Word: Languid

 

languid

[lang-gwid] / ˈlæŋ gwɪd /

adjective

1. lacking in vigor or vitality; slack or slow.

   a languid manner.

2. lacking in spirit or interest; listless; indifferent.

3. drooping or flagging from weakness or fatigue; faint. 

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                    There was something wrong with the town. Mike saw it immediately when he entered the place, and it became even more obvious when he stopped at a small diner for lunch. He got out of his car and paused, taking in the oddities of the place. There was something wrong with the people.

                   As he watched, he could see that nobody was moving in any kind of hurry. Even the drivers were moving well below the speed limit. That was what had drawn his attention to the small town to begin with. Everyone moving well below the speed limit with no way to pass? It was ridiculous.

                   Mike entered the diner and saw plenty of places to sit, and it seemed like the kind of laid-back place that would not care if he just sat himself. So, he slid into a booth and waited. And waited. And waited some more. Clearly the wait staff were in no hurry to do anything. He saw several people in uniform, just taking their time and chatting with other customers. They knew he was there. Several of them locked eyes with him, but they made no move to even give him a menu.

                   After almost twenty minutes, one of the wait staff, an older woman who seemed pleasant enough, got him all set up. By that time, Mike was starting to get frustrated. He was not on a time limit, but he still had somewhere to be. A quick glance over the menu told him that the place served the standard diner fare. Nothing revolutionary, so ordering was easy.

                   There was something off though. The waitress was still there. She had not moved and was looking at him with a small smile. Occasionally, she would chime in and try and make small talk.

                   “You’re new in town, aren’t you?” She asked after he had placed his order.

                   “Uh, yeah. I’m just passing through.”

                   “Oh, that’s too bad.”

    Mike was starting to get the feeling he was becoming the center of attention. The people in the diner were speaking softer, like they were trying to listen to something while not acting like they were.

   “Why’s that?”

   “Well, everyone who’s just ‘passing though’ always seems like they’re in such a rush. That’s no way to live life, you man. You should slow down a bit. Stay in town for a bit.”

   “I’m sorry, but I have placed to be. I’ll just be eating my lunch and then heading out.”

   “You sure? There’s something to be said for slowing down sometimes, you know. You move too fast, you’ll tire yourself out.”

   Mike was definitely noticing more and more people glancing in his direction now. He felt his heart rate speed up. Maybe he should just leave. The waitress had not gone and placed his order yet, so he could. He would just get something from a gas station or fast-food joint. He pulled out his phone and checked the time.

   “Uh, listen, I hate to do this, but I think I’m on a bit more of a time crunch than I thought. You can forget about my order. I’m sure it’s very good, but I’m just—”

   “No need to be in a hurry.” The waitress said. She made no move to get out of the way, even when Mike tried to stand up. “Going too fast is no good. Sit, stay awhile.”

   Her hand came up in a slow, almost lazy way and settled on his shoulder. For some reason, Mike felt like all the energy was draining away. Not his physical energy though. It was more like all the interest and willpower to do anything other than sit back down had left him. A cold dread filled his mind, but he could not muster up the energy to do anything about it.

   “I promise you won’t regret it.”