Fated chapter 5
Title Fated
Author: deadoralive0013
Pairing: Ryden
Rating: PG13
POV: 3rd
Summary: Ryan has a gift. He's able to see the future only, he couldn't control when. As he worked as a fortune teller, he made up lies to tell people, not really expecting to get a real vision. But one night, he met an annoying young businessman and Ryan's world will never be the same again. Not even the one who saw can fight fate itself.
Excerpt for this chapter:
“Are you okay?” Brendon asked.
“I had a vision,” Ryan said breathily.
“I know. Don’t move. I’ll get you some water.”
Ryan grabbed Brendon’s arm before he could rise. “23rd Avenue. Door 18P... Maple Tower. Does that mean anything to you?”
Brendon’s insides sank. “That’s my apartment.”
Warnings: un-everything, a product of a sudden inspiration surge
Beta: Chai phoenix_vixen
Disclaimer: I own the plot but nothing else...
Note: At the end of the chapter
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5
Spencer didn’t bother knocking as he opened the polished wooden door and stepped right into Brendon’s office. His left hand was struggling a little to hold a thick pile of folders and papers while his other hand held his half-finished coffee. It was a busy time again for the company and Spencer had been poring over his reports since last night without a wink of sleep. The caffeine had reached the hourly intervals to keep him up his feet. His calendar was marked with deadlines and meetings so he was absolutely surprised to see Brendon, his friend who was working for the same company, sitting behind his desk with both feet up and doing nothing.
Brendon said nothing as Spencer kicked the door close and slammed the pile of work on his desk. He just kept on staring at the wall of his office like it was the most interesting thing in the world and didn’t look at the other even when Spencer pointedly tapped his shoes against the wooden floor. Spencer sighed.
“These are the proposals for the cereal ad, the face cream ad, the detergent ad, and the anti-smoking campaign ad. Boss wants them checked, revised, and on his desk in two days,” he told Brendon and still, Brendon remained silent.
Spencer sipped his coffee and frowned a little at the lukewarm temperature of it. He placed the cup on Brendon’s table and sank on the chair in front of it. “You slack on paying your bills, visiting your parents and returning Jon’s stuff but you never slack during office hours. Spill.”
Brendon hummed and lazily reached for Spencer’s cold coffee. Before he could even warm him about it, Brendon was downing the rest of the coffee like it was water. He replaced the empty cup on his table and sighed, still staring at the magnificent view that was his wall.
“It’s been four days,” he said simply and Spencer frowned.
“Four days since what?” Spencer asked.
“Since my last visit at the fair,” Brendon answered.
Spencer should have known it was about that. Since that night when they last looked for Ryan in a fair and, he and Jon found Brendon by the paring lot, Brendon had changed. It wasn’t one of those glaring changes, just subtle ones that could have been left unnoticed if it wasn’t for the years of friendship they had.
The following day, Brendon had been in a better mood at work and even gave him a hand at one of the proposals Spencer had been working on. He also had been bringing his phone wherever he went and checked it quite so often and then resume whatever it was he was doing. However as the days went on, his mood became the complete opposite and he became more easily irritated by little things. Brendon almost bit Lucille’s head off when she failed to get him the right document. Now was apparently the last straw.
“I can accompany you to the fair later after work,” Spencer offered.
Brendon nodded but didn’t look like he agreed. He looked dazed. “Women are hard to understand. They’re going to drive you crazy trying to figure out everything they want to say but are not saying.”
“You’re not making any sense,” Spencer told him.
“I know!” Brendon exclaimed and the other jumped at the sudden change of mood. “Nothing is making sense. The whole world is one big bundle of... intertwined senselessness!”
“O-kay...” Spencer said staring at Brendon weirdly. “I have no idea what is going on inside that head but I’m quite sure it has something to do with the fortuneteller not calling you. We’ll see him tonight, you ask him about your soul mate. Maybe he’ll tell you something then you’ll find some peace.”
For the first time, Brendon turned to Spencer. “Sorry.”
Spencer smirked at him. “Do your job or you’ll be juggling balls outside Ryan’s tent for coins.”
Brendon looked at the piles of paperwork sitting on his table and sighed before grabbing the one on top and opening it. “Right.”
“Take it easy, man. You’ll find her,” Spencer said.
Brendon grunted in response, pretending that Spencer read him well.
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His body was stiff and everything was tumbling in all directions from his vision as he got up. Ryan clutched the sides of his bed to try to steady himself. It was a stupid idea. Four days straight of locking himself up in his apartment and refusing to get up except when he needed to use the bathroom, he should have expected some sort of toll. Not only did he cut off nutrition from his body but he also wasted the days on his bed doing nothing when he could have gone out at night to get back the money that he lost, or at least the items of clothing. He couldn’t afford to lose another shirt again let alone a coat.
Ryan headed for his fridge and was thankful to find a few leftovers. He finished them all in under a minute but he was still feeling hungry. He needed to pull himself together. No one will bother doing anything for him so he couldn’t really expect anyone but his self.
“I need a bath,” he told himself. He spent a good fifteen minutes in the shower and he stepped out of it renewed and feeling awake.
As he dressed himself, Ryan caught sight of his watch and he laughed to himself. It was a funny how his body had seemed to have developed a system for waking him up just at the right time when the sun was setting and the fair was going to be opened.
He kicked a stray carton of milk to the side as he walked to his clothes and rummaged through it to try and find something that didn’t smell. It had been a while since he last did his laundry or do any cleaning of some sort. His apartment was dump and the only things that were missing were the rats and roaches. They wouldn’t survive in Ryan’s apartment because he ate every little crumb that even ants would hardly find anything.
After less than thirty minutes, Ryan was ready. He routinely checked his bag and headed for the door. The darkening street and cold air was familiar. They were the closest things Ryan had gotten to a home, being the only things constant in his life. Those and the occasional misfortunes which throw him off balance every now and then but it wasn’t like he was weak. Maybe he was, but the good thing about bad things recurring in one’s life was that you get used to it.
So yes, four days ago at the dark alley wasn’t the first time he was almost got raped. Living his life mostly on the night streets acquainted Ryan to many of life’s horrible truths. He was mugged, beaten up, bullied, sexually harassed, and the list went on. That night was one of the worst experiences though Ryan believed it only made him stronger.
The sky got darker and darker as he approached the fair gates and the lights coming from the different rides consequently got brighter. The beauty of it didn’t have any effect on him now. In fact he was sick of it. As he walked towards the giant wheel, Ryan thought of how it would be nice to travel. He had always wanted to see the ocean and try to learn how to fish. He could be a fisherman so that he won’t have to worry about his next meal again. He didn’t mind eating fish everyday as long as he wouldn’t have to see another carnival for the rest of his life.
