Everest
The steam from Mateo’s tea drifted lazily between them, and Ever’s eyes followed it like it might carry him somewhere easier. He was silent for a long moment, the hot water bottle pressed firm to his chest, his thumb stroking the soft hem of his sweater like it might stitch something back together.
"The void…" He hesitated, the word itself sour in his mouth now. "It was quiet and I miss that." His shoulders hitched up, then dropped in a tired little shrug. "But I think it was lying. Or… maybe I was. It’s hard to tell." He blinked down at the water bottle like it might offer clarification. "Everything seemed so clear before, but now.." He shakes his head.
To the second question, Ever exhaled slowly through his nose. "I’m not angry," he said—then, after a moment, "I think I will be, maybe, but not right now." His jaw flexed faintly. "Right now I’m just…" But there were no words for what Everst was just now, and so he merely stroked the water bottle again. "I feel like someone peeled my skin off and is waiting for me to say thank you."
The last question was the easiest. His eyes flicked up again, a little more certain this time. "Yes. Please."
"The void…" He hesitated, the word itself sour in his mouth now. "It was quiet and I miss that." His shoulders hitched up, then dropped in a tired little shrug. "But I think it was lying. Or… maybe I was. It’s hard to tell." He blinked down at the water bottle like it might offer clarification. "Everything seemed so clear before, but now.." He shakes his head.
To the second question, Ever exhaled slowly through his nose. "I’m not angry," he said—then, after a moment, "I think I will be, maybe, but not right now." His jaw flexed faintly. "Right now I’m just…" But there were no words for what Everst was just now, and so he merely stroked the water bottle again. "I feel like someone peeled my skin off and is waiting for me to say thank you."
The last question was the easiest. His eyes flicked up again, a little more certain this time. "Yes. Please."
I was a dead man walking,
with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
