Open Secrets✔️

IX

As Danny and I started walking towards the small buildings, I felt like something wasn't quite right. Danny was right. If Wintermarch is only roughly 18 miles from our town, then how come we have never heard of it. I would've understood if it was a small town, but from the looks of it, it was huge.

"Danny. This can't be right."

"What do you mean? This is Wintermarch."

"But, its huge. How come we have never heard of it?"

"I don't know and it is a risk, but you were right. We have to eat and find shelter." We continued walking. Eventually, we made it down to the small buildings. We didn't see anybody. The place kind of seemed a little spooky.

Some of the buildings were brick, others weren't. All of the buildings were painted white. Even the brick ones. All of them were dirty. Everything from dirt, or cut grass, to some weird sticky feelings stuff. It reminded me or soda. Like someone shook it up before opening it, or it exploding.

We were clearly on the back side of the buildings, so it was hard to tell exactly what kind of buildings they were. They didn't really look like houses; although, they could've been. Danny and I were at the edge of the wall. He was peeking over the corner, making sure there was nobody around.

"Can you see anything?" I whispered.

"Shhh." A few more seconds went buy, "I don't see anybody, come on." Danny and I didn't say anything as we slowly and quietly walked around the side of the building. Danny put his arm out in front of me so I couldn't go any further.

"Hold on." He whispered, "Let me peek through the window." Danny slowly moved his head in front of the window, trying to look through it.

"Do you see anything?" Danny didn't say anything. A few more seconds had gone by without a word. Danny kept slightly moving is head back and fourth as if it was hard to see.

"I don't see anything. It was hard to see inside. The glass was dirty and foggy. I think this building is abandoned."

"That's good right. We can stay here for the night."

"No. I don't think that would be a good idea. It looks like some kind of a shop. There's tools everywhere. It probably wouldn't be safe. Plus these buildings are so close together. We wouldn't want to get caught." Danny was right, like always.

We continued to slowly walk around the side of the building to the front. Danny and I were cautiously looking around, worried that someone might see us.

There were five buildings side by side in this area. All of them looked empty and abandoned. This seemed really strange.

"Danny, why are all of these buildings empty?" I ask.

"I don't know." He replied, "If all these buildings are abandoned, then maybe we can stay in one of them."

"Wow. We've been getting pretty lucky when it comes to finding empty building and places to stay, right."

"Yeah. But I don't know if that's a good thing bub." We continued walking. We walked across the parking lot area to the road. Danny took a few seconds to look both ways, "There's a car coming." He looked worried.

"Well come on, then." I said, as I grabbed his hand and tried to run. He stopped me and said "No. Hold on. Follow me. I'll ask him some questions first."

"What if he recognizes us?" I said.

"Well, we will just have to run then." Danny and I continue walking.

"I thought you were going to talk to him." I said.

"We don't want him to think that we want to talk to him. Let's have him stop and ask us something."

"But what if he doesn't stop?"

"He will, trust me. We are kids. He will wonder why we are alone." We continue walking, as the car approaches us. I soon realized that it is a light blue truck and that an old man was driving. Danny was right. The truck ended up stopping right beside us.

"Where are you two headed?" He asked. Danny was suddenly enthusiastic, making up something in his head, I'm sure.

"We are off to save the world." He said. I gave him a weird look, but he told me to go along with what he said.

"Yeah that's right. There's a- a battle going on and we're trying to find it." I stuttered. Danny returned my weird look as if I said the wrong thing.

"The battle is in Wintermarch. Is that it?" He said, pointing towards the huge buildings in the distance.

"I'm afraid not. I'm not sure where you got your information from. Wintermarch no longer exists." Danny and I became confused.

"We saw a sign 8 Miles back that said Wintermarch."

"Yeah, I'm afraid they haven't taken down all the signs yet." The old man replied.

"What is that over there?" Danny said, pointing towards the huge buildings in the distance.

"That there is called Summerset. A few people in Wintermarch found some oil. The damn city moved in and built a bunch of skyscrapers. Once that happened, Wintermarch lost all their business. They had no choice but to move there."

"And they haven't put the signs up for that either." Danny asked.

"You got it." He replied, "They're so busy drilling for oil that they can't even make it a proper place by putting up signs. You wouldn't be the first people coming here asking if this was Wintermarch and, my guess is you won't be the last."

"Okay, thank you we are going to continue our journey."

"Before you go, I'd like to ask a few questions." Danny got really nervous, "Are you two kids far from home? With all these abandoned buildings, you never know whose creeping around."

Danny lied, "Yeah, we live just a few miles away. We will be home before dark, Trust me."

"Okay. Well have fun with your adventure. I've got a few things to do myself. Good luck." He waved as he drove off.

"Okay, so technically we are in Wintermarch, but all the buildings are empty and that is Summerset."

"We can make camp here tonight. I feel a lot better knowing that nobody will come around."

"But Danny, the guy said that weird people creep around here all the time."

"It's okay. We'll just lock the door like at the other place." Danny followed the routine. He set some traps behind the buildings on the tree line before the railroad. I wasn't confident we would catch anything but I was so hoping we would.