Lovers from Different Eras

Chapter 1“What’s the point of going to a garage sale if you’re not going to buy anything?” Chase Crayford asked while inspecting the items on the tables. Simon Lobb, Chase’s best friend since freshman year of high school, didn’t bother to respond. Instead, he continued to look at and study anything and everything that he thought of as interesting. Chase sighed softly as he followed Simon from one table to the next. He was certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that he and Simon would spend at least one hour at the garage sale because he knew his buddy really well. After all, they had been best friends for eight years, counting now. Initially, they had connected because they were both foster kids who happened to be in the same class, and they loved playing basketball. While Chase was lucky because he got to stay in the same home until he graduated from high school, Simon hadn’t been as fortunate. In fact, he had been transferred to a different city altogether. Chase and Simon had kept in touch with each other, though. Once they were done with high school, they had both received scholarships, thanks to their brilliant athleticisms on the basketball courts, from the same university, and they decided to become roommates. They had come out as gay when they were twenty years old, and that helped to further solidify their friendship. Soon, their friendship had transformed into something of a romantic nature. They had tried to date each other exclusively, but it didn’t quite work out because neither of them liked to top s*x-wise. It simply wasn’t their thing. s*x might not be the number one factor in a relationship, but having to take on a role they weren’t into put a strain on them in more ways than one. Hence, they chose to have an open relationship. The only rule they agreed on was they wouldn’t have s*x with anyone else without the other one being present and included in it. “I like this necklace,” Simon said, and Chase was startled out of his reverie. “What do you think?” Chase grabbed the necklace from Simon and examined it carefully. The chain was most probably made of stainless steel, and the pendant hanging on it was some kind of purple crystal in the shape of a bullet. Almost. In Chase’s opinion there was nothing special about the necklace but Simon, based on his facial expression, really liked it a lot. Even if Chase hated the necklace, he could never tell Simon no. Or at least, most of the time. Chase was weak when it came to Simon, and he wasn’t sure why that was. It had nothing to do with their physiques. Chase was five feet, eleven inches, and Simon was an inch shorter than him. He weighed one hundred and eighty-three pounds, and he knew Simon was five pounds lighter than him. His build was rather muscular without being bulky, and so was Simon. Appearance-wise, Chase had green eyes and dark blond hair while Simon had dark brown eyes and black hair. In terms of characters and personalities, the two of them were polar opposites. Chase was more outgoing and social. Making friends was easy for him, and he could talk to just about anybody. Simon was friendly enough, but he was more shy. Chase was much more direct and straightforward, both in words and actions. Simon would take a while to get the words out, and that was only after he had observed the situation thoroughly. That might be why he was much more perceptive than Chase. In spite of all that, they were best friends and boyfriends. Chase felt connected to Simon in a way that he couldn’t describe in words. If he was the corny and dramatic type, he would have labeled them as soulmates. The link between them ran deeper than something as shallow as their looks and bodies. As Chase gazed into Simon’s eyes, it felt as if he was sinking into something comforting and warm. He was defeated by Simon. Again. “It’s nice,” Chase replied while beaming widely at Simon. “How much is it?” Simon checked out the price tag, which was nothing more than a small piece of masking tape being attached to the crystal pendant. “Five bucks.” “Too expensive. Let’s call the seller over and haggle over the price a bit,” Chase suggested, and Simon agreed. They waved at the seller who had just finished handling another customer, and the elderly woman approached them. “Good morning, gentlemen. My name is Nancy. Are you thinking of buying that necklace?” “I’m Chase,” Chase answered before pointing at Simon. “And Simon, my boyfriend, is interested in the necklace. Can we get it for two dollars instead of five?” Nancy smiled. “That’s not possible, I’m afraid. I purchased the necklace seven years ago during a trip to Mexico with my ex-husband, and it cost me quite a bit. According to the shop owner, that necklace is a magical antique. If you believe in stuff like that.” “I don’t,” Chase and Simon responded simultaneously. Nancy snickered. “Neither do I, but the crystal is beautiful.” “It is,” Chase conceded even though he wasn’t really into it. “How about you pay me four dollars for the necklace?” Chase shook his head. “Three dollars. I’m sure you’re eager to get rid of everything here, especially the things that remind you of your ex-husband.” Nancy chuckled. “You drive a hard bargain. Sold!” Chase grinned while pulling his wallet out from the pocket of his jeans. Then he fished out three one-dollar bills from the wallet and handed them over to Nancy. “Here you go. Thank you very much, Nancy.” “I should be thanking you. Is there anything else that catches your eye?” “Nope,” Simon replied. “Chase and I will continue to look around for a while. We will let you know if we need help.” Nancy raised both thumbs while beaming widely. “Okay then. Holler if you have any questions about the items.” Simon and Chase nodded before they moved away to look at some of the other items. However, after more than forty-five minutes, they had to give up. More accurately, Simon did. Chase hadn’t been into any of the stuff at the garage sale in the first place. “Should we go back to the apartment?” Chase asked. He and Simon had rented a one-bedroom