Thirteenth Painting

[infinitemars]

[Phone - Likely not Filtered - After her trip to the Gas Station and Diner]

I'm sure a lot of others who went to the Diner had this idea, but I brought back some of the tea the girl there, Barbara, gave me if anyone who knows about chemicals wants it.  I doubt there's anything in it since I haven't felt any ill effects, but just in case.

Um, I also

Comments

[phone]

[notsogreatwall]

What kind of tea is it? [ Sounding hopeful. ]

Re: [phone]

[infinitemars]

It seems to be normal tea for America, though it's a little bitter.

[notsogreatwall]

Ah,good! Bitter tea is the best, after all. [ She sounds pleased. ] Why are you worried about any strange additives?

[infinitemars]

Well, it is Mayfield, and they do strange things.

[notsogreatwall]

Ahah, that's true! Things aren't exactly like what I'm used to, but I haven't tasted anything strange about the food yet.

[infinitemars]

Yes. I was a little worried since it wasn't inside Mayfield proper, so I brought some home. I doubt it will really tell us anything, as I rather felt that the Diner was really not so scary a place.

[notsogreatwall]

[ A pause. She's missing something. ] It was outside Mayfield? Where?

[infinitemars]

The highway. I don't count it as in Mayfield proper, especially since the waitress there obviously didn't consider it as such.

[notsogreatwall]

Huh. [ Sound of head-scratching. ] I didn't notice anything new. I thought the roads just sort of wound back on themselves.

[infinitemars]

Do you mean the ones here in town or on the highway?

[notsogreatwall]

...don't all of them do that? [ Unsure. ]

[infinitemars]

Well, the highway does seem to come back into Mayfield as well but... As I said, the girl there at the diner didn't seem to consider it a part of it.

[notsogreatwall]

And was she a, uh-- [ It felt so weird to use that word. ] Was she like the others in the town?

[infinitemars]

Well, I didn't try to ask her if she knew who I was, but when I introduced myself, she introduced herself back and wasn't acting like the others in implying she knew me all along. As I said, she was also cognizant that the road had only opened back up recently. She said something like "A lot of you have come by here today"

[notsogreatwall]

That's a relief. Having people say they know me when I haven't seen them in my life is kind of disturbing...

I wonder what it means.

[infinitemars]

I really don't know. It was rather curious.

I've... debated heading back out there, but I don't believe that the guy who they assigned me as a husband would be very well pleased.

[The last is said quietly, as if he could possibly overhear]