Standing in the Dark - Chapter Nine
Carlos paced back in forth in the center of Camille's small living room, a fist drawn to his mouth in a form of concentration. His eyes were staring absently in front of him and his breath was coming out in shaky gasps. His feet created a scuffling noise that echoed a little too loudly throughout the silent apartment, but he didn't stop his pacing. Glancing up at the clock mounted on the wall beside Camille's gray couch, he read that it had been an hour since Camille left on her date with Logan.
He had been frantically checking that clock for the past thirty minutes, when he started to get the same feeling he did right before the monsters beat the living hell out of him. He had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. Something really bad.
He had been out of the hospital for a week already and the pain medication that Dr. Torres had prescribed for him was doing its job. He hardly ever felt the physical pain, but Camille insisted on not giving him a full dosage because she wanted to make sure if he was healing properly. Hanging out with Logan as much as she did could really rub off some of his doctor instincts.
Carlos had been confined in the hospital for three days. Three long days that were almost torturous. But he shouldn't be complaining. Originally, he was supposed to stay for five days, but Dr. Torres had been able to clear him early. Although the doctor labeled him fit enough to go home, Camille was still hesitant. The first two days after he was released, Camille kept him confined to the bed in the guest bedroom.
The guest bedroom originally belonged to Mr. Roberts, but the man had moved back to his home in Brooklyn a little over a year ago. Since then, Camille had turned his room into a guest room. But, judging by the layer of dust that covered the furniture inside, Carlos guessed it was hardly ever used. The only company Camille usually had for a long period of time was Logan, and when he didn't return to his own bed in Apartment 2J, he and Camille shared a bed.
Even though he wasn't happy about being on bed rest, he managed to get some rest. Since that horrible night, he had been unable to sleep properly. Maybe it was the noise of the hospital with the machine's beeping and the constant chatter of the nurses. Or maybe it was the images that clouded his mind every time Carlos so much as closed his eyes. Images of that night. Images that kept him looking over his shoulder constantly, even if he knew nothing was there.
As much as he liked staying with Camille – the girl was actually rather nice, when she wasn't practicing how hard she could slap someone, that is – he didn't feel safe. After he managed to convince Camille to let him at least roam around her small apartment, he found it hard to feel comfortable.
He felt… exposed.
He couldn't stop himself from constantly glancing over his shoulder or hesitantly walking into rooms. He was terrified that if he let his guard down, the monsters would get him again. And he wasn't the only one afraid of that possibility.
Camille had blatantly refused to let him even step foot out of the apartment. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she was afraid that if she let Carlos leave her apartment alone, Kendall, James or Logan would get him. She was terrified of what they would do if they got their hands on him. As much as she wished she could trust the boys like she had the past three years, she couldn't. They had changed. They weren't the same, down to earth, kind boys they had been when they first moved into the Palm Woods. Now, they were selfish people who would willingly kill their best friend to get what they wanted.
But, although the medication was working, no amount of medicine in the world could ease the emotional pain that Carlos was feeling. Every time he thought about that night, or any memory he shared with the people he used to call his friends, or thought about them in general, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart. He had trusted them and they ripped him apart like savages.
Every ounce of trust in his three best friends was gone. He didn't know if they would ever by the same again, but it would take a long time to build up that much trust again.
RING!
Carlos was brought out of his trance as the loud ringing echoed throughout the apartment. He froze mid-pace, left foot suspended in the air as he tried to figure out what the sound was. Then, something clicked in his mind and he let out a sigh of relief.
That was a problem too. Any sudden movements or noises cause Carlos' heart to skip a beat. He felt as though the monsters would jump out and grab him at any moment and every noise was an insult and another strike. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and placed his foot down on the carpet, feeling his heartbeat return to normal.
RING!
Walking across the living room in the direction of the kitchen, Carlos spotted his white cell phone sitting on the counter. The constant ringing bounced off of the white marble, causing the noise to be louder than usual. Reaching for his phone, Carlos glanced at the screen and felt his stomach drop.
Camille.
With a shaky hand, Carlos accepted the call and held the phone up to his ear. The feeling of dread was back and he swallowed thickly before speaking, expecting the worst. "H-hello?"
