The Smoke Rises

Phil was indeed a mystery, even though he was just a member of staff at his local Starbucks, he couldn't help wondering. They must've met. Somewhere.. Sometime, had he seen him before? In a dream or something? Was he in a picture? A photograph. Dan's head pounded. Who was this boy? Why is he o familiar? It's there, in the back of his mind, he knows it's there. He just can't get to it.. it's too far away, it's as if, he doesn't want to know, that the truth is so heart breaking.

Dan was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Chris bringing the final boxes in from the moving van.

"Hey babe, could you lend me a hand?" Chris stumbled in with three very heavy boxes piled up in his arms.

"Sure come here.." Dan took the old dusty box on top, which was very heavy and had many books in.

"We have loads of unpacking to do, I'll start with these two you start with that one." Chris plonked the two other boxes down on the floor.

Dan blew the dust off the box and lifted the many book out and placed them onto their new sturdy shelf. Dan threw most of the papers into the bin, along with a few ugly photos of him.

He went through the pile and noticed a familiar face in the background of each one. Who is that? Why do I keep seeing him? Dan shuffled through the photos eagerly, wanting to know who exactly this person was. He reached the bottom of a pile where there was a small photo with a dark haired boy smiling at him. He looked closer. It was him. Who is he? Phil brushed the dust off the laminate photo to reveal Phil's face.

"Oh my God.." Dan trembled.

"Dan are you alright?" Chris sounded very worried at Dan's trembling tones.

"Ph….. Ph-"

"Dan?" Dan's breathing increased, he started to panic and tug on his hair. Memories flooding back. That boy. That beautiful deadly boy. Those piercing blue eyes. Paris, Muse, Phonecall, The Fall. His mind was erupting with visions of this past life he had completely forgotten.

"Phi.. Ph-"

His smile, His laugh, His eyes, His hair, His body, his touch. Dan collapsed onto the floor holding his head which was throbbing. The phonecall, the apology, the end. The routines, the scars, the fall.

Dan's mind flew back in time, to when he was sat on his window ledge, legs hanging into thin air. His breath shaking. His mind empty. There was nothing left for him He gradually slid himself off the ledge and felt himself slip. He frantically grasped for anything to hold onto anything to save his life. He was falling. Maybe only several metres but it felt like hours, he was dropping into endless nothingness. Falling falling, until CRASH. His head hit the pavement. His mind went blank.

"Phil"

Dan gasped for air as he was dragged back to reality where he saw Chris desperately trying to revive him.

"Dan!" Chris gasped with relief. "Dan are you alright!"

"Oh Chris.." Dan breathed "Thank God you're here"

"DAN ARE YOU ALRIGHT" Chris raised his voice in complete concern.

"I.. –"

"DAN ANSWER ME"

"I'M OKAY." Dan said breathlessly. "I'm fine now. I'm fine."

Dan panted, still terrified of his flashback. He closed his tired eyes and rested against Chris. Chris cradled Dan in his arms and they both slowly drifted off.