verdant hollow: where the moss clings to my hope

i woke up to the sound of rain tapping on my tent like it was trying to wake me up, which is ironic because i’m already a dead man walking through this fog. the numbers on the weather thingy (10.94 and all that jazz) just confirm it’s wet and dripping everywhere. i guess i’m lucky it’s not colder? or maybe not. but hey, moist air is better than nothing, right?

so i’m sitting here with a sketchbook in one hand and a cup of coffee that’s probably cold by now. the temperature’s fluctuating, which is great. it’s like this place is trying to tell me something. or maybe it’s just the humidity. 93% is wild. i half expect the trees to be sweating. i checked the app and it’s…there right now. i hope you like that kind of thing. i don’t. i like dry air. but this is what we’ve got.

the neighbors? yeah, they’re not exactly chatty. i heard a group of people biking past and they were yelling about something involving a canal. maybe it’s flooded? or full of algae? i don’t know. someone told me that if you get bored, [cityname] are just a short drive away. i guess that’s true. but i’m not really a driving person. i’d rather climb a tree or get lost in a field. which i might do. who knows?

listen, reviews here are like urban legends. i heard that the old church up the hill has a secret room with weird carvings. i don’t believe it, but i also didn’t ask anyone who would know. another person said the market at dawn is haunted by a woman selling spicy peppers. i’m not sure if that’s true, but the peppers there are amazing. really fresh. i also caught a snippet from a drunk tourist who swore the local band plays a terrible cover of ‘whatever you want’ at the pub on corner street. i’ve never been there, but i’m adding it to my do-not-go list. who needs that kind of energy?

the weather feels like it’s holding its breath. i just checked and it’s…there right now. imagine being a plant. you’d be struggling to survive. i’m not. i’m just here surviving with a camera and a notebook. speaking of which, i took some photos yesterday. one of a bridge covered in vines, another of a street cat staring at me like i owed it money. and there’s this really boring picture of a bakery that smells like almonds. the doughnuts? overrated. the almond pastries? life-changing. i’m writing this from a bench outside. it’s quiet enough to hear the wind whispering names. i don’t think that’s normal.

here’s a map if you want to find me:

. i’m near the place with the blue sign that says ‘no entry’ but everyone ignores it. probably a good thing. i took these photos earlier:

. they’re not great, but they’ll do.

i also heard from a local that the best way to avoid tourists is to talk to the barista at that café with the flickering sign. the one where the milk is always out. they’ll point you to a hidden garden or a costume party or something. i haven’t tried it yet. but if you’re reading this, you should. just don’t ask for directions. people here hate giving directions. they’ll send you in circles. or to the wrong river. or maybe they’ll just laugh. who knows?

the reviews online are all over the place. one says the air is ‘too moist and uninviting,’ but another calls it ‘a spa for your sinuses.’ i don’t know which to believe. i did see a comment about the library having a hidden staircase. is that true? i asked a random guy and he said, ‘only if you can solve a riddle in old dialect.’ i didn’t. so i walked away. maybe next time.

if you’re into plants, this place is a goldmine. i found a patch of wild orchids near the train tracks. they were shy. didn’t bloom unless i hummed. i don’t hum. but i’m writing this now, so maybe that’s a good thing. the humidity is good for them. or maybe it’s just luck. i don’t know. i’m more interested in the dirt under my nails. it smells like earth and regret.

also, the coffee here is terrible. i tried three places. one had a machine that hissed like it was dying. another gave me a cup that tasted like rust. the third was just water. i gave up. i’m drinking something from a gas station now. it’s not great, but at least it’s warm. i checked the weather again and it’s…there. same as before. i hope you like that. i don’t.

okay, that’s it. i’m done. i need sleep. or maybe not. maybe i should go find those orchids again. or maybe i’ll just lie here until the rain stops. who knows? this place is a mystery. like the numbers at the top. 3174953 and 1380057273. what do they mean? maybe they’re coordinates. or a password. or just random crap. who knows?

links that might help: tripadvisor for the weird stuff, yelp if you want to hate or love the coffee, and a local board at communityboards.verdant if you’re brave enough to join.

stay safe out there. or don’t. i’m too busy pretending this place isn’t a mirage.

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