The Life Of A Lone Traveler

Destruction

The boy decided to return to the tower. To him it was his only home, his only constant. He followed his footprints, and noticed that he had been lazily creating arcs in the gritty material. I'm just as bad as Dad ever was, he thought, and I'm not even drunk. Shaking his head, he moved forward, impatient to be at the only place he believed he could ever call home.

As he grew closer to where he believed the tower stood he noticed that he could not see the behemoth. He became worried, and for the first time since he had begun to walk, he ran. The boy ran as if his life depended on it, like all the hounds of hell were at nipping at his heels. With each stride he grew closer to knowing what he already believed, that the tower was no more, that some terrible force had finally collapsed it, like a child with their toys.

Arriving at the stone steps he saw a large shape, yes, but it was not that of a tower, it was that of a mountain of rubble. Rubble that seemed as black as night, and that stole heat from the bodies of young boys. His face burned with fury. The only place that could have become a home had crumbled while he was away. The dust entered in his nostrils, stinging them; he welcomed the pain as an escape for this hateful reality. His face felt the unfamiliar wetness of tears. He wanted to scream, but knew there was no sympathy, and no one who cares in this unforgiving land of Inbetween.

The boy stayed among the rubble for a time. He does not know what compelled him to stay, but he obeyed it regardless. While he was there his entire body seemed to get covered in the dust left from the now crushed stones of the tower. His tears had long since stopped, and the only mark that they were ever there was the muddy trails they had left on his young face.

He heard footsteps behind him and whirled around, when he turned he saw a beautiful face. She, and it was a she, had jet black hair with a rounded face that spoke of immense caring, and eyes that seemed to be full of past sorrows. The boy was confused, of all the many things he had grown to expect from this strange world he'd never expected to see a girl here. Why he thought that a female traveler was impossible, he does not know. Not knowing exactly what to say he went with the most elegant thing his surprised mind could think of. "Who the hell are you?"

"I could ask the same thing of you."

"I asked first."

Her eyes flashed with an annoyed light,"Are we really going to revert back to first grade logic? I figured you'd be an intelligent one, considering you found this place two times."

The boy's eyes widened,"Wait, are you trying to say that you've been watching me?"

She smirked, and the boy's heart twinged, "I'm not trying to say anything."

"You know you don't have to be a smartass, right?"

Suddenly she clasps her hand to her chest, and puts on a higher, almost hysterical voice. "Oh, I'm so sorry sir! I didn't mean to offend your ego, not at all sir."

"Oh for God's sake shut up! You're the only person I've had the opportunity to have a real conversation with since I got stuck here, and I'm already sick of you."

"Anne."

His face took on a quizzical look, "What?"

"You asked who I am, and I told you." He stared at her for a while, not quite knowing what to think of this confusing specimen in front of him. Eventually he gained the courage, or perhaps it was the common sense to ask, "Why're you talking to me?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm lonely, and you are too. You're not the only one that hasn't seen another person in a long time." She turns her face down, but the boy still saw the tears that are in her eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm just a bit... I don't know, rusty at this. Would you like to walk together?"

"NO! No I can't walk here, this place... it's poison. Let's go into the darkness."

"Are you insane!? This place may not be perfect, but it's still preferable to the Outside."

"Don't you remember how sweet, how amazing it felt to be there?" She crooned. " Come with me, and we can revel in it... together." The boy looked at her, and for a split second he saw a face underneath hers, and it terrified him. Then it was gone, and he took her hand. They stepped together into the darkness.