Created by Justin F. Started November 18th, 2005.
E-mail me if you like this story @ justin@soulstrong.net.
For more short stories, check them out at
http://www.soulstrong.net/portfolio/files/indexwritings.html
I am also a prolific writer at Nifty.org:
http://www.nifty.org/nifty/authors.html#justinf
This is written in bullet form, so imagine everything
is happening as you are reading. In addition, please excuse any
past-present-future tense mistakes.
*DISCLAIMER* This story is completely fictional and
features sexual intercourse. You are precautioned. If you are not of age, if
reading these stories is illegal where you are, if you find these stories
offensive or negative, please do not read them.
Taken
His life was taken away.
It wasn't his choice at all.
Now he has to live with it.
Chapter One -- It
happened by Chance.
- Tom is walking along the waterside, as he normally does
every now and then. He is 21. The waters are raging though, the wind is
blowing, it's going to storm soon.
- Suddenly a lighting bolt strikes nearby.
- Before Tom can move away, something hits him so closely, a
bright light; a surge--
- And he can feel something all around him.
- Water? It's a horrible pain...and then something else...
- All there is now is emptiness...
- Emptiness from lack of something...
- Lack of life...is it? Has he died?
- And a comfort comes in, almost to save him from the
emptiness...
- Everything is dark, but he can feel arms around him...a hand
had come out to hold him and both have taken him now, they want to save
him; to help him.
- Tom looks, and feels a handsome man holding onto him.
- The man smiles to him; a shining light behind him. He's so...beautiful.
- He is the Angel of Death...Tom knows this.
- Life matters to him, but not details of it, not until
after the shock, Tom can't deal with anything more than this shock at this
moment--but he wants to get to it later...just not now. Will he be like a ghost
then?
- Death interrupts his thoughts and tells him that he wasn't
supposed to die but that he'll let Tom live but only as another person,
that he'll create a new identity for him, he'll have to change time for
this...
- But only under one condition; that he'll stop the deaths
that are not supposed to happen before they happen until Death can figure
out a way to stop their deaths.
- Tom remains silent...perhaps he'll be rewarded with his old
life then? Yes? No?
- And suddenly Death pulls him forward and kisses him on the
lips--
- And Tom wakes up--with no memory of what has happened.
- Tom looks around and realizes he is in a hospital bed, in
a hospital.
- He looks over as a nurse nonchalantly walks into the room,
she sees him and yelps; then runs into the hallway, signaling someone to
come over.
- The doctor quickly runs in and over to him, looking at the
screens to his left and right, then lifting his head and examining him.
- "Do you know what your name is, son?" the doctor asks.
- He replies no, and the doctor quickly turns to the chart
turns back.
- "Your name is Thomas Dean Russell; you're...23 it says
here. Do you remember anything from before?"
- "No..."
- "All right, well Mr. Russell we're going to have to--"
- And a loud voice is from the hallway...
- "He's awake?!" the voice calls out, and a man walks into
the room--
- Something about him excites Tom...he doesn't know what it is
but it just does.
- The doctor asks who he is
- The man replies that he's a friend of Tom's
- Tom doesn't even know this man, but if he'll let him get
out of this bed
- The man introduces himself as Aaron Tanner
- The doctor says he'll have to leave until they can run
tests
- Aaron is getting agitated...
- "If he isn't ill anymore, and he's waken up from his coma,
why can't he go?! Tom, you wanna get out of here, right?"
- Tom nods, and Aaron quickly takes his hand, grabs a bag
full of clothes on a nearby chair, and helps him up
- The doctor tries to stop Aaron but Aaron just glares and
the doctor soon backs away
- The doctor turns to a nurse who has just walked in and
tells her to call security
- Aaron grabs Tom and runs with him out of the room
- They go to the stairway and run down the stairs and to
another floor
- Aaron guides him to a nearby bathroom
- Aaron takes out a pair of socks and gives them to Tom to
put them on
- Tom grabs them and puts them on
- "Who are you?!" he asks, in excitement.
- "...I'm Aaron--I live with you, here put these on"
- Aaron hands him a pair of black boxers and grabs the smock
and pulls it off of him, he smiles at Tom's nakedness
- Tom looks to Aaron and quickly grabs the boxers, putting
them on
- "Sorry, I just miss seeing that, that's all" Aaron
apologizes, and hands him a pair of jeans.
- "Hurry up, security is on their way up here any second"
Aaron reminds him
- Aaron gives him a black t-shirt and a pair of black jeans.
- Tom puts them on.
- Aaron gives him a pair of tied shoes and Tom shoves them
on.
- Aaron lastly pulls his red shirt off, exposing his bare
chest and sees Tom looking at him, partially with absence, confusion, but
with arousal, and pulls out a blue shirt, putting it on.
- Aaron picks up the bag and shoves it into the trash can,
then turns to the door but looks back to Tom and examines Tom and himself.
- Aaron turns to the mirror and sink and turns on the water,
splashing some into Tom's face, then grabbing a paper towel and rubbing
his face a little with it, then turns off the water and pulls the door
open; taking Tom's hand and running with him to the stairway.
- "They'll be expecting us in the elevator...I'll...uh make
conversation and you just talk like you...remember...me...okay?"
- He grabs Tom's hand and they run down the stairs; Aaron
sees two security guards hurrying up the stairs, "So in Mr. Delany's class
he was talking about the report that was due last Tuesday..." Aaron says.
- "Oh it was due last Tuesday, I had it in way before then"
Tom blurts out.
- The security guards examine them and keep watching.
- Aaron and Tom hurry down a few more flights and into the
main lobby, then walk to the nearest doors and onto the street.
- Aaron walks with him to his car and takes out his keys,
pressing the remote.
- Aaron opens the door for Tom and Tom gets in, skeptically
watching Aaron.
- Aaron walks around, getting in, and starting the car.
- "Wait, we need to talk, fill me in here"
- "Oh...sorry, okay, umm, okay we graduated from college a few
months ago, uh 7 days ago you disappeared from the apartment during the
middle of the night, you showed up at the docks unconscious three days
ago, laying in the middle of the street at 1:13 in the afternoon--though no
one saw you there, and you got sent here, and you just awoke just now--"
- "Why'd we have to run out just now? Why'd you change your
shirt?"
- "I'm just a daring person--and--okay, there's just something
bad about that doctor...I can just sense it. And the security guards would
have identified me by my shirt if they had seen us together."
- "You knew to bring these clothes?"
- "Yeah, I brought them when I first heard you were in...of
course I didn't originally think we'd be dashing out of here--"
- Tom looks to his mirror and sees two guards run out,
seeing the car.
- "Security Guards--drive, Aaron, drive!"
- Aaron steps on it and they speed out of the space and down
the street.
- Tom looks to the flip-down mirror; he hadn't in the
bathroom, and stares at his reflection
- Aaron notices him and looks to him then back to the
street, "What, what's the matter?"
- "My...face...something's not right...I can just...tell"
- "Tom, you have the most beautiful and...attractive...and
handsome face I've ever seen, what are you talking about?"
- "Heh, thanks, but uh...it looks...I'm not...well I guess since I
lost my memory I wouldn't be use to my face...but still...I...don't even
remember it...like I'm not use to it..."
- "Well...you did just lose your memory, as you said..."
- "Well yeah, the doctor had asked me if I remembered
anything."
- "Yeah, the lady that found you and the paramedics said
that you were unconscious when they found you."
- "Yeah...it's...it's just odd that I don't remember anything..."
- "Well Tom you lost your memory, I'm sure it'll take a
while to get it back, maybe once we get home--"
- "Aaron?"
- "Yeah?"
- "Home...when we get home you said you said--"
- "Yeah? What about it"
- "Are we related?"
- "No...we're...we were...sort of...dating...ish."
- "Oh, so that was what that thing was then I saw you? Yeah
that works"
- "Really, you felt something for me?"
- "We were dating weren't we?"
- "Well...we were getting there. We flirted around a
lot...I'd...like to, I mean--well I didn't plan on saying it like this, but
you'll get your memory back anyway, the doctor had told me that you would
though he couldn't figure out what had happened but since you didn't have
any tumors or bad things, you would"
- "Well...good...I am attracted to you"
- "You think I'm hot?"
- "Well yeah, you are" Tom replies.
- "Good...flirting just doesn't let me know enough, you know?"
- "Not really...I don't remember anything, remember?"
- "Oh yeah. Well...you had flirted with me, the things you'd
say, the hugs, the way you'd touch me when you passed by...I...really liked
it."
- "Good, good."
- A smile. "What date is it?" Tom asks.
- "July...13th, actually."
- "I lost my memory of who I am...and of...well history...but I
know of things nonetheless...facts and things, I'm recalling..."
- "And?"
- "It's 7/13, 7 and 13 are biblical and significant
numbers. I went missing 7 days ago? How old am I?"
- "21...I'm not getting this" Aaron replies, driving on.
- "21...is 7 times 3. What time is it?"
- "About 1:30 or so, I think; this clock is always screwing
up on the time, it decides to be fast or slow...anyway."
- "I probably came conscious at some number too."
- "I think you're looking into this too much."
- "It's possible...I guess..."
- "Just wait until we get home. Just...look at things, think
about things...try to remember things, focus on yourself, that's what's
important, okay?"
- "Yeah, okay."
- Tom looks down to his body and feels himself through his
clothes, then lifts his shirt up and feels himself...he looks back to the
mirror and feels his face, looks at his hand...feels his legs, his crotch,
his cock, bends over to feel more of his legs and feet...his eyes look to
the window and examine his surroundings...
- The surroundings sort of register...but he doesn't remember
any of his body...any of himself.
- It's almost as if he knows the buildings and everything
more than himself.
- Everything is silent except for the car and the
surroundings passing by.
- Tom's eyes focus on the outside...the reflection of his face
and crystal blue eyes looking back to him.
- He has blonde hair. It's so beautiful...is it really his?
Is this a normal feeling to have after losing one's memory?
- Wouldn't it feel different for everyone?
- The roads past by...he doesn't know these...
- And they pull into a complex of apartments...
- Many trees.
- Many people.
- A college campus? No, just a college area.
- They're in part of the city, there are many trees though.
- Aaron pulls alongside a complex...the complex is brown, it's
very clean looking.
- The sky is cloudy, like after a storm has occurred.
- "We're here" Aaron peacefully and unintentionally tears
his thought process. The car breaks, turns off.
- Tom takes off his seatbelt, opens the door, and walks
slowly towards the door; as Aaron quickly runs up to join him after
getting out and locking it with the remote.
- Aaron opens the door as Tom walks in, Aaron can't help but
stare at his butt.
- "Can you remember which apartment it is?"
- "I don't remember...any of this...at all, sorry."
- "Ah really? Well don't apologize to me, it'll come to
you--no worries."
- "Okay..."
- Aaron walks down the central hallway and to the first
apartment on the right, takes out his keys, and walks in.
- Tom follows, closing the door, and looks around the
apartment.
- None of this looks familiar.
- It's like someone else's life.
- As soon as he walks in...there's a dining room table further
in front of them.
- An L couch and ottoman facing a flat screen T.V. on the
side of the window to the kitchen nook, aside the dining room table area.
- Tables, artwork, posters and such.
- A few picture frames scattered across the room...pictures of
himself and Aaron...some with others, some with either or just one.
- It was definitely their home.
- The walls are painted earthy colors; it's very warm-toned
though.
- A hallway meeting the dining room area and kitchen area.
- A door on the right, a bathroom probably.
- Double doors across, a closet probably.
- And down the hall, a door with another door on the
perpendicular wall, bedrooms probably.
- Aaron walks to the nearby lighting switch on the wall by
the nook and a light brightens the room for the ceiling and a few wall
lights.
- "Maybe your bedroom will?"
- Aaron turns, taking Tom's hand, and they walk to the
bedroom on the right of the hallway.
- A queen-sized bed in the center, a dresser on the side, a
desk on the other side.
- Artwork on the walls, posters, an evident white and black
with a green accent theme.
- A bulletin board, photographs on the desk, papers and
boxers on and around the desk and dresser. A CD rack, a television on the
dresser, a few coats and robes along the closet to the left of the door.
Someone lived here...it was someone's life.
- "None of this is familiar...not even ringing a bell."
- Aaron turns, walking slowly towards him, hesitantly.
- "Maybe this will?"
- He's coming closer.
- And suddenly he's pressed against Tom, his lips have met
his.
- He's kissing him.
- Tom's kissing back.
- Aaron's hands are around his body...
- Tom is against the bed, he has fallen back...Aaron is on top
of him.
- Aaron's lips are hot and excited...
- Tom can feel Aaron's chest against him...
- He's muscular...he must work out...he's so warm...so hot...
- Tom can feel all the muscles in his back...his butt's curve...
- He can see Aaron sitting up, taking his blue shirt off.
The same chest from before.
- And he finds himself desperately trying to take off his
own shirt.
