Dealing with loss - part 2

Dealing with loss – part 2

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Author's Note 1

This version of the chapter has been re-edited. Besides the change of formatting and some minor corrections I have also adjusted my writing style. The chapters are now going to be in HTML format and have a similar feel and style.

This story is about gay relationships and (at times in the future) gay sex. If you're not into reading that kind of thing, not old enough to do so, or it is illegal for you to do so in your region, please do not read any further.

This story is a complete work of fiction. The majority of places mentioned exist in real life. All characters are fictional and any correlation to anyone in real life is purely coincidental. All products and services that are copyrighted or trademarked belong to their respective owners.

The author does not intend to suggest or imply anything about any person, place, product, service or company that exists in the real world as well as the fictional one. Although popular technologies and other products are mentioned, a generalized term has been used in place where possible.

Comments and suggestions will always be greatly received and responded to – albeit slowly responded to – and you can get in touch by leaving them on the JCstories Forum or by sending them to jcstories+response@googlemail.com. My Yahoo! Group can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/JCstories/ and you can also visit the JCstories website.

Dealing with loss – Chapter Two

Dan had seen Sam's reaction and thought it natural. After all, every musician knows to treat other peoples instruments with love and respect. He knew he should have waited and asked if it was OK to play Sam's guitar but he couldn't resist.

He would have reacted in the same way if someone he didn't know had picked up one of his guitars without asking first.

But the instrument, that looked like it had been cared for with a lot of love – even if it did have a few grimy fingerprints on it – seemed to have been yelling please play me. I need to be loved and played again, and Dan had responded in the same way any guitarist would have.

He took a few minutes tuning it in before Sam had jumped down the stairs. It was as if Sam was running from a nuclear explosion from which there was no escape. He thought about a song to play and his fingers went to the correct position for the first chord without having to think about it.

One thing that was bothering him though was the cold, almost murderous, glare that Sam was giving him.

Sam needed to move before Dan started playing it. He thought there was still time to stop him, yet he was still frozen to the spot.

Sam thought, Shit he's starting to play a song. It's, it's, it's, why is he playing that song? I know that intro. That song goes through my head every time I look at Jase's beautiful beechwood and black guitar. Why am I hearing that song?

Sam wasn't able to move and hoped Dan didn't start singing as well. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle it if Dan sang those words.

Sam was now able to move a little – although it was only his eyes – allowing them to let his tears run down his face. The song reached the instrumental and Sam was impressed at how good Dan was.

But he shouldn't be touching Jason's guitar! No-one has touched that for five years for a bloody good reason.

Dan finished playing the song and Sam was still standing there. He wondered why Sam was crying. Was his voice that bad?

Then he saw the look in Sam's eyes and knew something wasn't right. He put the guitar back on it's stand in the exact position he picked it up from assuming that was the reason Sam was upset.

Fuck I'm going to die here, Dan thought. He looked for the kitchen and noticed it was on the far side of the room. If Sam was going in there to get a knife he guessed he would have enough time to reach his car before Sam got to the sofa with it.

Sam opened the cupboard that was by the entrance to the living room. Dan's heart was beating in over-time thinking he'd just seen Sam reaching in and pulling out a gun.

He wasn't on edge as much once he noticed it was just a 2 liter bottle of vodka, but then he feared Sam was going to smash it over his head.

Dan decided to put all these fears and thoughts to the back of his mind. Dan stood up knowing he would be able to run to the front door faster if he wasn't sitting down in the sofa. He needed to say something. "Was my singing really that bad?"

Sam cuddled the bottle of vodka as if it was a teddy bear he'd had since a child. "You'd best go now before I do something I might regret later."

Do I say something else? Sam's hazel eyes were giving him a cold and deadly stare. I'd better take the chance now whilst I still can. Running to the front door he unlocked it and turned quickly to see Sam was still in the same position. "Yeah, I'm going. Sorry if I did something I shouldn't have," and he bolted out the door as quick as he could.

In the safety of his car he couldn't work out what he'd done. The whole afternoon and evening had been perfect. He knew he was falling for Sam but what the hell had turned him so cold so suddenly?

It was a good job that none of the beer had passed Dan's lips. He didn't want to deal with Sam chasing him so drove down the road as fast as he could, noticing Sam's front door was still open and he hadn't moved an inch.

