Josh was alone in his room. He was scrolling his mobile phone checking for some notification, but nothing. Nobody called him. He had been quitted by his girlfriend few days ago and since that moment he just closed up inside his room. He turned to a side very fast and hit a knee against the wall letting a satchel of magnesite falling over him. He didn't want to, but he had to clean the room. He slowly stood up and went to the screen of his laptop indicating that the forecast were good. He checked the mails, nothing. A little sun appeared close to right corner of the desktop. He looked up where some shoes were hanged. There was a time where he would had gone climbing every weekend, but lately his relationship took over everything. In that moment he snapped out of the constant feeling of waiting for a message. He threw his phone away and he reached for his bag under the bed.

The following morning he had everything ready and he left his home for the first time since the break up. He decided to go with his car going to the coast and in one hour he reached the cliff where there were already other climbers. He looked down and he felt the sensation he missed so much in that moment of his life. His hands start sweating and he prepared everything for the going down. All around there were some people walking on the promenade in that hot Sunday. Josh entered in contact with his body, he stretched and wore his climbing shoes. A new old sensation took over all his muscles. He smiled after a long time. He got the rope down swinging along the stone wall and he began his climb. His hands moved fast on the dry and dusty rocks. The sun was strong and even if it was the middle of winter Josh could stay with a simple t shirt without feeling the cold temperature. He missed that world so much that he almost forgot what it was like to feel that adrenaline and freedom. His feet were fitting exactly with the ground and he was almost making no effort moving up and down that huge vertical surface. After a while his arms were tired and he felt a comfortable pain all over his body. He was alone on those rocks, but happy, definitely satisfied.

He had brought with him a small backpack in which there was his lunch. He quickly bit his sandwich he had prepared that morning. Suddenly something scared him off. The noise of a bottle breaking just over his head became so real that Josh lifted his head. Tiny shards of glass spread all over and he had to close his eyes. Few more bottles fell down crashing close to the young man who kept his eyes shut the all time. When he felt out of danger he looked up to see what happened. He screamed some insults, then he checked his arms and his legs. He had a piece of glass on the right arm, he took it out and then very angry he climbed up fast to reach the man who had thrown the bottles and make him pay. In few minutes he managed to reach the main road again. There was a bench on which there was a girl crying. She had a jacket and a black cowboy hat pressed on her forehead. Many bottles were empty at her feet. Josh felt the void inside him, looking at her, the memories of his ex came back. He stood for a moment, he didn't know what to do. All the anger went away in that moment. She leaned down with her head, drunk. Josh, very fast, left the rope he had in his hands and held her body before it would hit the ground. The hat she was wearing fell on the ground, setting free her hair, dark and wavy.

She slowly opened her eyes with a disgusted face, like she felt something should have gone wrong, but it was not happening yet. The first thing she saw was Josh's perplexed face.

"Who are you?" She asked slowly, clearly smelling of wine.

"You threw bottles on me, remember?"

She suddenly became serious, then she exploded in a big laugh. Josh let her on the ground.

"Ehi!" She protested. "Is it the way to treat a lady?"

"You were throwing bottles on me. Is it the way to behave at all?" He replied. "What's wrong with you?"

In that moment she became serious and she looked away.

"Leave me alone..." She whispered after she remembered something very important.

She collected her legs around her arms and she hid her face with her dark hair.

"Whatever." He said moving back to the cliff.

He got ready to go down, but just before he could make the first step in the void he heard something coming from her.

"What?" He cried back.

She stayed silent. The boy looked up swearing silently, he knew he needed to check on that girl. At least she wouldn't throw bottles on him.

"What did you say?" He said once he was again close to her.

"I lost my dad..." She said with her head covered by her arms.

"Holy crow, for real?" He replied squatting before her and touching kindly her arm.

"Yes, for real."

Josh stood up and stretched his arm.

"Can I offer something warm to drink?" He said embarrassed changing his mood.

She looked up and smiled through the tears.

She didn't feel like walking so Josh took her by the hand and brought her to the closest bar. They entered and she finally dried her tears while the door bell rang in a sweet way. A waitress accompanied them to the closest table and they seated opposite sides.

"What can I serve you?" The woman tweeted.

"We'll have two black teas please." He said without leaving the eye contact with the girl.

The woman nodded and disappeared.

The girl put her eyes down again. Josh reached for her hand without even thinking about it. His shoes were really thigh so he took them off and he found himself bare feet. She took away her and searched in her pockets. She was wearing a huge parka and underneath a jeans jacket. She could find what she was looking for, so she stretched her neck and then she stood trying to remember. Finally she dug her hand in the last pocket she didn't check and she took out some tobacco, leaving it on the table. The waitress came with the hot tea and she left it in between of them. The girl collected her hair in a pony tail and smiled.

"My mum doesn't want me to smoke."

"You didn't tell me your name."

"I'm Jenny." She said rolling her cigarette.

Josh was concentrated on her hands, moving fast and with precise movements showing she had been smoking for a while.

"My ex boyfriend taught me this. What's your name by the way?"

"I'm Josh." He said caught by surprise.