- The shirt Aaron gave to him to put on to him.
- Tom's eyes looked up, Aaron had tan skin...he had short
black...brown hair, about 2 inches long or so. It was shorter on the sides.
- Was he Hispanic? He did have Hispanic traits...but then
again, did he?
- Why did Tom only remember facts and not actual events?
Why had he lost his memory?
- Another wet kiss...
- And another...Aaron's hands were moving towards his and
his own pants...
- Aaron had an intention...maybe he hadn't before but he did
now...
- And Aaron then sat up undid his own pants and pushed them
down...he pulled Tom up and undid his...
- And more kisses...
- More groping...
- It was a blur...it was as if Tom was watching it all happen...
- The boxers were off...
- It was just skin against skin...
- And hot breaths...
- So much kissing...
- The touching...
- And Aaron sat back up for a third time, to look down to
Tom
- Tom could see how happy and glad Aaron was that he was
actually letting him do this...
- And Tom couldn't let this go on...
- Aaron was having sex with someone who didn't even remember
him...
- Aaron would be having sex with someone who wasn't actually
who Aaron knew him to be.
- Tom took a breath in and looked directly into Aaron...
- And suddenly Tom could feel a change in the air...
- He fell back, his head only inches from the bed from
before.
- And he looked up...and Aaron didn't move.
- It was as if he was frozen.
- "Aaron?"
- Tom's eyes looked to Aaron's...and Aaron was just
simply...stopped.
- Tom looked down to Aaron's cock and saw it perfectly in
the air...
- Just perfect.
- And Tom crawled back from Aaron's legs and looked at him.
- It was actually a little funny seeing him in this position
with no one underneath him...
- It was incorrect to gravity's laws...
- Tom looked over, seeing a clock on the wall...it didn't
move.
- The second had hadn't moved.
- Did he somehow do this?
- Tom moved back to Aaron's legs and focused...
- His eyes closed and looked into Aaron's...
- And Aaron suddenly came back; his hard cock was against
Tom's.
- This was such a good sensation...so passionate...
- But it wasn't Tom's passion mixed with Aaron's...it was
wrong founded.
- Tom felt Aaron's passionate kiss against his lips...
- He felt Aaron's body press and grind against his own...
- The kiss still planted and their breaths mixed...
- He had felt his before! Before ever seeing Aaron in the
hospital!
- He had felt such a passionate combination of kiss
and...love...before...
- It was a different type of love...but it was still a level
of love...and liveliness...and purity.
- Where had he felt this before?
- Tom's mind wondered as he let his body perform the motions
as Aaron moved down his body...
- Gave him a blowjob...
- Then as he did the same...somehow he knew how to...
- As he felt Aaron inside of him...as he felt Aaron move and
touch inside of him.
- As he did the same...
- He let this possession of love fill inside of him and
combine with Aaron's flood as they made love to one another...
- And they laid side by said...
- And Aaron kissed him one last time...
- A last kiss...
- Tom took in a deep breath.
- He knew where the kiss was from.
- He had...been reborn.
- It didn't make sense...Tom knew that...
- But he recalled the feeling of passage from life to life
once more...all from the kiss of Death.
- It was...a passage from one life to another.
- It wasn't reincarnation...
- It was rebirth...
- A life that had been created and inserted into the history
of the World.
- It was as if he had lived two lives...except he was only now
living this own...
- Tom didn't know how it was possible...but it seemed to make
sense and work.
- It wasn't...wrong, was it?
- All of that feeling and thought had spawned from the
reminder...the déjà vu of that kiss...
- Or was he just jumping to conclusions?
- Aaron's arm and chest were along his...
- Aaron's warmth against his...
- The covers had been pushed from beneath them and on top of
them.
- And Tom falls asleep.
Chapter Two -- A
Mystery of Time.
- Tom awakes with Aaron sucking his cock.
- For some reason, the thought of whether this was the right
thing to do registered with him? It felt so right, having sex with
another man, but the question ringed in his mind.
- How had he even known how to do what he had done?
- Were those solutions to his questions true or had he made
them up? Were they just in his mind?
- "Aaron...oh Aaron...please, please--I..."
- Hot breaths, the courage to say what his mind was thinking
- "I'm not the Tom you think..."
- "But you will be...you just have to get your memory back"
Aaron argued, going back to his pleasure.
- "But I don't know you--"
- "But you will"
- "But I don't right NOW!"
- He had shouted...
- He had come...
- And somehow time had frozen like it had before...
- Tom looked down again, seeing Aaron there; and he suddenly
returned back to time...returned with his tongue and his lips...
- How was any of this happening? Had he been given this
right?
- Had Death given him this right?
- Were his thoughts even true?!
- Tom quickly moved himself from Aaron's lips and ran to a
dresser, opening the shelves quickly and just grabbing different clothes
and putting them on.
- "Tom--Tom--whoa, what are you doing? Hey, don't you want to
finish?"
- Aaron leaped over the bed and put his arms around Tom as
Tom dressed in a panic.
- "Look, I need to take a walk...get some space...get some
answers"
- "Tom--"
- "Aaron you don't know who I am! I don't know who I am!
I'm not even sure of anything right now! The only thing that even proves
you are who you are and I am who I am are the pictures in the living room
and the ones in this bedroom! My bedroom! My bedroom?! I don't
even know!"
- He grabbed his shoes and put them on, and ran to the door.
- Aaron stumbled and quickly grabbed the closest pair of
pants--Tom's from the hospital--and put them on; with the closest
shirt--Tom's--and put it on too.
- Tom turned and quickly opened the door and walked out into
the hallway.
- "Look I'll come with you!" Aaron shouted and quickly
forced on his socks and shoes.
- Tom turned and grabbed a pair of keys from the table by
the door and a wallet by the door--opening it and seeing an I.D. inside
with his face on it...the face he had seen in the mirror, and put it in his
pocket.
- "Tom, come on"
- "I just came with you, you already came with me--"
- "No jokes, okay? You don't even know where you're going,
who or what anything is, it wouldn't be safe...do you have any ideas?" Aaron
was so concerned...
- Tom turned and looked at Aaron, he was so hot...wearing
Tom's clothes that really were too small for him so they showed off his
muscles...
- Tom quickly turned and opened the door, walking to the
front door and to the car, happy to remember which one they had driven up
in.
- Aaron quickly runs after him.
- They get into the car.
- "Do you know where you want to go? Talk to me"
- "The..." Tom closes his eyes "Water...is there water nearby?
Yeah I think you said so earlier"
- "Yeah...the docks, there?"
- "Yeah"
- They go to the docks and they get out.
- Tom quickly walks to the riverside and walks quickly down
the piers...along the sides.
- "I'm remembering something...sort of déjà vu-ish."
- They walk further and see a area in the distance
taped-off.
- Tom stops and stares, then quickly walks and then runs
towards it.
- "Hey wait--I saw that on the news a while ago, a guy got
struck by lightning or something there" Aaron yells as they run
- Tom approaches it, faster faster, faster--
- And he reaches the caution tape and goes underneath it and
to the evident spot where the cement and wood had been struck.
- It's blackened, and the area around is as well.
- Tom turns and slowly walks around the spot, feeling closer
to something as he does...
- "Tom, careful--it's caution-taped-off for a reason" Aaron
warns, he wants to keep his distance...
- Tom walks closer and closer to a specific spot and takes a
final step...
- A deep gasp...
- And a faint smell of the water mist on the wind...
- A faint whisper of a thought...
- A faint remembrance of a soul.
- Was it his own?
- It feels...so...familiar...
- Or was he simply ovethinking?
- "I think I was here before" Tom tells Aaron, and quickly
moves away from the spot, back underneath the tape, and hugs against
Aaron.
- Aaron stands up strong for his friend, hugging him and
feeling him up.
- "How so?"
- "I...I think it was...me, Aaron...I know it sounds crazy...but I
think it was me."
- "Right...well, let's go to the police station. See if we
can get any information about what happened here" Aaron suggests.
- Tom nods and turns with him, walking away from the scene
and towards the main street.
- They approach the crosswalk, the street busy from the
tourist-docks and the shipping-docks meeting the city.
- Tom looks forward and sees a woman crossing the street,
headphones on. He is about to walk with her but he sees the walking sign
blinking red--so he stops; but then he turns to his right and sees a car
driving forward.
- The car doesn't stop--the woman is only looking forward.
- Tom realizes the car won't stop.
- THE CAR WON'T STOP.
- "NO!" Tom yells in a gasp as he throws his hands out,
about to cover his eyes/hold onto his hair--
- And time stops.
- The birds in the area stop. The noise and traffic stop.
The car stops--the woman stops...that's what important...
- Tom smiles as he sighs and looks over to Aaron, seeing him
frozen as well.
- "So it wasn't the sex, at least" he jokes, Aaron still
frozen though.
- He takes a few steps forward slowly--the birds begin to
flap their wings...the car begins to move a little closer--
- Tom realizes what's going on...he can see time beginning to
speed up.
- He runs forward and closer towards the woman. He jumps
forward as the car begins to move more and more forward.
- He tackles her out of the way and time zooms back up.
- The car swerves as the driver realizes and hits a
telephone pole.
- Aaron runs across the street, careful to watch both sides
of the street, and pulls out his cell phone; immediately calling 911.
- Tom looks up from the concrete and looks over to the
woman, then back to Aaron.
- Tom's eyes search the large area as a female nurse passes
him after checking him for any injuries.
- His eyes instantly change as he watches a police officer
enter the room from the elevator.
- He was...okay looking...but it was obvious he didn't care to
be in the hospital.
- Aaron jumps up from the chair on the side of the tall
bench/bed and instantly taps Tom lightly...then sulks back when Tom doesn't
jump up like he use to do...
- The policeman approaches...
- "I need to get some basic information from you three
before the detectives come in to settle this thing up. It's a good thing
everyone's all right, or I would have had to bring over more paperwork and
all that. Plus...the drunk driver's upstairs it seems, and I can save
myself the trip and time."
- What a jerk...Tom tries to interrupt but the policeman
carries on...
- "So--we'll start with you then--name?"
- "Tom" -- Ha, Tom knew that one...what was his last name
again?
- "Tom...what?"
- "Uh..." --Crap, what was it again?
- "Tom Russell" Aaron interrupts.
- Aaron is so great.
- "Oh yeah..." Tom replies...
- "Right..." the policeman slowly continues. "Age?"
- "Uh...Twenty...one?" --Aaron nods--
- "Date of birth?"
- Crap Tom didn't know this one--wait, Aaron's replying,
great!
- "Uh...April...16th...1984."
- Aaron's great...
- "Right, can he answer some himself maybe? Or do you have
a problem with that?" the policeman asks.
- He has no idea...haha, the joke's on him.
- "Well actually--"
- "Current Address?" the policeman asked.
- Aaron answered...
- The policeman quickly raises his hand to cut him off.
- Yeah...no.
- Aaron was persistent, "Well Tom, your license still has
your old address on it...you keep procrastinating to change it...this nice
policeman could probably use the one that's actually on your license..."
- "We could probably use that too" the policeman interrupts.
- Probably? Ha, and he had said he didn't want to do more
work.
- "Well what's the address?" the policeman hurries.
- Ass.
- "Let me check" Tom quickly responds, grabbing his wallet
from his pocket, quickly seeing the I.D. with his picture on it.
- "134 Latimore Road--"
- "That's all I feel like writing down... And your story?"
- "Well..." Tom's eyes glance to the woman talking to some
nurses, "She was crossing the street and the car wasn't braking, so I ran
forward and got her out of the way."
- "Yeah, he was super fast..." Aaron adds in.
- Tom's eyes smile to Aaron's comment and glance around the
room as the policeman decides to write what he had said down in short
terms; and Tom's eyes catch another policeman standing by the front desk,
writing down something. He looks kind enough...like he actually cares about
his job.
- "The detective will be here soon, just...don't go anywhere."
- Tom walks over to the other policeman.
- "Excuse me--"
- "Just a second..." --he finishes writing and looks up,
instantly smiling-- "How can I help you?"
- "...There was a death by the docks a while ago...can you tell
me about that?"
- "Sure...erm...what was the boy's name? ...Tim? No...Tom...Almore I
think it was. Yeah. That was it...Tom Almore. He got hit by lightning I
think. Why do you ask?"
- "Well...I walked by there earlier and didn't know what had
happened...I was curious if that was it...did he go to a college nearby?"
- "I think so...I don't really remember, sorry I can't help
more; try asking...Detective Morrison--" a gesture to a man surrounded by
people across the room...
- "Thanks" Tom replies...the policeman was nice, that was
good.
- "Tom!" Aaron alerts, walking over to him.
- "We can go, I just chatted with the detective. Let's get
out of here."
- Aaron put his hand on Tom's back as they approached the
elevator.
- "Thank You again" Tom says to the policeman and glances
over, seeing the woman he had saved talking to a nurse still.
