Short Stories

Whispered Secrets

We sneak out the backdoor, hands intertwined. I follow behind him silently, except for the occasional trip kicking of a random tin can as we fumble around in the dark. Escaping our neighborhood we run through the woods.

I giggle and he does too. We are out of breath, the cold midnight air stings in my lungs. I'm alive. We cut through a small clearing and sprint towards an old apple tree.

The insides have long rotted out of the original trunk but 3 new sections have grown in, full with big leaves and green apples. I throw my hair up before gripping the bark with both hands. It's an easy climb but he still has trouble.

At the top I snatch an apple and take a moment catch my breath. It's so cold I can see spirals off smoke-like air in the dark. Taking a huge bite out of my apple I sit next to him.

I suck in a deep breath hoping he remembers the rules. A pit of fear forms in my stomach, I can tell he feels it too so I start, "I cry."

It's easier once I start, not as scary.

"I guess everyone does. But a lot more than anyone knows. In the shower, in my bed at night. Things get to me, you know?"

Stupid of my to ask a question he won't answer it's one of our rules.

"Death doesn't scare me," he begins swinging his legs back and forth, "It used to. A lot. Now I just think of it as easier. I don't want to die or anything- I'm not suicidal. It's just- I just don't think it's scary."

He feels stupid. I don't care it's not dumb I understand. I can't tell him that because we promised not to comment no matter how crazy we sound. So I just reach out into the dark, placing my hand on his.

My turn, "I feel lonely. All the time. I see my other friends together and I get a small heart ache. They are so close. They really seem to get each other. But I don't think anyone really gets me or wants to be really close to me. To know me."

Both high on the unknown feelings. It the a kind of high you know will come plummeting down. Down to rock bottom but we don't care. Who cares about the future. We have now.

His grip on the tree tightens, "I love you"

"I-" I quickly remember I don't need to speak, I can't speak, so I stop myself. 

I feel my way down off the branch we are sitting on. And we walk home in silence. I have fallen from my high. We whisper secrets in the dark and everytime it is nice to know someone is listening this time.