The Lost and Found

An Ant's Bladder

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (Part One): Finn Parker

I was dreaming. At first, I was dreaming. He was there. With his Nikon hanging on his neck, possessively in his large palms. I was in my Spiderman suit, trying to climb up the wall but every time I did, I always failed and fall on my ass.

He'd bring be back up, make funny faces to cheer me up. It worked. It always has. One second I was about to cry my throat since I was the biggest crybaby back then and now, turn back now and I would be on my father's lap, laughing like the world would end the next minute.

I didn't know what to feel with it. Most of the tines, it made me angry, how he suddenly disappeared, and there were times when I was sad for some reason I didn't want to tell myself but every time it happens, one feeling - one question - always sticks out in my mind: Why?

I was curious.

All these years I've been trying to forget what he looked and I was successful. But then, all of that, everything - his smile, the figure of his nose, his wrinkles, the specks in my father's eyes, his voice, everything - just everything, it all comes back in a replay in my head - in a dream.

The most beautiful nightmare.

Then I woke up. My senses came into life by the sound of the DJ playing a pop-rock song outside, its obnoxious sound ringing in my ears, pounding in my head like a bass drum. I checked the clock. It was past noon. What time did I sleep last night?

I pushed myself up into a sitting position only to be shot by a sharp pain in my head, like needles and a freaking arrow had pierced right through me. Not only that - there was an arm draped over my stomach.

His arm...

Jack's arm...

Strands of his chocolate brown were sticking out everywhere, reaching into the crook of my neck and up to cheeks. His forehead was relaxed, his eyebrows were thick and defined, matching the figure of his eye. There was a bit of drool dripping out from the corner of his slightly opened mouth and he was snoring too. Softly and rhythmically.

His head was resting on my shoulder with an arm up his head an the other one over me. I tried pushing it off but he wouldn't budge. Instead it tightened. It was like he wanted me to stay.

Talk about the impossible.

So I just sat there, stiff and quiet and mentally pleaded him to wake up or at least move his arm away. Well, not that I don't like it there I just... well... let's just say I have been cursed by an ant's bladder.

I should have not drank too much beverages last night.

I squirmed and tried to wriggled out of his grasp but I miserably failed. So I just attempted to wake him up.

Man, he's such a heavy sleeper.

"Jack..." I called out in a whisper. "Jack, hey, dude, wake up or else I'm peeing on you. And you're not gonna like it." I said. No reply. I tried once more. "Jack... Jack... Come on, wake up... I seriously need to get out of-"

"No." he mumbled, his eyebrows furrowed. "Stay. Don't leave me."

"What are you talking about? My abdomen is about to explode."

He was silent.

I shook him again, a bit harder this time. "Jack, come on, let me go. I... I'll... I'll come back."

"No..." he slurred. "You left me. Everyone does."

Now I was confused. "Seriously, what are you saying?"

After that he didn't reply or say anything for a while. I could feel him heavily breathing against my ear, like the feeling I felt last night before I fell asleep but this was different. They were rushed, clogged and... heavy. As if he was trying not to cry. I think I even heard him whimper softly at some point.

But then the strong urge of pee came back, stronger than ever. I threw my thoughts away and focused on getting up. I wasn't annoyed. I was getting impatient and angry.

"Goddammit, Jack, let go!" I said, giving his arm one last push.

Surprisingly, it slipped off and I immediately sprang out of bed.

Let it go. Let it go. Pee.

I made a dash for the door but was stopped when it happened.

"Allie..." he whimpered, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

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this chapter will be in two parts. i ll post it later.