A/n: Thanks for all your reviews, sorry this chapter is very short, but I
wanted to get more published before I go back to school because updates
will slow down a bit then.
She ran her hand along the concrete, so cold and rough beneath her hand, harsh and unforgiving in the coldness of winter, but this path had been her home for so long. Not anymore. It was time to move on, away from everything... away from him.
She had been foolish to let herself get so close.
He knew where to find her here. She had to get away.
A small tear ran down a cheek, desperate for an escape from the sadness of her eyes. It fell to the floor, splashing as it made contact.
Phoebe stood up, brushing her hand over her face roughly, her eyes fixated on the tear, as someone walking past bumped into her, nearly knocking her sideways.
"Sorry," they said, almost automatically, as they carried on.
And Phoebe paused, before walking off down the path. "Yeah... me too."
***
"What's up?" Rachel asked, as she down next to Chandler at the coffeehouse, escaping the cold from outside.
"Nothing... why?" Chandler asked suspiciously.
"Just asking," Rachel said, stirring her coffee. "So how's Phoebe?" She almost winced as she said it, as if knowing Chandler was about to get angry.
"I wouldn't know," he sighed wearily. "I couldn't find her."
"Did you not try her hous..." Rachel trailed off, suddenly remembering that Phoebe had no real home. "Oh yeah... maybe she was just walking about?" she suggested optimistically, but Chandler rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on Rach, you know as well I do that she's avoiding me." He lent his head on the back of the couch, releasing a heavy sigh.
"You've got to find her."
"And how do you suppose I do that?" he snapped, and Rachel looked taken back. "Sorry Rach... I know you're right, but there must be thousands of homeless people in this city, how am I going to find her?"
"You have to try."
"I know," Chandler said. "I'm going to."
***
She used to move around all the time, never staying in the same place too long. She travelled everywhere, hoping that if she looked enough places eventually she'd find what she was looking for.
What was she looking for? Even Phoebe didn't know. Hope? Love?
Happiness. All she wanted was the chances other people had been given.
She stared around the back alley, which was dark and dingy. She grimaced as she saw a rat run across in the background, but her eyes were averted upwards.
Squinting upwards, she saw that the alley was sheltered by the fire escape from one of the buildings.
She turned around to face the street. It was extremely busy, everyone power- walking by, not taking a moment to peek into the darkness of the backstreets. It was cold, and damp, but it was sheltered. It was home.
***
He couldn't believe he was here.
He sat on a bench, his eyes never moving from that corner on path where he had found her. She had to come back; he couldn't cope with never seeing her again.
She had to come back, didn't she?
***
The first nightfall in her new home was the worst Phoebe had experience for many years.
As darkness set over, a cold wind whipped through the alley, howling as it swept round the corner onto the main street. Rats scurried around, and she could feel their eyes on her, staring down this newcomer to their home. The walls of the buildings either side seem to stretch up forever, with no sign of sky, the darkness only increased the feeling of claustrophobia, as the walls seem to lean in, trapping her inside her own loneliness.
Fear of closing her eyes, as all she could see was him. She couldn't look back- she had to move on.
She knew he would try to find her, and no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, deep down Phoebe wanted to be found. She didn't want to be alone anymore; she was tired of being empty and numb of any feeling but pain.
But she couldn't let herself be hurt again.
She couldn't let herself be found.
She ran her hand along the concrete, so cold and rough beneath her hand, harsh and unforgiving in the coldness of winter, but this path had been her home for so long. Not anymore. It was time to move on, away from everything... away from him.
She had been foolish to let herself get so close.
He knew where to find her here. She had to get away.
A small tear ran down a cheek, desperate for an escape from the sadness of her eyes. It fell to the floor, splashing as it made contact.
Phoebe stood up, brushing her hand over her face roughly, her eyes fixated on the tear, as someone walking past bumped into her, nearly knocking her sideways.
"Sorry," they said, almost automatically, as they carried on.
And Phoebe paused, before walking off down the path. "Yeah... me too."
***
"What's up?" Rachel asked, as she down next to Chandler at the coffeehouse, escaping the cold from outside.
"Nothing... why?" Chandler asked suspiciously.
"Just asking," Rachel said, stirring her coffee. "So how's Phoebe?" She almost winced as she said it, as if knowing Chandler was about to get angry.
"I wouldn't know," he sighed wearily. "I couldn't find her."
"Did you not try her hous..." Rachel trailed off, suddenly remembering that Phoebe had no real home. "Oh yeah... maybe she was just walking about?" she suggested optimistically, but Chandler rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on Rach, you know as well I do that she's avoiding me." He lent his head on the back of the couch, releasing a heavy sigh.
"You've got to find her."
"And how do you suppose I do that?" he snapped, and Rachel looked taken back. "Sorry Rach... I know you're right, but there must be thousands of homeless people in this city, how am I going to find her?"
"You have to try."
"I know," Chandler said. "I'm going to."
***
She used to move around all the time, never staying in the same place too long. She travelled everywhere, hoping that if she looked enough places eventually she'd find what she was looking for.
What was she looking for? Even Phoebe didn't know. Hope? Love?
Happiness. All she wanted was the chances other people had been given.
She stared around the back alley, which was dark and dingy. She grimaced as she saw a rat run across in the background, but her eyes were averted upwards.
Squinting upwards, she saw that the alley was sheltered by the fire escape from one of the buildings.
She turned around to face the street. It was extremely busy, everyone power- walking by, not taking a moment to peek into the darkness of the backstreets. It was cold, and damp, but it was sheltered. It was home.
***
He couldn't believe he was here.
He sat on a bench, his eyes never moving from that corner on path where he had found her. She had to come back; he couldn't cope with never seeing her again.
She had to come back, didn't she?
***
The first nightfall in her new home was the worst Phoebe had experience for many years.
As darkness set over, a cold wind whipped through the alley, howling as it swept round the corner onto the main street. Rats scurried around, and she could feel their eyes on her, staring down this newcomer to their home. The walls of the buildings either side seem to stretch up forever, with no sign of sky, the darkness only increased the feeling of claustrophobia, as the walls seem to lean in, trapping her inside her own loneliness.
Fear of closing her eyes, as all she could see was him. She couldn't look back- she had to move on.
She knew he would try to find her, and no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, deep down Phoebe wanted to be found. She didn't want to be alone anymore; she was tired of being empty and numb of any feeling but pain.
But she couldn't let herself be hurt again.
She couldn't let herself be found.
