A Town Called Nowhere

Noah

Far away in the forest, a teenager named Noah can hear a bell toll. It's dark out and the sun has started to set. He hops off the branch he's been perched on and starts for home. He needs to be in Nowhere by dark at the very least; otherwise, his mother will surely kill him when he gets home. 

Noah wishes he could stay in the trees forever. Trees are quiet. They don't argue or stab you in the back. But, unfortunately, real life calls. 

The house is quiet by the time Noah gets home. His mother is asleep on the couch. He picks her up as if she were a rag doll and puts her in her bed. Covers her with a blanket. Then he goes downstairs and gets his textbooks out and tries to study, but he can't focus. He has so much energy inside of him that he's about to explode.  So he packs up his books and calls a friend.

Niilo answers on the fourth ring. "Yeah?" he answers sleepily, as if Noah's just woken him up. Actually, he probably has. It's late enough that everyone who's got half a brain is asleep. Niilo is actually quite smart, but he's also a good friend. And good friends sometimes sacrifice a good night's sleep for the people they love and trust.   

"Meet me by the running track?" Noah asks, and hangs up. He knows Niilo will be there. He's always been there for Noah. 

---

The running track is empty. It's so cold that Noah can see his breath in the air as he exhales. Niilo is already waiting on the bleachers for him. 

"What took you so long?" he asks.

"I don't have teleportation powers, you idiot," Noah replies, swatting at Niilo's head. "Shall we?"

Niilo nods. They set out together in the cold night air. Running lap after lap. Mile after mile. Until neither of them can breathe anymore. Until neither of them can remember why they came outside in the first place.