Everything was a whirlwind when morning arrived.
It felt like i had been asleep forever when i found myself laying on concrete and surrounded by four walls.
Well, i must have been darted in my sleep. The heavy lump that was my right shoulder confirmed my suspicions.
The second time i had been darted by officials. They must really have their dosages down pat to knock me out so quickly.
But, i was here. I was glad it had worked before i had become too afraid to go ahead with it all.
Isolation was a big commitment. Who knew how long i'd be in here before i could actually be heard by the officials again?
It was somewhat comfortable. Although it was dark, i wasn't blinded by it.
The floor i stood on dipped gradually to a silver drain in the middle of it. On the left wall was a large bowl shaped dish filled with water. It looked too much like a urinal, but i could see my toilet was supposed to be the floor itself.
The right only had a single bench sticking out from it. The narrowness of it was more like a shelf than something i would eventually be able to sit on properly.
Then there was the door. It only had a rectangle slot that was firmly closed in the upper portion of it.
The lower part of the door had another larger rectangle that ran right to the edge.
To slide something through? I didn't see a dish for food, so maybe that was it?
Basic essentials for survival.
Right, i was starting to see how serious this was now to them.
Nothing could be a threat to me and boost my mutations if there was nothing to begin with.
I was free to move around. It was roomy and gave me enough space to stretch my wings and walk maybe four large steps before reaching any walls.
I could still fly, though not high. It would be more of a hover to stretch those cramped muscles. My tail scraped along the ground as i tested the limits i had been granted.
Not enough to give me ideas, but enough to scratch the line for what was still suitable for someone to live in.
I heard the slapping of shoes on the ground outside the door before the heavy metal of the slot was slammed aside and a set of eyes peered in at me.
I approached them slowly, seeing the blue irises glint back at me.
A human then.
"What is your name?" it spoke.
A woman too. Maybe middle-aged from the strained tone.
She had a strong scent about her too. A little overwhelming. The alcohol base of the perfume burned the air that tried to spread the aroma of what was meant to be garden flowers.
Maybe of a beer garden.
"Teddy" i replied cautiously "Teddy Griffin."
Of course she wouldn't be able to understand me, so why was she trying?
"Pick which one you'd prefer to eat today."
The little slot snapped shut before the one down at the bottom of the door opened up and two silver plates were slid under.
The first had a bunch of cooked steaks on it. The second was flowing with leafy greens and chopped carrots.
I wanted both of them. Was that an option?
Either way, i dragged both towards me to snap down the greens before alternating between the two. I saw the eyes reappear in the slot as the lower one was closed again.
"Omnivore" she spoke with a little snort "make a note of that. We'll call it Gull for now."
"Gull is a stupid name, and you know it" i spoke through mouthfuls of the food that flew out of my beak to her disapproving eyes.
The slot snapped shut again, and i was left alone.
It was the same thing again when it had been quiet for however long it had been.
I had no way to tell how time was passing in here. There was no window or clock in here, just bare walls.
The woman again. I could smell her before i picked up the slapping of her shoes on the ground.
She wore flats. There was no clicking that high heels would make.
The slot opened up again and her blue eyes narrowed at me.
"It is seven pm" she announced "time for dinner. What is your name?"
"We... we went through this before" I frowned back, not sure if i was hearing things already "Teddy? Teddy Griffin, remember?"
"Pick which one you'd prefer to eat today."
The bottom slot opened and the two plates appeared.
One was filled with bird seed mixed with black and white striped sunflower seeds. The other was just sliced tomatoes.
i laughed at the offerings and looked up at the eyes.
"This is a joke, right?" i spun the plate of bird seed around "because i'm a bird, so i must eat bird seed?"
I didn't like tomatoes either. There was something about the squishy insides and the thick skinned outside that i had never been fond of. Lavender loved them, but i could never get over the gross, watery taste.
I pushed them both back to the slot and went back to my position on the floor.
No dinner tonight then.
"Goodnight, Gull" the woman simply replied with a snap of the slot.
"Still a stupid name!" i called back to her shoes marching away, huffing at the wall i would i would have to stare at until it bored me to sleep again.
"It is seven am" I heard ring out through the room "time for breakfast."
