When One Story Should End, Another Begins

Ch 8: Pain. And truth. And more pain.

5:36 PM. That was the time your phone gave you when you tapped it. Nearly the entire day gone, and no response from Wade. 

To be fair, he wasn't exactly a stunning digital conversationalist, but he usually responded in a reasonable time frame. At any rate, after how strange you two had left things last night, you'd hoped he would be a bit more attentive to his phone. Though, you weren't exactly sure what to expect after reaching out to him again. Not after he'd so clearly dismissed you last night. 

Maybe he did see your message. Maybe he was just ignoring you. 

Either way, you were sick of sitting alone in your apartment, lost in a sea of thoughts and questions that you knew would only remain unanswered. 

That is, unless you got to talk to Wade. 

But you knew to give a person space when they needed it, and clearly Wade didn't want to talk at the moment. Even without him, though, you needed to get out for a bit. You'd been inside all day and knew a walk would do you well. So, you pulled on a coat and boots, grabbed your phone and purse, and made your way down to the street for a breath of fresh air. 

It was winter in your city, meaning that the sun set early and the nights were especially cold. Though it was only 5:45 or so now, the sun was already so low in the sky that it was invisible to the city inhabitants due to the cover it took behind all the skyscrapers, its lingering presence only known by the shadows that it cast across the very tips of the few buildings lucky enough to still feel its warmth. You, however, from your position on the ground, could see your breath in the chilly air as you shoved your hands in your pockets for warmth. 

While your walk's primary purpose was for you to get out of the apartment for a bit and to stretch your legs, you couldn't really think of anywhere to go. When brainstorming for a destination, your mind somehow always landed on the same spot- the park that you'd invited Wade to tonight. 

Of course, you knew he wouldn't be there. He'd never answered your message, and no matter how you spun it in your mind you couldn't come up with a conclusion that ended with him wanting to see you or being there. If he never saw it, he wouldn't know to come to begin with. If he saw it and forgot, then obviously you weren't a priority anyways. If he saw it and ignored it, he clearly didn't want to see you. 

Regardless of whether he was there or not, you needed to get some fresh air and that was one of your favorite places to sit. So, you set out down the street towards the park. It was usually a ten minute walk or so, but today you took your time, pausing to look at pretty decorations in store windows as you passed and strolling at a leisurely pace for once. It was strange but nice, being able to take time for yourself with nowhere you needed to be and no clock to run off of. Still, after around 20 minutes of peacefully meandering towards the park, you finally reached the shiny gates at its entrance that had given way to rust over the years. Old, but still beautiful. 

As you continued your stroll inside and took in your surroundings, you quickly realized that the park was much more vacant that usual. Of course, that would make sense at this time of day and in winter, but it still looked strange to you. Fields that were usually cluttered with children playing and couples picnicking were now mostly empty. There were still a few others to be seen in the area, whether they be stray joggers or taking an evening stroll, much like yourself, but the largely deserted park was still an eerie sight to you. Though, there was a certain peace and tranquillity that floated through the still, quiet air, broken up only by the standard city sounds that had become like white noise to you at this point. A car honking here, a train in the distance there. You were able to take comfort both in the stillness of the park and in the familiarity of the chaotic city that you'd grown to love.