Places

Beach, mountain, forest, or somewhere else entirely?

This is the task for March, 2nd,

but I won't have time for this tomorrow. 

P.S. I guess, it should be a place, which really exists, right?

I'm not gonna mess up with rules again, I promise )) 

She woke up and found herself on the front seat of the car, it took her several deep breaths to calm down and remember, that she hasn't been kidnapped. She rubbed her neck and took a look at the driver's seat, which was empty. The second thing to realise was the fact, that the car wasn't moving, but parked in front of a huge single-storey building. 

- ACME, - she read the huge letters at the top of the building, which were shining brightly in the darkened sky.

She looked at the supermarket again and decided to get out of the car. It was a little bit chilly outside, so she got goosebumps on her arms, but the summer air was pure. She made several deep breaths and was just about getting her camera to take some photos of that place, when he heard his steps behind.

- You've woken up already? - he asked, approaching her. - I thought you would sleep till the morning. 

- I can't sleep when I'm sitting, you know, - she tried to explain, but wasn't sure he got it. She was always afraid of being understood in a wrong way, cause English wasn't her mothertongue. He was smiling as usual and had a paper bag in his hands.

- I was hungry, - explained he and took something out of the bag. - But I didn't know, what do you want to eat, so... - There was TWIX on his palm. 

- Thank you, - she replied politely, taking the chocolate. - But I am not really hungry.

There came several silent minutes. He was eating the sandwich, he bought in ACME, while she was looking around, which was easier now, when they've turned on the street lanterns. It was a spacious parking place, surrounded by ACME and some little shops, there was also a main road on her right and another road divided by a row of trees behind them. 

- Are you sure, you don't want to eat? - he inquired, when he started to smoke. - There's Wendy's and Burger King nearby, right down the street. - He smiled broadly, mocking her being keen on fast food restaurants, his warm eyes were looking right at her, expecting her smart reply, but there was none. She turned around herself instead and stared at the main road. 

- What's the name of this place? - she asked, not looking at him. 

- I don't know, a small town, - he answered and opened a door of the car. - Maybe, it's marked on the map. 

- You've passed by Philadelphia about half an hour ago, haven't you? - her voice was trembling. 

- Yes. 

He felt she was a little bit nervois, but didn't know why, so he hurried up to find their map. 

- And there's a drug store over there, - her finger pointed at a small building in front of them. - On the corner. 

- Right you are, - he replied, noticing that there wasn't an interrogatory tone in her voice. She's been already aware of it.  

She turned around fast, so her hair in a ponytail slightly touched his face. Her eyes were glowing in the lanterns' light. 

- It's Paoli, - she said in a low voice. And he, finally holding the map in his hands, knew she was right somehow. 

The next thing he remembered was him following her in the darkness down the main road, Lancaster Ave, his hand tightly in hers. He was about asking her where they were going, but decided to trust her. 

Paoli was a neat small city, divided into two parts by the Lancaster Avenue. The lanterns were shining brightly, but the streets were empty - it was 9 pm, and most of the shops and cafes were already closed. They've passed the Chestnut road by, on the corner of which there were some trees, which leaves were of a strange colour of vermillion. It took them about seven minutes to get to the bridge across the railroad. On the bridge's left was a railway station and Starbucks. Suddenly he felt an urge to buy a cup of coffee there, in Starbucks, which he's never done before in his home country, but the cafe wasn't his girlfriend's final destination. She waited for the traffic lights to show a white man sign at the crossroad and ran towards the bridge. 

- May be, you're right, - he said, following her across the road. - We'd better left the car and take a train to Harrisburg. - He tried to put enough sarcasm in his words to make her stop, but failed. 

- No, we'd better not, - was her reply. - The tickets there are fuckin' expensive. 

He stopped and watch her getting up the bridge, not even looking at him. Then she also stopped, somewhere in the middle of that part of the bridge he could see and sat down on something concrete, which remind him both railing and a bench. 

He sighed and sat down next to her. 

They were sitting now above all the city, he could see the railway for at least a mile ahead. All the houses and a supermarket Wawa on his left looked small now. In front of them there was a town sleeping under a cloudless sky. He could see the last rays of the sun still coloured the rim of that evening sky yellow and pink. It was peaceful and quiet. 

- Once I called this town "my home", - she whispered. - I've spent three months here, in Paoli, six years ago, with Nathalie. A "Work and Travel" exchange students programme. 

- Yeah, you've already told me that, - he answered, still looking down at the town in front of them. - So, it was here? 

- We were living there, behind the bridge, - her hand was pointing somewhere at her right. - And we were working at Wendy's. It will take us ten minutes to get there on foot. 

He took a steady look at her, noticing a strange glow in her eyes as if she was on the verge of tears. 

- And what were you doing here? - he asked, taking her by the hand. He knew she wouldn't take him here if that place wasn't important to her.

She remained silent for several minutes. 

- We were sitting here with Nathalie, watching sunsets and eating chocolates we've bought in Wawa, talking about everything and dreaming. It's a nice place to spend an evening in case it's not very cold and windy, and you have nothing to do, - she smiled. 

- So, what shall we do now? - inquired he, moving closer to her. 

- You can talk with me about...everything. Whatever you want to. But not about your work, I've heard enough already in the plane, - she added in the end. - Just try to be candid. 

He circled his arms around her and pressed her tight to his body. She smelled somewhat bittersweet, like a berry, which name he couldn't remember. His fingers were playing with her hair for a while, he was thinking about what he was going to say, realising, that he couldn't remember the last time he was allowed to speak openly and be sure he wouldn't be misunderstood. Now, looking down at empty streets, it seemed to him they were alone in the universe... 

- You know what, - he whispered right in her left ear, causing goosebumps on her skin. - I think, we've left the car opened, and I can't stop thinking about it. 

- Oh shut up! - she grumbled, kicking his leg and getting out his arms. - You are not a romantic person, are you?

- Not at all, - he admitted, catching her by a hand and making her sit on his lap. 

- Shame on you, then - she said and smiled, waiting for his reply, but the next words he said, drowned in the noise of an approaching train.