"Whaaaat?" I grumbled back from my disturbed sleep "can't you bring it when i'm awake?"
"What is your name?"
This woman was unrelenting. Again, she reeked of boozy flowers and stupid questions.
"Teddy" I groaned out "Teddy Griffin, woman."
I heard the metal plates slide across the floor. I had to get up if i wanted to be fed.
What a pain. I just wanted to enjoy the quiet and sleep in for once.
"Pick which one you'd prefer to eat today."
She must really get sick of reciting those lines. I was sick of hearing them already.
Today was muesli and yogurt on one plate. The other was fresh fruit.
I swiped over both and snapped them down. The fruit was so sweet it was almost bitter. The yogurt had black flecks in it that amplified the rich vanilla taste coating my tongue.
"Not bad" I commented when i slid them back to the slot "no juice to go with it?"
I tried to peer through the slot and only saw green longs and black shoes before it was slammed shut.
"Have a good day, Gull" the woman replied calmly to my laughter at my own joke.
No sense of humour. Such a serious human.
Whatever. Maybe she'd change when she could appreciate my humour.
"It's twelve am" the woman's voice rang out to interrupt my counting of the lines i saw cracked into the walls "time for lunch."
This woman was my only source of time in here. It felt like days had passed when it had only been a few hours from breakfast to now.
Five hours. Why did i feel so exhausted from doing nothing in that time?
"What is your name?"
"Hasn't changed" i sighed back to her and stood by the door "what is it today?"
"Pick which one you'd prefer to eat today."
I knew all this. Just open the damn slot already.
Sandwiches to the left. Looked like ham and cheese. Chips to the right. They were heavily seasoned with bright yellow chicken salt and steaming.
I wanted those chips.
I swiped across the chips first so the plate was safely in my room. I went for the plate of sandwiches, but felt the plate snap back like it had bitten me.
A black rod snapping with electricity retreated from the slot. I saw the end hovering just on the other side of the plate, ready to strike again.
Maybe the side?
The rod struck again to make me yell out at the frustration of it all. My fingers burned from the electricity that had been stabbed into them. The back of my hand felt no better.
I snapped down on it with my beak instead. The rod stabbed, but didn't course through my hard armour. I slid back the plate and enjoyed the victory of the steal by gobbling down the soft bread first.
The amount of food on these plates wasn't enough to keep me filled. It was only enough to keep something in my stomach until the next meal rolled around.
They must have known this. Stealing both plates was the only way i felt something other than that morsel expected to sate me.
"Have a good afternoon, Gull" the woman spoke shortly. I felt her coldness in the way she snapped the slot shut and marched away.
"It's seven pm..."
I was up in an instant, ignoring the rest of the woman's speech. I stood at the door, ready for another challenge with the electric rod that guarded the food.
Finally, something thrilling.
"It's Teddy, again" i snapped to the woman who watched me silently now "open the slot."
I was starving. It felt like a little rock had embedded itself into my stomach. It weight made it known that the feral beast inside was still lurking and would spring forth if it wasn't going to be properly sated soon.
"Pick which one you'd prefer to eat today."
This was dinner, wasn't it? It should be something hearty.
I saw my first silver bowl slide under. The sloshy contents inside slipped over he edge at the momentum and dribbled the reddish brown ooze onto the floor.
Beef stew? Looked like it had chunks of potatoes and carrots in it too.
The other was a plate. More meat; beef again by the looks of it. It was just a huge chunk of the charcoal encrusted meat nestled beside mashed potatoes and little peas.
That was new.
Which one did i want to fight for today?
The beef wedge was easier to take. And i could use sudden movements at the bowl to tip it and enjoy the soup off the floor. It was clean over here anyway.
The rod hovered when i slid the wedge towards me slowly. I didn't even touch it, smirking at the narrowed eyes that now studied me from the slot.
Black ones. Looked like a younger demon girl working for Boozy Flowers. She was sick of my antics and snapped the rod to life while her hand reached in to try and drag the bowl back.
She was expecting me to strike with my claws or beak again. Well, i had something else ready for her.
I promptly swung my tail around to knock the bowl flying out of the grip of the demon and spray it across the ground. The bowl clattered and rolled to the drain that i propped it up on.
