Disclaimer: I don't own Everwood, the town, or it's characters. I'm just a
college student.
Chapter 34 uses "When I'm Gone," by Three Doors Down
Chapter 34: When I'm Gone
"Your Christmas won't be very merry this year, pal," Mr. Callahan said as he grabbed him and through him into a shed behind the house. "Make any noise and I'll give you something to cry about, got it?" he said spitting in his face.
"I don't get why you're even doing this to me," Ephram said, trying to let the man's spit slide off his face.
"Until you tell me where Thomas and Micah are, you'll be spending your holidays with me," he said staring him straight in the eye.
"Now I understand why he wanted out so badly," Ephram said at the top of his lungs.
"Look, I don't know who you are, kid, but I saw you with my son and that Abbott girl," he stopped and looked away in disgust, "All I need is your wallet and I'll be able to have a direct line to information about my sons,"
"Not happening," he said closing his eyes, "I won't talk,"
"Looks like my son and Ms. Abbott will be spending a little quality time together this holiday season, doesn't it?" he said evilly.
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" he asked cocky.
"I'm just saying," he said smiling meanly, "that she's a very pretty girl . . . and I know how much Thomas fancies her," he saw Ephram's eyes narrow, "that's all I'm saying,"
"You have no idea what either of your sons fancy, you don't give a damn about them." He said, knowing his words would most likely only cause him to be spit upon again; but spit upon he wasn't. Mr. Callahan instead took a step back and raised his leg into the air behind him. Swinging forcefully he sent his foot crashing into Ephram's shin. Ephram buckled at the knees and fell onto the dirty ground. Mr. Callahan smirked then spit on Ephram once again, "Merry Christmas, son," he said as he closed the shed doors.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
"There's another world inside of me
That you may never see
There's secrets in this life
That I can't hide
Somewhere in this darkness
There's a light that I can't find
Maybe it's too far away...
Maybe I'm just blind...
Maybe I'm just blind..."
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
Meanwhile, Amy and Tommy were driving around nervously looking for the black van and what they hoped would be signs of what happened to Ephram. Amy, of course, was out of her mind in worry. Her eyes were puffy, but not nearly as swollen and wounded as her heart.
"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, Tommy . . . he can't be gone . . ."
"This is my fault," he said feeling the self-rage building inside of him.
"Stop it right now!" she said seriously. He noted the tilt in her eyebrows.
"What?" he asked sighing.
"I'm so sick and tired of hearing you blame yourself for every single thing the goes wrong in life," she explained.
"Well most of the time it is my fault! Ephram wouldn't have been taken away if it hadn't been for me. That man has to be my father. If not he's affiliated with him in some way,"
"Well then wouldn't he just be at your house?" she asked nervously.
"Most likely no," he explained, "Dad has a habit of taking his "captives" to a different location every time,"
"What do you mean 'captives?' This isn't the first time?"
"Oh definitely not. He's in some sort of American mafia, if that exists. If it doesn't it should because he's definitely the leader of something too similar. That's another reason why Micah and I left,"
"We have to call the police," she said getting ready to keep talking if he tried to interject. And try he did,
"Amy, no I . . ."
"Tommy, I said stop blaming yourself, but that doesn't mean we can't take action about this. If anything, this is proof that your dad's a maniac. If it IS him, and we can prove it, there's now way they'll let him have custody of Micah," she explained, her eyes softening, "And Ephram . . ."
He looked at the desperation in her eyes and he lost all will to argue with her. He reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. "Here," he said handing it to her as she wiped away a tear, "Call the police, then call home,"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
"So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared
And love me when I'm gone
Everything I am
And everything you need
I'll also be the one
You wanted me to be
I'll never let you down
Even if I could
I'd give up everything
If only for your good
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared
You won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
Her hands shook as she dialed each number, "I'd like to report a hostage situation . . . I think . . . what? Yes, our friend is missing . . . yes, taken in a black van . . . yes, we have an idea of who may have done it . . . I, I don't know . . . I just, I can't, I . . ." she said losing her composure as Tommy rubbed her shoulder and took the phone from her now salty soaked hand.
"Yes, his name is Ephram Brown. He's 16. Brown hair, yes . . . we last saw him about an hour ago at the BP gas station on Main street," he said as Amy now pressed her face against the cool window, causing the glass to fog. She wanted to float away, her life was giving her way too much to deal with. She heart Tommy speak,
"They're going to start the search," he said and exhaled deeply, "do you want to call home or do you want me to?" he asked, figuring that he should give her the choice.
