Chapter 24

Inner Reflection | home

*~*October 13, 1998*~*

"Dude, go to bed. We're going on tour tomorrow! With JANET!"

"Shh," Lance said, waving Chris' hand away. "I like to keep myself informed." He was watching the news. "I'll go to bed soon..." his voice trailed off and his eyes widened in horror when the next broadcast came on.

"Lance? Lance?!" Chris waved his hand in front of Lance's face, but he sat there, unblinking.

"Tragic news in Wyoming today...The gay University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard, died yesterday after being comatose for days..."

"GUYS! Get in here!" Chris yelled.

"Aaron McKinney and Russel Henderson, the former University students, are now facing charges of murder..."

"On October 6, Shepard went to the Firestone, a gay bar, and soon after, shortly before midnight, McKinney and Henderson followed. They gained Shepard's confidence by pretending to be gay, and left the bar with him. He was lured into McKinney's truck. There, they struck him in the head with a .357 magnum..." Lance was still staring, horrified, at the TV screen. The only movement from him was slight trembling.

"McKinney and Henderson drove to a deserted part of the prairie, where they tied Shepard to a split-rail fence and robbed him, Shepard all the while pleading for his life, authorities say..."

"Oh my God," Joey said.

"The two continued to beat him mercilessly...there were bruises on the backs of his hands from trying to defend himself..."

"Lance? Wake up, man...come on...come back to us..."

"...Eighteen blows crushed his skull..."

"I want to see," Lance said, his voice completely devoid of any emotion.

"The body was found by a bicyclist eighteen hours later...still hanging, Matthew was comatose and barely clinging to life..."

"Lance...don't...come on, go to bed..." Justin pleaded.

"'I thought it was a scarecrow,' the horrified biker told us. 'It wasn't until I got closer that I realized it was a human body...'"

"Lance, please...turn it off and go to bed," JC said.

"Comatose until yesterday, Matthew Shepard's pain has finally ended...but the pain for those left behind is only just beginning..." Joey was looking back and forth from the TV to Lance, and he finally reached forward and turned it off. What bothered him most, now, though, was the fact that Lance didn't even seem to notice. He just continued to stare blankly at the TV screen. He picked Lance up over his shoulder and carried him to his room.

Lance suddenly came to life and his control snapped. He started beating against Joey's back. "Let me go! Let go of me, Joey!" he yelled.

Joey yelped in pain but held on tight. "Damn, Lance!" His eyes widened. "Uh...guys, I'll try to talk to him," he said, jumping forward when Lance's fist again made contact with his back.

"Yeah. I'm sure it's...nothing," he said, cringing.

"Right. And I'm the bass of the group," Chris said, rolling his eyes, but he pushed JC and Justin out the door.

"Thanks," Joey said quietly, unceremoniously dropping Lance on the bed. nce immediately curled up into a little ball and started to sob.

"Why, Joey? Why did they have to do that to him? What did he do to deserve that? Why did he have to die? Why did I have to die?"

Joey didn't have an answer.

*~*A week later*~*

JC waited for someone to pick up the phone. "Mom?" he asked.

"Josh, honey, how are you? Wait, I'll put your father on too!"

"I just..." JC sighed.

"Hey Dad...how are Ty and Heather?"

"They're good...Tyler has a touch of the flu, but nothing too serious."

"How are you boys? Eating all right?" Karen asked.

"We're fine...though Lance is a little upset right now," he said absently, watching Lance, who was pushing food around on his plate.

"The whole Matthew Shepard thing hit a nerve," JC said, swallowing nervously.

"Oh yes that was," his mother sighed.

"Horrible way to die," his dad added. "Even for a fag."

JC almost dropped the phone. "What?"

"Nothing," his dad said quickly.

JC frowned. "Right...um, well, we're leaving in a few minutes, so...I just wanted to check in..."

"Yes. Have fun and tell the other boys to take care of themselves. And make sure Lance eats!"

JC laughed. He covered the mouthpiece and said to Lance, "My mom says to make sure you eat." Lance looked up in surprise, shoved the fork into his mouth, and smiled brightly. JC grinned and went back to his mother and father. "By Mom, Dad. Love you."

"Love you too honey. Bye."

JC hung up the phone and looked over at Lance, who had taken the fork out of his mouth and gone back to pushing the food around on his plate again. He sighed at the irony. "I can't tell them now...What the hell is this? When did my life turn into such a freaking soap opera?"


