I was always intrigued by water, the sound of its gracious movement, the way it reflects your face when you look at it, water is peaceful. If I were to choose the way I would die, I’d rather drown than anything else. Unfortunately for me, I never thought of this before my life changed completely…

  I opened back my eyes, was I dreaming? The sun was shining right over my face, I was still in bed.

  -”[Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to today's news:”

  “The Asian superpower recently threatened to declare war with the United States, the announcement seems to frighten most of the continent’s population.”

  “A month ago, 2030 started under the sound of machine guns for Londonians, we’ll see that the shock is far from being aw-”

  -”Emma, I’ll head out now!”

  “Alright, do this properly bro!”

  -”Tss…”

  I let the door close itself behind my footsteps, taking in the smell of fresh paint emitted by the entire corridor before turning to lock the door, keys scrambling in my hands. Now, I can go.

  Threat is more than a word in our society, it’s an emotion, a state of life where everyone is currently drowning in between the impending conflicts, that, and also the economic crises. It’s easy to get that fear will exude violence, hatred, overall hostility amongst the people, especially here in London.

  Right now I’m heading 15 miles out of London’s core to meet with my dearest friend to play football, but to be honest my main goal there is not to do that.

  My name is Elio McRavenn, right now I’m taking the subway across the entire city of London because I live on the opposite side of where I need to go, during the whole ride, I enjoy from time to time the outside view of the new subway now lifted out of the ground in the air, then going back to my phone until I eventually arrive.

  After walking for quite some time, I arrive at the football field, usually I never get to see it in this weather. The mowed grass dancing in the wind, the wooden stands giving a sense of quietness to the place, the immense crimson cages completing this peaceful atmosphere.

  -”Yo! What’s up?” Rose Armstill, the girl who happens to be my closest friend ever since our shared childhood. It’s because of her football club organizing a festival that she invited all of her best friends, including me.

  -”Yu-u? Someone in there? You could at the very least talk back to me, you know.” She tilts her head to the left, waving her hand before my eyes.

  -”Yeah, sorry, I was lost in thoughts, where are the others?”

  Rose sighed.

  -”Funny enough, you’re the first to arrive, no one’s there yet, I must admit this is a first.” She’s taunting me.

  Despite her joke, I can’t help but notice her smiling back at my growling, that smile… It’s full of emotions, it’s so beautiful, it’s warm.

  A flick suddenly struck my forehead.

  -”Okay enough I already said I was sorry for spacing out!”

  -”The point of excusing yourself is to not make it again, anyways, you wanna go check on Fab?” She suggests as she looks back over her shoulder after turning away, her voice softens slightly.

  -”Him? Nah I’m good, he must be installing the festival, I’ll only delay his work.” Rose shrugs in answer.

  -”As you wish, though if it’s like that then I’m guessing you would be down for playing penalties, I mean I hope you are.” Her eyes are practically pleading me behind that confident expression.

  -”Uhm… Yeah, I might be down, just to kill some time.” I say hesitantly, knowing fully well that I won’t stand a chance. She smiled back at my answer, that same smile again…

  -”Yey! Then since you’re tall you go to the cages.”

  About twenty minutes pass while we play together, I’m getting dominated as expected, my hand starts to hurt from actually trying to stop the ball. As I start to lose interest at the numerous losses, a blond guy comes to save the day.

  -”??Itsy bitsy Arthur climbed up the waterspout.??” Rose sings.

  -”You better shut your mouth or I’ll make you.” Arthur dares her to continue, despite the seriousness of his words, I can still detect a slight, humoristic tone.

  Rose grinned arrogantly.

  -”Try me.”

  This song was actually coming from an old footage video that Arthur’s mother took when he was a kid, she was singing that song while the kid was dancing all over the place. It's really funny when you put this kid next to the adult he’s become, especially if you get to know him better.

  The memory even convinces a smile to draw on my face.

  -”Whatever, Elio, we need to talk, like right now.” Said Arthur, I’m already prepared for what he’s going to tell me, I know what it will be, though I have to admit I’m a bit scared of how things could end up with him around…

  He’s also pissing me off to basically say the thing next to the ONE person he shouldn’t. Despite my annoyance, I follow him until we’re far enough from Rose.

  -”So, today’s the big day huh chief?” The blond man wraps his left arm around my shoulder, to help him I have to lower myself a bit. Looking at it, this could make Rose get even more suspicious of us, of me.

  -”Yeah.”

  -”You feelin’ ready?”

  -”Uhm… I guess?”

  -”No way bro c’mon you can’t be that uncertain, she’s gonna think you’re a wimp!” Arthur burst as he tightens his grip on my shoulder, shaking me with dynamism.

  “When?” He simply asks.

  Arthur is that kind of guy who can sometimes become extremely nonchalant for absolutely no reason.

  -”Well I was planning to do it after the fireworks tonight.” I tell him, he starts smiling as if he was proud of me.

  -”Oh wow you’re really goin’ all out on this one, how though? Will you like… suddenly kiss her or somethin’?” The slow and hesitant tone he had put in his sentence made me imagine the scene.

