Categories > Celebrities > 30 Seconds to Mars > Escape
End Note: Wow, I can not actually believe that this is done! July 24th 2011 was when I first uploaded the prologue on DeviantART- yep, that shows how much of an awesome procrastinator I am xD!!!
Well, for anyone who has had the patience to read this weird little thing all the way through then thank you it really means a lot! Really, this whole thing just reminds me so much of my best friend Leah, the amount of times we spent our frees down 'The Grove hotel' and I was writing this is my book... And then I couldn't be bothered so Leah would force me to write XD and give me ideas... most importantly point out the mahoosive plot holes... Yeah there are still some but I'll let you have fun spotting them XDD
Oh, and this would still not be done if it wasn't for her as she wrote the first bit of this epilogue, so I take absolutely no credit for this following bit as it is Leah's:
"No! Please! Nooooo!!" Jared screamed. "Please... not my brother... not again!" Shannon screamed. Jared could not see his brother, but his voice rang out clearly around him. Shannon's voice was violently cut off by a dark gurgling sound, followed by Caspian's evil cackling.
"Jared... It's not real..." Tomo's voice was a whisper that echoed in Jared's ears.
"Why.... Why are you doing this?" Jared sobbed, not quite believing that Caspian had returned from the grave to finish the job. Shadows were wrapped around him, carving ethereal faces that warped and twisted in front of him... Caspian's decapitated head moved beyond the corners of his eyes' line of sight, the same maniacal laughter echoing around him. It warped into Shannon's face that stared vacantly at the floor, blood oozing out of his mouth.
"Jared, this is not real..." Tomo's voice lingered from within the shadows once again.
"You... You're dead! How can you be..." Caspian's laughter returned to fizzle out so that Shannon's dying gurgle could be heard once more.
"Jared! Wake up!," with the last desperate cry from Tomo, Jared's eyes flicked open to stare into his friend's dark brown eyes,"Jared, it was only a nightmare..." Tomo reassured his friend as he saw him blink and fearfully look around him.
"Caspian?," he whispered,"...Shannon!" he all but leapt out of bed.
"Woah... Jared! Calm down!," Tomo put a comforting hand on his friend's arm, trying to make him relax,"Shannon's fine, you were only having a nightmare..." Jared collapsed against his friend in defeat.
"Thank God for that... Tomo, it was horrible... Caspian's head was... and Shannon..." Jared groaned, his face in his hands.
"It's all over now, Jared. It was all over months ago..." Tomo consoled.
Yeah, so this is the first thing that I have actually continued with and finished... It sucks, I know, but I like it XD
********************************
"No! Please! Nooooo!!" Jared screamed. "Please... not my brother... not again!" Shannon screamed. Jared could not see his brother, but his voice rang out clearly around him. Shannon's voice was violently cut off by a dark gurgling sound, followed by Caspian's evil cackling.
"Jared... It's not real..." Tomo's voice was a whisper that echoed in Jared's ears.
"Why.... Why are you doing this?" Jared sobbed, not quite believing that Caspian had returned from the grave to finish the job. Shadows were wrapped around him, carving ethereal faces that warped and twisted in front of him... Caspian's decapitated head moved beyond the corners of his eyes' line of sight, the same maniacal laughter echoing around him. It warped into Shannon's face that stared vacantly at the floor, blood oozing out of his mouth.
"Jared, this is not real..." Tomo's voice lingered from within the shadows once again.
"You... You're dead! How can you be..." Caspian's laughter returned to fizzle out so that Shannon's dying gurgle could be heard once more.
"Jared! Wake up!," with the last desperate cry from Tomo, Jared's eyes flicked open to stare into his friend's dark brown eyes,"Jared, it was only a nightmare..." Tomo reassured his friend as he saw him blink and fearfully look around him.
"Caspian?," he whispered,"...Shannon!" he all but leapt out of bed.
"Woah... Jared! Calm down!," Tomo put a comforting hand on his friend's arm, trying to make him relax,"Shannon's fine, you were only having a nightmare..." Jared collapsed against his friend in defeat.
"Thank God for that... Tomo, it was horrible... Caspian's head was... and Shannon..." Jared groaned, his face in his hands.
"It's all over now, Jared. It was all over months ago..." Tomo consoled.
Shannon burst into the room.
"what's happened? I heard screaming," Shannon only had to look at the scene for a second to understand. "He's gone Jay, he's never coming back! Your safe, I'm safe, we're all safe." He took his little brother into his arms.
"I know..." Jared's voice was soft, "but no matter how many times I tell myself that I still have that dream. It's just so real."
