Beach Vacey [On Hold]

Autumn's Amber I59I Part 1

Eight months and a year ago...

November 5th 8:05 PM

His mother.

The suburban part of town was a quiet place during dusk hours. The dead trees that lost their green were as solemn as their branches waved in the wind. Plant life cocooned itself for its time of spring and summer, hibernating to revive itself and live in the town. The peaceful town waited for that, remaining humble in its time—waiting for winter to cool the earth and revive plant life once more by the sun. The people of the town thrived, and so did the quaint, hillside store that lied across the old, parked sedan.

The blonde kept his eyes on the store for the longest before exiting the vehicle. He double-checked his pocket journal a few times, assuring he was correct as his paranoia seeped in. Always on edge. But, the stone... The red stone he used to crawl out from death... Its powers were limited... Either it needed a fortification, or he needed more. It was a question of whether this would be the place for his research. Unique Crystals and Stones...

Sliding his glasses off his nose, he cleaned the lenses with a white handkerchief before sighing. He clutched the door's handle, pushed the door open, and exited the vehicle.

Following the gravel path towards the two-story, wooden store, he kept his eyes open—not minding the swirling, autumn leaves that blew. His hand worked on its own—putting the journal away—and he approached the homelike, front door, catching a bitter conversation by the garage.

A middle-aged man with bushy black hair leaned on an old, four-door truck. "How long does it take to put it in a few screws?!" He scowled. "You're pounding it! You're causing a ruckus!"

Then, a teenage boy under the truck with a toolbox shouted back at him. "It's almost done, sir!"

A scoff erupted from the man. "Yeah, well! You sure are taking a LONG time!"

The blonde paid no mind, though. He listened for a short moment for the stroll up to the door, but the matter seemed unimportant. Why should he intervene? He planned not to stay long, anyway. He tugged on the front door of the store—ringing a bell with the gaping—and entered the gem store.

Unique Crystals and Stones sounded like a basic name for a store or even a business. But, it was a humble, family store that was praised for its honest deal of rare stones and crystals. Mostly being unknown to the public and on the outskirts of town, it had a fresh, mining tone to it—unique. It was a diamond in the rough. As a family home transformed into a small store on the first floor in a single room—that appeared to be the living room—stones and crystals were displayed on shelves and tables with prices.

Although wasting little time as he glanced around for a particular red stone, a petite woman alerted him: "Hello, sir...? Can I help you?"

Slightly startled, he turned to face the woman—finding himself to look down at her—and met her emerald eyes. He froze for a second—entranced by her eyes—but quickly stood straight. "Oh, I apologize..." he backed. "I'm looking for something in particular." He spoke with his words wandering.

Her head tilted. "I can help you with that... What is it? We have a diverse collection here." She was a fairly beautiful woman. Not too young; not too old. Her emerald eyes were piercing but graceful. Her brown hair was silky and wavy. But, one thing that was catching was the blue-and-black, striped, wool scarf she wore around her neck. Autumn brought chilly weather, but inside the store it was toasty. Wasn't she hot in the scarf?

The four-eyed blonde bobbed his head, searching the store from his height. "So, I've heard..." He looked back to her concern. "Do you believe in stones possessing healing powers?"