Mental

Chapter 1-when Stephen met Simon

8 m o n t h s l a t e r

Stephen shoved his hand in the bin and dug out a newspaper. He shook some orange peel off and read the front page,Mental patient still missing,he frowned and threw ot back in the bin. Sighing he pulled the hoodie of his jumper up of his head and shuffled off towards the barbed wire around his private land. He bought the land anonymously a few months ago and lived in a small cottage in the middle of it. The land was 90% trees and was the perfect place to hide. He had be in hiding for eight months now. He had escaped from the hell hole with difficulty the security was tight but he planned for years.
"Excuse me,sir." A voice said from behind him. Stephen whipped around,a slightly chubby,pale dark haired boy stood there a note pad in his hand.
"Ummm,yes?" He answered,his voice sounded weird,he hadn't heard his own voice in months.
"Are you a street urchin?" He asked,clicking his pen.
"No,why do you ask,kind sir."
"Oh,well,you see I'm a journalist and I'm writing an article on people who live on the streets. "
"Well,I live in a house." Stephen said,smiling he gestured to the barbed wire.
"Oh,you live in there,I have a friend,shes kind of a stalker,who has been trying to get in there for months."
"What the.....?" He whispered.
"Sorry I'm freaking you out,any way you live alone?" The boy said,Stephen was starting to like people again.
"Yes,I do." Stephen answered.
"Umm."
"So who are you?"
"Oh,I'm Simon."
"Hey,Simon I'm Stephen." Simon smiled and Stephen grinned back.
"Well,bye Stephen I'll see you around." He waved goodbye.
Stephen continued on towards the barbed wire he came to a gate and punched in a code. The door beeped open and Stephen walked in and closed the gate behind him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked through the trees and greenery to his cottage,feeling happier than he was in months. Once back in his house he brewed some coffee. Coffee was his only comfort and he enjoyed making endless cups,though it mase him stay up half the night. He didn't sleep much at night because of his nightmares,his troubled past haunted him often.

Stephen woke up with a start,he could hear twigs breaking. He got up and pulled on his hoodie,running to the window.
He yanked the frayed curtain open. It was dark outside but Stephen could just make out the shape of a person,the person seemed to be caught in the bushes. Stephen closed his eyes and then appeared a second later beside the bush.
"Who the hell are you?" Said Stephen,crossing his arms.
The person tried to be more quite by not breathing. Stephen sighed and the the bushes moved apart. The person was startled and fell back. It was a woman,she had dyed ginger hair that was waist length she was pale in the moonlight and Stephen could see freckles scattered across her face.
"Hi,there." The girl said,a fake smile on her face.
"Get the fuck out of here." Stephen said,he was tired and he wasn't having any of it.
"Language,I'm Brec who you?" Brec said standing up and brushing leaves of her black hoodie and green jeans.
"Stephen,now please leave." Stephen pleaded.
"No,why do you live here,alone." Brec asked,stepping out from the bushes.
"Why not,by any chance to you know a guy called Simon." Stephen said,remembering the conversation he had earlier.
"Know a guy or slept with a guy?" Brec said,hands on hips.
"Know,or maybe...I dunno he has darkish hair,he's a journalist."
"Oh yeah I know him,didn't sleep with him 'cause he's gay."
"Okay,yeah I saw him yesterday and he said he had a stalker friend." Stephen smiled,Brec scowled.
"For your information I'm just curious,he is one of my closest friends,I bit him in junior infants and we kind of bonded." Brec said,making hand gestures.
"Ok,bye." Stephen said as he turned,this woman was creepy and he didn't like curious people.
"Byeeee,by the way Si and I are doing a journalism course,you should come ya look lonely,old sport." Brec called over her shoulder as she walked back into the bushes.
"I'll think about it." He didn't really want to see Brec again,but He wanted to see Simon again.

Hoped you liked it,by the way these guys live in a town in Galway which is in Ireland.