"I can," she said, trying to collect herself again. She lifted the phone from his hand as Tommy started the car up again. "Daddy?" she said shakily.
"Amy, sweetheart, what's wrong?" his voice sounded alarmed.
"I'm fine, Tommy's fine, Micah's fine, but Ephram . . ." she began to cry again, "oh Dad someone's taken him!"
"Amy Nicole, where are you? I thought I told you not to see them until things were cleared up?" he sighed, only hearing her soft sobs, "I'm sorry, look, I'm glad you're okay. Have you called the police?"
All she did was nod, and obviously Dr. Abbott couldn't hear that. Tommy smiled and whispered, "He can't see you nod, silly," trying to lighten the moment. It worked, and she smiled briefly.
"Yes, we called them. They're going to start looking for him . . . can you call Dr. Brown for us?" she asked hopefully.
"Where are you going now?" he asked her, thinking going back to the Brown house was a bad idea in case someone was following them.
"I don't know . . ." she said slowly, "why, can't we just come home?"
"No, it's not safe. You'll need to go away," he sighed, "I can't believe I'm giving you permission to go away with that Callahan boy," he shook his head.
"Dad," she rolled her eyes now.
"Listen, I'll call Dr. Brown. I want you to call me when you get to a hotel in Denver. We'll bring Micah, no one will see if I send Bright to bring him. Micah isn't safe here anymore. We had no idea the enemy was so close,"
"Daddy?" she asked, breaking his train of thought; it was getting too complicated anyway.
"Yes, Amy?" he asked catching himself getting carried away in worry.
"I love you,"
"I love you too. Be safe. Oh, let me talk to Thomas quickly, okay?"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````
"Love me when I'm gone...
When your education x-ray
Can not see under my skin
I won't tell you a damn thing
That I could not tell my friends
Roaming through this darkness
I'm alive but I'm alone
Part of me is fighting this
But part of me is gone"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````
She handed the phone to him and closed her eyes again. For a few moments she felt safe again when she was talking to her dad. She didn't know how long it'd be until she saw Ephram again, and without him she felt the most insecure that anyone possibly could.
"Hi Dr. Abbott," he said feeling nervous. He bit his lower lip.
"Tommy, this is a big responsibility and under any other circumstances this would completely not be allowed," he cleared his throat.
"I understand, sir," he said sincerely.
"You've got to take care of my little girl," he said, not believing he trusted someone that had Callahan as his last name.
"I will. I promise," he said and looked over toward Amy, who was now asleep. She had worn herself out crying.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared
And love me when I'm gone
Everything I am
And everything you need
I'll also be the one
You wanted me to be
I'll never let you down
Even if I could
I'd give up everything
If only for your good
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared
You won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone
As Tommy hung up the phone, he began driving to Denver. Not knowing exactly where they were going was both exciting and nerve racking to him. While it had been his dream to be able to go away alone with Amy, this wasn't the terms he wanted it to go with. The man she loved was kidnapped by his father . . . this sort of thing only happened in books, movies, and tv shows, not real life. Not Everwood. The rain began to fall lightly then slowly picked up intensity. It formed into snow and brushed lightly against the windshield. Shifting his eyes between the road and a sleeping Amy, he had a feeling that being eighteen would be harder than he thought.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
"Maybe I'm just blind...
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared
And love me when I'm gone
Everything I am
And everything you need
I'll also be the one
You wanted me to be
I'll never let you down
Even if I could
I'd give up everything
If only for your good
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared
You won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
Meanwhile, Ephram was beginning to panic. While he didn't want to weaken and tell Mr. Callahan where Tommy was, he figured that maybe they'd leave the house and go somewhere else. Still, it hadn't been that long, and they need twenty four hours to report a missing child. He couldn't believe he was thinking of himself as a child. He was a child; and Amy was with a legal adult; her best friend.
Mr. Callahan's words echoed in his head as he fell into a state of temporary sleep, "Looks like my son and Ms. Abbott will be spending a little quality time together this holiday season, doesn't it? I'm just saying that she's a very pretty girl . . . and I know how much Thomas fancies her. That's all I'm saying,"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
"Love me when I'm gone...
