Things smelled something like dying outside, but at least they smelled. The summer had brought with it a fantastic volume of expression. It seemed cliche to talk about the sky, but lying there inside his bedroom, Elijah stared out the window, clouds nestling by, periodically squeezing into view from where he lay, and then just as effortlessly leaving. He tried to feel nothing about it, but found himself worried. Each cloud passing felt like another moment missed, seconds spilling through holes drilled in the floorboards. And yet, Elijah did nothing about it.
Summer had started a few weeks ago and Elijah’s productivity had plunged below a threshold he had ever experienced. High School was over and the whole world was open to him with fresh opportunities and blossoming experiences. But Elijah chose to sit beside his bed, watching the clouds, lamenting the clouds, wishing he could just stop one dead in its tracks.
A short vibration startled Elijah from his trance. He extended his hands above his head, pushing his chest out, feeling as his vertebra realigned from bottom to top. Blinking, Elijah stood up and turned to find his phone still alight with a new text message. Grabbing the phone, he noticed it was an unknown number to him. He frowned and unlocked his phone.