We Shine Brighter Together

Chapter I

i do not own dan and phil

tw: mentions of depression

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My eyes tried desperately to catch up with the moving trees smugmug together as the vehicle took its path. The destination in which we were heading was unknown to me, because my family likes to wrap unwanted surprises up and give them to me expecting me to give them a smile. What they don't realize is that a simple gift will not make me smile, and a pat on the back will only push me further down.

I've been in a deep depression for what seems like years now. It's dark and lonesome down here, but I'm afraid I'm beginning to become accustomed to it. I've grown so fond of the stains and quick breaths that comes with dull lighting and a blurry face. Every time I find a candle, a gust of grey wind blows it out, leaving some part of me singed, my feelings black and burnt.

The car pulled up to a small cabin amongst the forest with nothing to accompany it but the scraping of the dead winter branches along the iced window. The cold air bit my nose as I stepped out of the cramped space and onto the bitter gravel, stretching my stiff limbs until they were loose again.

"What a great choice, mom." I said sarcastically while grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder. She ignored the words I nipped out and continued unloading the car without a second breath.

When all the work was done, I decided upon taking a walk to see what this frozen forest has to offer. My sleeves hung low, and my hands gripped at them, digging my nails into the stale cloth. The water in my eyes was drying, and with every step I could see the ghost of my breath hang in front of me.

With eyes cold and mind wandering, I stumbled upon a aesthetically simple cabin disguised by the trees. The overgrown weeds and flower took the sides of the house by storm, leaving every inch of it green. The place seemed to be unkempt and abandoned, and with every step I took towards the house, my curiosity took one step in advance. As the door creaked open, I was greeted with hundreds of books about constellations and planets. Each book that was open seemed to have markings and notes on them. Whoever used to live here, must have had a fascination fixated on what lies above. Which is the polar opposite of me, for I only focus on what awaits below. My hand grabbed the closest book of stars that lied within my grasp and began to skim it for all it's worth.

"Isn't it fascinating?" I heard a warm, curious voice echoed behind me...and yet that voice still scared me. He was probably more than furious to find a young boy putting his grubby hands all over his books.

"I'm terribly sorry I-I shouldn't have come inside it's just that the curiosity was eating at me and I-"

"Oh shut up will you? You talk an awful you know that? You're perfectly welcome in my home, although it's a complete mess. But you see I have no one to impress; I have no friends. The only people who come around these parts are angsty teens looking for someplace haunted or haunted people looking for an escape from reality. You strike me as the second one." The boy stepped closer, his ebony hair covering one of his blue orbs, smiling at me as if he knew my life story when we have only just met.

"How rude of you to presume! You don't know me and...and I have to go." Whenever someone was right about something, especially something I didn't want them to be correct in, I would always yell, leave or try and counteract them with a snarky comment. Who does this man think he is? We only met moments ago and he thinks it's okay to interrogate me with such rude presumptions. He knows nothing of my struggles.

"Please don't leave so soon. Prove me wrong then! Join me on a walk. Since you're new around here, I want to show you some stuff. And on our way up, you can enlighten an old dog with some new bones. Plus, who am I to tell of your life...a dog loses his companions if he spends too long daydreaming, so you needn't worry of me gossiping.

He spoke in such a way that seemed to hypnotize me, at least that's the only way I can explain it, because how else would he have convinced me? His eyes maybe. Those eyes alone could convince any individual to commit unspeakable crimes. The way he spoke was magnificent, but at the same time it sounded like he was mumbling in tongues. His soft and light complexion drew you in as he talked and force you to listen to every syllable. He had everything going for him.

About twenty minutes into walking up into the seemingly endless forest, the man stopped a few feet in front of me. He was only ahead because long, uphill walks aren't really an out of shapes person's fourte. When my presence was finally accompanied by his, I was greeted with the stunning combination of dead tree branches and land that gently dipped into itself, with a range from gentle scoops to large indents. The sun was almost completely down, the magic hour fading into stars.

"I come up here every night to look at the stars. They're beautiful, don't you think?" The boy beamed as he focused his daze on space.

"Yeah it's stunning. Can I ask you what your name is?" I questioned.

"Phil. Philip Michael Lester. It has a pretty ring to it, and my mother thought it would sound nice along with my brother's on a Christmas card." Phil let out an amused breath and directed his attention back to me. "Tell me who you are. That's why we came up here in the first place."

I looked back out to the vast forest and took a deep breath. Was I really about to tell a man I had only just met my life story? I had never really opened up to anyone like this before. Well, no one really cared about what i had to say anyway. No one cared to ask how I felt about something or what my current emotions were. What made Phil want to know more about me? Surely I'm not worth this man's time. I'm not worth anyone's time, especially if it's ticking away while awaiting me to finish a tale of my irrelevant life.

"Well I was born in Wokingham, and I'm an only chil-"

"Stop oh my God stop. I said tell me who you are not your MySpace bio. I want to get to know the real you. You strike me as one of those pretty little flowers that only last a couple of days before wilting because they are afraid to ask for water. Don't be afraid of me." The boy scooted closer to me and looked me in the eyes with his soft gaze. It was then that I knew I could trust Phil. He was here to listen when no one else has been in my entire life.

"I'm tired, phil. I haven't been running and I just let it sink in, so now I'm tired. What's the point of being above ground when all of humanity is destined to be buried underneath it sooner or later?" I hung my head, unable to look at Phil any longer without crying.

"You're more intricate than I imagined. Here... look up at those stars will you?" He said pointing to a cluster of beaming lights. "Whenever you feel like everything's pointless, I want you to find a cluster of stars and know that things shine brighter when they're together. Don't struggle alone, for you are never alone when another star is waiting to be accompanied by your light."

I don't know how, but somehow I allowed a small smile to creep it's way onto my face. This man has managed to make me feel more appreciated than anyone has ever made me feel in my whole life in a matter of seconds. As soon as I was about to say something about this my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Mom: Come back I made dinner.

"That's my mom. I have to go. Thank you, Phil. You've really helped me, and to be honest I don't really know what to say." I said tucking my phone back into my pocket.

"How about you tell me your name" He smiled.

"Oh my gosh after this whole time you would think I would have told you. My name is Dan." I laughed and shifted my weight to my right side, feeling a little embarrassed to have forgotten such a basic introductory.

"Well, dan, I'll be needing your number. I have a feeling we'll shine much brighter together."

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i really hope you enjoyed my first part because it took me FOREVER to write.

please ignore any grammar errors lol i'm stupid so don't pay them any mind.

please comment and tell me what you think !!