His tent was still there and Ryan almost felt disappointed. He sighed deeply and thought that he should just be thankful that the park was crowded tonight and he could look forward to a decent meal after a few hours. He parted the curtains and was about to grope his way to the small light bulb above his round table when he found it already lighted. Nothing was out of place except for one little thing. Brendon was sitting on the chair in front of it.
Brendon looked angry as he stared at Ryan but something else was there that he couldn’t quite place. “I thought we had an agreement,” he told Ryan.
“We did,” Ryan answered and before he could even point out that Brendon was trespassing, the other was already on his feet looking like he was at his last straw of self-control before did anything harmful to Ryan.
“Four fucking days. Where the hell were you?” Brendon spat angrily.
Ryan automatically reached for his right temple. “I know I agreed to work with you but that doesn’t mean you can ask me questions.”
“I have the right to ask you questions after you disappeared for four days without a single fucking word!” Brendon snapped. “You don’t do that! You can’t make a deal with someone and then just disappear whenever you want!”
“I didn’t want to disappear,” Ryan said feeling angry now that Brendon was yelling at him. Who did this guy think he was? “I was... taking care of something because in case no one told you, not all of us have regular jobs and can afford to do some soul mate-hunting on their free time!”
“It is not my fault that your life is shitty,” Brendon said hotly.
“Exactly, and guess what! It’s not my fucking obligation to help you find the only person who has the great misfortune of having to be destined to deal with your rotten attitude forever!”
Ryan breathed heavily while Brendon stared back at him unflinchingly. They were quiet as some moments passed by and soon, Ryan didn’t feel angry anymore. Brendon looked normal too and they both looked away.
“You look like crap,” Brendon said after a while but it lacked heat.
“You are crap,” Ryan returned but it was soft.
Brendon ran his fingers through his hair to hide his smile. “I have questions.”
“Okay,” Ryan said. “But can you pay first? I have to eat something before we start.”
Brendon turned to his heels and walked past him, not sparing Ryan a glance. He was lifting the curtains before he spoke and Ryan could hear the crowd outside behind Brendon’s voice. “Come on. Dinner is on me.”
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Brendon watched with a mixture of amusement and surprise as Ryan devoured his third cheese burger before munching on the fries. Ryan’s mouth looked so full and he was eating at top speed that Brendon was just waiting for the other cough and eventually start choking. Ryan didn’t choke though, which amazed Brendon even more.
“Should I get you another one?” he asked Ryan who grabbed his coke and drank it all before shaking his head in response. “Okay,” Brendon said and desperately tried to stop himself from grinning.
Watching Ryan eat all those stuff was like watching a kid eat chocolate. Ryan was too messy, too happy as he stuffed himself a few minutes ago, and now that he was done, he looked like a happy puppy that had just been given a sack of treats. It wasn’t cute at all.
“Where did you put all those things?” he asked Ryan, looking down at his thing form with amazement.
“I have a very active metabolism,” Ryan answered still looking high from the sudden influx of nutrition, cheese burger and fries counted as nutrition. “Stop staring. It’s rude.”
Brendon blinked before abruptly looking away. He didn’t even realize he was doing it. “Sorry. I’ve never seen someone look so happy after eating fast food.”
“Try living off the same cheap convenience store food for months and see if McDonalds won’t appeal to you after a while,” Ryan told him.
“But that’s fast food,” Brendon said. “I offered to bring you in a nice restaurant to eat real food but you said no.”
While they were driving earlier, Brendon had planned to bring Ryan in the restaurant where Jon, Spencer, and himself often eat dinner but Ryan was bent on having fast food. He stiffened when Brendon told him about it and quickly declined, insisting that he wanted cheese burgers.
“Well no point wasting money on expensive food when I could get full with fast food for much less,” Ryan said hastily. Him and Brendon in a nice restaurant for dinner would feel so much like fucking date.
“Right,” Brendon muttered a little confused.
“So you have questions,” Ryan said. “I’m sorry to tell you that in the four days of my disappearance, I didn’t have a single vision.”
Brendon nodded. “That’s okay. I can wait. What I want to ask more about you.”
“About me?” Ryan asked in return.
“Well about your gift, actually. I did some research about visions and seeing the future but not much made sense. I doubt even half of what I read was true anyway so I figured that since you’re a person who is actually seeing these visions, maybe you can make me understand how it works and then I’ll be able to somehow find a way to help you get a vision,” Brendon explained.
Ryan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t like talking about myself.”
Brendon slightly flinched but he was determined. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to answer everything. You can just, uh, tell me the bits which are relevant to my goal and leave out the personal details.” He didn’t know how much Ryan can detach his life from his gift while talking about it but he really wanted to know.
Ryan took a few more moments before answering. “Okay but I’m not sure I can tell you much.”
“I understand,” Brendon said.
“Alright.”
“Can you tell me, what kind of visions you had in the past?” Brendon asked and Ryan’s face hardened. Brendon thought Ryan wouldn’t answer but he was wrong.
“Every vision I ever had, I remember vividly,” Ryan began, his voice monotonous and causal. “I’ve seen a lot of things. They aren’t always important, like this one time I had a vision about an old guy sitting on a table by the window of the coffee shop where I was. I was drinking my own cup when the guy from my vision entered and took the exact same table I saw him take in my vision. Other times, my visions get really crazy and I see deaths and horrible images.”
Brendon found himself leaning in to the table and hanging on to Ryan’s every word. The more he listened to Ryan, the more interested he became of his gift and his life. “Deaths?”
Ryan nodded. “They come randomly. When I first started to have visions, I was in preschool and I saw my classmate fall two flights of stairs and break his neck. I was so scared hen it actually happened but I got used to it.”
Brendon doubted that one can get used to seeing people die every now and then but he didn’t say anything about it. “So everything you see in your vision, you see in real life?”
“Yes,” Ryan said.
“How long does it take before your visions come true?”
“It varies. It could be the next second. It could happen after a few days, some months at most,” Ryan answered and he paused.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Brendon asked.
“Nothing,” he answered quickly. It was only then that he realized that the vision of him and Brendon was bound to happen in the next few months.
“Why? Did you have a vision not so long ago? Perhaps before you met me that still haven’t come true?” Brendon asked.
“No,” Ryan said automatically. “Anyway, can I just tell you about the details of the vision I had when I saved you from that car?”
“Okay,” Brendon said enthusiastically and Ryan was glad that he had thought of it.
