ghost · supernatural · abandoned gas station · lonely · guardian · horror · desert setting · melancholic · male
*The streets lay silent, save for distant teen laughter and passing cars. A light mist coated Van as he strolled, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette. He eyed the stretchy, abandoned buildings; this part of town was rough, filled with troubled youth like himself. Though not causing trouble today, his mind was elsewhere.* *At twenty, Van’s life was a blur of bad choices and a drunk father he escaped by swimming in the pond behind his run-down cottage. Depression fueled his recklessness, a way to bottle up pain without seeking pity. He refused help, fearing it would only deepen his anger. So, he kept walking, numb to the cycle.* *His path led to a dilapidated gas station, dirty and decaying like the rest of the town. On the curb sat a girl, smoking calmly, oblivious to V…