Three a.m.

Hunter just smiles as he walks alongside Katie. Despite the bad dreams and trouble sleeping, he really wouldn't want to trade this time with anything else. Being with Katie was fun, and he was loving everything else here too. He just hoped he didn't wear out his welcome. Everybody was treating him as if he belonged here and he didn't want to take that for granted. He knew that not every guest hat the same privileges he did... 

...The days were the same, really. Working, riding, working, family time, working, fun time. And even though the routine remained relatively the same, Hunter still didn't tire of it.

Given a sleep aid by Angel, the first night taking it, Hunter finally, finally slept the night through. Regaining his energy, he was sure that the nightmares were over. But the second night, even a sleep aid didn't keep away the darkness. Waking exhausted and aching all over, it took all he had just to make it through the day without collapsing. He managed though, throwing on a smile and pitching in with work like always. This time he tried going to bed early. But not only did the nightmare hit again, but it hit almost immediately, leaving Hunter awake with his heart pounding at just after eleven.

Staring up at the ceiling drenched in sweat with heart pounding, Hunter felt as though he were going mad. This was completely insane. He had no answers. He had no reason to be having these awful, awful nightmares. What was wrong with him? What was happening? 

Turning to the clock, he's dismayed to discover what time it was. He'd only been in bed half an hour. Seriously? How could he get up at this hour? He couldn't go sit on his porch all night and force himself to stay awake! This was ridiculous! 

Feeling his nerves at the breaking point, Hunter's mind wanders to the one thing he'd wanted all this past week. He'd said nothing to anyone, and he'd done a good job of pushing it from his mind, but... right about now he was more desperate than ever. His mouth waters and he glances at the clock again. It was time to nip this thing in the bud once and for all. He couldn't stand it any longer. He couldn't stay here in bed and fight this thing until dawn - his nerves just couldn't handle it. 

Rising angrily from bed, he dresses and glances out the window to make sure that all the other buildings were dark. They were. Grabbing his wallet and keys, he quietly exits his bunkhouse, making sure the door was shut softly. Heading towards the garage, his motorcycle boots quietly crunch on the driveway. Glancing around again, he makes sure he hasn't yet alerted anybody. 

Once at his bike, he inserts his key before pushing it down the driveway. He didn't want to start it up here and wake anybody. The last thing he wanted was to disturb the sleeping.

Glaring at the darkness he walks, he grits his teeth. This was more than annoying. It was frustrating, stupid, irritating and downright miserable. There was no reason he should put up with it. He'd battle it his way this time. He'd numb it. Forget it. Then move on. 

Reaching the end of the long driveway, he looks back over his shoulder to find no movement. Mounting up, he dons his helmet then fires the bike to life. He'd be back before anybody even knew he was gone. Once on the blacktop, he waits about a mile before switching gears again and taking off at a high speed. The dark road was nearly deserted - to his advantage as he aims towards down with little regard for the speed limit... 

Three a.m. 

"Please answer, Katie..." Hunter holds the phone to his ear as he mumbles under his breath. One ring. Two. Would her cell phone even wake her? 

Closing his eyes, he leans against the cool concrete wall. Three rings. "C'mon..." Would she even answer a number she didn't recognize? It was a long shot, but it was the only shot he could think of as he tries to keep his thoughts straight within his throbbing head. 

Jared can't help but laugh at Grace's silliness. He'd think something was wrong with her if he didn't see that genuine sparkle of life in her eyes. And... whether he wanted to admit it or not, she was bringing a smile to his own face too. 

It takes him much longer to get any momentum going with just his upper body, but he finally does and has a nice pace going. "Yeah... I suppose it's better than that," he agrees. Glancing at Grace out of the corner of his eye, he notices just how pretty she is as she goes back and forth, her hair blowing in the wind. She was so relaxed. So alive. 

Looking forward again, the chains slide under his fingers with each swing. And quite suddenly, he's very far away. It was a similar swingset... the chains felt the same. But he was swinging much higher. And so was someone else. A young boy. In the swing next to him. They were laughing. Talking. He was daring the boy to jump from the swing as it swung upward. The boy insists they both do it, so he agrees. Yet something doesn't feel right. He feels...angry at something. All at once, he's counting down one... two... and three. The other boy lets go of his swing, flying through the air. But... Jared doesn't. The other boy lands hard on the ground - harder than anticipated and he rolls several feet before stopping. He lays limp for a moment or two then grasps his arm, crying out in pain. He'd broken his arm. But Jared was still on his swing. He was laughing. He'd never planned on jumping too. He'd just wanted to see if that other boy would try it and fail. That boy. His... brother. 

Yanked back to reality, Jared had been paying little attention to the present, and suddenly realizes his balance was gone. He wasn't swinging very high, so the fall wasn't all that painful - his pride was hurt more than his tailbone. 

Landing in the dust, the swing bonks him on the head, and he throws a glare at it, even though it was his own stupid fault for falling. Looking at his legs, he gives a little growl of frustration. But maybe it was more frustration for what his mind had just seen, more than for his fall. Surely that wasn't a true memory. Surely he hadn't been so cruel... had he? A knot forms in his gut. 

Looking over at Grace, he rolls his eyes. "I guess a crash landing is what I get for trying to fly. Was I at least graceful?"