Doorway to Darkness || 5 Seconds of Summer

2:9

FLASHBACK - 1927 - TENNESSEE STATE FAIR

Everything is old-fashioned like the clothes people are wearing - men wearing suits and women either wearing their luxurious feathers among their long, satin dresses or flapper dresses, trying and failing to fit in amidst the crowd.

A human Chase looks among the stalls - he is one of the men wearing a black tuxedo with a bowtie and a nice black hat to match. He doesn't actually want to buy anything. No, he doesn't want something, he wants someone. He wants the girl of his dreams, whoever that may be. It had took him until his early 20's to finally feel ready for her to prance into his life. But, as he looks at all the women he sees, they are all spoken for.

He decides to give up and walks into a park called the 'Secret Garden', filled with beautiful ponds, bridges, flowers, trees. He walks around, admiring the wonderful scenery and hoping that one day, he would be able to propose to the love of his life, whilst sharing a moment next to the beautiful fountain centred in the garden as though it was on display.

He admires the fountain, then sits on the edge. He doesn't care if it sprays on the back of his suit jacket, it wasn't expensive anyway. None of his clothes ever were. He is alone for a moment, thinking about various things. He is quite content.

A girl walks through the garden alone. Chase doesn't see her at first, because he'd already taken out a pen and a journal and began to write.

The girl - who's name is Judith - casually strolls up to the fountain. She spots Chase and smiles cheekily, biting her lip. She likes what she sees. She pretends to admire the fountain for a moment, placing her hand in the water and gliding it back and forth. She sighs romantically. Then she sits a few inches from Chase. He is still oblivious to her.

'Lovely day for a state fair in good ol' Tennessee,' Judith breaks the ice. She watches him write and desperately waits for him to pay attention to her.

'Yes, it is,' Chase replies politely, not a care in the world who he may be talking to.

Judith swings her feet slightly, almost like a child, 'I haven't seen you around here before.' She attempts to begin conversation.

'You wouldn't have. I travel a lot.' Chase replies, his nose almost stuck in his book. Judith understands that it will take almost all of her energy to get his attention.

'Your family must miss you an awful lot.'

Chase shakes his head slightly, 'Don't have any.' He quickly dismisses the topic.

But Judith is shocked, 'Don't have any?!' Her family - as much as they irritated her - were all she had known for all of her 19 years of being alive.

'No, I mean, I have cousins. Distant relatives and all, but no brothers, sisters. No mother, father.'

Judith feels guilty for bringing this subject up in conversation but already, he had become a much more interesting person than most in her life. 'Oh, that must be real lonely.'

'Not really. It's peaceful.' Chase replies. 

There's a moment's pause. Chase is still writing in his journal. Judith is doing everything in her power to try and get him to pay attention to her without asking directly.

'What're you writing?' Judith asks, slightly moving closer to him.

Chase answers her proudly, 'Aw, nothing. Just a travel log. I write about the places I go, the things I see. There's stuff in here from Rome, Paris, New York City. Any place you could think of, I've been.'

Judith was impressed, 'Wow. You sure have gone to a lot of places,' she could see the pages were filled to the brim and additional pictures and letters were pouring out of the journal, 'I refuse to believe you'd rather spend time travelling on your own than with the one you love.'

'I've never been in love,' Chase answers, simply. Judith tries not to gasp with excitement.

'Really?! Neither have I! I always dream about what it'd be like to be in love. Most of the people you meet around these parts are married or engaged, or something. That's when I feel most alone. I've never felt like anyone else in the world would understand what that's like.' Judith realises how much she's spoken and feels slightly embarrassed.

Chase looks over his writing, almost done. 'Oh, don't worry. Sometimes I feel that way. But I choose not to let it bother me much.' He smiles.

Chase stops writing then closes his journal over as neatly as possible. He puts it into his suit jacket pocket then turns to look at Judith for the first time. He freezes. She is absolutely beautiful. She is dressed in neither a big puffy luxurious dress, nor a skimpy flapper dress. She wears a plain dress that suits her figure perfectly. He is stunned and unable to comprehend.

Judith bites her lip and tries not to laugh at him, 'What you staring at?' Chase merely mumbles and stutters over words, not sounding like English. Judith giggles, 'You're really cute. I like you a lot.'

'Uhh, thanks. I-uh, I... you too.' Chase stutters back.

'Wow, thanks.' Judith answers.

Chase finally gets himself back together and now pays full attention to her, just as she wished for. 'So, where are you from?' Chase asks, finally engaging with her.

'Well, I ain't from here, if that's what you were thinking. I live with my Ma and Pa in Chicago,' Judith begins, 'that's in Illinois.' Chase smiles.

'I've been. Chicago is my favourite place.' He looks deep into her eyes when he speaks. Judith tries not to look too excited about what he said, but she's thrilled.

'It is?!' Judith beams.

'Yes. The music, the style, the atmosphere. Every second spent in Chicago, I'm at my happiest.' Chase answers simply. He realises he's never had this long a conversation with a girl.

'Me too! Ma and Pa bought a little country house here in Tennessee. I don't really know why, they just knew some folk who was offering them the place real cheap and they accepted. Because they could.' Judith frowned.

'I see,' Chase nods gently, 'but you prefer Chicago?'

'Oh yes. You understand.' Judith and Chase exchange a glance. Chase studies her face and features. He admires her. Although he never exactly knew what he would want in a partner, Judith ticked all the boxes. 'So I'm Judith. And, uh, you never told me about your family?'

Chase chuckles, a coping mechanism he'd picked up so not to show his pain when he spoke about his family. 'Oh, uh... They died. 15 years ago actually. A terrible fire,' he swallows harshly and pretends to adjust his tie as he speaks. 'My mother, father and my sister. All gone. I came home from school one day, only to find I had no home to go to. No family. The whole street was wiped out. And they never really figured out what or who done it. So I got adopted by this rich couple that lived down the road. They took me in, raised me as their own.'

Judith notices her mouth is agape and swiftly closes it, she didn't want to seem rude. 'Just as long as I stayed in school, got good grades and raised money to travel, they were nice enough to me. So, I've been doing this for a while now - travelling. But I never really get bored. A new country to wake up in every now and then. It... cleanses me in some weird way.' Chase finishes speaking and Judith blinks.

'Wow, you know something?' She whispers to him in a childlike manner.

'No, what?' Chase replies.

Judith leans in closer, 'I can sense that we're going to be very good friends.'

They stare at each other for a while. Then Judith leans in slowly. Chase examines what is happening and panics for a millisecond before leaning in too. Their lips touch and they share a soft kiss. They pull away, both blushing to the extreme.

'Uh, we can go back to my place if you want?' Judith suggests bravely after realising the garden was beginning to get busier.

Chase furrows his eyebrows in confusion, not picking up what is happening. 'W-What for?' Judith gasps and bites her lip to stop the laughter.

Chase takes his time to grasp what she meant then chuckles slightly. 'I mean, if you would like me to, I would.'