Evan Was There

The fireplace was the only source of light in the dark living room with a wooden floor and wooden walls. Past the olive green sofa, past the round coffee table, past the mahogany-colored carpet. Eighteen-year-old Blake was sitting in front of the bright, flickering flames, wearing a blanket over his shoulders to keep himself warm from the cold of winter. He stared at the fire’s dance with blank, soulless eyes, his knees tucked close to his chest. His chestnut brown hair had grown long enough to reach his shoulders, and his red turtleneck sweater was one he had been using throughout autumn. 

And before he knew it, Evan was there. Sitting right next to him with an elbow resting on one knee. A boy of his age with messy blonde hair wearing a white collared shirt and black trousers. 

“How are the neighbors doing this winter?” Evan asked, turning to look at Blake with his pure blue eyes. 

“They’re having trouble getting the snow out of their way. But the kids seem to be enjoying it.” Blake replied with a small smile.

“Good. I was worried that the old lady next door might get cranky because of the cold.”

Blake chuckled and changed his sitting position, criss-crossing his legs. Evan also changed his position by leaning back a little and straightening his legs.

“I miss summer.” Blake said with a sigh. “Remember when we used to go to the beach and find seashells?”

“Those good old days.” Evan said, smiling in reminiscence. 

“I still have that big shell you found on a really hot morning.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I hold it up to my ear sometimes, and I can hear the sound of the waves. It’s calming, but it makes me a bit sad because I realize it’s not summer anymore.”

“I understand. I also feel a little sad when I see our village covered up in snow.”

Evan turned away from Blake to look out the window. There was a snowy world with a pitch black backdrop outside, and it seemed as if this cold night was eternal, as if it was going to swallow everything up and turn life into a dark labyrinth.

Meanwhile, Blake was picking up a piece of firewood from a pile right next to the fireplace and tossing it into the flames. He scooched back to his spot and sat in his original position, looking in the same direction as Evan.

Evan then finally turned to face Blake, saying, “Let me tell you a story.”

“Another one?”

“You brought up the subject of seasons, so I came up with an idea involving summer and winter.”

“I’ll be really upset if it ends with a cliffhanger like last time.” Blake warned.

“It won’t. I promise.”

“All right, then. Go ahead.”

Blake liked and disliked Evan’s stories at the same time. The worlds Evan created were playful and colorful, but they felt very real. 

Evan took a deep breath before he began.

“Once upon a time, a tiny fairy of snow was born from the cloudy sky. Summer, the fairy of the sun, took a liking to the peculiar newborn and decided to take care of him, naming him Winter. A bond gradually formed between the two. Summer learned to be a loving mother, and Winter learned what warmth is from the day he appeared in this world.”

Blake rocked himself back and forth as he listened, keeping his eyes on Evan.

“But the time finally came. Winter had to say goodbye to Summer and become independent. Before they parted, Summer gave Winter a piece of her warmth so he wouldn’t feel lonely. Winter trained hard and gained the ability to create his own season like a full-fledged fairy.”

Blake felt it. The story was about to arrive at its climax. Evan always added some sort of obstacle when things started to look good.

“However, the season was incomplete. It had a lot of flaws and couldn’t exist on its own. It was because Winter couldn’t let go of the warmth Summer gave him. Winter and Summer were opposites, so the warmth prevented him from reaching his true potential.”

Blake was now staring at the fire again, and he blankly tossed in another piece of firewood.

“Summer was notified of the situation, and she tried to convince Winter to give the warmth back to her. Winter obviously refused. He didn’t want to let go of the only piece of Summer he could keep by his side while living as an independent fairy. So Summer told him her true wish. She said that she wanted to see Winter grow and live his life to the fullest, that it would make her happy to watch her child rule his own season.”

Blake noticed Evan staring at him with a smile. A smile of both encouragement and concern. Blake couldn’t look Evan in the eye, for his heart was filled with worry. He didn’t want the fire to die out.

“Winter finally decided to return the warmth to Summer, and he used all of his powers to create a complete season of cold and snow. Without his mother, without the warmth. He was now alone, but he had a feeling it was going to be okay.”

Evan put a hand on Blake’s shoulder, which caused Blake to turn towards him with an expression of fear.

“It’s going to be okay.” Evan whispered softly.

Blake wrapped up his entire body with his blanket, saying, “I want to stay warm.”

“I know. But you have to take a step forward. There’s a bright future ahead of you. I can see it.”

“...How can my future be bright without the sun?”

Evan gently rubbed Blake’s back, telling him, “The sun will always be there for you.”

Blake was almost about to shed a tear, but the feeling that Evan was there kept him from doing so. He could sense Evan’s warmth, and he knew that it was always going to exist within his heart. Though it may not be enough, he had to bear with it. He had to carry the emptiness with him so that Evan could keep smiling.

Blake slowly stood up, turned around, and started to walk away from the fireplace. He stopped when he took a step on the mahogany-colored carpet to look back one last time. Evan was gone. There was nobody in the dark living room but Blake, and the crackling of the fire was the only sound that could be heard. 

Blake faced forward again and continued walking, leaving the warmth behind and remembering that Evan was there.