She lifted up her cigarette inviting him out. They both went out: he was wearing climbing clothes while she was covered like outside there were a snow storm. It was a warm day even if it was December. They sat on the wooden stairs before the bar. Jenny lighted up the cigarette and breathed full lungs. Josh smelled the smoke and he knew there was some marijuana in it. She passed the joint to him who didn't feel like smoking, but he wanted to give in to the experience. He took a deep breath and let it all go. He felt the smoke reaching his lungs and then his brain giving him the sensation of feeling empty, being a ghost, that he wasn't that important, even his pain was irrelevant. She looked at him and took back the cigarette.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"Better."

She smiled.

"Sometimes I wish I never loved my dad so much to watch him walk away, forever."

"Well, I can't surely tell you how you should feel..."

"Do you think there's a chance to meet him again?" She asked.

Josh didn't know.

"Maybe." He lied.

"When?"

"I don't know." He said turning towards her.

She passed him the joint again.

"I just realized that when I hit rock bottom I feel a tremendous pull to hold on to this life."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not quite sure. Few days ago I've been quitted by my girlfriend."

Jenny leaned forward, listening carefully.

"And I felt that the world left his weight over me. Then I met you and I understood it was bullshit."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your suffering is worse compared to mine. I thank you. Meeting you, gave me the chance to appreciate my troubles."

Jenny smiled taking back the cigarette almost finished.

"I don't know I feel empty and all I wanna do is getting drunk to forget."

They stood up and went inside. The girl went to the bathroom while Josh sat and poured down some tea for both of them.

When she came back she cleaned her mouth with her sleeve. Josh thought she had probably thrown up. Jenny sat and she said she felt better. They slowly drank tea together staying silent. The young man stretched his legs and yawned deeply.

"I don't quite understand why did you came up here."

The girl leaned forward.

"My father worked with codes for the state."

"Oh yes?"

"Yes. It seemed he committed suicide."

"Is it true?"

"I don't know. He had no reason to..."

"What's your hypothesis?"

"Well, he created codes..."

"Did he leave you any?" Asked him with apprehension.

"Yes, indeed. The first one are the coordinates of this place, the second one is an equation equals to zero."

"Really? What's special about this place?" Josh asked.

Jenny looked outside. The sun was at its peak, shining bright and diffusing its light casting short shadows. The rays illuminated her eyes that glittered for a moment. She took off her scarf showing her neck filled with tattoo and she turn again in his direction.

"Look." She added checking her pockets.

She took out a paper showing the numbers and the way she resolved the enigma. Josh watched the equation and he saw how adding the values and the numbers it became all clear, that was a place on the maps. The solution was zero. Suddenly he flashed a smile.

"Your father was a genius. Look where we are."

"Where?" She replied confused.

"On a giant cliff, over the sea."

"I don't quite get it."

"Zero is the zero level, the sea. The place is not here, but close to the waters."

"Yeah that makes total sense." She added. "Thanks."

"Wanna go?" He asked.

"Down there? How?"

Few moments later she was wearing an helmet and she was going down with some ropes. Josh was helping her going down. He was screaming the directions from the top and when she managed to reach a flat rock, Josh slide down like a spider would have done and leaping the vertical distance he landed shoulder to shoulder with Jenny.

"Ready to go down?"

"Down more?"

He nodded. The rest of the climb was very hard and difficult. The waves were crashing against the sharp rocks and just with a false step you could have found yourself smashed against the cliff.

"I'm afraid." She said.

"Don't be. I'll be close the whole time."

She was tiring her arms holding too hard on the rope.

"I can't do this."

"Alright, alright. I'll go." He said resolute.

He went down smiling and taking his phone in his left hand.

"I'll take pictures, if I see something."

"Be careful." She replied.

Josh went down for his last time. He didn't know that, if not he would not act so carefree, but that girl made him feel like he was alive again. That moment he felt like an ancient knight or a superhero saving a woman in danger just for the fact he was giving her hope.

Going down he found an opening in between the rocks. Under it there was a big room entirely made of massive stones.

"Ehi, there is something written inside here!" Josh screamed to the girl.

She leaned down to see better, but she couldn't hear for the noise of the waves. She looked up. A huge mass of water was getting closer and closer. It would have smashed Josh on the rocks.

"Josh, look behind!" She cried in vain.

He was too busy to find a spot where he could have entered the room. When he went down enough and he was about to go in he looked toward Jenny. Her face was terrified. He quickly looked down and he saw the waters moving back to strike with a huge wave. The girl watching from above the horrible scenario she put an hand before her mouth. The noise did all the rest. The rock returned naked and there was no sign of Josh.

"It can't be. It can't be. It can't be." She whispered to herself.

Few minutes later Jenny was still there looking in the distance, aimlessly. He heard a voice calling. She looked around and she finally saw Josh climbing from her left side.

"How did you?"

"I was lucky." He replied careless. "I took some pictures."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes I am. I find out another exit. The cave inside is filled with tunnels." He said jumping close to her."Check it out."

She took the mobile phone and scrolled all the pictures. They showed carving of different human being and some strange vehicles, similar to spaceships.

"I don't understand. What does it have to do with my father?"

"I believe your dad didn't commit suicide. He just discovered something he shouldn't have done."

They heard some sirens of police cars coming from the street below. The blood in their veins froze and their hearts became violent drums.