Jared was looking up at Shannon, a small tear ran down his cheek, but before it could reach his chin Shannon brushed it away with his thumb.
"Come on. Let's head downstairs." Shannon tapped Jared's shoulder as he stood up and left the room, two fellow Martians close behind.
Two hours of sipping hot drinks by the roaring fire in the Leto's living room and discussing everything from past tour moments to the new album left the three men on the verge of sleep. Tomo, who was staying over for the week to work on 'This Is Four', was first to retire to the spare room. Leaving the two brothers in the room, silent but for the spitting and crackling of firewood.
"Are you sure you're OK?" Shannon asked, watching his brother's face as fire light danced across and caught his irises, setting them alight like the northern lights. Jared turned and drank down his brother's concerned expression, he smiled and nodded.
"I'm fine. Really Shann," He yawned, "Just tired." Jared laughed before bidding his brother good-night, existing the room and climbing the stairs.
Five minutes later Jared was lying cocooned in his duvet.
He always slept with curtains thrown wide and window open, the cool night air, soft lights and hum of the city help to lull him into sleep, and when sleep would refuse to come he would resort to staring at the stars. On this night, however, Jared lay awake, his mind spinning far too quickly to allow sleep to envelope him, he turned over to face the outside world. There was a full moon with a peppering of pale stars surrounding it, dimmed by the thousands of lights of Los Angeles stealing their show.
Jared's mind wandered to a few months previous, when they had returned from The Den for the final time.
x-x-x
He had been awake now for a few hours. The pain in his side was still there, but had dulled considerably thanks to the drugs. Jared had been in surgery for the best part of two hours while the surgeons worked to repair the bloody mess that a werewolf causes, of course they were simply under the impression that it had been a large, very aggressive dog.
Gerard and the gang were back at the Leto's house tying up frayed ends, for one, getting everyone home. Leaving Shannon and Jared, the latter was currently slouched half under the plastic hospital sheets, his side heavily bandaged at the hospital
"Urgh, why can't I leave this place?"
"You know why, incase that wound of yours opens up in the night and you bleed to death."
"Pfft," Jared waved his hand in a sarcastic mannor, "I'll take the risk."
Shannon shook his head, he would have thought Jared would be more serious considering how close to dying he had come that night. He shuddered at the thought and wrenched his mind back to his brother, who was currently isnpecting the I.V tubing connected to his arm.
"Don't play with it! Honestly how old are you?"
Tomo laughed as he entered the private room with four take-away coffee cups and Vicky.
"Well, he looks 21 and acts 5, lets split the difference and go with 12."
"Ha, ha, ha, very funny, this is abuse, you know... And I've just been under the knife!"
"Yes, you poor thing, everyone is so cruel to you," Tomo added as he handed Jared his milK-free coffee.
*
Tomo and Vicki stayed until the end of visiting hours and were forced to retire to the Leto's house to help Hayley and the MCR boys. Shannon, of course, refused to leave Jared's side, instead resorted to a night in the chair beside Jared's bed. Not that the discomfort troubled Shannon, who slept like a newborn baby after the fortnigt he had had. That was more than could be said for Jared. Every hour his pulse was taken and wound inspected. He was a naturally light sleeper, exacerbated by his insomnia, so he spent half of the night listening to the diluted rush of the hospital, and watching the E.C.G macheine's representation of his heart beating. He amused himself with altering its speed by slowing or quickening his breathing
Somtimes he just lay there and watched his brother lost in the realm of sleep, his eyelids fluttering as his eyes moved behind them. Jared gave a soft giggle at the way his moustache moved as his breath rolled over it. Jared wondered how much anxiety he had caused his big brother over the fortnight and where he would be now without him; dead, for sure. It was comforting to finally see Shannon at peace. Jared lay down on his plastic pillow and settled into an hour long sleep as he listened to a pair of footsteps grow fainter as they clacked along the hallway.
*
It was dark, almost pitch black except for the swirling of smoke. There were strange echoes that reverberated around this timeless place. Screams and manic laughter ricocheting of the mist. Shadows danced before his disembodied form. The ethereal figures flitted in front of his vision, distorting themselves as though passing through the mirrors of a fun-house.
His senses had gone hay-wire, if there at all. His ability to taste and touch and smell were gone. Maybe, he was encased in a fish-bowl, his hearing seemed akin to that of when underwater, and that would explain the distorted humanoid shapes and their grotesque dance. He was not aware of much anymore, his world diluted, but he knew with certainty he was no longer in the hospital.
