the ghost of you ☔︎ shaymien

Prologue

The soft wind ruffled the warm-toned leaves on the trees that lined the cracked pavement. A gust of dry air send some leaves running away from the  over grown sticks.

Streetlights gave off an artificial yellow glow so the darkness of the night wouldn't consume the small town.

The sound of leather smacking against concrete was heard with every step Shayne Robert Topp took. He slightly shivered as he slid his exposed hands into his coat pocket. He could tell the upcoming winter was going to be a cold one just by the autumn weather.

Crows squawked crooked screams as they flew off into the darkening sky. Only a sliver of the sun remained, the bright fireball trying desperately to keep control of the day.

Shayne finally arrived at the one-story coffee-colored building he knew to be his home. Walking inside, he put his bag by the door and took off the leather boots that his feet were occupied in for the majority of the day.

Right as he placed his coat on the rack, Shayne's girlfriend arrived at the scene. "Hey babe," she said in a bright cheerful voice.

"Hey Court Bourt," he responded, using his nickname for her. Shayne placed his lips on hers and they shared a short kiss.

That action seemed to have meant so little. There was no flames or spark, just simple lip on lip contact. Shayne allowed himself to let out a sigh when Courtney disappeared saying, "Dinner is almost ready!"

He met the blond girl in the kitchen where he helped her set up the plates. They talked about vague subjects Shayne had little interest in as they ate on the chestnut table.

Once they both finished, Courtney offered to do the dishes and Shayne didn't refuse, walking upstairs to do his nightly routine.

His entire life seemed to be one giant routine. Everyday it was wake up, go to work, eat with girlfriend, sleep. That's all there was to it.

As he lay in bed Shayne found himself having a quarter-life crisis. He was 26 and wasn't doing anything with his life. Every day was exactly the same and Shayne was sick of it. He hated his life. He hated having to wake up every morning just to do the same thing day after day. He needed something new, something different, a change. The overwhelming feeling of emptiness seemed to have corrupted his soul that night. He needed to break this cycle.