Date: Wed, 01 Dec 2004 18:48:33 -0500 From: Shane Lee Subject: The Beauty of Solitude (2) [Author's Note: This is continued from chapter one, obviously, LOL. I just want to repeat that this story is not intended to be a quick jerk off session. There will be sex in the story, even though the sex aspect isn't nearly as important as the rest of this story. I want to sincerely apologise for the delay in this chapter - a lot of different circumstances arose that pushed my writing back, lol. This story is fictional - any similarities between this work and real-life are purely coincedental. This story is copyright Shane Lee, and all duplications are asked whole-heartedly to get written permission by the author. I want to thank the Nifty Staff for posting this story, as always, and any comments, suggestions, or feedback is greatly, greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for those who have already taken the time to give me feedback on the first chapter. You wouldn't believe how much it helped me. So I thank you once again. I hope this chapter turns out as good as the first one seemed to be. Thank you ^_^] Beauty of Solitude CHAPTER 2 Silver light blankets my room, shining through the window from the full moon that has been slowly making its way across the night sky, inch by inch. A soft, gentle breeze carresses my skin as it crosses my body in one slow, exaggerated motion. My head is laying gently on my pillow, tilted to the side, staring out the window and into the blue, velvet sky. Not a sound can be heard except the leaves rustling in the soft breeze that touched my skin moments ago. The sky is perfectly clear, each star brilliantly visable, seemingly unaffected by the light pollution being cast by the artificial lighting of the city. It is shortly after one o'clock in the morning, a time when the world seems to be lost completely. The blinds that normally cover the window to keep the sunlight from entering have been pulled open, letting the light of the moon shine freely into the dark room. Shadows dance across the walls as the trees that cause them bend and sway in the gentle breaths of wind. Time seems to have no value, and if it weren't for the wind it would seem as though the world had stopped completely. My breaths feel as though they last forever as I take in all the scents the night has to offer. There is so much beauty when the sun has sunk below the horizon; so much unknown beauty to the rest of the world who are stuck in their artificial dreamlands. The night is such an extraordinary thing, but, unfortunately, not many people back home were willing to let me share it with them as their sleep was more important. Then again, how can something so beautiful be shared when you have no one to share it with? I slowly sit up, letting my hair tumble down my back. A soft sigh makes its way from my lips as I lift myself off the bed and to my feet. My gaze does not break from the sky as I move away from the bed and towards the closet. Reaching down, I grab the handle and pull, carefully opening the closet to avoid any sounds that may come from the hinges or wood as it opens. Shifting my vision to the dark closet, I see what I want; there is just enough light from the moon to illuminate. I pull my jacket off the clothes hanger and close the door just as gently as I opened it. The soft cloth embraces me as I pull the fabric over my shoulders and let the long coat wrap around my body, ending at my knees. Pulling the jacket shut, I button it from my waist to my neck, leaving the bottom open to make it easier to move. My boots shine in the silvery light, calling me. A smile sweeps across my face as I pick them up from beside my bed and head towards the exit, hurriedly. The door opens as I twist the doorknob and pull it, moving swiftly down the dark hallway, trying to keep from waking any sleeping family members with each step I take. I reach the top of the stairs within moments, gliding down them as if walking on air. At the last step, I sit down, pulling my boots over my feet one at a time and buckling them rather tightly. Moonlight shines through the windows of the living room, showing the outlines of my mother's furniture that fills the vast space. The hunter green walls no longer hold their colour in the darkness, almost as if they had been repainted black in the short time I was in my room. Silence; wonderful euphoria. Returning to my feet, I head towards the front door and out onto the front porch. Delicate light from the streetlamps keeps the front yard luminous, each tree casting a shadow upon the white panelling of the house now behind me. The driveway stretches the fifty feet to the road where the streetlamps stand like torches in the night with the stone walkway running parallel to it from the porch. The cool autumn air sends goosebumps across my skin as I am licked by yet another breath of wind. A cloudless sky is cast endlessly above me without a visible end, save for the sun which will be rising in a few short hours. Each star maintains its vibrancy, dotting the woven blue like thousands of tiny lamps trying to bring natural light to the world. The smell of the damp grass is quite potent, bringing the lovely scent to my nose. I move off the porch and follow the walkway until I come to where it, as well as the driveway, connect to the road. Not a single car can be seen nor heard in either direction; the world must truly have come to a stop. Various