“I saw random things at first, things that I eventually saw in real life which told me that the vision is about to go live. I followed them and in sequence, everything started to happen,” Ryan said.
“Is it always like that? Is it always like a warning with clues and shit?” Brendon asked.
“Well I-d” Ryan began before he froze.
“Ryan?” Brendon asked but the other remained still. Ryan’s eyes were wide, unblinking and his mouth was slightly hanging open in mid-sentence.
Brendon touched Ryan’s hand and found it cold and stiff. He placed his hands at either side of Ryan’s face. “Ryan? Ryan?” No response. Even as Brendon shook him violently, Ryan ignored him and Brendon’s insides clenched when he realized that the other wasn’t breathing. It was the exact same reaction Ryan had exhibited when he, Jon and Spencer had met him for the first time though he didn’t realize the lack of breathing till now. Brendon immediately checked Ryan’s heart. It was beating in an insane rate.
“He’s having a vision,” Brendon muttered to himself before realizing that Ryan must have had a vision too back then when he touched Brendon’s hand. He also remembered Ryan acting all strange and touchy after it. Brendon wasn’t sure but he had a feeling that whatever it was that Ryan saw, it had to do something with him since Ryan touched his hand.
He didn’t know what to do. Ryan’s vital signs didn’t make sense and Brendon wasn’t sure when it would end or if Ryan would be okay after it. He waited, lightly tapping Ryan’s cheek in a feeble attempt to bring him back to his senses though he knew it was in vain. It felt like several minutes more before Ryan suddenly blinked and was sucking air like a vacuum. He almost collapsed on the table if it wasn’t for Brendon’s hands holding his face. Ryan clutched his head and frowned while his other hand found the table as he tried to regain balance. He was in pain.
“Are you okay?” Brendon asked.
“I had a vision,” Ryan said breathily.
“I know. Don’t move. I’ll get you some water.”
Ryan grabbed Brendon’s arm before he could rise. “23rd Avenue. Door 18P... Maple Tower. Does that mean anything to you?”
Brendon’s insides sank. “That’s my apartment.”
“We have to move,” Ryan muttered as he got up only to lose balance. The headache was terrible.
“What? Why? Is something going to happen?” Brendon asked anxiously as he steadied Ryan.
“I’m not sure,” Ryan managed to say before standing up again and succeeding this time. He started to walk around, his feet barely keeping him from the ground.
Brendon quickly followed and assisted Ryan with his balance. “What are you doing?” Brendon asked.
“Shut up,” Ryan snapped. His face was stuck in a frown as he looked wildly around. Brendon didn’t say another word, just helped the other walk in no particular direction.
They walked out into the dark street. Brendon started to lead Ryan to his car but the other pulled him to the opposite direction. He reluctantly followed, holding Ryan as the other headed farther and farther from the car, hissing every now and then. He could only watch Ryan’s unsteady gait and frowning face while listening to him curse everything in sight as he sloppily led their way. Brendon thought that the other looked like he was drunk, in pain, angry, and anxious all at the same time and he was thankful it wasn’t him who was experiencing it. It should be enough to drive anyone crazy, Brendon thought as he stared at Ryan’s thin frame. They have reached the end of the block when Ryan abruptly stopped.
“There,” he said pointing to a closed glass door of a boutique across the street.
Brendon stared at Ryan. “What?”
“A woman in red coat carrying a small dog will walk out,” Ryan said in a labored manner. “The dog will break free and run.”
As soon as Ryan was done speaking, a middle-aged woman walked out of the glass doors. Her one hand was occupied with several shopping bags while the other held a small hairy dog. She shrieked as the door jumped off and ran. Ryan stared at him and Brendon could clearly see fear.
“It’s going to happen. Your apartment is going to burn,” Ryan said.
“What the fuck?!”
“We have to go. Now,” Ryan said.
Brendon still wasn’t over the fact that his place was going to be in flames but he snapped out of it and nodded. Brendon ran to his car while Ryan tried to keep up. His breathing has evened out but his head was pounding so violently that he didn’t notice when he fell face-down on the concrete pavement. He didn’t even feel the force of the impact.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Ryan heard Brendon as he felt himself being helped up. Brendon quickly fished out his phone and punched a few buttons. It wasn’t long before Jon was on the line. “Jon, can you go to my apartment now?”
Ryan could barely understand what Brendon was saying o he concentrated on keeping himself on his feet. The migraine was blinding and it seemed a little worse than the other ones he had.
“Jon is on his way to my apartment. He works close by so he’ll be faster. We’ll meet him there,” Brendon told him as he put one of Ryan’s arms around his shoulders and slowly led him to the car.
Once they were inside it, Ryan heard the engine immediately come to life and they were moving. He tried to concentrate on the road while willing the pain away and ignoring the furtive looks Brendon was giving him as he manned the steering wheel.
“Can you tell me what you saw?” Brendon asked suddenly as he overtook a taxi.
“A bunch of stuff,” Ryan answered. “A street sign, a building, a door number, flames. Glass shattering and a wooden ceiling falling down. I can’t remember some of it.”
“That’s okay,” Brendon said. He bought that place with his hard-earned money. It wasn’t his everything but Brendon had learned to like that place. Aside from all the important stuff like computers and company files, Brendon had a lot of old belongings in there that he treasured.
He tried to concentrate on driving as fast as legally possible but he couldn’t help watch Ryan from the corner of his eye. Brendon felt sorry for him and at the same time a little guilty that Ryan was just taking the pain because he wanted to help Brendon save his place. How can a person who was practically making a living out of telling other people lies manage to remain as good as Ryan? Surely, he had to have some hatred for society or something with the way he lived.
Not far ahead, Brendon spotted Jon’s car parked on the side of the road. He pulled over behind it and quickly got out. Ryan followed suit albeit more slowly.
“What’s up?” Jon asked as Brendon and Ryan joined him by the lobby. “I was at work you know. Oh, hey Ryan,” he added when he spotted him. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” Ryan answered tersely.
“You haven’t gone up yet?” Brendon asked.
“Not yet. I arrived about a minute just before you guys did. My boss is a bigger ass these days,” Jon told them as they boarded the elevator. “So anyone wants to tell me what the emergency is?”
“Ryan saw my apartment burning,” Brendon answered.
Jon’s eyes widened. “O-kay...” he trailed off and turned to Ryan. He realized he didn’t have anything to say so he just cleared his throat.
“Let’s get off here,” Ryan muttered suddenly and pushed the emergency stop button.
Jon and Brendon exchanged looks as the elevator abruptly stopped and opened three floors below Brendon’s floor. Ryan stepped out as soon as the door opened. His gait was still unsteady but he looked more determined as he scanned the area, using both his hands to steady himself against the wall. “Where’s the staircase?”