One of the shadows floated towards his conscious being. It gradually became sharper as though it were a specimen under a microscope being brought into focus. He could make out a teenage girl. He would have gasped, if he had a solid form in which to do that with. He recognised her face, the long platted-brown hair, the congealed blood on her abdomen. She was one of the Den's casualties. Her mouth opened and her voice followed a few seconds later, echoed and disjointed like that of a very old, damaged film.
"You did this."
Jared could not reply. He was immobile.
"It's all your fault."
The words were left to rot in the air long after her mouth had ceased movement and then she just dissipated into the ether. Another substance-less effigy took its place. A boy, this time, no older than twenty.
"I died for you." His voice had the same effect placed upon it. As though edited with time delay and reverb. Jared tried to shout out, tell it to go away, to leave him alone. It was to no avail.
Once again, another opaque being wavered into existence.
"You could have stopped it, Jared, I would still be alive if it wasn't for you.
And another.
"If only you hadn't escaped that night! I would still be with my family!" More and more piled up on him, clouding his reality. He screamed and was relieved to discover he could. The world blurred at the edges as Caspian's manic laughter rang out over the din of the dead. A thick smog was landing over his surroundings, he felt as though somebody was dragging him away.
"Jared!"
"JARED!"
He was thrown back to himself, emerging from the poisoned lake of his nightmare, dripping wet, choking and shaking. Someone gently stroked his forehead, telling him everything was going to be okay.
It took a minute of slow breathing for Jared to calm down and stop the gently flow of tears. He seemed to come around and notice his surroundings.
"Jay...?" Shannon was asking if he was okay.
Jared nodded, "Just a dream... I'm... Fine."
The staff checked his pulse, pupil dilation and temperature
"You have had a traumatic experience, Mr Leto, it is quite normal for vivid and unpleasant flashbacks to occur. If they persist we could refer you to a councilor. Otherwise, I'm afraid there is nothing you can do but sit them out. You are a fighter though so I am sure that you will be fine."
Jared bid farewell and a thank you to the doctor as he left the room. The nurses soon followed after ensuring that they would okay to be left.
"Jared?!" This was a demand for the truth from his younger brother.
Jared molded his hands together and chewed his cheek, "I could see them, Shann, they spoke to me."
"Who?"
"T-the people that d-died... For me."
"Jared." Shannon softened his voice as understanding occured, "It is not your fault. Oh, god, Jay you haven't been thinking that, have you?"
"But they did! They were there because of me!"
"- and Hayley and Gerard! They chose to help! They wanted to! Please don't believe that it was your fault. Besides, imagine what would have happened if Caspian had his way!" Shannon placed his palm across Jared's knee. "Come on, you can't be so hard on yourself.
Jared took a deep, shaky breath to steady himself and gave the faintest of smiles. "Thank you, Shann, for everything."
It was only 5.00am, Shannon returned for another 3 hours of sleep. Jared was far too restless and a little too afraid to go back to sleep. He played little games in his head - singing song lyrics, trying to say words backwards and recalling tour dates and locations - to pass the time, not that he did that well. Song lyrics he was mostly fine with and it was fun to reverse words, but on the tours he drew a blank for they all amalgamated themselves into one pulsating, electric mass of energy and ecstasy.
*
Jared had been discharged under the provision of plenty of bed rest and was prohibited from any strenuous activity which included walking, he was to be in a wheelchair until deemed fit to progress to crutches.
The two brothers were back in their own, rather full house. even though by now those who fought or stayed in the house had left, the head count still stood at; Jared, Shannon, Tomo, Vicky, Hayley, Gerard, Mikey, Frank, Ray, Leah and Abbie. The latter two had decided to stay in L.A for a few more days. They crowded around the dining room table, eating a mountain of pasta and roasted vegetables cooked by Tomo - Jared just had the veg. Vicki was now fully aware of everything that had happened, she had been sceptical at first, but the sincerity of those who recited the tale brought her around.
The 'riot' had made headline news, especially the return of the missing musicians. No-one gave interviews and the details were sketchy so, thankfully, the report was superficial.
Everybody was simply glad for the luxury of relief, that it was over. It had been a further few hours - it was now 9.00pm - the gang were crowded around the Leto's T.V watching re-runs of 'Friends' and eating take-away food stuffs.
Abbie suddenly looked around, confusion etched on her face.
"Where the hell is Leah... I though she was right next to me and Sha - Wait! - where is Shannon?"
"How long have they been gone?" Tomo wondered.
"I didn't see them leave." Jared shook his head and looked around to everyone else in the room, who in turn, copied his action.
"Maybe they just went to the toilet?" Mikey shrugged.