  -”Ew fuck no! Unlike you I still have some manners. My plan was to tell her I can’t focus on anything when I look at her, that she means more to me than a friend, and that I would like her to-” I stop myself. Arthur was trying his best to not burst into laughter, I slapped his shoulder to put him back to himself but it made explode in laughters.

  -”Pfff~uohoho…! Woo man you’re really good at this you know that, oh I’m fucking dead…” With his right thumb he wipes the tears from his eyes as he puts his hand on my shoulder to lean, he’s clearly an actor.

  -”You done?” I eventually ask him, getting irritated by his never ending giggles, this almost makes me laugh too, laugh of embarrassment but also shame considering the reaction he just had.

  -”Yeah yeah, don’t worry, I’m done, done for…” He giggles one last time before putting his hand through my hair. “If I’m being honest, tall handsome guys like you with black disheveled hair are her thing, I saw her drool over some look alike once. You definitely got your chances, just don’t fuck it up.”

  -”Get over here you morons!” A man yells from in the distance, walking towards us next to Rose. His name is Basil, he is the former fat guy from when he was 18, but now his body is made out of concrete.

  -”If it isn’t the old man himself! How’ve you been, gramp?” Arthur teases about Basil’s year over us.

  -”Cut it out you damn aryan…” Basil bounced back, referring to his blonde hair and blue eyes.

  “How you doing man?” Basil offers his hand to me, I take on the offer as I see him shift his gaze to Rose, his face always facing mine, then looking back at me he winks.

  A sigh of amused annoyance escaped my lips.

  -”So far so good.” He answers before tilting his head briefly to reaffirm his statement.

  Suddenly, I catch his mouth open a little, an impressed expression written all over his face.

  -”Bloody damn good looking if you ask me. With that blue jacket and all, you might even seduce Ariana Grande.” He flatters, Ariana Grande is his favorite singer.

  Rose, as usual finding his tastes in music ridiculous, can't maintain a small laugh out of her mouth. Basil glares at her before frowning with an amused expression.

  -”Yeah… thanks.” I say back, not really at ease with this compliment.

  -”Hmm, looks good I agree, for once your tastes aren’t that bad.” To Basil’s utter satisfaction, Rose makes a comment about my style as well after calming herself.

  ”I like the contrast with the all black fit under, you know…” She starts to get embarrassed after adding more to what she sees.

  She looks cute with her head tilted down.

  -”Well, y’all wanna play penalties all together?” She finally breaks the silence that had installed itself between us four. You can tell the way she changed subjects that it’s her favorite outside activity.

  -”Just guarded the goal, I’m not the one keeping it.” I claim rapidly before someone assigns the role to me.

  -”Alright I’ll go.” Basil tells us, a confident, discreet smile drawing on his lips as he starts making steps towards the goal.

  Rose nudges me discreetly as I watch Basil go to the goal, to my surprise the elbow only gives a featherlight touch, I turn my head right and down to look at her.

  -”What were you guys talking about?...” Her voice lingered, a curiosity mixed in with an amused tone, almost teasing.

  -”Talking about his crush.” I instantly glare at Arthur who overheard Rose, by the look on my eyes, he can probably tell that I am cursing him.

  -”Nooooo way… Who’s the lucky one?” Rose replies faster than I can, as if she had anticipated it.

  I pinch her forehead to put her in her boots.

  -”Obviously that’s a secret.” I must end this conversation before Arthur can talk more, I glare at him once again, sending him black lightning from my eyes.

  -”Boring, you planning on ever telling her?”

  -”Yeah he plans to do it sooner than you think.” Well fuck you Arthur. And that grin of his is pissing me off.

  Suddenly the realization hits me, did he already tell her? No, surely he didn’t, I know he’s just teasing me, it’s just that the way Rose talks about it feels suspicious.

  -”Hey c’mon guys are you playing or not?” Basil comes back frowning at us, grabbing the ball with one hand on his way.

  -”Oh yeah, my bad, sure, we’re playing.” Arthur shifts subjects as if he wanted to avoid a fight with me or draw back from his teasing attitude.

  -”Our bad.” I correct him, probably wanting to tell him that he has my attention now.

  And so we play, for a very long time actually, around three hours, my mood brightens despite my reluctance for football. Then a man with a well grown and styled beard comes towards us, he is indeed quite buffed when looking at him.

  -”If it isn't Fabio, the man, the myth, the legend, what’s up man?” Arthur turns his head towards him, Basil, Rose and I follow him as we greet Fabio, but he simply acknowledges us.

  -”Well lads, you’re all strong right?” We all nod, a grin even forms on Rose’s lips. “Then I might just need your help.”

  We follow Fabio’s lead until we stop in the middle of the festival’s square.

  -”See this car? Move it out the way, she ran out of fuel after delivering the materials. It’s a big one, so be careful, wouldn't want you guys to die from blood loss.” He jokes while keeping his harsh, rigid face, it’s almost disturbing.

  -”Alright guys, let’s help Fab’.”

  -”No, Rose, you’re my team’s leader, rest, we have a game next week.” Rose sighs heavily, in the midst, our gazes cross, from the look she’s giving me, he must often work with that stupid logic, but I guess it’s her contract, it’s not like she can refuse it.

