Cigarettes and Charisma

This is a section out of my "in progress" short story book
"Jacob Light: XTC".

The air surrounding the area is crisp and clean, the breeze carries the fresh scent of flowers and nature through it. The presence of a lightly clothed man stands out of the scenery. He stands upon a rather large, but old and ivy covered bridge. He isn’t moving or saying anything. He is simply leaning on the railings and watching the river flow naturally. This is Jacob.

Jacob takes a thin white cigarette out of his pocket, along with a black lighter. The lighter itself screams with personality. Along the top, there are gold patterns whilst in its centre, there is a single word. Using this to spark up, he remains leant against the railing, studying the nature around himself. A few drags into his cigarette, he notices the his presence has been disturbed. Coming along the path to the bridge, Jacob notices another boy. Wearing slight dark blue trousers and a darker red jumper, the boy hastily rushes towards Jacobs position. Call the boy, “Grant”.

With a few more quickly taken and larger steps, Grant is stood next to Jacob, staring at him. With an additional drag, Jacob inhales deeply and then exhales, ready to say something.

“It happened again last night” Jacob explains to Grant in a deep and mysterious tone. “I dreamt of her once more”
Jacob continues to slowly and thoroughly smoke his cigarette as Grant, with a slight sigh of relief, shows clear concern with several confused looks upon his face.
“She creeps in and out of my mind, whilst I sleep. A monster in the closet, who only comes out, whilst I sleep. I try to catch her” Jacob continues, using his opposite hand to mimic himself reaching for the air in front of him. “But every time I go to, she either fades away, or I wake up.” Jacob then loosens his hands grip, to which his cigarette falls from his hand into the slow stream below.
“I…” Grant begins to speak, before Jacob quickly puts his finger upon his lips, stopping him from continuing.
“I don’t need help, nor do I need any form of assistance. I purely need a friend to stand and listen as I pour my fragile heart to the world around me and the pain that engulfs my soul every night when my hand fails to reach for the woman I love.” Jacob exclaims with a single breath.
After a brief moment of silence both Jacob and Grant have a slight giggle and Grant joking throws Jacobs hand from his facial vicinity.
“I’m not sure what’s going on in there” Grant jokes, tapping Jacobs temple. “But you really need a break. She’s gone, not dead, but gone and you need to get out and find someone new.” Jacob giggles and sighs, disappointed.
“I don’t need a fling, I need her. I need another chance. And regardless, if I did want another girl, I would have no clear skill of being able to get such a person.”

Disappointed with Grants inability to see his obvious longing for his lost love, he takes out another cigarette, ready for lighting. Grant quickly swipes it from Jacobs mouth before he is able to light it.

“Look. I’m not an expert in women, nor am I a relationship counsellor. All I know is that my best friend is depressed to shit and needs a good time.”
Grant speaks, staring into Jacobs eyes and waving his cigarette about to prove his point.
“So this friend, as known as you, Jacob Light, the mysterious stranger of life, will be joining his fellow friends tonight. Pardon my French, but we will be getting absolutely “rat-arsed” and then each of us will be leaving the club with separate women, going to beds we will have no intention of returning to at a later date. Here we will have a nice night of crazy sex with the women we chose to leave with, only to wake up silly o’clock, to a splitting hangover and a sneak out the front door. Got it?” Grant finished, slipping Jacobs cigarette back into his mouth.

Jacob knew within his mind that this was all a bad idea. He didn’t believe for a second that sleeping with another random woman really solve his blues over his lost love, but all in all, he knew it was a chance to, at least, get over her. Reluctant to agree, he knew he would have no choice. He knew before the night would arrive, Grant would con him into going with them anyway.  Taking the cigarette out of his mouth and slotting it back into his pocket, Jacob turned to face Grant.
“All right. I will be joining you, but I hope you realise that, I, being in the state I am, do not like this idea one bit. And I also hope you know that I will never come with you again if tonight turns out to be a disaster.”
In response, Grant grins happily and takes the cigarette out of Jacobs pocket and places it in his own mouth.
“Lovely.” With this single word, Grant takes Jacobs lighter and sparks up his cigarette.

Jacob continued to look on down the river, wondering what he had just got himself into.