“Are you here?” Asked the girl.

A cough.

“I am.” Said the man.

A lie.

He was gone.

Jumping over rocks.

Running over train tracks.

Catapulting off of cliffs.

Down.

Down.

And back up again.

He was digging in the dirt.

He was playing with fire.

He was flirting and building, hating and crying…

He was everywhere, but there.

Where he desperately needed to be.

“Are you here?” Asked the girl.

A plea.

“I am not.” Said the man.

A truth.

Then he got up and walked away.