They decided to do just make it a single bandmate interview with Gene, as he was the only stable person for the professional environment.
Paul was sat in the limo, still wearing his make up, but in normal clothes, he was so tired he didn't care what he looked like at that point. He was so tired, he leaned his head against the car window.
𝙺𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚔
𝙺𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚔
𝙺𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚔
Paul's eye blink open. He jumps in his seat, making Ace flintch himself. Paul sighs and rolls the window down.
Ace leaned on the roof of the limo and sighed. "You fucked up."
"I know." Paul groaned, surprisingly defeated he actually listened and agreed with what Ace had to say, even when it was about Paul being shitty.
"You need to drop whatever charges your putting on Eric, I'm a witness! Eric was with me!" Ace debated.
"Then who came to my place at 1am in the morning at my balcony?" Paul let a tear slip.
Ace stopped trying to fight, he frowned. "Cmon, explain what happened?"
Paul explained the two nights to Ace. Ace gave a very concerned look, almost as if he spaced out from whenever Paul spoke. Paul didn't know how much Ace took in on the info that was given to him.
Ace shook his head "Paul, you need help."
Paul grew nervous, he didn't want to end up with therapists, doctors and drugs to make it all go away. Somewhere deep in his gut he knew that Eric was truly there, he just needed the proof. He needed to know if it was real incase it eventually killed him, whether it was the lack of sleep or Eric.
"I can prove it!" Paul said without thinking twice. Ace looked at him confused, "how?"
Paul's eyes searched around the car and himself, he looked back up at Ace. "Come over tonight. Stay over.. that way I'll know if its all in my head. If you don't see it... I'll get help."
Ace surpringly took his offer well, he nodded with a sigh. "Alright, I'll come over. And when nothing happens, you clear Eric's name and drop any charges, capiche?" Ace put his hand out for Paul to shake.
Paul looked at Ace's hand for a second, and then shook it.
Ace walked off back into the studio to get changed, and out came Gene a minute later.
Gene walked over to the car, hanging over at the car door to see Paul.
"Hey, You gonna be okay?"
Paul nodded.
"...you gonna tell me what the hell happened?"
Paul fell even more silent for a minute, but he then eventually grew brave enough to look Gene in the eye. "I keep thinking I see Eric at my house... but don't worry. Because I'm gonna fix it."
It was around 6pm when Ace came over to Paul's. They had a few drinks together and talked while watching TV.
Paul soon enough got tired, but his heart felt weak, still too scared to sleep even though Ace was there.
Paul knew it was time to show Ace what had Happened.
Paul walks into his bedroom, calling Ace in, he follows.
Ace finds Paul standing over near the curtains to his balcony.
"So.." Ace slurs, he leans against the wall "He broke the window? Show me."
Paul nods and opens the curtains to find a smooth clear glass door. The most damage there was the faded marks of rain droplets. Paul eyes widen. "No.. thats impossible.. I could've sworn they were still there!"
Ace sighed and shook his head "Paul, there's nothing there... Eric never broke in. Please, go get help, and drop whatever charges you put on Eric. He's innocent."
Paul looked down and shook his head. "Paul."
Paul sighed, he shut his eyes in disbelief, a part of him was grateful that it wasn't real, but he was very concerned about his sanity, that was the true scary part that Paul didn't want to accept.
Ace sighed, he put a hand on Paul's shoulder "well now ya know." Ace could read Paul's exhaustion, stress and fear in his dark eyes.
"Go rest, you look tired." Ace gently pushed Paul's arm to where his bed was, Paul drags himself to where Ace directs him. He crawls into bed and hides his face in a pillow.
Ace gives a small smile "...I'll sleep on the couch."
Ace walks away, Paul listens to his footsteps fading away. He soon enough falls asleep, sleep he had been craving for two days.
2 hours of peaceful sleep go by.
𝚃𝚊𝚙
.
𝚃𝚊𝚙
.
𝚃𝚊𝚙
Paul slowly opens his eyes, there's a pain in his heart, begging for the tapping to stop.
It was all in his head.
It was all in his head.
𝚃𝚊𝚙
.
𝚃𝚊-
"STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW PLEASE!" Paul cries out. He has now fully awoken and sat up in the bed.
There he was.