"Together." Gerard gave a sly grin and wolf-whistled. Ray and Frank laughed and playfully elbowed each other's side.
"Looks like your brother is getting some," Frank ruffled Jared's hair.
"Hey!" Jared and Abbie scolded in unison. Hayley raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me you can't see that they have a thing for each other!?"
"Err, well, I mean," Abbie giggled. "Let's go an' find them!"
"That's a bit pervy." Ray snorted.
"Oh, for god's sake don't be so childish. They're only talking... Or something." Mikey rolled his eyes.
Abbie stood up and left the room, the rest followed with Mikey and Jared at the back, slightly reluctant.
Slowly, the creeping party opened every door in the house, revealing nothing. All, except the small cupboard under the stairs that housed the fuse box.
Gerard was first to reach the handle, he grinned and winked to the other's before slowly opening the door.
There was a small shriek of surprise and a clatter as two figures were revealed, entwined in each other, but clothed - to the relief of those on the other side of the threshhold - and had obliviously been engaged in a very passionate kiss a few moments previous. Shannon had lept back against the wall and Leah was standing aghast with a mop entangle in her hair, she blushed violently, they both did.
"Sorry, did we interrupt something?" Gerard blinked innocently. A fit of giggles erupted from the onlookers, Abbie was grinning from ear to ear at Leah, who smiled back and jokingly told her friend to 'shut up'. "Well, we'll just allow you to continue, 7 minutes of Heaven, guys!" Gerard slammed the door and leaned against it.
"Hey, Gerard, don't be a bastard. Let us out!" Shannon thumped the door.
"Na-ah, 6 more minutes, come on, as you were before we rudely opened the door... I can't hear anything going on, hurry up!"
"GERARD!" That was a combination of Shannon and Leah's exasperated voices.
"Okay, let's stop this now." Jared herded Gerard away from the door and opened it, they practically fell out.
Jared folded his arms and put on a face of mock anger, "Would you two care to explain what was going on?" Shannon and Leah looked at each other an laughed. Shannon dodged the subject as he looked down at his brother.
"Hey, I'm finally taller that you!"
"Ha, ha, ha, hilarious, when I get on crutches I will beat you with them."
"And then I'd just take them off you..." They both laughed, everyone did, it wasn't even that funny but the laughter escalated until it was simply to counteract the horror of the past week and the pure relief that it was over. Jared was first to stop as his side started to hurt. Shannon stooped down to check he was okay. There was a silent, unanimous decision to migrate outside and watch the setting sun, Shannon wheeled Jared out onto the decking.
"You, know" Tomo turned to Jared, "I never really believed in fate or anything, but I thought that Corvus would save you."
"Why?"
"His name, it means crow, which was supposedly the sacred bird of Apollo... The son of the Goddess-"
"-Leto..." Jared finished, Tomo nodded. Jared smiled. "That's strang-" His mouth opened in horror as he looked around the garden to see a small shriveled tree stump. "Where's my tree!" He demanded.
"Ah, well. I did try to warn her."
"Who?! Who did it?"
Leah coughed, "Um, well... We needed staked for the vampires, and I kind of needed wood... I didn't know the tree was, er, special or anything."
Jared blinked, "You killed Bruce the spruce..." Jared began to laugh, but stiffled in for his performance, "That was the only thing that I have ever loved like a child," a fake tear fell down his face, "My poor, defenceless baby, killed in cold blood... I'm gonna give you three seconds to run."
Leah laughed as she pelted through the house, followed by Jared who was giggling. They chased each other out of the house and into the street, Leah tactically took the up hill route and Jared cursed as he span the wheels at double speed to try and catch up. The party followed, laughing with every step as the followed the silhouettes of Leah and Jared into the sunset. Jared finally caught her as they entered the flat and began tickling her, she squirmed and feigned screaming in agony as Shannon ran towards them to 'rescue' her. He lifted her easily and they kissed again, earning groans of disgust from everyone else.
It didn't take long for them to reach Santa Monica pier, the lights of the Ferris wheel illuminating the world in its cacophony of colours which rivalled a bird of paradise's. The sun was just dipping into the sea, the gull squawking at each other as they dipped and dived. The group took each others shoulders into their arms as they simply watched the onset of night and the peace it brought as another chapter was laid to rest.
*
Jared turned in his bed, feeling sleep finally coming for him as he returned to the present. Yes, awful things had happened, but he wasn't going to allow himself to dwell on that. It would be hard, that he knew and he was sure these nightmares would continue to haunt him, but he would keep on fighting. Life is just too sort, after all.
