Golden Snow - Bennoda

Chapter One

"I can't do it."

"Can't do what?"

"It," The boy said softly and Mike almost felt like putting the phone down but he knew he wouldn't.

Mike was waiting for his father to come home and having a casual night alone in their apartment. His phone started ringing and Mike had ignored it. The call came in again and Mike decided to see who was calling. It was a blocked number Mike didn't recognize. He declined the call but it came back immediately afterwards. He answered and was met with the soft voice of a boy who sounded scared.

"What's your name?" Mike asked the stranger, shifting the phone to the other ear.

"It's so cold," He murmured and Mike looked out his window. Fresh snowflakes were drifting to the ground, sparkling against the moon's light. He assumed the boy was from around here.

"Where are you?" Mike tried to ask the boy another question but he didn't reply for what felt like hours to Mike, but in reality were simply a couple minutes. "What's your name?"

"So cold..." He breathed and Mike would've wondered if the boy had forgotten Mike was on the line and was simply talking to himself but he had replied to Mike earlier on within the call's session.

"What's wrong?" Mike questioned him, trying desperately to find out more about the boy.

"Everything," He sighed and Mike felt his heart pound in his chest. The boy sounded so hurt and lonely.

"You're confusing me. What's wrong? What's your name?"

"I'm so cold," He said again and Mike could hear him shivering violently through the phone, his teeth chattering. Mike wanted to help whoever was calling him. He sounded so sweet and innocent but was hurting.

"Tell me where you are so I can get you warm," Mike tried desperately but the boy's teeth just kept jittering against each other. He looked outside again and saw the wind had picked up, shaking the branches of the trees.

"They'll find me," The boy's voice croaked and Mike started pacing around the apartment. "You're walking. Where are you going?"

"Who will find you? And I'm not going anywhere," Mike told him, wondering how the boy could know he was moving.

"I can hear your breath pick up," The boy said softly and it freaked Mike out even more on how the boy knew he was curious for an answer. He thought again about putting the phone down. "Please don't hang up on me."

"I won't," Mike promised. "But what is your name?"

"What's yours?" The boy countered and Mike felt his face heat up. He didn't want to tell him, he wouldn't want a stranger knowing personal information, even his name, but here Mike was, asking a stranger to give his.

"How did you get my number?" Mike asked, attempting to switch the subject. He heard a familiar sound of a cap popping off a bottle. "What are you opening?"

"You're observent," The boy noted, ignoring the first question. "Pills."

"Why do you have them?" Mike figured perhaps he belonged the hospital and broke out, grabbing his medication on the way.

"I can't do it."

"Can't do what?"

"Live."

Mike was silent.

"Could you give me your name? Please? I want to know who I'm talking to as I die," The boy begged and Mike felt their roles turning but his heart dropped into his feet. The boy was attempting suicide at the moment.