Chapter 12 – Present:

Lachlan managed to convince me to record, but Mitch refused, as he usually did. I didn't want to leave him alone like this, but he's sleeping, he'll be fine. Mitch wouldn't come out for lunch, even though I woke him up, but he just went right back to sleep and avoided eye contact. I didn't question it, just hesitantly left him to his slumber.

By now, it's nearly dinner, and Mitch hasn't left his room ever since this morning. No matter how much I tried staying focused on our recording session, my mind just continued wandering back to Mitch.

"Hang on; I'm going to check up on Mitch." I declared once more, pulling off my headphones before hearing the response. I'm sure Lachlan was going to kill me again, that's what he did the last time, or, aka, the fifth time. This would be the sixth time I've done this. I cracked Mitch's door open, seeing he was still lied down in bed, in the same spot as last time. In the same position. Unmoved, despite the fact he tended to roll around in his sleep. I hurriedly walked over, leaning over him. He turned to look up at me, surprised. I sighed.

"Yes?" Mitch whispered.

"Nothing, just checking up on you." I assured happily. He nodded slightly, looking away again and staring off into space, his face seemingly blank, meaning he was either lost in thought or just wanted me to go away. I swallowed the lump in my throat, taking a slight step back. "Bye." I declared, leaving and shutting his door behind me. I returned to my room. "LACHLAN, WHY?!" I screamed, earning a laugh from both him and Preston. "LACHLAN!"

A few hours later, a check up on Mitch in between that time, our recording for the day was finished and rendering. I leaned back, sipping my mug of coffee as I sighed, watching. A knock at my door caught my attention for a split second, Lachlan entering as I looked back to my computer.

"Dinner's ready Jerome." He informed me with a slight chuckle. I got up hastily, following him downstairs as I saw Alanna setting the table.

"Oh, I'll go get Mitch-."

"Don't, he said he wasn't feeling good, the poor guy." Alanna informed me. I glanced at Lachlan, but he shook his head no slightly, sitting down. I sat down as well, not wanting too, but I did. I have been a bit obsessive, haven't I? We all talked, Alanna discussing the great time she had with her family and old friends, Lachlan and I adding comments here and there, until of course heavy footsteps rushed down the stairs, Mitch soon appearing. I smiled.

"You hungry?" I asked, looking back to my food and continuing to eat. I received no reply, but heard the cabinets being sifted through rather loudly, obnoxiously too. I looked back to him, confused. When he couldn't find whatever he was looking for, he moved onto the next set of cabinets. I took another bite of food. Mitch eventually pulled out a rather large bottle of Tylenol. I nearly choked, rushing to my feet and quickly beginning to interfere, Alanna confused and Lachlan not saying anything.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Mitch demanded.

"What are you doing?!" I snapped, staring firmly at him. I looked to his hand, counting quickly. "7 pills when you only need 3 at most- why? What's wrong?" I firmly questioned, taking the bottle from him and not breaking eye contact. He glanced to his hand.

"Sorry, when you're suddenly being grabbed you tend to add a few more than necessary." He answered, seeming majorly upset.

"Why do you need them?" I questioned again.

"I have a headache." He informed me bitterly, leaving the extra 4 pills on the counter and going to the fridge. He grabbed a soda and left the room. I went red, now realizing how much of a fool I must look like. Slowly, I put away the extra pills, put the bottle back where it went, and returned to the table, where an annoyed looking Lachlan sat along with a confused Alanna.

"Jerome, what was that about?" Alanna asked.

"I don't know..." I mumbled, covering my face.

~Mitch~

Blurred, dark images flashed before my eyes, my body aching all over as pale, corpse like bodies stood there in each of the quick to come, gone in an instant images. Glowing, tinted red light and angry energy surrounding each image as a few flashed white. My heart raced and my mind broke down, my skin heating up and the taste of iron filling my mouth. Screams. Desperation. Pleading. Sobbing. Pain. I could hear and feel all of these things as each of them coursed in my veins. It felt as though I couldn't do a thing.

Bang.

A bullet through the heart and I could care less about myself.

Bang.

A bullet between the eyes, yet for years I'd been long gone.

Bang.

Into my core, where for an eternity, I'd been dead to the world.

Bang.

I shot up, sweat drenching my skin as my breathing erupted into labored gasps and painful intakes of air. I brought a hand to my pounding heart, feeling it try and break free of my chest. The familiar bedspread lay over my legs as I glance around, seeing that everything was... normal. Yet, not, all the same.

Swinging my waking, still numb legs off of my bed, I stood, shirtless as I silently left my room. I hate nightmares. I crept down the hall, away from the living room, then up the stairs and into the floor above.  I passed by Lachlan's room, heading straight for Jerome's. And right as I was to knock and awake him from his slumber, a thought made itself clear in my mind. Backing away slowly, tears beginning to build in my eyes, I turned and went back downstairs, the salty liquid grazing my softened skin and wetting my lips. Alanna.

Entering the kitchen, I pulled a soda from the fridge, the beverage cold and icy, chilling my bones as I pulled the Tylenol from the cabinet, glancing to the time. 5:30am. I gave myself 3 pills, put the bottle back, and consumed them, leaning against the wall and relaxing. My mind and body both knew the other pills were still in my system, but I didn't care. 6. I stood up straight again, walking into the living room and setting my drink down on the coffee table, relaxing into the soft, yet firm cushions of the couch and lying down. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep again.

Rolling over as the hand continued to lightly shake me; I fluttered my eyes open with a yawn, looking over my shoulder at the smiling Jerome standing above me. I didn't smile back. His smile faltered a bit, a lump beginning to form in his throat.

"Breakfast." He declared, walking off. I sat up and stretched, grabbing my soda and finishing it off. My head was still throbbing, my body aching terrible. As I walked into the kitchen, I glanced at the time. 9am.

"Hey, Mitch is up!" Lachlan teased as he passed me. I tossed my empty soda can into the trash, Alanna handing me a glass of orange juice as she finished setting the table, the plates all made and everyone starting to sit down and eat. I pulled the Tylenol bottle out, Jerome boring holes into the back of my soul as I pulled out 3 and consumed them. 9.

"Mitch, why were you on the couch?" Jerome cautiously asked, but didn't get up, a chair shifting, scrapping against the tiled floor.

"I had a nightmare." I groggily stated, putting the bottle back.

"... How many pills have you had in the last 24 hours?" Jerome demanded.

9.

"6." I assured. "The bottle says no more than 6 in the course of 24 hours." Jerome sighed, smiling at me as I sat down, picking up my fork and pushing my food around.

"Hey, did you know that even slightly overdosing on Tylenol everyday for about a week or so is more of a killer than one large overdose of Tylenol? Fun fact I learned when I was younger." Alanna stated. Jerome and Lachlan just stared at her, as if she'd said something terrible wrong, terror written in their eyes as they looked at each other, silently communicating without uttering a single word. They aren't telling me something. I shifted my vision back down to my plate, my heart throbbing.

"I know." I mumbled, taking a small bite of food.