“Bad dream?” Brian asks as he lifts his head up; rubbing his face with his hand. In the darkness, Justin sits up. Nodding his head, he tries to adjust his vision to the darkness of the bedroom. “Justin?” “Yes,” he answers. Something felt different. Justin can’t figure out what it is, but something is wrong. “Do you want to talk about it?” Brian asks, rolling onto his side so that he can face Justin in an easier angle. “Justin?” Something didn’t feel right. “I don’t remember.” Justin replies. “Go back to sleep. I’m okay.” “Lie down.” Obliging, Justin tries to relax his body, however doesn’t succeed until he feels Brian’s fingers tracing circles on his stomach. Something definitely is different. But what? Closing his eyes, Justin wills himself back to sleep. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning came too soon and Justin forces his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the room. “Brian?” Sitting up, he can vaguely remember his lover having a brief conversation with him before leaving the loft earlier than morning. Sighing, he stands up and walks over to the bathroom. Something is wrong. Squinting, Justin wonders why the loft seems brighter than usual. After relieving himself, Justin washes his hands and stares at his reflection in the mirror. Something is… missing? Still feeling strange, he turns on the shower and steps inside. The warm sprays of water splash hard and Justin catches some in his hand, watching the drops ricochet off his palm like electricity. The child explains his movements to the man standing beside him. “This is called a time bomb. I used a wrist watch to make it.” Small hands manipulate the heavy sticks. The little boy hopes the man will smile. The man never smiles. Quickly washing, Justin exits the shower stall and dries off. He can’t shake this feeling like something is different. His dream is still vivid in his mind, but it’s difficult to fathom into words. It was mostly feelings and a few scenes that didn’t make any sense. Getting dressed, he notices that his clothing feels different against his skin. It doesn’t feel worse or better: just different. “Ich bin verloren,” the small boy states in German before repeating the phrase in Portuguese, “Eu sou perdido.” Tracing his fingers on the desk, he continues in Russian, “Я потерян.” Looking up at the man for approval, he waits. The older man asks, “How many spoken languages can you speak?” The young boy puts two fingers in his mouth as he ponders the question. After a few seconds, he replies, “500.” And as the man walks away from the table, the little boy knows that he has disappointed him. Going into the kitchen, Justin pours himself some coffee. Something was wrong. Frowning, he picks up the phone. Waiting to hear the familiar voice that always calms him, Justin grins when Brian picks up. Still smiling, he asks, “Fuck me?” The sound of Brian’s amusement quickens Justin’s heart and for a brief moment he feels better. They speak for only a few seconds, and when Justin hangs up the phone, he sighs. The feeling is only short-lived. Something is still wrong. Sipping his coffee, he notices that he can taste each distinct ingredient. He frowns again, looking into his cup. Something was definitely wrong. Pouring the coffee down the sink, Justin slides on his sneakers, pulls on his jacket and sets the alarm before leaving the loft. He needed some air. Something was definitely different. He takes the stairs instead of the elevator, focusing at the soft sounds his shoes make on each step as he hurries down. “No! No! Nooo!!” The little boy screams indignantly. Why won’t they listen? “It hurts! I don’t like it! Stop!” Kicking his feet, he tries to run away but they are so much bigger than he is and soon he is strapped to the chair. “It always hurts!” He wails. “I don’t like this!!” Why did they always ignore him? One of the men pulls down the band over the child’s forehead to keep him from moving his head. “It’ll hurt! It’ll hurt!” He cries. He can see the man his friends have dubbed ‘Bad Man’ from the corner of his eye holding that dreaded sharp object. Angrily, the little boy shrieks, "You are a Bad Man!” The cold wind catches Justin by surprise as he opens the door and exits the building complex. Unable to understand why he is feeling this way, he decides a walk might help clear his head. Outside seems different, and Justin can’t figure out why. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he dials Daphne’s number. Maybe meeting up with his friend might help? After the third ring, Daphne answers, “Hello?” Her voice sounds hesitant, and for some reason, that makes sense to Justin. “Hey, it’s me.” “Hi.” “You okay?” He asks. “I guess… I just feel…” “Weird.” “Yeah.” “What is it?” Justin asks, hoping his best friend since babyhood could offer an answer. “Maybe it’s a full moon?” Looking up at the bright sky, Justin sighs. “Maybe.” However he knows that isn’t it. Something is definitely different.