  -”Hey, so we are helping him or what?” Arthur calls on us with an impatient tone, hands on the car. He might not look like it, but he likes to give hands to people.

  Basil and I come forth and put our hands on the pickup, Fabio joins us, we then manage to push it all the way next to some building and park it in its shadow. So Rose can finally stop mocking our weak limbs.

  -”Oh yeah it’s perfect right there thanks.” Fabio removes his hands from the pickup and starts to go back in the daylight.

  As I follow him, Arthur grabs my shoulder and softly pulls me back in the shadow.

  -”Hey, you and Rose… You wanna have some time?” Arthur asks, how considerate of him. I nod as I exit the dark area, somehow getting blinded by the light just as my gaze falls on Rose.

  -”Hey Rose!” Arthur grabs Basil's shoulder as he takes a step back. I see Rose who was looking at me suddenly turn her head towards him.

  ”Me and the old man are gonna grab some girls from your team to flirt if you don’t mind.”

  I guess the excuse works since she rolls her eyes and waves her hand to tell them to go already.

  -”Okay?” She laughs awkwardly, cutely.

  “Let’s go Elio, the fruit stand opened right about an hour ago and I’m hungry from playing so long. It'd be a good opportunity to say hi to the owner politely so we can get them for free.” I think she forgot she already had them for free, but whatever.

  -”Yeah…”

  I follow her from the back, trying to focus on where I walk instead of her hair, seriously, how are they that beautiful? They look like a drawing when they flow in the wind as she walks.

  Okay but now what do I do? He asked if I wanted some time alone with her, but why did I nod??? Does he want me to prepare the ground for tonight? From what I recall I didn’t ask him to be my wingman.

  -”Hey are you spacing out again?! Stop it already!” Rose pops me out of my thoughts.

  -”S-sorry, you were saying?”

  -”I said, my ex is already in front of the stand so we can’t go, please do not make me repeat these kinds of things, you know how I feel about it…” She confesses, her voice is actually trembling, a bit reserved but also laced with hostility. I indeed know how she feels about it.

  I sigh.

  -”What is he doing here anyway, is he still stalking you?” Rose nods timidly. “Ahh I swear… Just go fuck him up or something, this guy is the worst and you know it more than me, maybe threaten to call the cops on him.”

  She stays there, as if she was actually considering doing that.

  I doubt the cops would do anything but my only goal right now is to brighten her mood, I’m preparing the ground.

  -”You really think it would work?” Uncertainty fills her voice.

  -”I mean… Yeah, those guys, you hit them, and if they come back, you hit them harder.”

  She takes steps back towards the stand and nods, she eventually turns and walks straight to the stand. I see a semblance of determination in her walk.

  She taps on Ron’s shoulder, the ex boyfriend, and then I hear her yell at him, even from all the way over here. The guy clearly looks disarmed by the lion roaring at him, actually, the lioness fits better.

  For a brief moment, Ron and I cross eyes, I watch his expression decompose, he probably thinks I’m her new boyfriend since we never physically met before. I don’t mind him thinking that, in fact, I hope it’s going to be true by tonight, I really love her.

  Rose then notices that her victim’s gaze is not on her, she grabs Ron’s face and turns it to face her, damn, scary. Though I’m touched that she’s actually doing as I said so for once, she has her traumas with him, but by listening to my advice, she finds the courage to get herself together and face him. How beautiful of a story is that?

  Well to say the truth, for me this story is perfect, it’s a flawless romance, and that’s one of the many reasons why I find her so cute.

  After that scolding session, she comes back to me looking down, maybe she wants to hide her expression. I also see Ron in the back going away as the owner of the stand throws tomatoes at him, she probably heard the entire thing. Rose stops right before me.

  Trembling…

  -”Listen, I don’t want to linger on it so can I please just stay in your arms? For some time.” She wants me to comfort her? Am I that close to achieving my dream?

  I nodded, opening my arms to welcome her. She took her chance and hugged me, her warmth, it’s… It feels like a second breath. It's beautiful, truly. I am a lucky man.

  -”I think you deserve it, you handled him like a champ’ you know that?” She didn’t even look back at me, probably trying to bury those thoughts.

  -”You, you’re really warm, I wouldn’t have expected that…” Rose jokes to lighten the mood.

  -”Sure… You’re pretty warm as well, I guess.” Why am I saying this right now? I’m just making it weird.

  Fortunately, Rose doesn’t mind it and holds me tighter, before coming off of me, I think she’s blushing.

  -”Seriously, get a grip on yourself, learn how to talk to women… Though, you know how to hug so that's something.” She looks around, either avoiding my gaze or checking if someone is watching us. I can see the fruit stand owner looking in our direction.

  -”I could be your personal hugger.” I stiffen myself up and give her a warm smile, trying to not make it sound more suspicious.

  -”Alright… We-”

  -”We should eventually get those fruits you wanted, no?” I interrupt her by accident, she giggles and shows me a white plastic bag.

