I looked at Mahony, feeling the weight of the mundane pulling at us. "Let's do something different today," I suggested, a spark of rebellion igniting in my chest.

[@ch_2]Mahony[/@ch_2_d] grinned, "To the river, then. Let's see where the world takes us." We wandered, laughter mingling with the crisp air, feeling like explorers charting a course through the heart of the city.

Mahony darted off, chasing laughter and companionship. Left alone, I noticed an old man approaching, his gait slow and deliberate. The old man had an air of oddity, his eyes glinting with something that I couldn't quite place.

"Skipping school, are we?" he chuckled, a knowing smile playing on his lips. His conversation twisted, a fascination with boys that left me cold and wishing for Mahony's return.

"Let's go," I urged, the words barely a whisper. We hurried away, leaving the man and his unsettling aura behind, my heart still racing with the remnants of fear.

"He was just an old crank," Mahony laughed, carefree. But I couldn't shake the encounter, the adventure I sought having left a different mark than expected. Mahony ran ahead, calling back, yet I lingered, feeling the subtle shift within.