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 24 **~October 13, 1998~ "Dude, go to bed. We're going on tour tomorrow! With JANET!" "Shh," Lance said, waving Chris' hand away. "I like to keep myself informed." He was watching the news. "I'll go to bed soon..." his voice trailed off and his eyes widened in horror when the next broadcast came on. "Lance? Lance?!" Chris waved his hand in front of Lance's face, but he sat there, unblinking. "Tragic news in Wyoming today...The gay University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard, died yesterday after being comatose for days..." "GUYS! Get in here!" Chris yelled. "Aaron McKinney and Russel Henderson, the former University students, are now facing charges of murder..." "What, Chris?" "It's Lance." "On October 6, Shepard went to the Firestone, a gay bar, and soon after, shortly before midnight, McKinney and Henderson followed. They gained Shepard's confidence by pretending to be gay, and left the bar with him. He was lured into McKinney's truck. There, they struck him in the head with a .357 magnum..." Lance was still staring, horrified, at the TV screen. The only movement from him was slight trembling. "Lance?" "McKinney and Henderson drove to a deserted part of the prairie, where they tied Shepard to a split-rail fence and robbed him, Shepard all the while pleading for his life, authorities say..." "Oh my God," Joey said. "The two continued to beat him mercilessly...there were bruises on the backs of his hands from trying to defend himself..." "Lance? Wake up, man...come on...come back to us..." "...Eighteen blows crushed his skull..." "LANCE!" JC yelled. "I want to see," Lance said, his voice completely devoid of any emotion. "The body was found by a bicyclist eighteen hours later...still hanging, Matthew was comatose and barely clinging to life..." "Lance...don't...come on, go to bed..." Justin pleaded. "'I thought it was a scarecrow,' the horrified biker told us. 'It wasn't until I got closer that I realized it was a human body...'" "Lance, please...turn it off and go to bed," JC said. "Comatose until yesterday, Matthew Shepard's pain has finally ended...but the pain for those left behind is only just beginning..." Joey was looking back and forth from the TV to Lance, and he finally reached forward and turned it off. What bothered him most, now, though, was the fact that Lance didn't even seem to notice. He just continued to stare blankly at the TV screen. He picked Lance up over his shoulder and carried him to his room. Lance suddenly came to life and his control snapped. He started beating against Joey's back. "Let me go! Let go of me, Joey!" he yelled. Joey yelped in pain but held on tight. "Damn, Lance!" His eyes widened. "Uh...guys, I'll try to talk to him," he said, jumping forward when Lance's fist again made contact with his back. "You sure?" "Yeah. I'm sure it's...nothing," he said, cringing. "Right. And I'm the bass of the group," Chris said, rolling his eyes, but he pushed JC and Justin out the door. "Thanks," Joey said quietly, unceremoniously dropping Lance on the bed. nce immediately curled up into a little ball and started to sob. "Lance?" "Why, Joey? Why did they have to do that to him? What did he do to deserve that? Why did he have to die? Why did I have to die?" Joey didn't have an answer. ** ~A week later~** JC waited for someone to pick up the phone. "Mom?" he asked. "Josh, honey, how are you? Wait, I'll put your father on too!" "I just..." JC sighed. "Son?" "Hey Dad...how are Ty and Heather?" "They're good...Tyler has a touch of the flu, but nothing too serious." "That's good." "How are you boys? Eating all right?" Karen asked. "We're fine...though Lance is a little upset right now," he said absently, watching Lance, who was pushing food around on his plate. "Why?" "The whole Matthew Shepard thing hit a nerve," JC said, swallowing nervously. "It upset him." "Oh yes that was," his mother sighed. "Horrible way to die," his dad added. "Even for a fag." JC almost dropped the phone. "What?" "Nothing," his dad said quickly. JC frowned. "Right...um, well, we're leaving in a few minutes, so...I just wanted to check in..." "Yes. Have fun and tell the other boys to take care of themselves. And make sure Lance eats!" JC laughed. He covered the mouthpiece and said to Lance, "My mom says to make sure you eat." Lance looked up in surprise, shoved the fork into his mouth, and smiled brightly. JC grinned and went back to his mother and father. "By Mom, Dad. Love you." "Love you too honey. Bye." JC hung up the phone and looked over at Lance, who had taken the fork out of his mouth and gone back to pushing the food around on his plate again. He sighed at the irony. "I can't tell them now...What the hell is this? When did my life turn into such a freaking soap opera?"