Chapter One: "Tis Bitter Cold, and I am Sick at Heart"
Kyle's boots crunched across the frosted ground as he walked behind the looming shadow of the tallest of the goth kids. Kyle shivered, hugging his gloved hands around his torso in a vain attempt to keep warm. The shadow of the tall Goth disappeared behind the corner of the building, and Kyle hastened his step to keep up.
"Seen anything yet?" Kyle heard the taller boy ask.
"Nothing," the latter responded, taking a slow drag on his cigarette. "Just the quiet, depressing pain of night." Kyle rounded the corner to see the black clad boys talking to each other in quiet, bored monotones. The shorter one turned, flicking his fringe out of his eyes. "Kyle?"
"Yeah." His teeth chattered as he managed to answer.
"I told him what was going on, he doesn't believe me." The taller Goth shrugged, stealing the cigarette from the other's hand and inhaling deeply.
"Conformist." The shorter one flicked his fringe again. "We see it every night at the same time. You'll see it tonight too, if you stay."
"You're full of it." Kyle huffed, rubbing his hands together.
"No, we're not." The taller of the Goths walked toward Kyle, blowing a puff of smoke in his face. "The last few nights, we've seen this... this thing. It walks out from those trees, exactly at—" He was cut off by a loud beep coming from his wrist watch. He glanced down at it. His eyes widened and he held the watch up to Kyle's face. '1:00am' the clock said. "—exactly at one A.M."
"There!" The fringed goth yelled, pointing away from the building. Kyle spun around hastily. He saw a young man walking toward him from the thicket beyond the school. Kyle stood in shock, staring at the oh too familiar figure approaching him at an ever quickening pace. The young man came closer, soulless eyes flickering from Kyle, to the Goths, and then back.
Kyle began backing away from the approaching young man until he was pressed against the wall of the building. His knees shook while his mind shouted all the possible logical explanations for what was happening. Unfortunately for Kyle, his mind was not telling him anything convincing. The young man came closer, placing his hands on either side of Kyle's head. Kyle stared into the face of a person he refused to believe was in front of him. The kind yet empty eyes, the diabolical smile, the thick wisps of honey gold hair hanging over his eyes. He was perfectly still. The wind crawled across Kyle's face, rustling his auburn curls lightly. The silent man in front of him was unaffected by the wind. He remained perfectly still in the weakened moonlight.
"K-k-" Kyle stuttered, unable to utter the word that had unwillingly lodged itself in his throat. The young man in front of him nodded, answering all of Kyle's unspoken questions without a word. He smirked, took a soundless step back, and turned his back on the three terrified boys as he walked towards the trees.
"Wait!" Kyle yelled, stumbling forward. "Why are you back?" He took a few shaky steps after the man, who continued to walk silently away from him. "You... you weren't coming back. What's going on?"
"He's not going to answer you." The fringed goth shook beside him. "He never does."
"God dammit, stay! Why are you back? Talk to me!" Kyle screamed as the figure disappeared into the thicket of trees. He began running, chasing after the illusion as he wove between the trees. The Goths followed, peering around the knotted tree trunks that composed the thicket.
"He's there!" yelled the tall, curly-haired goth, pointing at the trees to his left.
"No, he went this way!"
"He's... gone." A heavy silence fell around the boys, encasing them in fear. The weak moonlight was lost on the tree branches, covering the three of them in a thick, impenetrable darkness.
"It's him, isn't it?" The taller of the Goths asked.
"Yeah," Kyle stared at his feet, feeling a wave of nausea overtake his body. "But, why would he come back like that?"
"Unfinished business?" suggested the fringed goth, lighting up another cigarette.
"No, he never had unfinished business, he wasn't that kind of guy." Kyle's head whirred again, dropping to his knees to try to quell the feeling in his stomach. "He wouldn't talk to me..." Kyle looked up at the boys. "Why wouldn't he talk to me?"
Silence hung between the three boys as Kyle slowly lifted himself to his feet, brushing the frost off his kneecaps.
"Is there anyone you think he would talk to?"
The Goths looked at each other with a look of uncertainty. A soft gust of wind brushed across their ankles, swaying the bare branches of the overhead trees.
"Stan."
Author's Notes
Because I really don't know what to write here (it being my first fanfic and all), I'll just say thanks to Taz, (aka astrya02) for actually encouraging me to post this thing. Look what you started. :P Anyways, this is the first chapter to what will hopefully be a decent story. Review if you wish, and thanks for reading.
~A.P.