As he closed his eyes he smiled and allowed sweet dreams of the tour they were about to embark on in just a few months time carry him away.
Well, for anyone who has had the patience to read this weird little thing all the way through then thank you it really means a lot! Really, this whole thing just reminds me so much of my best friend Leah, the amount of times we spent our frees down 'The Grove hotel' and I was writing this is my book... And then I couldn't be bothered so Leah would force me to write XD and give me ideas... most importantly point out the mahoosive plot holes... Yeah there are still some but I'll let you have fun spotting them XDD
Oh, and this would still not be done if it wasn't for her as she wrote the first bit of this epilogue, so I take absolutely no credit for this following bit as it is Leah's:
"No! Please! Nooooo!!" Jared screamed. "Please... not my brother... not again!" Shannon screamed. Jared could not see his brother, but his voice rang out clearly around him. Shannon's voice was violently cut off by a dark gurgling sound, followed by Caspian's evil cackling.
"Jared... It's not real..." Tomo's voice was a whisper that echoed in Jared's ears.
"Why.... Why are you doing this?" Jared sobbed, not quite believing that Caspian had returned from the grave to finish the job. Shadows were wrapped around him, carving ethereal faces that warped and twisted in front of him... Caspian's decapitated head moved beyond the corners of his eyes' line of sight, the same maniacal laughter echoing around him. It warped into Shannon's face that stared vacantly at the floor, blood oozing out of his mouth.
"Jared, this is not real..." Tomo's voice lingered from within the shadows once again.
"You... You're dead! How can you be..." Caspian's laughter returned to fizzle out so that Shannon's dying gurgle could be heard once more.
"Jared! Wake up!," with the last desperate cry from Tomo, Jared's eyes flicked open to stare into his friend's dark brown eyes,"Jared, it was only a nightmare..." Tomo reassured his friend as he saw him blink and fearfully look around him.
"Caspian?," he whispered,"...Shannon!" he all but leapt out of bed.
"Woah... Jared! Calm down!," Tomo put a comforting hand on his friend's arm, trying to make him relax,"Shannon's fine, you were only having a nightmare..." Jared collapsed against his friend in defeat.
"Thank God for that... Tomo, it was horrible... Caspian's head was... and Shannon..." Jared groaned, his face in his hands.
"It's all over now, Jared. It was all over months ago..." Tomo consoled.
Yeah, so this is the first thing that I have actually continued with and finished... It sucks, I know, but I like it XD
********************************
"No! Please! Nooooo!!" Jared screamed. "Please... not my brother... not again!" Shannon screamed. Jared could not see his brother, but his voice rang out clearly around him. Shannon's voice was violently cut off by a dark gurgling sound, followed by Caspian's evil cackling.
"Jared... It's not real..." Tomo's voice was a whisper that echoed in Jared's ears.
"Why.... Why are you doing this?" Jared sobbed, not quite believing that Caspian had returned from the grave to finish the job. Shadows were wrapped around him, carving ethereal faces that warped and twisted in front of him... Caspian's decapitated head moved beyond the corners of his eyes' line of sight, the same maniacal laughter echoing around him. It warped into Shannon's face that stared vacantly at the floor, blood oozing out of his mouth.
"Jared, this is not real..." Tomo's voice lingered from within the shadows once again.
"You... You're dead! How can you be..." Caspian's laughter returned to fizzle out so that Shannon's dying gurgle could be heard once more.
"Jared! Wake up!," with the last desperate cry from Tomo, Jared's eyes flicked open to stare into his friend's dark brown eyes,"Jared, it was only a nightmare..." Tomo reassured his friend as he saw him blink and fearfully look around him.
"Caspian?," he whispered,"...Shannon!" he all but leapt out of bed.
"Woah... Jared! Calm down!," Tomo put a comforting hand on his friend's arm, trying to make him relax,"Shannon's fine, you were only having a nightmare..." Jared collapsed against his friend in defeat.
"Thank God for that... Tomo, it was horrible... Caspian's head was... and Shannon..." Jared groaned, his face in his hands.
"It's all over now, Jared. It was all over months ago..." Tomo consoled.
Shannon burst into the room.
"what's happened? I heard screaming," Shannon only had to look at the scene for a second to understand. "He's gone Jay, he's never coming back! Your safe, I'm safe, we're all safe." He took his little brother into his arms.
"I know..." Jared's voice was soft, "but no matter how many times I tell myself that I still have that dream. It's just so real."
Jared was looking up at Shannon, a small tear ran down his cheek, but before it could reach his chin Shannon brushed it away with his thumb.