- Her eyes meet his...and she mouths "Thank You" to him.
- Tom returns with a smile and walks to the elevator.
- "So can we go now? You get what you needed?"
- "Yeah...let's go."
- The elevator rings and buzzes as it descends.
- As soon as they get back to the apartment...Tom's going to
sleep, definitely.
- He has to think about the day...the woman he saved...he had
saved someone's life. But...what of his own? His...other life?
Chapter Three -- A
lot of unexpected miracles.
- Tom awoke in the middle of the night.
- He was naked; his eyes were aching, he felt sore at first,
but then felt fine.
- The sheets and air in the room were new to him...the sheets
were...too smooth...too comfortable. The air was blowing softly from a vent;
but he wasn't use to it.
- The sound of the gentle wind touched the window--had a
storm really just passed?
- Tom's eyes searched the room --he quickly got up, and
studied his desk.
- He didn't remember any of this.
- Was this really his life?
- He turned to his mirror and studied himself.
- He was so attractive...the moonlight shining upon his
gentle, light, firm skin.
- He wasn't particularly muscular...he had either worked out
or just become strong...but overall, he had a slim physique but was
fortunate to look so good.
- How much passion had he really put into his body?
- Had he put any?
- ...It hurt Tom to not know these answers...
- To not know himself.
- He glanced back to the dresser. A portrait of him and a
older woman. He was smiling, his arm around her. She was smiling too.
He was wearing a grey turtleneck sweater. She was wearing a red
sweatshirt.
- Who was she?
- He closed his eyes and breathed in, gripping the frame
with all of his might.
- And he heard a voice...many voices...
- He could feel lights against his eyelids--
- A warm sweater around his torso and neck...comfortable jeans
around his legs.
- The smell of something rich and sweet; warmth against his
skin--
- And his eyes opened--light and vision came into view, and
the woman came towards him from a kitchen area...in a house...their house.
- She said something..."Oh! Tom give me a hug before you go
for the night--" and Tom felt himself lean forward, hug her; and a warmth
came upon him instantly.
- "Love you Mom, `Night" he had said to her.
- He had leaned back...
- And he was back in his bedroom at the apartment.
- A memory? His eyes gently moved back to the frame.
- This was a memory....his first recovered memory!
- He had that memory...so...this was his life after all; but
what about his other life? That feeling he had? Was it just in his head?
- Was he just being odd?
- He stared at the other frames and objects along the
dresser. The items along the walls and around the room.
- These all belonged to someone; they all held some type of
significance.
- But did they really belong to him? It all just looked
like he was in someone else's room...not his own...but then again, what would
he know? He didn't know himself--he didn't know any of his past.
- He sighed and quickly grabbed a pair of jeans, a grey
shirt, and some socks and shoes...
- Tom walked down the absent urban street. He had been
walking for a long time.
- He didn't want to stop--not until his questions were
answered.
- He walked down onto another street; almost a copy of the
previous perpendicular street.
- His eyes forward and down, his breath against the cool,
sweet air.
- And there was a faint whisper in the air--
- He recognized it...he knew it...it was...desperation...need...loss...a
final prayer.
- He quickly turned down the alley he was just about to walk
past--he could feel the whisper's origin; he could feel the voice in the
air.
- And suddenly Tom stopped running; as a woman lay on the
ground, her eyes looking directly at him.
- She was dressed so nicely...a black dress, high heel shoes,
a purse only feet away.
- "Help me" she whispered. She closed her eyes only for a
second, to blink--
- And Tom looked directly at her and put his hand out as he
approached her--
- And she froze.
- The alley froze.
- It all froze.
- It was silent; Time had stopped; Tom needed it to happen,
he smiled when he realized it did.
- Tom didn't know why he could do this. This was...the third
time he had frozen time? He could feel himself in sync with it. He could
feel time all around him when he needed to pause everything--get away from
the real world's contracting borders. Aaron's wishes of the past, the
reminders of a former life, Aaron's wishes of the future, thoughts of the
storm.
- Tom bent down and took the black cell phone from out of
his pocket. It was Aaron's, Tom knew he shouldn't have taken it without
asking, but then again, it would be better than not having any.
- He dialed 911--he knew to, it was so ornate, so natural of
a thought...from his past--
- He glanced around the dark alley.
- The phone dialed and the world came back to time as Tom
told the operator of the situation...but the woman remained frozen.
- Tom couldn't let her come back to Time's hands. It'd take
her whole and never let her come back, never let her live again.
- Tom's eyes looked down, and he only now saw the blood from
underneath her body. It had stained her dress; her hair was a mess, her
face was in panic and distraught.
- It was such a shame, she was so beautiful. What had
happened to her...could never have been beautiful. She hadn't wanted this
to happen, it had just happened to her.
- Like...his loss of his memory.
- The question of how he had lost it.
- Why and how he was found.
- None of it truly made much sense.
- Why couldn't he remember?!
- 5 minutes passed.
- 10 minutes passed.
- Tom waited with the still woman until the police and
ambulance sirens came into range.
- And cautiously, with tears in his eyes...though Tom hadn't
even recognized their existence...Tom placed his hand just above her chest.
- And the woman came back to time's grasps.
- But Tom knew she had a chance to be saved now.
- He looked down to the woman as she opened her eyes.
- Tom turned and the ambulance pulled out, the police car as
well.
- She'd be in too much distress and pain to realize how
close he was to her--that she had just passed out would be a reasonable
alibi.
- A streetlight was the only light that illuminated them.
- This was the third time Tom was in a hospital since he had
wakened.
- It was now at least 6am.
- Aaron probably hadn't even awoken.
- And Tom was sitting in an uncomfortable hospital chair in
an uncomfortable waiting room.
- He had just finished yelling or debating at three doctors,
two nurses, and two resident psychiatrists about whether he was capable of
living without taking the hospital's program about regaining his memory.
- Then he had to explain to them that although Aaron's
actions weren't exactly...the best; that it was all right and that everyone
needs to leave them alone.
- The woman had been in surgery for some time now.
- She had been shot in her side.
- It was by chance that she was even still alive.
- Unfortunately, the doctors were treating internal bleeding
right now.
- And Tom was tired.
- He stood up, walked to the front desk, and left his
information with the receptionist. Luckily, there was a card inside of
his wallet with all his contact information on it.
- It was however annoying to rely on his wallet for personal
information.
- The clock continued to tick, the sound of beeping and
talking buzzed about the room.
- Aaron stood in Tom's doorway, dumbfounded.
- He turned and walked to the front door...his wallet was
gone, along with Tom's wallet.
- "For someone with amnesia he sure is reliable and smart."
- Though Aaron was only wearing his red plaid boxers, that
didn't stop him from walking out the apartment and to the large glass
frames to check to make sure his car was still there.
- Aaron returned to the apartment, only now seeing his keys
had fallen off and onto the floor, but underneath the small table.
- And just as he had closed the door and walked to the
phone; the front door opened and Tom entered and closed it behind
him--immediately shocked at seeing Aaron awake early.
- "You're up...early" Tom stated.
- "I always get up early. Try to remember that."
- "Remembering isn't my strong point."
- "Where'd you go? I was worried about you--you can't go out
doing that with amnesia and a lack of...things!"
- It was obvious Aaron cared. He grabbed Tom and quickly
stripped him of his jacket, wallet, and the cell phone.
- "I went for a walk. I...saw a woman in an alley and she was
shot...so I called the police, and now she's in the hospital being treated."
- A momentary silence.
- "You saved two peoples' lives and you haven't had your
memory back for 24 hours?"
- "I'm just tired, I'm gonna go back to bed."
- Tom moved past Aaron and to his bedroom.
- Aaron was the jock-type physique-wise. Tom could see the
free weights through the doorway into Aaron's room. And as Aaron followed
Tom and placed his hands around Tom from the back and felt up his chest,
Tom knew what Aaron's intentions were.
- "Can I go to bed with you?"
- "Aaron...did I give into your flirts before this happened?"
- "Well not really but--"
- "If I was attracted to you, I probably didn't tell you for
a reason--"
- "Well now you don't have those constrictions. We can be
open to one another..."
- Aaron turned Tom around, looking him directly in the face.
- Tom looked into Aaron; he was so handsome, had such great
eyes...he was so true.
- But the momentary silence ended, as Aaron pushed Tom
against the bed, stripped him of his clothes, took off his boxers, and
began to kiss him with the same passionate, fiery kisses as the last time
they had had sex.
- Tom lay back as he let Aaron force himself upon him.
- Tom wasn't even sure why any of this was happening...but it
was passion.
- Did Aaron even love him? What was Aaron like before this amnesia?
- And soon Aaron entered himself into Tom's body...
- And the window soon grew light and the light soon got
brighter.
- He had let it happen again. He had let Aaron seduce
him--his amnesia had become an excuse; the mixed emotions had faded when
Aaron did that to him.
- It was now 3 o'clock or so.
- The sound of the refrigerator was buzzing in the
background.
- This was day two--he had found out his gift, the ability to
freeze time. It was unique...only to him...had he had it before his amnesia?
Had he just developed it?
- He had saved two peoples' lives each by the chance that he
was where we was and was able to help them.
- It was extraordinary...just another question to his list of
questions.
- Tom sat on his bed, the light from his window shining into
the room.
- He had awakened with Aaron--but now was Tom-time.
- He had been looking through the photo albums, books on his
bookshelf, files on his computer laptop, and anything else he could get
his hands on in the entire apartment.
- It had been about 6 hours or so that he had been looking
through, studying, and remembering things.
- That morning, he had had only one dream while he was
asleep.
- He was soaring through the wind and into the ocean, but as
he kept moving through the water, something kept holding him back.
- Then the water disappeared and he lay against the
ground--it was bricks actually, not dirty--and Tom recognized the
pattern...they were from the docks. But Tom couldn't move...and then the
dream just ended and all he could do was to just sleep.
- Over his perusing he had had memories of almost every
photograph and whatnot. Everything was a vague recognition of life...each
through the life he had lived before the amnesia.
- Tom got up--and Aaron opened the door and stood by the
frame.
- He wore a blue button-down shirt with the top few buttons
undone, revealing his chest underneath with a white beater underneath.
Navy pants, a silver buckle with black leather for his belt, black socks
with black shoes.
- A corporate job.
- "Tom, you've got leave from your column job. When you're
ready, they said they'd be happy to have you back. You're a movie
critic--"
- "Yeah I found every article I wrote in the brown photo
album."
- "Great, well I have to go to work in two hours. Do you
know how to drive?"
- "Yes, I remember everything...rules...driving itself...a fender
bender I had in...2004."
- A smile--Aaron was glad that he was getting his best friend
back.
- "Good, well let's go now. I'll leave the car with you,
and we can go for a walk in the mean time."
- "Great idea--"
- "I'll leave you some money, and I also got you a cell
phone as well, so even though you'll be on your own you can contact me, my
number is in there and everything. Hopefully tomorrow maybe we'll be able
to have dinner together or something. Well let's get going."
- They walk to the front door and close down the house and
get ready.
- Tom walks to the front door to meet Aaron, grabbing his
jacket.
- As Tom turns back to Aaron to put his jacket on Aaron
turns kises Tom for only a second.
- "Aaron..."
- "Will you be my boyfriend?"
- "Aaron--"
- "You've had memories I'm sure"
- "Yes, I'm remembering about myself...my life."
- "So be my boyfriend, you love me right?"
- "I do...I don't know if it's best friend love or--"
- "But you like it when we kiss?"
- "Yes--"
- "When we talk, hang out?"
- "Yes--"
- "When we fuck?"
- A smile. "Yes...definitely."
- "Well I'm only with you. I've stayed only to you...in
hopes of being with you. Granted this isn't the best reason for it but
here you are with me, come on Tom...will you be my boyfriend?"
- Aaron leans forward without giving him time to respond and
kisses him--
- So intimate.
- "Yes..."
- "And this is my desk!"
- Aaron had shown the entire business to Tom.
- They had walked down the entire boulevard. For at least 6
blocks, stopped by a café and now Aaron had to work.
- The shared a simple kiss and Tom walked back to the car.
- Aaron's building was a nice place to work, it was well
designed.
- It was now about 5 o'clock.
- Memories ran inside his head, people, incidents of ages--it
was all becoming less foggy--more evident.
- Tom got in the car, the keys in his his hand, and stared
at the dashboard.
- He could remember his first time dirving by himself...life
at seventeen.
- And he started up the car.
- He was cautious, and turned, put the car in reverse,
checked the mirrors and everything.
- And he drove off.
- Tom kept driving, the street prolonging.
- It was such an odd sensation...being in control of a car...it
felt like he was so use to driving but so foreign to driving.
- But he kept going.
- Then he realized...he didn't know how to get home...he didn't
know where he was...
- What was his address again?
- Aha! His I.D. in his wallet!
- Oh wait...crap...that wasn't new.
- Wait--the new address on that I.D. card was probably
right...maybe...
