bacon on his plate.
