#regional

“They were evil in life, so they’re evil in death”

Bug type Yamask and its new evolution - Cradlerigus

Every time you take the bus—no matter the route, the day, the time—the driver is always the same. You spend the rides with your head down to avoid catching his gaze in the rearview mirror. He’s always looking right at you.

There’s a Giant Eagle three blocks from your house, but you recently started going to the one across the river. You liked the convenience, but every time you left the store a jitney driver would be idling there. They would offer you a ride home—“I’m heading towards your place anyways.” You never told them where you live.

Every time you think a hill might be too steep to climb, you notice a set of city steps right next to you…how didn’t you see those before? You never take them, though. They’re always gone on the walk back down.

You’ve been driving on this bridge for way too long. You keep passing pylons, but you’re no closer to the other side.

Someone must keep stealing your neighbor’s parking chair, because every day there’s a different one in her spot. You’re not really sure if you could call it a “chair” anymore. When you walk up to your house at night, you could swear it twitches under the street light. Is your neighbor ever even home?

You live alone in a recently flipped townhome. The owners ripped out the Pittsburgh potty when they finished the basement. A shame, but you don’t go down there much anyways—in fact, you usually keep the basement door deadbolted. You know you forgot to lock it when you’re cleaning sooty bootprints from the kitchen tile again.

Your nunny always told you that you can swim in the rivers when the current is slow, but don’t put your head under. You won’t be quite right when you come back to the surface.