"Come on. Let's head downstairs." Shannon tapped Jared's shoulder as he stood up and left the room, two fellow Martians close behind.
Two hours of sipping hot drinks by the roaring fire in the Leto's living room and discussing everything from past tour moments to the new album left the three men on the verge of sleep. Tomo, who was staying over for the week to work on 'This Is Four', was first to retire to the spare room. Leaving the two brothers in the room, silent but for the spitting and crackling of firewood.
"Are you sure you're OK?" Shannon asked, watching his brother's face as fire light danced across and caught his irises, setting them alight like the northern lights. Jared turned and drank down his brother's concerned expression, he smiled and nodded.
"I'm fine. Really Shann," He yawned, "Just tired." Jared laughed before bidding his brother good-night, existing the room and climbing the stairs.
Five minutes later Jared was lying cocooned in his duvet.
He always slept with curtains thrown wide and window open, the cool night air, soft lights and hum of the city help to lull him into sleep, and when sleep would refuse to come he would resort to staring at the stars. On this night, however, Jared lay awake, his mind spinning far too quickly to allow sleep to envelope him, he turned over to face the outside world. There was a full moon with a peppering of pale stars surrounding it, dimmed by the thousands of lights of Los Angeles stealing their show.
Jared's mind wandered to a few months previous, when they had returned from The Den for the final time.
x-x-x
He had been awake now for a few hours. The pain in his side was still there, but had dulled considerably thanks to the drugs. Jared had been in surgery for the best part of two hours while the surgeons worked to repair the bloody mess that a werewolf causes, of course they were simply under the impression that it had been a large, very aggressive dog.
Gerard and the gang were back at the Leto's house tying up frayed ends, for one, getting everyone home. Leaving Shannon and Jared, the latter was currently slouched half under the plastic hospital sheets, his side heavily bandaged at the hospital
"Urgh, why can't I leave this place?"
"You know why, incase that wound of yours opens up in the night and you bleed to death."
"Pfft," Jared waved his hand in a sarcastic mannor, "I'll take the risk."
Shannon shook his head, he would have thought Jared would be more serious considering how close to dying he had come that night. He shuddered at the thought and wrenched his mind back to his brother, who was currently isnpecting the I.V tubing connected to his arm.
"Don't play with it! Honestly how old are you?"
Tomo laughed as he entered the private room with four take-away coffee cups and Vicky.
"Well, he looks 21 and acts 5, lets split the difference and go with 12."
"Ha, ha, ha, very funny, this is abuse, you know... And I've just been under the knife!"
"Yes, you poor thing, everyone is so cruel to you," Tomo added as he handed Jared his milK-free coffee.
*
Tomo and Vicki stayed until the end of visiting hours and were forced to retire to the Leto's house to help Hayley and the MCR boys. Shannon, of course, refused to leave Jared's side, instead resorted to a night in the chair beside Jared's bed. Not that the discomfort troubled Shannon, who slept like a newborn baby after the fortnigt he had had. That was more than could be said for Jared. Every hour his pulse was taken and wound inspected. He was a naturally light sleeper, exacerbated by his insomnia, so he spent half of the night listening to the diluted rush of the hospital, and watching the E.C.G macheine's representation of his heart beating. He amused himself with altering its speed by slowing or quickening his breathing
Somtimes he just lay there and watched his brother lost in the realm of sleep, his eyelids fluttering as his eyes moved behind them. Jared gave a soft giggle at the way his moustache moved as his breath rolled over it. Jared wondered how much anxiety he had caused his big brother over the fortnight and where he would be now without him; dead, for sure. It was comforting to finally see Shannon at peace. Jared lay down on his plastic pillow and settled into an hour long sleep as he listened to a pair of footsteps grow fainter as they clacked along the hallway.
*
It was dark, almost pitch black except for the swirling of smoke. There were strange echoes that reverberated around this timeless place. Screams and manic laughter ricocheting of the mist. Shadows danced before his disembodied form. The ethereal figures flitted in front of his vision, distorting themselves as though passing through the mirrors of a fun-house.
His senses had gone hay-wire, if there at all. His ability to taste and touch and smell were gone. Maybe, he was encased in a fish-bowl, his hearing seemed akin to that of when underwater, and that would explain the distorted humanoid shapes and their grotesque dance. He was not aware of much anymore, his world diluted, but he knew with certainty he was no longer in the hospital.