homes line the street in both directions, each one adding its own uniqueness to the community. The home directly across the street sits atop a hill, a large front yard laid out in front of it. Two columns hold up a balcony that sits above the front porch, every window dark with an err of mystery held within each one. Two large willow trees have grown in the front yard, their gentle branches swaying in the wind to a song only heard by nature. A mysterious form of beauty seems to conceal it, one that attracts me and peaks my curiousity. Oddly enough, this seems to be the first time I have noticed this particular building even though it has been standing there all along. My steps continue as I make my way down the street to the right. Looking ahead, I see where the road ends and is replaced by a path that leads through a small set of woods. I have walked through them before, the path winding through the trees until it comes out on the other side, where my new school is located. Down the street from there is the mall and the beginning of downtown. If there is one thing I like about this new home, it is the fact that everything is within walking distance from my house. Walking is one of my favourite pasttimes; it is time consuming and it allows me to be alone and at peace. Unfortunately, the only time one can really have complete solitude is at night when there are no disturbances. Before I know it, I have reached the entrance to the woods. The streetlamps have ended, the only light emitted from the moon and the stars high above me; it is just enough light to illuminate the dark entrance. Trees stand tall before me, each one intertwined with the branches of the ones around it. Multicoloured leaves litter the path, withering more and more as the days go by, some of which have already become crisp and brittle from being away from their mother for too long. The cycle of the seasons; the leaves will die, but be reborn after a few short months just as beautifully, if not moreso, than the year previous. Soft crunches come from beneath my boots as the older leaves crinkle under my weight with each step I take. The moonlight shines through the skeletal branches, creating errie shadows all around me. They dance in the wind, almost rhythmically, in sync with the breaths that come from my lungs. Each plant seems to watch me as I pass, bending to follow me as I walk away. Despite the ominous environment, I am quite relaxed. Most people would be frightened in such a surrounding, but I find such a place quite soothing; undisturbed from the hands of mankind. My steps take me deeper into the woods, completely unaffected by the invisible path that has been swallowed by the masses of leaves. Aimlessly, I continue, weaving through the trees trying to follow a path I no longer see. Eventually, I come to the realization that I have ventured into an area of the woods I have not yet explored: slightly darker than the previous area, and much thicker. The trees stand closer together, leaving just enough room to squeeze by. Bony branches brush my jacket as I walk on, bending down to avoid low hanging treelimbs and carefully stepping over large roots that are not submerged in the dirt. Moonlight continues to shine through the intertwining branches, bright enough to make any obstacle visible. Evergreen trees begin to take shape in the distance, replacing the maple and oak trees that have formed the woods thus far. I push past them, feeling their sharp bristles against my face and clothing as I pass. After what seems like ages, the trees begin to thin until I can see a clearing in the distance. The hundreds of withered leaves begin to become fewer, being replaced by damp, green grass. Coming to the edge of the clearing, I stop, curiously studying it. The clearing itself seems to be a rough triangle of green, completely different from the woods. Small rocks and boulders lay in random places throughout, surrounded by the same grass that sits beneath the toe of my boot. It seems like the type of place where you would find many different flowers growing during the spring and summer seasons; a beautiful, secluded place, cut off from the rest of humanity. There is no sign of any other human influence in the area, almost as if no one else has discovered it. The boulder closest to the center is rather inviting; a perfect place to come and meditate when the need arises. I cautiously take a step into the sanctuary, fearful that any human contact could spoil the sheer beauty of it, letting the moonlight shine on my foot as it emerges from the shadows. Relieved to see everything unchanged, I enter the clearing, silver light flowing across my body until I am completely bathed in it. Glancing up into the velvet sky, I gasp, shocked at the clarity of the stars, ach one more vibrant, more stunning then the last time I looked at them. Lost in the beauty, I trip over one of the boulders and fall to the ground, letting out a startled yell as I hit the soft earth. "Oh my gosh, are you all right?" an unfamiliar voice mutters from somewhere in front of me. I lift my head and see a dark figure looking down at me from the other side of the large, off-centered boulder. Despite the light from the moon, I can't make out a face. The long strands of hair that fall around the face shine brilliantly in the moonlight, just as silver as the light that touches them. My eyes become large, trapped in a gaze on the shimmering