Storm's Secret

Four Weeks of Freedom. The first day of my four-week vacation, and I was already bored.

Most people would probably spend their first day off sleeping in, planning a trip, or doing something useful with their lives.

I stood on my balcony in an oversized T-shirt, drinking coffee and wondering if my houseplants had finally given up on me... Honestly, I couldn’t blame them.

The morning sun warmed my face as I looked out over the rooftops. No alarm clocks. No deadlines. No annoying customers. No pretending to be interested in conversations I would rather escape from.

Four whole weeks of freedom. It should have been perfect.

So why did I already feel like something was missing?

I took another sip of coffee and glanced at the empty chair beside me. My friends were probably sitting in their offices by now, staring at computer screens under artificial lighting and complaining about meetings. Meanwhile, I could do whatever I wanted.

Lucky me. Except I wasn’t particularly good at doing things alone.

Don’t get me wrong. I had friends. Good ones, actually. I wasn’t some antisocial hermit who hid from the world and only came outside after dark.

But spending four weeks on vacation by myself? That sounded depressing as hell.

What was the point of making memories if you had nobody to share them with?

I looked down at my plants. One of them had a suspiciously yellow leaf. “Don’t look at me like that,” I muttered. “We’re both struggling here.”

I took another sip of coffee and stared into the cup.

“Four weeks alone,” I said. “How the hell am I supposed to survive this?”

Apparently, the answer was to stand on my balcony and have conversations with myself.

I finished my coffee, put the cup inside, and decided I needed to get out of the apartment before I started talking to the furniture.

Thankfully, I knew exactly where to go.

My parents lived a short walk away, and they had the best dog in the entire world: Leika.

She wasn’t technically my dog anymore, but that was a minor detail I preferred to ignore. Whenever I needed some company, I could usually borrow her for a walk. She never complained about my life choices, never asked why I was still single, and never expected me to have anything interesting to say.

Honestly, she was the perfect woman. Well, almost. She did have a habit of eating things she shouldn’t.

My mother opened the door before I had even managed a proper knock. “Storm, you look pale. Have you been eating properly?”

I stared at her. “Good morning to you too, Mom.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know. I’m fine. I’m just enjoying my first lazy day off.”

My father appeared behind her, leaning on his crutches. He was still recovering from an operation, which meant Mom had been worrying about practically everything lately.

I tried not to make a big deal out of it. Dad hated feeling helpless, and Mom worrying about him every five minutes probably wasn’t helping.

“I thought I’d take Leika up into the mountains,” I explained.

Mom’s expression softened immediately. “That sounds lovely. She could use a proper walk.”

Leika appeared between us, her tail wagging so hard that the rest of her body seemed to be joining in.

“See?” I said, pointing at her. “She understands me.”

Dad chuckled. “It’s good that you’re getting outside during your vacation. A little fresh air will do you good.”

“That’s the plan.”

A few minutes later, Leika and I were on our way.

The trail was so familiar that I barely had to think about where I was going. Sunlight filtered through the treetops, scattering golden patches across the ground. The air smelled of pine needles, damp earth, and summer.

For the first time that morning, I felt properly relaxed.

Leika trotted ahead of me, weaving between the trees with her tongue hanging out of her mouth.

“Hey! Save some energy for the swimming!”

She ignored me.

I picked up my pace and pushed a branch out of the way. The sun was already getting hot, and I suddenly remembered that I probably should have put on some sunscreen. Shit.

Being pale and redheaded wasn’t exactly an ideal combination for spending several hours outdoors in nearly thirty-degree heat.

But we were almost there, and I wasn’t turning back now.

Our little mountain lake appeared between the trees, just as beautiful as I remembered it. The water was so still that it almost perfectly reflected the surrounding forest. Now we’re talking.

I dropped my things on a flat rock and started stripping.

T-shirt. Jeans. Underwear. Within seconds, I was standing completely naked in the sunshine.

I glanced around to make sure we were alone before looking down at myself.

“If anyone sees me now, they’ll probably need sunglasses to survive the reflection from my blindingly white ass.”

I snorted at my own joke. Before I could change my mind, I ran towards the water and jumped in.

The cold hit me like a slap in the face. “OH, FOR FUCK’S SAKE!”

I surfaced, gasping for air, and immediately started laughing. The water was freezing compared to the warm air, but after a few seconds, my body began to adjust.

