Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 19:52:49 EST
From: ZLATAZOBO@aol.com
Subject: then the Roof Comes Down...Part Six

Hello again! This is the sixth and last installment of '...then the Roof
Comes Down," a story of science fiction and fantasy. First, however, here
are the legal statements:

If you are not over the legal age to view such material where you live,
please leave now. Also, if it is illegal where you live to read adult
material, Please leave.

If, by chance, you are offended by depiction's of homosexual acts,
Please leave now.

The Author of "Then the Roof Comes Down," is Andrew van Ryan.
Copyright 2001. The author reserves all rights.

This story is dedicated to my good friend, brian d. maj.

This story is fictional and only the two characters, Andy and Terry are
based on real people. Everyone else in this story are figments of my
nightmares.

You may contact me at ZLATAZOBO@aol.com with your comments.

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		   ...Then the Roof Comes Down
			   by Andrew Simon van Ryan
			      Copyright 2001.  All Rights Reserved
				     Part Six

	Terry felt himself teetering on the brink of sheer uncontrollable
terror.  He became frozen in place, momentarily unable to speak or act.  A
thousand thoughts splintered throughout his unhinging mind in excruciating
hopelessness, only there was this one image which remained stationary
during the throe of thoughts.  A vision of Andrew, now old, decrepit and
heartbroken, withering away in the tiny room where he'd spent his entire
adult life, persisted its consequence in Terrys mind.
	"Andrew..."  Terry uttered, voice quivering and body shaking as the
overwhelming assault of heartbreak shattered him into fragments.  The
shrieking agony of Andrews long suffering soul hammered into Terry,
knocking him to the floor.
	"Andrew!" Terry wailed as he fell.  Collapsing in a heap, he began
to bawl, heavy deep howls.  He didn't hear the footsteps hastening down the
hall.  He didn't notice anything until Andrew was knelt beside him.
Glaring at the youthful replicant image of his boyfriend, Terry wailed.
	"Go back!  It's not fair!  It's not fair!" He repeated between deep
shuddering sobs.  Quaking spasms detained his body from rising off the
floor.  Andrew stared in fright, not knowing what to do or how to help.
	"What's happening?  What's wrong?" He cried out in a rising panic.
Terry curled to a fetal position as his bawling interposed stuttering gasps
for breath, a sound very much like a child's' suffering.
	"Go.. a way.  Go ho me..."  Terry stammered through his tears.
"Yo..u...ca n't @ st...stay."
	"I can't understand you!  Please, please let me help!  Let me carry
you to the sofa, OK?"  Andrew pleaded with a tremble.  He took Terrys'
sudden silence as granting permission.  Bending over and taking the
languished boy into his arms, he lifted and quickly carried him to the
couch.  Gently laying his spiritless charge on the sofa's' firm cushions,
Andrew whispered at him.
	"I'm so sorry.  I wish I could remember everything, but I can't.
Maybe it's amnesia.  Maybe tha..."  he said, stopping mid word.  Terry was
gazing at him, eyes showing no emotion, but shaking his head.
	"No...."  he whispered.  "no...."  He moved so he could point to
where Andrew had just scooped him from the floor.
	"There..."
	Andrew gazed to where Terrys extended finger directed.  The single
white page lay with its narrative held face down to the floor.
	"Read it..."  Terry urged as he sniffled and shivered, attempting
to regain some control over his emotionally ruined psyche.
	Andrew rose and padded over to it.  He picked up and turned over
the letter, noticing the cry for attention emblazoned across its header.
He pivoted and slowly returned to where Terry lay.  Seated at the end of
the sofa , Terry cautiously observed as Andrews eyes ran down the letter,
never looking up until he'd read it completely.
	As Andy finished, he lifted his eyes, revealing them wet, red
rimmed and imbued of pain.  Gazing at Terry, he sighed.  In a roughened,
emotional voice he spoke.
	"I have to go, I have to save him.  It can't remain like this."
his voice choked and he gestured to the letter.
	"No..."  he uttered.  Hanging his head and shaking it, he sadly
repeated himself.  "No."
	"I love your son with all my heart, Andrew." Terry said softly.
"He loves me, too.  Andy, I would be nothing without him and I'm so scared
he's not coming back.  How did this happen and how will the two of you get
home?"
	"There has to be some connection to sleeping." Andrew stated after
a long wait.  "The first event occurred when he was napping at about the
same time I was, in the same room, 58 years apart.  The second event, the
one that placed me here and him there, occurred when we were both sleeping,
once again, at about the same time, in the same place, 58 years apart.  So,
to trade places again, we need to be sleeping at about the same time, in
this bedroom on the same date, 58 years apart.  It should be really
simple..." he said, assessing the situation.  Andy appeared to be lost in
thought, when a question popped into Terrys head.
	"What if they already think Andrews gone crazy?  What if he was
taken away on his first morning in 1971?  If they took him straight to the
hospital, what then?"
	"We won't be able to trade places." Andrew sadly attested.  "We'll
be stuck, with me here and him there, Terry."
	Terry had expected this answer, but as Andrew was saying it, Tj
felt his mind rip away.  It became too much, all too quickly.  Terry
reached the limits of his stress, fear, anxiety, hopelessness and grief all
at once, only this time his mental stability burst, shredding his sanity
into meaningless bits of fragmented thoughts and memories.  As Terry
whirled out of his mind, he screamed a last agonizing plea to Heaven.
	"Please, God!  NO!!" he cried out, shouting it at the top of his
lungs.  As Terry sat up in the bed, Andy reacted and recoiled, falling off
the bed and onto the polished wood floor.  His own frightened cry joined
Terrys momentarily as they stared at each other, bug eyed and panic
stricken.  Tj spun round, looking about the bedroom while he panted deeply.
Turning to face Andrew, who was now lying naked, spread out on the floor
and panting heavily himself, Terry froze.
	"What?!" Andy cried.  "What's wrong?  What is it?"
	"How did we get in the bedroom?" Terry managed to ask in his
confused state of mind.  Andrew stared and panted.
	"Huh?"  he muttered.
	"How did we get here?" Tj asked with a more forceful tone.
	"I don't know.  You drove us home, remember?"
	"From where?" he gasped.
	"From the party Martin threw for my birthday last night, Tj."
Andrew replied and gazed at him like he'd gone crazy.
	"But, then what.. about this. morn....." Terrence questioned, his
words grinding slowly to a halt.
	"Terry!  You were having another nightmare!  Damn it!  You scared
me.  I wish you wouldn't do that!" Andrew scolded while glaring at his
boyfriend.  "Shit!" he muttered and crawled to the bed.  He lifted the
covers and slid back under them, his body coming to rest right up against
Terrys.  Tj stared blankly as the revelation sank in.
	"Oh, my god!  It was just a dream.  A terrible, horrific nightmare.
Oh,
	Andrew!  If you only knew how hideous that dream was!"
	"I'm glad I don't know." he sighed.
	"Just let me kiss you once, before you fall asleep again!" Terry
begged.
	"Hmmm.  I could allow that." Andy giggled and rolled over to face
him.  Terry stared lovingly into Andrews pale sea-green eyes.  The memory
of his nightmare was already beginning to dim as Terry kissed Andy.  A
long, loving, thankful kiss it was and they remained embraced for what
seemed several minutes before it ended.  Starting with a deep sigh of
peaceful bliss, Andrew softly spoke to his exhausted, but thankful
boyfriend.
	"I love you forever, TJ.  I promise 'till I die!"

	       ********************************************
			 then the Roof Comes Down.
			 by Andrew Simon van Ryan
		   Copyright 2000.  All Rights Reserved