"Dad?"

Seth looked up at him, with the same storybook in his hand as last month. Now he would sit on his father's lap while Peter Pan went on new adventures, and then be carried to his bed. But this time it wasn't to be.

"If you wait in your room, I'll be right back," his father said in a low voice.

"Well, we're always here, aren't we?" Seth said before his dad picked him up.

But unlike all the other times he's been carried, his steps were wobbly, his grip weak, and the look on his dad's face was just...empty. Finally, he was in bed, waiting for Dad to come.

But the hours passed... Each minute passed slower than the last, but still it was a quarter to twelve before he gave up. This is too childish, isn't it? When you're (almost) 8, you're a big boy, you shouldn't cry!

Nevertheless, he did it.

Why not?

After all, it was the night when everything went wrong.

10 years later he is sitting here. In the middle of nowhere. He looks wearily at his guitar case. If it wasn't for the flickering lights, he would probably be playing it right now. He takes out his phone.

00.35.

"You're joking, right?" he thinks and sighs.

Nobody else is here. No one to talk to. Everyone else is asleep, in fact it's a miracle the driver hasn't fallen asleep yet. He knew a long time ago that the compartment would be empty until the other person arrived. But now? It just feels wrong. He sighs before throwing his mobile phone on the carpet.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Uppsala C"

Have they been traveling for an hour already? The door opens slowly before a few golden blonde hairs stick out of the small gap. Slowly but surely the door slides to reveal a tall silhouette. Dressed as if it were summer, and his hair as if he had just woken up.

"Um... Hello? I'm not disturbing you, am I?" he almost whispers.

"Nah, not really," he sighs.

The guy quickly slips in and sits on the other seat.

"So, where are you going?"

Seth groans internally.

“It’s one am, why is this guy trying to talk to me? Shouldn’t he just prepare his bunk and sleep? What am I supposed to say anyway?”

He thinks for a second before replying:

"Oh- I'm just meeting some mates, what about you?"

"Nice! Um, I'm just going home so... Yeah... Hehe...OH, are you guys like a band?"

He looks at the guitar case before shaking his head.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud."

Seth can’t help but grin.

"Oh, it's fine. Yeah we are, but we’re not going on a tour or anything." he replies and picks up the guitar. "Do you want to try it?"

"Hm... I've barely touched one since like... middle school?" He chuckles and twirls the end of his braid. "Trust me, even then I sucked."

"Oh, that's okay, I can teach you! If you want, that is"

Seth takes a sip of the monster can and watches the guy next to him light up.

"Really?!"

He nods.

"Sure. I have nothing else to do anyway."

New mission: Teach Rapunzel how to play the simplest chord there is.