One Shots

Thank You

It was a grotesque day. The sun was missing, one couldn't help but wonder where it went, but it's absence put a damper on the day itself. Clouds cascaded the sky, creating a gloomy grey that felt surreal. It was as if nature had a touch of grey, making it seem like a black and white film. Nothing felt right, this was all wrong.

Chester had turned eighteen two months ago and some days. He certainly didn't look it, but took advantage of his new maturity and was slowly littering his body with tattoos. The first to the collection were flames running up each wrist, completely colored in brilliance. The brights and darks in contrast to his skin made him appear soft, cotton-like.

His hair had run through a variety of colors throughout his teenage years, but was now his natural brown - though straightened and cut short enough so it would stick up in multiple places, as he wasn't fond of his curls. He would normally shave it down, but was letting it grow, filling his head with soft locks that seemed naturally messy. He was rather fond of the blonde he used to keep in his hair, but a past partner of his didn't like it as much as he did.

He didn't have a ton of relationships, they were average, though far apart. Any type of connection with another person wasn't up his alley, but he tried his hardest. He learned it was better to be optimistic, no matter how hard it was, because it improved the mindset. Chester had his fair share of pain in his life, he was done with it.

His eyes showed his pain, but it's dulled throughout the years. It hasn't gone away, he's just found ways to numb it or act as though nothing bad has ever happened to him, as if his life has been full of simple unicorns or rainbows, but everyone who he's come across knew that it was all a lie. He was great at hiding the truth, but not the fact that his reality was there. He was fine, or at least he told everyone - including himself - that he was.

He was walking home, his car had run out of gas about two miles back and he couldn't afford gas. His phone bill wasn't paid, leaving him abandoned in the middle of Phoenix, Arizona. He decided to walk home, seeing no other way of getting around. He thought about hitch-hiking, but was not trusting when it came to strangers - let alone people he personally knew.

He had a cigarette between his lips, taking in a deep drag. When he felt the numbness flowing into his head, he congratulated himself for the excellent hit. The grey smoke flowed from his mouth and nose, creating a dark cloud of past mistakes generating out of him. He enjoyed the fresh air that replaced the smoke, as it encouraged the effects and allowed him to take another long intake without choking.

As he breathed out, he flicked the ashes onto the ground, realizing it was useless now; he wouldn't get light-headed again with this cigarette. He let it fall out of his fingers, stepping on it with his black boot, continuing his walk. He still felt he needed the numbness and went to pull out another, before realizing it was empty. Cursing, he stuck his empty cigarette pack back in his pocket, knowing he needed to find money fast before his other goodies ran dry.

A honk on the street caught his attention, a car pulling to the side of the road. Chester didn't recognize the vehicle, but approached it carefully. He saw a man inside who had carmel skin, black hair - head and facial - and deep brown eyes, almost as intense as his own, but not clouded with the same horrors Chester had behind his.

"Where are you headed? Need a ride?" The man asked, having a thick, low voice. Chester thought about how it accurately fit the stranger.

"No, I'm fine. I only have another mile left to walk," Chester assured him, but the man didn't seem to take that as a logical excuse, unlocking his doors.

"Than I suppose it's not too much trouble to save you some time and give you a lift. I'm headed that direction anyway myself," He raised an eyebrow, knowing Chester had to say yes. The skinny man sighed, giving in.