Board Thread:Fan Fictions/@comment-29206018-20170115154426

This AU happens after The End of an Era and Lewis still likes Richard. Lewis is owned by Jekyll1886, Richard is owned by Tairais, and Elias and Oliver are owned by Doodle.





There was a knock at the door. It startled Richard out of his thoughts --they watched him with many eyes from the shadows, as he answered it.

Lewis. Why was he here? Was he here? No he was solid enough to be real, thus it must be best to put on courtesy. “Lewis! What brings you around?”

Lewis studied Richard’s face for a few moments, at least he didn’t hide behind the stutter this time  he thought before speaking, “I would like to talk to you but I doubt you would want to hear what I have to say in public. If you don’t mind I suggest we continue this discussion inside your lodgings.”

Richard didn’t want to let Lewis in but the look on his face said “no” would not be taken for an answer. Stepping back he let Weir in and adjusted the scarf to confirm it would not fall. The masks must not fall, “I do apologize for the mess as I was not expecting company.”

Lewis shrugged and entered, “No bother at all as it’s good to see it in its honest state. Besides it’s not my first time viewing it this way.”

Richard tensed up at this. When had Weir been in his room? He didn’t recall this happening in his memory though...it wasn’t the first time his mind had lied to him. “I do not remember letting you in here before.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Because you never have, I’ve let myself in. Do you remember? Do you remember the wings you wore? The antlers which adorned you? Do you remember what I said?”  Lewis looked at him, searching for the answer in that one aspen eye.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“ <span style="font-size:15.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">It must bother you you can't be entirely frank with <span style="font-size:15.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">him <span style="font-size:15.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">….You are beautiful, you know.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:15.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">---

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">It had been a long day. Much too long to even be counted as a day. Maybe a week was a better name for it. Though...the irony of the situation was the feeling of endlessness was caused by the loss of time. Hours slipped by without Elias noticing. One moment he was coughing up blood and his stomach, and then he would wake up someplace new covered in vomit with only vague ideas on how he got here. It terrified him. The whole situation frankly terrified him, but this was never to be admitted.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">This had been going on for a month now and it was only getting worse. At first he thought it was just his body removing the last of the drugs Joseph had given him. After enough time passed that this was no longer an option, Elias thought that maybe it was a psychological problem. But he would never talk about it, if it was. Never. He had already caused enough trouble, why worry them more. Artemis. Richard. They didn’t need this and he was determined to keep it from him.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">However today was different. Today he <span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">had <span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> to talk to someone.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">This time he didn’t wake up in a bathroom or a closet or an alley. He woke up in his room. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, except it was trashed. All of his belongings had been thrown about like a hurricane had manifested itself in that tiny space. But items were items and while his clothes may decorate the walls, his chest was still safely stowed away. No, it was the fact Artemis’s belongs burned on the other end of the room that was the problem. He frantically was able to put it out before irreparable damage was done but it horrified him. His memories were distorted. Fragmented sentences.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Light the match.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Gather them up.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Rope.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">She should burn too.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">That last one was the worst for “She” was Arty. Why did he want to hurt Arty? It was very unlike him but the terrifying part...was that some deep deep part of him, hidden in a corner of his mind, still whispered it even now.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">She should burn too.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Knife to blood.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Blood to ashes.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Ashes to Ashes and earth to earth.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Grace must die, for then it will end.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Why Grace? Artemis was Artemis! He would never hurt Elias so why did Elias want to hurt him? And for that matter <span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">what <span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">would end?

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Elias didn’t want to bother Artemis with such thoughts but who could he trust besides his brother?

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">No one.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Richard. He could trust Richard. He could always trust Richard.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">---

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Oak wood, a heavy material. It’s strong and lasting. Made into a door it creates security and that emotion is sealed with the click of a metal knob and made permanent with the sliding of a lock. There was no lock.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">When the oak door of Richard’s room swung open it revealed two things: <p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Quickly Richard pushed Lewis off turning to Elias attempting to stutter out a reply (and this time the stutter is real, real by emotion alone). “Mylimasis! P-please i-i-it’s not what y-you think!”
 * 1) <p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Elias.  His face morphed from worry to shock. A gasp escaped his mouth and tears began to stream from his eyes.  His pupils shrank. His blood ran cold at the second thing.
 * 2) <p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Richard. His arms stiff, his face indifferent, though it quickly changed to a flurry of emotions: shock, fear, anger, guilt. And Lewis, arms wrapped around the clothed figure as they stood in a one sided hug--a real hug this time.  Lewis never minded Elias’s presence but Richard did.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Elias didn’t move, he didn’t speak, he only stared at the spectacle before him.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I-It was n-nothing!” Richard cried out. The silence was worse than any blade.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I did not believe it was nothing.” muttered Lewis as he brushed himself off, “Though I do agree that it was not what you think, Elias.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The betrayal was overwhelming. He could hear not the excuses that tumbled from Richard’s mouth, but only the pounding of blood in his ears. There were no words to describe this...this pain! There was no sass or salt that would sting those scars! There was no thought, only raw emotion.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Elias took a step towards the traitor. Then another and then another. He was standing before Richard now his hands of flesh and bone now wrapped around those wrists of cold metal. He forced them out the way so he could stare at the viper’s face and spit the words that boiled in his heart, his mind, his soul, and his blood.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“GO AWAY!!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He let go of the perpetrators wrists ready to let his hand smite the wrongdoer--let it bring tears to that face just as his vile hands had brought tears to Elias! He was going to feel that pain one way or--

