I Saw the Lights Go Out

toute ma vie est avec toi

Sorry I'm late, I was ill last night so I took a nap and didn't wake up until an hour ago, anyway, I'm so excited for this chapter omg

Pj was in the gym, though - on first glance - it appeared to be empty, Dan soon spotted one of Pj's lanky legs hanging from one of the beams near the roof. The beams were primarily for balance exorcises, but as this part of the gym wasn't ever really occupied at this time of day (or any time of day besides training and classes), Pj appeared to have taken refuge where nobody could get to him; on the very top beam.

Dan signalled to Louise and Carrie to go on ahead, he slowly made his ascent to where Pj was nestled in the rafters. What Pj had forgotten, was that Dan was an excellent climber. In no time at all, Dan was perched on the same beam as Pj, though a couple meters in front of him. Dan thought there was no way Pj hadn't noticed him there, but he was doodling away in his ever present sketch book, and well, Dan wasn't really sure of anything anymore. Dan was sure he'd never fall in love and - no, he was not going there. Ever.

"Only one person, ever, has managed to climb at the same level as me." Pj muttered, his eyes not leaving his book, though, his pencil had stopped scratching against the slightly off-white paper.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Dan said, swallowing down the lump in his throat.

"They said you were back. I didn't believe them." Pj's eyes finally met his own, " thought for sure that you'd die out there."

Dan let out a puff of air in a pathetic attempt at a laugh. "You've gotta have more faith in me Peej. I'm tougher than that."

Pj smiled, and signalled with a small head nod for Dan to come closer, Dan happily shuffled forward until he was sat an arms reach away from Pj. "Those rebels ain't got nothing on me." Dan said it as an offhand comment, but his eyes raked Pj's face for a reaction. None. He'd have to try harder. "They were looking for you." Dan said, Pj's gaze lowered, and Dan thought he was getting somewhere.

"Me?" Pj asked, and something in his voice wasn't quite right.

"Yeah," Dan said, trying to come off as nonchalant. "There were these two guys. Chris and P-Phil, they seemed adamant to find you." And there it was! Pj's whole body seemed to jerk at the mention of his two closest friends, his eyes flicked up to meet Dan's, and Dan had to suppress a grin.

"Do you know them?" He asked, hoping beyond hope that Pj remembered.

"I-I-" Pj stuttered, "I don't think so - the names, they ring a bell but I'm not- I don't." Pj's eyes met Dan's, and Dan's heart sank as he saw the truth behind Pj's words. Pj really didn't remember, Dan had hoped that Pj would already remember and that his job here would be much easier. "L-listen, Dan. I'm so sorry about what-"

"Hey!" Dan interjected. "It's not your fault, and besides, those rebels are weak. They have no idea how to torture people." And maybe that was the wrong thing to say, because Pj flinched so bad he almost fell from the beam. Dan managed to grab Pj's arm and pull him back into the safety zone, but Pj's pencil fell and landed on the floor 30ft below with a surprisingly loud clatter. "Perhaps, we should get down."

"Agreed."

Once Pj and Dan were safely back on the ground, and Pj had picked up his pencil, muttering angrily at how broken the lead is going to be now, and how he'd have to sharpen it later after only just sharpening it today. Dan laughed and clapped his friend on the back, typical Peej. Then Dan wondered, if this really was typical Peej, or typical mind controlled Peej. The thought made Dan sick. All of his friend's could be completely different people, they probably all hated him before the drugs his daddy forced them to swallow removed half of their memories.