Single post in The Little One -- [COMPLETED]

He smiled. “Not a clue. I’m not even sure how I got here…” He glanced back to the unfamiliar city slowly passing outside and muttered, “…or where ‘here’ is exactly.” Shaking his head, the old man chuckled. “A little young to be hitting the bottle so hard, ain’tcha? Don’t rush it. You’ll have plenty of time to drink yer troubles away after yer married. Best relationship medicine I’ve ever had!” The young man forced a smirk, but the old man must have caught his less-than-enthused expression because he responded directly to the young man’s spoken concern. “This here is the great city of New Wylden… always expanding in every which-a-way.” The young man’s mind raced. The tall buildings that flew by and even those still under construction didn’t ring the slightest bell, along with the name. New Wylden? Where was that? How had he gotten onto that overpass? How had the weapon ended up in his hands? He stared down at the weird sheath and tried one more time to draw the blade. It still wouldn’t budge. He released an exasperated sigh and realized his leg impatiently bounced along with the cluttered thoughts fighting for sense, for understanding. He honestly couldn’t remember much before waking up drenched, but it wasn’t total amnesia. He knew what a car was… a bridge, but he couldn’t recall what day it was, the last thing he ate or… “Where should I drop you off?” the older man asked before chuckling. Guess he realized how absurd the question was. “Not a clue.” The young man once again looked at the now daunting buildings pass by. “None of this is familiar. Maybe you should just let me out. I don’t want to waste your gas.” The old man guffawed. “I may be old, but I ain’t senile yet! Can’t leave you wandering the streets all willy-nilly. Naw… I got the perfect thing for hangovers. It’ll clear the cobwebs and set you right as rain.” With a hearty laugh, the old man cut a hard right at the next intersection and cared not for the pedestrians who barely jumped out of the way in time or the puddle of muddy water he splashed in their direction. The young man could just imagine the livid obscenities they shouted through the downpour. He sympathized, but just glancing at them in that brief moment bothered him. The more he paid attention to everything – the attire, the architecture – the more things felt off. Everything felt old-fashioned, but he couldn’t explain why. Where was he from? Where was he going? What was his name? After a couple blocks of less-than-cautious driving and half a dozen buildings that looked just as foreign as the last, the young man found the vehicle slowing as they approached a considerably smaller structure tucked away between a pair of towers. Although the rustic hideaway looked a bit out of place, several patrons didn’t seem to mind as a number of cars were parked in the lot the old man started pulling into. Genuinely grinning this time, the young man arched a brow. “What were you saying about hitting the bottle?” “Heh heh… Yer not getting any more spirits today, boy. What you need is a jump-start.” What did the old man mean by that? Other than liquor, what else could a bar offer? Still, the young man kept quiet as the car pulled up to the corner and went dead at the turn of a key. Rain continued to pelt the car’s metal roof and hood, giving off a strangely comforting rhythm the young man focused on as he opened the passenger door. The old man grabbed his hat from the dashboard, yanked the key from the ignition, and threw his door open. “You can just toss that thing in the back.”