Don't Panic (Jalex)

Curse Words Aren't A Chapter Title

Content warning:
- excessive crying
- sad
- blood

A few minutes past before Alex really starts trying to fight his way out of Richard's grasp. "LET ME GO!" He screams to his giant purple friend. "FUCKING PUT ME DOWN YOU USELESS GRAPE!"

Richard scoffs and then drops Alex onto the beach. The octopus monster crosses two of its arms and glares are Alex.

The poor man doesn't care though. He's too busy bleeding and crying as sadness pools into his chest. All the physical pain leaves him as his broken heart consumes him.

Alex forces himself to his feet. Screaming Jack's name. "JACK!" he cries, holding his aching stomach with one arm as he runs. His nose feels too big for his face, and the emotions pooling in his chest seemingly take the air out of his lungs.

"JACK!" Alex calls out again, just seconds before tripping over one of many aluminum cans littered all over the beach. He collapses into the sand, crying Jack's name again before giving up and curling up in the sand, screaming with no real worries of who hears.

He screams as he cries, laying in the sand in the fetal position. Alex just got him back.... and now.... and now he's lost everything all over again.

Alex's body shakes as he screams out into the night, cursing any god who will listen. He screams apologies to a man who's not there to hear them, and whispers insults to himself for not being able to do more.

And then he hears someone's voice in the distance. He hears someone running towards him, but he doesn't care. He feels numb as he lets out another blood curdling scream that turns quickly into a sob.
And then his friend Zack is there by his side, wondering what injury could possibly have caused his friend so much pain.

"RIAN! HE'S OVER HERE!" Zack yells as Alex simply mutters the word 'no' repeatedly.
He then screams the word at the top of his lungs before returning to loud sobs.

Zack runs his fingers through Alex's hair, which is now marred with blood, dirt, and tears. He doesn't ask what's wrong. He doesn't even bother telling Alex to calm down. Hell, Zack doesn't even say anything at all. He's just there.
That's more than enough comfort than what Alex needs right now.

"What happened?" Rian asks, worrying over his friend who barely looks human at the moment.
"I dunno," Zack explains, his voice shaking. "He was like this when I got here, I- I think they took Jack."

Alex cries out again, pulling at his hair as he tries to shrink out of existence. He can't do this again. He can't lose him again.

Rian sighs as he looks over his heartbroken friend. He's never seen Alex like this. He's never seen anyone like this. It scares him.
Rian studies him closely, mostly looking for any serious wounds. But all he fins are a few scrapes and bruises save for Alex's bloody nose and the bullet wound in his arm.

There's obvious scrapes on Alex's hands from when he landed on rocks and sand. It's there that Rian notices something shiny on Alex's left ring finger.

His mind flashes back to the morning Jack returned. The memory is blurry, but the most clear thing from the scene is the ring hanging from Jack's neck.
The same ring now on Alex's finger.

Oh no.

Rian pulls Zack aside to tell him what he knows. "They made up," he blurts. "Jack proposed."
Zack's eyes grow wide as he turns to gape at Alex, who's still lying in the fetal position a few yards away. He's no longer screaming, he just looks sad and exhausted.

"He what?" Zack gasps. "They were back together for like three hours!"
"They had sex a few days ago."
"WHAT?"

Rian looks at Alex for a long time. "D-do you think they killed him?" He barely manages to whisper.
"I-I don't know," Zack stutters. "I mean- shit man, if Jack's gone..." he shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the thought.
Rian knows what he's thinking. Even if he doesn't say it.

If Jack's gone, we might lose Alex too.

Without another word, Rian walks over to Alex. "Where is he?" Rian asks sternly.

Alex, who almost looked like he'd been sleeping a few seconds before, let's out a small cry as his face contorts in pain. "They- they took him," he chokes.

Zack pulls Alex into a sitting position. "Took him where?" He asks.
Alex hugs his arms tightly around himself, eyes still closed as he sways back and forth.
"I don't know!" He cries.

Rian sighs before pulling his friend into a tight hug. "I don't think they killed him," he says softly. "If they didn't do that here, they wouldn't have done it there."

Alex cries into Rian's shoulder as Zack watches them sadly. Then he pulls them both into a hug.

Richard, who has returned from wherever he swam off to, peeks out from beneath the waves. He moves toward the trio slowly, before then patting each of their heads with a giant purple tentacle.
Alex jumps out of the group hug, suddenly crying again.

"No!" He shouts at the monster. "No! He- They took him!
"No!" he shouts at the monster. "No! He- They took him! You could have saved him! You- you could have- FUCK YOU!"

Zack grabs Alex from behind, pulling him away from the ocean as he screams at Richard.
"Alex, it doesn't matter! We'll find him!" Rian shouts. He puts himself between Alex and Richard, just in case Alex somehow manages to break away from Zack's grasp.
"He could be hurt!" Alex yells. "Or- or they're torturing him, or- or-" he sobs and stops struggling.
Zack lets go and Alex falls to his knees, hugging himself tightly as tears stream down his face. "I can't lose him," he whispers. "Not again. Not again."

Rian stares silently at Alex as Zack just looks at him, confused. Neither of them are sure what to do, but they both know there's no way they can wait any longer before going to find Jack.

"I have a plan," Rian says. "Zack, do you still know that sound guy who lives a few miles north of here?"

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