bluer than velvet, was the night || open

all the pieces lie where they fell...

There’s sea foam seeping into the fabric of his tights as he sloshes his way over smooth, worn granite, the feeling of thick, sticky bubbles tacking the fabric to his toenails makes him feel queasy. Charlie wasn’t quite sure what had possessed him when he made the decision to kick off his shoes and travel down from the coverage of the cypress trees and into the cold, rough breach of the ocean. The idea had most likely bubbled up from the cesspool of cheap wine and acid filling his stomach and travelled to his brain, clouding his judgement enough to let it all seem like a perfectly safe idea.

The water looks inky black around his bloody knees, a result of a tilted meeting with the rocky floor only moments before hand. Kicking gently at the waves and hopelessly soaking his blue velvet dress in the process, Charlie revelled in the envelopment of the cold around him. Heavy clouds hung above his head, threatening to rain slick his path back to steady ground and soak his upper half as much as his bottom half.

The thick fabric of the letterman jacket he'd tucked himself cosily into wouldn't let him be deterred from his intoxicated adventuring. It has been a rick, tugging it out of the back seat of his one of his upper classmates' car, but it's warmth provided the security he needed for reckless behaviour such as this.  After a few more kicks at the reigning tide, Charlie drunkenly waddled toward the highest surface he could find so he could perch himself amongst the rocks as the waves crashed upon him.

A few slippery attempts to climb the slick granite proved to be quite difficult until Charlie pulled a pocket knife from the delicate cotton bra on his chest, and sliced gently across the top of his foot. The fabric where the stockings had joined over his toes snapped to the side, revealing his slightly bloodied toes so he could better grasp the rocks.

Rather indelicately, Charlie pulled himself up the incline, dismissing a few near missed with jagged rock edges and slippery, seaweed coverings. At the top of the boulder though, Charlie let out a triumphant caw of glee at his achievement. Perched atop the soaked granite, Charlie could feel himself soaked from the waist and elbows down, his body shivering despite the wine making him feel heated and dizzy. For the moment, he felt good.