  -”Here, she gave me Ron’s.” My eyes widen at this piece of information, that’s a story to tell the others, rather a part of that story to tell.

  -”No way… So, after telling him to fuck off really loud and having tomatoes thrown at him you even took his bag?! Okay I’m sorry I wasn’t familiar with your game.”

  She laughs outwardly with no shame at my expression.

  -”I know I’m just that good.” I love the irony in her face. ”Let’s go find the other two, without us they’re so done for.” She suggests as she steps forward, looking back at me.

  I follow her lead, to get to the main square quicker we decide to cross a football field as a shortcut, I can see Basil in the distance.

  -”Hey Basil!!” My voice made Rose stumble a bit, she wasn’t prepared for a scream after such a long blank. ”Where’s Arthur?”

  -”Arthur? Oh you know him I’m sure he stayed behind to grab some chick’s number or something like that.” He says from afar, Rose laughs and I smile, that would actually be ‘Arthur like’ of him to do that.

  -”Yet I’m right here.” Arthur pops from behind us out of nowhere.

  -”Wow! Fuck!! You scared me idiot!” The girl exclaims.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  -”Surprisingly enough, you’re tougher than Elio but he wasn’t jumpscared.” The blond man’s gaze briefly shifts to me before turning back to Rose.

  She then pushes him.

  -”Fuck you, that happens to everyone.”

  -”Nah, only you mate.” He answers back as she glares at him with annoyance, thankfully so, Basil arrives to shake his partner in crime’s hand.

  -”So guys, did you kiss or anything?” I ask the two men, kind of trying to defend Rose.

  -”Absolutely!” Arthur exclaims. ”You had to see how his tongue was moving.” He jokes with an enthusiastic smile.

  -”Get out of here dude…” Basil says, a frustrated expression written all over his face.

  -”Gross.” Rose comments with a blank face.

  -”I’m sorry, you have to understand, you see, my partner is quite shy and discreet about our relationship, but we do love to tease each other like this.” Arthur continues his joke with an exagerated femine voice.

  -”Dude, stop that, please, it’s cringe.” Basil gives up on Arthur with a deep sigh.

  Silence sets between all four of us, Rose looks around us, she opens her mouth but reconsiders talking as she lifts her arm to rest behind her neck.

  -”Does anyone know what time it is? It’s going to be the night.” She finally asks, breaking the silence. ”Plus it’s getting cold, so I might wear my pullover.”

  I grab my phone from my pocket, checking that my battery is high enough and putting it back in my pocket.

  -”It’s twenty to nine, the place is going to get crowded really quick, we might want to eat now before it does.”

  I can see Basil agreeing based on his face.

  -”It'd be wise, fireworks’ at ten p.m, if we go grab some chips now we won’t have to wait as long as last year.” He adds as everyone else nods, approving my idea.

  So Rose puts on her black and white pullover and we head towards the chip van. Once we arrive, each of us buys a small portion and a soda, few minutes later, everything’s served.

  Arthur lifts his hand up as a sign of gratitude to the waiter.

  -”Thank you chief, so guys, we eatin’ or we fuckin’?” He jokes.

  Basil clears his throat as he moves his chair forward, putting his two hands on the table and grabbing his fork.

  -”Alright this all sounds good, but after we eat Imma take you each in a one on one on any game you want.”

  -”Tsk! In your dreams buddy.” Rose corrects him, the devious grin on her face just as she bites in chips turning her into some kind of overconfident girl, It’s a cute face for her.

  Our conversation shifts to minutes of complete, utter silence. Time seems to go slower as we only eat. It’s getting overwhelming, overwhelming but also annoying. I have to try something to get rid of it.

  -”So, Basil.” He looks at me, surprised as I say his name. ”How’s college?”

  His face contorts, a detail that catches the attention of the other two.

  -”Not good, I’ve seen better days in my career. What about you?” He gazes at me.

  -”Doing pretty well, teachers seem to all like me, I guess that’s because I’m a good student.”

  Rose puffs after I finish my sentence, Arthur follows right after. Basil looks at them as if he was daring them to speak.

  -”You should’ve done like us bro, go to work. At least it wouldn’t have been ‘that’ bad.”

  Basil sighs at Rose, annoyed by the childish behavior in her tone.

  -”Bitch I already work aside. Plus unlike you bozos I don’t know what I wanna do yet, I don’t have much of a choice but to seek diplomas.”

  I see Rose wearing her iconic mocking grin, I love that one.

  -”Yeah, well, at least Elio’s not a rare case of total failure.”

  Arthur bursts into laughter, Basil remains annoyed but even he is smiling at the joke, I’m smiling as well.

  -”Bunch of fuckers, if you stopped school, that means you are the failures.” He tells them pointing his finger right at their chests, he then looks at me, is he searching for my help?

  -”I don’t know about you guys, but the old man isn’t wrong.” I say, choosing to side with Basil. Arthur comments on what I just say but I’m actually more focused on Rose who’s… analyzing me? Is she wondering why I didn’t side with her?

  After the global laughter, around half an hour passes where we talk and make jokes together. Though after we finish our chips, we focus on our phones and we stay silent for the rest. I guess sometimes things have to happen.

