Short stories.

Adventure.

I lay in bed with my eyes wide open, staring at the dark ceiling. The window is wide open with the cold wind blowing through, tingling at my skin in a reviving way. I sigh and sit up, running my hands through my hair and rubbing at me eyes. In the dark, I find my phone from among my bed covers and I begin to write a message. ‘can’t sleep’ I put. I send it, and then about 20 seconds later, I receive a reply. ‘Me either.’ It reads ‘can we meet somewhere?’ I smile a little and reply ‘yes. See you in 10 minutes.’

My phone reads that it’s 2:10am, which means everyone else is asleep. Still in my pajamas, I grab an old hoodie from my door and zip it up around me and then put on my shoes. I get my phone and put it in my pocket before quietly going over to my windowsill. Somehow I manage to pull myself up and ease out awkwardly, cracking the window open slightly so I can sit on the garage that’s near my window easily. Once I’m fully out and rested safely, I shut the window so that it’s not easy for anyone but me to get back in. With care I ease myself down the sloped roof and onto the floor, hitting it with a slight bump but no real damage. I begin to make my way out of the drive way, keeping my phone lit up as it’s so late that all the street lamps have even been turned off and an eerie but peaceful quiet echoes throughout the buildings. After around 5 minutes, I reach the children’s playground near my house and it’s faintly lit up from the outside lights of houses that have lit up as I walk past them. I can make out a silhouette of a figure sitting on the swing, gently rocking back and forth, facing the opposite direction he knew I’d arrive in. Smiling, I make my way over, the metal gate creaking slightly as I enter.

“Hello,” I whisper, barely audible as I stand behind him. I rest my head on top of his and wrap my arms around his shoulders as an awkward hug. He reaches his hands up and takes hold of my arms, squeezing them gently.

“Hi.” He replies.

I let go, and take the swing next to him, rocking myself backwards and forwards. We sit quietly for a while, staring up at the sky and the moon that sits low above the tree tops. After a little while, he stands up and then moves so he’s standing in front of me. He takes my hands off the metal chains on the side of the swing and pulls me to my feet before wrapping his arms around me, letting me nestle into him as he hugs me. Kissing the top of my head, he laughs slightly and lets go.

“Shall we walk for a bit?” He asks.

I nod, and he starts walking away. I follow close, keeping up with his footsteps and his hand gently brushes against mine. I take hold of it and lock our fingers together, squeezing tightly. He smiles at me in the darkness, before saying: “You’re actually such a butt.”

“No I’m not.” I reply with a slight giggle in my voice and he laughs, and we keep walking. Saying nothing, we make our way through the building estates, breathing in the beauty of the world as it slept. After a little while, we reach the open fields that border the town and show the difference between home and the surrounding villages. We make our way to about halfway out before sitting down together, hands interlocked still. We watch out for a little while, as faint clouds move across the night sky and the wind makes me shiver.

“Are you cold?” He asks.

“A little.”

He drops my hand and puts his on my shoulder, gently easing me backwards and we’re both laying on our backs. I move a little closer so that my head is against his collar bone, and I smile.

“It’s so pretty.” I say happily.

“Yeah, it is. It’s lovely.”

“As are you.”

He laughs before saying “No, be quiet.”

I stop talking and we watch out for a little while longer.

“I’m so glad you’re here tonight.” I whisper.

“Me too.”

I begin to shiver a little more, and he sits up a tiny bit more. “Do you want to head home and warm up?”

“Yes, please.” I smile.

We get up and walk back to my house, the both of us climbing in my window with slight difficulty. Once inside, we take off our shoes and hoodies and both climb under the covers, wrapping them tightly around our bodies and snuggling close into each other. My hands hold his sides tightly and his fingers gently trace up and down my back.

“I really do love you, I hope you know that.” I whisper into the dark. “You make me happier than anything else ever could.”

“I love you too,” He replies. “Now, sleep.”

I close my eyes gently and drop in and out of sleep for a while, holding him close all the while before falling into deep sleep. After a while, I feel him stirring beside me and get himself ready again. He tucks the covers around me and gently kisses my forehead.

“Goodnight, my darling.” He says, and then quietly crawls out again, and I watch his silhouette disappear and the noise of him soon goes. I go back to sleep, and in the morning I wonder if it all happened or if it were a dream. The way I felt when I woke assured me it was a dream, and leaves me smiling for the rest of the day.