Then, a wild thought popped to my mind.
If they wanted to treat me like an animal, i should play the part for them.
The metal of the bowl tinkered when i steadied myself over it and pissed into it. I missed most of the bowl, but got enough to see the dark yellow liquid splash inside.
I really had to drink more water. It smelled so foul.
"Your soup, dear lady" I sniggered when i pushed the bowl back to the door and wedged it next to the slot the demon stared at in disgust "have a good night, Boozy Flowers; Piss Bowl."
I snatched up my meat to enjoy it noisily as Boozy Flowers watched with narrowed eyes. Piss Bowl tipped out my offering before swatting it towards her with the rod.
This was fun.
I could make my own amusement to keep myself entertained. Messing with these people was thrilling when a bit of danger and reward was involved. And, i had my own names for them too!
"Goodnight, Gull" Boozy Flowers snapped back.
I waved back before she blocked out the view to her and stomped away.
Oh, humans were so much fun to play with.
I'd have these mutations gone in no time if every day was this exciting.
Sure enough, the woman kept to her schedule and announced her arrival with the time and asked for my name i changed up.
Piss Bowl was always with her. They both must have been allocated to my care, poor things.
I would make their life a living hell. Anything for something to make me laugh around here.
They were wising up too. Piss Bowl was like an angry little dog around those plates and bowls slid underneath. She even started making me choose between each option from her side of the slot so she could keep the other from me.
She scared easy. All i'd have to do was scream a little and charge at the door to startle her enough into backing away from the slot. Sometimes i was lucky enough to snag the other plate with my claws and drag it into the room, but most of the time i just got stabbed furiously with the electric rod.
So much anger for someone so young. With a nickname like that, I'd lash out too.
Boozy Flowers was definitely the higher up in this situation. She'd always bark orders to someone else on the other side of the door to make notes or relay what had happened yet again to someone else. She didn't like to do things for herself, i came to realise.
Why should she when she could make others do her work?
It was funny that she thought she had control of me and my situation. Letting her believe that before i crushed her smugness with another successful extra helping or reaction from her was priceless.
I just wished River would have been here beside me to see it all. He'd have so much fun with these humans.
The only time things changed was the arrival of Christmas.
Fruitcake was slid under the slot for me, which i picked the fermented fruits from. Minty red and white striped candy-canes joined my festive treats of cuts of cold ham and thick novelty shaped gingerbread. I even got helpings of brightly coloured soft drink that tasted like a smooth ice-cream melted in raspberries. There was even a small gift too at the end of the day.
My first Christmas in isolation gave me a snow globe with a car inside. It was a small red one with a Christmas Tree tied to the roof as it drove through the flurry of snow i shook up before placing it on my shelf.
Not long after the festivities of Christmas was when i could hear the sky exploding outside. The whistle and delayed booming of each one signified i had survived to see a new year in and celebrate my birthday.
It was the only time a proper cake was slid under the slot for me. It was a store bought one pulled straight from its plastic casing on the other side that i watched. I got the whole thing too, down to the black plastic tray it sat on and the paper protecting its crinkled edges.
Unlike Christmas, i didn't get a whole day of festive foods. The offerings were based off party foods instead; from buttered bread covered in rainbow sprinkles, to a strange cheese and bacon mess piled inside a whole round loaf of crusty bread. It made my stomach hurt, but it was the happiest i felt in all the emptiness here.
I didn't know my birthday meant so much to these people for them to celebrate it. It was nice to actually feel like i mattered here.
And with the Christmas gift, i got a birthday one too. This one was a balancing bird painted like a seagull that only touched its little beak to my nail tip while the rest of its large body was suspended from that one point.
It did make the time go a little easier when i tried to find new points on my body to balance it from.
That little gull was the closest thing i had to a friend in here. It and the snow globe were my only possessions i grew too attached to.
Each year bought with it a change of authority overseeing me. Boozy Flowers was replaced with another woman who was a lot more conserved with her perfumes. She liked sweet ones rather than the dated ones Boozy wore. A younger woman too with light brown eyes that greeted me happily at each timed interval.
I knew her as Whispers because of her soft voice.
