Thirty Days ✔

1 | ABDITORY

abditory (noun) 

a place into which you can disappear; a hiding place.

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It was the night of Christmas - thus, it goes without saying that it was definitely a frigid night as well. Chase Warren, a boy no older than fourteen years of age, had just finished having dinner with his family and decided that he needed some fresh air. Ironically, in the biting cold, the first place that came to his mind was the beach. 

He disregarded the sign that warned that trespassers would be fined and hopped over the old worn down fence to the other side. No sooner had he done so than he noticed a figure standing a few feet away from the sea. Pleased at the idea of being in the company of someone other than his relatives, he made his way over to said stranger. 

Now, he was standing beside the male. However, his eyes remained fixed on the sea. He always found the sea beautiful, especially at night - the way in which the dark water reflected the light of a thousand stars, making it look as if the stars were almost drowning in the water. He was so mesmerised by the view that he didn't even mind the cold gust of wind blowing against his face, nipping at his skin. 

The male beside him let out an audible sigh, reminding Chase of his presence. 

"Hey," Chase began in an effort to make conversation. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," was the response. 

Chase smiled at that, "I just wanted some fresh air, I guess. Some place away from my family."

The boy beside him looked down at his feet for a second before averting his gaze back to the sea with a nod, "Me too."

Chase could almost feel the silence approaching them again, but he wouldn't let it happen, "What's your name?"

The stranger heaved a sigh whilst shifting his weight - and after what seemed like forever, his eyes met Chase's. Under the dim moonlight, Chase could barely make out the boy's features. 

The first thing that caught his eye was the boy's eyes. They were dark brown. Not the type of brown that tends to resemble pools of honey when under the sun's light. It was the type of brown that no matter how bright the light, would stay the same colour - and, in all honesty, Chase found that beautiful. Especially under the night sky, his dark eyes reflected the twinkling stars - reminding Chase of the sea. 

His dark hair was dishevelled by the ruthless wind, but he paid no mind to it. He simply stood there with his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat that barely looked thick enough to keep him warm from the cold - it also did no justice in making his slim figure appear a little more fit. He was visibly skinny, but not the type of skinny that was concerning. 

"Zero," he finally said with a small smile on his chapped lips. "My name is Zero. You are?"

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