Categories > Celebrities > 30 Seconds to Mars > Just Playing Dead
His eyes opened up and he looked around with a groggy groan coming from his lips. His head was a mess of circles and his eyes were burning. He felt like he was strapped down to something, he couldn’t move his arms, his legs, the only thing he could do was feel the rise and fall of his chest with each hoarse breath he took. The smell of rotting flesh and flowers reached his senses. It was close but he couldn’t turn his head to look, his neck was also set in place. The pain of the hits he had taken were swelling on his face, he could actually feel the bruising begin to form.
He tried to open his mouth to say something but his throat was so dry it hurt to even attempt to form a word. Something was wrong, obviously. Someone had done this. That thought sent the images from earlier through his head. That sinister smile, those gleaming eyes. Whoever he had been was keeping him here. His stalker, the one who had singlehandedly destroyed the whole life he had yearned to just keep for himself. Whoever this was was succeeding in making him the destroyed man he was now. Wasn’t that enough? Was he supposed to suffer at the hands of torture as well?
He heard footsteps echo around, heard the sounds of ragged breathing and he sucked in his own breath, closed his own eyes. He couldn’t let whoever this was know that he was already awake, if he knew that would only assure him getting hurt again, could he survive that? Another attack on his tired form? He was exhausted, panicked. He had little resistance left to protect himself from whatever was left. He took a deep breath and let himself fall limp. He wasn’t quite sure what else to do to keep this bastard away.
He heard a door open somewhere in the house- or wherever he was and then footsteps moving away before disappearing altogether. The guy was gone, he had left. Jared had managed to hide the fact that he was awake. He was by himself now. All he needed to do was figure out how exactly he was gonna get out of here, out of these restraints. He just had to think and then he would be out and away. He could get ahold of the address here and rush to the police with. Then this whole nightmare would finally be over.
He struggled against the restraints. They felt like leather as they bit into his skin. He hissed at the feeling, his eyes squeezing shut as he bucked his hips against the bounds tied there as well. Biting down on his lip he tried to push forth all of his strength but it felt like he didn’t have enough because he barely moved, didn’t even manage to break through the restraints. He fell with an exasperated breath and let out a long breath. His eyes opened, staring up at the scarred ceiling above him. Was he stuck here?
A tired and mumbled groan got his attention. Something moved beside him. Sweet smelling hair brushed against his arm and he hissed at the feeling. Whatever it was- no whoever it was moved. They were rising up into a sitting position as their hair fell against him again. He took in a breath, tried again to pretend like he was still passed out but he couldn’t. His lungs had somehow gotten weaker and his eyes were refusing to close. He was staring up ahead at the ceiling, something moving beside him. He couldn’t ignore the fear forcing its way up inside of him.
Suddenly there were hands on his face and he let out a small cry at the cold touch. “Jared?” A voice said and everything inside of him fell apart with relief. Harlow, it was Harlow. Her voice was so sweet, so soft and yet so completely marred by agony and fear. Her hand was touching to his face as if she was trying to figure out if this was some kind of a dream. Where had she been all this time? Here? Had that bastard actually taken her from Jared’s own place and brought her here? And where was that rotting smell coming from?
"Harlow?" He breathed out, struggling against the restraints again. She could help him out, hurt or not one of them needed to be mobile so that they could get each other the hell out of here. They couldn’t stay where they were now when he came back. That would only land them in more trouble, in more pain. He couldn’t imagine laying here bound while listening to Harlow be at the mercy of this insane bastard who had taken her, taken him, taken everything that had once mattered to him.
Without having to even ask he felt he hand working on the restraints on his body. It took quicker than he had initially thought that it would and soon enough he was free. It took him awhile, leaving him laying there for a moment as he stretched himself out and cracked his neck before slowly rising to sit up. He open and closed his eyes several times before finally resting them on Harlow. A smile tugged at his lips and his eyes gleamed as he watched her. They were free, they could get out of here and away from this nightmare forever.
"Come on we have to go." He said almost excitedly as he stood up and looked around the area. It was an abandoned house. Torn up wood floor, peeled wall paper, rotted tiles. It was a mess, not the sort of place he would be in at all. This wasn’t what he had imagined when he had left the hospital. He had thought to go home, convince everyone that he wasn’t sick, that he was just fine. But here he was, in the depths of his own torture sitting here waiting to be killed- or worse- if they didn’t get a move on.
"Jared I can’t." She whispered before she slinked back onto the ground. Her eyes slid shut as her breathing became labored.She let out a small groan of pain as she moved her hands away from the dress she was wearing. There was blood. Blood everywhere. The white fabric of what she was wearing was soaked with it, it dripped onto the ground and her face was completely pale. He hadn’t noticed it before having been in the high of finally bee free. She was writhing on the ground, trying to keep the pain at bay.
