When The Sun Rose Again

When The Sun Rose Again- Chapter Nine

"I want to show you something." Jerry said, sitting Layne down on the couch in front of him. Layne smiled when he saw that Jerry's guitar was there. He always loved hearing what ideas Jerry had came up with.

"A new song, perhaps?" Layne guessed, a big smile on his face. Jerry chuckled, and took the seat in front of Layne in a chair.

"Yeah, I have a new song. I even have some lyrics with it, and I was hoping you could learn them, and we could sing it together, you know. Maybe surprise everyone at our next show."

Layne smiled, crossing his leg over the other. "Yeah, let's hear it."

"Alright." Jerry said, clearing his throat. He fixed his fingers on the guitar in the right position before he began to strum the chords.

Layne imminently froze in his spot. He almost instantly recognized the riff. It was the one he had heard in his terrible dreams so many times.

"Run 'til you drop... Hide everyone knows..." Jerry sang.

Layne saw something flash before his eyes. The dream. The dream of the man standing on stage, singing with Jerry, everyone smiling and having a good time, and he wasn't there. Where the fuck was he?

"Were you burned away, when the sun rose again?" Jerry continued.

Layne blinked hard, his body slowly lifting up off the couch. He felt a great pain in his chest. So much pain, it caused him to collapse on his knees, and wince out in pain.

"L-Layne? Layne?! Layne!" Jerry was screaming. Layne heard the guitar crash down to the floor.

Jerry dropped down to his knees next to Layne. "Layne! What's happening? Talk to me, baby. Please, are you okay?"

"J-Jerry... hurts... e-everything hurts..." Layne gasped. He could feel his breathing slowing down, yet his heart was beating faster and faster.

Tears were streaming down Jerry's cheeks. "Where, Layne? Where does it hurt?"

"Y-you left me, Jerry. Him...

he... took my place..."

"No, Layne, no one could ever take your place. No!"

"I'm fading," Layne gasped, looking down at his hands. Jerry looked at his hands, that were slowly fading before his own eyes.

"No! Layne, no! Don't leave me! Don't leave me again!" Jerry was screaming as his arms were tightly wrapped around Layne, trying to hold him and keep him, but he was slowly fading, and fading.

"Don't leave me, Layne! Don't you dare fucking leave me again!" Jerry shouted.

Layne couldn't speak. He couldn't move. He was fading, and the tighter Jerry held onto him, the quicker he seemed to fade. And the more Layne faded, the darker the room got until darkness took over Jerry, and everything was black.

* * *

His blue eyes slowly opened, greeted by the white ceiling above him. His head ached with pain as he slowly pulled himself up in bed.

Jerry couldn't believe his eyes. It was the same hotel as the night he had made that wish. But no, there was no way all of that was a dream. It was all so real.

"No. That wasn't a dream. There's no way that was a dream!" Jerry panicked, quickly jumping out of bed. He ran straight into the bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror.

He had changed. His hair was shorter, and his face had aged. His eyes began to fill with tears as he broke down in front of himself.

"No... no no no..." He whispered.

He didn't believe it. It wasn't a dream. Everything was so real, too real, just to be another one of his dreams. He had to go back. He had to somehow find a way back in time again.

But how?

Eddie. He had to find Eddie. Eddie had to take him back in time.

"Hey, man, are you alright?" William asked, poking his head through the crack in the bathroom door. He was the last person Jerry wanted to see.

"Where's Eddie? Have you seen him? Heard from him? I need to find him." Jerry spoke so quickly William hardly caught a word he said.

"Eddie Vedder? Yeah, why? What's up? He's staying at the hotel only a few blocks down."

"I just need to see him. I'll be back later." Jerry said, pushing past William, almost knocking him down in the process. But William grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Hey, slow down. What's going on? Talk to me, dude."

"Talk to you? I have nothing to say to you, William." Jerry rushed.

He frowned. "Did I do something wrong?"

"You caused all of this! If it wasn't for you, I'd still be with Layne right now!"

"What? How in the hell is that my fault?! I didn't tell him to take those drugs!"

"You don't fucking understand!" Jerry screamed, getting closer up into William's face.

"Understand what, Jerry? Were you in love with him? Because that's all you ever talk about is Layne this, Layne that! He's gone, Jerry, and he's never coming back! Can't you get that through your head?!"

Jerry gritted his teeth. Grabbing William by the collar of his shirt, he slammed him against the wall. "You just watch your fucking mouth, or I swear to-"

"Hey, hey, hey! Break it up, guys!" Sean yelled, pulling Jerry away. "What's going on here?"

"Oh nothing. Just talking about how this fag here had a crush on the former singer, you know." William said. Jerry was seething with anger.

He would've done anything to jump over Sean and bash William's face in, but he didn't have time. He had to get back to Layne.

"Fuck you, William. Fuck you! I hope you burn in Hell!" Jerry screamed before he stormed out of the hotel room, and stormed off to find Eddie.