The Adventures Of John B : The Sacred Stone

Chapter 2 - Eyes Without a Face

SIDENOTE: The song might not fit the writing.  The video above is just the source from which I got the name for this chapter.

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It's vivid. The memory is still fresh in my mind . I can still remember every expression of his, every intricate word that he spoke. It's weird, but I remember more with him than I have with anyone in my life. Maybe it's 'cause he's such a memorable person. I mean, it'd be pretty hard to forget someone like that.

Even if he had never done anything, even if he had left that day at the diner and walked right off, I'm 100% sure that I would have remembered his face. Sometimes that makes me wonder where I would be if it had never happened. The whole thing still feels like a dream, and some days I'm just waiting for someone to wake me up and tell me that I was just dreaming.

It was really loud. It's kinda hard not to hear something like that when the whole world is so silent. When you're waiting for a sound, but it seems that everyone has silently agreed that the ambience is better without one. I could hear two things. The definite buzz of a pink neon sign, its low voice calling out for customers to come inside, and the faint music that filled the air of that colorful diner.

The place was pretty empty with maybe three or four people. The stool cushions and booths were red, fading away after years of use and neglect. The whole place was dimly lit, and lots of things seemed to be wearing away, like the slightly cracked countertops and the pictures hanging across the wall.

They were so old. The pictures. I saw families, joy, laughter. And yet the picture still faded, as if it were losing that lively energy that it had once had. But it didn't fail to make me smile. Sometimes you just can't stop yourself from smiling, especially when you're able to see something nice for a change.

It reminded me of so many things. Good and bad. Silence. Silence where I can just listen to myself think. Where I can just breathe in peace, and feel that I no longer have to rush those breaths.

The vulgar scent of cigarette smoke assailed my nostrils, making me scrunch up my nose. Checkered floors adorned the ground, and the ceilings were a dull white.

I like to look up at ceilings.  When I'm bored or waiting for something.  I mean, there's not much to do when you are waiting for a good burger, so people tend to look around. I just look up. It's easier that way. I die when I accidentally catch someone else's glare. I guess I've always had a hard time looking people in the eye.

I'm not too sure where to begin. I'm not sure when he came and sat next to me, and I'm not sure how he managed to do so without even the slightest noise, but he did. That's just John. The stealthiest human being on Earth. You could be looking at him one second, and in the next, he could be at a store buying some cigarettes. He was that fast too.

I have to say that turning my head and looking at him gave me quite the shock. Looking at that well - built man beside me, clad with a dark coat and hat. He was an enigma. He was a puzzle that I couldn't solve. Every time I put a new piece in, it seemed that the picture had changed. When pieces seemed to fit, I would come to a sudden realization that the pieces did not fit, and that I was wrong yet again. Every action of his made me more perplexed, and even more curious. I wanted answers, and he seemed to be the only person that didn't want to give them to me. Well, that's beside the point. At that moment, he sure did look like a detective or even a spy.

But when he turned to look to me, I realized that he couldn't be either. That was probably the only time I have ever seen that man with a somewhat shocked expression on his face. Those warm, blue eyes of his, narrowing as they looked at me, always reminded me of a running river.  Sometimes I could see the thrashing current that was racing to its destination, whether it be of excitement or of pure anger.  Other times I could see the waters calming, allowing for a safe voyage to careless content.