Living life on the edge

11 | summer nights

Authors note: HAPPY PRIDE MONTH <3333

300 days and counting. 300 days of karl visiting the cliff... alone

Through heavy snow, scorching heatwaves and deadly storms, Karl still had a feeling every night that tonight may be the night nick comes to see him. So, like always, he would reach the cliff a little short of 1 am, and leave at sunrise.

It had just reached summer once again, the flowers on the bushes had blossomed and the trees gained their bright green colour. But usually in summer people would feel happy. BBQs with friends and family, swimming pools that were ice cold, ice creams that would melt before you can eat it. This year karl wanted none of that, not like he would get it anyway. But he wanted to spend it with nick, with nick all day. Not just late at night. He wanted to live a normal life with nick, he was so close to doing so, then it just all fell off. Fell off. All of a sudden a feeling rushed over karl that never had before. Loneliness.

The amount of times karl experience being alone was too may to count, but he was always trying to find a way out of it, he was too much of a selfless person like his father to even care about himself. Until now. He was the only person he knew.

"A toast to prince Nicholas and Alex!" The king raised his glass above his head almost spilling the liquids it contained. The many guests mirrored the king and raised their glasses to show respect. Nicholas looked across at the seat next to him and admired his wife laughing and smiling as she thanked everyone around her. She caught a glimpse of his staring from the corner of her eye and nudged nicks elbow that rested on the armrest. Nick looked back at the table quickly and raised his glass to everyone, he forced a smile upon his cheeks and nodded in thanks at the others. He just wanted to be alone. Not alone... alone with karl.

Karl stared blankly at the clouds that slowly moved past. His body automatically starting to rock back and forward as a way to comfort himself. A large dog barked just a few metres from him, causing him to fling himself backward out of shock.

"Buster sit" a man called as he emerged from the distance. He rushed over as quick as his old fragile legs could take him.

"I'm ever so sorry dear, i didnt mean to startle you"

"It's fine" karl said. "I'm used to it" he mumbled the last part to himself and giggled, like a little inside joke of his own.

"What are you doing on the cliff with your dog so late?" He asked concerned.

The old man came closer to the boy to make it easier to hear him through his hearing aid, "oh I'm just wondering around you know... taking in the beauty for my last couple days, dont get old kiddo" he said, giggling to himself as he remembered all the good times he used to have. Karl was understanding, his father never wanted to get old either, and i suppose he never got as old as he was saying. The dog started to bark again.

"Buster i said stop barking" the man shouted, the dog cried but immediately got over it as he discovered a hidden ball in a bush.

"So what's you name dear?"

"I'm karl, and you"

"George... but people used to call me gogy" he laughed.

Gogy? Karl thought surprised, i though he was just a made up character his father used to use in his story, he called him the miracle man because he has done great things, now he lives in a library... "wait"

"Yes kiddo"

"Do you, by any chance, live in a-"

"Library" George finished. He chuckled and perched himself on a high up log next to karl. He's real. He's actually real. Karl thought.

"Ive lived in that same library for donkeys years now, me and your father used to-"

"Be best friends" karl now finished his sentence.

"Heard he past last year, how you been doing with the bakery?"

"Good i- i guess"

Karl was still in total shock at how he'd never met this man, but they knew so much about each other.

"So how did you and dad meet?"

"Well it was through um- my umm" george scratched his head as if he was trying to remember, but he remembered all of it. "My partner, dream"

"Oh" karl didn't want to push it any further, he noticed the sudden change in emotion through his voice. But he just had to know, "so what happened to dream. "Well..."