Once he made a turn he slowed his speed to what the car was used to. On his short drive home Dan couldn't get any answers to the thousands of questions going through his head. Sam wouldn't give him any answers that's for sure so who could he talk to? "Dave. If anyone knows what the fuck I could have done wrong it's Dave."

*****

Parking his car on the driveway, Dan slowly got out and was thinking how he'd manage this. It his routine for him to call Dave whilst sitting on the couch but knew he wouldn't be doing that tonight. He opened his bedroom door and stripped to his boxer-briefs and crawled into his bed cuddling up to his three pillows. Grabbing the phone he held speed-dial number seven. "This call is going to cost a bomb," Dan muttered, as he heard the all to familiar non-UK ring.

"Hello? This is Dave Whittaker."

"Hi Dave it's Dan. Sam and I went to the movies tonight and had pizza together."

"That's cool. How was Sam? Did he enjoy the movie?"

"Yeah he was alright and enjoyed the movie a lot. It seems we even love the same pizza toppings..."

"Great. Is the weather still wet and windy there? I heard you were going to have quite a storm this week," Dave said, changing the subject as usual.

"Yes it is bloody wet and windy and for once stop skating around your past lover. For fucks sake I need to talk to you about something that happened when we got back to his."

It was rare for Dan to swear. Dave got agitated hearing they'd both gone back to Sam's. "You went back to his for a shag?" Dave couldn't believe what he just asked but couldn't think of any other way of expressing himself.

"No we fucking didn't. We went back to his to watch the episode of SG-1 we missed whilst we were out that he'd sky-plussed."

Dave let out a sigh of relief. "So, what's the problem?"

"Well I grabbed a beer out of his mini-fridge and sat on his sofa while he went to relieve his bladder. Next thing I know he's standing in the doorway in just a shirt and boxers looking at me as if I just committed murder. I can't work out what the fuck I did wrong."

"What did you say or do? You must have done something for a change like that."

"The only other thing I did was turn on his amplifier and picked up his guitar and started tuning it. He didn't move when I was playing a song, although when I finished he looked like he'd been crying."

"Fuck! Hold on a sec." Dan heard a phone start ringing on speaker-phone but no-one seemed to pick-up. "Shit! How did he look when he left?"

"He had a bottle of vodka in his hand and I thought he was gonna bottle me. He said I'd better get out or he'd regret what he was going to do. Would you mind telling me what I did wrong?"

"He was holding it my the neck?"

"Nope. It was as if he was cuddling it."

"Damn. Hold on I need to make another call." Dan listened to half a phone call only hearing what Dave was saying.

"Cindy. I need to leave now and take an extended weekend. Book me on the next out-bound plane from the airport to the UK. I don't care which airport! Check with BA, Virgin, or with one of the low-cost lines. If there's no space in business try cattle or first.

"I don't fucking care! Heathrow, Stanstead, Luton, Manchester, Birmingham, any bloody plane. Get Greg or Jonathon to meet me at the heliport. I'll be leaving my car here. Put the cost of the frigging fuel on my credit card, out of my account, whatever!

"This is a family emergency and I need to be in London ASAP. Yes. I'll fly the chopper and one of the guys can bring it back from General Aviation. I'll try and get priority clearance when I'm about 20 minutes out. Call me on my cell when you've booked the ticket. Bye. I said bye!"

Dan was shocked at what Dave was saying. "Could you tell me what the fuck you're doing coming back to London?"

Dave took a deep breath and explained. "OK. That guitar isn't Sam's it's Jason's. It's not been touched by anyone for five years since the last time Jason played it one evening and didn't come home from work the next day."

"Who the fuck is Jason?"

"He was Sam's first true love. Even when we were going out Sam would sometimes keep looking at the front door hoping Jason would walk through it. He still hasn't got over it."

Dan started to feel sick but needed to know if he'd misconstrued what Dave had just said. "Where did Jason go? Why did they break up?"

"As I said, he went to work. He, didn't make it in that day. He was walking and a drunk crushed him between the car and a lamppost. I've not seen Sam since I moved out, but I know him well enough to know what he's going to do with that bottle of vodka. And the rest of the drinks in the house."

"Shit! I shouldn't have fucking picked up that guitar no matter how much I felt it begging me to. No wonder he was crying when I was playing it. I just thought he hated my singing voice."

"You know you've got a great voice. So, which song did you play?"

"The first song that came to my mind, Bon Jovi's I'd Die For You. I'm pretty decent at the instrumental too."

