Walking down the hall, I felt my brain becoming less and less alert. I refused to start swaying, trying to not make it obvious I was intoxicated. Thankfully my apartment was on the bottom floor of my complex, so stairs wouldn't be an issue. Heading towards the exit, I heard a door click behind me.
"Pierce? Hey, Pierce!" The voice called. With my back still turned, I winced.
"Damn! I was really hoping I wouldn't see anyone."
I put on a casual face and turned around.
"Hey Sim," I greeted, trying not to slur my words. Simeon has been my neighbor for 4 years. I've always liked the guy. He's a tan, beer-bellied, 50-something year old with a scraggly beard and laugh lines etched across his face. He's always been real kind, greeting me whenever I see him. Not like a few of the weirdos around here.
"Where you headed to?" He asked.
"Just going for a walk" I replied vaguely. Simeon never prods, so I don't have to worry about giving too many details.
"Last one before you go off and leave us, huh?"
I forced a chuckle. "Yeah, I'll miss the place"
"No I won't, this place sucks." I thought to myself.
"We'll all miss you too when you leave." He said sadly. "Well, enjoy your walk, make it count. I'll see you out."
He walked alongside me till we reached the exit, I tried to keep my composure, nearly losing my balance multiple times trying to walk normally. We approached the door, and he held it open for me to walk through. Turning to him, I decided to tell him one last thing. My voice slightly trembled, a mix of fear and sadness.
"Thanks a lot, I always appreciate you being so kind to me. You're a special type of person, Simeon. Don't ever forget that."
"I could tell him, I could save myself right here! I should…"
I simply pursed my lips and kept my mouth shut. Slightly frowning, I tried to dull my thoughts and prevent any tears from shedding.
He nodded his head in understanding, probably taking my tone as being afraid of my "moving to a different area". He was only half right.
"Sure thing. That means more than you know to me, Pierce. I appreciate you always taking the time to talk to me. Most folks don't do that nowadays." He said.
I nodded my head, and smiled brightly for the last time. We parted and went our separate ways.
I walked towards the forest that my complex wasn't too far from. I live close to the edge of my small city, where there's some woods that go about as far as you can see. I've only seen two other people roaming around it in the past four years I've lived here. Sometimes I'll go on walks in there to clear my head, because it's seclusiveness. It'll be the most efficient place for me to dissappear.
I continued walking, trying to keep myself from stumbling, not that anyone really cares too much anyways. Drunks are everywhere, I wouldn't be any different.
Dead leaves scattered across the sidewalk. The leaves on the trees have gotten sparser and sparser over the past few weeks of November, but they've still retained a pop of color. I looked around me, taking in the scenery. The last of many unkept buildings along the cracked sidewalk was now behind me. Eventually, the cracked concrete ended, replaced with crunchy leaves and straw. I started to let myself stumble, feeling the full effect of the alcohol taking over. It wouldn't be long before those pills would kick in too.
After a few minutes of drunkenly searching, I found a semblance of a trail that hasn't been attended to in years. Following its faint direction began to venture into the woods. I sighed took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. Looking up at the pale blue sky, a nice breeze rustled across my face.
"This is so peaceful. I wish I could stay here forever. But I can't. That's just not the world I live in. It's so beautiful, I wish that were enough. If I turned back now I could probably…God, I'm starting to regret this. I should have drank more gin."
Now completely surrounded by trees, I continued walking forward.
I'd keep walking until I died.