Task Two: Joey and Tom

This task has a certain amount of "play with the boundaries of reason" feel to me and I love it. There is so much room for engagement, creativity and play. Thanks @steemfluencer for the challenge, and thank you fellow participants for all the awesome entries last time! I'm still working through reading all of them (momma life you don't get much downtime) but they are all wonderful in their own ways!

The Story

A voice from overhead buzzes: "This is a story of a friendship, love and well, a little bit of mystery." No one in the quiet town seems to hear it beneath their winter hats and earmuffs, bundled up against the softly falling flakes and blustery November wind. The crunch of boots and the lackluster conversations on the street drown out the buzzing. Tom's own boots crunch loudly against the snow covered sidewalk. His shoulder length white hair pokes wildly from beneath his wool cap and his bright blue eye take in the snow drenched scene. He smiles gently as he turns and unfastens his door.

Tom is still the smartest accountant in the town - well if he had actually been an accountant. Tom had been operating under this guise for most of his life and it was finally wearing on him. His best friend Joey had just celebrated his 95th birthday and Tom was not far behind him at a ripe 94. Tom looked out his dusty window - the only window in his picture in his perfectly manicured townhome to not be clean (he didn't like the maid to clean his bedroom and well, with his eyesight going he didn't do much cleaning himself) - and looking back onto the now snow covered street thought about the time that had passed since he moved to Hazelton.

It was so long ago, he must have been what, 32? 33? Time here moved quickly that's for sure. He was 40 when Joey moved to Hazelton and they both had lived there ever since. Tom remembered the day clear as yesterday (maybe clearer old age was starting to fog recent moments). Hazelton was nothing but a sleepy mountain town, it's years of glory were long past. Tucked off the main road quite a ways visitors rarely rolled through, occasionally a university student who had missed the exit to campus a few miles back or a wayward traveler but that was all. Everything had started when he met Joey that day 50 some odd years ago.

Tom had always been a bit of a loner. It might had had something to do with his unusual nature. He had been a spry athlete in his younger days, always winning at track and field events, a decent swimmer, and the pride of the football team in the little American town where he was raised. Despite his aptitude for athletics however, Tom was not part of the popular crowd in his high school. He was a straight A student and kept honor roll; he worked afternoons at his dad's shop helping him fix up cars. When he left there, Tom spent many years traveling on his own until he came to Hazelton. Tom couldn't quite remember what even had brought him to this town, but he it was the first place that ever felt like home. So he pretended to be an accountant from out of town, and used his savings to buy the townhouse. He had a few local accounting gigs but he didn't work much and preferred to keep to himself. That was until he met Joey.

Joey was a lot like Tom - same striking aptitude for athletics, same hardworking demeanor, and same bright blue eyes. It was the eyes that caught Tom waiting for the bus that day. They were so blue like his own; mirrors to the world. Tom remembered introducing himself and Joey's immediate response, "You're one of us, aren't you?"

Tom was taken aback, "One of what he thought?"

"No, no you must have the wrong guy," Tom stuttered. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Joey had let out a booming laugh and smiled, "Nothing I must be mistaken. Say I'm not from around here could you show me around?"

Tom agreed and the two became fast friends. As he sat looking at the snow continuing to fall he chuckled to himself. How little he had known on that day so long ago. How much life had changed but really how much it had stayed the same.

Today Tom & Joey, would walk the town if the snow stopped. If not they would walk it tomorrow. The week of goodbyes was coming Tom could feel it. They would stroll one last time through the sleepy streets and reminisce on many memories those streets held. They would crunch their boots against the sidewalk and laugh at the youngsters building snow forts in between the townhome stoops; they would meander into their favorite coffee shops and restaurants to have one more meal at each; and they would take one last walk around the now frozen lake watching ice skaters twirl and children play stick hockey. Then they would say goodbye to the town and continue on their way. For just last week, news had come. The buzzing voice had been louder than ever. "We are coming to get you, its time to come home, the voice had buzzed this message on repeat for over a week before abruptly stopping. Tom thought about it and smiled, he didn't remember "home" but Joey did and had told him all about it. Tom took one long last look out the window before he went to the bathroom to slide out of his human suit for the night. He looked at the green scaled skin that suit hid and his bright blue eyes shown more luminous than ever.

Yes, he could not wait to go home.