“Wasting your time… you’re wasting mine…”

I was awoken by a sweet tune and I felt the need to hear more. I’ve followed it and it lead me to this person, they were sat down under a tree, they don’t seem to see me, they must be too indulged in their playing. I heard people often do that, whenever they do something they’re good at, they often get lost in it, oblivious to their surroundings.

“I hate to see you leaving…”

A voice sang, I didn’t know who but they sound familiar, do I know them?

“A fate worse than dying…”

I’ve decided to come closer, but not too close. I didn’t want to creep them out or scare them, they might get the wrong idea or impression and I don’t want a misunderstanding.

“Shout at the wall, ‘cause the walls they don’t love you. Shout at the wall, ‘cause these walls they don’t love you.”

Their strumming turned aggressive, pouring all of their emotions into it, conveying their feelings through music, through a song.

“There’s a reason! That London puts barriers on the tube line, there’s a reason that London puts barriers on the rails!”

“There’s a reason… they fail…” I know this song for some reason, how? I must’ve heard it from somewhere-

“Smith! C’mon let’s go!” I turned to look at the source, it seems to be their friend calling out for them. I should go as well- go where?

“Alright, I’m coming.” I look back at Smith, at least that’s what they’re called.

I should move out of their way-

They ran through me…

They ran through…

What’s going on?

I- what?

“Hey! Smith! Can you hear me?!” I yelled, wishing I hadn’t done that, my throat began to hurt. They didn’t react, not a flinch, no head turn, no nothing!

I ran to them “Hey-“

“Let’s go.” Another voice said, I turn to them they were staring at me.

“Hey, you- can you hear me? Can- can you see-“

“Yes. It’s time to go.” They grabbed my hand pulling me towards a door.

“Go? Go where?” I asked.

“Back… to… back to your new home…” They seemed hesitant as if they had no words to describe what it was we were going back to.

“How come they didn’t hear me? How- how come this Smith person ran through me? What’s going on? Who are you?!” I reached out gripping their arm to hold them in place.

They turn to me. “We’re in a different plane now, a different place, different from theirs. Like a one-way mirror, we see, they don’t.” They explained dragging me through the door.

“W-wait! But I’m not- I don’t want to, I have to get back!!!” It was all futile, my pleas were deafened. They didn’t listen.

“We don’t have a choice… we can’t go back… I’d let you go back to them but it’ll do nothing. We can’t go back in their plane, not anymore we’re way past them! It’s best if you just move on and forget… it’ll save you the trouble…”

I was pushed into the door and just like a fragile bubble that had been popped. My world was once again nothing but endless void and darkness, nothing in sight, nothing to hear, nothing to feel.

Just an empty space.

I wasn’t cold but I felt the need to hug my nonexistent body.

——

“What’re you looking at back there?” Simon asked me snapping me out of my thoughts. I thought I heard Gould call out to me…

“Gould” I said unbeknownst to myself that I had said it aloud.

“Oh, Smith…” Simon hugged me, Gould was like an older sibling to us both, we’ll never be able to get over it.

It was all too sudden, Gould didn’t deserve what’s happened to them. Simon and I could do nothing but weep for our fallen friend, it was hard for us both, very hard, like a stab to the chest, a burning face, a snapped, broken bone and lungs filled with water.

That was 3 years ago… but there is not a day goes by that I didn’t think about them, not a single day… They were always there, in the back of my mind. We’re not leaving Gould… because they’ll always be with us, like a shadow, it’s there and it always will be.

Gould will always be there…