"Carlos! Oh my god, this is really, really bad." Camille's voice was frantic and tainted with fear and regret. Carlos furrowed his eyebrows together and felt his stomach drop even more, if that was even possible.
"W-what happened?" He choked out, almost not wanting to know. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for whatever Camille had to say.
"Logan found out that you're staying with me. Carlos, he's so angry. I don't think I've ever seen him this mad." He could hear the tears in Camille's voice and Carlos was sure that every organ in his body was lodged in his throat. "I'm so sorry… oh… oh my god."
"What do you mean, he found out?"
"We were talking about my father and how weird it's been without him in the apartment with me and I happened to mention that it felt nice having company again. "Camille's voice cracked as she spoke but she continued anyway, "He asked me what I meant and then I tried to cover it up but he asked if you were staying with me and I hesitated so he knew it was true. He was so angry, Carlos, he was shaking. He just got in his car and speed off… I think he's headed towards the Palm Woods."
The Latino's entire body went numb as she spoke. His grip on the phone tightened as fear flooded through his veins and his words came out in shaky gasps. "W-what do I do?"
"You have to get out of there, Carlos. You need to put as much distant between yourself and the Palm Woods as you can. I'm afraid of what might happen if Logan finds you."
"You don't think he would…" Carlos trailed off as he remembered Logan's threat.
Camille sighed, "Carlos, I have no idea what he would do. I just know that you wouldn't come out alive. You have to leave."
Carlos nodded and listened as the phone went dead, signaling that Camille hung up. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness that she hadn't even said goodbye, but he quickly brushed it off as the reality of the situation hit him.
Logan had found out that he was staying with Camille. The raven had personally told Carlos that if he went anywhere near Camille, Logan would beat the living hell out of him. Normally, he wouldn't have taken the threat seriously, but Logan was a different person now. For all he knew, Logan could kill him when he finally reached the apartment.
When he reached the apartment.
Eyes widening in fear, Carlos realized that he needed to get out of there. He needed to get as far away from Logan as he could. He needed to run.
Sprinting for the door, Carlos clutched the doorknob and was about to turn it when he noticed the object clenched in his other hand. Glancing down at his phone, Carlos remembered when Kendall and Kelly tracked Gustavo's phone to find out where he was. What if Logan made it to the apartment and found it empty? What if he and the other guys tracked his phone and found him? Fear causing his heart to pound in his chest, Carlos chose to play it safe.
Throwing his phone down on the hardwood floor, he watched as the screen shattered. Bringing his foot down heavily on the small device, he heard a satisfying crunch as he broke his phone into a million pieces. Turning the doorknob, Carlos pulled the door open and stumbled into the hallway.
He looked down both sides of the hallway, making sure Logan wasn't already there and headed straight for him, before sprinting towards the elevators. As soon as he reached the silver doors, hand hovering over the down arrow, he realized that the elevators would be the first place for Logan to go. If he went into the lobby, there was a higher chance that he would run into the raven, or worse, Kendall and James.
Turning around, Carlos made his way in the opposite direction. In the back of the building was a stairwell that leads to the parking lot. Reaching the door with a small sign that read "stairwell", Carlos pulled on the handle and walked onto the staircase. He felt slightly safer in the small space, since he knew Logan never came back here. He wouldn't doubt that the raven would at least check and just the thought of that possibility caused the adrenaline to pump through Carlos' blood and spread like a wildfire.
Rushing down three flights of stairs as quickly as he could without falling, Carlos reached the door with a big exit sign overhead. Turning the handle, Carlos pushed himself out of the building and gasped when he was hit with a gust of wind and rain.
He hadn't noticed that it was raining outside. In fact, it wasn't just rain, it was a downpour. He almost stumbled back into the stairwell but he instantly remembered Logan and pushed himself out of the shelter of the small overhang and into the storm.
The water soaked through his clothes quickly, but he didn't care. His only instinct was to get out of there as quickly as he could. Glancing around the parking lot, Carlos couldn't help but sigh with relief when he didn't spot Logan's car. Feeling the water weigh down his clothes, Carlos stumbled across the wet lot as quickly as he could. He didn't want to risk slipping and injuring himself even further, so he refrained from running.