Love me when I'm gone
When I'm Gone
When I'm Gone
When I'm Gone"
Chapter 34 uses "When I'm Gone," by Three Doors Down
Chapter 34: When I'm Gone
"Your Christmas won't be very merry this year, pal," Mr. Callahan said as he grabbed him and through him into a shed behind the house. "Make any noise and I'll give you something to cry about, got it?" he said spitting in his face.
"I don't get why you're even doing this to me," Ephram said, trying to let the man's spit slide off his face.
"Until you tell me where Thomas and Micah are, you'll be spending your holidays with me," he said staring him straight in the eye.
"Now I understand why he wanted out so badly," Ephram said at the top of his lungs.
"Look, I don't know who you are, kid, but I saw you with my son and that Abbott girl," he stopped and looked away in disgust, "All I need is your wallet and I'll be able to have a direct line to information about my sons,"
"Not happening," he said closing his eyes, "I won't talk,"
"Looks like my son and Ms. Abbott will be spending a little quality time together this holiday season, doesn't it?" he said evilly.
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" he asked cocky.
"I'm just saying," he said smiling meanly, "that she's a very pretty girl . . . and I know how much Thomas fancies her," he saw Ephram's eyes narrow, "that's all I'm saying,"
"You have no idea what either of your sons fancy, you don't give a damn about them." He said, knowing his words would most likely only cause him to be spit upon again; but spit upon he wasn't. Mr. Callahan instead took a step back and raised his leg into the air behind him. Swinging forcefully he sent his foot crashing into Ephram's shin. Ephram buckled at the knees and fell onto the dirty ground. Mr. Callahan smirked then spit on Ephram once again, "Merry Christmas, son," he said as he closed the shed doors.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
"There's another world inside of me
That you may never see
There's secrets in this life
That I can't hide
Somewhere in this darkness
There's a light that I can't find
Maybe it's too far away...
Maybe I'm just blind...
Maybe I'm just blind..."
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
Meanwhile, Amy and Tommy were driving around nervously looking for the black van and what they hoped would be signs of what happened to Ephram. Amy, of course, was out of her mind in worry. Her eyes were puffy, but not nearly as swollen and wounded as her heart.
"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, Tommy . . . he can't be gone . . ."
"This is my fault," he said feeling the self-rage building inside of him.
"Stop it right now!" she said seriously. He noted the tilt in her eyebrows.
"What?" he asked sighing.
"I'm so sick and tired of hearing you blame yourself for every single thing the goes wrong in life," she explained.
"Well most of the time it is my fault! Ephram wouldn't have been taken away if it hadn't been for me. That man has to be my father. If not he's affiliated with him in some way,"
"Well then wouldn't he just be at your house?" she asked nervously.
"Most likely no," he explained, "Dad has a habit of taking his "captives" to a different location every time,"
"What do you mean 'captives?' This isn't the first time?"
"Oh definitely not. He's in some sort of American mafia, if that exists. If it doesn't it should because he's definitely the leader of something too similar. That's another reason why Micah and I left,"
"We have to call the police," she said getting ready to keep talking if he tried to interject. And try he did,
"Amy, no I . . ."
"Tommy, I said stop blaming yourself, but that doesn't mean we can't take action about this. If anything, this is proof that your dad's a maniac. If it IS him, and we can prove it, there's now way they'll let him have custody of Micah," she explained, her eyes softening, "And Ephram . . ."
He looked at the desperation in her eyes and he lost all will to argue with her. He reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. "Here," he said handing it to her as she wiped away a tear, "Call the police, then call home,"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
"So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared
And love me when I'm gone
Everything I am
And everything you need
I'll also be the one
You wanted me to be
I'll never let you down
Even if I could
I'd give up everything
If only for your good
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared
You won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
Her hands shook as she dialed each number, "I'd like to report a hostage situation . . . I think . . . what? Yes, our friend is missing . . . yes, taken in a black van . . . yes, we have an idea of who may have done it . . . I, I don't know . . . I just, I can't, I . . ." she said losing her composure as Tommy rubbed her shoulder and took the phone from her now salty soaked hand.
"Yes, his name is Ephram Brown. He's 16. Brown hair, yes . . . we last saw him about an hour ago at the BP gas station on Main street," he said as Amy now pressed her face against the cool window, causing the glass to fog. She wanted to float away, her life was giving her way too much to deal with. She heart Tommy speak,
"They're going to start the search," he said and exhaled deeply, "do you want to call home or do you want me to?" he asked, figuring that he should give her the choice.