And Piss Bowl was replaced with a young human boy. He found my antics funny and preferred not to stun me. He wore the same green longs and black shoes as Piss Bowl did, but had blue eyes and a face filled with freckles.
He got into trouble a lot for being too lenient to me. I liked him enough to not be so abusive of his trust in me. His fingers gripping my feathers above my beak reminded me of the way Pretzel used to.
He was simply known to me as Freckles.
They were both there for Christmas too. My claws had reduced enough to a smaller size that could grip the little crackers and scoop out the bad jokes and cheap plastic toys we played with through the slot.
The black blood that had splattered from my mouth and eyes was gone too. They left when my feathers began to slowly shrink back. Whispers and Freckles were there to see the whole change in me over the year.
Freckles was like a close friend to me, even though i knew nothing about him. He must have thought the same, because he was the one who gifted me with a little tub of white ooze that formed a snowman who gradually melted on the bench i placed it on. The whole gimmick of it was that it was always melting and remelting. It did keep me amused for longer than i wanted to admit.
When my birthday came, he slid under the food as he was expected to, until the end of the day where he gifted me a single teddy bear with a yellow ribbon around its neck.
It went beside my balancing bird on the bench as a solemn reminder that it was also my last night with two of my favourite carers. Tomorrow, the rotation would begin again.
That shelf of gifts was my constant reminder of how much time i was losing in this concrete cube of monotony.
With each year, my mutations shrunk back. It was a very slow process that drained me both physically and mentally. I knew the trauma of the demon tip was responsible for the tediousness.
Bee and Pretzel were tied to this form as well. In a way, it felt like i was losing them too with each part of the Death Bird i lost to the growing humanity inside me.
It made itself known too. I could communicate with my carers now and be understood in what i wanted. It made life a lot easier and enabled me to be moved from the beastly enclosure into my own little room. I was no longer the gigantic beast i had been. I was finally on the edge of reconnecting with who i had been.
It was still like a prison with its hanging bed on the wall and tiny brick ledge blocking the urinal beside the sink in the corner, but it was a lot more accommodating than pissing into a drain in the floor and trying to sleep around my mess each day. And i could keep my trinkets of time on the ledge too. It livened up the bare surroundings and gave me hope.
Then, one day, the door opened.
I was balancing the old wooden seagull on my finger when it did. Not a single feather remained from my old mutated form that had disappeared completely to reveal only the white spots left behind that painted my bare shoulders.
There was nothing out of the ordinary about me and i loved that. I was just Teddy Griffin; the demon from the flower field frozen in time. I was how i was needed and i was fine with that.
"Boozy Flowers!" i grinned at the woman who stood by the door with a small smile through her thin red lips "i never thought i'd see you again!"
She was a wonderful sight from this bleakness. Her red dress looked so bright compared to the yellowish room i sat in. Her curly brown hair was so fluffy compared to my long, greasy strands that had grown in once the feathers had fallen out. And she smelled so good. It was a soft lavender powder rather than the intoxicating perfume that made my breath burn.
"It's been...." i paused to count my presents on the wall "...nine trinkets since ive seen you! I'm glad you changed perfumes."
"Yes, well, I'm glad to see you stopped reliving yourself into bowls" she smirked back as she entered the room "it's time for you to rejoin society, Teddy Griffin."
"You got my name right after asking me for it all the time!" I chuckled at her and went to the ledge to scoop up my possessions "is... is it ok if i bring these?"
"Why not?" she shrugged.
I felt like a little kid on Christmas. Everything i owned was nestled into my arms. I giggled as i joined her for the first time out of my room.
I was thrilled just to be speaking to someone after all this time. Every day was just the same questions followed by the two decisions for food. There was no talk like this. Nothing could be threatening, not even words themselves, to a demon so close to losing themselves to the wild.
The ground was cold under my bare feet. It made a great slapping noise when i deliberately stepped harder than i should have.
It was all bright out here too. Maybe a bit too bright. And it smelled so weird. It was like disinfectant, but smelled like lemons and limes.
Cleaning that smelled like food. That was odd.
It made me laugh at how absurd it all was.
"Things have changed quite a bit since you've been in here, Teddy Griffin" Boozy Flowers explained when i followed her down a long hallway lined with others that led to endless rows of closed doors "It'll take some adjusting."
