down my spine [l.s.]

00.

the last shade

i've seen the mountains
seen the sea's
raced the sun
with beaten knees
i've breathed the ash
of sunken ships
found the tide
in quickened lips
i've seen it all
under tumultuous skies
but what a grand adventure
would it be to die

 

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"I'm sorry Louis, but we're really at a dead end here."

Louis sighs and runs his hands over his face. He really can't believe this is happening to him. His boss had called Louis into his office to let him know that yet another one of Louis' articles weren't good enough to be published in the paper.

That was five in a row.

Louis' twenty-three and he's been working as a journalist since he was fresh out of high school, moving to London to pursue his dream and make a name for himself. He had immediately gotten a job at one of the most successful papers in London, and he instantly published an article about teen love, and it had been an immediate success.

Now, five years later, he hasn't published anything in over seven months.

"What am I supposed to do?" Louis asks, peeking from his hands.

His boss takes off his glasses and sighs. "I'm giving you one last chance, Tomlinson. I have a very special project for you and I expect that you write a kick-ass article once you're done. If you don't..."

Louis nods frantically, scooting to the edge of his seat. "Of course, sir, what is it?"

"About six hours north of here, there is a very, very small town. You're going to be staying there."

Louis is dumbfounded. Usually his projects had a meaning to them, and if was ever assigned to go somewhere, it was only a few hours away. He had never gone so far before.

"Just to interview someone?" Louis asks.

His boss chuckles lightly. "Oh no. You'll be staying there for two months. You'll stay with a very nice family who has offered to welcome you into their home for the two months."

Louis scoffs. "Two months? Are you crazy? What do you expect me to do there for two months?"

"This town is very...different, per se. I'm sure you'll understand once you get there. After the two months and you return I'll give you fifteen days to turn in your article to me and I'll proofread it myself." His boss says, turning to his file cabinet and he pulls out a manila folder.

"When do I leave?" Louis asks.

His boss hands over the folder. "Saturday. You'll take a train to a city an hour away and at the train station, you'll be picked up by Mr. Styles and he will take you back to his home to stay."

Louis sighs and takes the manila folder. "Are you sure I just can't rewrite my article about global warming?"

Louis' boss laughs and shakes his head. "Sorry, this is your last chance. Don't blow it, Tomlinson. I'll see you in two months."

Louis gets up from the chair and slowly exits the office. He's still in shock. He doesn't know how he's going to explain this one to his friends, his family, or his landlord. There's no way he can get out of paying the rent on his small flat for two months.

Louis silently drives home and when he arrives, Zayn is sitting on his couch, his feet on the coffee table and munching on cheese balls.

"Hey, those are my cheese balls. If I bought three pounds then I got the fourth pound free." Louis pouts as he toes off his shoes and throws his jacket in the general direction of the coat hook.

Louis drags himself to the couch and plops himself down, swinging his legs up so they're propped up on Zayn's legs.

Zayn pinches Louis' toe and says, "What's got you so down, mate?"

"Besides the fact that you barged into my home uninvited and are eating my cheese balls?"

"Yes, other than that."

"My boss hated my article on global warming." Louis says, sitting up and running a hand through his messy hair. "He gave me once last chance before I lose my job." Louis wordlessly hands over the manila folder.

Zayn puts down the bowl of cheese balls and slowly opens the manila folder. Louis hadn't bothered to even look at what was in it, so he curiously peered over Zayn's shoulder.

First, Zayn pulls out a white piece of paper with a picture of a family clipped onto it.

"Dude, there's like, three mums." Zayn says, pointing to three elder woman in the picture.

"Do you think they're, like, sister wives or something?" Louis asks.

Zayn shrugs. "Dunno. But that bloke right there looks pretty hot." Zayn snickers and points to an older looking boy with dark curly hair. He wasn't smiling in the picture but Louis figures his smile would be beautiful.

Louis shrugs.

"So, you have to like interview them or something?"

"Yeah, but I have to go live with them. For two months." Louis says.

Zayn's jaw drops as he stares at Louis. "Are you gonna do it?"

"What other choice do I have?"

Zayn doesn't respond. Louis sighs. It looks like Louis is going to be living with a family he's never even met for two months.

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This is only the prologue, so of course it's short. Please leave some feedback so I know if you like it!! :)