"I can," she said, trying to collect herself again. She lifted the phone from his hand as Tommy started the car up again. "Daddy?" she said shakily.
"Amy, sweetheart, what's wrong?" his voice sounded alarmed.
"I'm fine, Tommy's fine, Micah's fine, but Ephram . . ." she began to cry again, "oh Dad someone's taken him!"
"Amy Nicole, where are you? I thought I told you not to see them until things were cleared up?" he sighed, only hearing her soft sobs, "I'm sorry, look, I'm glad you're okay. Have you called the police?"
All she did was nod, and obviously Dr. Abbott couldn't hear that. Tommy smiled and whispered, "He can't see you nod, silly," trying to lighten the moment. It worked, and she smiled briefly.
"Yes, we called them. They're going to start looking for him . . . can you call Dr. Brown for us?" she asked hopefully.
"Where are you going now?" he asked her, thinking going back to the Brown house was a bad idea in case someone was following them.
"I don't know . . ." she said slowly, "why, can't we just come home?"
"No, it's not safe. You'll need to go away," he sighed, "I can't believe I'm giving you permission to go away with that Callahan boy," he shook his head.
"Dad," she rolled her eyes now.
"Listen, I'll call Dr. Brown. I want you to call me when you get to a hotel in Denver. We'll bring Micah, no one will see if I send Bright to bring him. Micah isn't safe here anymore. We had no idea the enemy was so close,"
"Daddy?" she asked, breaking his train of thought; it was getting too complicated anyway.
"Yes, Amy?" he asked catching himself getting carried away in worry.
"I love you,"
"I love you too. Be safe. Oh, let me talk to Thomas quickly, okay?"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````
"Love me when I'm gone...
When your education x-ray
Can not see under my skin
I won't tell you a damn thing
That I could not tell my friends
Roaming through this darkness
I'm alive but I'm alone
Part of me is fighting this
But part of me is gone"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````
She handed the phone to him and closed her eyes again. For a few moments she felt safe again when she was talking to her dad. She didn't know how long it'd be until she saw Ephram again, and without him she felt the most insecure that anyone possibly could.
"Hi Dr. Abbott," he said feeling nervous. He bit his lower lip.
"Tommy, this is a big responsibility and under any other circumstances this would completely not be allowed," he cleared his throat.
"I understand, sir," he said sincerely.
"You've got to take care of my little girl," he said, not believing he trusted someone that had Callahan as his last name.
"I will. I promise," he said and looked over toward Amy, who was now asleep. She had worn herself out crying.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared
And love me when I'm gone
Everything I am
And everything you need
I'll also be the one
You wanted me to be
I'll never let you down
Even if I could
I'd give up everything
If only for your good
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared
You won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone
As Tommy hung up the phone, he began driving to Denver. Not knowing exactly where they were going was both exciting and nerve racking to him. While it had been his dream to be able to go away alone with Amy, this wasn't the terms he wanted it to go with. The man she loved was kidnapped by his father . . . this sort of thing only happened in books, movies, and tv shows, not real life. Not Everwood. The rain began to fall lightly then slowly picked up intensity. It formed into snow and brushed lightly against the windshield. Shifting his eyes between the road and a sleeping Amy, he had a feeling that being eighteen would be harder than he thought.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
"Maybe I'm just blind...
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared
And love me when I'm gone
Everything I am
And everything you need
I'll also be the one
You wanted me to be
I'll never let you down
Even if I could
I'd give up everything
If only for your good
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared
You won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
Meanwhile, Ephram was beginning to panic. While he didn't want to weaken and tell Mr. Callahan where Tommy was, he figured that maybe they'd leave the house and go somewhere else. Still, it hadn't been that long, and they need twenty four hours to report a missing child. He couldn't believe he was thinking of himself as a child. He was a child; and Amy was with a legal adult; her best friend.
Mr. Callahan's words echoed in his head as he fell into a state of temporary sleep, "Looks like my son and Ms. Abbott will be spending a little quality time together this holiday season, doesn't it? I'm just saying that she's a very pretty girl . . . and I know how much Thomas fancies her. That's all I'm saying,"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
"Love me when I'm gone...
Love me when I'm gone
When I'm Gone
When I'm Gone
When I'm Gone"