Chapter 25 The War by. SYML #2
I barely remembered being asleep when I opened my eyes and stretched my arms out. I felt around and couldn’t feel Will’s body. I opened my eyes slowly and took stock of my surroundings. I wasn’t in his room. I wasn’t in his house.
I looked around more frantically. I was in the woods. When did I get here? I continued to look around. The trees towered high above my head. It was still night, but the tree coverage was so dense I couldn’t see any stars or the moon. I slowly stood up and continued to look around.
I took a step forward when I landed on a branch.
“Ouch.”
I looked down at my feet. I was barefoot. Why in the world was I in the woods with no shoes on?
Wait.
This was it. This was the nightmare. I was just having a nightmare. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing none of this was real. I started walking through the woods. I didn’t remember all of the details but I knew it was important that I find… someone? Something?
I wasn’t sure. I continued walking for what felt like hours when I wandered into a clearing.
This was it. This was what I was looking for.
There was a cabin in the clearing. But it seemed…
different? I couldn’t fully remember it from before, but it felt different.
There were boarded windows on the second floor and a single door on the ground floor.
There was light filtering out of the cracks of the windows.
I made my way toward the cabin, hoping to find some clarity. I stopped when I heard a rustle in the woods. I looked but didn’t see anything. I started to make my way towards it where I heard the sound when I was stopped in my tracks by a voice.
The voice.
“Don’t follow him, Jack. It’s not safe.”
I turned, not believing what I heard. The voice I had been hearing, that felt familiar, was here. When I finally faced the cabin again, the door was open and there stood a man in the opening.
“Nate,” I cried and ran.
I ran full speed into his arms. I knew he wasn’t real. I knew this was just a nightmare, but I didn’t care. It felt real and that was all that mattered.
Nate held me tight against him. It was as though he was scared to lose me just as much as I was scared to lose him. I shook in his arms. He smelled the same, like dust after rain. I smiled in his arms.
“I missed you, Nate,” I whispered.
“I’ve missed you, Jack, and Theo. And Kai. God, I missed all three of you,” he responded.
I pulled back to look up at my brother. He was as tall as Kai at six foot four with blonde hair that matched my own. Out of all of us, we looked the most similar. The biggest difference was our eyes. His were blue like Theo’s.
“I wish this was real. You were real,” I exclaimed.
“Who said I wasn’t?” he responded with his signature smirk.
I laughed. This was just like him. “Well, you’re dead,” I teased him back.
He waved his hand, brushing off my comment. “Semantics.”
“Has it always been you? Talking to me in these dreams?” I asked.
He nodded in response. “You remember.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah. Why do I remember now?”
He didn’t answer for a moment as he looked at me. It was scary just how similar he was to the Nate I knew. If I wasn’t already positive this was a dream, I would think he was alive standing in front of me. “It means it’s time.”
“Time for what?” I asked.
He took my hand in his and led me around the cabin.
There was a small hill towards the back.
He sat down and ushered me to do the same.
I sat on the grass beside him, just now noticing I was only in my underwear and Will’s t-shirt.
Fuck, that’s embarassing. I tried pulling the shirt down, as if it would make it longer.
Nate chuckled next to me. “I like him, you know. Will. He’s good to you.”
I smiled at Nate. “Yeah, he is. He would like you.”
“Everyone likes me.”
I laughed hard, which only caused Nate to laugh as well. After a few moments we got control of ourselves. We sat side by side in silence for a moment.
“What is it time for?” I asked.
“I-I don’t know, Jack,” he began. “I just know it was Kai’s, now yours, then Theo’s. I was supposed to go last, but I don’t think that can happen anymore.”
I nodded, contemplating his words. I wonder what happened with Kai’s turn. “Do you know anything more?”
Nate looked at me for a moment. “Not much. Just know it started and it can’t be stopped.
We tried. Kai and I tried so damn hard to stop it.
But the first trial was successful.” He grabbed my hand and I could see him trying to hold in his tears.
“I’m so sorry, Jack. I tried. I did everything I could to stop it. ”
“It’s okay.” I comforted him. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he needed to know, no matter what it was, I knew it wasn’t his fault. “I won’t blame you, I don’t blame you. I love you, Nate.”
He smiled sadly. “Our time’s up. But I’ll see you soon, Jack.”
I nodded and squeezed his hand three times. He responded with the same three squeezes.
Slowly I opened my eyes. I was in Will’s room.
There was light filtering through the curtains.
I remembered the dreams. I remembered all of them.
It was Nate. He was the one talking with me.
I smiled remembering him. I knew in my dreams he wasn’t real, but I didn’t care.
It felt real in the moment and that was all that mattered.
It did make me think who the other person in my dreams was? They were in every one as well and every time Nate warned me away from them.
I stood slowly, contemplating those thoughts. I looked at the time and it was already nearly one in the afternoon. I guess I was completely exhausted. I found my pants and pulled them on. I kept my shirt from Will, opting to give it back later.
Or probably not. It was comfy.
I turned to face Will’s sleeping form. The last few days had been an emotional roller coaster. I felt rung out and exhausted. I also had no job. That was something I needed to figure out.
I sighed. The happy feelings from dreaming about Nate slipped away as reality slipped in. I needed to head home to see my cat and figure out my next move.
I sat near Will on the bed and gently shook him awake.
He rolled over and faced me, still half asleep. “Hey, Sunshine,” he mumbled.
“Hey, I’m heading home.”
“No,” he protested with a pout, still mostly asleep.
I chuckled to myself. To think, most people were intimidated by him. “Yes, but you can come over later and meet Jedi if you want.”
His smile returned as he nodded his head. “Dinner at seven?” he asked.
“Sounds perfect. I’ll cook.” I leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you, sunshine. Drive safe, okay?”
I nodded in response and made my way out the door. Luckily, my car was still outside. Although I learned Will had multiple cars and I knew he wouldn’t bat an eye if I took one of them. I drove to my apartment in silence just thinking about… well, about everything.
I guess when your life's kind of falling apart drives go by faster because in what felt like no time I was walking through my front door.
It felt nice to be home. Almost immediately, Jedi made his way over to me, purring and begging for attention.
I obviously obliged for a moment before heading into the shower.
I was hoping a hot shower would clear my mind, but no such luck. My brain felt overrun and overwhelmed. I turned to see just how much time I had until Will came over. It was just after four thirty so I had time to grab stuff from the store.
Just as I was standing to grab my shoes and keys I heard a knock, but not at my front door.
My bedroom door. What the hell?
I slowly made my way over, hoping my brain was just playing tricks on itself. I eased the door open only to find what quickly became my worst nightmare.
Standing on the other side of the door was Griffin Whitley. He smiled at me in a way where it didn’t reach his eyes and stalked forward.
“You didn’t answer my calls,” he stated as he backed me up against the wall.
“I-I wasn’t home,” I stammered.
“Oh, I know. Malachi had to go through his trial. But it’s now over, which means it’s your turn.”
I felt his hand cover my mouth before I registered what was happening around me. He was holding something against it. A cloth? Was I being drugged?
Slowly, I fell unconscious. My last thought was that in just a few hours Will would be here. He would see I was gone and he would find me.
Will would find me.
He had to.