Coconut Grove nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy.

Druid drew in a breath, wishing she had noticed him sooner so she could’ve slipped away before being spotted herself. But not only had he seen her, he spoke to her. For a brief moment, she considered turning away without answering. But after several weeks with no one but a silent serpent for company, she felt strangely compelled to engage with her own kind.

Setting aside her reluctance to ever connect with anyone ever again—even in the smallest of ways—and her inherent distaste for men, Druid took another breath, cleared her throat and replied, No. But I only just arrived in this… Her mismatched eyes cast around, wondering if there was a better term but ultimately finishing with, place.