Ecstasy

Chapter 11
Anthony’s breathing was heavy as the vision finally left his thoughts as quickly as it had come, leaving him a mumbling miserable mess on the shower floor. It had quite literally scared the living shit out of him, for saying he’d never experienced anything like that before he was so in fear of his life.

“ANTHONY!” Anthony looked up as the bathroom door flew open and Dawson and Craig came walking in looking quickly around the steamy bathroom. Dawson gawked as he opened the glass door to see Anthony huddled in the corner of the shower shivering and a ghostly white colour. “Jesus.” Anthony closed his eyes and felt tears roll down his cheeks as Dawson turned off the water and quickly knelt down next to Anthony in the shower holding him as he shivered uncontrollably.

“You better wrap him in a towel and take him down stairs into the lounge room, you’re too close up here.” Craig passed Dawson a large bath towel before walking outside and calling for Jake and Alan. Dawson swallowed hard as he lifted Anthony into his arms and walked out into the hallway. Alan and Jake stared in disbelief as Dawson passed them on the stairs on his way down to the lounge room.

“God Anthony what happened?” Anthony curled up into the towel as Dawson put him down on the couch softly rubbing his back as he continued to shake. There was silence as Anthony just shook his head and closed his eyes, letting Dawson hold him tightly.

“Is he alright?” Craig appeared in the lounge room doorway holding three glasses and a bottle of scotch.

“Don’t know.” Dawson whispered back as he covered Anthony’s exposed body with the towel. He watched as Craig sighed and shook his head before coming over and sitting down opposite Dawson and Anthony.

“Drink?” Dawson nodded before glancing down at Anthony who nodded lightly. Craig laughed a little he’d seen it all before and now the only remedy was drinking yourself stupid. He poured three large glass of scotch before handing two to Dawson whom handed one to Anthony who then proceeded to down the lot in one go. “I guess now would be a good time to inform you of a few things that have happened in the past, so more things make sense.” Anthony sat up gingerly as Craig through him a blanket off the back of the chair, to keep himself warm.

“Yeah we’ve heard some stuff.” Dawson sighed heavily relaxing back into the couch as he sipped from the scotch.

“Fine but what I say remains in the house and goes no further, people just wouldn’t understand.” Craig waited for Anthony and Dawson to nod their acceptance before he continued. “This house used to be the old Deans house, hence the name masters house. It’s been here from the beginning and has had more than its fair share of things happen within its walls. The first Dean of the college was a petafile, he used to bring some of his male students back here rape them and then kill them, leaving the bodies up stairs on the last floor in massive tubs of fermaldaheight. He did this for nine years so you can imagine the amount of things they found up there when he was finally caught.” Dawson took a large swig from his scotch as Anthony reached over for the whole bottle and began to take large sips.

“So they caught him?” Dawson breathed trying to reassure himself he wasn’t going to end up in a large tub of acid while he slept.

“Yes but while he was under investigation he threw himself off the top floor and fell to his death.” Anthony listened intently, this is what he’d wanted to hear and now he couldn’t just turn a blind eye. Dawson glanced across at Anthony who was looking a little better, while he was beginning to feel a little faint. “About six years after his suicide things started happening, moving knives, figures appearing in door ways and constant screaming from the top floor among the many things that happen still to this day.” Craig took a sip from his glass before pulling out a packet of cigarettes and lighting one for himself. He’d never told anyone the full story about the house before but something about Anthony and Dawson made him feel like they would be staying no matter what he told them. “They reckon it’s the ghosts of all the students that have died mysteriously, who are trying to avenge their own deaths but no one can be sure. We get along tolerably well with them, they know their limits and we know ours. However some push those limits and they pay the consequences.” Anthony swallowed hard he prayed that what he’d experienced in the bathroom wasn’t a consequence.

“What would they be?” Craig and Dawson looked across astonished as Anthony spoke softly still holding onto the scotch bottle for dear life.

“Sanity, loved ones, and sometimes their lives.” The room fell deadly silent as Craig spoke coldly lowering his head as all the memories of investigation after investigation about deaths of students. It was common knowledge that if anything went wrong on campus it was usually related to the master’s house. “We’ve had three suicides because they could handle the things that were happening, many more have admitted themselves to mental asylums and only one has ever lost someone they’d loved.” Anthony breathed out raggedly as Dawson cuddled into his side closing his eyes and shaking his head.

“That’s why the bedrooms and bathrooms are new.” Craig looked up sadly as Anthony inquired softly, all of a sudden things beginning to make sense.