"Has it been ten years?" I counted through my trinkets that were grouped into their doubles "ten, right?"
"Yes, ten."
"That's a long time" i breathed and then giggled at how i had never noticed it all "you've gotten old, Boozy Flowers."
She glanced back at my grin and stopped outside of a room at the end of the hall that she swept an arm out towards. I shuffled into it, checking out the glass room to my right where another human stood tiredly.
"All of your possessions have been kept here" Boozy Flowers tapped my shoulder to stop my from running my finger down the squeaky, cold glass "we've held onto everything for you once we were able to get your identity."
"Ohhh, the whole 'what is my name' thing."
Boozy Flowers nodded and sent the human searching for my name.
He had a weird walk. Did humans always scrape their feet like that, or was it just this one?
"We try to make it as easy as possible for demon's in isolation. If their own companions aren't overlooking their finances, we empty them out and sort it from there on their behalf. There is an invoice for your stay with us, which has already been taken care of."
Companions?
"Not humans and demons?" I frowned at her "they own us. I've never heard of us being called that."
Boozy Flowers gave that thin lipped smile again and rested a hand on my shoulder.
Her hand felt cold. It was clean too and made me aware of how gross and tacky my skin was.
"Things have changed. The proper term is 'companions'."
"I like that" i smiled out at the human shuffling back with a small cardboard box "companions."
It felt good on my lips. I wasn't property. I was an equal now.
"Teddy Griffin" the human sighed when they heaved the box up onto the bench and slid it under the gap in their glass wall "possessions are all accounted for."
He slapped a booklet of paper on top that Boozy Flowers took with a quick glare to the human.
"You had nothing when you arrived" she explained "but you did have quite a healthy account we were able to retrieve. We used it to fund your expenses and pay fees while you took the time to recover here."
I dumped my trinkets into the box and felt the crisp paper slide into my fingers that flicked through each one; exploring the new surface and listening to the delightful crinkling it made.
There was a lot of bold, black numbers that ran down the side of the sheet. Years flew by and were all accounted for in each piece of paper. Ten years of food and services was all documented and detailed so meticulously. Each choice i had made had its own attached cost.
"The average cost of housing a demon is ten thousand dollars a year" Boozy Flowers tapped a red nail to the large rectangle in the bottom of the front sheet i stared at "your account was able to accommodate these costs. You have no debts with us, Teddy."
"Do... i have anything left?"
I checked the box to find it only contained a single card with my name and banking details on it. The golden numbers across the front were untouched and fresh. It was all new and all mine.
"Your bank statement says you still have plenty" Boozy Flowers chuckled at my fascination with the card that shone under the lights "we will inform the banks about your status and have it accessible to you again. It's all yours."
I checked the booklet to see the attached statement at the end. It was still half my account sitting there, more than enough to fund my dream of that florist with the sunflower bucket out the front.
This was all real. I was actually leaving this place.
I felt a little disappointed i wouldn't have it so easy anymore. Time literally froze in here for me. Nothing in here changed except for the rotation of people and their meals. It was going to be so much different out there; scary even.
I was supposed to be thirty-seven now; forever frozen as thirty-five. I hadn't seen the world in ten years.
Had it changed for the better? For the worse?
Was companionship the only thing i had to hold onto now?
I was scared.
"I highly suggest you find someone familiar and take care of yourself for a little. Get a haircut, shop for some clothes, go catch some sun" Boozy Flowers waved her hand about "the possibilities are endless for you now, as long as you follow the rules."
I saw her finger waggle at me and grinned at it as I collected my box of belongings and signed some forms to release myself.
"Trouble finds me, Boozy Flowers" I shrugged when I headed for the front doors "I'm always good."
I saw her snort at my statement and shake her head before the doors closed behind me and I was left facing a grand foyer that led to the outside world.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLk2XxJjnHO
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Humans and demons walked along it in thier own worlds. Others say in chairs, awaiting thier instructions.
It was right there.
My feet squeaked on the polished ground as they headed for the open doors displaying its glimpse of beautiful sunshine.
Was it seven am? Or twelve?
"Excuse me" I approached a man in a seat closest to me "what time is it?"
He pulled down the screen of his phone quickly to check.