  -”Alright, festival is coming right about 10 minutes from now, how about we go settle?” Arthur suggests, surprisingly smart. But that’s what happens when he’s bored to death by his phone, he thinks a lot.

  -”Actually? Yeah I agree, the picnic area got crowded while we were here, so we better get going.” I place my opinion with a sigh.

  The blond man stands up and cracks his neck, putting his phone in his pocket.

  -”You guys down to go up that super duper steep hill?” He points at the said dirt path going up the hill.

  Rose, Basil and I stand up. As I start to walk, I notice that Arthur sends a head sign in Basil’s direction, the latter quickly turns his head towards me and waves his left hand to ask for me to follow.

  -”You coming, Elio?” He invites, I turn to see what Rose is doing and I see Arthur talking to her with a serious expression, hands on shoulders.

  Stress, that is what’s drowning me, my heart just keeps pounding as if he was going to break free of my chest.

  What does he want to talk about with her? He knows what I plan to do, will he reveal it?...

  -”Yeah guys, go ahead, I wanna ask something to Rose before, in private.” He says, dropping his arms and looking at Basil. ‘in private’? What does ‘that’ mean? That look he just gave Basil, he definitely has something up his sleeves.

  -”Yeah yeah, I’m coming man, just hold on a bit, Rose!” She turns to me, the brown hair flowing in the wind, it’s really mesmerizing… She then tilts her head, pressing me to say what I have to. ”We’re going to watch the fireworks at the pink flower field, you guys know how many people come here, so hurry up.”

  I hope going to the most crowded place on the hill is going to cut short their meeting, but I guess for now I just have to get there myself. I gaze at Basil, intensely.

  -”Okay, what’s the deal with Arthur?”

  -”Oh that? Don’t you worry, he’s gonna carry you real hard.” He simply states, I won’t content with that.

  -”I’m serious, what’s his deal? I don’t want him to fuck up everything I’ve built.” I plead, Basil looks at me with understanding eyes. His gaze shifts to the other two, and back to me.

  -”So basically, Arthur is going to convince her that she’s clearly not happy, even all this time after Ron. You, on your hand, cannot mess this up. What you’re gonna do is sit next to her during the fireworks, and when you talk with her, make her feel happy, so that she links it with you, understood?” He blatantly explains, it takes me some time to process the thing.

  -”Fuck no, not understood, that’s some crazy sick plan, and I don’t want to make plans, I really don’t. It’s supposed to be a normal relationship, I’m not an asshole, I don’t want her to grow dependent on me, and neither do I want to grow dependent on her.” I burst out, revulsed at the manipulative plan.

  Basil grimaces but he nods all the while slowly turning his head to the side, he shows me that he is sending a message to Arthur, telling him to call off his plan by explaining my vision of it, how I immediately refused. Even scolding him at the end of the text.

  -Yeah I guess you’re not wrong, it’s wrong, plus it's your relationship, not ours.”

  -”Exactly.” I add with a frenetic tone, not wanting some ‘heat me out’ bullshit. ” Why would you even think of that??”

  -”Gee… Don’t ask me, ask Arthur, he suggested it last night.”

  I nod, trying to imagine his thought process, yet it’s too twisted for me to succeed.

  “Okay, I appreciate your honesty, though I am going to ask Arthur why he wanted to do that, he’s known Rose for years, a decade actually.” I frown my brows to make it look like I’m pissed.

  After some time, we arrive at the flower field. It would’ve been a great view if so many people hadn't already gathered, what a shame.

  On Basil’s sign, I turn my head to see Arthur and Rose coming from the horizon, they look silent, no, he looks silent. As they see us, Rose walks faster to sit next to me but Arthur cuts her short with an emotionless face, he definitely got the message.

  Rose ends up sitting next to Basil as we are all laying on the grass from the hill, having a nice view of London's suburb from atop, looking at the lake a few hundred meters away, more or less.

  -”Hey man, what’s gotten into you??” I whisper to my blond friend as I lean to my right, trying to sound mad, although I think my tone is rather confused more than anything else.

  -”Yeah, I got it, my bad, I’m in the wrong, I just wanted to help.” I’m pretty sure he thought about what he would say to me based on the answer, why is he playing the annoyed card on me though?

  -”You’re right… I shouldn’t have done that, Basil told me how you reacted, Rose would’ve probably reacted the same way in your place.” He adds after a moment of pure silence between us.

  -”I know.” I simply answer, not wanting to give him more remorse, I guess playing that card works well for him after all.

  21:57, soon the fireworks will come, it’s actually a tribute to the founder of Rose’s football club, he died seven years ago. Honestly, I find it quite respectable of them to do all this. I would like people to throw fireworks at my death anniversary.

  -”Hey Elio, see the dude with the big arms and tattoos?” Rose interrupts my thoughts. I look in the direction she’s pointing at, but there’s too many people to focus on a single person.

  -”Huh? Where?” She pinpoints the guy more accurately and that’s when I spot him. ”Oh him, who’s he?”

