That other exception

Part 28

I sat on the end of the bed waiting, that's all I had done for the last day and a half, just sit and wait but Evan hadn't turned up.  Maybe this had all been a huge mistake, maybe I had driven all the way to Canada for no reason and wasted my time.  I got up and packed up all my stuff, I'm not sure how long it took everything seemed to be out of focus and skipping in time like I was fading in and out of consciousness.  The one thing I was aware of was the rapidly increasing feeling of disappointment, it was getting so bad that I felt it beginning to make my insides ache.

This was feeling familiar, like deja vu, I shook off the feeling but it still seemed to be tugging at the edges of my mind.

I suddenly realized I was at my car and loading my bags into the trunk.

"Excuse me are you Jonathan?" I heard someone ask from behind me, the voice had a slight accent that I couldn't place and he sounded anxious and desperate.

"Yeah I'm Jonathan"I replied turning around to see an older guy who seemed very worried, his features seemed familiar and my brain worked out who he was moments before he started speaking again.

"I'm Evan's father...I was hoping to catch him before he left you" I was surprised that he was here let alone looking for Evan, they were very close and told each other everything, I was fairly sure Ev' wouldn't go anywhere without at least texting the guy. 

"He didn't meet up with me" I replied feeling the disappointment become rapidly replaced with concern. "when did you last speak to him"

"He left two days ago to meet with you...he said he had to pick something up on the way" The poor man was beginning to wring his hands together and I knew he was on the verge of breaking down "I went by the old apartment to see if he was there but they said they hadn't seen him either"

"Wait...He went to the apartment he shared with Daniel and the others?" I could feel anger begin to take hold.

"Yes...he said he had one last thing to pick up and was going to grab it while everyone were out at classes" 

"I'll bring him home" I slammed shut the trunk of the car and got in the drivers seat,That feeling of deja vu got stronger.  I don't remember leaving Evan's father in the parking lot or anything of the journey I just remember kicking in the front door of the apartment and fighting my way down a corridor, there seemed to be a lot of people to fight, like they were re-spawning enemies in a game.    I felt bones breaking as I was fighting, I could feel the impact of my fists as I hit them and theirs as they hit me, but my vision was blurred and the familiar red mist was making it almost impossible to see anything more than shapes.

All of a sudden it was quiet, there was no one to fight, just along ass corridor.  I knew where this led but I can't stop myself from walking down it.  I remember ever step, the feeling of dread that curled up from my stomach and gripped the back of my neck.  I could see the door, the one that would lead to the stairs down to the boiler room and that hidden,once blocked off room.  I broke through the door and almost cleared all of the stairs in one leap,  I had to get to the room if I could be a little fast this time the nightmare might change.  

"Evan" I heard myself call out as I moved between the all the pipes and machinery that would have looked out of place in a horror film. it was like it was designed to get in the way and slow down anyone trying to get through the room quickly.

"Jonathan!" he sounded muffled like he was being prevented from talking by a gag of some sort, but I could hear the relief in is voice.  

It took me less than a second to get through the door and found him laying completely naked in the middle of the floor, his hands and feet were tied together behind his back.  As I got closer I could see the large angry welps flaring up all over his body, the reason he sounded muffled wasn't because he was gagged it was because he face was so swollen that he couldn't speak or see.  I felt panic grip me, I had to get him out of here before anyone turned up to stop me, I had to make sure he was somewhere safe.  

"Jonathan?" he asked again sounding like he was in pain but desperate to hear that whatever he'd been through was over

"I'm here...I'm taking you home" I coo'ed as I moved over to his side and began cutting through the rope that bound him.  He cried out as the pressure on his muscles was released, he must have been tied up for a while to be that painful when he was untied. "I'm sorry...we need to go Ev' " 

He grabbed hold of me with a grip that would put a mechanical vice to shame "I can't stand" he whimpered as he clung to me "they hit my feet I can't stand"

"I've got you...it's going to hurt"I growled as I wrapped my arm around him and slid my other hand under his legs, he nodded and and turned his head so that he was facing over my shoulder.  I lifted him as gently as possible but I could hear him whimper every time I had to move him or adjust my grip.  My anxiety was twisting my stomach I knew something wasn't right,  I don't know what caused it but I suddenly realized I was in that dream again, the one nightmare that kept haunting me...that had been waking me up with a panic attack for the last four years. I couldn't wake up, I couldn't stop myself from moving forward even though I knew how this was going to end, it was like I was a passenger inside my own head.  I held onto Evan as tight as I could without hurting him because it was coming it was going to destroy me again and I couldn't stop it.

Something hit us sending us both flying across the room, Evan was flung to the opposite corner to me and I tried with every ounce of effort I had to try and get up and get to him but there was so much weight on top of me I couldn't move, all I could do was watch as he was suddenly snatch at the ankle and dragged backwards.  He was reaching for me and I could hear him crying he knew what was going to happen as much as I did, my throat was closing up I was choking on my own desperation.  He was pulled into the shadows in the corner, I could hear the struggling and the cries of pain.

I screamed out his name just as I heard a blood curdling scream which abruptly ended as a loud bang echoed in the room. I couldn't breath I felt like i was drowning, Evan was dead and I couldn't live without him I was literally dying without him here.

I gasped suddenly like I had just broken the surface of a lake.

"Jonathan"Evan's voice broke through my panic attack "I'm right here...it's ok I'm here"

I could see the vague outline of his face in the darkness in front of me, I couldn't speak I felt like I was choking again even though I was breathing heavily. I had to be sure he was real, that I had actually woken up, I reached up with both hands and took hold of his face.  He was real, he was here and he was alive, the relief that flooded through me was so intense that I couldn't stop the tears.  I flipped us over so that I was laying completely on top of him and buried my face in his neck, I must have lay there for at least ten minutes just breathing in his smell and trying to get control of myself.  His hands slid around my back soothing me, he knew that I was crying and just let me get it out of my system before trying to talk to me.

"Was it that dream again?"  he murmured as he hooked his legs over the back of mine to reassure me that I was ok to stay where I was.  I nodded, not trusting myself to answer and not break down again.  "I'm right here, you found me...you got me out...Jon you did save me"  I didn't blame him for being confused, I was confused...I had no idea why I kept having a nightmare about that day when in reality I got to him and got him out of that hell hole.  After a few days in hospital I had brought him and his family back to my home so he could recover without being stressed that they would try to find him again.  Why was I dreaming that I lost him when I didn't?