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“GAH!” Elias let out a short cry, stumbling backwards. He wrapped his hands around his waist doubling over in agony. His insides felt like they were being ripped out! Then again hadn’t they already been clawed out already by these bastards--these beasts?!

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Elias screamed. He screamed because of that disgusting scene, in pain from his body twisting itself into knots, and in pain from mind’s betrayal but also the betrayal by one he loves-- <span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">loved <span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">. The suffering that started in this side now began to spread and worsened as the familiar clanking of footsteps came near him. A hand rested on his back, trying to comfort the crying Elias. But Richard’s hand only burned his flesh now.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">If Richard was talking Elias could not hear it over revenge whispering the sweet nothing of rage and betrayal in his ears. He threw off the cold mechanical hand--a hand which he once threw himself at just to let it stroke his cheek, to let it provide warmth, comfort, love--and sprinted away from the pain named Richard and Lewis. Those names tore at his heart.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">His path was winding as new waves of suffering threw his weak frame about, but what was it compared to the emotional hurricane in his mind? Why had they done it? Had Richard even loved Elias? What did Lewis have that—the rolling thoughts of his mind came to a screeching halt as he crashed into a wall, sending a new source of turmoil down his shoulder. Letting out a small gasp, Elias fell forward and onto a poor potted tree. It wasn’t strong enough and snapped--neither of them were strong enough. Crumpling to his knees his stomach watered the soil with its contents.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Two hands were on his shoulders now, a familiar clicking and humming.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Richard.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">How had he found him? Was he here to rub it in? Hadn’t he caused enough damage—another wave of pain (larger than the last) struck Elias, knocking the breath out of him. The time between episodes, shorter. The space between the once lovers, smaller. Richard forced him to turn around, his <span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:line-through;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">eyes <span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">eye filled with guilt and his lips moved silently with apologies. It wasn’t enough! Why!? … why did that treacherous face still look beautiful? Why had Richard stopped talking? Why was he concerned? What right did he have to be concerned?! Elias slapped that adored face and ripped himself from his grasp, staggering down the halls to…anywhere else.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Richard stood, stunned. It wasn’t his fault. Right? It was Elias--it was <span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">always <span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Elias he wanted. Elias’s eyes had hurt him the most. Filled with so much hate, so much pain as tears ran down those cheeks--those kissable cheeks. Could they even be called Elias’s eyes as they did not have that love in them? …but something wasn’t right. Elias’s eyes are a golden honey color that Richard could lose himself in. He could be buried by that color and never feel claustrophobic. He could drink in that color until it filled the bottomless cavity that was his body. Elias’s eyes are beautiful.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Then why were they blue?

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Elias stumbled to a bathroom locking the door as the pain forced him to the floor. He couldn’t hold himself up now and it took the last of his strength to drag his body over to the toilet and purge the rest of this stomach. Maybe he would retch up his organs and die.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He couldn’t think. He couldn’t remember. The one blessing from this agonizing pain. Physical, mental, emotional it all hurt! It was never this bad before! Not with James! Not with anyone! Why Richard! Why?! Why did his insides feel like they were tearing themselves apart?! Why did his clothes feel loose...distant...uncomfortable? Why did couldn’t he face what happened?!

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Why did he still love him?

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">It took Richard ages to move his distant body.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The stag let out a bellowing chuckle behind him and its breath sent clouds in front of his eyes. He had taken far too long to act. He needed to find Elias. Asking anyone--everyone if they had seen him. Richard raced through the maze, led by the scent of clues, until he found Elias’s hiding place. A bathroom on the 3rd floor.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Richard knew what he did was wrong but it wasn’t his fault! It was Elias he wanted! It was always Elias! His vision tunneled as he approached the door, its metal knob complaining as it twisted.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3090909090909089;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:5pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Empty. It was empty. Turning on his heel Richard scanned the corridor for Elias. Right, a few lodgers gossiped. Straight, a fly buzzed by a flickering lamp flame. Left, an orange head turned a corner. Where was he? Where was Elias? <ac_metadata title="The Breakfast Square"> </ac_metadata>