Casper felt a sudden sense of relief when he hugged his mom. It was the first time in a while, and it felt as if all the buildup stress slowly seeped from his body down into the floorboards of the house. Coming home for Christmas truly is the best, Casper thought as he made his way towards his old room.


    Flying from the other side of the country meant it was the first time in two years since he’d seen his mom. Soon, he reckoned, the whole family would be flocking to greet him. Not that he minded, not in the least. While Student life was treating him relatively well, the homework had been piling up since his girlfriend had left him. Being home was a lot better than pulling hairs over assignments, that’s for sure.


    But these thoughts Casper forced to the back of his mind. He didn’t want his holiday to be about being on holiday, he wanted himself to forget everything and just be - For a time to let go of the chaos and regain control of himself.


    Christmas came and went, family smiled and departed. Casper was now only a few days away from having to go back to his messy dorm room. It would be just as he left it, he feared. And as he packed his things neatly into his suitcase, stubbornly procrastinating departure, he felt all the worry the house had kept safe for him slowly transfer back to his body. Casper knew it would happen, but it still annoyed him greatly. It felt as if a demon had slipped into his mind and begun buzzing him with reminders of what hardship was to come: ‘Homework, assignments, no girlfriend, homework, no girlfriend.’ Still couldn’t stop thinking about Lisa. Love was a sickness, that much he realized now.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    “That’s just how it is, I guess”, he sighed, the suitcase finally packed.


    When the time had come, he had hugged his mom goodbye and rolled his suitcase a few blocks down the street. He now stood at a crossing, waiting for the red to turn into green. It was a smaller town, but with a train station nearby he didn’t need to call a taxi to get to the airport. It was cheaper like that anyways. The cold stung his ears and made them red. It was beginning to snow and the road seemed icy. In a rare moment of silence, even his minds constant hubbub disappearing, he heard his surroundings clearly: The wind singing through the empty streets, a crow screaming, his own constant breathing. Green. And as he absentmindedly crossed the street into a truck Casper did not even flinch.