Peri Helion waited at the station. Pensively, he thumbed through his 'Multiversal Guide to World Building (Expanded, 2nd Edition)'. The station's PA system crackled, a practiced confident voice echoed in the station, 'Train now arriving at Station Three. Keep to the left to allow those departing to exit.'
Peri's eyes flickered up from his book to observe patrons departing from the train. They had been waiting, and absentmindedly maneuvered into the funnel- a river of people surging and ebbing and flowing with the tide of the train.
When the river surge resumed its relaxed, consistent flow- Peri tore himself away from his book, stood up, and greeted the same funnel with his boarding pass. From the concrete platform outside, he boarded the long sleek silver train.
It has just started to rain when Joshua's gig at J'pollo's was over- underneath an awning Joshua stood buttoning his jacket, prepping to sprint for the bus stop. J'pollo stepped outside and joined Joshua.
"I would drive you, but it's the end of the microcycle. I gotta do inventory and close shop. I don't want to keep you waiting."
"Thanks." Joshua sighed.
J'pollo, a head higher than Joshua, even though ze slouched; ze handed an umbrella to Joshua, "-please," ze grinned.
"Great, now I wont get quite as wet."
They both laughed. Ze responded, "It's more so to keep your clacaphone from getting damaged- your instrument is magic you know."
The sound of distant thunder rolled, "I better leave now before it gets worst," Joshua clutched his clacaphone case in one hand and the other the umbrella, "I'll see you next week J'pollo!"
"See ya then!" ze yelled.
Along a narrow, up hill, cobbled road, Joshua sprinted. The towering, twisting victorian buildings loomed over him. Rooftops just out of sight in the mysto of the rain. Breathing deeply, Joshua gained a second wind and quickly strode through the alleys. Joshua turned a corner in a downward alley, and it was all strung up with fairy lights and monster webs. The market was closed due to the time of night and weather.
His eyes glanced quickly around. In his peripheral he saw a black static shape. He felt the presence followed him. Sprinting to the bus stop, Joshua turned into another alley strewn with poetic radioactive moss. Written in moss on dilapidated brick was "Burning out brightly like stars, webbing into the night".
Joshua reached the end, and the number nine bus stop appeared. There was no bus stop awning, and patrons stood near the sign, huddled with their umbrellas. Any other souls wandering the hilly, wet street hung under awnings, or; like Joshua, sprinted around with an umbrella.
He stood near the huddled mass of patrons, clenched his clacaphone and waited.