Escaping into Cyberspace

     The internet cafe was not as busy at night, and tonight there was just me and the other regulars. i waved and smiled hello to Johnny, who worked the night shift and was wiping down the counter.

     "The usual???"

     "Yep." i gave him two dollars to cover my large strawberry-banana milkshake and told him to keep the change. i took a seat at my usual corner booth and set my laptop on the table. i opened it and turned it on, looking around the very futuristic diner.

 

     There was the guy with rimless square glasses and in the table by the door - he had a new suit, the college girl who always had a huge textbook - tonight it was anatomy, and a girl who had a different colored streak in her blonde hair each week and an eyebrow piercing - she was wearing an Asking Alexandria t-shirt. Johnny brought over my milkshake and i logged onto my laptop. The first place i went was a social network for writers that i'd found a few months ago. i had no new messages or reviews and no inspiration knocking, so i logged out and typed in the URL for my blog and wrote a pretty boring update which no one would read anyway. i leaned back in the red vinyl booth seat and breathed out slowly.

 

     Suddenly i wished i had my sketchbook. i had nothing to write or do and no one to talk to and all i wanted to do that second was draw. i looked at the girl in the band t-shirt. i wanted to capture the way the dark purple streak stood out among the blonde and the way the light glinted off the silver stud in her eyebrow. The creases in the man's suit sleeves as he bent his elbows to type, the graceful curve of the college girl's brown ponytail, the smooth surface of the tables, and the inky blackness outside. i wanted to capture it all. My fingers itched for a pencil. i switched off my laptop, and tucked it under my arm. i asked Johnny to watch it for me and told him i'd be right back. He put it behind the counter and nodded.

 

     i dashed across the street and up three doors to the art store and caught Tony just as he was locking the door. He laughed and ran inside, bringing me a sketchbook and telling me to pay him tomorrow when he had the cash register on. i smiled and thanked him before running back to the cafe. Johnny handed me the laptop and i took it back to my seat. He'd left my milkshake for me. i set the computer on the table and opened the sketchpad, realizing i had no pencil. i sighed and got back up.

     "No pencil," i told Johnny as i went to my van.

 

     i came back with a pencil and sat down. i looked at the cafe for about thirty seconds, then started sketching. About an hour later i had it perfectly, and looked up again. The guy with glasses had left, and i looked at the clock. it was 11:35. i closed the sketchbook and stood up. i stretched, picked up my laptop, and said goodnight to Johnny on my way out.

 

     i drove around for a while before ending up at a park in the "rich" part of town. There was a lake and a "beach" beyond the new playground equipment and some scattered park benches under lights. i parked, kicked off my boots and pulled off my socks, and grabbed an old small blanket from the passenger floorboard, then headed for the sand. i sat in full lotus position on the blanket and rested my hands, palms up, on my knees. i closed my eyes, breathed in, counting five seconds, held for three seconds, then breathed out for five seconds, held for three and repeated. After a while, i imagined i was on the beach, there were rocks on either side and behind me, shielding me but far enough away to give me plenty of space. The rocks created a cliff to the right of me, and there was an abandoned lighthouse on the cliff. i went here often when i meditated, and sometimes i climbed the rocks and explored the lighthouse. Tonight i didn't feel like it, though.

 

     i stayed in my imaginary place for a while, then finally opened my eyes and got up. i stretched and picked up the blanket, shaking sand out of it before folding it up. i saw a boy sitting at one of the picnic tables as i walked back to the van. He was writing or drawing something. He looked up as i got closer, and i took in his black cargo pants and Linkin Park t-shirt. He looked at my jeans and bare feet and baggy shirt and nodded. i nodded back and glanced down as i passed him. He'd been drawing a picture of what looked like a gun in a spiral notebook. He'd drawn arrows pointing to various parts of the weapon and was writing notes.

 

     i got in the van and headed home. Dawn was still at work, so i had the house to myself. i locked the front door and headed to my room. i turned the stereo on loud and locked my door so i could leave my bathroom door open while i took my shower. After i got out of my shower i pulled on a pair of baggy dark purple cottom pj bottoms with stars on them and a black cut-off tank top. i brushed my teeth and hair, and turned off the stereo so i could watch Real Genius on my mini-TV.

Reviews

I love the 3rd paragraph, you described the observations of a true artist.
in a way the story is frustrating so far because I keep waiting, waiting, waiting for something to happen, but nothing has happened yet. but that's not necessarily a bad thing- it keeps the reader reading on.

[HappyTaylor]

That boy sounds like someone I know.....haha!! But anyway, I am LOVING this girl!

[John Stussy]

Nice description of a quiet night out, this fleshed out your character greatly, exploring who she is and her mannerisms, her train of thought. Th reader can identify with her further now throughout the story because of it. They'll be able to predict how she'll act, making it all seem more lifelike. You made her real. Excellent work.

[poetic-raven2012]

i thik this one is my favorite so far:) (gotta show the artists some love^.^)
i like how loose and airy it seems, and this one really reflects how at home she seems to be in her surroundings and makes it sweet to read. my favorite pieces were the thrid and fourth paras. i think sometimes you go a bit too much into detail though, like how at the end you say exactly what she was puttin on

[Mr. Revan]

not bad =]