"Oh fuck, no wonder he looked like he wanted to kill you. Of all the song's that'd probably be the worst to play. I'll be over there in a few hours. Can I stay at your place? It would be too weird going back there."

"First off, why are you flying thousands of miles to see someone that you dumped for your job? Secondly, why was the song a bad choice? Was it their song or something?"

"I'm flying because I have to. It wasn't their song, but –" Dan heard Dave gasping for air. He knew whatever was coming was not going to be nice. "– it was the last song Jason played to him. Go round there and try and get him to open the door. Take your cell; take your mobile with you." Dave terminated the call.

Shit. Way to fuck things up again Dan.

*****

Sam was sitting on the couch looking dejectedly at Jason's guitar. "Why that song?" Sam sighed. "He even played the instrumental like Jase. And that phone is really starting to piss me off!" Sam unplugged the DECT base-station from the power socket, turned off the TV and lay down on the sofa. He started to sob again.

"Jase? Are you here? I miss you so much babe." Sam grabbed the remote and turned on his mp3 player, selected random, and hit play. As Savage Garden's Truly Madly Deeply started playing through the surround sound Sam shot out of the sofa and looked around.

"There are 10,000 songs on that. Why is our song playing? Jase?"

There was a knock at the door and Sam went over and answered it without thinking. "Oh. Hi Dan I thought it was someone else. Come in if you want," Sam said, walking back into the lounge.

Dan was flabbergasted. Here he was expecting to wake up the whole street shouting and Sam just opened the door and invited him in. He didn't even seem to be upset anymore, although he did look like he'd just seen a ghost. "Look, I'm truly sorry about earlier. Who are you expecting?" Dan inquired.

"This is going to sound crazy, but I was expecting my ex to walk through the door."

Dan thought this would be about the right time to mention Dave, even though it was pretty obvious Sam was talking about Jason. "Yeah, Dave said he's popping over in a bit."

"What the fuck do you mean 'popping over'. He's on the other side of the pond, not down the road."

"He said he'd better check you're alright." Dan glanced at the unplugged phone. "He said you wasn't picking up your phone. He sounded worried about you turning to the booze."

"Oh great." Sam plugged the phone back in and it started ringing straight away. "I bet he's driving with a purpose to get to the airport."

"Well, not exactly."

"Hello Dave? Yes Dan's here. Look can't you go somewhere quieter it's obvious you're at the airport. You've not landed yet? What do you mean you're waiting for clearance? Shit. You'll lose your job. You know I can't handle seeing you again.

"Yes, that is what's playing. No I didn't, I think my mp3 player has a mind of it's own. I guess there's no way to change your mind? Alright, I'll see you in a few hours I guess. You'd better be using a hands free kit. OK, bye then."

Sam put the phone down and looked at Dan. "There wasn't any point arguing with him. I wouldn't have won. I guess I should have told you about Jase and him earlier. By the way, this song was Jason's and mine. Put the damn thing on shuffle and this is the first song it chose."

"Yeah, no-one can win against Dave. I remember when he was spotting for me. He'd never let me miss a rep. Are you alright?"

"I guess. Shall we watch SG-1 now? Before my mp3 player decides to play This is How You Remind Me by Nickelback."

"Yours and Dave's song?" Dan inquired.

As if on queue Nickelback started playing and Sam turned the music off and turned the TV back on. "Yeah, it was."

They grabbed a beer each and sat down on the sofa and started watching the latest saga of the Stargate series. Instead of fast-forwarding during the ad-breaks they talked to each other and somewhat discussed the earlier events of the evening.

Even though they both wanted, or needed, to talk about the guitar incident when either of them got close to the subject they immediately skated around it. Although neither of them believed in spirits and whatnot, at various points during the evening events and strange feelings had transpired around them which Dan nor Sam could explain – they didn't even bring them up because they each knew they'd sound crazy.

They felt as if they were pawns in someone else's game but hid that feeling from each other.

They'd been chatting for a few hours and it was the early hours of the morning – or late hours of last night depending on which way you look at it – when Sam picked up the guitar and turned on the amp and held it out to Dan. "Play something."

*****

Dave got out of the white taxi – they used to be called black cabs for a reason, but now the majority have adverts plastered all over them – and paid the driver. One hundred and seventy pounds seemed a bit high but this was London after all. After the taxi left Dave was left staring at an all too familiar house.