platinum, entranced by the utter enchantment of something so unique, yet beautiful. A long, black jacket, not unlike my own, surrounds the slender frame while a matching pair of black boots shine almost as brightly as the beautiful silver hair. A hand is extended towards me; I reach up and gladly accept it. "Thank you," I manage to say after a few moments, brushing the dirt and grass from the front of my jacket and my knees. "You're welcome." I take another look at the figure, finally realizing that it is a male, around the same age as myself. Details of his face become clearer as I look closer. The soft, gentle skin unscathed by neither time, nor injury seems almost angelic in quality, even beneath the pale moonlight. His eyes are dark; entrancing. I find myself looking into them longer than I should. The strands of metallic-coloured hair fall delicately, framing the perfection of his face, amplifying it. I want to reach out and touch it to see if I'm only imagining this person, but I wouldn't dare do something so stupid. "I-I'm sorry," I manage to stutter. "I didn't know there was anyone else in here." A smile crosses his perfectly defined face as a soft, enchanting laugh escapes his lips. His laugh is soft, yet refreshing. "Had you known I was here, I don't think that would have stopped you from tripping." "Well, I don't know about that one," I chuckle. "I was paying attention to the stars when I came in here, and if I knew there was another person around, I probably wouldn't have been paying so much attention to them." He laughs again, making his way around the boulder, sitting firmly atop it and leaning back against the taller end of it. It almost looks like a chair from this angle, which may have been why it looked so inviting a few minutes earlier. His movements are smooth and defined, his legs barely moving at all to the naked eye. Stretching his legs and arms out, he leans back further, letting his hair gently flow around the curved rock. Tilting his head, he looks high into the sky as yet another smile crosses his face. "Yes, they really are beautiful from out here, aren't they?" he says gently. I have never heard a voice sound so pure and divine, every syllable molded into the next so wonderfully. He never breaks his gaze from the stars, even as he folded his hands and placed them behind his head. Every aspect about this person appealed to me; something mysterious. And yet, he seemed very familiar, as if I had seen him before. My eyes never moved from his face, nor did my body move from where it was standing. "They are," I reply, continuing to watch his facial expressions, each one flawless in its own way. Finally noticing my stillness, he turns his head to meet my eyes. "You don't have to stand there, you know," he murmurs with a smile. "This boulder is wide enough to fit two people." He motions for me to come and sit next to him, which catches me off guard. Obviously, he notices my facial expression because he starts laughing. "Don't worry, I'm not going to rape or kill you or anything. I'm not that type of person." I laugh nervously, making my way around the large boulder and climbing on top of it. I trust this person for some reason, and instant trust is not something I'm known for. The boulder is about three feet tall, making the climbing an easy task. I plant myself next to him, sprawl back and look up at the stars. A gentle breeze, the first one I have noticed in a while, moves across our bodies like a cool blanket. The scents of the forest come with the breeze; I breathe it in. "It's such a wonderful night," he says aloud. "This is the first time I've been able to enjoy a night like this in a long time." "Yeah, I know what you mean," I utter. "It's hard to find such a peaceful place where a person can sit undisturbed for once, especially with my family." "Rough family, huh?" he says calmly. "Not so much rough as they are abnoxious," I explain, ending with a brief laugh. I feel as though I can tell him anything. "I can't get a minute of peace when I'm at home." "You always need time to yourself, some people needing it more than others. Don't worry, my family is the same way." He pauses for a moment turning his head to look at me. I look away quickly before he catches me staring, shifting my gaze to another boulder a few feet away. "How rude," he blurts randomly, making me cock my eyebrow and look at him again. His dark eyes captivate me, looking nearly black in the faint moonlight. "I haven't even introduced myself." A sigh of relief washes over me, fortunate that his random 'how rude' was not directed at something I did. Then again, one could think that he was referring to me not looking away from him, or maybe that's just a hope coming from me. The way the stars are reflected in the dark orbs are completely indescribable; no amount of words could truly explain it. "I'm Dana," he says softly, extending his hand towards me yet again. I take it in mine, feeling how soft and smooth it is as our grips become tighter and we shake hands. It's odd how someone's hand can feel so wonderful in your own, even if for only a moment. "I'm Shane," I reply. After a few seconds, I pull away, separating our hands and placing my own casually on my stomach. His falls freely beside him, dangling over the side of the boulder we're sitting on. I can feel the heat from his hand still burning in mine, a intense feeling that will not pass for a while. "Well, Shane, it's a pleasure