Status: Completed
On the Bright Side
Chapter 2
One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three. One, two, three, four. I counted the steps it took to get across each slab of pavement. I ran into people countless times before I gave up on counting my steps and looked ahead at where I was going. I was headed to a park. One of my favorites in the city. I didn't visit it often, I lived much too far away, but when you have an entire night to kill, the farther the better. I shoved my hands in my sweatshirt pockets. My fingers toyed with a lighter that I kept in my pocket as I walked. I smiled to myself as I saw couples walking hand in hand down the street. And I laughed at all the people missing out on life as they walked briskly holding phones to their ears, clutching onto brief cases as if their life depended on it. I almost hadn't noticed that I arrived at the park.
The sun was just setting, and the sky was pink and orange. I fell onto the lush grass and stared at the sky, and it's beautiful colors. The way the clouds drifted and how the colors reflected on them. But the colors started to drain from the sky and the clouds became difficult to see as night set in. I sat up and looked around. The park was nearly abandoned save for myself and few others. I stood up and walked aimlessly around the park. It all looked so different at night. No longer teeming with life, but more of a peaceful sanctuary. I sat down on a bench that faced a now empty side walk. Sighing, I rested my hands on my knees and hummed. I was lost deep in thought, but my thoughts were cut off as I caught sight of something unusual.
A man of two feet tall hobbled down the street. What a peculiar sight I thought as he approached the park.
"Hi." I said with a nod as he passed me.
"Listen to these words that I have lived by my whole life." He replied. "You're only as tall as your heart will let you be, and you're only as small as the world will make you seem. And when the going gets rough and you feel like you may fall, just look on the bright side, you're roughly six feet tall."
"You are quite ambitious in a world that is so vicious to us all." I remarked.
He smiled and nodded, hobbling away, in the direction he came from. Although odd, his words carried meaning, which spoke to me on an intimate level. My mother, Marina, has always preferred my sister, Hannah, over me. Hannah is the star child who never makes mistakes and getw praised Marina just sends me away. She has a way of making me feel small. I squeezed my knees. I never let it bother me, but sometimes- My thoughts were cut short as my eyes caught sight of a man of twelve feet tall. He glided down the street. What an odd sight I thought as he approached the park.
"Hi." I said with a nod as he passed me.
"Listen to these words that I have dreaded my whole life." He replied. "You're only as tall as your heart will let you be, and you're only as small as the world will make you seem. When the going gets rough and you feel like you may fall, just look on the bright side, you're roughly six feet tall."
"You tower like a giant in a world that is defiant of your height." I remarked.
A frown ghosted his lips as he nodded, gracefully glided away in the direction he came from. My pocket vibrated. I pulled my phone out and glanced down. A text from Marina. "You can come home now." It read. I stood and walked slowly down the street in the direction of my house.
I thought about my family. I thought about my Drew. I thought about the words of those two men. And I thought about me. But that's just typical stoner thoughts, right?
The sun was just setting, and the sky was pink and orange. I fell onto the lush grass and stared at the sky, and it's beautiful colors. The way the clouds drifted and how the colors reflected on them. But the colors started to drain from the sky and the clouds became difficult to see as night set in. I sat up and looked around. The park was nearly abandoned save for myself and few others. I stood up and walked aimlessly around the park. It all looked so different at night. No longer teeming with life, but more of a peaceful sanctuary. I sat down on a bench that faced a now empty side walk. Sighing, I rested my hands on my knees and hummed. I was lost deep in thought, but my thoughts were cut off as I caught sight of something unusual.
A man of two feet tall hobbled down the street. What a peculiar sight I thought as he approached the park.
"Hi." I said with a nod as he passed me.
"Listen to these words that I have lived by my whole life." He replied. "You're only as tall as your heart will let you be, and you're only as small as the world will make you seem. And when the going gets rough and you feel like you may fall, just look on the bright side, you're roughly six feet tall."
"You are quite ambitious in a world that is so vicious to us all." I remarked.
He smiled and nodded, hobbling away, in the direction he came from. Although odd, his words carried meaning, which spoke to me on an intimate level. My mother, Marina, has always preferred my sister, Hannah, over me. Hannah is the star child who never makes mistakes and getw praised Marina just sends me away. She has a way of making me feel small. I squeezed my knees. I never let it bother me, but sometimes- My thoughts were cut short as my eyes caught sight of a man of twelve feet tall. He glided down the street. What an odd sight I thought as he approached the park.
"Hi." I said with a nod as he passed me.
"Listen to these words that I have dreaded my whole life." He replied. "You're only as tall as your heart will let you be, and you're only as small as the world will make you seem. When the going gets rough and you feel like you may fall, just look on the bright side, you're roughly six feet tall."
"You tower like a giant in a world that is defiant of your height." I remarked.
A frown ghosted his lips as he nodded, gracefully glided away in the direction he came from. My pocket vibrated. I pulled my phone out and glanced down. A text from Marina. "You can come home now." It read. I stood and walked slowly down the street in the direction of my house.
I thought about my family. I thought about my Drew. I thought about the words of those two men. And I thought about me. But that's just typical stoner thoughts, right?