Frank's POV
The last thing I remember was falling asleep during my movie night with Gerard...but now I was somewhere else entirely. It looked like an old house, but it was unfamiliar to me, if I had ever been here before, I had forgotten about it.
I was sitting in a creaky chair that was rocking back and forth gently with my movements, but when I tried to get up, my bones ached, and I had to stay where I was until the pain passed.
I glanced down at myself, trying to determine what was causing me to feel this way, and I had to stifle a gasp when I caught sight of my hands.
They were wrinkled and pasty, covered in tattoos that were faded with age. The scare gave me the inspiration I needed to rush to my feet and search for the nearest mirror.
What I found reflected at me in the silver glass was definitely me...but I was old, maybe in my sixties if I had to guess. I pinched at my face to make sure this wasn't some elaborate costume, but I felt the sharp sting on my skin...so this was really me.
Not knowing what else to do, I began to explore the house, trying to figure out how I ended up here and why I had aged so rapidly.
My search came up surprisingly empty; there was only one bedroom, which I assumed was mine, and I found nothing interesting in the kitchen or living room. The entire house was sparsely decorated, only a few pictures of my parents and I from earlier days hung on the walls, and it was obvious that I had been living alone for quite some time.
I felt an immense sadness as I wandered around the small house, and I hated it, especially since I wasn't sure where it had come from. It seemed like the ache in my joints was also in my heart, and I finally realized it was the pain of unbearable loneliness.
Not wanting to say here with my unruly emotions any longer, I stepped outside to see if anyone was there to help explain what was going, but instead of a porch and grass like I expected to see, everything turned blindingly white, causing me to shut my eyes against the brightness.
When I opened them again, I was somewhere else, a hospital by the looks of it, and my mother was lying before me in a bed, hooked up to countless machines that I could only assume where keeping her alive.
"Mom?" I whispered out softly, taking one of her cold hands in my own.
"Don't cry baby, it's just my time," she assured me with a sad smile on her face, and I realized that I was in fact crying. The hand I used to wipe away my tears wasn't as aged as it had been previously, but I was obviously still much older than the teenager I was supposed to be.
"I don't want you to go," I whispered out. It was as if my voice was working on its own accord; I didn't mean to keep speaking, but it was like I was an actor in a play, and my part was already preordained.
"I know Frank...I would stay if I could. I only wish you had found someone to settle down with. My one regret is that I never got to see your wedding."
Before I could respond, the room began fading out into the familiar whiteness that had overtook my vision earlier, and my mother began to disappear before my eyes.
When I could see again, I was in another new location, some kind of party - or maybe a wedding? I was dressed in a smart black suit, and I seemed to have turned a bit younger once again, at least from what I could tell from looking at my body and hands.
"Frankie! You made it!" a voice I instantly recognized rang out over the constant conversation of the crowd. When I glanced up, I saw Gerard pushing his way toward me with a giant smile on his face.
"Yeah Gee - I wouldn't miss it for the world," I tried to grin at him, but I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach that was making me feel really uncomfortable.