He was a little tipsy from the free champers on the flight, but he had been given time to think while lying down on those nice flat chairs which almost felt like beds. He should have called on his way from the airport, or even used an air-phone, but he was here now and the past can't be changed.

One thing he couldn't get his head around was how Sam had sounded on the phone. He couldn't even hear the slightest slur – although the noise from the chopper had made it difficult to even hear Sam.

Dave walked up to the door and thought about knocking, even though he still had a key, but decided against it and sat on the rather uncomfortable seats at the bus stop on the other side of the road.

He asked himself why he was even there. It had been four months and he'd never wanted to come back, but what Dan had done earlier made him feel he needed to return. I could have turned round at any time. Well, not any time. You can't exactly ask a stewardess to tell the pilot to turn a plane around at cruising altitude.

Dave wondered if he was here to deal with what happened all those months ago, to get over his past.

Opening the bag he got from duty free he unwrapped the multi-pack of Marlboro Red's and pulled out a pack. He opened the pack of cigarettes and put one between his lips.

"Why did I even buy these? I've not smoked in months," Dave said, reaching into his pocket to grab his lighter. Lighting the cigarette and taking the all-so-sweet first drag he remembered where he got his lighter from. It had been a birthday present from Sam two months before he left. He had known then that he was going to move but hadn't told Sam for another six weeks.

Duty free in hand, cigarette in mouth, he plucked up the courage and crossed the road. After knocking on the door he was surprised to see Dan answer it.

The Marlboro dropped from his mouth when he saw what was in Dan's other hand, and Dave quickly turned a shade of gray. "Hi Dave, come on in. I was just about to play a song."

"That's, that's, that's, you can't play that!" David screamed at Dan.

"Sure he can," Sam said with determination, after pulling Dave into the lounge. "He played it earlier before you went on your mission. You made it I see. Drink?"

"You know I don't drink much these days," Dave muttered.

"It wasn't a question," Sam said, smelling the alcohol on Dave's breathe, as he handed David a glass of wine. "You don't smoke much these days either, so why all the cigarettes?"

Dave went from a shade of gray to a shade of red in an instant and all three burst out laughing. "So," Dave started, "how come Danny's holding the guitar?"

Sam and Dan looked at each other. "Sam said something about instruments needing a lot of love and attention and he's not been man enough to give this instrument the joy and stimulation of being played with."

Sam grinned at Dan and added "I also said I prefer playing the sax as I get to use my mouth as well as my hands."

At this they both chuckled and Dave downed the glass of red in one, then refilled it.

They spent a few hours chatting about pretty much everything – even talking about Jason – when Dave said he'd better get going.

After a long discussion including the fact that Dave still had some clothes in the house, and that no cab would pick someone as inebriated as him, Sam had talked both Dan and Dave in staying in the two spare rooms.

"Are you going to take the couch then?" Dave asked.

"There's a perfectly good master bedroom that hasn't been used for five years. I think it's time I started to move on, and at least if I wake up in the middle of the night, I mean morning, screaming I've got two caring studs nearby. Night night," Sam said retiring to bed.

Dan sat back down on the sofa followed by Dave.

"You alright Dave? You look a bit off color."

"It doesn't feel right being here. I shouldn't have come back. I don't even know why I did."

"It's obvious you both still have love for each other. That showed tonight. You came back because you still care."

"Yeah, but nothings going to happen again. Not the way I ended things. I guess I'm trying to get forgiveness for the things I said and did."

"Absolution for your sins?"

"I didn't take you for a religious bloke."

"Sorry, parents influences. They're all 'praise the Lord!' 'Jesus loves you!' 'show Jesus your love!' and I'm pretty much the opposite. It's quite ironic really how they reacted when I came out to them."

"Shit. They disowned you?"

"Yeah, but not the way you think."

"You wanna talk about it? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Na, I think it's about time I told someone."

*****

Dave came home from school and sat in the arm chair. His parents were sitting on the sofa watching the news. "Mum, Dad, I need to tell you something."

"What is it son?" Mr. Whittaker asked.

"I think I'm gay. I've been attracted to guys for a few years now."

"It's just a phase Davey," Dave's mum replied.

"No it isn't! I know what I am. I'm gay!" Dave looked at his parents trying to gage their reaction. They didn't look the slightest bit pissed which threw him a bit.

"OK. But you've spoken to God about it, yes?" Dave's mum inquired.