- He'd have to check that out later...
- So Tom drove, and he kept driving until he heard and could
feel the music coming closer and louder.
- Tom wasn't sure what he was doing...but he found himself
parking...
- He got out, started to approach a club...
- He walked up to the doors...he took out his I.D...he was
admitted in...
- And the club was active!
- It was so alive!
- The music; the tempo! The Bass!
- The techno; the dancing bodies...the...
- The hot guys.
- Tom smiled as he walked inwards towards the club more...
- What was he doing?
- How had he even got here anyway?
- And he got closer to the dance floor...
- But No-no-no; there was no way Tom was going to dance--
- He quickly turned and walked to the bar.
- The bar was just as alive as everything else; and the
bartender approached him--a big guy, with black hair and green eyes.
- "What'll you have?"
- "Uh..."
- Tom didn't feel like spending any money...how much had Aaron
given him anyway?
- "Water...with Ice?"
- "Right..." the Bartender shrugged and quickly grabbed a
glass, a dispenser, and dug some ice from underneath the counter--a large
bin containing ice--and shot the water into it; then handed it to him.
- "Free; enjoy your...water, it'll cool you down hot stuff"
- And just as simply, with a smile and a wink, the Bartender
walked away to help another customer.
- Tom sat down at the bar and sipped his water...glancing
around...now realizing this was a gay bar.
- Was Tom even gay? Was he bisexual? Was he straight and
just liked guys?
- That was just another question to add to his list of
questions as well...
- He took another sip; the music and beat booming all around
him...somehow numbed at the bar somewhat...
- And he glanced over, seeing a man sitting right next to
him, looking directly at him.
- This guy was about his body type...about his size too, a bit
bigger but not by that much. He had dirty brown hair and a tan...he was
about Tom's height--not too tall, not too short--and was slim with some
muscle...more muscle than Tom but not by a large amount.
- And he was leaning closer towards him as well...
- "Hi!" Tom blurted out--though now only realizing it
probably was normal now that the music was so loud.
- "What's your name?" the man asked, leaning ever closer.
- "Tom--and I...uh have a boyfriend..."
- "Since when? You didn't have a boyfriend a week ago--"
- "What? Who are you?"
- Who was this guy? That was an odd thing to say...
- "What's the matter with you?" the man asked back.
- "Do I know you?" Tom replied--it was the questions game!
- "I'd hope so--I talked to you at the gym a week and a few
days ago!"
- "Oh!" --That'd explain it...Did he have a crush on this
guy...was that why he had reserved himself from Aaron?
- "I--uh--lost my memory over the week; went to the
hospital--long story short, I just got back like two days ago and I now
have a boyfriend"
- The man smiled and simply leaned in even more...even to feel
his breath.
- "Well I'm Gavin. I met you at the gym on the main campus
while you were on the exercise bike and talked to you for a little while
before I left, I was hoping I'd see you again."
- Tom could tell Gavin believed him...and Gavin definitely had
sex appeal...it was like smell breathing from Gavin's skin...
- "Well...sorry but nice to meet you!"
- This was definitely abnormal, but what to expect when you
have amnesia, right?
- And suddenly Gavin moved in and kissed him--
- He used tongue...
- And Gavin's hands were all around Tom...
- Tom quickly pushed Gavin away after a few good seconds and
jumped off the stool--
- "I have a boyfriend!"
- "You've only what, known him for a couple days since your
amnesia?"
- "That's not the point!"
- "Well who is he?"
- "His name is Aaron--and--"
- "Oh Aaron! He's definitely hot, your roommate right? I
met him when he came up as I was leaving!"
- Tom didn't know what to say...this guy was some jerk; that
was true.
- And Gavin quickly stepped after Tom and took him by the
hand and led him to a back room; behind the bar, to a hallway which led to
that back room along many others.
- "Good, a place to talk that's a little more quiet" Tom
stated as Gavin led him.
- Gavin closed the door behind them and sat down on a bed
with him.
- Tom...just realized he was sitting on a couch.
- "So you have memory loss; that's obvious..."
- "Well not all of my memory is back yet...I just started..."
- Tom vaguely remembered Gavin, but he was beginning to ring
some bells...
- "I can tell! Well Tom, I like you a lot...sorry I just
kissed you back there, but you're pretty hot, even if you didn't think so
at the gym--"
- "...I don't remember the gym that well..."
- "Right, right"
- Gavin was too suave...
- "Listen Tom" Gavin continued..."You seemed to like me a lot
before--we made out a little--"
- Was this even true? Had he--
- And another memory...Gavin's lips...Gavin's hands around his
butt...the lust to have Gavin's cock in his mouth...in his butt...
- "--And we hit it off before I had to go, but if you've got
a boyfriend now, Aaron that is, and I know you're just rediscovering him
but you've already committed yourself to him, I don't want to interrupt--"
- He was very considerate...
- "Oh who am I kidding?!"
- And suddenly Gavin had pounced--
- He forced Tom against the bed, and before Tom knew it his
shirt and Gavin's were off--
- And Gavin's lips were all along him...his lips, his neck,
his chest...
- And Gavin's hands were holding him down...
- No--Tom wouldn't let this lust take him again! Not again!
Even if Gavin was desirable...temptation could be ignored!
- Tom gathered his strength and pushed Gavin to the other
side of the bed and jumped up; hitting the back wall.
- "Gavin sorry but--"
- Gavin jumped up, pushing himself against Tom and kissed
him again.
- That smile on Gavin's face; his body actions, his motion...
- Tom was starting to remember that night...
- The tired feeling from the exercise bike...
- The conversation he had had with Aaron earlier...
- The news station that was on the TV in the exercise room...
- And Gavin brought him back to the bed, and began his
seduction again...
- And Tom's thoughts began to remember that night...the first
words Gavin had said..."Is that your water?"
- The thoughts afterwards of seeing Aaron and saying goodbye
to Gavin and feeling almost guilty for not holding out for waiting for
Aaron to actually admit his feelings...
- Aaron had...said he was straight before...he had actually told
Tom that he wasn't interested in him...how stupid and shy...
- And after being with Gavin, Tom decided that he'd pursue
the relationship with Gavin because Aaron was taking too long...
- That was the secret Aaron never wanted to tell him...
- A quick gasp...
- And Tom came back to reality...
- And he was naked...Gavin was naked...
- Tom could have laughed at how easy he was...he started to
hope it was the amnesia's effects...
- Why had he gasped?
- And then he felt Gavin's cock against his hole...
- And he felt Gavin beginning to enter him...
- He could feel the condom--a little bit of relief...
- "No...Gavin...No..."
- "So you're back?" Gavin asked... a simply quick kiss...
- And Tom jumped back from Gavin and fell off the bed and
onto the floor; then jumped up and quickly started to try and gather his
clothes...
- "I--remember the night when we met...and I can't do this--I
told Aaron I'd be with him, it'd be wrong to do this!"
- "Wrong is sometimes good Tom...temptation..."
- Tom was stronger than this...he had saved two peoples'
lives...he had recovered loss of memory...
- Gavin was closer to him again; his hard cock against his
own...
- And something happened...
- Time didn't freeze...
- Gavin had turned him around...he had bent him over, he had
entered him...first slowly with some lubricant...then faster...harder...and Tom
was back on the bed...Gavin inside of him...
- What was happening?! Tom didn't know this feeling...he
recognized being fucked from Aaron...but not this other feeling...
- It was weakness.
- He had just experienced the miracle of remembering an
entire night...and now this was happening to him.
- He had given into temptation...and it was all happening so
quickly...
- Gavin kissed the back of his neck as he fucked him even
more...then as he gave his final last pushes, quickly came out of him,
flipped Tom around, took off the condom, and came all over Tom's chest.
- Tom came; but not of his mind's accord, but of his other
head's accord.
- His cum all over Gavin's body and his own...
- Gavin pressed himself against Tom's body...kissed him a last
few final times with full passion...then began to lick him...cleaning Tom with
his tongue.
- Tom just...let it happen.
- Time...wouldn't freeze for him...
- So Tom just let the scene play out. It felt so good but
so bad...
- And soon Gavin was beginning to get dressed...
- "I know you didn't really want this tonight...but I did...I've
been wanting it for a week...and I always get what I want...and maybe...we can
have this again some other time, I'd like that. So it's a fact then,
we'll have it then."
- Tom was in shock...he was...just laying there in his sweat and
passion.
- Gavin picked up Tom's cell phone from his pants pocket and
dialed a number, waited a few moments, reached into his pocket, then
folded the cell phone and put it back into Tom's pocket.
- "I'll call you" and with that Gavin walked over to him,
kissed him for a final time, felt his cock and balls quickly, and walked
to the door, opened it, and left.
- Tom had gotten dressed.
- He had walked back to the car.
- He had started the car and slowly found his way back
through familiar streets and went back to the apartment.
- He studied more of the books and albums...watched some
television...
- Showered.
- Waited for Aaron to call him.
- Drove to pick up Aaron, met him, and drove back.
- They had sex that night; it was Aaron's dream coming true
just another time.
- And Tom decided to go to sleep, reflecting on the day.
- Was it a good day?
- Was it a bad day?
- Gavin wasn't a bad guy, he was just determined.
- But Tom still felt guilty.
- It wasn't entirely from having sex earlier...
- But it was simply from being weak.
- This...weakness...was new.
Chapter Four -- Loss
of words.
- The phone rang at exactly 11:13pm the next day.
- Tom had spent his entire day with Aaron; a lot of memories
of being with him were coming back as well.
- Tom could definitely see through Aaron's actions now and
in his memory why he had given up on Aaron's actions before.
- Aaron was more honest now than before, he was very touchy
and sexual now, and he talked more openly than he had before.
- They had both awoken around noon, went to lunch at a café called
"Hot Hot Coffee" on the college campus, then Aaron showed him around the
campus and showed him every building; the classes he had had, and
afterwards they went to get smoothies at the nearby mall.
- It was so strange to Tom; all of these people were saying
hello to him; some people Tom could remember, some he couldn't.
- It was hard; it was a toll on him.
- Aaron wasn't that much help either; he kept showing him
off and revisiting places to "see more things." Not only that, but
feeling Tom's crotch while Aaron drove around the college streets wasn't
helping either.
- After they had visited the college, Aaron and Tom went
shopping for a few hours; not buying anything worth remembering, and
eventually they just came home and had a good time together.
- Aaron went out to buy microwaveable popcorn, beer, pizza,
and a movie.
- They had a movie-night; and Aaron decided to go to bed
right afterwards.
- "Hello?" Tom asked, watching a sexual movie on an extra
channel.
- "Hey there lover boy, I'd like to see you sometime soon."
- It was Gavin.
- Tom cursed silently and stopped playing with his cock
while he talked; he didn't want to remember last night for the fact that
he had let it happen.
- "Gavin, I'm sorry but I'm just not interested anymore, I
told you that I'm with Aaron and I mean it. He's a great guy and I love
him for that."
- "You keep saying that but are you sure you wouldn't want
to fuck me? Want me to fuck you? I know you want me" he responded.
- This guy was cocky and to the word!
- "Sorry but it just won't work out"
- "I could stop by if you don't want to meet somewhere else"
- "Gavin, you're a nice guy but--"
- "I'll get my keys, maybe we can have a threesome--"
- The idea did linger in Tom's mind but he quickly ignored
it.
- "Sorry but it doesn't look like that's going to happen."
- "I could make friends with boy-toy and we could have it
then..."
- "Gavin, have a goodnight."
- "Tom wait--"
- "It was a mistake. A fun but unwanted mistake. See you
around."
- And with that the receiver was back on the phone station,
Tom went back to eating popcorn, watching the movie, and playing with
himself.
- "Tom--" Aaron called for him as he walked into the living
room.
- Aaron was nude, it was very appealing...
- "Who was that on the phone?"
- "Uh...Gavin, from the gym apparently. I saw him yesterday
and he wanted to meet up but Nah."
- "Oh, I didn't like that guy that much. He was hot as hell
though, but something about his personality..."
- "I know..."
- Tom's eyes knelt down for a moment then back to his
boyfriend.
- "Something else?" Aaron asked, almost as if Tom was
invading his space.
- "I'm...enjoying the movie?"
- Aaron smiled and glanced to the screen, gently nodding his
head.
- "I saw that last night, yeah it is pretty good isn't it?"
- "Yeah..."
- Tom tried to keep his mind elsewhere...his eyes kept
lingering to Aaron's...then to Aaron's cock as Aaron gently watched Tom play
with himself...
- Soon Aaron's cock was getting hard...and his eyes were
directly onto Tom...
- And Tom glanced over; quickly turned off the T.V. and
stood up, looking Aaron directly in the face.
- "Look--I...I had sex with Gavin" Tom announced, looking Aaron
directly in the face.
- Aaron blinked a few times, his cock still erect, and put
his hand onto Tom's cock; letting Tom's pants fall to the ground.
