The Trench Coat Man, R.T. Adams [recommended reading TXT] 📗

The Trench Coat Man

Thanks to Samuel Holloway.

Thanks to you, readers.

 You see people on the streets everyday. Blue plaid shirts, neon yellow, shirts, and shirts that even have designs, like crosses and roses. But you know something you don't see everyday? A man who wears a black trench coat. You'll never see him everyday, maybe you'll never see him in your entire life. But you know who has? I have. He was standing on a sidewalk, his black trench coat, fedora, and his bushy beard. He always wears that trench coat, whether he is wearing a fedora, or if he's wearing all black. He'll even have a mismatched style, wearing white socks, white dress shoes, and a white fedora. He always has his friend next to him, wearing a light blue suit and a light blue tophat with an orange band around it. But recently, the man with the trench coat hasn't been around lately. He must be sick, lying in bed, only going out to get groceries and food.

I've been sitting here for a while now, maybe a few weeks by now, and he hasn't shown but only twice. I sit against this wall, constantly staring at where the Trench Coat Man once stood, writing stories about what I believe he does in his spare time. I truly think he tries different clothes on with his trench coat to see what he looks like, preparing for the next day. Sadly, I can't see what he wears every day anymore. He used to stand by the street light, talking to his friend, but now, his friend sits so lonely on a bench near a cafe. I thought I'd invite myself, over, but I felt like it would be too strange to make a friend with me, so I sat here, staring at the lonely man sitting on the bench. I watched him for days, weeks, possibly. All he did was sit on the bench and stare at a photo, occasionally going in the cafe to get food, a drink, or use the restroom. And so I watched his every day actions.

It's been a month and a half and there's been no sign of the Trench Coat Man. He hasn't returned nor passed by in such a long amount of time, but his friend still sits on the bench, staring at the photo. He hasn't went in the cafe as much anymore and he doesn't sit on the bench as long as he used to. He'll sit there for a few hours or so and then leave, only coming back for the next day, even if he knows he forgot something. After days passed, I decided to lay down and watch rather than sitting against a wall. I watched for weeks, more than a few months, maybe even more than half a year now, and I still haven't seen the Trench Coat Man. I've never seen their facial features, rather than their beards and mustaches. The Trench Coat Man, like I said before, has a bushy beard, and his friend had a clean shave, not a single hair on his chin.

As I watched the Trench Coat Man's friend sit on the bench, the days seemed shorter, but the minutes felt longer. I constantly stared, even if I had no reason to, even if it was night and no one was there. I stared because I could still imagine the Trench Coat Man standing there, talking to his friend. After days and days passed, the first drop of snow had fallen and landed directly on the Trench Coat Man's place. Why, though? Why have I started to forget about the Trench Coat Man. I imagine him every day, but I have started to lose my vision of him. Is it because it has been nearly a year now? I started watching then February third of 1993, and it's nearly been a year. For the first time since then, the Trench Coat Man's friend finally looked my way, spotting me staring at him. He stared back for a moment, and waved me over, seeing that I wanted to introduce myself and talk. For a minute, I thought about it, and then, I acted. I walked over to him, the man sitting on the bench, and sat next to him. He told me his name and I introduced myself. We spoke for a few minutes, sharing what we've seen and heard. He discovered that it's nearly been a year since I've been watching them. At night, he left and I returned to the wall, laying there. Every day, we spoke to each other, a man in a light blue suit and tophat talking to a man in ragged, torn, and dirtied clothes.

After days and weeks, we'd gotten to know each other. He told me he heads directly home after he sits on the bench after the such long time. I asked him why he sat here, and all he told me was because of memories. Memories truly are desirable things. They can sway your mood and emotions. They can change how people act and what people do. People can even select the memories they remember and what they forget, but I will never forget any memories I've made, they've all been quite extraordinary, really. Though it may be just sitting here almost all my life staring at the Trench Coat Man and his friend, there are more memories than that. My best memory was to see such an amazing man like the Trench Coat Man and his friend.

After December ended, January came. The Trench Coat Man's friend's name is Alexander. After these many months, the Trench Coat Man still hasn't shown up, and just yesterday, another man in a navy blue suit with dark lens glasses asked for me to keep an eye on him for a million dollars. Keep an eye on a man for a million dollars. Why would someone pay such a high price? Is it because he's really an insane psychopath who brutally murders people? I thought and thought, but came across no reasonable answer, so I resumed my everyday life, acting as if nothing happened. Every day, me and Alexander talked about our pasts and present day. I told him that all I remember doing is living on the street for many years, receiving little money and buying little food, saving every last bite. He told me that he works with a large business that produces electronics. Suddenly, he pulled out the photo he had before, but it was flipped over so that I couldn't see it. It read that someone had died of illness on July 17th in 1993. Alexander flipped the photo over, and what I saw was a man with bright green eyes, a bushy beard, a black fedora, and a black trench coat. Surely enough, it was the Trench Coat Man.

TCM - Afterstory

After the man in the ragged and torn clothes found out the Trench Coat Man had died, he started to suffer from depression. Unable to seek help, he ended up becoming ill of his own depression, catching colds, and diseases. He was still unable to receive help, due to a low supply of money. He eventually caught the flu and other diseases, as well. Instead of being strong and passing through like he always did, he fell weak due to his depression. Soon after, he would be found lying on the sidewalk near a cafe, lying there dead.

Text: Shikanosuke Maejima
Editing: Samuel Holloway and Harvey Eden
Publication Date: 12-29-2014

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