“Yes, the bathrooms are the worst effected they get re done every year the rooms just get painted because we don’t want to look at the same thing every year. The bathrooms on the top floor have always been the worst that’s where all the suicides occurred, the bedroom in between the bathroom and Josh’s room is where they found her.” Anthony looked on as Craig began to cry, tears streaming down his face at the memories. “She was cut up like a piece of meat, you couldn’t see the walls for blood. The walls are permanently stained that’s why nobody is ever assigned the room and if they are they don’t last the night. She was their only victim and was something we all learnt from.” Craig swallowed hard and sniffled a little wiping the tears from his face with his sleeve before smiling up at Anthony and Dawson. “Alex is the only one who can stand it, they don’t seem to touch her for some reason. There is some really weird shit that goes on but you see it and you let it slide, like the rest of us you just count down the days till you’re out of here. It’s a sure thing that once you’ve seen some of the things that go on in here you’re life is never the same again, you’re more open minded and less skeptic about things that seem impossible. I guess you can see now why we have all the rules.” Anthony and Dawson nodded in unison, inside they we’re absolutely shivering with the thoughts of things that have been done but on the outside they were firm and strong, if t he could live here so could they.

“Craig it’s clean nothing.” Alan and Jake came back down stairs staring at Craig who turned from them to Anthony with a confused look on his face.

“That’s weird, they usually leave a calling card when something like this happens but there’s nothing.” Anthony shrugged his shoulders looking still a little pale but feeling a lot better all of a sudden.

“Well I guess that’s all we need to know, apart from the stuff we find out as our stay progresses am I right?” Alan, Craig and Jake laughed as Dawson lifted an eyebrow at them questioningly.

“Yep that’s what we tell most of our guests that we think are going to plan on staying for a while, or who we think are capable of staying. The rest just gets added in as things progress hey we’re not all together what goes on here all we know it that we can’t control it so we live with it.” Alan smiled lightly as Anthony who blushed and pulled the towel and blanket tighter around himself.

“Hey and don’t stress about needing company, all our bedroom doors are open at night, so you’re both welcome to come and get it with any of us, I assure you we’ve all done it at some stage. I personally spent most of my first year in Craig’s bed.” Anthony and Dawson laughed as Craig shook his head as Jake beamed at him sweetly.

“I better get myself dressed it’s half past five already.” Craig lifted an eyebrow seductively at Anthony as Anthony stood up the towel wrapped firmly around his waist. Dawson could see both Craig and Alan eyeing off his half n Ant Anthony as he passed the bottle of scotch back to Craig.

“Fine, you’re probably alright now.” Anthony nodded before leaning around to kiss Dawson softly on the cheek before disappearing nervously up he stairs to his room. Dawson sighed as Alan stared at where the Anthony had disappeared up the stairs, he was a little cautious after witnessing the change in mood as soon as Alan had seen Anthony’s body. Hell Anthony was a fucking god and up until now Dawson hadn’t had competition but now with Alan on the scene he was beginning to get a little possessive.
“So how long have you known each other?” Alan smiled and sat down next to Dawson on the couch while Jason and Josh came down the stairs all dressed and ready to go to dinner.

“Six years, lovers for five of those.” Alan backed off a little as Dawson spoke coldly towards him before gettip ofp off the couch. “I’ll go see what he’s doing.” With that Craig and the rest of the men watched as Dawson disappeared up stairs to Anthony. Dawson was positive he was jealous but he and Anthony had been together for so long he wasn’t going to give him up for anyone.

Anthony sighed heavily as he pulled on his jacket, placing his wallet and glasses in the deep pockets before glancing at himself in the mirror. He could never tell anyone what he’d seen in his thoughts in the bathroom, it was just to horrific and read to describe. It had shaken him to his senses about this place, and now he understood it more he’d be less scared of it, well that’s how he wanted it to be.

“You ready?” Anthony smiled as Dawson wrapped his hands around his waist nuzzling into his neck before kissing him lightly.

“Yeah let’s go get wasted.” Dawson laughed before picking up his own coat and wallet before following Anthony down stairs to the rest of the group.

“Great we’re all here, lets get going.” Craig gestured towards the door waiting while everyone collected their stuff before filing outside then locking the door. Dawson took hold of Anthony’s hand as they walked along the gravel path out of the campus grounds and down towards the rivAlanAlan was constantly glancing at Anthony as they waited in the cold for the ferry, and this made Dawson extremely edgy.

Once the ferry arrived and they’d paid the return fare they all went to sit down out side on the back of the ferry. Dawson was sitting next to Jason and Jake having a nice little conversation while Alan and Anthony sat together opposite Josh and Craig having a major discussion about art or something. Anthony was totally unaware of how close Alan was getting to him however Dawson was well aware and was determined before the night was out that he’d split them no matter what. They all fell silent as the ferry began off from the wharf bobbing, as it made it’s slow way across to the other side of the river.

TBC............