Lance stood in the doorway watching as the man in the bed slept. Watching this man sleep was his nightly ritual. He watched silently as the man, Josh was his name, began to twist and turn in the sheets. Each night was the same. Lance wanted to know what troubled this man so much. Until he found out, he would continue to watch and wait.
*******************
Josh sat
up in bed quickly letting the sheets pool at his waist. He took a deep gasping
breath as he ran his hand through his hair making a face when he found it wet
with sweat. He lowered his head into his hands sighing. It was always the same.
Each and every night he had to relive his worst day in his dreams. Remembering
over and over the pain he felt at what he had witnessed.
He
lowered his hands to his lap, and looked up. Sometimes at night when he would
wake up, he could almost feel as someone was there with him. Watching him, but
he was alone. The only habitants of his apartment being himself and his dog. He
threw back the covers and stepped onto the floor.
Walking
out of the room, he stopped in the doorway for a second as he felt a shiver go
through him. He shook his head, as he continued onto the kitchen. He was
definitely losing it. There was no one in the house with him. No one was
watching him from the shadows. No one had shared this house with him for a long
time.
He
grabbed a glass from the cupboard, and made his way to the refrigerator pouring
himself a glass of juice. He drank it quickly, and turned to the sink when he
felt a shiver go through him again. He placed the glass on the counter, and
looked around slowly. "Is anyone here?"
When no
one answered, he began to laugh. "You are really losing it, Chasez. Just
like Chris said you would someday." He rinsed his glass out, and made his
way to the living room. After checking to make sure the door was locked, he sat
on the couch and turned on the television set. He flipped through a few of the
stations before throwing the remote on the couch next to him. He grabbed a
pillow and set it in his lap hugging it to him. He watched the images cross the
television screen as his eyes begin to drift close once again. He fought to
keep them open knowing if he returned to sleep, his dreams would find him
again. "I don't know why but I know something is here. Whatever you are
help me have one night of good sleep. Can you do that?" JC sighed as he
finally stopped fighting his eyes closing, and drifted off to sleep.
*********************
Lance ran
his fingers through Josh's hair until he finally fell asleep. He knelt in front
of him watching him as he slept doing what he could to make his sleep peaceful.
He wondered how Josh could sense him. That was not supposed to happen. Lance
was supposed to watch the world go by before him unnoticed until it was time to
be noticed. However, Josh could feel his presence.
Lance
sighed as he leaned against the couch. He should leave. Something was happening
here with this man that was so against the rules, but he didn't want to leave.
He liked watching Josh. As the sun began to rise, Lance stood up. Before he
left, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Josh's forehead. Stepping back, he
left the house. He would be back.