Curtain Call - An AJR Fic (Everything Clicks - Book 3)

Way Less Sad (Jack)

The night before we left for the warehouse, I had one of the worst nightmares I've ever had in my life. And I have no idea where it came from.

As the night came to a close, I said goodnight to Ryan and Adam and retreated to my bedroom. I was still absolutely terrified about what was to come, but I was trying not to show it. I didn't want to go back there. If I was given the option, I wouldn't go back there. But I'm also not going to leave my family behind if they need me. Especially now.

I changed into lighter clothes and tried to get comfortable in bed. Outside my door, I heard the chatter continue for a bit more before it got quieter and quieter, and it seemed as though the other two had decided to call it a night as well. I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but I figured it was probably something about tomorrow morning. I felt my heart start to beat faster.

I laid in bed, wide awake and anxious, for what felt like hours. It was difficult to try to relax and fall asleep, knowing what was ahead of us. We were going back...there. That awful place. We hadn't been there in two years, and for good reason. It was a place of violence, pain, and death; who would want to return to a place like that?

Us, apparently.

I tossed onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. It was a soothing off-white color, and taller than the old apartment. A small cobweb was perched in the far corner. Other than that, not too interesting. After a little while, I felt my eyelids start to get heavy, and my heartbeat begin to slow. Before I realized it, I was numb to the outside world.

It only felt like minutes had passed before I felt something fall on my face. I jumped awake and rubbed my cheek with my hand, then recoiled with unease. My hand was...wet? Where would anything wet be coming from? 

I groggily rubbed my eyes open and looked up at the ceiling again. Right above my bed, a large crack had formed, and water was dripping from it onto the floor. I wasn't sure how I hadn't noticed it before. My eyes widened and I flew out of bed.

"Um...guys?!" I called out into the darkness. "Adam, Ryan?!"

There was no response, they were sound asleep. The ceiling was going to cave in and flood the entire house any minute. I had no idea what to do. Was there anything to do? I raced to the other side of my bed and grabbed my phone. Surely, there had to be an emergency service for something like this. I alarmedly pressed the power button and waited before crying out in anguish as the 'low power' screen appeared.

Motherfucker! This isn't a good time!

I glanced back up at the crack in the ceiling. More and more drops began to fall from it by the minute. I was starting to panic. How did this even happen? Nothing was there moments ago, but this looked like something that developed over years. What was I even looking at? What do I do?!

Time slowed nearly to a stop as I heard a loud rumble, followed by a tidal wave of water from above. It was too late. The room began to fill at an alarming rate, inches per second. I stood up on my bed as water pooled around my feet. I looked for any kind of escape, any way to stop this. Could I get out of my bedroom fast enough to find help? Was the rest of the apartment like this?

Did I have any other options?

Fuck it.

I jumped off the bed into the water, which was nearly chest-deep by now. My entire body was shocked as it came in contact with the icy cold. But I didn't have time to stop and recover. I had to keep moving. I tried to trudge through, against the current. Around me, the water level was getting higher and higher; it was nearly to my shoulders now. I kept moving toward the door.