“The elevator is faster. Why do we need to take the stairs?” Brendon asked.
Ryan hated it when people kept on asking him things while he was in pain and Brendon seemed to be doing a lot of those these days. “It’s going to get stuck on the next floors, now where is your fucking stairs?” Ryan asked annoyed.
Jon was slightly taken aback but looked amused all the same. He smirked at Brendon while the other bit his tongue.
“This way,” Brendon said and led the way, ignoring Jon’s not so subtle chuckle. He opened the door that led to the staircase and the three of them started to climb up. Ryan was lagging behind a little but he insisted that the rest of them go on ahead. He looked paler by the minute, Brendon thought. Suddenly, the lights went out.
“What happened?” Jon asked in the darkness. The staircase room was stark black and none of them could see a thing.
“The power went off,” Brendon answered. “The back up should be up in a few seconds.”
“No it won’t,” Ryan said breathily. “Jon, you have a lighter in your jacket’s front pocket.”
“Right,” Jon said and fumbled with his pockets. His eyes widened in surprise as his fingers closed in on something smooth and hard. He fished it out and within seconds, they had light coming from a small silver lighter. “That was a bit creepy but I have to say it. You are amazing.”
“Let’s go,” Ryan said hurriedly.
They continued to climb up, Jon leading the way with his lighter followed by Brendon and then Ryan. Brendon hated taking the stairs and this was exactly why. He sweated so easily and it didn’t help that his sweat glands had the capacity of a fountain. Thinking about it though, the three of them really could have been stuck had Ryan not told them to get off the elevator and take the stairs. Still, it didn’t change the fact that he easily sweated so he irritatingly loosened his tie and opened the first three buttons of his shirt.
Jon kicked open the door and the three of them walked to a dark hallway. There was no one else in sight but Brendon wasn’t surprised. Most of the people living in this tower worked till late at night.
“You okay?” Brendon asked Ryan as he looked back at him.
“I’m fine,” Ryan said. “Just go on.”
“It seems a little fishy that the whole building should lose its power supply and not even have the back-up generator working,” Jon said as they continued walking. “Did you tell Spencer?”
“I called him after I called you but he said it’s going to take him some time,” Brendon said.
“Stop,” Ryan ordered and the all of them halted.
Not a sound could be heard. Brendon felt like the hallway was suddenly bigger and that they were too alone.
“Something isn’t right,” Ryan muttered.
“What is it?” Jon asked anxiously.
Ryan could feel his heartbeat going faster. His breathing was deafening and he felt like being watched. He turned, searching for any sign that someone else was here but it was too dark. He swallowed nervously.
“Ryan?” Brendon prompted and walked towards him while Jon raised his lighter a little higher. Both of them sensed Ryan’s anxiety.
“Hello?” Ryan called but no one answered.
“I don’t think anyone’s here except for us three,” Jon said after a while.
“Did you see someone else in your vision?” Brendon asked Ryan.
“It’s not making sense. We’re supposed to see a guy in shirt and loose pants wearing a cap, perhaps a janitor on this floor by door 18F. We passed by it but the janitor wasn’t there,” Ryan explained.
Brendon and Jon suddenly felt nervous and joined Ryan in scanning the darkness. “Are you sure?” Jon asked, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his brow.
Ryan clutched his temple and gave it a hard tap with his palm. He winced. “I’m sure. I must have interpreted it wrong though or it’s not supposed to happen yet.”
“But everything you said came true so far. The lady with the dog, the elevator, the power cut off, even Jon’s lighter,” Brendon said.
“Which brings me back to my earlier statement, it’s not making any sense,” Ryan said.
“Maybe we should check out door 18F,” Jon suggested.
“No,” Ryan said automatically.
“Okay, then we should check out my apartment instead,” Brendon said.
“Yeah, let’s do that,” Ryan agreed.
They continued walking and this time, Brendon was beside Ryan not really touching but walking close by. Jon looked back from time to time until they reached Brendon’s door. Still they saw no one.
“This is it,” Brendon announced and pulled out his key. Jon held his lighter close so that Brendon could see. He inserted his key but froze as he tried to unlock it. “Oh no,” he muttered.
“What?” Ryan asked anxiously.
Brendon pulled out his key and grabbed Jon and Ryan’s arm before pulling them a few steps from the door. “It’s open. Someone must have broken in.”
They all exchanged nervous looks.
“I’m calling the police,” Jon announced and fished out his own phone before dialing 911. He waited for a few seconds before he was reporting to an operator.
“Maybe we should go back down,” Brendon suggested. “Did you see any of this happening?” he asked Ryan while Jon thanked the other person before ending the call.
“From the missing janitor on, everything is different,” Ryan said. He had visions like this before where things don’t immediately show themselves in real life. It was just as he said earlier, either he misinterpreted the vision or he should wait more before it happened. “It’s not guaranteed that I will see everything that’s essential to a coming event but I’m pretty sure everything I see, I see them in sequence. When I see a series of things, they should manifest themselves in real life according to the sequence I saw them in my head.”
“So we’re waiting for you to see that janitor by 18F,” Brendon said.
“I know I will sound like a sissy but I’m seriously freaking out,” Jon said. “Something is obviously wrong here and maybe we’re going to get ourselves in trouble if we... I don’t know, do anything stupid.”
Brendon could tell Jon was really starting to panic. He couldn’t really blame him. Brendon himself felt a little scared. A strange janitor and a fire in his apartment. Ironically, Ryan saying bits of what they could expect to happen brought him more fear than security.
“You two wait here,” Ryan said. “I’m going to check out your apartment,” he told Brendon.
“Are you crazy?!” Jon interjected and turned to Brendon. “He can’t go inside alone.”
“I agree with Jon,” Brendon said. “We should stick together until the police comes.”
“How long will it take for the police to get here?” Ryan asked.
“The operator said that the nearest unit is fifteen minutes away,” Jon said quietly.
“Fifteen minutes,” Ryan began. “I didn’t see any policeman in my vision so it’s highly likely that everything will happen while they are still away.”
Jon and Brendon stared at Ryan seriously, the light coming from the small lighter flickering a little. “Everything will happen in the next fifteen minutes,” Ryan told them.
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NOTES:
I’m tired. T___T I have class in two hours. My bus ride will take an hour. I haven’t even taken a bath yet. I’m going to be late. I didn’t read my neuroanatomy notes. I’ll be home late.
Hope this chapter made sense... This is too messy. I’ll reread it later and do some editing. Maybe.
Un-everything.
Is it me or the world is just getting more exciting by the minute?