- "Let's...just...enjoy the night...we'll talk about it tomorrow
morning"
- "No, look, I told Gavin I didn't want to have sex but I
was still recovering from my amnesia and he was so--"
- "He had sex with you while you still had memory loss?
What an ass..."
- Aaron kissed him briefly, then traced his hands along
Tom's ass and kissed him again...
- "Aaron...we need to talk about it..."
- "No...it's cool. You were still forgetful...and you told him
not to..."
- Another sweet kiss.
- "But I still let him. I tried a few times but he still
ended up fucking me. He wanted to meet me again...he found my cell phone
and put my number onto his. He might find me again--"
- "Then don't let him--"
- "I gave into temptation last time--"
- Aaron kissed Tom again, pulling them back into Aaron's
bedroom.
- "Don't give into it then--"
- "I couldn't stop him...I couldn't stop myself last time"
- "You're my boyfriend...just...stay with me"
- Another kiss and they were on the bed together...
- "I--had--a--memory--of--you--you pretended like you were
straight before..."
- "That was back then, I'm so much happier now--"
- Another kiss--Aaron pulled Tom onto of him...moved on top of
him...
- "But you didn't tell me that before--"
- "And?"
- "You're my boyfriend, you should have told me that..."
- "Well I'm sorry...now come on--"
- "You know, Gavin suggested a threesome--"
- Tom regretted it, but he didn't apologize.
- "Right now all I want is you..."
- Aaron kept kissing him every time he didn't want to answer
what Tom said...
- Tom sighed and moaned as he felt Aaron soon moving inside
of him.
- The lubricant was cold at the beginning, but soon didn't
matter.
- Aaron pushed hard; and harder; and harder...
- Tom breathed faster and faster as Aaron got faster and
faster.
- Tom could remember Gavin's cock inside of his ass...
- Gavin was actually bigger than Aaron...Gavin was huge...
- Aaron moaned and groaned and grunted every second he
wasn't kissing Tom's back...
- Tom wondered how'd his he'd think of this happening before
the amnesia had happened...would he like it? Disapprove of it?
- Gavin's grunts sounded a lot better than Aaron's...
- His voice was more melodic...his hands were smoother to his
skin...
- Tom imagined Gavin fucking him...
- Gavin's strong hands keeping him down; Gavin's cock inside
of his ass...
- Gavin's legs against his own...
- Gavin's breath against Tom's skin...
- Gavin's cum inside of his own...
- "Oh...Gavin..." Tom whispered...
- And suddenly Tom knew what he had said...
- And there was nothing he could say to take it back.
- Tom cursed as he looked up, wishing he hadn't uttered
those words.
- Luckily to his amazement though, it looked as if Aaron had
frozen in time.
- How opportune...though when he was with Gavin that would've
been better...
- But had he frozen before or after Tom had said those two
words?
- Tom quickly concentrated and Aaron proceeded back to
time's hold--and continued back and forth; tender kisses and touches...
- Lucky break.
Chapter Five -- A
Change in Realization.
- 4 o'clock or so, the next day, the telephone rings.
- Tom's cleaning the apartment. Aaron's off to work again,
but they'll go to dinner later on.
- The telephone rings.
- "Hello?" -- Tom picks up.
- "Hey Tom, it's your Mom--"
- The voice does give it all away, but it's nice she feels
like she has to introduce herself.
- "Through amnesia I don't think anyone could forget your
voice"
- "Aww how sweet. Listen Tommy, I can't talk long, but I
wanted to see how you are doing."
- "I'm fine, remembering more and more as time goes by. I'm
staying in mostly, for my own safety, Aaron says, and just because it's
easier. I've gone out somewhat though."
- "Oh, Aaron's so sweet. You're so lucky to have him as a
best friend. He's been keeping me filled in left and right. I'm worried
about you though; I have to go now but be safe, all right?"
- "I'm fine, and I'll be safe--you said the same thing when I
came to visit you over the holiday."
- "I love you Tommy, you'll always be my little baby."
- "Yes Mom, I love you; have a nice day, bye!"
- He goes back to cleaning, but feels sad for some reason.
- The next morning, Tom realizes that he has to do his job
soon, so he's studying more of the photo albums of each of his
articles...looking into his life...looking into his educational backgrounds:
certificates, medals, awards, and more.
- And suddenly there are two knocks at the door.
- Tom jumps up, placing the books to the other side of the
couch and coffee table.
- He walks over to the door and opens it--
- It's Gavin--crap.
- "Hey there" Gavin excites, instantly putting his hands
around Tom' waist as he invites himself in, closing the door behind
himself.
- Tom passes back and pushes Gavin's hands off of him.
- "I'll make this very simple for you. I am dating Aaron,
and yeah you're hot but I'm with him, and I like him, and as more of my
memory comes back to me, so are my feelings; so I'll let you know if
anything changes."
- Gavin nods and looks around the apartment.
- "I got your address and the complex is nice, but this
place looks really nice..."
- "Thanks--anything else?"
- "Yeah..." Gavin responds, stepping inwards to kiss him--
- Tom brings up his hand and pushes Gavin's forehead back.
- "No means No, Gavin" Tom answers, "Abstinence; learn it
you lecher."
- Gavin simply smiles, and replies "Fine, friends then.
I'll see you around" and he turns and lets himself out.
- Tom spends the rest of the day studying his old life...a
lot of introspection.
- Tom visits the docks again, reflects and spends the day
there.
- Another storm is brewing.
- Tom instantly feels afraid...is it this place?
- He goes to the police department, when he was found, there
was a woman before.
- Tom walks to the main desk and sees a woman yelling to an
officer behind the desk.
- Tom walks over to them,
- "Excuse me..."
- She turns to him and immediately stops talking.
- The officer leaves, happy she's stopped nagging.
- "It's you, you're the man I found"
- "Yes...my name is Tom, I have some questions for you..."
- "Great--I'm told you suffer from amnesia, so I guess you
can't answer any questions I have for you; but I was visiting a friend of
mine when I was walking to my house, which is also near the waterside,
when I found you in the street...just lying there. So of course I ran over
to you; your clothes were messy and worn, your face was dirty, but I knew
you needed help!"
- Tom rose his hand to stop her--it didn't work.
- "And then when my sister was walking back to my place
after visiting the sights and you saved her--oh those horrible drivers--but
you, it was you, It's Karma, that has to be it. I saved you, and you
saved my sister; and the miracle you're walking around, it's just divine,
some miraculous happening; it's you; you're really wonderful--"
- "Thank you...I think you answered all my questions
though...actually."
- "You said your name is Tom? Hmm...that rings a bell. Yes.
My sister said that there was a Tom that was hit by lighting or something
during that mighty storm..."
- "Yes, I know, what's your name?"
- "Leslie"
- "And your sister?"
- "Leah"
- "Good...names to faces, good--"
- "Oh you poor thing, your mem--"
- This woman is...what...in his age group? Maybe older than
him?
- "No, I was like this before. Look, I think I'm going to
have some more questions for you..."
- "Oh of course, me too, here's my number--"
- And suddenly she was forcing a business card in Tom's
face.
- Tom grabs it and places it in his pocket.
- "Thanks--"
- "My little sister thinks you're hot, plus you did save her
after all."
- "Thanks..."
- Tom has nightmares in his sleep and instantly wakes up in
a sweat, feeling torn inside.
- He gets up and starts to remember things that don't seem
just right. He keeps walking and sees an apartment that catches his eye.
- He goes up to the apartment and sees that the apartment is
empty.
- He pushes the door and finds it is open.
- He walks in and remembers this place.
- He enters each room and stops in a bedroom --A bright light
blurs at his mind-- he stumbles forward and walks to the window --Another
bright light...a memory?-- He quickly rushes to the door and grabs the
doorknob --another bright flash-- he has to get out...
- He rushes out of the apartment and down the stairs and
bumps into a man...he apologizes and quickly continues out of the apartment
and down the street.
- The man calls after him and follows him --he catches up.
- "Hey--excuse me!" the man shouts.
- Tom turns and sees the man full on and --another flash of
light!-- he blinks a few times.
- The man looks familiar.
- "You were in my brother's apartment weren't you? Tom
Almore?"
- "I...didn't, not really, but I heard of what happened--I...was
drawn here --sorry,I didn't mean to cause any trouble."
- "No, its fine--you remind me of him, actually, something in
your eyes...the way you talk, I mean."
- "And you are?"
- "Oh sorry, I'm Jeff...Jeff Almore"
- "I'm Tom...Russell. Tom Russell."
- Jeff laughs lightly, noting the name, and says goodbye as
he has to go lock the apartment and to finish cleaning up before it gets
resold.
- Tom walks back to his home and falls asleep.
- At least he's getting his exercise.
- He has a dream of a man about his age in a townhouse--the
house is poorly decorated. A woman comes out and hugs him...
- Tom wakes up and it's late in the day.
- He sees its raining lightly and drives down to the docks.
- He gets out and walks outside.
- He keeps getting déjà vu...
- Is it from just being outside?
- He feels a sudden burst of energy and falls down but is
unharmed.
- The bolt had hit a while away.
- He pushes himself up but falls back down.
- He finds himself crying --and he closes his eyes...
- A man meets him and takes his hands, pulls him close and
kisses him gently on the lips...
- "Aches and pains I'm sorry, remember your pasts--help
others woes...help prevent the necessities..."
- And the man let's go--he's the Angel of Death, Tom knows
that now.
- And Tom wakes up, the rain hitting his face.
- He looks over to the water and gasps; a huge pain hitting
him.
- The rain seems to be falling harder...or is it?
- And suddenly he knows why he's felt this way before...
- He had died here...it was a mistake...
- He could remember what Death did to him...
- What Angel does this to someone?
- He hadn't even agreed!
- His lives...two lives lived...
- Everything was beginning to come back to him.
- And suddenly he awoke in his bed...
- The blankets and comforter all around him.
- The rain raining hard against his window.
- Had he ever even left?
- "Tom? Tom wake up..."
- Tom felt a frantic pat against his cheek, he could feel
warmth against his body, he could sense worry all around him.
- He opened his eyes.
- Aaron looked down at him, quickly hugging him then looking
back to him.
- "Are you all right? You wouldn't wake up"
- "I'm fine...just a nightmare...I'm fine, really..."
- It was an understatement though.
- The rain still hitting against his window.
- "I'm...just worried about you, that's all. Ever since the
amnesia I've been worried about you. And now your waking up...acting
different...it's all just a lot to take in, and you're not really talking
about it with me--Never mind, I'll get you some water, be right back" --And
he was up and dashing out of the room.
- Tom sat up and looked around the room.
- He gritted his teeth as he struggled to recognize the
reality he had come to know...the memories were slowly coming back to him...
- These were new memories...new experiences...
- From a different body.
- From a different Tom.
- How was he supposed to deal with this?
- Tom laid his head in his hands as he balled up against his
pillows and looked up, seeing Aaron walking into his bedroom
- Aaron had the water in his hand, the care and love in his
mind--
- Tom squinted his eyes and lifted his palm; and instantly
Aaron stopped moving.
- A soft sigh escaped his lips.
- He glanced up, looking at the mirror, and studied his
face.
- The image of someone else came into his head...his alternate
life...
- Everything he had lived to become--stopped.
- Everything he had hoped to become--ended.
- Everyone and every thought he had loved--no longer knew
him.
- He had lost everything...and gained someone completely new
and day by day, no longer foreign.
- What was the point of any of this?!
- Tom fell back and hit the pillows; staring off at his wall
as he focused on the right answer...ANY answer.
- He rolled back over, seeing Aaron still standing there.
The water still in its place, still unaffected by time.
- Tom yelled out loudly and fell into his lap, images
flashing through his mind.
- Jeff Almore...he had such a broken tone in his voice...it was
like he had lost himself when his brother had died. He had lost so
much...but he still moved on.
- Tom had to see Jeff again, he...had been his brother, once
upon a time.
- A murmur of his former self and Jeff wrestling on his bed
came into Tom's mind.
- Was that really his life?
- Was that really his body? His thoughts? His actions?
- Was any of this truly real?
- Tom collected himself and sat up, back to his position
before.
- He lifted his head as he laid back against the bed and
raised his hand as Aaron handed him the water.
- "Are you sure you're all right? I have to go to work soon
but I don't want to leave you here--"
- "I'll be fine, don't you worry."
- A sip...another sip...a swallow...a gulp...
- All gone.
- Aaron just sat against the bed watching him.
- Aaron's face was so beautiful, the way everything just
matched itself, just...worked so correctly.
- Aaron leaned in and kissed him a soft, gentle kiss on the
lips. He stood up and walked back to the doorway.
- "Get your rest, please?"
- Tom nodded and watched as Aaron hesitantly left the room.
- Aaron had left to work, it was obvious he still worried
but was also relieved by how much Tom was acting `like himself' again.