One of the shadows floated towards his conscious being. It gradually became sharper as though it were a specimen under a microscope being brought into focus. He could make out a teenage girl. He would have gasped, if he had a solid form in which to do that with. He recognised her face, the long platted-brown hair, the congealed blood on her abdomen. She was one of the Den's casualties. Her mouth opened and her voice followed a few seconds later, echoed and disjointed like that of a very old, damaged film.
"You did this."
Jared could not reply. He was immobile.
"It's all your fault."
The words were left to rot in the air long after her mouth had ceased movement and then she just dissipated into the ether. Another substance-less effigy took its place. A boy, this time, no older than twenty.
"I died for you." His voice had the same effect placed upon it. As though edited with time delay and reverb. Jared tried to shout out, tell it to go away, to leave him alone. It was to no avail.
Once again, another opaque being wavered into existence.
"You could have stopped it, Jared, I would still be alive if it wasn't for you.
And another.
"If only you hadn't escaped that night! I would still be with my family!" More and more piled up on him, clouding his reality. He screamed and was relieved to discover he could. The world blurred at the edges as Caspian's manic laughter rang out over the din of the dead. A thick smog was landing over his surroundings, he felt as though somebody was dragging him away.
"Jared!"
"JARED!"
He was thrown back to himself, emerging from the poisoned lake of his nightmare, dripping wet, choking and shaking. Someone gently stroked his forehead, telling him everything was going to be okay.
It took a minute of slow breathing for Jared to calm down and stop the gently flow of tears. He seemed to come around and notice his surroundings.
"Jay...?" Shannon was asking if he was okay.
Jared nodded, "Just a dream... I'm... Fine."
The staff checked his pulse, pupil dilation and temperature
"You have had a traumatic experience, Mr Leto, it is quite normal for vivid and unpleasant flashbacks to occur. If they persist we could refer you to a councilor. Otherwise, I'm afraid there is nothing you can do but sit them out. You are a fighter though so I am sure that you will be fine."
Jared bid farewell and a thank you to the doctor as he left the room. The nurses soon followed after ensuring that they would okay to be left.
"Jared?!" This was a demand for the truth from his younger brother.
Jared molded his hands together and chewed his cheek, "I could see them, Shann, they spoke to me."
"Who?"
"T-the people that d-died... For me."
"Jared." Shannon softened his voice as understanding occured, "It is not your fault. Oh, god, Jay you haven't been thinking that, have you?"
"But they did! They were there because of me!"
"- and Hayley and Gerard! They chose to help! They wanted to! Please don't believe that it was your fault. Besides, imagine what would have happened if Caspian had his way!" Shannon placed his palm across Jared's knee. "Come on, you can't be so hard on yourself.
Jared took a deep, shaky breath to steady himself and gave the faintest of smiles. "Thank you, Shann, for everything."
It was only 5.00am, Shannon returned for another 3 hours of sleep. Jared was far too restless and a little too afraid to go back to sleep. He played little games in his head - singing song lyrics, trying to say words backwards and recalling tour dates and locations - to pass the time, not that he did that well. Song lyrics he was mostly fine with and it was fun to reverse words, but on the tours he drew a blank for they all amalgamated themselves into one pulsating, electric mass of energy and ecstasy.
*
Jared had been discharged under the provision of plenty of bed rest and was prohibited from any strenuous activity which included walking, he was to be in a wheelchair until deemed fit to progress to crutches.
The two brothers were back in their own, rather full house. even though by now those who fought or stayed in the house had left, the head count still stood at; Jared, Shannon, Tomo, Vicky, Hayley, Gerard, Mikey, Frank, Ray, Leah and Abbie. The latter two had decided to stay in L.A for a few more days. They crowded around the dining room table, eating a mountain of pasta and roasted vegetables cooked by Tomo - Jared just had the veg. Vicki was now fully aware of everything that had happened, she had been sceptical at first, but the sincerity of those who recited the tale brought her around.
The 'riot' had made headline news, especially the return of the missing musicians. No-one gave interviews and the details were sketchy so, thankfully, the report was superficial.
Everybody was simply glad for the luxury of relief, that it was over. It had been a further few hours - it was now 9.00pm - the gang were crowded around the Leto's T.V watching re-runs of 'Friends' and eating take-away food stuffs.
Abbie suddenly looked around, confusion etched on her face.
"Where the hell is Leah... I though she was right next to me and Sha - Wait! - where is Shannon?"
"How long have they been gone?" Tomo wondered.
"I didn't see them leave." Jared shook his head and looked around to everyone else in the room, who in turn, copied his action.
"Maybe they just went to the toilet?" Mikey shrugged.
"Together." Gerard gave a sly grin and wolf-whistled. Ray and Frank laughed and playfully elbowed each other's side.
