Manipulation |byler|

Chapter 6

Will spent the whole week working on his art. After a week he was almost done with the painting. El and he haven't talked too much since they got into an argument. El kept apologizing to him, saying that she was just making sure. Will couldn't be upset with her for that long, El's his sister after all.

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California
2023.09.28.
9:00 PM

Will is working in his room. Candles are burning on the table, desk. He is pleased and calm to work when the candles are burning. His painting was almost done, so he decided to finish this today, so he can sell this to the customer tomorrow.
While Will was working he hurt a knock on the door.

"come in," Will said not looking up from his work. He was so focused on his painting.
The door opened. It was Max and El.
"Oh hey," Will said looking up at them.
"hey," They said back "How is work," El asked smiling.
"Good, I think" Will answered.

Max walked up closer to Will and looked at the painting.
"oh my God! This is amazing Will" Max said. El also walked closer to them "This is really good" she said looking at Will's painting.
"thank you, guys" Will smiled at them.

"You guys wanted something?" Will asked.
"oh, yeah. We were gonna go to
a club tonight. And we came to ask if you wanna go too" Ma said smiling.
"I'm really sorry, but I can't. I have to finish this by tomorrow " Will said with an apologetic smile.

"Next time I'll go, promise," Will said smiling.
"Well okay then" They smiled back.
Max and El started walking towards the door.
"When will you guys leave?" Will asked.
"At 11 " Max answered opening the door.
"Okay. Have fun" Will said smiling.
"yeah. Good luck with your work" El said before the two left the room.
"you promised," Max said before closing the door.
"yeah, yeah" Will chuckled.

12:00 AM.

Max and El had left an hour ago. Will just finished his art and printed it. He spent another hour making his art better.
When he finally finished his work it was 1:00 AM. He decided to wrap it tomorrow. He put the landscape on the desk against the wall. Will looked at his work for a sec and left the room shutting the door behind him. He was so tired. He didn't feel like eating so he took a hot bath and headed to his bed. Will lay on his bed for 5 minutes and fell asleep.

1:30 AM

Everywhere is dark, cold, and empty again. He doesn't know what to do. He could see the road, 'cause the moon was shining in the sky. Will saw the same guy. He was standing one step closer to Will. He was standing close to Will but he still couldn't see his face. They just stood there staring at each other. Will couldn't move or speak. He was shivering and scared as always.

"do you take your pills?" Mike asked through the phone.
"yeah. But it doesn't matter. Pills won't help me anyway" the other guy said.
"don't say nonsense. You're doing good. Just do what the doctor says" Mike said.
"yeah whatever" the guy responded.

There was silence for a few sec and the guy spoke up. "We both know that I have a little time left. Maybe a month, a week, or maybe a day" he said.
"Richie, don't lose your hope. We both know that the doctor said there's a chance-" "No, listen" Richie, his cousin cut him off.

Mike was outside, talking to Richie on the phone.
"We know each other for life. You're like my brother" Richie started. "You're the strongest one between us. Even when both our parents died when we were kids you were strong while I cried the whole month in my room" he chuckled a little. Mike looked over at Will's house and listened to his cousin.

"And I'm pretty sure you're gonna be strong when I die," Richie said.
"Richie"
"I love you, man," Richie said.
"I love you too," Mike said back.
They stayed silent for a bit.
"So, will you visit me?" Richie asked. Mike laughed a little.
"of course dude, I will" He responded.

Mike heard Richie hang up the phone. He put his phone in his pocket and sighed.
Then he turned his head to Will's house and smiled.

Suddenly everything just disappeared. The moon, the road, the guy. Now it was just him and the darkness. Will looked around panting. There was nothing.
Then he smelled something. 'the hell is this' he thought. He smelled again. A smoke?

"Will! Will!" then he heard someone shouting. He couldn't know where the sound was coming from. It was dark.
"Will! Open the door!" he heard again.
Will woke up panting. All the lights were turned off. Will couldn't see anything. He sat there trying to fully wake up.

"Will! Open the door!" Mike yelled again. He tried to open the door but it was locked.
"Will! Will wake up! Will" He yelled.

Will heard someone yelling his name, then he smelled smoke. 'the hell is going on he thought to himself. He quickly got out of bed and walked out of his bedroom in his pajamas. When he opened the door everywhere was smoke. Will didn't understand what was happening. He put his arm to his nose and looked everywhere. The smoke was coming from his art room.

He headed to that room and when he opened the door he's painting was burning. "oh my God" he grabbed a towel and started putting out the fire. Will stopped. The same road, the same darkness, the same guy. Will froze. He just started at the burning landscape. Both sides of the painting were burning, in the middle the guy was standing. All the flashbacks from his nightmares started crossing his mind.
He forgot about the fire, everything. He just stood in front of the painting staring.

"Will!" Mike yelled from the front door. Then he tried to break down the door, but it was useless. He ran to the window, from where he saw the fire. There he saw Will just standing and staring at the burning painting.
"Will!" Mike yelled again.
Will didn't move.

The fire began to spread. Mike stood for a sec. Then he took a deep breath and broke the window with his elbow. When he was entering the room through that broken window, some glasses cut his face and arms. The cut on his face was deeper than other cuts. He entered the room. Mike ran up to Will, pushed him carefully away from the fire, and started
putting out the fire.

Will snapped out of his thought when Mike pushed him. He looked at Mike who's trying to put out the fire, then looked at the broken window. He didn't know why the window is broken, he didn't even know what was happening at all. Then he looked back at his painting.
'Shit. My painting is burning' he finally realized. He ran to the bathroom and grabbed a bucket. Then he poured some water into the bucket and ran back into the room.

Will sprinkled water on the fire and the fire finally stopped. The painting is burned, and smoke is everywhere. Will and Mike stood there panting.

"Are you okay?"

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