Chapter ONE

Thunder cracked and lighting flickered in the black, ink-like sky. Bryce awoke, and gazed down at the floor. Liam was gone. Panicked, and now very awake, he rushed over to the window. He saw what he could only think was Liam climbing up the ladder. He ran outside. His light-gray car was crashed into a street light.

Bryce, with weak legs, walked down the sidewalk to reach the fence of the smokestack property.

"Liam!"

Liam looked back at Bryce, the wind pushing on his face and his straps drafting in the wind. His face was simply expressionless. He turned back to the ladder and continued climbing.

Bryce paused for a moment, his mouth slightly parted.

"Liam!" He yelled louder.

Liam stopped climbing for a second. He didn't turn back, but he just sighed. He began climbing again, even faster.

Bryce stared for a moment, then walked back home.

Bryce was standing silently in the elevator. What is wrong with him? Bryce thought. He steals my keys, crashes my car-- Bryce gasped quietly. My keys! Just then, the elevator stopped and opened. He immediately went back down, and began tapping his foot impatiently. The elevator door soon opened, and he rushed out of the apartment.

Bryce ran to the fence, but slipped on the sidewalk, twisting his ankle. "Augh! Fuck!" He held his ankle and bit back his pain.

Bryce got back up and quickly limped over to the fence, careful not to slip. He hopped over the fence and ran over to the ladder. He hurried up the ladder, and after about half of the way up, he called out.

"Liam!"

No response.

Bryce quickly climbed up the ladder. The wind was blowing in his face. He could barely see, because lightning kept striking, obstructing his vision. He finally got up to the top.

"Liam..." He was panting.

Liam stared at Bryce in rage. "What do you want?" He glared.

His eyebrows furrowed. "I need my car keys back." Bryce responded with as much bitterness as Liam had given him.

"You want your keys back? Well, go and get 'em." Liam raised up his hand to throw Bryce's keys down off the smokestack, but as soon as he did...