to meet you," he says gently, looking back to the stars. "You must be new around here; I've never seen you before." "Yeah, I'm new," I tell him. "I just moved here a few weeks ago." He senses the sadness in my voice. "Do you not like it here?" he asks, unaware of the reasons why I can't seem to bring myself to like a foreign city such as this one. I hear the curiousity in his voice, a voice just as intense as it is soothing. After an extended silence, he turns and looks at me questioningly. "I had to leave many things behind, all of which I have yet to find here. My best friend Kristina, for example. And not just my best friend, but also all my other friends. The past two weeks have been really depressing," I say quietly, on the verge of a whispered. The emotion in my voice is quite clear. "I take it you moved here from somewhere out of normal driving distance?" "Yeah, we used to live a few hours from here. My step-dad accepted a job promotion and we moved here. I like the city, I just don't like having nothing to do or anyone to hang out with. Kristina and I used to do so much together..." I take a deep breath and sigh, fighting back memories and thoughts that would only bring depression along with them. Dana is silent for a moment before turning his head to me. "Well, you've got at least one friend now," he says with a coy smile, his hair still shining in the night light. The sincerity in his voice is amazing, especially since only after a few short minutes of conversation he has already begun calling me his friend. Such a high title for someone you've only known for a short while. At any rate, I am truly thankful for it. "Thank you," I say for the second time, but it doesn't seem enough to explain the gratitude I have that is spreading through every part of me. "You seem like such a great person, Dana. It's amazing to actually meet someone as nice as yourself; people like you are few and far between." "You don't have to thank me, Shane," he said. I was sitting hear as I am now, looking up at the stars when I heard someone coming, so I hid behind this boulder. When I saw you approach the clearing, emerging from the shadows staring up at the stars, I knew there was something about you. Not a lot of people I know can actually appreciate something like the stars like I can." I laughed, "The stars are so amazing. I thought I was the only one in existence who could spend hours staring up at them." When I looked over at Dana, he was looking back with another grin across his face. Then it hit me: could he be gay? Someone this wonderful and unique would have to be gay! How many heterosexual men spend their time sitting alone under the stars, in a place as beautiful as this? I smile back, my first real smile in a long time. "Likewise!" he said, giggling. His laugh reminded me of Kristina's, soft, cheerful, and music to my ears. "But, I guess it's a lot better when you get to sit and enjoy it with someone who can appreciated it." "Tell me about it." "None of my girlfriends ever wanted to come out here with me. They told me that they thought it would be boring," he said with another laugh. That answered my question, erasing the smile from my face. It was too good to be true. Why do I always get my hopes up so quickly? Someone so beautiful who had such a beautiful personality always turns out to be uninterested or straight. What kind of luck is that? Maybe I like the wrong people... "How can anyone find them boring?" I say, taking my mind off my thoughts. "They're so... I don't know. There's something about the night sky that is very appealing. Once, I sat on a seesaw in a park near my house and watched the stars. Before I realised it, the sun was coming. I had sat there for over six hours without realising it." "I did the same thing once, in this very spot. Honestly, it's happened more than once. I will stroll into my home when the sun is rising and I will get a mouthful from my mother the moment I walk through the door. I'm sure it's going to happen many times in the future, as well." "Yeah, my mother can be the same way. She's very restricting... if she knew I was out right now, she would probably have the entire city's police department searching for me. I doubt they would find me here, though," I say, letting out a soft chuckle, followed closely behind by Dana's dazzling laugh. I feel so at home in this reclusive place speaking to him. There was an instant attraction, something unexplainable that just wanted me to pour open everything I held inside. Another breeze swept through the area, this one slightly stronger and colder than the previous one. Above, a solitary cloud rolls over the moon, shadowing everything in complete darkness. The trees seemed to grow larger as the darkness enveloped them, as did the boulders and surroundings. Life seems to fill the earth as the darkness takes over in this area, something that doesn't surprise me due to how much this place differs from anywhere else I've been. The breezes become more frequent, kissing our cheeks with a cold tongue, swirling around our bodies and through our long hair. Dana's brilliant silver hair waving in the wind adjacent to my long black hair, the stray strands of my own not contained in the ponytail with the rest intertwining with his in a solemn dance. "Winter is coming a little too soon," Dana murmurs. "Pretty soon I won't be able to come here without having to trudge through 5 feet of snow." "Yeah, but