Life's Essence

22- Reacclimation

A/N- The way this chapter ends might seem like the last one, but it's not! We're very close to the end, but we still have an epilogue!

We all stood silent for a few moments, trying to register what it was I just did. I was the first to break from the stupor. I immediately raced out of the room and down the hallway towards the interrogation room.

Andy had to be bluffing.

He didn't have time to call anybody...Dallon was ok...right?

I wasn't taking a chance. I made to the room and burst through the door, only to find that it was empty.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, how do I get to the holding wing from here? I know the general direction, but that's about it. I have to try though, I can't just stand around with my head in the sand. I raced back down the hallway, my heartbeat in my ears and my breath becoming heavier.

He had to be ok, Dallon had to get out of here. He has to. I took a few turns and finally reached a door I had never been through. It was locked. This had to be it. I started throwing myself against the door, hoping it would gave way, but it quickly became apparent that was not going to get me anywhere anytime soon.

I ran my hand through my hair and looked around, there had to be something...the fire extinguisher. I ran over and grabbed and began to furiously hit the door knob with the end of the extinguisher. If I can get the door knob off, I'll be able to easily undo the locks.

After the third hit the door knob clattered to the ground and I quickly went to work dismantling the lock from the inside. Finally, the door opened and I began running again. I had no idea where Dallon or any of them stay.

Hell, I didn't even know if I was in the right area of the compound.

"Dallon! Dallon, where are you? Dallon!" I began to yell, hoping for any sort of response, from anybody at this point. Up ahead I saw someone poke their head out of a doorway, and I recognized it as Phil.

"Phil, where's Dallon? Where is he? I have to find him, I can't let anything happen to him, not again!" I asked frantically as I gripped his shoulders tightly.

"Brendon? How did you even get back here?"

"WHERE IS DALLON?! I'M LOSING TIME!" I shouted, my desperation causing all manners to fly out the window.

"Down the hall, go left, fifth door on the right!" he squeaked out. I let go of Phil and followed his directions.

When I found the room, I burst through the door. I saw a flash of yellow as Josh squeaked and fell off his bed in shock, I don't blame him though.

"Where's Dallon?" I asked. Before Josh could answer, another voice spoke.

"I'm right here, but I probably have a broken nose now." I immediately stepped into the room and looked behind the door, and saw my Dallon standing there clutching his nose.

"Dallon! Dallon, Dallon, Dallon, my Dallon..." I sobbed as I pulled him if for the tightest hug I have ever given in my life.

"Bren...can't breathe...bleeding on your shirt..." I loosened my hug slightly and heard him take a deep breath. "Brendon, why are you here? How are you here? What's wrong?" Dallon asked, his words sounding kind of funny.

"Sorry about your nose," I cried.

"It's fine sweetie, but what's going on?"

"He's dead. We're free. We're all free. It's going to be ok now. Things can be ok." I gasped out in-between sobs. Dallon froze.

"What do you mean? Who's dead?"

"Andy. I did it, I killed him. He threatened you and I...I couldn't let him hurt you again. I couldn't, I couldn't, I'm sorry. I didn't want to kill again but..." Dallon ran his hand up and down my back, not saying anything for a while. I looked up and saw Josh staring at us dumbfounded.

"Brendon?" Dallon asked.

"Hm?"

"I got a lot of blood on your shirt."

"I'm used to it now, don't worry."

"That makes me very worried Bren, but we'll work on it."

1 Year Later

I laid in bed with my eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. A whole year later and I still can't sleep. Chris kept his promise, all of us who didn't want to be there were let go on the condition that we didn't rat him out. Of course, none of us really wanted to.

We were grateful to him for letting us go free. Going through the process of talking to the police and dealing with the press was exhausting for all of us. We all stuck together for a while, but once all the legal stuff was out of the way we all went back to where we were originally from, but not without exchanging contact information first.

Most people went back to their families, but Dallon and I had no family to return to. Even after being kidnapped and gone for two years, my parents didn't want me living with them.

I was surprised to find out though, they did pay for a storage unit for all of our stuff to be kept in for up to five years. That was the only nice thing they've done for me in years. We were in the same apartment complex that we lived in before we were taken, but a different room.

Our tenant was giving us a discount because he enjoyed having us here and I wasn't able to return to work yet. Dallon got his job back again at the elementary school and I was so happy for him.

The kids that remembered him threw him a welcome back party, and even some old students of his that had moved on to middle school came back to visit him. It didn't take long for Dallon to get reacclimated into society and normal life, about six or seven months.

However, I was not so lucky. I was diagnosed with PTSD, severe anxiety, and (hopefully temporary) insomnia. I can leave the apartment for a couple hours, but I quickly become overwhelmed by the amount of strangers around me, afraid that I'll be taken again or somehow they all know my secrets.

That they'll turn me into the police for all the lives I've taken and I'll be ripped away from Dallon again.

I'm always restless while Dallon is at work, nothing can hold my interest anymore. Not even music, and that used to be my saving grace. In order to keep me calm while he's at school, Dallon texts me every thirty minutes to let me know he's ok. One time he forgot and I went into an anxiety attack so bad I passed out, Dallon came home to find me lying in the middle of the kitchen.

I go to a therapist twice a week, and he's helped me come a long way, but I still have a lot to go. I sighed and looked over at Dallon who was sleeping peacefully next to me. Every now and then he'd get a night terror from that day he was tortured, but they were slowly becoming fewer and farther in-between. I get night terrors every night I do sleep.

Dallon has been so incredibly patient with me. So kind. He's just been being Dallon and I don't deserve it.

"Bren?" Dallon sleepily mumbled. I didn't realize that I had started crying and woken up Dallon.

"I'm sorry, go back to sleep babe. I'm ok." He rolled onto his back and pulled me into his chest.

"I've told you Bren, stop lying to me."

"Sorry, I was just thinking about...what all is still wrong with me. How inconvenient I am to you. I don't know, I was thinking about a lot." Dallon planted a soft kiss on my forehead.

"You took extreme measures to take care of me those two years Bren, I will never be able to return the favor, but at least let me try. I love that I get to take care of you for a change. You're not an inconvenience to me at all. You're a blessing, my protector, my comfort, my everything. I'm never leaving you Bren, you couldn't make me."