Chapter One: Dale

I

Dale's head was spinning. Spinning so badly that he saw Miss Applefront not twice, but thrice around the same block within the span of a few minutes. In this state of mind, everything could be wrong. Dale moaned as his stomach twisted and churned under the toxicity of the bottle of Old Pulteney in his trembling hand. The sharp scent and taste of fermented prunes and spices rushed through his nasal cavity every time he raised the bottle to his lips. Dale slowed his pace and grimaced as he felt a gush of heat emerging from the pit of his stomach. Dale opened his mouth and led out an ear-shattering belch. The smell of spiced prunes filled the air and Dale led out a smirk. More like a grin, really. These are for you, grannies, Dale silently thought, then giggled dorkily at his self-proclaimed witty comment. Then the face of Miss Applefront appeared in his mind, and he burst out in laughter.

Drunk, definitely.

Dale ambled along Wenderstreet and ended up at the entrance of Neila Edih park. THE park. Dale frowned at the thought in his head and shook it vigorously.
Should he? He considered.
He should, he decided.

Dale tried his best to walk in a straight line, but failed miserably. He swayed in all directions like a piece of grass in a midnight storm. He accidentally kicked a rock and almost fell forwards. Fortunately his flailing hands helped him stabilize and kept him from landing on his face. The bottle of Old Pulteney, however, wasn't so fortunate. Dale flung his hand to the front and the poor bottle of liquor slipped out and landed on the pavement with a deafening shatter.

Dale stared at the broken pieces of glass, then at the rock, then back to the glass again. What a day, he thought to himself. Dale heaved a huge sigh and approached the bench. There were many things in the park that were nice, actually. It's just that no one really bothered to appreciate them. For instance, the lampposts which were engraved with such minute yet impressive designs; or the soul-calming greenery; and even the persimmons hiding in the bush.

Wait, persimmons?

Dale averted his attention to the bush next to the 'Evertree'(nicknamed after its impressive longevity). Dale swore he saw two bright yellow persimmons hiding behind the bush. For a second there he even thought that they were eyes. He stepped towards the bush in the slowest pace possible, then stopped. Dale pondered on this thought for a second or two and again burst out laughing.
He dismissed his silly thought and mocked himself for his stupidity. Dale then turned around and instead headed for the park bench.

After all, in this state of mind, everything could be wrong.