A good night put me in a really happy mood, so I wasted no time unloading my car. I've been granted a few days to settle in before starting my contractual work; a perfect opportunity to get acquainted with the neighborhood.

Yesterday evening was interesting to say the least; the piece of pie sure was delicious, but the man behind the counter was a tad strange. I didn't make a big deal out of it though, I thought that perhaps it was simply part of an act. And after that peculiar encounter, I enjoyed some tea and fruity beverages. I must've bought something from at least half the food stalls, but it was well worth it, and it gave me a chance to meet some of the residents. Everyone seemed friendly enough, a huge contrast with the big city.

I knew for sure, that taking on this work would be the best decision I had ever made. The apartment even came with a huge selection of books, courtesy of me new employer; when I first spoke to her, she asked me if I enjoyed reading. My answer was obviously yes, so she informed me that she'd be more than happy to share some of her collection with me. I just didn't expect it to be so plentiful; some of these books must've been at least a hundred years old, varying in languages and topics.

Over the next few hours, I was able to bring up all of my things, unpack about half of the boxes, and set up the many trinkets I've been collecting over the years. Some granted me warm memories, others acted as more of a reminder of the bad, and how I managed to pulled through. Most people found that strange, but each to our own I'd tell them.

The day finally reached its end, another beautiful night welcoming me. I went through the same routine as yesterday's evening, before walking back to the main street. I got there around the same time, but something felt weird; not only were the kiosks painted a different color, but all were anchored on the opposite side from yesterday. I pushed away the thought, and figured there might've been a reason for it; perhaps a special event of festival coming up.

As I walked from stall to stall, I noticed a cat sitting atop the counter for each one. Ranging from tabby, solid colors and calico, each of them had one thing in common: a blood red ribbon around the neck. I approached a fluffy white one; its purring audible from a distance, I stretched over to pet it.

"Those are not cats." An old woman grabbed my arm. "Those are not cats." She kept repeating those words over and over again. I didn't know what to do or say; she seemed harmless enough, but I didn't want to risk provoking her in any way. I smiled, backed away slowly and simply cross the street.

I found myself in front of a niche little coffee shop, so I decided to try it out. I got my order and chose a seat by the window. I noticed the old woman hadn't moved from the stall; she just stood there, staring at the white cat. It left me with a bit of uneasiness, but I figured she'd eventually leave by the time I finished my meal.

Time passed, but no luck with the old lady; she remained in the exact same position, which made me wonder if she just froze there. The though made me laugh, but when I looked in her direction again, I noticed she was gone. Only few seconds had gone by, yet in the blink of an eye, she was no longer there. I rubbed my eyes, shook my head, and just focused on the food in front of me.

The food was delicious, a recurring theme it seemed, but I did notice the same blood red filling pouring out of my strawberry croissant and cherry cupcake. Maybe it was something this town was known for; desserts that stood out for sure. My curiously was peaked, so I decided to ask one of the waitress.

"Is everything good?" She looked worried.

"All good- I was just curious about something." I reassured her with a smile. "Every dessert I've eaten so far tasted different, but had the same colored filling... so I was wondering if it was something specific to this town?"

Her face lost all colors, her expression shifted to horrified. She clearly was in her teenage years, this job most likely her first, so I just waved, and told her to forget about me asking. It was a simple question, but the last thing I wanted to do, was to give the poor girl a panic attack.