"I think I remember this place," Tim was the first to speak up from the time they left the car, a bit of a rare occasion. Jay was normally the talkative one, whether it be friendliness or nervousness, but the man's silence had worried a few words out of Tim's mouth.
"Like... used to come here when I was younger. Rode my bike out here and smoked."Jay made a small hum of acknowledgement, then an afterthought of,
"How much younger?" Tim blinked, realizing Jay's confusion, then chuckled slightly. Right... the asylum.
"College. After I got out of that place. Brian and I, we'd..." Tim trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck as he nudged a tangled mess of underbrush away from an old tree stump, something fond growing in his eyes.
"We'd come out here."Jay had to smile slightly at that. Imagining Tim and Brian on their bikes (one bike?) with fairly carefree smiles was a warm thought.
"Didja make wishes, too? Or just smoke?" Tim laughed at that, and didn't answer. Jay felt his heart lift just a little bit from its tense, nervous low.
At length they found and uncovered the well, rusted and faded and worn by time. Jay eyed it suspiciously, not quite liking the feel of it, and glanced around. The place was deserted.
"So," Tim murmured, walking up behind him. He paused when Jay spooked, then placed a hand on the other man's shoulder to calm him.
"Does this look like the place in the video?"Jay was quiet for a moment, staring at trees and rocks, trying to mentally match them to what he'd seen on that tape.
"Yeah," he murmured, finally, nodding.
"I think so. I'm pretty sure it is, at least."Tim grunted as he sat down on a rock, throwing his head back to look up at the patch of sky behind the surrounding trees.
"Clear as day. Won't need that umbrella after all, probably.""Hopefully. I brought blankets in the pack just in case it gets cold tonight." Jay crouched down beside him and stared at the path they'd come, a nervous edge to his shoulders. Tim replaced his hand there, a soft pat to the man's back, before he held it there in a more comforting, intimate gesture. Jay's eyes fluttered in surprise at the touch, and after a few seconds of tense silence, he relaxed, leaning into it.
As night fell, Jay got the blankets out. Tim offered to keep watch first, knowing Jay wasn't quite asleep, despite his curled position on the blanket-covered, leaf littered ground. He leaned back on his hands and fished into his pocket for a coin, glancing over at the well with a kind of soft smile. They didn't come easy, these days. He flicked it in before he could think of a wish. When it hit the water, he started thinking.
Maybe he'd wish that he never got lung cancer. Or maybe he'd wish that they wouldn't get killed by whoever it was that was going to meet them at midnight (they brought weapons--they'd be fine, he told himself). Or maybe...
Tim's eyes lidded, quietly reaching into his other pocket for his cigarettes and lighter. He pictured Alex's face in his mind, an arm around Seth's shoulders as they both laughed. Pictured Brian's warm smiles and kind words. Sarah's quips and sassy remarks. Jay's nervous smile, behind the camera. Tim had never felt quite so at home in his life, even among mostly strangers.
He wished everything would go back to normal. Wished Seth were alive. Wish he knew where Brian was. Watching smoke curl from the end of his cigarette, he wished it more than anything right about then.
[Wishing for a Tristiwockee]
[Wish Granted]