Author: deadoralive0013
Pairing: Ryden
Rating: PG13
POV: 3rd
Summary: Ryan has a gift. He's able to see the future only, he couldn't control when. As he worked as a fortune teller, he made up lies to tell people, not really expecting to get a real vision. But one night, he met an annoying young businessman and Ryan's world will never be the same again. Not even the one who saw can fight fate itself.
Excerpt for this chapter:
“Are you okay?” Brendon asked.
“I had a vision,” Ryan said breathily.
“I know. Don’t move. I’ll get you some water.”
Ryan grabbed Brendon’s arm before he could rise. “23rd Avenue. Door 18P... Maple Tower. Does that mean anything to you?”
Brendon’s insides sank. “That’s my apartment.”
Warnings: un-everything, a product of a sudden inspiration surge
Beta: Chai phoenix_vixen
Disclaimer: I own the plot but nothing else...
Note: At the end of the chapter
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5
Spencer didn’t bother knocking as he opened the polished wooden door and stepped right into Brendon’s office. His left hand was struggling a little to hold a thick pile of folders and papers while his other hand held his half-finished coffee. It was a busy time again for the company and Spencer had been poring over his reports since last night without a wink of sleep. The caffeine had reached the hourly intervals to keep him up his feet. His calendar was marked with deadlines and meetings so he was absolutely surprised to see Brendon, his friend who was working for the same company, sitting behind his desk with both feet up and doing nothing.
Brendon said nothing as Spencer kicked the door close and slammed the pile of work on his desk. He just kept on staring at the wall of his office like it was the most interesting thing in the world and didn’t look at the other even when Spencer pointedly tapped his shoes against the wooden floor. Spencer sighed.
“These are the proposals for the cereal ad, the face cream ad, the detergent ad, and the anti-smoking campaign ad. Boss wants them checked, revised, and on his desk in two days,” he told Brendon and still, Brendon remained silent.
Spencer sipped his coffee and frowned a little at the lukewarm temperature of it. He placed the cup on Brendon’s table and sank on the chair in front of it. “You slack on paying your bills, visiting your parents and returning Jon’s stuff but you never slack during office hours. Spill.”
Brendon hummed and lazily reached for Spencer’s cold coffee. Before he could even warm him about it, Brendon was downing the rest of the coffee like it was water. He replaced the empty cup on his table and sighed, still staring at the magnificent view that was his wall.
“It’s been four days,” he said simply and Spencer frowned.
“Four days since what?” Spencer asked.
“Since my last visit at the fair,” Brendon answered.
Spencer should have known it was about that. Since that night when they last looked for Ryan in a fair and, he and Jon found Brendon by the paring lot, Brendon had changed. It wasn’t one of those glaring changes, just subtle ones that could have been left unnoticed if it wasn’t for the years of friendship they had.
The following day, Brendon had been in a better mood at work and even gave him a hand at one of the proposals Spencer had been working on. He also had been bringing his phone wherever he went and checked it quite so often and then resume whatever it was he was doing. However as the days went on, his mood became the complete opposite and he became more easily irritated by little things. Brendon almost bit Lucille’s head off when she failed to get him the right document. Now was apparently the last straw.
“I can accompany you to the fair later after work,” Spencer offered.
Brendon nodded but didn’t look like he agreed. He looked dazed. “Women are hard to understand. They’re going to drive you crazy trying to figure out everything they want to say but are not saying.”
“You’re not making any sense,” Spencer told him.
“I know!” Brendon exclaimed and the other jumped at the sudden change of mood. “Nothing is making sense. The whole world is one big bundle of... intertwined senselessness!”
“O-kay...” Spencer said staring at Brendon weirdly. “I have no idea what is going on inside that head but I’m quite sure it has something to do with the fortuneteller not calling you. We’ll see him tonight, you ask him about your soul mate. Maybe he’ll tell you something then you’ll find some peace.”
For the first time, Brendon turned to Spencer. “Sorry.”
Spencer smirked at him. “Do your job or you’ll be juggling balls outside Ryan’s tent for coins.”
Brendon looked at the piles of paperwork sitting on his table and sighed before grabbing the one on top and opening it. “Right.”
“Take it easy, man. You’ll find her,” Spencer said.
Brendon grunted in response, pretending that Spencer read him well.
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His body was stiff and everything was tumbling in all directions from his vision as he got up. Ryan clutched the sides of his bed to try to steady himself. It was a stupid idea. Four days straight of locking himself up in his apartment and refusing to get up except when he needed to use the bathroom, he should have expected some sort of toll. Not only did he cut off nutrition from his body but he also wasted the days on his bed doing nothing when he could have gone out at night to get back the money that he lost, or at least the items of clothing. He couldn’t afford to lose another shirt again let alone a coat.
Ryan headed for his fridge and was thankful to find a few leftovers. He finished them all in under a minute but he was still feeling hungry. He needed to pull himself together. No one will bother doing anything for him so he couldn’t really expect anyone but his self.
“I need a bath,” he told himself. He spent a good fifteen minutes in the shower and he stepped out of it renewed and feeling awake.
As he dressed himself, Ryan caught sight of his watch and he laughed to himself. It was a funny how his body had seemed to have developed a system for waking him up just at the right time when the sun was setting and the fair was going to be opened.
He kicked a stray carton of milk to the side as he walked to his clothes and rummaged through it to try and find something that didn’t smell. It had been a while since he last did his laundry or do any cleaning of some sort. His apartment was dump and the only things that were missing were the rats and roaches. They wouldn’t survive in Ryan’s apartment because he ate every little crumb that even ants would hardly find anything.
After less than thirty minutes, Ryan was ready. He routinely checked his bag and headed for the door. The darkening street and cold air was familiar. They were the closest things Ryan had gotten to a home, being the only things constant in his life. Those and the occasional misfortunes which throw him off balance every now and then but it wasn’t like he was weak. Maybe he was, but the good thing about bad things recurring in one’s life was that you get used to it.
So yes, four days ago at the dark alley wasn’t the first time he was almost got raped. Living his life mostly on the night streets acquainted Ryan to many of life’s horrible truths. He was mugged, beaten up, bullied, sexually harassed, and the list went on. That night was one of the worst experiences though Ryan believed it only made him stronger.
The sky got darker and darker as he approached the fair gates and the lights coming from the different rides consequently got brighter. The beauty of it didn’t have any effect on him now. In fact he was sick of it. As he walked towards the giant wheel, Ryan thought of how it would be nice to travel. He had always wanted to see the ocean and try to learn how to fish. He could be a fisherman so that he won’t have to worry about his next meal again. He didn’t mind eating fish everyday as long as he wouldn’t have to see another carnival for the rest of his life.
