Freefall (Jaspar)

Chapter Three

3 hours

Caspar was still. He'd collapsed on kitchen floor just seconds after giving up. At first, Phil had tried to keep his hopes up, tried to convince him that Joe was probably just at the store, or maybe he'd returned back to the apartment. They all knew better, especially after Dan's forays into the outside world, but it wasn't like Phil to let someone implode that easily, even under tight circumstances.

That had been 2 hours ago, and both Dan and Phil had long since expanded their search boundaries, leaving Caspar alone. Whatever ideas they had were fruitless and Caspar knew it. He could feel the hopelessness already building inside, dragging him down beyond the reach of sanity.

He'd searched at first, forcing himself to believe that Joe was coming back, but all that strength of will had vanished. 3 hours since Caspar had woken, 3 hours since it all began.

24 hours

Caspar hadn't slept. He knew he hadn't slept. It was more, hallucination-like. Drifting in and out of reality, trapped in an alternate dimension of warped time.

Dan and Phil had collectively transported Caspar to the couch, deciding that not only was the kitchen floor sapping any warmth left in Caspar, but it was also an extremely obtrusive place to lie. They'd brought him a bowl of pasta, now left cold and untouched beside the couch.

Everything was quiet. Dan was on the other end of the sofa, spacing out almost as much as Caspar was, and Phil had left to take a shower. That'd been at least 15 minutes ago, and Caspar still hadn't heard the sound of the water running.

3 days

Caspar's mood was taking a huge toll on Dan's lifestyle, plainly obvious by the way they both sat slouched, staring emptily at the blank television. Neither spoke to the other, and Phil hadn't been seen for some time today. He'd left in a rush to go some place, although Caspar couldn't be sure how long ago that was. He only knew for sure that it was daytime, with the sunlight streaming through the uncovered window.

He could remember eating, could remember Phil forcing both of the withdrawn bodies to consume the pancakes he'd prepared. It was night then, and now it was day.

Phil eventually made his reappearance, waddling into the room under the weight of a huge box. He dropped the cardboard structure on the floor between the couch and tv, letting it fall with a satisfying thump.

"I've had just about enough of your ridiculous behaviour, you two," Phil started, straightening up and setting his hands on his hips. "I've done the best I can, but I'm absolutely sick and tired of trying to keep a household alive while you both sit and pretend nothing exists anymore."

Dan actually turned slightly, a tiny frown printed on his face. Caspar didn't deem the situation worthy enough to move at all, and instead chose to ignore the demanding man in front of him.

Obviously, that wasn't the right answer, as a sharp, stinging pain hit Caspar's right cheek. He watched Phil lean forward an inch, pressing his face up close to Caspar's.

"That hurt me just as much as it hurt you, Caspar Lee. I don't like having to physically attack people, but right now, I dare say it's appropriate that I slap you back to your senses. You really think this is going to help Joe? What kind of person are you? Your best friend goes missing, so you're just going to sit here and do nothing about it. Are you kidding me, Caspar?" Phil hissed, staring straight into Caspar's eyes.

"Fuck off," Caspar murmured, his voice rasping after days of inactivity. He could already feel the anger boiling inside, his thoughts beginning to turn once more. Phil took a step back.