if you come here often enough, you'll make a path through it and you won't have to worry about it," I say jokingly, and Dana joins me in another laugh. The cloud moves from in front of the moon, letting the liquid light blanket the sanctuary once more. Everything seems to shrink back into itself as it returns to a state of normalcy. Of course, what is normal, anyway? Especially in a place like this. More clouds begin to roll in, oddly flowing around the moon instead of covering it. "You're right. I mean, if we both keep coming here, it will wear the snow into a nice path for us," Dana says sweetly. I can't help but notice how serious he sounded. "What makes you think I'm going to keep coming here?" I joke with a smile. "Something tells me you will be. You seem a lot like myself, which means that you will probably come here whenever you have a spare minute. And sometimes, even when you're insanely busy and need to relax once in a while." "You're figured it out rather quickly," I tell him. "Chances are I'll be here every moment I can, busy or not. And now that I've met such a wonderful friend, I guess I'll have an extra reason to come here." Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him blush. The red cheeks are so vibrant it would be hard for anyone to miss them. "Well, that's very nice of you to say..." The wind begins to get a little stronger and a lot colder, each gust sending goosebumps across my skin. The trees begin to sway a lot more with the increased strength in the air. Wind blowing around the trunks of the surrounding trees pick up stray leaves and carry them through the clearing, dropping them in random places, dirtying the perfection that makes up this somber place. "Ugh... why couldn't the leaves just stay where they were," Dana blurts, obviously thinking the same thing I was. "I know." As the seconds pass, more clouds roll over our heads, turning the clear night sky into an opaque marble. Without the moon and stars, the entire area is thrown back into darkness without a visible sign of light coming any time soon. But, Dana and I continue talking, watching the different depths and shapes of clouds that float above us. Our conversation changes from our interests in music to our favourite pasttimes, all of which we seem to have in common. The whole time I sneak glances at him, following his vision until I found what he was looking at and I, too, watched it. I would occasionally see him looking back at me, but it was always with that coy grin of his that sent a smile through to the very core of my body. His hair continued to blow in the wind, the brilliant silver no longer shining in the lack of light, but still visible to the finest detail. After a while, something fell from the sky and hit my forehead. I reached up to touch it and see if I could distinguish what it was, finding out that it was a raindrop. Another falls and hits me moments later, only this time on the opposite side of my face. Faint rumbling can be heard in the distance; the sounds of an approaching storm. The thunder is very clear. "It's going to start pouring any minute now," I say, laughing. A flash of light fills the entire with light, as well as the clearing itself. Thunder follows shortly afterwards, ringing in my ears. I could feel the ground shake from the magnitude of it. "We really should get home," Dana whispers, trying to hold back from laughing. "Yeah, we should. Are you going to be here tomorrow night?" I ask him, fixing my eyes on his. That same, sexy smile crosses his face and his deep eyes twinkle. "I have no idea, yet. I come here randomly; I never plan to or else I will get sidetracked," he informs me. I feel myself sigh at the mere thought of not seeing him for a while. Without someone to share my thoughts with, I would surely go insane within a few short days. Look what happened in the last few weeks! I was sent spiralling into a very serious depression; I haven't been this happy in a very long time - since the last time Kristina and I went out and had fun, at the very least. "Well, that's understandable," I say calmly. A few more raindrops hit me in the head as they become a little more frequent. "Maybe I will see you around," I say as I jump off of the boulder and straighten my jacket out. Dana smiles at me and slides off the boulder to stand next to me, giving me a tight hug. With my face near his neck, I can smell his natural scent. He is not wearing any form of cologne or perfume, yet he smells divine. I breathe as much of him in as I can in the few short seconds that he's locked in my embrace and I'm in his. Letting go, I turn towards the entrance to the woods where I came from, turning around one last time to wave a fond goodbye. Dana smiles from the distance before waving back and turning to the opposite side of the clearing and walking away. His figure disappears into the shadows of the trees, moving with a natural rhythm not many are prone to hear. Turning back to my path, I weave through the trees, smiling. I have met the most wonderful person in the world, and I couldn't be happier he and I share a special bond, even if it isn't the bond I would like. Despite him being straight, I honestly feel as though there is some unexplainable connection between the two of us, one I know we're going to share for a long time. Rushing through the woods to beat the rain I sense will pour down at any moment. Finally, tonight I can sleep with a smile on my face.