Chapter8-Escaping Her Grip

February 22nd, 2012

 Brandon was starting to wake up. He felt his head was throbbing. He opened his eyes, and was shocked by what he saw. He saw wall-to-wall photos and posters of Andrew, starting from the UTurn years.

 Brandon felt something tight on his head. He touched it, and it was a gauze. He got up on his feet, and looked around the room, but his eyes stopped moving. He saw a naked man on the bed, chained to the bedposts and blindfolded.

 Brandon thought he looked familiar. He walked closer to the man. He saw his face. Brandon then took the blindfold off, and saw who it was: Andrew!

 Brandon wanted to cry, but he held back his tears. He was upset to see his ex-boyfriend in this condition. He saw that Andrew was breathing, but rapidly. He saw his eyes were closed. He tried to wake Andrew up, and he was, but barely.

 Brandon then looked around for any clothes. He saw some on the floor. He picked them, and saw these were Andrew’s. Then he search for a tool to break the chains. He a large wrench. So he unchained Andrew, and soon put his clothes on.

 Then Brandon held Andrew, trying to wake him up, but he was completely drugged out. Brandon said to him worryingly, “Andrew, I know you’re awake. Please speak to me!”

 Finally, Andrew spoke, but barely: “Aly.”

 Brandon knew he and Andrew needed to get out of the room. He walked over the door, and saw that it was locked on the outside. So, once again, he knocked the door down. He tried to get Andrew to stand up, but he couldn’t. He was too disoriented. So he had to carry Andrew on his shoulders. Brandon could feel how limp his ex was.

 Brandon looked around for any sign of Natalie. The place was empty, so he cautiously walked out the room. He walked through the damaged entrance. He was soon at his car. He checked to see if he still had his car keys and his phone. He did, so he unlocked the car. He put Andrew in the front seat, next to the driver’s seat.

 They soon arrived at the same hospital where Alyson was. Brandon carried Andrew’s almost lifeless body to some doctors. They put him on a stretcher, and soon left.

 Brandon then visited Alyson. He saw her sitting at the edge her bed. She actually looked more alert, and color was returning to her skin.

 He asked, “Alyson, you’re okay now?”

 She replied, “Yeah, I’m fine now. I’m actually being released, but I need to hear about Andrew. Why did it take you so long? It’s already noon.”

 Brandon looked on his phone, and was startled. Then he said, “Natalie happened. All I can remember was that I arrived at her flat. Next thing I knew, I was in this room filled with posters of Andrew. It was disturbing.”

 “What about Andrew? What happened to him?”

 Brandon saw how angered and sad Alyson looked. Andrew is the love of her life, and it’s obvious she’s worried for him. So he told her the truth: “Alyson…Andrew was chained to the bedpost. He was blindfolded, drugged, and naked.”

 With that, Alyson’s face became red with anger. He continued, “I took him to the doctors. They’re going to pump out the drugs, and he’ll be given a rape test.”

 Alyson then looked away. She looked like she was trying to hold back tears. Then she stood up, and walked out of the room. Brandon followed her, asking, “Alyson, what are you going to do?”

 She went into the elevator, and looked straight away. Brandon saw the look in her eyes. They were dark. As for Alyson, she went to the first floor. She walked straight into a gift shop. She got a hold of a large, though fashionable, tote bag. She didn’t buy it. Instead, she walked out of the gift shop.

 Alyson was stopped by several police officers, but she kept walking. It was like she was a zombie. She was dead to her surroundings. She didn’t think about what she was doing. She even went as far as going up to a car, and smashing the window to the driver’s seat. She got in, and soon drove off without the key.

 She soon arrived at the apartment complex. She went straight to Natalie’s place. She saw Natalie pacing around frantically. Then she faced Alyson, who looked icy cold. There was no emotion in her face. In fact, she looked horrifying.

 Natalie demanded, “Where is Andrew and his gay boyfriend?”

 Alyson slowly approached her, and said coldly, “I’m not telling you anything. You hurt my Andrew, I will hurt you.”

 “I did not ‘hurt’ Andrew. He loved every minute of me doing him.”

 Suddenly, Alyson exploded, saying, “You fucking raped him! You fucking drugged him! Don’t tell me you didn’t hurt him!”

