Thanatophobia (H2OVanoss)

Chapter 29

Soft snoring filled the room as Evan lay gazing at the peeling ceiling above. Tyler was in the bed on the other end of the room, sleeping peacefully, but Evan was too antsy to close his eyes.

After the phone call, his worry for Jonathan had increased to the point where he was making himself sick. His stomach churned, his heart refused to calm down, and he felt as though a hammer was being repeatedly swung inside his skull.

He sighed, and glanced over at Tyler. They had planned to go to Jonathan's location in the morning, but Evan didn't think he could wait that long.

Tyler had been there for him, proving once again his devotion, their strong friendship, and yet Evan was thinking about breaking his trust. He cursed himself quietly, maybe he was a bad person.

Not being able to withstand the constant ache any longer, he slowly got up, cringing as the mattress squeaked. Wildcat remained still, so Evan quietly got the keys to the rental car and the room and slipped out the door.

As he went into the bright yellow Fiat, he tried to forget the regret of betraying his friend's trust, and he solely focused on Jonathan. He remembered the weak voice he had used, and an angry fire rose up in his chest.

Whatever Luke had done, it was unforgivable. They were friends, and he was thankful for meeting Jonathan through Luke, but he had changed. Luke had become different, or perhaps he had truly been this way all along.

Either way, he scared Evan, and only his love for Jon, his everything, pushed him forward. He could picture his smile, hear his laugh, feel his warmth next to him. There was no question, he needed to get to Jonathan.

After consulting his phone and taking a few wrong turns, Evan neared his destination. As he looked around in the (extremely) early morning light, he could make out a few shady looking buildings and a series of alleyways.

Maybe it was just because it was dark, but Evan had a bad feeling about this. He had seen pictures of Luke's house before, and occasionally he caught a glimpse of the neighbourhood in the background, but it wasn't like this.

Where Luke and Jonathan lived was a pristine neighbourhood, with practically white sidewalks and perfect landscaping. Wherever he was, houses were scattered almost randomly, and no lights were on.

He shivered, despite the fact that North Carolina was much hotter than Canada. He urged his car forward, foot light on the gas as it crept through the night.

His phone made a small pinging noise, and he knew that he was in the right place. He took the keys out of the car, but took a minute to look around and see where he was.

It was an old warehouse, looking out of place in the mass of trashed houses and yet perfectly at home in the environment.

It was slate grey, the metal the color of a dull knife. It reflected the early morning sun, but it didn't gleam. It was as though it was a two way mirror.

There were no windows, so Evan got out and walked around its perimeter. He couldn't hear anything from the inside, but he wouldn't be surprised if it was soundproof. He crept up to a door around the back with a heavy padlock.

He didn't see any sort of security system, so he pulled out a pocket knife from his back pocket. One of its blades wasn't really a blade at all, but a sort of saw. He began to slowly saw away at the lock.

It took around ten minutes, in which his phone had died because he didn't think to charge it. He caught the lock before it could hit the ground and put it off to the side, slowly twisting the handle of the door.

It swung open silently, which he was glad for, and he slowly stepped inside. He was in some sort of hallway, except there were no doors except the one he had come through and one towards the end of the hall.

Gently stepping on the concrete flooring, he made his down the corridor, glancing at the blank walls with apprehension. He waited when he got to the door, listening once again to hear only silence. He reached down for the handle.

A number pad. Eight boxes requiring a number glowed when his hand got close, as though mocking him. He didn't know what would happen if he got it wrong. Technically he was breaking and entering, but he didn't want to call the police for a situation as unusual as this.

He shook his head. He had to get through this, for Jonathan. Thinking, he assumed Luke was the one to set the passcode. Honestly, it could have been anything, but he had to try.

Recalling the phone all, he thought about how Luke had acted like Jonathan was an object, something he owned. That possession, the obsession that made him seem even more deranged than him. Of course!

His shaking fingers typed in the numbers.

05-02-1987

There was a click, and the door opened. As Evan's eyes adjusted to he light, only one thing was running though his mind.

Why?