"Looks like your brother is getting some," Frank ruffled Jared's hair.
"Hey!" Jared and Abbie scolded in unison. Hayley raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me you can't see that they have a thing for each other!?"
"Err, well, I mean," Abbie giggled. "Let's go an' find them!"
"That's a bit pervy." Ray snorted.
"Oh, for god's sake don't be so childish. They're only talking... Or something." Mikey rolled his eyes.
Abbie stood up and left the room, the rest followed with Mikey and Jared at the back, slightly reluctant.
Slowly, the creeping party opened every door in the house, revealing nothing. All, except the small cupboard under the stairs that housed the fuse box.
Gerard was first to reach the handle, he grinned and winked to the other's before slowly opening the door.
There was a small shriek of surprise and a clatter as two figures were revealed, entwined in each other, but clothed - to the relief of those on the other side of the threshhold - and had obliviously been engaged in a very passionate kiss a few moments previous. Shannon had lept back against the wall and Leah was standing aghast with a mop entangle in her hair, she blushed violently, they both did.
"Sorry, did we interrupt something?" Gerard blinked innocently. A fit of giggles erupted from the onlookers, Abbie was grinning from ear to ear at Leah, who smiled back and jokingly told her friend to 'shut up'. "Well, we'll just allow you to continue, 7 minutes of Heaven, guys!" Gerard slammed the door and leaned against it.
"Hey, Gerard, don't be a bastard. Let us out!" Shannon thumped the door.
"Na-ah, 6 more minutes, come on, as you were before we rudely opened the door... I can't hear anything going on, hurry up!"
"GERARD!" That was a combination of Shannon and Leah's exasperated voices.
"Okay, let's stop this now." Jared herded Gerard away from the door and opened it, they practically fell out.
Jared folded his arms and put on a face of mock anger, "Would you two care to explain what was going on?" Shannon and Leah looked at each other an laughed. Shannon dodged the subject as he looked down at his brother.
"Hey, I'm finally taller that you!"
"Ha, ha, ha, hilarious, when I get on crutches I will beat you with them."
"And then I'd just take them off you..." They both laughed, everyone did, it wasn't even that funny but the laughter escalated until it was simply to counteract the horror of the past week and the pure relief that it was over. Jared was first to stop as his side started to hurt. Shannon stooped down to check he was okay. There was a silent, unanimous decision to migrate outside and watch the setting sun, Shannon wheeled Jared out onto the decking.
"You, know" Tomo turned to Jared, "I never really believed in fate or anything, but I thought that Corvus would save you."
"Why?"
"His name, it means crow, which was supposedly the sacred bird of Apollo... The son of the Goddess-"
"-Leto..." Jared finished, Tomo nodded. Jared smiled. "That's strang-" His mouth opened in horror as he looked around the garden to see a small shriveled tree stump. "Where's my tree!" He demanded.
"Ah, well. I did try to warn her."
"Who?! Who did it?"
Leah coughed, "Um, well... We needed staked for the vampires, and I kind of needed wood... I didn't know the tree was, er, special or anything."
Jared blinked, "You killed Bruce the spruce..." Jared began to laugh, but stiffled in for his performance, "That was the only thing that I have ever loved like a child," a fake tear fell down his face, "My poor, defenceless baby, killed in cold blood... I'm gonna give you three seconds to run."
Leah laughed as she pelted through the house, followed by Jared who was giggling. They chased each other out of the house and into the street, Leah tactically took the up hill route and Jared cursed as he span the wheels at double speed to try and catch up. The party followed, laughing with every step as the followed the silhouettes of Leah and Jared into the sunset. Jared finally caught her as they entered the flat and began tickling her, she squirmed and feigned screaming in agony as Shannon ran towards them to 'rescue' her. He lifted her easily and they kissed again, earning groans of disgust from everyone else.
It didn't take long for them to reach Santa Monica pier, the lights of the Ferris wheel illuminating the world in its cacophony of colours which rivalled a bird of paradise's. The sun was just dipping into the sea, the gull squawking at each other as they dipped and dived. The group took each others shoulders into their arms as they simply watched the onset of night and the peace it brought as another chapter was laid to rest.
*
Jared turned in his bed, feeling sleep finally coming for him as he returned to the present. Yes, awful things had happened, but he wasn't going to allow himself to dwell on that. It would be hard, that he knew and he was sure these nightmares would continue to haunt him, but he would keep on fighting. Life is just too sort, after all.
As he closed his eyes he smiled and allowed sweet dreams of the tour they were about to embark on in just a few months time carry him away.
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