- But Tom knew the truth. It was coming back to him when he
wasn't expecting it; every truth kept coming back to him.
- Tom had gotten dressed and had left the apartment.
- He wasn't interested in taking a huge walk downtown;
luckily the bus moved through quickly enough.
- Step by step, Tom found himself closer to the apartment
where he, Tom Almore, had lived.
- All Tom knew was that Jeff was there before, so he'd
probably end up there again.
- Tom wasn't even sure of what he would talk to him about,
but he had to see him again, maybe let Jeff finally come to rest.
- Car by car passed by the street, but still no Jeff.
- Tom takes out his cell phone and considers calling Leslie;
the woman that had saved him.
- And suddenly Jeff's walking towards the apartment.
- "Hello Tom" he shouts as he walks closer.
- Tom bounces up and waves to him.
- "I felt like I had to talk to you again. I hope you don't
mind..."
- "No, I'm happy, you remind me of my brother, besides the
namesake"
- Tom felt a pit inside his stomach; maybe it's because he is
his brother.
- Memories still decided to come back when they felt like.
- "Come on up with me, I just wanted to make sure I hadn't
forgotten anything"
- And Jeff leads Tom upstairs and into the apartment.
- "I remembered to lock it last time, ha; but I guess it all
worked out fine because I did meet you after all--"
- "I'm not Tom Almore--"
- "I know...I know. Tom's buried and his soul is off to
better things, but it helps me to meet new people anyway."
- "Good, good."
- The apartment door opened and the apartment was barren and
empty.
- "I think I left something in the bedroom" Jeff explains as
he walks down the hallway.
- Tom's eyes look around.
- He's being forgotten; he's being erased. Only the people
he knew remember him.
- Part of him wants to become friends with everyone person
he had known and hadn't appreciated--
- The other part is saying `This is a new life, you can relive
everything!'
- And the sound of a telephone rings.
- Tom instantly searches his pockets but realizing Jeff's
talking to someone as he walks out with a single lamp in his left arm.
- "Yes Mom, I know. Don't worry, there's only a lamp left."
- Tom can hear his...Jeff's mother's voice.
- Tom quickly turns and looks out the window, remembering
how many times he looked out the window.
- Jeff walks around the apartment in circles, talking with
his mother; pushing away any tears.
- Tom can hear the depression in his voice, he can see it in
the way Jeff walks.
- If only he had known how Jeff felt with he, Tom Almore,
was alive.
- He wasn't incredibly close with Jeff...they were just
brothers.
- Tom quickly turns and walks down the hallway and to the
bathroom, turning quickly; pressing the light switch--the familiar light
switch--and turns to look into the mirror.
- Part of him flinches; the other doesn't.
- Instead of the brown hair...and the face he had grown up
with--
- It's the blonde hair...and the face he had grown up...
- The double life.
- The hairs on his skin stand up...
- To remember and experience two lives...it was so much.
- "You ready?" Jeff asks as he steps to the bathroom door.
- "Yeah, I just wanted to...make sure I looked all right" Tom
replies.
- "Great, listen...I know this may be odd...but would you mind
meeting my mother? It'd mean a lot to her, she didn't really get a chance
to say goodbye to Tom"
- "I'm...not--"
- "You can keep saying that. But...Tom--"
- Does...he know? The way he said `Tom' was so familiar...
- "--Tom, there's something about you that is just like my
brother. Something in the way you are...and I just met you and you came
into my life and you're a cool guy, and you could help someone--"
- "I'd be happy to meet her. I don't have anything I have
to do today. I don't have to start work again for a while...until I'm
ready."
- "Ready?"
- They move towards the exit, Jeff locks the door; they
proceed downstairs.
- "I was in a coma for a few days; I'm just getting back
from the amnesia."
- "Really? When did it happen?"
- "Jeff,"
- "When?"
- He didn't even know he was leading into dangerous
territory.
- "About a week ago..."
- "...Tom died a week ago."
- "I know that."
- "Let's get on the way, my car is nice and clean, so I
don't even have to clean up or anything."
- "You and your messy--"
- He stops short.
- "What?"
- "Oh, nothing, nothing..."
- And they begin walking, Tom instantly thinks of another
subject.
- He almost slipped. He'll have to be careful next time.
- "You have a very nice home, Mrs. Almore" Tom forced
himself to say.
- She had already made him wear a tan sweater, of which Tom
could vividly remember already wearing in his past life.
- Jeff returned to the living room from the kitchen and
eagerly sat down next to him.
- Tom could see the light in Jeff's mother's eyes.
- He had to stop thinking of her as his own mother...that life
was gone, and he couldn't get it back.
- "So, Tom, you know, my son's name was Tom. He was such a
sweet boy..." she stated with the most warmness in her voice.
- Tom could feel Jeff lean back in a sigh next to him.
- Jeff's mother had even more of a sweetness to her now that
her first son had died. That must have done it to her, it rendered her to
becoming this woman who ignored the bad and only cherished the good. Tom
could remember in his past life how horrifying she could be when yelling
at him...where was that woman now?
- Tom had to keep himself together.
- He made conversation.
- Jeff's mother served him a slice of pie with some juice.
- And eventually Jeff said goodbye to his mother and they
left.
- "Are you still happy you met with her?" Jeff asked, he
opened the car doors with his key remote and hopped into his blue truck.
- Tom walked to the other side and stepped in, closing the
door behind him.
- "She's a nice woman, she reminds me of my mother
actually. She's keeping up very well actually" Tom replied as Jeff
started the car, reversed from the driveway, and drove away.
- "Well you made her day, you know? I know I don't know you
that well but you did a good thing."
- "Thanks Jeff."
- "So tell me how your day was, you've been mostly silent
and drowsy the entire time here" Aaron commented, smiling widely in the
warm setting.
- They were at dinner. Aaron wore a grey-green button down
shirt with dark grey pants and black shoes. Tom wore a white button down
shirt with tan pants. Well...at least Aaron could look nice enough for the
both of them.
- "I've just been thinking a lot lately. I've been doing a
lot of investigating, had strange dreams, just a lot of puzzle solving,
I'd say."
- "About your amnesia and what you were doing?"
- "Sort of. The guy my age was killed by lighting or
something at the docks; Tom Almore; remember? Well I've been looking into
that as well. Just a lot of déjà vu and strangeness. I met his brother
though, his mother too; made her day...I remind her of her son--"
- The waiter walks to their table, he's casual but still
nice-looking.
- "Can I get you guys any drinks?" he asks, completely
unaware of the cut he made in the conversation.
- Aaron fiddles with his menu to quickly find the beverages
section.
- "A Ginger Ale, please" Tom responds, setting his menu
down; Chicken Alfredo will be the meal...unless Aaron's getting that, and
then they both can't get the same thing...
- "I'll have a Sam Adams, please?" Aaron responds, setting
his menu against the red tablecloth as well.
- The waiter smiles and nods, quickly turning and walking
away.
- "You were saying?"
- Aaron's so considerate...
- "Yeah... I haven't really found out how or why I went into
the coma...at least not with anything that makes any sense...I have one theory
but I don't think it makes any sense...technically."
- "Care to share it?"
- "Not really...I think you'll just think I'm crazy or
something."
- "Not any crazier than normal." A smirk.
- "Aww, how nice of you." A kiss in the air.
- "I know, I know" Aaron replies.
- "Maybe another time, okay? I just want this dinner to be
as great as possible. I don't need to be fogging up my mind with more
questions or thoughts."
- "Respectable, respectable."
- The waiter returns, setting their drinks down; then
putting his tray on another table and placing a basket of breadsticks in a
green cloth in the center of the table.
- "Your drinks and breadsticks. And I'll be back in a
minute to place your orders."
- "Great," Aaron replies as the waiter walks away.
- Tom leans back, just looking at Aaron's demeanor. He's so
handsome, and a great personality; so great.
- "So, I had a great day at work today. Suzie, my superior,
got caught for stealing supplies and she got fired, so I think I might be
able to get a promotion; isn't that great?"
- "Yeah! Do you think you'll get it? Like, you'll have to
flare more than anyone else."
- "Tom, you know how flare-y I can be" Aaron replies,
smiling.
- "Yes, I think I do" Tom replies, placing his hand on
Aaron's with a smirk.
- "So--Our waiter--do you think he's cute?"
- Tom laughs, nodding quickly as the live music begins to
play in the background.
Chapter Six -- Different
from everyone else.
- "Why can't you just understand that I love you?"
- "We are something, don't you want that?"
- "We could be something; don't you want to be
something?"
- "Who are you anyway? You aren't the same person I knew
before!"
- Tom woke up as the sunlight shined on him.
- Where was he?
- His eyes looked around the bed, there was a bottle on a
side table, a tissue box, a clock turned around...the sheets a mess, stains...
- Tom sat up and looked around...this wasn't his bedroom...
- This wasn't even Aaron's bedroom.
- What had happened last night?
- They had gone to dinner...came home...Tom had gone to
sleep...how'd he end up here?
- "I brought you a cup of coffee" a male voice told him,
coming from the opposite direction from where Tom's eyes were.
- Tom turned in the bed; now aware that the covers only
covered his legs...at least the room was warm.
- Gavin stood in the doorway, wearing a pair of red
boxers...Tom's red boxers...a cup of coffee in his hand.
- "Morning" Gavin added, as he walked in, sat next to Tom,
set the coffee on the other side table, leaned in, and kissed him, then
leaned back.
- Gavin's breath was sweet, luckily he had already brushed,
and had a rich taste of cinnamon and coffee.
- Tom glanced around...something inside of him told him to
look for a mirror...but he couldn't find any...
- Tom sat up to Gavin, and blinked his eyes a few times.
- "Gavin, no offense"--something with his voice...was
it...different? Not just morning-effect but...something different--"But how
did I get here...in your bed?"
- Gavin smiled and placed his hand on Tom's waist...
- Tom looked down to Gavin's hand then to Gavin...something
about him looked different...Tom didn't know what, but something was off.
- "Well...I met you yesterday at the club on 42nd
and West, and we came back here, we made out, came to my bedroom"--
- Tom realized the sheets were silk or satin or something
smooth...and a creamy red color...
- --"And we had sex a little...a little of this and that...and
you sort of passed out, but I didn't mind, because you were relaxed enough
that it didn't take much effort to--"
- "WHOA!"
- "What?!--What's the matter?!"
- That voice...who's that?
- Aaron, thank God.
- Tom looked over, Aaron just awaken in a startle and
looking at him.
- "Bad dream?" Aaron asked, placing his hand on Tom's chest
and laying back down, bringing Tom with him...
- "Thank God...just a dream" Tom whispered, as the night and
Aaron's bedroom came back to them.
- Tom's voice...same as...his...normally...was...?
- "What was it about?"
- "Honestly? I don't think you'd like the subject matter?"
- "Why? Tom, it can't be that bad?"
- Tom looked over to the window, then back to Aaron's eyes...
- Aaron set his hand on Tom's waist.
- ...A different touch...not Gavin's...the feeling of his hip
different...
- Tom closed his eyes...
- He allowed himself to lie back against the soft pillow...
- And his eyes opened back to Gavin's bedroom...he allowed
Gavin to kiss him another time so that he could stand up and out of the
bed. He allowed his naked self to move back to the hallway...and he spotted
a mirror on the wall. He walked to the mirror...steps away...and brown hair
looked back at him...Tom Almore looked back at him...
- What's this mean?
- Tom opened his eyes back to Aaron's.
- "I had a dream with Gavin...we had had sex...but...I wasn't
exactly...me..."
- "Oh" -- A Simple `Oh'?
- "Aaron?"
- "Yeah?"
- "What do you think of Gavin? ...We haven't really talked
about him or the relationship you and I had before this amnesia thing..."
- Tom lay back against the pillow, still looking into
Aaron's eyes.
- "I...was too worried about losing you before...or...at
least...losing something about...us. So even after I developed feelings
towards you...towards other men...I just continued pretending I was
straight...even though I'm bisexual. And I just gave little flirtations
here and there but was too afraid to do anything...but this amnesia was
opportune to my feelings towards you. I sat by your hospital bed looking
directly at you and it just came to me...be adventurous...be flirtatious and
physical...and see how you respond. It all worked in my favor."
- "You do like being adventurous...daring."
- Aaron leaned in, a little kiss.
- "And about Gavin? I had feelings about him...you denied how
you felt about me..."
- "Opportunity...all opportunity for me."
- "Selfish--"
- Tom sat up and pushed the covers away as he stood up and
walked towards the doorway.
- "Wait--" and suddenly Aaron was directly opposite him.
- "--We are something now. And I'm sorry but I didn't want
to lose you" Aaron responded.
- Tom looked into Aaron's eyes, he was so handsome, his eyes
were so brilliant...