 Then she got into Natalie’s face, and said sternly, “I will do whatever it takes to protect Andrew. I will not allow you to keep him hostage.”

 Natalie glared at Alyson hard. Then she screamed, and lounged at Alyson. The two fought each other. Then Natalie dragged Alyson to a window. She was trying to throw her out.

 Alyson, the other hand, held on to the window, and kicked her in the stomach. Natalie backed away, which allowed Alyson to escape her grip. Then she grabbed a lamp, and hit Natalie in the back of her head. With that, Natalie was knocked out.

 Alyson then looked around the apartment. She first went into the room that held Andrew hostage. She saw the posters. She took pictures of the room with her phone.

 Then she went into another room, looking for electronic devices. She found a laptop, an iPad, and an iPod on a desk. She then opened the drawers, and searched for USB drives. She did. She stuffed all of them in her stolen bag. Then she looked for the iPhone that Natalie had to record Andrew’s confession. She found it at a small end table. She also put it her bag. With that, she left.

 As soon as Alyson left her room in a darkly matter, Brandon decided to try to visit Andrew. He went downstairs, and asked the receptionist to see Andrew. Soon a doctor arrived. Brandon asked, “How’s Andrew? Can I go see him?”

 The doctor replied, “He’s fine now. His breathing is getting back to normal. The drugs are out of his system. And the rape test was already done. But he’s sleeping right now. You can see him, but he needs his rest.”

 Brandon agreed, and was led to Andrew’s room. He slowly walked up to him. He grabbed a chair. He felt his heart breaking. His ex-boyfriend was alive, but he looked so pale and helpless.

 Brandon wanted to comfort him, but he knew Andrew’s with Alyson. Still, he want to reassure him that he’s safe now. So Brandon kissed Andrew’s lips, and stroked his jet-black hair. He even held his hand, which felt almost cold.

 After about thirty minutes, he saw Andrew starting to move. He slowly opened his eyes, and faced Brandon. With that, Brandon smiled and cried. As for Andrew, he was confused, so he asked groggily, “Brandon…where am I?”

 He told him, “You’re safe now. You’re in the hospital.”

 Andrew tiredly stared at him, and then he asked, “Where’s Alyson?”

 Brandon was asking himself the same question, so he took out his phone, and called Alyson.

 At the same time, Alyson was at a parking lot of a business. She was busy opening up the devices. She was trying to find GPS chips so Natalie wouldn’t track them down. She did find them, so she threw out the chips.

 As she was doing this, her phone buzzed. She saw it was Brandon, so she answered, “Brandon, what is it?”

 He explained, “It’s Andrew. He’s awake.”

 Alyson felt herself smile as she asked, “He is?”

 “Yeah, he’s asking for you.”

 “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

 Alyson was relieved to hear that Andrew was awake. So she drove to the hospital. Once she got there, she dodged the police officers. She texted Brandon the room number. He texted her back, and soon Alyson arrived.

 She saw Brandon stoking Andrew’s hair, and holding his hand. Andrew was apparently not squeezing back, and he looked exhausted.

 Andrew slowly faced Alyson, and asked weakly, “Alyson?”

 With that, she burst into tears. She dropped the bag to the floor, and ran up to him. She embraced him tightly, as if she might lose him again. Then they pulled away. Andrew slowly wiped Alyson’s tears, and he actually gave small, weak smile. It was his way of saying he was okay.

 Then Alyson turned to Brandon, and said, “Thank you, Brandon. For saving me and Andrew, and for being there for him while I was gone.”

 Brandon smiled, and said, “Sure, Alyson. I’ll leave you two alone.”

 As Brandon was about to leave the room, he told Alyson, “You should call up the band’s bodyguards. Just in case that bitch tries to do further harm.”

 Alyson nodded her head. She called up the bodyguards, and they agreed. Then she hung. She faced Andrew, who looked like he was falling asleep. She got under his cover, and gently caressed his face. He looked at her tiredly.

 She told him, “Andrew, you’re safe here now. Natalie can’t hurt you anymore. I’m here now. Okay?”

 Andrew gave a small smile, and said in a small voice, “I love you, Aly.”

 “I love you too, Andrew.”

 The two stared into each other’s eyes, and soon fell asleep.