He wanted to ask her what had happened but he could see it, see the wound at the center of the dress, it looked like a knife wound, deep enough to paralyze her where she was laying. He wanted to ask her what had happened but he knew, deep inside he knew what had happened. The anger flushed through him as he rushed to kneel down beside her. He pulled off his shirt and pressed it against her wound which made her to hiss out with pain. She shook her head and tried to shove him away. Her eyes were telling him that it was too late. He tried to protest but she had already gotten his hands away.
"Jared, I don’t understand." She whispered, tears falling from her eyes as she stared up at him. She was seeking answers. Didn’t she know how this was all connected? Didn’t she see that this was his stalker? The one that had risen up again to torture him so that he could- he could what? Jared hadn’t figured out that part, didn’t know why the hell anyone would even think to do all this. Didn’t they value the meaning, the freedom of human life?
He heard her crying, saying incoherent words that he couldn’t quite begin to understand but he heard the door opening and that drowned out everything else. He took in a breath when his eyes laid on the man who was standing before him. A smile was on his lips just like before, a heavy glare in his eyes as he watched Jared, wondering it seemed what he would do next. Neither of them moved, it felt like the both of them didn’t even breathe. There was a thick air about them as the sound of Harlow crying emptied out Jared’s ability to rush forward.
It didn’t take the guy a moment to rush at Jared himself, straining against Jared’s weakened strength and knocking him off his feet. He straddled Jared’s waist and withdrew a knife from inside of his coat. He pointed the tip of the blade at Jared, eying him as Jared took a firm grip of his hand. The knife was getting closer to Jared’s chest, the burn of fear echoing inside of him. He was scared, if that knife went in he would die, he would never make it out of this place alive.
Jared gathered all of his strength as he heard Harlow’s breathing become more and more shallow, fading away. He managed to weaken the guys grip as he turned him on his back and buried the knife into his chest, twisting it before pulling it out again. The guy cried out, tears filling his eyes as blood poured from the wound. Jared backed away, leaving the knife inside of him as he watched him seem to die. His eyes had closed, his breathing slowed and the pain was becoming mere creases on the lines of his face.
He turned away from the body and looked down to Harlow only to find that he was too late. The end had come too late. He knelt down, brushing back the blood stained strands of her hair before he carefully lifted her in his arms. He carried her out the door, trying not to cry and this time determined to get himself home, determined to get the truth out and face the end of this torturous ride he had found himself on.
He tried to open his mouth to say something but his throat was so dry it hurt to even attempt to form a word. Something was wrong, obviously. Someone had done this. That thought sent the images from earlier through his head. That sinister smile, those gleaming eyes. Whoever he had been was keeping him here. His stalker, the one who had singlehandedly destroyed the whole life he had yearned to just keep for himself. Whoever this was was succeeding in making him the destroyed man he was now. Wasn’t that enough? Was he supposed to suffer at the hands of torture as well?
He heard footsteps echo around, heard the sounds of ragged breathing and he sucked in his own breath, closed his own eyes. He couldn’t let whoever this was know that he was already awake, if he knew that would only assure him getting hurt again, could he survive that? Another attack on his tired form? He was exhausted, panicked. He had little resistance left to protect himself from whatever was left. He took a deep breath and let himself fall limp. He wasn’t quite sure what else to do to keep this bastard away.
He heard a door open somewhere in the house- or wherever he was and then footsteps moving away before disappearing altogether. The guy was gone, he had left. Jared had managed to hide the fact that he was awake. He was by himself now. All he needed to do was figure out how exactly he was gonna get out of here, out of these restraints. He just had to think and then he would be out and away. He could get ahold of the address here and rush to the police with. Then this whole nightmare would finally be over.
He struggled against the restraints. They felt like leather as they bit into his skin. He hissed at the feeling, his eyes squeezing shut as he bucked his hips against the bounds tied there as well. Biting down on his lip he tried to push forth all of his strength but it felt like he didn’t have enough because he barely moved, didn’t even manage to break through the restraints. He fell with an exasperated breath and let out a long breath. His eyes opened, staring up at the scarred ceiling above him. Was he stuck here?
A tired and mumbled groan got his attention. Something moved beside him. Sweet smelling hair brushed against his arm and he hissed at the feeling. Whatever it was- no whoever it was moved. They were rising up into a sitting position as their hair fell against him again. He took in a breath, tried again to pretend like he was still passed out but he couldn’t. His lungs had somehow gotten weaker and his eyes were refusing to close. He was staring up ahead at the ceiling, something moving beside him. He couldn’t ignore the fear forcing its way up inside of him.