- "But what about the cost of losing me now? You've made me
feel this way. I had decided to stop waiting for you...I thought you were
great...to feel your lips...your...hands!" Tom took Aaron's hands and pushed
them away-- "But I gave up after you kept pretending and you kept playing
games; wouldn't tell me if you liked me; told me how hot you thought that
girl's ass is and that girl's so pretty...I had no problem with letting you
know I found guys attractive! I may not have been sure what I was, but I
didn't keep you in the dark! Now we're both in the dark, Aaron!"
- Tom turns and walks to his bedroom.
- Aaron darts after him, grabbing Tom's left hand.
- Tom swings around, forming a fist; aiming it to Aaron's
cheek.
- Aaron may be stronger, but a fist is a fist!
- Aaron grabs it with his left hand and pulls Tom's right
hand and forces him to the wall; pressing him against it. He forces his
body against Tom's, each hand on Tom's.
- "You wanna hit me?! You want to hurt me?! I could hurt
you too! I COULD HURT YOU TOO! I...I..."
- His brilliant eyes...brown and so true against his tan skin...
- The night blue against their naked bodies...
- The silence in the air; but their breathing so loud
against one another.
- "So do you want to be my boyfriend then? I don't even
have a clue how we'll end up...if this is just a young thing...if we continue
this for years to come...I don't have any clue...but I like you...I...love you."
- So much of Tom's memory had come back to him...he could make
the right decisions now...couldn't he?
- "I love you too...but I can't ignore these feelings I have
for this simple lust...this simple infatuation with Gavin...the boy I hardly
know who will be there...always be there...whether it's Gavin or someone
else..." Tom replied...
- Aaron's warm body still against his own.
- "Then we aren't boyfriend-boyfriend then. We're just best
friends...with benefits. Benefits..."
- Aaron leaned in and kissed him hard on his lips...Aaron's hands
tightened around Tom's hands...his hard cock against Tom's...Aaron didn't let
go of the kiss...he wanted to hold it forever...
- But eventually Aaron had to let go, he had to lean
back...take a few steps away from Tom. Tears on both of their cheeks.
- "Okay then..." Tom replied...
- Aaron didn't leave; he just leaned against the dresser,
staring at Tom.
- Tom didn't leave or lay down; he just leaned against the
wall, staring at Aaron.
- "Your other question. How do I feel about Gavin? You had
feelings with him before the amnesia. I've met him, heard things about
him too. We don't know much about him. And I'm not trying to be wild or
crazy or anything...and he is a jerk...but I'm...fine...with you bringing him
around here...making out with him while I'm around...if he's interested and
true to you..."
- Aaron stopped...he stopped looking down at his cock and feet
and to Tom's brilliant blue eyes.
- "...A threesome's fine too."
- And Aaron returned to his bedroom, closing the door behind
him.
- And Tom simply closed his door, and lay down against his
bed, soon to fall back into sleep.
- Tom would go back to work tomorrow...or at least meet with
the Media Editor to discuss the job...
- But for now...Tom ate his cereal in the dining room...and the
cereal was good.
- Tom finished and carried the bowl and spoon to the sink.
- He walked to the sink, but his sock slid against the tile
and he slid a little, the bowl and spoon flying into the air.
- Tom turned, seeing the bowl fall towards the floor; it was
ceramic, it'd break; the set of dinnerware wouldn't be even--
- And Tom's eyes widened and the bowl and spoon froze in the
air.
- "Tom, you okay? I heard a thud--"
- Aaron was coming.
- Tom jumped up and grabbed the bowl, pushing it into the
sink and turning just as it clanked in the sink.
- "I just slipped" Tom replied as Aaron walked by the door.
- Aaron nodded and examined Tom with his eyes...a slight
smile.
- "I'm surprised you didn't drop it and shatter the bowl all
over the place."
- "Yeah...uh me too."
- "You going back to work tomorrow?"
- "Yeah, I'm ready now."
- "Good...good. I'll be staying late tonight, but I'll try to
be home by 10...big meeting coming up, and I'm the one in charge--"
- He smiled widely; Tom was proud.
- "Are you city-going again today? Going to save another
damsel in distress? Investigate another death? Maybe you should be a columnist
or something instead of a movie critic."
- A genuine friendly smile on Aaron's face. Hmm.
- "Maybe. I think I'll `city-go' again."
- Aaron nodded and turned, walking back into his bedroom.
- Tom breathed out and turned back to the sink, clinching
the countertop in relief.
- That's right...besides his job, mind, and relationships...the
Angel of Death had said something to him...about his helping others; was it?
- To stop the wronged deaths until the Angel of Death can
stop their cause?
- How long would this go on? Will he have to go looking for
them, will they come to him? How long will he have to go walking around
busy intersections and alleys?
- And this power...this gift...to freeze time; what was that
about? It's hard enough without that...but...how does that even work? Is he
just faster than everyone else; is the entire world stopping too? Is just
the concentrated subject stopping? If only there were some answers...
- Aaron had gone to work; he was such a workaholic, but the
determination Tom found attractive, and the fortune that he wasn't home
for some of the day was like freedom to Tom to investigate his life.
- Tom stood in the living room; a baseball in his hand; his
other hand free.
- Tom threw the baseball into the air and threw his other
hand at the ball; stopping it in the air.
- He walked in front of the ball and focused on the ball and
it unfroze just as Tom caught it.
- "Great..." Tom whispered to himself as he tossed the ball
onto the couch.
- He turned and walked to the kitchen; aiming for the Iced
Tea in the refrigerator--and the sound of knocks at the front door fills
the apartment.
- Tom turns and walks to the front door, hesitatingly
waiting to open the door. He leans into the door and looks through the
peephole, seeing Gavin glancing around the hallway.
- Tom turns around, then sighs and turns back around, taking
hold of the doorknob; unlocking it, turning it up, and opening the door.
- Gavin turns and smiles as he notices the door open.
- "Hey Tom" he announces, instantly smiling and obviously
happy.
- Tom nods to Gavin and let's go of the door's frame,
turning and proceeding back to the refrigerator; still having a taste for
iced tea.
- "I dropped by to see if you wanted to go or anything...when
you're starting work...if there's anything new going on?"
- Tom opened the refrigerator, pulled out the Iced Tea jug,
and poured the cool beverage into a tall glass; putting the jug back and
closing the door. Gavin still in the living and dining room area.
- Tom walked to the kitchen's doorway and stopped, seeing
Gavin looking at a picture frame sitting on the side table.
- He looked so beautiful...so handsome; just standing there,
looking at a portrait frame. To anyone else it might be normal...but
something about him...was just so appealing.
- Gavin turned; seeing Tom's eyes--
- Oh! Tom should probably be saying something.
- "I'm going to call my editor today and go into work
tomorrow...I think; and Aaron's up for a threesome!"
- Tom...shouldn't have blurted that out.
- Gavin's eyes light up and he fell against the wall,
laughing hard.
- Tom smiled widely as he wondered what beast he may have
released...
- "That's great, Tom; just great..." Gavin laughed out;
eventually gaining himself and standing up on his own.
- Tom took a sip of Iced Tea.
- "So, you're sure you're ready for work again? Don't want
to delay another day, spend some time with me? You don't know me that
well; I might rape you for all you know."
- "You've already done that, and I can stop you this time."
- "True, true; worth a wrestle though" Gavin replies,
smiling genuinely.
- Tom walks to the L-couch in the living room and lays back,
sipping his Iced Tea.
- Yum, Iced Tea...
- Gavin sits down as well, leaning inwards; scooting more
towards Tom.
- "So, what's the plan for today?"
- "Why do you ask?"
- "Well, I was thinking, and its one thing to be impulsive
and forcing, but it's another thing to be rude. I wanted to apologize for
that, take you somewhere to eat maybe? Do something together?"
- Tom smiled, this was a nice thing for Gavin to decide on
doing.
- "There's a café near the clubs; only a few blocks away,
and we could have a good time, you know--"
- "Aaron will be home by 10; hopefully, so I can't stay out
too late."
- "We have the entire day to get to know each other; you can
fill me in on things. I can tell you about myself; since you don't know
much about me...come on?"
- "Sure" Tom replied, placing his empty Iced Tea glass down
on the coffee table.
- The waitress set their drinks down in front of them;
"Enjoy," and she politely walked away.
- She looked a little familiar, but Tom was too busy
thinking about Gavin to think much about it.
- "So I'm not Aaron's `boyfriend' anymore; we had a fight..."
- Gavin drank his drink and set it down, smiling but quickly
hiding it.
- "Not being impulsive and forcing, remember?" Gavin asked,
he glanced about the restaurant and glanced to their waitress, who was
cleaning behind the bar, and looked back to Tom. "That waitress over
there...what do you think of her?"
- Tom rolled his eyes and turned around, seeing a woman
across the room. What was with Tom's friends asking him what he thought
of their server? Geez...
- Wait...
- Tom recognized her...she was so familiar...the hair...her
eyes...it was the woman from the alley...
- "I'm gonna go say hello to her" Gavin announced as he
suddenly jumped up and walked over to her.
- Tom couldn't even react fast enough to stop him before
Gavin was already sparking a conversation with her...
- She had stopped cleaning the bar and was now looking
directly at him.
- Geez...what was with Gavin's ability to mesmerize people?
- Tom stood up slowly, this was indeed the woman from the
alley...she was safe...she was back to life...
- She was in this café...and she might recognize him...
- What if she did?
- He didn't need to be congratulated for what he did...he
didn't want it...it was by chance that he had found her...helped to save her...
- And suddenly Gavin glanced towards him, gesturing in his
direction; and the waitress turned to see him.
- Her eyes opened wide, and it was if something had shocked
her...the look in her eyes...it was like she had seen a ghost...
- A ghost she had never expected to see before...
- Why couldn't time freeze right now? Why...couldn't
everything just reverse?
- And Tom quickly turned and walked towards the exit, having
to remember to breathe as he kept walking.
- The sound of Gavin yelling out his name was quickly
blurred away by the street sounds as soon as Tom made it outside.
- The sound of the city was nice...it was freedom; away from
everything.
- He had enough stress to deal with...he didn't need anymore
change.
- These changes in his life only made life worst...
- His former life.
- His present life.
- His amnesia.
- Aaron.
- Gavin.
- Jeff.
- The woman he had saved at the intersection.
- The woman he had saved in the alley.
- Everything.
Chapter Seven -- It
happened by Fate.
- Tom had explained everything to Gavin as they went back to
Tom's apartment.
- Tom had left Gavin at the car and had quickly ran into his
apartment and allowed himself some peace and quiet.
- His eyes looked to Aaron's bedroom; but luckily Aaron
hadn't come home yet.
- Tom walked to the couch and lay down, worried about
everything that had occurred.
- Why did everything have to come to him in such a
distressful way?
- So many questions, so many worries, how would he ever get
answers?
- Tom closed his eyes and focused on sleep until it came.
It was the only thing he could hope to have if he could find the answers
he desperately needed.
- "Thomas. You mustn't worry like this. This is a new life
for you, enjoy it, embrace it, be happy."
- "No....NO...NO!"
- Everything was black.
- Tom recognized something as he knew someone was coming
towards him.
- A hand.
- An arm.
- A body.
- It was a man.
- He was so handsome, so genuine, so true.
- The Angel of Death.
- "You must live on. Be happy, find peace, find solitude."
- Tom approached him; he moved directly in front of this
man; so that he could feel the Angel's breath and the Angel his.
- "This isn't a new prospect on life, this isn't a new
chance. You disrupted the fate that I was supposed to die that day. Now
you've burdened two people. Do you understand that?"
- "I have?"
- "Tom Russell and Tom Almore. You've hurt both of us...both
of me, by all of this. I don't want to lose my life...either of mine...but I
need to find peace...a key to this box of mystery. The answers I've been
searching for, a solution."
- The Angel took his hands.
- "You've helped save those two women, third's a charm."
- "What is that suppose to mean?"
- The Angel moved closer to him, his arms moving upwards on
Tom's.
- "I won't burden you with anymore responsibilities. You
are nearing the end of your search. You'll get your answers...and I'll get
mine through all of your actions."
- The Angel's chest touched his and he could feel his
warmth...
- Why did Death contain warmth? Was he just a messenger to
something else? Was he not the villain after all?
- "The world has to stay in various states of balance in
order for things to work correctly. The layers of truth are fixing themselves,
and with them you are finding your answers."
- "But what does that mean though? How does that help me?
What should I do?"
- The Angel looked directly into his eyes.
- "Go back to where it all started. There you will find the
answers you need."
- Tom awoke, Aaron rubbing his shoulder.
- "Hey there, I'm home."
- Tom smiled, and sat up, recognizing Aaron's welcoming.
- "Hello" Tom greeted, realizing his voice was heavy; his
cheeks were weighed; he had been crying.
- "Are you feeling all right? What's the matter?"
- "Everything..." Tom replied, moving his legs aside; allowing
Aaron to sit down beside him.
- Aaron took off his tie and his shoes and pushed them away,
as he looked to Tom and brought his attention to the matter.
- "Talk to me, what's on your mind?"