His tent was still there and Ryan almost felt disappointed. He sighed deeply and thought that he should just be thankful that the park was crowded tonight and he could look forward to a decent meal after a few hours. He parted the curtains and was about to grope his way to the small light bulb above his round table when he found it already lighted. Nothing was out of place except for one little thing. Brendon was sitting on the chair in front of it.
Brendon looked angry as he stared at Ryan but something else was there that he couldn’t quite place. “I thought we had an agreement,” he told Ryan.
“We did,” Ryan answered and before he could even point out that Brendon was trespassing, the other was already on his feet looking like he was at his last straw of self-control before did anything harmful to Ryan.
“Four fucking days. Where the hell were you?” Brendon spat angrily.
Ryan automatically reached for his right temple. “I know I agreed to work with you but that doesn’t mean you can ask me questions.”
“I have the right to ask you questions after you disappeared for four days without a single fucking word!” Brendon snapped. “You don’t do that! You can’t make a deal with someone and then just disappear whenever you want!”
“I didn’t want to disappear,” Ryan said feeling angry now that Brendon was yelling at him. Who did this guy think he was? “I was... taking care of something because in case no one told you, not all of us have regular jobs and can afford to do some soul mate-hunting on their free time!”
“It is not my fault that your life is shitty,” Brendon said hotly.
“Exactly, and guess what! It’s not my fucking obligation to help you find the only person who has the great misfortune of having to be destined to deal with your rotten attitude forever!”
Ryan breathed heavily while Brendon stared back at him unflinchingly. They were quiet as some moments passed by and soon, Ryan didn’t feel angry anymore. Brendon looked normal too and they both looked away.
“You look like crap,” Brendon said after a while but it lacked heat.
“You are crap,” Ryan returned but it was soft.
Brendon ran his fingers through his hair to hide his smile. “I have questions.”
“Okay,” Ryan said. “But can you pay first? I have to eat something before we start.”
Brendon turned to his heels and walked past him, not sparing Ryan a glance. He was lifting the curtains before he spoke and Ryan could hear the crowd outside behind Brendon’s voice. “Come on. Dinner is on me.”
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Brendon watched with a mixture of amusement and surprise as Ryan devoured his third cheese burger before munching on the fries. Ryan’s mouth looked so full and he was eating at top speed that Brendon was just waiting for the other cough and eventually start choking. Ryan didn’t choke though, which amazed Brendon even more.
“Should I get you another one?” he asked Ryan who grabbed his coke and drank it all before shaking his head in response. “Okay,” Brendon said and desperately tried to stop himself from grinning.
Watching Ryan eat all those stuff was like watching a kid eat chocolate. Ryan was too messy, too happy as he stuffed himself a few minutes ago, and now that he was done, he looked like a happy puppy that had just been given a sack of treats. It wasn’t cute at all.
“Where did you put all those things?” he asked Ryan, looking down at his thing form with amazement.
“I have a very active metabolism,” Ryan answered still looking high from the sudden influx of nutrition, cheese burger and fries counted as nutrition. “Stop staring. It’s rude.”
Brendon blinked before abruptly looking away. He didn’t even realize he was doing it. “Sorry. I’ve never seen someone look so happy after eating fast food.”
“Try living off the same cheap convenience store food for months and see if McDonalds won’t appeal to you after a while,” Ryan told him.
“But that’s fast food,” Brendon said. “I offered to bring you in a nice restaurant to eat real food but you said no.”
While they were driving earlier, Brendon had planned to bring Ryan in the restaurant where Jon, Spencer, and himself often eat dinner but Ryan was bent on having fast food. He stiffened when Brendon told him about it and quickly declined, insisting that he wanted cheese burgers.
“Well no point wasting money on expensive food when I could get full with fast food for much less,” Ryan said hastily. Him and Brendon in a nice restaurant for dinner would feel so much like fucking date.
“Right,” Brendon muttered a little confused.
“So you have questions,” Ryan said. “I’m sorry to tell you that in the four days of my disappearance, I didn’t have a single vision.”
Brendon nodded. “That’s okay. I can wait. What I want to ask more about you.”
“About me?” Ryan asked in return.
“Well about your gift, actually. I did some research about visions and seeing the future but not much made sense. I doubt even half of what I read was true anyway so I figured that since you’re a person who is actually seeing these visions, maybe you can make me understand how it works and then I’ll be able to somehow find a way to help you get a vision,” Brendon explained.
Ryan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t like talking about myself.”
Brendon slightly flinched but he was determined. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to answer everything. You can just, uh, tell me the bits which are relevant to my goal and leave out the personal details.” He didn’t know how much Ryan can detach his life from his gift while talking about it but he really wanted to know.
Ryan took a few more moments before answering. “Okay but I’m not sure I can tell you much.”
“I understand,” Brendon said.
“Alright.”
“Can you tell me, what kind of visions you had in the past?” Brendon asked and Ryan’s face hardened. Brendon thought Ryan wouldn’t answer but he was wrong.
“Every vision I ever had, I remember vividly,” Ryan began, his voice monotonous and causal. “I’ve seen a lot of things. They aren’t always important, like this one time I had a vision about an old guy sitting on a table by the window of the coffee shop where I was. I was drinking my own cup when the guy from my vision entered and took the exact same table I saw him take in my vision. Other times, my visions get really crazy and I see deaths and horrible images.”
Brendon found himself leaning in to the table and hanging on to Ryan’s every word. The more he listened to Ryan, the more interested he became of his gift and his life. “Deaths?”
Ryan nodded. “They come randomly. When I first started to have visions, I was in preschool and I saw my classmate fall two flights of stairs and break his neck. I was so scared hen it actually happened but I got used to it.”
Brendon doubted that one can get used to seeing people die every now and then but he didn’t say anything about it. “So everything you see in your vision, you see in real life?”
“Yes,” Ryan said.
“How long does it take before your visions come true?”
“It varies. It could be the next second. It could happen after a few days, some months at most,” Ryan answered and he paused.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Brendon asked.
“Nothing,” he answered quickly. It was only then that he realized that the vision of him and Brendon was bound to happen in the next few months.
“Why? Did you have a vision not so long ago? Perhaps before you met me that still haven’t come true?” Brendon asked.
“No,” Ryan said automatically. “Anyway, can I just tell you about the details of the vision I had when I saved you from that car?”
“Okay,” Brendon said enthusiastically and Ryan was glad that he had thought of it.
“I saw random things at first, things that I eventually saw in real life which told me that the vision is about to go live. I followed them and in sequence, everything started to happen,” Ryan said.