"No I haven't. I've not spoken to Him for a while. He isn't the greatest conversationalist you know."

"Go to your room now!" Dave's dad shouted, "and don't expect any dinner until you've spoken to God about what you think you are!"

Dave went to sleep without dinner that night.

*****

"Shit!" Dan said once Dave recounted his tale. "They got over it yet?"

"Nope. We don't even speak these days. I guess I was expecting them to react that way but not for that reason."

"They're more upset about you not talking to the guy in the clouds than you being gay. How did the rest of the family react?"

"Well, my older brother gave me a bit of a hard time about it. He kinda thinks it's something that can be changed through therapy or some other shit. My younger twin brothers are fine with it though. So, is there anything between you and Sam?"

"I don't honestly know. There's something there but I'm not sure if it's just one way. We do have a lot in common. It feels really strange talking to you about it though. You always avoid talking about Sam whenever I try."

"Look. I hate myself for how I ended things between Sam and I. That day passes through my mind everyday, and I'm so ashamed I am of my actions."

Dave started to sob silently.

Dan noticing this straight away put an arm around his friend to comfort him.

"I just can't talk about it, I don't think I ever can. I was scared at moments this evening when I looked into his eyes. Did you see what I saw in them?"

Dan shifted in his seat with mild discomfort, not sure where this was going. "I saw compassion and caring love in his eyes, why?"

"That's not what I saw." Dave looked at his lap considering his next words carefully. Dan squeezed his shoulder but Dave tensed more. Dan felt the tension and dropped his hand by his side.

"I saw pain. I saw excruciating pain and hurt. I know I'm to blame for a large part of that. I saw anger in his eyes I've only seen once before, when I left here. I expected to see those feelings in his eyes and when I saw them I had to look away from him.

"What I wasn't expecting or prepared for was what I saw the next time I looked into his eyes. Like you I saw compassion, care, and love. I also saw acceptance and forgiveness. How can he be so forgiving?" Dave broke down on Dan's shoulder, soaking the front of his shirt with warm, salt water.

"Let it out man," Dan said patting David on the shoulder. "He's really something, I'll tell you that."

Dave sat up again, looking into Dan's eyes. "Yes. Yes he is. He is capable of so much. I don't even understand how he's capable of some of the things he can do, but he is. Why he does a job he hates I don't know, maybe I'm to blame for that too. I hope by the time I leave Monday – or before if I have to – he'll be able to move on with his life. To a brighter future with you."

Dan was tearing up hearing what Dave and just said. He was stunned (something that was near impossible to make Dan feel, but here he was stunned). "You, you, you think, you think there might be a future between Sam and I?" Dan looked at his friend and saw that he was struggling.

Was he thinking about telling him something? Was he trying to say something but not say too much?

"Early in our relationship Samuel taught me something. He taught me other things later on too but I wouldn't be working where I am now if it wasn't for the first thing he taught me." Dave weighed up his thoughts carefully, choosing just how much to divulge.

"We were in love with each other. Deep love. But I always told him the day would come when I had to leave, and when that day came he could finally look for his second true love. I could never measure up to Jason and I know I'd never be able to even if I spent every second of every day trying. >From early on I knew he wasn't truly in love with me no matter how deep our love for each other was.

"But one thing I knew with every fiber in me was that he would find someone else, someone better than me, someone that could finally heal the hurt that he has inside him from Jason's death. I know how you both feel about each other and feel you are that man."

Dan was still stunned, even more so. Dave was still hiding something, he could see that, but he wouldn't push him. Maybe Dave wasn't telling him because it couldn't come from his mouth but had to come from Sam's. He sat there reflecting on his friends speech and then realized he was sitting with his work-out buddy.

This wasn't supposed to be the mood in the atmosphere around each other and he needed to change that. "How the fuck did a pen-pusher like you become so emotional and speak with his mind and heart. Dude, you're supposed to either sit in a suit and look scary or be in shorts and shirt working those muscles of yours."

A grin spread across both their faces and they erased the tension with their laughter. "Sorry bro, didn't mean to get all sentimental and all that shit. Must have had a moment of weakness."

"Damn straight. Look, it's been a long day and I know jet-lag must be killing ya. We should both get some shuteye. You sure you'll be OK in that room?" Dan knew his mate was going to have a hard time sleeping in the bed him and Sam had shared.