- "I've saved two people since I came back from my coma.
The woman I saved at that intersection with you, and a woman in an alley
in the city one night that I was walking around. She had been
attacked...mugged, I guess...and I found her and dialing 911 and stayed with her
until they arrived. Well...I was with Gavin today, we went to a café, and
she was there--she worked there--and she saw me...and I got out of there as
fast as I could... I just don't think I can deal with everything I have to
deal with at the moment. Remembering my pasts...learning my present and
future...preparing myself for my job...finding love...solving the mysteries of
everything..."
- "Your pasts? The mysteries of everything?"
- "I...feel like...I...know...know that this may sound
crazy...but...I've lived two lives...the man that was killed by that storm at
the docks...Tom Almore...I'm him...he's Me...the coma...the amnesia...it was all like
a merging-transition; to correct the errors of the global way everything
works...I...Tom Almore...had to die...and it's like my soul had always been split
in two...and I became whole; except that instead of just one amnesia problem
I've had two. And every thing I do reminds me of something else times
two; and not only that, but I'll have these dreams that are so insane to
describe, some that don't make any sense, some that do..."
- He sighed, burying his head in his lap.
- Aaron placed his hand on Tom's back, rubbing it, leaning
inwards and holding him.
- "Tom, you aren't crazy...I believe you."
- "You do?"
- "I know how you've been acting since the hospital. I had
to worry about your being missing...throughout everything. I had to fill
your mother in. I had to see you dealing with all these problems...I saw
your reactions at the docks, at that intersection; with Gavin; around me.
It...doesn't make much sense to me...but I can feel how you're feeling at
least."
- He rubbed Tom's back more, moving his hand towards Tom's
shoulder and arm.
- "And I'm sorry I've added to that stress. ...I took
advantage and tried to advance on you and then complicated your world with
taking things too fast--"
- "Nothing was too fast...you were just doing as you felt was
right--"
- "But it wasn't right, not all of it, and I'm sorry for
everything I put you through. Plus, I've left you here all by yourself...I
haven't been helping you through this abnormal...shit..."
- Tom looked up and into Aaron's eyes. A moment in time.
- Tom moved in and kissed Aaron suddenly on the lips...
- Was it the right thing to do?
- Aaron pushed him away almost instantly; perhaps a
millisecond too long.
- And Tom just started into Aaron's eyes, and pushed himself
forward and kissed him again.
- He pushed Aaron backwards against the couch and kissed him
even more; even harder--as if kissing him would unleash everything that
needed to be released, that needed to be free.
- Aaron kissed him back; and it was as if since their fight
all of the sexual male tension had built up.
- And Aaron pushed Tom backwards and jumped at him, forcing
him against the cushions as he kissed him back. His hands finding their
way up Tom's clothes.
- Tom delicately pushed Aaron away from him as he breathed
for air and stripped himself from his shirt, and leaned inwards to kiss
Aaron again but stopped, simply exploring Aaron's eyes.
- "Not boyfriends..."
- "But you're my friend and need my help" Aaron explained;
pulling Tom up with him as they stood up, took a few steps towards the
hallway.
- "I love you so much--you're the best friend I've ever had..."
- Aaron threw his clothes off of his body and looked back to
Tom.
- "And you're the best friend I always want to have..."
- Tom stripped from his clothes and pushed himself against
Aaron, as they made their way to Aaron's room.
- What was this anyway? Just passion and emotion?
- Was it just sex?
- Or was it everything they had ever wanted to communicate
with one another but never could?
- The guilt? The jealousy? The anger? The frustration?
The happiness? The lust? The hidden secrets? The escape of breath?
- They found themselves in Aaron's bed; had they really only
been here last night? Had it only been a day?
- Soon they were together; they had found themselves
together.
- Aaron found himself one with Tom; Tom found himself one
with Aaron.
- And they found their way underneath the covers; the tears,
the sweat, everything...
- And suddenly Tom's alarm clock rang and the daylight was
shining throughout the apartment.
- It was time for the media advisor...time for the future to
arrive and things to return to how they were.
- Tom opened his eyes and sat up, flicking his arm towards
his bedroom; the alarm suddenly halting. Tom fell back to the bed and
pushed himself against Aaron's warm skin, allowing himself to enjoy the
warmth of Aaron's body for one last moment.
- He turned and stood up, slowly walking to his bedroom, to
his alarm, and turning it off.
- He sighed as he then turned to his dresser and closet, and
slowly pulled out the clothes he would wear.
- He had choices ahead of him...they were different from the
choices he had to make lately; would he keep his job? Change to another
division? These were money problems and life decisions, and just how
ready was Tom for life?
- He had throughout the entire day to speak with his
advisor, `Anytime' the advisor had said when he had last called.
- But Tom knew there was one last thing he had to do before
he could progress...
- He moved to his hamper in the corner of his bedroom and
found a pair of jeans...he searched through the pockets; nothing--another
pair; nothing--another pair...a business card. He took it out, it was
crinkled but it was still understandable...
- He tumbled back over his bed and to his telephone, quickly
dialing the number on the card.
- It rang...and rang...and rang; a click.
- "Hello?" a woman's voice asked.
- "Hi, is this Leslie?"
- "Yes, yes this is--who is this?"
- "Leslie, this is Tom Russ--"
- "Oh hey Tom! I'm glad you decided to call me; how have
you been?"
- "I'm great...listen...I need to ask you something, then I have
to jet."
- "Oh sure, sure, sure."
- "Could you tell me where you found me? I need to know."
- "Sure...it was on Blue Harbor Road directly--"
- "Thanks Leslie!" Tom yelped, quickly putting the telephone
back on the receiver as he jumped to finish getting dressed.
- He knew as he'd sense something as soon as he got closer.
- Step by step, he walked closer to the more familiar...the
distant and foreign yet close and familiar.
- Tom walked down Blue Harbor Road; it was three streets
parallel to the docks, and there were houses, businesses, and many
different types of buildings.
- Tom stopped as he felt closer to where he must've laid
before. Had the Angel of Death took him from time and set him here a week
later?
- He took a few steps into the street and was glad no cars
were coming. He walked to the center of the street and bent down, letting
his hand touch the ground, just before standing back--
- He gasped; something had hit him, it had pushed him and he
was falling backwards; his eyes lost their concentration; his body lost
its balance; was it a car? Had he been hit? Was he dying?
- "TOM!" a voice yelled out to him.
- He hit the pavement as the world zoomed back to him.
- A woman pushed him out of the street and back to the
sidewalk.
- Cars were zooming by almost immediately as he had fallen
down.
- Had he frozen time...on himself?
- "Tom, are you all right? You aren't hurt are you? What
were you doing out there?"
- Tom's eyes came back into complete concentration, and he
looked up to see a girl looking directly at him.
- Who was she? He recognized her...but still...who was she?
- "I'm Leah, Leslie's sister--she told me you had called and
asked that I see if you had come here...but why were you out in the street?
There were cars coming; you weren't out there for just a second--geez, what
do you want to go back into a coma? That won't solve anything."
- He smiled, she was so worried--it was cute.
- "Hello Leah."
- "Hi."
- "I only meant to be out there for a second...sorry..."
- "Don't apologize to me, apologize to yourself for almost
getting yourself killed."
- She was clever.
- "Sorry Tom" he said to himself, `No Problem' he responded
to himself. This wasn't really the time for jokes to himself, but he felt
it...
- Felt.
- What had he felt the moment after he was about to stand
up--before Leah had saw him and pushed him out of the way?
- "Let's get you up, and you're going to have a talk with my
sister" she told him, pulling him up with her.
- She could have been his age it seemed...she couldn't have
been that much younger than him at least.
- "I don't need to talk to Leslie...I...just needed to come back
here..."
- He scanned the environment.
- "See if anything came back to me."
- "Well of course nothing would come back to you if you were
unconscious!"
- "Go home then, but don't get hit by any cars. I won't be
there to save you--and I won't be the one needing to be saved."
- "At least I don't have headphones on" he responded,
smiling.
- "Apparently it seems you don't even need them--I'll see you
around" she responded, placing her hand on his arm and walking away from
him.
- The wind blew as he looked around for the last time at
this street.
- What was so special about it, that he was found him?
- The spot in the middle of the street was just so random.
- It was by chance that he was even seen by Leslie at all!
- But it was also by chance that he had seen Leah and saved
her that day.
- And that he had saved the waitress at the alley.
- Everything seemed by chance. Everything happens by
chance.
- Tom returned to the apartment after the appointment with
the advisor.
- What had the visit to the place he had been found done for
him? It...wasn't closure but it was experiencing something...new...something
different.
- For now...he'd continue his current job, and get on to
actually doing it tomorrow.
- "Did you find what you needed?" Aaron asked, sitting
across from Tom as he finished his cereal at the dining room.
- "Yeah...somewhat. I think...there are a lot of answers out
there that I need to answer..."
- "But? And? Yeah?"
- "It's like I've been talking to the Angel of
Death...chance...fate...all at once. The Angel of Sexuality, Relationships, Stress,
Work, everything--that isn't too emo is it?"
- "It sort of is but go on..."
- "Well I've found out why I was...reborn...to say. I've saved
two people, solved some matters with my...previous family. Solved some
matters with my current family...my mother...I've talked to my mother, both of
them now."
- Aaron gave him a slightly weird look, but he then nodded
and smiled.
- "Thank You" Tom thanked, as he watched Aaron take another
spoonful of cereal and milk.
- "Your Mom--everything's cool with her?" Aaron asked,
chewing.
- "Well she cares about my being all right, that's what matters.
I...just don't know where to go from here. I feel like something is
unsettled...I can't move on until I seal that rip."
- "Well...not everything that's happened to know needs a
second encounter...but if you are having trouble...with whatever it is you are
going through...think of where you'd like to be the most. And when you need
to come home, I'll be here."
- And then Aaron took another spoonful and began to chew
loudly again.
- There were cool winds deflecting off the water as Tom
watched the water bend and change as he walked along the docks.
- He had been here before...so many times; and yet he still
didn't know why this place was so special.
- He normally just found the waves and wind so relaxing...and
now it had all transcended him here?
- All the ties from his previous life he had to sever.
- Tom had settled with just ending his life to his
family...but his friends...they'd have to live with what they knew--that Tom
Almore was dead.
- Tom bent down against the wood and the water cliff. His
hand sank and the cold water bent around his skin and kept moving.
- The elements all met at this dock. Fire from lighting,
air and water from the sky and sea, and earth from below everything.
- ...This...was Tom's life for now?
- Solving this crisis...and then what?
- He'd live as a columnist...find some peace with Gavin and
Aaron?
- He was only so young...maybe he was just taking in so much
and not expecting there to be time to let it all out?
- The water pulsed--a small series of circles moving around
the palm...
- The air lifted slightly; just a brief wind from the west...
- And Tom knew what this feeling was...
- In the water he saw the Angel of Death standing before
him.
- "Just like how the water solves its questions; you're
solving yours--you've helped solve mine" he spoke.
- "How?" was the only word Tom could think of saying.
- "Somehow your death caused a rip--a problem--and now your
life has caused a seal--a solution."
- "But what now? I'm...getting a little miserable here; I'm
not making any of this go that well" Tom admitted.
- The Angel could only look so nice; he could only
provide so much.
- "So then you have a final question then. Will you allow
yourself to find real happiness? Think...and what truly makes you happy
right now? What makes you happy? You are young; you don't need to take
things so sudden--just let yourself find where you need to be right now."
- And just as sudden Tom found himself staring into the
water...and he slowly took his hand out of the cool essence...and found
himself walking back towards his apartment.
- Aaron had drifted off to sleep. It was a lazy morning;
and Aaron seemed to have no problem falling asleep in the wrong direction
bare naked with a bag of cheetos next to him.
- Tom drifted into the room, studying Aaron as he entered.
- He had been friends with Aaron for so long now...and he was
getting a chance at something he use to only dream about.
- It was amazing how despite all the jokes, talks,
arguments, and sex, that he could still find himself staring at Aaron with
complete confusion.
- This was the man that made him happy?
- What did the future hold then? Did it matter?
- He was only in his early twenties...perhaps he should just
enjoy life for now?
- Be safe and be truthful?
- Tom shed a smile, and took a few steps towards Aaron and
placed the bag of cheetos on his dresser; across the room.
- This man who looked like an Adonis in Tom's eyes--they had
sacrificed so much to be together...to be with one another.
- And...even if they weren't still boyfriends anymore--they
were still best friends...
- Despite Gavin; despite any other men or women...they were
still best friends.
- Tom lay against Aaron where he could, and then placed
himself onto Aaron's warm body.
- Aaron's breath comforted Tom's skin as he could feel Aaron
beginning to wake.
- Sometimes he just slept as he an earthquake couldn't wake
him...
- And Aaron looked up, seeing his best friend, and placed a
kiss on Tom's forehead.
- "Hey."
The End