"Ah, eleven... twenty-five."
"E...eleven?" I felt the word catch in my throat that forced it out in laughter "eleven?"
The man nodded, looking at me with concern.
"Thank you!"
Eleven twenty-five! Not seven! Not twelve! Something else entirely!
"Eleven twenty-five" I giggled as I tested it on my tongue that loved the foreign sound "e-leven."
Oh, what a glorious word! I didn't even know other times existed still! It was wonderful!
I rushed for the front doors and stood there, inhaling deeply.
It wasn't clean. There was fumes from the cars driving past and the smoker huddled in thier corner. There was bird shit on the sidewalk and graffiti on the shopping mall opposite where I stood.
And the noises!
People laughing. Dogs barking, and skateboards rolling along the concrete ahead. There was even the skidding of tyres on the road, the beeping of pedestrian crossings, and a heated argumnent further down the street.
I was actually out of there. And I was me again. I was just a normal, grounded demon.
I would miss the freedom of flying, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make for this chance at finding what mattered most.
I had lost enough time already. I needed to find them.
But, maybe after I tidied myself up. I was only wearing the white shorts I had been offered while still inside. My whole body was on display, and was attracting a few looks from passerbys.
I did need a haircut. I didn't realise how long it had got until I felt it sticking to my face from gentle gusts of wind or falling across my eyes as I held my box close. I must have looked like a bare-chested female strutting the streets. River would have taken to my hair with scissors again if he knew how many confused glances I was getting from both demons and humans.
I felt like I was back to wearing my Cradle again with the way people gawked as I walked.
The hole in my ear from my old Tag, the spots splashed on my shoulders, the wild hair, the lack of clothing or shoes, and the cardboard box; I was painfully out of place here.
It was all different though. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXyPKIJ6zB
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I didn't see a single Cradle in sight here. Demons with mutations walked around with untagged ears and odd fashion. There was something with pinned denim that people liked now. That and these odd haircuts I kept seeing everywhere.
Even the demons themselves were different. I saw ones with silvery skin that literally moved with explosions of colour. Others were detailed artworks riddled with colours I had never seen a demon born with before.
Plain black and white were gone. Demons now sported all sorts of colours that complimented the bustling environment around them.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTObMafIN5
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And instead of spots or patches, it was intricate crackling, smooth swirls, and geometric shapes shining back at me.
Majority of them didn't blend in at all. They strutted proudly and walked beside thier humans who chattered along with them.
Thier souls were as colourful as they were here. Majority were golden that bobbed past me. There was no rush to find a human to survive here. Demons weren't desperate creatures anymore trying to find a soul to devour. They had time to find themselves and enjoy thier lives.
Companions. I saw it now.
It filled me with joy to see that I hadn't walked out into a world where I had to be afraid like I was.
I enjoyed picking out new clothes in a centre of bright personalities and contagious music. People actually wanted to help me too. I left with much more than I should have, and a new suitcase to keep it all in.
I walked straight in for a haircut, and was treated like someone with value. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIiplU34hh
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The hairdresser hung onto my every word when I told them of what used to be and how I was experiencing everything again for the first time.
I got myself a new phone completely clear of contacts, and snapped my first photo of the square outside to fix as my background.
I could see how good everything was now. It made me smile.
Climbing into stranger's cars for rides was a whole new experience for me. It was odd to not be divided by partitions or see the running of a metre on the dash. It was just a stranger willing to help out someone like me find thier way.
I cradled my most important possession when we chattered on the journey to my destination. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57QXG4zQak
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People worked off ratings now too. Stars ruled thier lives, and the more they had, the better they believed they were valued.
Humans and demons weren't so different after all. We treasured the stars as well.
When the car crunched over the gravel off the road, and found its final stop, I marveled at how beautiful everything was when I hauled my suitcase from the car and gave the human driver his stars he was desperate for.
The air was fresh here, and packed with hot food and sweet lollies warmed by the sun. I saw greenary everywhere and the crowds of people filing between it all with excited curiosity.
I felt like I had returned home. It all felt so right to be back here where some of the most important things had happened in my life.
So, with a single plastic container containing a twenty doller note inside held close to me, I began my walk up the road towards Able's old house through a field without a single sunflower in sight.
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