  -”Looks like Peter’s dad, though the girl wrapped around his arm is clearly not his mom.” She declares with a mix of mockery and seriousness.

  -”Wait really? Bloody hell, should we tell Peter?”

  Rose turns to me right after what I said, as if she was startled by what I just said.

  -”Nah, I’m not going to snitch, he might have a reason.”

  -”Who the hell is even Peter?” Arthur finally talks out of his solitude. Basil leans forward to look at him.

  -”Friend of Elio, he also works at the same place I do and went to some parties the three of us were at.” Seeing that Peter’s existence really doesn’t matter to him, Arthur just looks away at the lake, staring at it in complete silence again.

  -”Isn’t it goin’ to start? There’s a boat in the middle.” He notices.

  -”Could’ve never guessed it.” The brunette ironizes, Arthur complies and just ‘tchk’ in her direction before turning to the light that just appeared on the boat.

  DON

  The first firework displayed in the dark sky. Shining blue in all faces of the hill.

  DON-DON

  A second and a third rapidly followed, this time spreading a gold light through the sky, reaching our very eyes.

  DON-DON

  My whole body was resonating, it felt like an actual earthquake was coursing through my body. Awe could be read on everyone’s face, mine included.

  DON-DON DON-DON

  The spectacle of gunpowder continues to boom in our ears for another thirty minutes or so, however nobody seems to mind. Turning my head on the left, I can see Rose, seemingly impressed by what she just witnessed. The rays of the moon mixed in with the beautiful red light of the fireworks only makes her prettier. I’m also impressed.

  It’s beautiful.

  Well, showtime’s over, people stand back up again from all around the place.

  -”Ooookay guys, ‘think we’re gonna head home now, isn’t that right?” Basil looks at me, making a slight head movement in Rose’s direction, he clearly is disappointed in my lack of move on her.

  He’s right to be disappointed. On that realization, I hastily stand up the second Rose does.

  -”R-rose, can I talk to you for a sec’? Somewhere private…” I lower my chin and turn my head slightly to the left, wanting to keep eye contact, yet feeling extremely embarrassed to be pushed like this by Basil.

  In the corner of my eye, I can see Arthur and Basil’s faces light up as they hear me, the two give me each a gentle slap in the shoulder before going away. After looking at them intrigued, the girl’s attention falls back on me, I don’t see really well in the dark but if she is making that face that must mean she’s blushing, right?

  So I guess she knows. That makes my heart beat faster inside my chest. How am I supposed to tell her? Do I do it like now? Fuck I’ve wanted this for long that I’m almost paralyzed.

  -”Do… Do you want to get up the hill? The view’s prettier.” I ask, fumbling my arm twice as I want to point it at the top of the hill, near the forest.

  She looks away shyly, tucking a strand of hair aside.

  -”Sure.” With her right hand she gestures for me to lead the way. Man it’s actually going to happen, for real this time, not in my dreams anymore.

  I take steady steps up the hill, heart beating to my struggling feet, the sound of rumbling in my ears, am I that affected? I really need to get a hold of myself otherwise I won’t even be able to utter a single word.

  We’re at the top. The view is actually incredible, city lights glowing a faint blue in the distance… I need to focus, breath in, breath out. She is looking at me, if I’m stressed then it’s not making it easier for her either. The rumbling sound is growing stronger, but I can’t focus on that, let’s focus solely on my heart and soul.

  -”Okay, hum… Listen, so… So you see, I’m, I think I-”       Krak

  Suddenly, the ground shatters right next to us, turns out the rumbling in my ears wasn’t simply me stressing out, it’s an earthquake!

  -”Whoa… What the fuck! Okay Rose just run!” I get my head together as I firmly grab her hand, what is happening?? I’m not overreacting am I? Shit the ground’s breaking under our feet too!

  The chunk of dirt we were standing on just dislocates itself out of nowhere and rotates upward, making us slide down a few meters, right on the edge of a cliff.

  -”FUCK!!!”

  -”GOD NO!” Why is this happening to us?! Why now!???

  Miraculously, the platform bumps and flattens its angle, saving us from the fall. I immediately get up, my legs are still shaking, I’m scared.

  -”Fuck just go, RUN!” I yell at the brunette in tears, grabbing her hand once again before pulling her in my run.

  I look around, hoping to find a safer place to survive… Nothing. Nothing but the earth around us exploding, chunks colliding against each other, I turn to check on Rose briefly, she’s terrified. We both are.

  Goddamnit, can’t there at least be somewhere safer??? The earthquake feels like it’s growing stronger by the time, calm down. I need to keep my head cool, do not panic, do NOT.

  -”Elio… Please, I can't walk! Help me!!!” Rose yells, indeed, her leg is twisted on itself, the view would’ve made me puke if it wasn’t for the complete and overwhelming fear I’m feeling.

  Now’s your time Elio, act up, save her, save yourself!

  With that I lift her with both arms, she’s going to reduce my speed, but she’ll die if I leave her like this, why can’t someone else be in this situation???

  My vision finally starts to blur off as I’m actually focusing with all I got, I can now see a building, that’s our bunker! I quickly rotate and sprint towards it, but about ten meters away, the building collapses on itself, the dust blow just sends us flying meters behind, I space out a little.