“Is it always like that? Is it always like a warning with clues and shit?” Brendon asked.
“Well I-d” Ryan began before he froze.
“Ryan?” Brendon asked but the other remained still. Ryan’s eyes were wide, unblinking and his mouth was slightly hanging open in mid-sentence.
Brendon touched Ryan’s hand and found it cold and stiff. He placed his hands at either side of Ryan’s face. “Ryan? Ryan?” No response. Even as Brendon shook him violently, Ryan ignored him and Brendon’s insides clenched when he realized that the other wasn’t breathing. It was the exact same reaction Ryan had exhibited when he, Jon and Spencer had met him for the first time though he didn’t realize the lack of breathing till now. Brendon immediately checked Ryan’s heart. It was beating in an insane rate.
“He’s having a vision,” Brendon muttered to himself before realizing that Ryan must have had a vision too back then when he touched Brendon’s hand. He also remembered Ryan acting all strange and touchy after it. Brendon wasn’t sure but he had a feeling that whatever it was that Ryan saw, it had to do something with him since Ryan touched his hand.
He didn’t know what to do. Ryan’s vital signs didn’t make sense and Brendon wasn’t sure when it would end or if Ryan would be okay after it. He waited, lightly tapping Ryan’s cheek in a feeble attempt to bring him back to his senses though he knew it was in vain. It felt like several minutes more before Ryan suddenly blinked and was sucking air like a vacuum. He almost collapsed on the table if it wasn’t for Brendon’s hands holding his face. Ryan clutched his head and frowned while his other hand found the table as he tried to regain balance. He was in pain.
“Are you okay?” Brendon asked.
“I had a vision,” Ryan said breathily.
“I know. Don’t move. I’ll get you some water.”
Ryan grabbed Brendon’s arm before he could rise. “23rd Avenue. Door 18P... Maple Tower. Does that mean anything to you?”
Brendon’s insides sank. “That’s my apartment.”
“We have to move,” Ryan muttered as he got up only to lose balance. The headache was terrible.
“What? Why? Is something going to happen?” Brendon asked anxiously as he steadied Ryan.
“I’m not sure,” Ryan managed to say before standing up again and succeeding this time. He started to walk around, his feet barely keeping him from the ground.
Brendon quickly followed and assisted Ryan with his balance. “What are you doing?” Brendon asked.
“Shut up,” Ryan snapped. His face was stuck in a frown as he looked wildly around. Brendon didn’t say another word, just helped the other walk in no particular direction.
They walked out into the dark street. Brendon started to lead Ryan to his car but the other pulled him to the opposite direction. He reluctantly followed, holding Ryan as the other headed farther and farther from the car, hissing every now and then. He could only watch Ryan’s unsteady gait and frowning face while listening to him curse everything in sight as he sloppily led their way. Brendon thought that the other looked like he was drunk, in pain, angry, and anxious all at the same time and he was thankful it wasn’t him who was experiencing it. It should be enough to drive anyone crazy, Brendon thought as he stared at Ryan’s thin frame. They have reached the end of the block when Ryan abruptly stopped.
“There,” he said pointing to a closed glass door of a boutique across the street.
Brendon stared at Ryan. “What?”
“A woman in red coat carrying a small dog will walk out,” Ryan said in a labored manner. “The dog will break free and run.”
As soon as Ryan was done speaking, a middle-aged woman walked out of the glass doors. Her one hand was occupied with several shopping bags while the other held a small hairy dog. She shrieked as the door jumped off and ran. Ryan stared at him and Brendon could clearly see fear.
“It’s going to happen. Your apartment is going to burn,” Ryan said.
“What the fuck?!”
“We have to go. Now,” Ryan said.
Brendon still wasn’t over the fact that his place was going to be in flames but he snapped out of it and nodded. Brendon ran to his car while Ryan tried to keep up. His breathing has evened out but his head was pounding so violently that he didn’t notice when he fell face-down on the concrete pavement. He didn’t even feel the force of the impact.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Ryan heard Brendon as he felt himself being helped up. Brendon quickly fished out his phone and punched a few buttons. It wasn’t long before Jon was on the line. “Jon, can you go to my apartment now?”
Ryan could barely understand what Brendon was saying o he concentrated on keeping himself on his feet. The migraine was blinding and it seemed a little worse than the other ones he had.
“Jon is on his way to my apartment. He works close by so he’ll be faster. We’ll meet him there,” Brendon told him as he put one of Ryan’s arms around his shoulders and slowly led him to the car.
Once they were inside it, Ryan heard the engine immediately come to life and they were moving. He tried to concentrate on the road while willing the pain away and ignoring the furtive looks Brendon was giving him as he manned the steering wheel.
“Can you tell me what you saw?” Brendon asked suddenly as he overtook a taxi.
“A bunch of stuff,” Ryan answered. “A street sign, a building, a door number, flames. Glass shattering and a wooden ceiling falling down. I can’t remember some of it.”
“That’s okay,” Brendon said. He bought that place with his hard-earned money. It wasn’t his everything but Brendon had learned to like that place. Aside from all the important stuff like computers and company files, Brendon had a lot of old belongings in there that he treasured.
He tried to concentrate on driving as fast as legally possible but he couldn’t help watch Ryan from the corner of his eye. Brendon felt sorry for him and at the same time a little guilty that Ryan was just taking the pain because he wanted to help Brendon save his place. How can a person who was practically making a living out of telling other people lies manage to remain as good as Ryan? Surely, he had to have some hatred for society or something with the way he lived.
Not far ahead, Brendon spotted Jon’s car parked on the side of the road. He pulled over behind it and quickly got out. Ryan followed suit albeit more slowly.
“What’s up?” Jon asked as Brendon and Ryan joined him by the lobby. “I was at work you know. Oh, hey Ryan,” he added when he spotted him. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” Ryan answered tersely.
“You haven’t gone up yet?” Brendon asked.
“Not yet. I arrived about a minute just before you guys did. My boss is a bigger ass these days,” Jon told them as they boarded the elevator. “So anyone wants to tell me what the emergency is?”
“Ryan saw my apartment burning,” Brendon answered.
Jon’s eyes widened. “O-kay...” he trailed off and turned to Ryan. He realized he didn’t have anything to say so he just cleared his throat.
“Let’s get off here,” Ryan muttered suddenly and pushed the emergency stop button.
Jon and Brendon exchanged looks as the elevator abruptly stopped and opened three floors below Brendon’s floor. Ryan stepped out as soon as the door opened. His gait was still unsteady but he looked more determined as he scanned the area, using both his hands to steady himself against the wall. “Where’s the staircase?”
