It didn’t take long for Godric to notice the streets had emptied. Even a rural town without nightlife was bound to have a few after dark wanderers, yet the sidewalks of York seemed to clear without incident as the sun dipped below the horizon. Although he was sure the whole town couldn’t have retired for the evening (there were always brave ones, after all), it made sense to him. Though nothing had yet happened, danger had a sense of permeating the atmosphere. Even the gazelle who can’t see the lion knows it is nearby.
…and as a lion himself, Godric couldn’t help but silently commend the people of this city for their wise intuition.
As the last golden remnants of the dusk faded into black, Godric found himself wandering through a more industrial part of town. Mini-marts, boutiques, and small restaurants. The tell-tale blemishes of corporate America that signaled humanity had moved into an area. There, on the periphery of all the smaller edifices was the god-king of greed, Wal-Mart. Godric had recognized its familiar neon sign from several blocks away, and was inexplicably pulled toward the shopping Mecca.
He didn’t really have an opinion of the chain store, generally disinterested in the rise and fall of human commerce. He’d seen lots of brands come and go in his time, so one that seemed to polarize consumers was relatively par for course to him.
Besides, they were open late, he had just moved to town, and he sure could use some throw pillows.
Ambling through the parking lot, the teenaged-looking vampire began making a list of the few amenities he might need to pick up on this sojourn. However, his mental checklist was interrupted with the sound of a rumble. Pausing, the ancient one heaved a minor sigh of relief. It was no creature to be alarmed over, it was an automobile. A completely unhealthy one, from the sound of it.
Scanning the lot, Godric spotted a youngish man struggling to get his car to turn over. Taking a moment to glance at the neon lights of the store and then back to the solitary vehicle, Godric smirked.