Entry #12050104001305

endhim

A big thank you to @creatorofalice for leaving kind comments and lovely feedback that inspired me. Because of them, I sat down and wrote five chapters, over 4,700 words, in one day for a story I haven't felt inspired to work on in months. Hope you enjoy!

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If Tim's actions the day before had been suspicious, then the fact that he was completely missing the next morning was practically incriminating. With anyone else, perhaps, waking up to find your companion gone wouldn't be a cause for concern. But this was Tim and Jay. Disappearing without a word, although not abnormal, was still a red flag, especially now that they had decided to team up. However, as alarming as Tim's unexplained absence was, nothing in the house seemed to be out of place. Everything was left exactly as it should be which led Jay to believe that Tim had left by choice, not by force. If nothing else, that small detail seemed to ease Jay's mind.

After showering and eating breakfast - half of which he put in the fridge so Tim would have something to eat when he got back - Jay decided it was time to pick up where he had left off two days ago. Grabbing his medication for migraines, he took a seat at Tim's desk and booted up his laptop. Waiting for the computer's ancient hard drive to awake from its slumber, Jay spared a glance at the digital alarm clock beside Tim's bed. Though he knew he shouldn't be, he was still a little surprised to find that it was only a quarter to eight.

Spinning the chair back to face the window, Jay slumped down, mumbling a quiet, "It's gonna be a long day."

And, unsurprisingly, it was. After watching, rewatching, and analyzing for the thousandth time the tape Tim had shown him, Jay took a break by doing something simple: decoding the binary code that had been left in his wallet the previous day. With the help of his computer, cracking the code had been simple, but the revealed message was anything but. Scribbling the deciphered words on a piece of paper, Jay let out an annoyed groan.

"'He is lying'," Jay read the words aloud. "But who is 'he'?" The newest tape had said "You are a liar" but the message said "He is lying." Were the two implied people the same person? Or were two different people lying? Jay knew none of the specifics and therefore had no clue what to make of the message, though a troubling thought stuck with him. Tim's behaviour the day before had been slightly confusing and a little irritating, and though Jay didn't want to turn on Tim for something as simple as a shift in mood, he knew he had to consider every small change suspicious if he wanted to get any answers. The worst thing, in his opinion, would be to overlook some obvious sign that pointed to all the answers.

Around noontime, Jay finally took a break to have lunch and give his eyes a well deserved rest. Pulling the items necessary to make a sandwich out of the refrigerator, Jay began making a turkey sandwich. It was a simple process that he had repeated many times before but the ability to do it on autopilot was not something he appreciated. Without something to thoroughly occupy his attention, his mind continued to wander. He was becoming increasingly worried about Tim.

He knew it was silly to worry about him. Tim was an adult and he could come and go as he pleased. He didn't need permission. Perhaps Jay would have been less concerned if his car was missing as well. Instead, Tim and Jay's cars remained parked side by side outside. It was possible that Tim had gone for a walk but what kind of walk lasted this long? And why hadn't he at least left a note telling Jay he would be gone? Though, in all fairness, Jay hadn't left one for Tim when he had gone to retrieve his belongings from the hotel.

Wandering into the living room, Jay took a seat on the couch, plate in hand, and was about to take a bite of his sandwich when his phone rang. Pulling the device out of his pocket, Jay examined the screen. The number was blocked. Of course the number's blocked, Jay sarcastically told himself. It's probably Alex. Hitting the green icon and putting the device on speaker phone, Jay held the device in front of his face. Before he could say anything, an automated woman's voice, not unlike the one that would tell a caller to leave their message at the tone, began to speak.

In a monotone voice, the woman slowly said, "Zero one one zero zero one zero one zero one one zero one one one zero zero one one zero zero one zero zero zero one one zero one zero zero zero zero one one zero one zero zero one zero one one zero one one zero one." There was silence for a long moment before the voice began repeating the sequence of numbers. Scrambling for something to write on and with, Jay ran back to Tim's room and grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil. When he returned, the voice was still reciting numbers. After another long pause, the sequence began again, this time with Jay copying the numbers down.

When the voice finally stopped, Jay thought the call was about to end. Suddenly, a different voice, an actual woman instead of a machine, quietly whispered, "Lead me to death." As soon as the words had passed her lips, the dial tone rung loud before the call ended altogether. Leaning his head back into the soft back of the couch, Jay sighed.

"So much for figuring things out."