“The elevator is faster. Why do we need to take the stairs?” Brendon asked.
Ryan hated it when people kept on asking him things while he was in pain and Brendon seemed to be doing a lot of those these days. “It’s going to get stuck on the next floors, now where is your fucking stairs?” Ryan asked annoyed.
Jon was slightly taken aback but looked amused all the same. He smirked at Brendon while the other bit his tongue.
“This way,” Brendon said and led the way, ignoring Jon’s not so subtle chuckle. He opened the door that led to the staircase and the three of them started to climb up. Ryan was lagging behind a little but he insisted that the rest of them go on ahead. He looked paler by the minute, Brendon thought. Suddenly, the lights went out.
“What happened?” Jon asked in the darkness. The staircase room was stark black and none of them could see a thing.
“The power went off,” Brendon answered. “The back up should be up in a few seconds.”
“No it won’t,” Ryan said breathily. “Jon, you have a lighter in your jacket’s front pocket.”
“Right,” Jon said and fumbled with his pockets. His eyes widened in surprise as his fingers closed in on something smooth and hard. He fished it out and within seconds, they had light coming from a small silver lighter. “That was a bit creepy but I have to say it. You are amazing.”
“Let’s go,” Ryan said hurriedly.
They continued to climb up, Jon leading the way with his lighter followed by Brendon and then Ryan. Brendon hated taking the stairs and this was exactly why. He sweated so easily and it didn’t help that his sweat glands had the capacity of a fountain. Thinking about it though, the three of them really could have been stuck had Ryan not told them to get off the elevator and take the stairs. Still, it didn’t change the fact that he easily sweated so he irritatingly loosened his tie and opened the first three buttons of his shirt.
Jon kicked open the door and the three of them walked to a dark hallway. There was no one else in sight but Brendon wasn’t surprised. Most of the people living in this tower worked till late at night.
“You okay?” Brendon asked Ryan as he looked back at him.
“I’m fine,” Ryan said. “Just go on.”
“It seems a little fishy that the whole building should lose its power supply and not even have the back-up generator working,” Jon said as they continued walking. “Did you tell Spencer?”
“I called him after I called you but he said it’s going to take him some time,” Brendon said.
“Stop,” Ryan ordered and the all of them halted.
Not a sound could be heard. Brendon felt like the hallway was suddenly bigger and that they were too alone.
“Something isn’t right,” Ryan muttered.
“What is it?” Jon asked anxiously.
Ryan could feel his heartbeat going faster. His breathing was deafening and he felt like being watched. He turned, searching for any sign that someone else was here but it was too dark. He swallowed nervously.
“Ryan?” Brendon prompted and walked towards him while Jon raised his lighter a little higher. Both of them sensed Ryan’s anxiety.
“Hello?” Ryan called but no one answered.
“I don’t think anyone’s here except for us three,” Jon said after a while.
“Did you see someone else in your vision?” Brendon asked Ryan.
“It’s not making sense. We’re supposed to see a guy in shirt and loose pants wearing a cap, perhaps a janitor on this floor by door 18F. We passed by it but the janitor wasn’t there,” Ryan explained.
Brendon and Jon suddenly felt nervous and joined Ryan in scanning the darkness. “Are you sure?” Jon asked, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his brow.
Ryan clutched his temple and gave it a hard tap with his palm. He winced. “I’m sure. I must have interpreted it wrong though or it’s not supposed to happen yet.”
“But everything you said came true so far. The lady with the dog, the elevator, the power cut off, even Jon’s lighter,” Brendon said.
“Which brings me back to my earlier statement, it’s not making any sense,” Ryan said.
“Maybe we should check out door 18F,” Jon suggested.
“No,” Ryan said automatically.
“Okay, then we should check out my apartment instead,” Brendon said.
“Yeah, let’s do that,” Ryan agreed.
They continued walking and this time, Brendon was beside Ryan not really touching but walking close by. Jon looked back from time to time until they reached Brendon’s door. Still they saw no one.
“This is it,” Brendon announced and pulled out his key. Jon held his lighter close so that Brendon could see. He inserted his key but froze as he tried to unlock it. “Oh no,” he muttered.
“What?” Ryan asked anxiously.
Brendon pulled out his key and grabbed Jon and Ryan’s arm before pulling them a few steps from the door. “It’s open. Someone must have broken in.”
They all exchanged nervous looks.
“I’m calling the police,” Jon announced and fished out his own phone before dialing 911. He waited for a few seconds before he was reporting to an operator.
“Maybe we should go back down,” Brendon suggested. “Did you see any of this happening?” he asked Ryan while Jon thanked the other person before ending the call.
“From the missing janitor on, everything is different,” Ryan said. He had visions like this before where things don’t immediately show themselves in real life. It was just as he said earlier, either he misinterpreted the vision or he should wait more before it happened. “It’s not guaranteed that I will see everything that’s essential to a coming event but I’m pretty sure everything I see, I see them in sequence. When I see a series of things, they should manifest themselves in real life according to the sequence I saw them in my head.”
“So we’re waiting for you to see that janitor by 18F,” Brendon said.
“I know I will sound like a sissy but I’m seriously freaking out,” Jon said. “Something is obviously wrong here and maybe we’re going to get ourselves in trouble if we... I don’t know, do anything stupid.”
Brendon could tell Jon was really starting to panic. He couldn’t really blame him. Brendon himself felt a little scared. A strange janitor and a fire in his apartment. Ironically, Ryan saying bits of what they could expect to happen brought him more fear than security.
“You two wait here,” Ryan said. “I’m going to check out your apartment,” he told Brendon.
“Are you crazy?!” Jon interjected and turned to Brendon. “He can’t go inside alone.”
“I agree with Jon,” Brendon said. “We should stick together until the police comes.”
“How long will it take for the police to get here?” Ryan asked.
“The operator said that the nearest unit is fifteen minutes away,” Jon said quietly.
“Fifteen minutes,” Ryan began. “I didn’t see any policeman in my vision so it’s highly likely that everything will happen while they are still away.”
Jon and Brendon stared at Ryan seriously, the light coming from the small lighter flickering a little. “Everything will happen in the next fifteen minutes,” Ryan told them.
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NOTES:
I’m tired. T___T I have class in two hours. My bus ride will take an hour. I haven’t even taken a bath yet. I’m going to be late. I didn’t read my neuroanatomy notes. I’ll be home late.
Hope this chapter made sense... This is too messy. I’ll reread it later and do some editing. Maybe.
Un-everything.
Is it me or the world is just getting more exciting by the minute?