An Arctic Circle road-trip story
A lone wolf and an aloof human | A cold-faced, clingy, stubborn younger brother X a sharp-tongued older guy with a strong need for control
Chen Shuo first met the boy on a train heading for the city center. The carriage doors slid open with a bang, and a vagrant barged in, shouting at thin air. The boy sat opposite him, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled low. He had a piercing in his right nostril and another between his lips, like the kind of teenager even dogs would steer clear of.
He lifted his head slightly and pointed at his temple, indicating Chen Shuo.
It probably meant: This guy’s lost his mind.
The second time was on the train platform. Chen Shuo’s bag had been stolen. It held his DSLR and lenses. He called the police, but they couldn’t understand a word he said. The boy snatched his phone, repeated the story in the local language, then handed it back.
“Forget it. You’re not getting it back.”
Chen Shuo looked at the travel bag on his shoulder.
“Where are you going?”
“The airport.”
Right. Where else would he be going?
Chen Shuo slipped his hand into the inner pocket of his windbreaker and felt the hard edge of his passport.
“I’m going too,” he heard himself say. “Together?”
After the trip, Chen Shuo came down with snow blindness. The boy messaged him.
“Still alive?”
“Dead.”
“How long till you come back to life?”
“Tomorrow. I miss you too.”
P.S.:
1. Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll write this next winter. The point of view isn’t settled yet, but it’ll probably switch between the two leads.
2. The top’s name has nothing to do with the place called Linköping, ovo.
3. The story of two cool guys, one older and one younger, who both lack affection, somehow making two negatives a positive and secretly falling in love.
Theme: Love life
