PHOTOGRAPH

Chapter 32

"Hey, let's go check this place out." Adam says as he hurries over to one of the many buildings at the zoo.

"What's in here?" Austin asks.

"I don't know but we'll find out once we go in." Adam answers. 

"Are we allowed in here? It might be for employees only." Avi says.

"Why are y'all asking me such hard questions? I've never been here before so how should I know the answer." Adam replies.

"Wait, Sweetie. Let me go in first just in case we aren't allowed." Jenika says as she leads a very paranoid Daryl to the building.

"You having fun?" Chance asks as Tim stops to take another picture of some bushes that had been trimmed to look like zoo animals.

"Yeah." Tim nods. "There's just so much to photograph. It's all so beautiful."

"That it is. Come on, everyone has gone inside. Let's go check it out." Chance says as he opens the door for his boyfriend.

Tim walks in and stops. The building was extremely dark and full of glass cases. Each case was illuminated with light.

His heartbeat begins to quicken as his eyes scan the illuminated cases. Thousands of spiders, both venomous and non-venomous.

His breathing becomes shallow as he begins to shake his head.

"No, no." He whispers as he starts to panic.

"Wow! Look at this. This is creepy." Chance says behind him.

"No, I can't!" Tim says as he turns and starts to leave but runs into Chance.

"Baby, where are you going?" Chance asks.

"No, I can't ...I can't do this. I need out!" Tim says as he pushes past Chance and runs out the door.

"What's wrong?" Jenika asks when she hears the commotion.

"I don't know. You stay with the others and I'll go check on him." Chance says before running after Tim.

Chance finds Tim sitting on a park bench. He was leaned over with his elbows resting on his legs and his face buried in his hands as he rocked back and forth.

"Hey, Angel. It's okay." Chance says as he sits down beside him and pulls the crying man into his arms.

"Please .. don't make me .. go in there." Tim says between sobs.

"Of course not. Honey, I had no idea you felt that way about spiders or I would have never let you go in there." Chance says while he ran his fingers through Tim's hair.

"There are spiders in the closet." Tim whispers so low that Chance could not make out what was said.

"What was that, Baby? I couldn't hear you." Chance says.

"There are spiders in the closet." Tim says softly as he looks up at his boyfriend. "I was locked in with the .. the spiders." He adds as tears roll down his cheeks.

"Oh, God. Baby, I'm so sorry." Chance says as he wipes a tear from his brown-eyed lover's cheek.

"Chance? What's wrong? Is he okay?" Tina asks as she and Sami bring their group to the spider house. She squats down in front of Tim, laying her hand on his knee.

"He panicked when we went inside." Chance says.

"I guess I should have warned you." She says as she brushes back Tim's hair.

"He's going to be alright. We'll just wait here for the others." Chance says. "Is there anything else that I should know?" He adds with a slight chuckle.