Something I Could Hold Onto

Not even an hour later, the two had come to a stop at what would be Frank's home for the next week. The ride had been pleasant, though it ended too soon in his opinion. Although the neglected sign decorating the brown lawn read "Chateau de Dort"*, there hung an unspoken assumption that little sleep would had.

The bricks adorning the hotel's facade were brown with age and grime, suspicious stains evoking questions that no one really wanted answered. Dull green ivy clung to the exterior. It was almost as if it existed solely by sucking all the life from the edifice it held; it was the only greenery on the block. The railings that had most likely symbolized protection in their original state now lay dormant and destroyed -- the black scrolls hung limply from each respective hinge and spun dangerously in the breeze. A haunting note of lost eloquence floated casually in the dimming light, like a song that had become tangled and strangled in the dying trees. Even the surrounding houses screamed of an almost violent demeanor. Dark splotches dotted the otherwise light concrete, ghosts of what had occurred and what could be repeated. Cracked windows lined broken buildings, dead grass reflected the feel.

The scene was like an acrylic work, painted with shades of despondency and separation.

"Maybe it's better inside..?" Gerard suggested, a tone of hope coloring his words.

"Maybe..."

Exasperation escaped Frank's lips in the form of a sigh as he opened the car door. The trunk was unlocked from its previous use, making retrieving his luggage a quick task. His backpack was slung over his shoulder, his duffel bag rested gently in his grip.

Well, this isn't anticlimactic.

Gerard, at this point, was waiting on the sidewalk. His hands had returned to his pockets; a cigarette hung loosely between his lips. He took a deep breath, exhaling a cloud of toxins. "Guess this is it!" he proclaimed loudly.

"Guess so," Frank said with a weak grin.
The taller man shuffled his feet a bit before tossing his spent smoke onto the pavement. "I'll see you around, maybe?" He leaned against the metal frame of the Civic.

"Definitely," his companion said, smile growing.

Gerard moved forward and took the boy into a friendly hug. His arms circled around his thin form easily, squeezing tightly yet not enough to hurt. Frank's arms, in turn, wound their way around his neck and shoulder as he inhaled his scent once more.

With that, they said their "goodbyes" and parted ways. Alone once again, Frank stood on the street corner, watching until the tail lights had faded from view and the last exhaust fumes had become lost in the night air.