  -”Urgh… Oh fuck I’m so dumb! ROSE!! Where are you!?” I scream in horror, praying that she’s still somewhere and that her leg isn’t more fucked up. God please let her live, let us survive!

  -”I’M HERE!! Elio! Please help me help me, please!!!!” Ahh… her voice, thank god, she’s on a chunk of dirt right under mine. I don’t think her leg is going to be the main issue after that, but she lived.

  -”Hold on Rose I’m going down!!!!” I scream my lungs out, it hurts, but it’s the only thing I can do t-        Krak

  The platform I stand on suddenly slides down, crushing Rose’s platform, no…

  -”Wha- what the fuck! No! Ro… Fuck!” Tears start streaming down my cheeks as I fall on the ground, spacing out from the afterward shock of the blow I took.

  This is it, I thought it was a dream- no, ‘that’ is the most gruesome, terrifying nightmare one can ever have. I wait patiently for my end, face on the ground.

  What about my sister? Looking at the crumbling building in the distance, I can only think the worst. Although now I’m more worried about myself.

  What will happen after that? Where will I be? Will I see Rose? Arthur? Basil? Are they even alive? Shit…

  I watch the abomination of that apocalyptic scene play out before my eyes. I was wrong, this isn’t a nightmare, it’s beyond reality, it’s death.

  I collapse.

  ‘One will have to suffer in agony so that his eyes will open to the borned world.’

  -”Huh… Wha-”

  Light blinded me as I opened my eyes, I shook as my consciousness collided with the past event.

  -”AH WHAT THE FUCK!??!”

  HUH?!!??!?!!?!??!

  What stood before my eyes was simply not real, how could it be? I am laid on some debris from a construction, a building probably. The surroundings are wild, it feels abandoned. This has to be a nightmare…

  But no nightmare should ever be the product of a psychopath’s dream, this was closer to an hallucination than the reality!

  I try to piece up my mind cluelessly.

  -”Why-what happened? it doesn’t make any sense, I don’t get it! I do not get it! Fucking shit!!!

  WHYYYY???!!?!!!!”

  Why do I not get it??? Why isn’t it a bad dream? Why such an apocalypse?

  The apocalyptic view came back to my mind, the buildings crumbling over themselves, the earthquake, WHY ALL THIS???

  Why am I alive?

  Okay, no, don’t overthink it, this is just one big bad issue, one.

  I puff at my authentic naivety, resting my face in my left hand, holding a laugh.

  -”Goddamnit… Pfff-hahahah… HA-HA-HA-HA-HA.” I pause between each syllable of my madness.

  -”This is a joke, isn’t it? Is it not, ‘God’? ISN’T IT???” I insist, my voice slowly breaking more and more as I pass through the web of ecstasy coursing through my body.

  It wasn’t a joke, it was a game.

  To this thought I just start crying, maybe of joy, maybe of anger… maybe of sadness. I steady my posture, but I soon simply slam my head onto the ground relentlessly, I must wake up! Please God make me wake up.

  The scene then kinda goes blank in my mind, I cry, and I cry, alone, isolated, in silence, lost in a bad dream.

  I position myself more comfortably.

  -”Okay, it’s more like a game, a fucking game… And what kind of sick game is that? Even life is- was happier!” Why do I think yelling at the sky will let me be heard? I have no clue, in fact it’s so ridiculous that I just start to mock myself, laughing.

  -”Ha, haha… If it’s a game, how do I leave, do I get ‘Game Over’? So how do I kill myself?” I ask out loud as I start to look around for some rock big enough to end this dream, but there isn't any.

  So I just stare at my lap for a minute, then I eventually start to breathe, realizing I wasn’t before.

  -”*Sigh* Let’s play the game then…” What the hell is wrong with me, am I going crazy? Now???

  I start to pinch myself, hit my jaw with light knuckle punches, rub my eyes, tap my thighs to see any kind of reaction. If it’s a dream, well it’s a pretty convincing one at that.

  And I guess punching myself made some order in my head, I’m way less panicked than just a few seconds ago, my thoughts are still dizzy, but straight lines at least.

  -”Okay, fuck, stay calm, stay calm, stay calm…” My voice lowers at each pause in my voice, ending in a low whisper.

  -”You’re not crazy, okay? YOU’RE NOT CRAZY!” I may sound dumb, but I need to say it so that I can even believe it.

  I move myself to a better rock to sit, still trying to compose myself. It was an earthquake, a fucking earthquake… So what about the emergency services? They might be coming soon, where are we now in the day?

  I look above the towering trees surrounding me, is it the morning? Was I out the whole night?

  A low chuckle escapes my lips as I look back at the ground, this situation IS real.

  -”Give me a break…” I’m tired, my head hurts so much I’m doubting that I’m even alive, my arms are covered in bruises and scratches, at least that’s the feeling I get.

  Wasn’t I on a hill above some plateau? I don’t see any pathways, any buildings, any PEOPLE…

  A brief flash of the crumbling buildings came up in my mind, this time more clearly, my body tenses immediately as it remains paralyzed by fear. After a few seconds of panic attack, I finally calm down.

