Another walk

Went walking again. It was a strange experience, I must say. Nobody outside, really, for obvious reasons. Just cars passing over wet asphalt, the occasional stranger walking their dog, and me and my brother.

The sky today is a pale grey, not quite as bright as the sort of eye-hurting white you sometimes get. The ground seems damp, but I'm not sure, because it wasn't wet enough to get into my boots while I walked. The grass is flat and colorless. (In fact, everything outside today seems like it's had the color drained from it.) The trees are all dead, stark black entanglements of branches against the pale lifelessness of everything else. The air is chilly, the kind that isn't enough for snow or ice but still manages to get under your clothes, even if you wear layers.

It's not what I'd call a nice day out, but the walk was a welcome change from being cooped up inside.

 

Honestly, I'm genuinely worried I might develop carpal tunnel if I keep playing Minecraft all day.

Winter walk

My brother and I went out for a walk today. It was snowy, but we wore coats and all that, so I didn't mind. I just needed an excuse to get out of the house, now that school's been moved to online-only, and he felt the same way.

"So, you said you picked out presents for everyone?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've picked out presents for you and Mom, but I haven't ordered them yet. I feel better about those ones than the one I got for Dad."

"What'd you get him?" he asked.

"Catan."

 

He glanced behind us. I looked back too.

There was a man standing there in a black jacket. He didn't look at all cold. He just stood there, staring at me.

My brother laughed. "I was looking behind me to make sure Dad wasn't there," he said.

I would've found it funny too, if it weren't for the man standing behind us. Something about the way he stared at me really freaked me out.

"So, you want to go around the block again?" he asked.

"Um, no thanks," I said, shaking my head.

As we walked back to our house, he said, "It's always really awkward when someone's walking behind you, even though you know they're not following you or whatever."

I nodded, but I didn't say anything.

Mom was surprised when we walked in.

"Where were you?" she asked.

"We were just out for a walk," my brother said.

"Wow. In this weather?"

"We had coats on," I said.

"All right," Mom said, which, going by the tone of her voice, was in lieu of saying "Okay, weirdos."

I didn't bring up the man in the jacket to either of them.