A Strangers Promise
It was a cliché setting; the clouds were looming over in the sky threatening to rain as the young boy sat in the cemetery alone. Phil Lester would often come down here to escape the prison he lived in at home. All he wanted was to escape and the cemetery offered that peace. As Phil weaved his way through the graves he thought about the people that were laying there to rest, wondering what each of their stories were. Who their families were, who loved them, who missed them, what happened resulting in the fate of being left in a ground to rot.
Phil's thoughts were interrupted when he noticed another person in the cemetery too. It was a boy who looked around his age, maybe slightly younger, with brown hair that looked as straight as his. Phil made his way over to the bench not far from the curious stranger in the distance. After a few minutes Phil realised he had been watching, in fact staring, at the boy. He didn't know what it was about him, but there was something enticing and curious about him that he couldn't quite shake.
Suddenly he noticed the boy looking back at him. He got up and began walking towards the bench Phil was sat at. He moved peacefully and didn't seem at all bothered by the cold autumn air that the wind was whipping around the grounds.
'It's an odd thing for someone to be hanging around in a cemetery isn't it?' the boy spoke after sitting down.
'I guess I could say the same thing to you.' Phil replied, taking in the form of the boy. There was something different about him, something he couldn't put his finger on and it made him all the more interesting.
'What are you doing here then?' The boy asked.
Phil hesitated, did he really need to tell a stranger his depressing life story that he hoped would be ending soon. No, he definitely did not. 'Just visiting.' He decided to say. 'What about you?'
The boy looked away, and faced the direction he had emerged from. His tone was cold as he spoke 'I'm just visiting someone.'
'Oh, I'm sorry.' Phil said.
'Why are you sorry?'
'If you're visiting someone then it means someone you knew, maybe even cared about has gone. I'm sorry for your loss.' Phil replied, looking at the boy and still trying to work out what was different about him. His eyes seemed to contain more depth to them than what appeared on the surface. He wondered what his story was.
'So, what's the real reason you're here? I know the types of people that visit a graveyard and you don't look like you're visiting anyone. I saw you walk past every head stone and straight towards the bench before you began staring at me.' Phil looked at the boy in shock. How had the boy seen him all that time?
'You really don't want to know the truth.'
'Trust me, I do.' The boy said in return, looking up at Phil properly.
They sat in silence for a while as Phil thought about what he should say. No one had ever asked him about his life, why would he begin spilling it out to a complete stranger? That's the thing, this boy is a complete stranger. Phil would never see the boy again and so he didn't have to worry about the consequences. Fuck it, why should he have to keep everything he thought cooped up in his damaged mind.
'Well, I guess the real reason I'm here makes me sound like a complete psychopath, but you asked for it.' Phil began.
'Go on, I want to hear.'
'The graveyard is my escape. I come here when I need to get away from everything. It's so peaceful here. There are thousands of people lying in the ground and each has a story that has ended. I can think here. I think about the end, when I'm finally gone and lying next to one of these people. No matter how shit life gets at home, I know that in the end, whenever that may be, I'll end up here. Another story buried in the ground.'
Phil stopped. He looked up at the boy who was watching Phil intensely, holding onto every word he was saying. Finally the boy spoke.
'You know, there's more to death than meets the eye. What you don't have now will be given to you later.'
What the hell was that supposed to mean? Phil thought. How could this boy know what happened after death. How could anyone?
'How do you know what I don't have now? If I'm going to be given it later then I may as well just die now, my life is bad enough. Plus, it's not like anyone will miss me either. It would be much easier to die than to stay alive with my life. Who would miss pathetic, worthless Phil Lester? He only gets in the way now anyway.' Phil said, tears brimming in his eyes. He didn't know why he was telling this boy these things but he felt like he could trust him. There was something about the chocolate brown eyes that comforted Phil.
'Phil, don't say that about yourself' the boy answered, looking wretchedly at Phil. 'Don't give up now, there is still so much in your life that you have yet to see. Although it may not seem it now, the best things are yet to come.' Phil looked at the boy feeling sad at his attempt to comfort him. The boy continued, 'stay strong Phil and it will be worth it eventually – I promise.'
At this, the boy turned to meet Phil's eyes. Blue gazed into brown and Phil could only thank the boy. He wanted to believe him, he wanted to believe that his life would get better, but how could a stranger's promise be enough to keep him going?
Eventually he replied, 'Thank you, I will try.'
The stranger then stood up and turned back to Phil. 'I have to go now, but please stay strong. I know what I have said may not seem like much, but you have to believe me.'
'I know, I will try' Phil replied. The boy then began to turn around to leave when Phil suddenly exclaimed 'WAIT! You've made me promise to stay strong yet I don't even know your name?'
'Dan, my name is Dan Howell. Goodbye Phil.' and at that, Dan turned around and left leaving Phil to ponder their conversation.
After half an hour, the temperature had dropped to below 10 and Phil noticed that it was beginning to get dark very quickly. He got up and curiosity took the better of him. He decided to leave in direction Dan had first walked towards him in. He headed towards the headstone, expecting to see a parent's or grandparent's name etched into the black stone. However, what he saw answered the many questions he had about the curious stranger Dan Howell and how he had known so much about death.
In Loving Memory of Dan Howell
Son to two, Brother to one and Friend to many
Taken Too Soon
11 June 1991 – 13 December 2010
At that, Phil knew that the strangers promise was true and he turned to go home.
Hey, this is a quick one-shot that idea that I had yesterday.
For those who read Darkness Grows Closer, I will update it but I have no rush for it. I'm not feeling the story at the minute and it is very hard to write. I'm going to try and write these one-shots when I get the ideas because the ideas tend to come a lot.
I hope you enjoyed this quick story - leave a review to let me know what you thought of it :)