Categories > Celebrities > 30 Seconds to Mars > Strangeland
He drove home, the night undisturbed outside his window like something hadn’t just happened. Emma was asleep in the passenger seat, seemingly peaceful. He tried to calm himself, say that the police were indeed going to do something about what happened. They had told him that they would try to do something but that there wasn’t much they had to go on, seeing as nothing was left there and nobody was seen. He was angry, terribly so and Emma was afraid. He wanted to be able to make all of this right, so why the hell couldn’t he?
Finally he drove up into the driveway of his place, killing the ignition. He could have sat there, pretended nothing was going on, that everything was as it had always been. He remembered people wanting to always be around him, and he always wanted to be surrounded by people who were somewhat enamored of him and yet now he only wanted some kind of seclusion. He hated that fear had the ability to change how you saw things but it did.
With a sigh he reached over and lightly shook Emma, waking her up.
“We’re here.” He whispered, giving her a small smile. The only kind he could manage.
He got out of the car and let her out, leading her into the house and into his room. She was asleep again before he knew it, no doubt exhausted by what had happened, and the wait while the police were at her house.
He watched her a moment, feeling horrible about how she had been pulled into this. Why did things suddenly become so complicated when he finally did something right? He felt like he was in a good place and yet now everything crumbled down around him.
Leaving the room he went downstairs, finding it empty he went into the kitchen and got himself something to drink. He heard someone come down the stairs and saw Shannon come around the corner.
“You’re here late, mom was worried.”
Jared contemplated telling him what happened, but the fear of being less than he always was held back his words. “Sorry.” He merely muttered.
“You should be after leaving me at the party.” Shannon leaned on the counter towards him.
Jared laughed and then let it fade slowly.
“Emma’s here?” Shannon asked, having seen them come in from his bedroom window.
“Yeah…” He nodded, thinking again of that message left on the door. What was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to continue dragging her with him through this? Or should he have cut things immediately?
“I told her you don’t deserve her…” Shannon stood up and off the counter, meeting Jared’s eyes darkly.
Jared’s brows furrowed with confusion. “Did you?”
“Course I did. After everything you’ve done, was I supposed to lie to her?” And with that he walked away, out of the kitchen, his footsteps fading up the stairs.
Jared stood there, holding his breath until the bedroom door clicked shut. He could tell the anger was still there and he was afraid it would always be there no matter how much time had passed. He wished he could take it back, wished that things were right again. Wishing wasn’t doing.
His phone ringing broke his thoughts and he answered it. Looking at the time on the wall clock. 3:30 am.
“Hello?” Silence. “Hello?!” He demanded, the beating of his heart picking up.
He heard breathing then and as he pressed who it was it only continued.
“Damn it, who is this?”
There was a laugh then, faraway it seemed from the receiver. The laugh was disguised with some sort of voice changer. The line went dead and then a loud shatter was heard from upstairs. His gaze shot to the ceiling and then he dropped the phone and raced up the stairs. He threw open his bedroom door. Emma was sitting up having been startled awake. The window had been shattered and there on the ground was a heavy stone having been thrown in, covered it seemed with blood.
Finally he drove up into the driveway of his place, killing the ignition. He could have sat there, pretended nothing was going on, that everything was as it had always been. He remembered people wanting to always be around him, and he always wanted to be surrounded by people who were somewhat enamored of him and yet now he only wanted some kind of seclusion. He hated that fear had the ability to change how you saw things but it did.
With a sigh he reached over and lightly shook Emma, waking her up.
“We’re here.” He whispered, giving her a small smile. The only kind he could manage.
He got out of the car and let her out, leading her into the house and into his room. She was asleep again before he knew it, no doubt exhausted by what had happened, and the wait while the police were at her house.
He watched her a moment, feeling horrible about how she had been pulled into this. Why did things suddenly become so complicated when he finally did something right? He felt like he was in a good place and yet now everything crumbled down around him.
Leaving the room he went downstairs, finding it empty he went into the kitchen and got himself something to drink. He heard someone come down the stairs and saw Shannon come around the corner.
“You’re here late, mom was worried.”
Jared contemplated telling him what happened, but the fear of being less than he always was held back his words. “Sorry.” He merely muttered.
“You should be after leaving me at the party.” Shannon leaned on the counter towards him.
Jared laughed and then let it fade slowly.
“Emma’s here?” Shannon asked, having seen them come in from his bedroom window.
“Yeah…” He nodded, thinking again of that message left on the door. What was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to continue dragging her with him through this? Or should he have cut things immediately?
“I told her you don’t deserve her…” Shannon stood up and off the counter, meeting Jared’s eyes darkly.
Jared’s brows furrowed with confusion. “Did you?”
“Course I did. After everything you’ve done, was I supposed to lie to her?” And with that he walked away, out of the kitchen, his footsteps fading up the stairs.
Jared stood there, holding his breath until the bedroom door clicked shut. He could tell the anger was still there and he was afraid it would always be there no matter how much time had passed. He wished he could take it back, wished that things were right again. Wishing wasn’t doing.
His phone ringing broke his thoughts and he answered it. Looking at the time on the wall clock. 3:30 am.
“Hello?” Silence. “Hello?!” He demanded, the beating of his heart picking up.
He heard breathing then and as he pressed who it was it only continued.
“Damn it, who is this?”
There was a laugh then, faraway it seemed from the receiver. The laugh was disguised with some sort of voice changer. The line went dead and then a loud shatter was heard from upstairs. His gaze shot to the ceiling and then he dropped the phone and raced up the stairs. He threw open his bedroom door. Emma was sitting up having been startled awake. The window had been shattered and there on the ground was a heavy stone having been thrown in, covered it seemed with blood.
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