"I think so. If not I'll wake you up and ask to switch. It's going to be strange that's for sure, but I've brought my laptop along with me if I can't sleep."

"OK then."

They both got up, giving each other a brotherly hug, and walked upstairs retiring to their different rooms. Dave waited for Dan to go into the bathroom and finish before taking his turn. After having a quick wash and brushing his teeth he returned to the room him and Sam had shared for all those months.

Plugging in his phone and laptop to charge he got into bed with his laptop. He started going through all his e-mails and then decided to respond to the important ones – including several from his colleagues and PA checking everything was OK.

Once that was done he entered the address for the server on Sam's network. He didn't expect any of his files to still be on there, hell he didn't expect his user-name and password to still work, but they did. All of his files were still there, they hadn't been accessed since the last time he had opened them.

Looking at all the folders, he decided to listen to some songs he hadn't heard for a while. He added them all to his music player's play-list and set it to random. Clicking play he lay his laptop on it's side on the floor half-opened and lay back on the bed listening.

*****

Dan was sleeping comfortably and soundly. He was usually a light sleeper and found it hard to relax and sleep in an unusual bed but he'd managed without needing any of his regular ritual. Something wasn't normal though.

He wasn't seeing the blackness he usually saw when he was asleep. He hadn't had a dream for a long time, yet tonight he was and it was peaceful and tranquil which showed on his sleeping face.

After two hours his face started twitching, tears rolling down his cheeks, fear evident on his face to anyone who was there with him. He was having a nightmare and unable to wake from it.

In his dream he tried pinching himself – hey it's what they say to do when you want to wake up – but it wasn't working. He was in extreme pain and unable to wake from it.

*****

Sam had been having a peaceful sleep. He'd been dreaming about the good things that had happened in his life. All the pain and sorrow from the past was skipped by as he went through the best times of his childhood into his youth.

But then it all went wrong, he was powerless. He'd gone to work and been in pain all his shift. He'd tried to zero in on it but couldn't focus. He'd even been forced to take pain killers from the trained nurse at the gym just to relieve the pain he was suffering.

Something was wrong and he didn't know what it was. He left when his shift finished and rushed home quickly. Something wasn't right.

Sam knew this dream and he didn't want to go through it again. He knew the pain he was going to go through when he opened that front door.

He parked the car diagonally in the driveway and rushed to the front door unlocking it and slamming it open, rushing into the front room shouting Jason's name. No answer. Jason wasn't home.

Sam started screaming in his sleep. "Let me fucking wake up! I can't go through this again! Please! Not again!" But his mind and body wouldn't let him.

Maybe he's running late and left a message, Sam thought running to the answering machine. It was flashing and he hit play. "You have ninety-seven new messages. First message –"

Sam was forced to listen to all these messages again. How Jason had been hurt walking to work in an accident. How he was stable. How he was being rushed to hospital. Jason's mum phoning to say she was at the hospital but they wouldn't let her see him. How the doctors were trying everything to stabilize him again after the trauma from removing his body.

That eighty-fifth message saying they'd tried all they can. And that next message saying those words that had torn him up ever since.

Why couldn't he have been there to help his love? Why did he have to suffer in pain for seven hours alone? Why did he work through his shift and not take the advice and go home early? Anger and self-hate started rushing through his body as he was forced to listen to the last messages.

*****

Dave was sitting in his bed playing Freecell on his laptop. He'd spent an hour in bed and was restless. He'd looked in on Dan wanting to switch rooms but when he saw how peaceful he looked he couldn't go through with it.

Just then a feeling hit him. The house had been so peaceful and calm he shot right out of bed sensing a sharp change in the atmosphere.

He tried to focus where it was coming from but it was all around him. The room started shaking. Dave opened the door and stood in the door-frame by instinct. He'd been taught that that's the best place to be in a quake.

After a minute he looked back at the bed he had been lying in and realized where he was. "This house shouldn't be shaking like this. London isn't fucking near any known fault-lines." Then he heard the screaming.

Sounds of pure pain and torment. He looked down the hallway to the left past the shaking walls to the room at the end. There was no doubt that sound was coming from Sam.

He ran ten steps and stopped.

Turning around quickly he looked at the room opposite the one he'd come out of. He was hearing Sam's screaming – in stereo.

Guilt was rushing through his mind as he ran to the room his best friend had been sleeping in and threw the door open. What he saw shook him to the core.

To be continued...

Author's Note 2

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