STRANGE AND UNSEEN

Chapter 8

After Chance made sure Tim was alright, he goes to see what he can do to help the others affected by the storm.

Tim watches as Avi and Adam dig through the rubble of Avi's apartment to see what they could salvage, especially clothes.

Everything seems to be moving in slow motion to him. Even the sounds were muffled and in slow speed.

He slowly looks around at the people running around looking for loved ones. Some were walking around like zombies. Some just stood in shock as they stare at their demolished homes.

His breathing was in small gasps as if he were afraid he'd be heard if he were a breath.

He hears someone calling his name over the muffled sounds. He turns his head as a tear rolls down his cheek.

"Chris." Tim whispers as he sees his lover running across the yard toward him. A frightened Austin ran with him.

"Oh my God, Baby." Chris says as he jumps up on the porch and grabs Tim into a tight hug. "Are ya'll alright?"

Tim nods as he sobs into Chris's shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Chris asks, pulling back a little so he could look at Tim's face. He gently rubs his thumb across Tim's cheek, before kissing him passionately.

"It was.... it was just really... really scary." Tim says with a nod. "Chris, Avi lost everything." He lowers his voice to a whisper.

"What??!!" Chris asks in disbelief.

"Oh my God, Chris. Look." Austin says, laying a hand on Chris's shoulder.

Chris looks up at Austin, then follows his line of vision. He sees Adam and Avi standing in the rubble. Adam was saying something to Avi while rubbing him on the back trying to comfort him.

"Oh no." Chris groans.

"Can we go over there?" Tim asks.

"Honey, you'll have to stay on the sidewalk. The ground is way too wet. Your chair will get stuck." Chris tells him.

"That's fine." Tim nods as he wipes the tears from his eyes with the palm of his hand.

"I'm glad you guys are Okay, Tim." Austin says, rubbing Tim across his shoulders.

"Thanks, Austin." Tim smiles up at him. "And I think Mr. Biggles is fine too."

"I wanted to asks but was afraid too." Austin smiles.

"Besides a few broken windows, I think the house is fine." Tim says as Chris pushes the wheelchair onto the sidewalk.

Austin runs on ahead to where Avi and Adam were.

"Are you guys alright?" Austin asks as he climbs over some of the rubble.

"Yea." Avi answers, rubbing his forehead. "I just don't know what I'm going to do."

"Well, for starters you can stay with us." Chris says as he puts his arm around Avi's shoulder to help comfort him.

"Oh please Avi." Adam adds. "We have an extra bedroom."

"We would love for you to stay with us." Austin says.

Avi looks at each of their faces. Adam, Chris, Austin and Tim sitting a few feet away. 'Weirdos', 'Freaks', 'Retards', 'Mental Cases' and 'Strange' were just some of the names he had heard these men called.

But yet, here they are, the outcast of the neighborhood, staring at him with worry and compassion in their eyes. Opening up their home to him.

"I would love to." Avi says with a small smile. "Besides, I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Have you been able to find anything?" Tim asks.

"No, I was trying to locate my closet. Hopefully I can find some of my clothes." Avi says as he looks back around at his crumbled apartment.

"Well." Chris says, rubbing his hands together. "Let's get busy looking."

Together they start moving boards and insulation, trying to find anything that Avi could use.

"Hey! I think I found it!" Austin yells to the others as he holds up one of Avi's shirts. "But it's under all this wood and stuff."

The others hurry over and start throwing boards and other debris to the side, finding more clothes as they dig.

Tim watches from his spot on the sidewalk, unaware of a woman rushing toward him from across the street.

She was one of their neighbors from across the street. A busy body who loved to spread rumors and gossip about the guys that lived in the eye-sore shack across the street from her.

"This is all your fault, you stupid satanic retard!" She yelled as she kicks the back of Tim's chair.

Tim has no time to react as the front wheels of his chair rolls off of the sidewalk. Causing the chair to flip over, tossing Tim out like a rag doll onto the wet muddy ground. The chair landing on top of him.

"What the hell!" Adam says loudly, as they all look up hearing the commotion.

"TIM!" Chris screams as he starts trying to climb over the debris to get to his boyfriend on the ground.

"LADY, WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!??" Chance yells as he runs from where he had been helping others across the street.

Tim begins to cry as he tries to push himself up from the ground. He was wet and covered with mud.

Chance grabs the wheelchair from off of Tim and sits it back on the sidewalk.

"SATANIST!!!" The woman screams pointing down at Tim.

"CHRIS! HELP ME!!" Tim cries.

The woman starts to kick Tim but is quickly pushed back by Chance. "BACK OFF, LADY!!"

Chris falls on his knees beside Tim. "I here, Baby."

"Woman you're a f*cking idiot!" Austin says. "If anybody needs to be in a home, IT'S YOU!"

"What kind of d*mn neighborhood do ya'll live in?" Avi asks as he watches Chance and Chris pick Tim up from the ground.

"Now you know why we never go outside." Adam says sadly.

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