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October 1979
THE BUILDING LOOMS OVER THEM, LOOKING OMINOUS IN THE DARKNESS OF THE EARLY MORNING. The neon-colored lights kept flickering on and off, once illuminating the old name of what the establishment used to be, an old car dealership, but it was not that anymore—it had had to shut down due to safety concerns from the public. Besides, some of the letters on the old building had fallen off, apparently, and were nowhere in sight, the dirt stuck to the wall where the letters once were leaving behind the outline.
Even though it was a rundown building, to Henry's disappointment, William hadn't cared. All that mattered to the Afton man was that it was big enough for them to convert it into a diner.
They had bought it a few months ago but only were starting to work on it now.
William had big plans for it. He voiced his thoughts easily, each word rolled off his tongue with ease, as if he had practiced it beforehand, his voice mellifluous and full of excitement. Henry didn't know how his best friend could be so happy about a grim old building like this.
But, William was very imaginative, and Henry was just an inventor, a creator, an engineer.
"You should be there, you know," William says, looking at Henry as he opens the door. The little bell on the door chimes, loudly, making Henry cover his ears. "For Sarah, when the twins are born."
"I know," Henry sighs, "I know," gazing about the lobby that William so badly wants to turn into a dining area (what else would it have been?). The walls and floors were full of grime, of course, but the entire building was like that; everything would need to be remodeled. Old chairs and tables were folded and stacked against one of the walls. Towards the back of the room was this empty space that William also foresaw to have a wooden stage built.
"But I understand why you aren't," the Afton man replies, combing his fingers through his hair, his fingers latching around the hair tie that's keeping his ponytail up. He removes the fabric-wrapped elastic and undoes his ponytail, his brown hair falling down to his upper back (such a drastic difference from college, Henry notes, he's grown out his hair and made it messier), the black hair tie now around his right wrist, "we just bought this place, y'know? We gotta explore, see what we can make of it."
"You can do that yourself, Will. I'd rather go back home. It's too early and I need to sleep—"
But the Afton man wouldn't take no for an answer. He grabbed Henry's arm and dragged him through the building.
