1.1 || To Escape Time ✓

Thursday.

Chapter 4:
Thursday.
Bleak: (adj.) bare, desolate, and often windswept

Some days are harder than others.

Today is one of them.

Eric lets me off for the day, he doesn't force me to go to therapy.

He knows it didn't help.
My place of choice is the park. The park is like a safe haven of sorts. It has a lot of good memories. It has my childhood.

Yesterday night was filled with fear.

Filled with the fear of being alone.

Fear of losing everything I had.

Fear that I'd dream a dream too good to be true.

Fear brought insomnia and I thought I could go the rest of the day with no sleep; I was wrong.

Staring at my phone, I quickly calculated how much of my playlist remained; 478 songs, 2,389 minutes left and I still haven't reached his song.

So many described him as a one hit wonder but I believe that he got that label because he only released one song. One song that made him famous, one song that led him to give up everything but only one song he let his company release. He always had a clear image of what he wanted and it took him too long to realize that his record label could never give that to him.

The park is quiet today, all the kids are at school. I take a seat on a bench at the edge of the park. From there, I get a view of the entire playground.

"Elle!" screamed Danny, eight at the time, "catch me if you can!"
"Dannyyyyy," I whined in response, "I don't like running. I'm not as fast as you."
But even with the disadvantage, my younger self chased after my brother with all I had.
"Buy me ice-cream if I catch you!"
"Ha! But you won't," he'd always respond before slowing down and letting me catch him.

My thoughts are cut off when I feel someone else sit next to me. A quick glance to my right tells me it is a boy about the same age as me.

We don't talk, don't even take a second glance, but for the first time this week, I feel something. I feel comfort. Despite being a stranger, I took comfort in his lack of knowledge about me. He didn't know enough to try and comfort me; he didn't know enough to try and talk to me. 

For once, I felt peaceful without being alone.

And because his unintentional act brings me a flicker of hope, a bit of comfort, I share the only thing I understand right now: music.

And so the rest of the day passes like that, sharing music with a complete stranger that came here at the right place and time. A stranger that only because he is a stranger, doesn't push me into giving more than I wanted. And we stay like that, until I only have 300 songs left, until there are only 1,432 minutes left on my playlist.

He left first. I left soon after but the thought of him continues to linger.

He is kind of cute.

300 songs. 1,432 minutes.