He could see headlights pulling into the parking lot, even though he knew it wasn't Logan because he always used his blinker and this person didn't, and pushed himself through the clump of bushes that lined the Palm Woods Park. He was surprised that the dirt hadn't been turned to mud yet as he sprinted across the park.
As he glanced around briefly, he noticed that the park was entirely empty. The rain must have chased everyone back into the safety of their apartments. But Carlos was silently thankful for the downpour. At least nobody would be there to witness his escape. He didn't want anyone to know of his departure. He didn't want any connection to this place. Carlos finally came to a halt when he reached the gate. Leaning over and taking deep breaths in attempt to bring some air into his lungs, he remembered the last time he had passed through this gate. It was a little over a month and a half ago, when Camille took him to meet Bradley.
Wait.
Bradley.
Eyes widening, Carlos suddenly remembered the man that always comforted him in his dreams. The man that always chased away the monsters and protected him. But those were in his dreams. His nightmares. And he was living a nightmare this time and waking up wouldn't chase the horrors away. As unrealistic as it sounded, he knew that finding Bradley would help him.
Not even bothering to look back, Carlos started in the direction of the coffee shop where he had first met the blonde. All he remembered about the location was that it was past the photography school a few blocks from the Palm Woods and across the street from Hawk Records. He might not be great with directions but once he saw the large silver building, he would be able to find his way.
As he walked, the rain began to let up. The clouds were still dark and the rain was still heavy but he was able to at least see where he was going. Ignoring the fact that his body temperature was decreasing and his teeth were chattering, Carlos tried to keep his mind off of the current situation as he walked. It wasn't long before he passed by the photography school where lights shone through the windows and the occasional flash in an upstairs window matched the lightning and seemed to pull him towards the building. Fighting the urge to go inside, Carlos proceeded down the street.
It wasn't long before he was able to make out the tall silhouette of Hawk Records. For some reason, walking there in the rain and freezing, Carlos was surprised at how quickly he reached his destination. Maybe it was because he was absently running and the adrenaline was still pumping strong in his body. Shaking his head and sending streaks of water into the still falling rain, Carlos headed towards the small, familiar building across the street from Hawk Records.
He could tell that it was open by the lights that shone from the inside and he was almost reluctant to enter. He wasn't even sure that Bradley still remembered him. What is he just sent Carlos away?
The Latino decided to walk inside anyway. It wasn't like he had anything to loose.
Turning the handle and pushing the door open, Carlos jumped at the loud chime that rang throughout the shop. He instantly noticed that there were no customers and he almost thought the shop was empty, until he heard a soft laughter from behind the cash register.
He immediately recognized Bradley and his friend Nate, who Carlos was surprised he even remembered. He had only met the guy for five seconds before Bradley pulled him out of the shop and into his car. The two employees were laughing at something that had been said before Carlos entered and they seemed to have not noticed the chime or the face that they had a visitor.
Letting the door fall shut behind him, Carlos heard another chime. This time, it caught the attention of the two men and they both looked in his direction. Nate's eyes widened and his jaw dropped at Carlos' appearance. The Latino guessed that he looked awful after walking in the rain for so long. He also still sported bruises from last week. He literally looked like a kicked puppy.
Bradley stared at Carlos in shock but quickly got over it as he saw the Latino sway on his feet. Feeling a wave of exhaustion and fatigue cloud his mind, Carlos found it hard to keep his footing. Leaning back against the door, Carlos slid down to the floor and watched as the world slowly turned back. Bradley was at his side in an instant, saying something that Carlos couldn't quite comprehend as he tried to fight the fatigue that swarmed in his head and flooded through his body.
All he could register before he completely blacked out was Bradley's bright brown eyes and the words he mouthed as Carlos' eyes slid shut.
"You're safe now."
So, last night I posted an entirely different chapter that really sucked. In fact, I hated it with almost every fiber of my being. So, me, being the perfectionist I am, went back and rewrote the entire thing. I'm actually kind of happy with this chapter even if it isn't my best work, but it is at least 6000 times better than what I posted last night.
Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. I'll try to update again soon because summer is finally here! Whoo! Keep a lookout for chapter eleven soon! Might even be a little sooner than you think(;
Don't forget to leave a review! Thankies! - Carnie