apartment in Bloomington, Indiana, since their junior year at the local university, and they continued to live there since graduating the previous year. The rent and utilities were fairly affordable. Chase was a freelance web developer who mostly worked from home or anywhere with a stable internet connection. Simon was a bookkeeper for several local businesses, and he got to do it from home most of the time. They weren’t drowning in cash, but they had a simple lifestyle so they didn’t encounter problems when it came to money. “Should we get something to eat before returning home?” Simon suggested as they were leaving the garage sale. “It’s only half past ten, but I’m rather hungry right now.” Chase shrugged. “Sure. Let’s do that.” After brunch at a nearby diner, Chase and Simon rode the bus back to their apartment complex. Neither of them had a car, but they were trying to save up so they could get one soon. Upon reaching the apartment complex twenty-five minutes later, it took them another five minutes before they got to their apartment building. They lived on the second floor. Aside from the fully equipped kitchen, thanks to the landlord, the rest of their apartment was sparsely furnished. There was a single old and ugly couch in the living room, but no television. They didn’t require one since they watched their movies or television series on their laptops. They had a small dining table with two chairs. As for the bedroom, they shared a full-size bed, and the closet had plenty of space to spare since neither of them owned many clothes. They also had a similar build so they could wear each other’s clothes. At least, some of them. Their most prized possessions were their laptops. “Do we have any beer left in the fridge?” Simon asked as he made his way past the living room and turned right before walking along the short hallway in the direction of the bedroom. Chase stared at Simon for a second or two before heading toward the kitchen. Then he opened the door of the refrigerator. “Two cans,” Chase replied while taking the cans out from the refrigerator. “We will have to do grocery later this afternoon. We have nothing left in the fridge.” “Freezer?” Simon inquired loudly all the way from the bedroom. Chase checked the freezer out. “Empty.” Then he brought the two cans of beer to the living room, and he sat on the couch while opening them. Simon returned to the living room a few moments later, and Chase noticed that his boyfriend had changed his clothes into something much more casual and comfortable. He passed one can of beer over. After that, the two of them bumped their cans lightly before drinking some of the beer. “A cold beer on a humid day is perfect.” Chase nodded at Simon. “I don’t know why the weather is so warm even though it’s springtime.” “Put on other clothes,” Simon suggested. “At the very least, take off your jeans. Shorts are the best in this kind of weather.” “I agree,” Chase said as he placed the can on the floor in front of the couch before he stood. “Let me first open the door to the balcony to let some fresh air into the apartment.” “Great idea.” When Chase got back to the couch, he noticed Simon was inspecting the crystal pendant on the necklace rather closely. “Are there any words or symbols that have been carved onto the crystal or something?” “Nope. Just want to admire it.” Chase was tempted to roll his eyes. Simon was acting ridiculously. However, he seemed really fascinated by the crystal, and that piqued Chase’s curiosity. “May I see it, too?” “Of course, baby. Here you go.” Chase accepted the necklace. Then he peered at the crystal while turning it around slowly. He wasn’t surprised when he discovered nothing on it. As expected, it was an ordinary crystal. He was about to hand the necklace back to Simon when he almost let go of it by accident. He instinctively tightened his grip on it. “Ow, s**t!” Chase exclaimed in shock when something sharp scratched one of his fingers. He quickly examined his finger. Fortunately, it was nothing serious. There was a bit of blood, but the injury wasn’t bad at all. “Is your finger okay?” Simon asked, and he sounded worried. Chase decided to tease Simon by exaggerating the condition. “I think it’s torn. I may need to get it stitched.” “What? Let me see it!” Simon demanded while grabbing Chase’s hand and tugging it toward him. After a few seconds, he raised his head and glared at Chase. “Jerk! It only bleeds a little.” Chase grinned. “I know, baby, but I enjoy watching your reaction. Your facial expression is adorable.” Simon chortled even though he was obviously still rather annoyed. “f**k you, asshole!” Chase also started laughing, but he stopped when he noticed that the purple crystal seemed to emit some kind of light. “Simon, I think the crystal is glowing!” Simon rolled his eyes. “Ha! Ha! I’m not going to get tricked by you again.” “I’m not joking. The crystal—oh, s**t!” A large black hole had appeared out of nowhere right in front of Chase and Simon, and there was something powerful within that attempted to suck them into it. Chase clung to the couch in a desperate effort to prevent himself from being pulled into the black hole, but its suction was too strong. He panicked because he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer. “Chase!” Simon shouted. Chase became even more terrified because Simon was much closer to the black hole than he was. “Give me your hand.” “I can’t!” Simon yelled as he struggled to get away from the black hole. Chase knew they were most probably fighting a losing battle, but he had to get away from the hole together with Simon. He refused to lose Simon to whatever that hole represented. He let go of the couch and quickly wrapped his arms around Simon’s waist. Then he attempted to run in the direction of the apartment door. However, he failed. The next thing he knew, he and Simon were dragged into the hole. It was pitch black and freezing. His consciousness slipped away bit by bit. The last thing he remembered was Simon’s warm, solid body in his arms. After that, he couldn’t recall anything else.