  Did that earthquake move me all the way down here? In hell? To be honest, I’m surrounded by some sort of a lush, jungle lookalike forest. The view is far from hell, but probably closer than it looks.

  -”Ahh, I hate that fucking earthquake so much… Fuck I forgot, Rose, shit. Just let me die at this point…”

  -”I want to die!” I insist with a scream, pain crackling in the air as I voice it out. Brushing my hand on the rock I’m seated on, I contemplate the feeling of the gravel rolling against my palm, it’s pointless, pointless, but so reassuring, it feels humane.

  To be honest, I think I’m just trying to cling onto the only comfortable thing I can find in this destroyed world. Yes, I’m weak, too scared to face the new chapter of my life.

  But destruction struck my very own world. It was a small world, but I wanted it to remain as such.

  Sighing, I look around and an idea hits me, there must be a camp settled somewhere by the emergency services, maybe even the army, the damages looked quite bad. Maybe that camp is where I need to go so that I get rescued!

  Eventually, I stand up from the gigantic pile of debris, looking to my left, I notice a plain, it’s an exposed area, it would be easier to spot me if I stay over there. However, a ravine is separating me from that place, it’s a lot wider than me, probably the length of a truck or two.

  Though I decide to follow its line, going through the forest, the roots are immense, about my size, almost 5 '10. Everything including me is dominated by the green light passing through the leaves, giving the whole scene a lean in shadows where everything blurs.

  It’s beautiful.

  Beautiful but also frightening. I'm scared, my hands are trembling, and I want to go back to my old life, but this forest is where I will creep now.

  So I start to explore the forest that screams solitude and emptiness. Sometimes passing under a root, sometimes passing over one, my goal is only to reach the plain that is separated from my current world, I want to be saved.

  Scattering my gaze through the green atmosphere, I can’t seem to find any part of the ravine thin enough for me to jump over it, so I walk for an hour, and another one, until I give up on keeping track of the hours.

  My hand scratches itself on a bramble.

  -”Aouch! Dammit!”

  The forest is too huge for me, where was it in London seriously? Some trees could even be the equal in size of buildings. Also, it makes me wonder how it was able to remain intact from the earthquake. Everything seems untouched for at least a millennium.

  Then just now I realized something, I was probably too stressed out to notice sooner but…

  -”Hold on, Hi my name is Elio, I am-*COUGH COUGH!*”

  Wow, am I thirsty! But also, did I just talk in an American accent??? Am I not from the UK?? What’s going on? Did I get hit in the head or something?!?

  I clutch my hand, I’m too tired to think about that, I might just be hearing things as well.

  Deciding to continue on my quest again and worry about that part later, the worries of not finding water course through my mind. Fortunately, I quickly found a pond after that.

  There it was, a large, blue area peeking out of the dark green of the jungle-like forest. Some roots were replenishing on the borders, sipping into the water, but above it stood a clear and vibrant sky.

  I quickly hurry myself to some water going under a root as if it’s a bridge avoiding it. Which is weird considering roots shouldn’t avoid water, but honestly I don’t care right now, I’m not avoiding the water.

  But then I pause, what if it has bacterias? Too late, I’ll drink it just a little anyway, but not a lot, just in case.

  I grasped the water with my two hands, lifted it and finally poured it in my mouth. Refreshing. That’s the word. I was there, drinking in a peaceful nature, the sounds of water flowing with graciousness next to me tickled my ears, I was in heaven.

  A blue oasis in a wasteland of green…

  After some time, I look down in the pond that is close to me, my face reflects in it, blurred out.

  I can’t even look at myself anymore.

  I lift my head to analyze the surroundings a bit more, the pond that seemed so big moments ago is actually smaller than what I thought. on its left, the water is pouring into the rift. Why was I so thirsty? I don’t know and I don’t want to know. I was fulfilled with what I got.

  -”Haa…” With this sigh, I continue my search for a place where the ravine would thin out. I actually feel a lot better, but that doesn’t make the next hour or so pass slowly.

  Then I actually remember something very important only now, I must still be in shock because I’m clearly not thinking of obvious things.

  -”My pockets! What do I have here… My ID card and…” I struggle a bit as I empty my left pocket, I still have my phone! I smile and laugh as I relieve all my stress.

  ”This, this is beautiful, let’s fucking go!” I turn it on, 14%, obviously I need to save battery otherwise I’m doomed.

  So I call the fire fighters, no answer; the police, nothing; Maybe the emergencies will work? I can hear the no answer ring out of my phone.

  And of course, it’s only now that I realize with all my genius that I don’t have any network around here, the cables must’ve been cut by the earthquake, figures. It’s honestly frustrating that I’m not thinking right, rather it’s disturbing, though now what matters the most is that I’m losing hope…

  -”AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRHHHHHHHH!!!!”

  !

  What’s this noise? No it’s not a noise, that’s clearly some scream? Where?

  Fear forms in my heart in the place of hope, that’s when I realize my life changed completely.

  I am alone in the jungle.

  To be continued…