Leika jumped in after me with so much enthusiasm that I briefly wondered if she was trying to drown me.

“Hey! Take it easy!”

She barked at me.

We swam for a while before eventually climbing onto a large, flat rock by the water’s edge. The sun had warmed the surface, and I stretched out on my back, letting the heat dry my skin.

Leika settled beside me. I stared up at the sky, listening to the birds and the gentle rustling of leaves.

This was what I needed... Just me and my best friend in the world.

Still, something was missing. I turned my head towards Leika.

“You know what would make this place even better?”

She lifted her head.

“A girlfriend.”

She blinked at me.

“Yeah, I know. Shocking, right? Me, with a girlfriend. Try not to look so surprised.”

She tilted her head.

I laughed. “Forget it. You’re terrible at giving relationship advice.”

The truth was, I wasn’t particularly good at talking to girls I didn’t know. I could manage perfectly well with people I was comfortable around, but put an attractive stranger in front of me, and my brain would suddenly decide to take an unscheduled vacation.

I wasn’t desperate for a relationship. I didn’t need some grand romantic adventure or a woman who would fall into my arms while dramatic music played in the background.

I just wanted someone to share things with.

Someone to come home to. Someone who would notice if I was having a bad day instead of me having to pretend everything was fine. Was that really too much to ask? Apparently, the universe thought so.

I sighed and ran a hand through Leika’s soft fur. “At least I’ve got you.”

She rested her head against my leg.

For a moment, I thought about my sister. She was three years older than me, married, and had two small children who seemed to spend most of their time clinging to her legs.

She had always been a few steps ahead of me in life. Lately, the distance between us had started to feel even greater.

While I lived alone in a small apartment and wondered how to fill four weeks of freedom, she was out there building a family and making memories.

Don’t misunderstand me. I was happy for her. I really was. But sometimes, I couldn’t help wondering when my own life would start feeling as if it had properly begun.

“They’re probably in France by now,” I murmured.

My sister and her family had been planning the trip for months. I could picture her sitting at a little café in Paris, smiling while her husband tried to take the perfect picture of the children.

They were probably running around near the Eiffel Tower, excited about everything they saw.

I opened my eyes and looked out across the lake. “Well, at least it’s peaceful here. And I can swim naked without traumatising a group of tourists.”

I grinned. “Right, Leika?”

Her tail thumped against the rock, and I decided that meant she agreed.

We stayed a little longer before I finally got dressed. My socks had acquired a lovely shade of brown from all the mud we’d walked through earlier.

“Beautiful,” I muttered, holding them up. “Absolutely fashionable. I should start a clothing line.”

Leika was already on her feet, ready to lead the way home.

“Come on. We’d better get back before Mom decides I’ve been eaten by a bear.”

The walk back was peaceful. My legs were a little stiff from lying on the rock for so long, but otherwise, I felt better than I had that morning.

Maybe four weeks of freedom wouldn’t be so bad after all.

When we reached my parents’ house, Mom was outside tending to her flower beds. Dad’s old toolbox sat beside the front door, exactly where it always did.

“How was your trip?” Mom asked, looking up as I approached.

“Great. We had a good time.” I patted Leika on the back. “She’s definitely getting more trips this week.”

“Good. It’s healthy for both of you.”

I said goodbye, dropped Leika off, and headed back to my apartment. A shower, clean clothes, and something to eat sounded like an excellent plan.

Later that evening, I sank into my couch with a full stomach and the remote in my hand.

Outside, dusk had settled over the city. The windows had turned into dark mirrors, and the television was the only real source of light in the living room.

I scrolled through Netflix. I paused on a romantic comedy for a few seconds before quickly scrolling past it. Watching happy couples fall in love was not what I needed tonight.

A horror movie caught my attention. Dark cover, creepy forest with a tagline promising more nightmares than hours of sleep.

Perfect... I pressed play.

“Finally. Something interesting.”

Horror movies had never frightened me that much. Sure, I’d jumped a few times, but that was part of the fun. I liked the suspense, the strange noises, and the feeling that something terrible was about to happen at any moment.

I pulled a blanket over myself and sank deeper into the couch. For once, I didn’t have to think about tomorrow.

For now, I was just a twenty-two-year-old guy watching a horror movie, blissfully unaware that my peaceful vacation was about to go completely to hell. Typical me.