Suddenly there were hands on his face and he let out a small cry at the cold touch. “Jared?” A voice said and everything inside of him fell apart with relief. Harlow, it was Harlow. Her voice was so sweet, so soft and yet so completely marred by agony and fear. Her hand was touching to his face as if she was trying to figure out if this was some kind of a dream. Where had she been all this time? Here? Had that bastard actually taken her from Jared’s own place and brought her here? And where was that rotting smell coming from?
"Harlow?" He breathed out, struggling against the restraints again. She could help him out, hurt or not one of them needed to be mobile so that they could get each other the hell out of here. They couldn’t stay where they were now when he came back. That would only land them in more trouble, in more pain. He couldn’t imagine laying here bound while listening to Harlow be at the mercy of this insane bastard who had taken her, taken him, taken everything that had once mattered to him.
Without having to even ask he felt he hand working on the restraints on his body. It took quicker than he had initially thought that it would and soon enough he was free. It took him awhile, leaving him laying there for a moment as he stretched himself out and cracked his neck before slowly rising to sit up. He open and closed his eyes several times before finally resting them on Harlow. A smile tugged at his lips and his eyes gleamed as he watched her. They were free, they could get out of here and away from this nightmare forever.
"Come on we have to go." He said almost excitedly as he stood up and looked around the area. It was an abandoned house. Torn up wood floor, peeled wall paper, rotted tiles. It was a mess, not the sort of place he would be in at all. This wasn’t what he had imagined when he had left the hospital. He had thought to go home, convince everyone that he wasn’t sick, that he was just fine. But here he was, in the depths of his own torture sitting here waiting to be killed- or worse- if they didn’t get a move on.
"Jared I can’t." She whispered before she slinked back onto the ground. Her eyes slid shut as her breathing became labored.She let out a small groan of pain as she moved her hands away from the dress she was wearing. There was blood. Blood everywhere. The white fabric of what she was wearing was soaked with it, it dripped onto the ground and her face was completely pale. He hadn’t noticed it before having been in the high of finally bee free. She was writhing on the ground, trying to keep the pain at bay.
He wanted to ask her what had happened but he could see it, see the wound at the center of the dress, it looked like a knife wound, deep enough to paralyze her where she was laying. He wanted to ask her what had happened but he knew, deep inside he knew what had happened. The anger flushed through him as he rushed to kneel down beside her. He pulled off his shirt and pressed it against her wound which made her to hiss out with pain. She shook her head and tried to shove him away. Her eyes were telling him that it was too late. He tried to protest but she had already gotten his hands away.
"Jared, I don’t understand." She whispered, tears falling from her eyes as she stared up at him. She was seeking answers. Didn’t she know how this was all connected? Didn’t she see that this was his stalker? The one that had risen up again to torture him so that he could- he could what? Jared hadn’t figured out that part, didn’t know why the hell anyone would even think to do all this. Didn’t they value the meaning, the freedom of human life?
He heard her crying, saying incoherent words that he couldn’t quite begin to understand but he heard the door opening and that drowned out everything else. He took in a breath when his eyes laid on the man who was standing before him. A smile was on his lips just like before, a heavy glare in his eyes as he watched Jared, wondering it seemed what he would do next. Neither of them moved, it felt like the both of them didn’t even breathe. There was a thick air about them as the sound of Harlow crying emptied out Jared’s ability to rush forward.
It didn’t take the guy a moment to rush at Jared himself, straining against Jared’s weakened strength and knocking him off his feet. He straddled Jared’s waist and withdrew a knife from inside of his coat. He pointed the tip of the blade at Jared, eying him as Jared took a firm grip of his hand. The knife was getting closer to Jared’s chest, the burn of fear echoing inside of him. He was scared, if that knife went in he would die, he would never make it out of this place alive.
Jared gathered all of his strength as he heard Harlow’s breathing become more and more shallow, fading away. He managed to weaken the guys grip as he turned him on his back and buried the knife into his chest, twisting it before pulling it out again. The guy cried out, tears filling his eyes as blood poured from the wound. Jared backed away, leaving the knife inside of him as he watched him seem to die. His eyes had closed, his breathing slowed and the pain was becoming mere creases on the lines of his face.
He turned away from the body and looked down to Harlow only to find that he was too late. The end had come too late. He knelt down, brushing back the blood stained strands of her hair before he carefully lifted her in his arms. He carried her out the door, trying not to cry and this time determined to get himself home, determined to get the truth out and face the end of this torturous ride he had found himself on.
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