Prologue

We leaned against the guardrail of the rickety wooden bridge, blowing smoke into the frosty evening air. The scene was dimly lit by a rusty lamp on either end of the bridge, and the calming silence was broken only by the sound of a gentle creek running beneath us. Despite the cool, August air, I felt warm, in a numb sort of way.

She took a long drag on her cigarette and said, “ Darren…I have to go.”

I paused to flick away some ash, then prepared for the classic goodbye routine. “See you tomorrow?” I asked, tossing my cigarette on the ground and choking the life out of it with the thick, rubber sole of my shoe.

She let out a long, smoky sigh. “No,” she said, her hazel eyes suddenly filled with regret. “I mean I have to leave here⸺this town⸺for good. This place, Darren…It’s killing me.”

“Oh.” I stared at my foot, crushing the cigarette over and over again and spreading its contents across the worn wood beneath us. I could think of nothing else to say. My heart might as well have stopped; my gut wrenched in anticipation and sudden realization that I faced the end of any chance Kenna and I had to become something more than just friends.

She locked eyes with me one last time, giving me a sad smile. “I’ll never forget you, Darren.” My immediate response was, “I’ll never forget you either, Kenna.” She smiled a soft, fleeting smile and stared lifelessly at the ground. Now I only wish I could forget.

After discarding her dying cigarette, she tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket and, scanning the ground beneath her feet, started a slow walk across the bridge in the suddenly piercingly cold autumn air.

That’s it, I thought, my heart sinking in my chest. It’s over. She didn’t even say goodbye. My head shot up, and I reached out to nobody in particular, quietly calling, “Wait,” but by then, she had disappeared into the late evening haze. I stared off into the distance, my heart still sinking into the pit of my chest until I couldn’t feel it anymore.

I stared out across the black creek waters, the reflection of the setting sun having disappeared beneath the hills long ago. The first few leaves of autumn were making their careless descent to the ground below, a few landing with gentle splashes in the creek and drifting along with the calm, easy current.

As darkness slipped into place around me, and the cool breeze turned icy and hard, I had no choice but to turn around and cross the bridge in the other direction, drifting through the sleeping city streets with, suddenly, nowhere to go that truly felt like home.

Author's Note

2nd Draft - Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated because I can always improve. Thanks a bunch for reading.