really long time since I’ve let a girl occupy my thoughts. Sometimes I think about pinching myself to remind me that she’s real. Looking out my window I notice that the moon is surprisingly bright tonight. Funny I’ve never noticed how stunning it is before. I’m drawn to it suddenly and I have the urge to go outside. So I do. After throwing on my shoes I start to venture toward the door. Brian and Jax are sitting on the couch playing a video game. I can hear them arguing as I approach.
“Hey man, where are you going?” Brian asks.
“Just thought I’d take a walk or something, get some air,” I say with a shrug.
“Uh, dude it’s like midnight,” Jax chuckles.
“No shit Sherlock, so what.” I respond.
“So…why are you going outside this late to take a walk? Why don’t you just grab a controller and play a round with us.” Brian suggests.
“Nah, I’m cool man…I’m just going out for a few.” I say as I shut the door behind me.
The air is cold and it’s eerily quiet out. A few cars pass by me on the street but for the most part the streets are disserted. I walk along the sidewalk and head for the park at the end of the block. Once I get there I take a seat on the bench and just look up at the sky. It’s a clear night, not a cloud in sight and the stars are so bright. Really makes you realize how small you are in the world.
My dad and I used to star gaze when we went camping. Camping was something we did all the time, nothing like hiking up in the woods and living out of a tent for days. Only eating what you catch in the lake. My dad was an awesome man, I learned so much from him on how to be a man. When I found out he had Cancer it crushed me.
I tried not to worry a whole lot at first because I knew he was a strong man, but when he started the Chemo and started to lose his hair it made me nervous. He always put up a good front for me though, always telling me he was fine but I could tell it was taking a toll on him. I wasn’t shocked when he passed but it still hit me pretty hard. Shaking the memory from my mind I headed back to get a few hours of sleep.
Chloe
It’s 5am when I wake up, I’m covered in sweat. I had that nightmare again, this time he caught me. My hands blindly roam over the scar that marks the left side of my abdomen. It’s ugly and it’s rough, it makes me feel like a freak. I want to just stay in bed all day until Travis gets here, but I decide to go for a short run instead.
I take a different route this time, leaving campus I head toward the park at the end of the block. The weather is perfect, it’s crisp and cool. The sun is just now coming up over the horizon. I stop a moment to watch it, it’s magnificent. The way the pale blue fades into a bright orange as the sun raises into the sky. Reminds me of how little and insignificant I am in the whole scheme of things…of life. It’s peaceful out this time of the morning, a few birds chirping and a couple of bicyclists.
I am so focused on the rising sun in the distance that someone slams into me, nearly knocking me to the ground. An arm latches out to steady me and I’m suddenly face to face with a dark haired male stranger.
“Whoa, sorry about that. I was in the zone, you know.” He offers me a smile.
There’s something off about him, but I can’t quit place it. His face doesn’t look familiar but his eyes are uncommon…his eyes are a dull shade of blue, nearly grey in color. The stranger holds his hand out for me shake.
“I’m Caleb,” he says.
“Chloe,” I reply. My eyes don’t leave his, and his don’t leave mine. We stand there in silence for what feels like forever before I force my feet to start moving again. “It was nice to meet you, and I’m sorry I shouldn’t have just been standing on the path like that.
“Hey man, where are you going?” Brian asks.
“Just thought I’d take a walk or something, get some air,” I say with a shrug.
“Uh, dude it’s like midnight,” Jax chuckles.
“No shit Sherlock, so what.” I respond.
“So…why are you going outside this late to take a walk? Why don’t you just grab a controller and play a round with us.” Brian suggests.
“Nah, I’m cool man…I’m just going out for a few.” I say as I shut the door behind me.
The air is cold and it’s eerily quiet out. A few cars pass by me on the street but for the most part the streets are disserted. I walk along the sidewalk and head for the park at the end of the block. Once I get there I take a seat on the bench and just look up at the sky. It’s a clear night, not a cloud in sight and the stars are so bright. Really makes you realize how small you are in the world.
My dad and I used to star gaze when we went camping. Camping was something we did all the time, nothing like hiking up in the woods and living out of a tent for days. Only eating what you catch in the lake. My dad was an awesome man, I learned so much from him on how to be a man. When I found out he had Cancer it crushed me.
I tried not to worry a whole lot at first because I knew he was a strong man, but when he started the Chemo and started to lose his hair it made me nervous. He always put up a good front for me though, always telling me he was fine but I could tell it was taking a toll on him. I wasn’t shocked when he passed but it still hit me pretty hard. Shaking the memory from my mind I headed back to get a few hours of sleep.
Chloe
It’s 5am when I wake up, I’m covered in sweat. I had that nightmare again, this time he caught me. My hands blindly roam over the scar that marks the left side of my abdomen. It’s ugly and it’s rough, it makes me feel like a freak. I want to just stay in bed all day until Travis gets here, but I decide to go for a short run instead.
I take a different route this time, leaving campus I head toward the park at the end of the block. The weather is perfect, it’s crisp and cool. The sun is just now coming up over the horizon. I stop a moment to watch it, it’s magnificent. The way the pale blue fades into a bright orange as the sun raises into the sky. Reminds me of how little and insignificant I am in the whole scheme of things…of life. It’s peaceful out this time of the morning, a few birds chirping and a couple of bicyclists.
I am so focused on the rising sun in the distance that someone slams into me, nearly knocking me to the ground. An arm latches out to steady me and I’m suddenly face to face with a dark haired male stranger.
“Whoa, sorry about that. I was in the zone, you know.” He offers me a smile.
There’s something off about him, but I can’t quit place it. His face doesn’t look familiar but his eyes are uncommon…his eyes are a dull shade of blue, nearly grey in color. The stranger holds his hand out for me shake.
“I’m Caleb,” he says.
“Chloe,” I reply. My eyes don’t leave his, and his don’t leave mine. We stand there in silence for what feels like forever before I force my feet to start moving again. “It was nice to meet you, and I’m sorry I shouldn’t have just been standing on the path like that.
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