𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐂𝐇 | Scott Summers

CHAPTER 1

     As the night deepened and the hours ticked by, i remained seated beneath the protective embrace of the trees. The air grew colder, the silence of the park only interrupted by the occasional distant car honking or the rustling of leaves. I wrapped my arms around my legs and drew my knees closer, trying to find comfort in the solitude and security the park provided not daring to ever close my eyes.

Slowly, the first streaks of dawn started to paint the sky, casting a golden hue that signaled the arrival of a new day. I sat on the damp ground my back leaning against a tree. I had been here since last night early moring..  This spot wasn't the best. Sitting directly where no grass had grown , dirt would definitely be on the bottem of my light wash jeans... somthing I was usalllu stingy about getting dirty that is.

but that did not matter right now.. no becuase right now.. I was alone.

I staired forward at the ground. Watching  the little insects crawl over the rocks and in the leaves.

Usually I loved being alone. Being home alone for the rest of the day. Or a simple weekend staying in your room all day listening to music alone. But what I really hated was being "lonely" but not only was I now lonely .. I didn't have a home to go. More specifically.. anyone to run to.. being lonely carried a deep-seated discomfort with solitude, a remnant of my tumultuous past, present and probably future.

The specter of abandonment and rejection casts a long shadow over my life. And I guarantee it always will.

You're confused? I get it this isn't a great start to this story, so let me run you back to three days ago. Where in such a short period of time my life changed dramatically..

3 days ago

"Val Dai!  It's about to rain" I say dragging Valentino
by the arm away from "stones" the ice cream parlor in our community , as he tries to not drop his ice cream as we run. While also stuffing his face  continuing to eat it.

"El chill it's just a bit rain!" He says laughing as the two speed walk/run down the sidewalk.

"I don't care I just straightend my hair Val, it took me a fucking hour to do so. I didn't straighten and possibly damage my hair just for it to get wet and unstraight itself in not even a hour." I say letting go of his arm about to make him fend for himself so I can make a bigger run for it home.

"Oh god El you're so dramatic"

I huff, feeling now the light sprinkle of rain falling.

"Says you the time when you thought u were going to die because you had a "pimples " all over your face"

"Those were not pimples el! A disease! I swear by this!" He says

I roll my eyes at my friends stupidity. It had started to rain a bit harder now and I was fucked. I decided to do what anyone else would do. Run. I ran down the long sidewalk.

I continued to run not looking where I was going as it rained harder. Leaving behind Valentino. I turned left for the direction of my house. I started to run crossing the road. As then I heard my name coming as a screen from Valentino's mouth.

"El stop!"

I looked to my right and bright beams of car headlights were shining and headed straight for me. Before I knew it there was blueish force field around  Val and I.

Val huddled me to the ground as the car came to a screeching stop just barely hitting us. I didn't have time to react Val helped me up. Disarming the force field as we ran.

"Fuck I- I'm sorry thank you" I say kinda startled. I mean almost getting hit by a car wasn't somthing I was new to. Surprisingly a reuhcuring event. But I was still a bit shook even so.