Eric was staring straight at him, his hands pressed against the glass like a child looking at toys in a store window. His smile was wide and more eerie than ever.
Paul glared at him with such hatred. He then stopped and thought.
It's all in my head.
It's all in my head.
Paul gets up.
He walks over to the door.
Eric's grin widens even more, it seem impossible, the painted curves that had already exagerrated his smile looked wrong now. It was no longer cute.
Paul unlocks the door, his breathing is more intense, loud enough for anyone to ear.
Eric watches intently as Paul fiddles with the lock, he doesn't move though.
Paul holds onto the door handle for a couple of minutes, questioning what he was doing, questioning his life.
Is this worth it?
What if I die?
Would it matter?
Paul holds his breath and opens the door.
The moment he opens the door, he hears the breeze of wind whistling through the night as its cold touch glides against his skin. But along came the heavy breathing of Eric. It was a horrible noise. He couldn't tell if he sounded like he was dying or having a mental breakdown, his face said otherwise.
Paul never thought of Eric's perspective of the other side of the door. The entire time Eric would just watch him, breathing heavily and hard. The noise and look in Eric eyes made it seem like he would burst into tears, the smile made it seem like happy tears in the weirdest way possible.
They stared at eachother for a few seconds, Eric's hands still pressed against the glass, but his head twisted to Paul.
Paul's breathing hitched. He had the urge to call out for help.
...
"Ace!" Paul sung.
Eric flung himself onto Paul immediately, letting out a low gruff grunt as he did. Paul yelped, but then let out a few more screams, hoping for Ace to hear.
He pushed Eric's face away with his hand, shoving him away as much as his strength would let him, the lack of sleep and delirious feeling got to him. Eric made a low demonic shriek, that replaced his heavy breathing, but in a more quick pace.
Eric stood up and grabbed Paul by the leg, yanking him as hard as he could so the impact made him smack down to the ground which would cause him to go limp for just a second. Eric took advantage of this and dragged him away as hard.
"ACE! ACE! HELP! DAMMIT HELP ME!"
Eric climbed over the railing, trying to drag Paul over, when Paul retaliates he is swung over. Paul was surprised by his strength, it seemed inhumane. But in the nick of time, Paul latches onto the railing of the balcony as he is dragged over.
Paul hugs onto the railing as Eric yanks his leg hard.
Paul look over at Eric. As if being able to defy physics, Eric stand on the wall, the way batman and Robin would climb a wall in the 60s show.
Paul looked away as quick as possible, staring at his arms which hugged the bars of the balcony so tightly. He knew that if he let himself get any weaker, or moved about, he'd die.
"ACE!" Paul screeched, his voice cracking, his tears streaming down, buring his face. His arms hurt, practically being stabbed by the rusted bars of the balcony. He cold night didn't help either. Especially Eric, he tugged his legs harder, his arms had red marks where he had been rubbed raw against the railing.
Paul shut his eyes, waiting for his arms to eventually fail, waiting for Eric to just rip his leg off.
He felt the back of his shirt get yanked, the collar choked him making him gag. He had been dragged halfway over, and Eric's grip had been lost.
He saw Ace's legs as he hung there. Ace grabbed Paul's legs and yanked him back on the balcony. They both fell to the floor but quickly crawl back inside.
Ace quickly pulls the door shut and holds onto the handle while Paul fiddles for the lock.
Eric throws himself back over and pounces of the door, grabbing for the handle.
Ｃｌｉｃｋ
All three men grew silent. Ace still gripping the door, staring directly at Eric with his jaw dropped. Paul had fallen back into Ace's chest, Ace's chin was tucked into Paul's hair.
Eric's smile had faded.
"Haha...hahaha!" Paul let out a small chuckle, his chuckle became a laugh, a laugh directed to piss Eric off.
Eric growled, he grunted as he smacked the door with his fist.
Ace sat there in silence still shocked, mouth still catching flies, his hand clutched to the handle tightly for dear life.
Eric roared at them, screaming in anger, banging at the door begging to be let in.
Paul layed back happy into Ace as he sat on the floor.
Finally, someone knows. He did try to break in. Ace is a witness. He's not insane. He is so comfortable. He doesn't care that Eric is ranting and raving outside. That bastard can't get me in here. Sleep.