Work Text:
Scenery - Outside in the Rain
“I can fix this. I can fix… fuck I can fix me. I can… ugh. It’s in the book- it has to be in the book- somewhere. I’ll show Caitlin I’m not a monster” Caleb said desperately as he ran towards the boathouse.
Change of scenery - The Boathouse at Night
“Oliver?” Caleb says as he looks at said man while flipping through the book.
“It’s… you!” Silence, “Carl?” Oliver says.
“Caleb. What are you doing here, it’s the middle of the night?” Caleb says as he points out by the clock on the wall.
“What are you doing here?” Silence again, “It’s the middle of the night.” Oliver said back as he looked at Caleb.
“Can I see the book?”
Change of Time, Fast Forward - Still in the Boathouse at Night
“I couldn’t defend him! I couldn’t move! I just kept going back - thinking back to - to when - I can’t hurt someone again!” Caleb said loudly as he held the book close to him.
“And I don’t want you to. I think it’s all in your best interest that you don’t do that.” Oliver replied, trying to calm Caleb down while also figuring out how to get the book back from him.
“I don’t want to fight because I’m afraid if I start I won’t stop and I’ll kill someone! Ah fuck! Dude! Get out! I don’t have room for your feelings! Just fucking stop!” Caleb yelled.
“Do you see me doing anything? Oliver said, a little confused but also slightly sarcastic.
Caleb keeps flipping through the pages almost frantically. “Fucking, where is it? I thought I saw an entry-”
“Caleb!” “Shut up!” “Hey!” “Ahh!” Caleb slams the book shut as Oliver then quickly takes it from him.
Change of Scenery - On Yale Campus at Early Morning
Caleb is running as he holds the book close to him and puts the phone to his ear, listening to the ringing.
“Caleb? Caleb, where are you? “It’s- it’s 3am. Caitlin said you went to clear your head, but she won’t tell me what you guys talked about-” Adam said from the other side of the call but got interrupted. “I’m okay. Actually, no. I’m not okay. Adam, I’m fucking so not okay. But I think I know how I can be okay.” Caleb said, as he waited for Adams' reply which came almost immediately. “Caleb… what are you talking about?” He said, confused. “I’ve been doing something, Trying to get a handle of my powers and I’ve been using the book to-” “What?” Adam interrupted this time. “I’ve been using it to try and find my balance and I know I fucked everything up and keep fucking everything up but Oliver told me-” “You’re with Oliver? Caleb, Where are you?” Adam interrupted again, definitely awake now if he wasn’t before. “It’s okay, I promise. I’m going to make it okay. I’m going to fix it.” Caleb said, still halfway running now.
“Caleb, tell me where you are. You’re not sounding like yourself. You’re starting to freak me out.” Adam said, freaked out and worried for Caleb cause it sounds like he’s going to do something stupid. “I’m freaked out too, but it’s okay. I’ve got the book and I’m going to destroy it.” Caleb said, trying to sound a bit more confident in front of Adam. “What? Is Oliver making you do this?” Adam asks, worry and concern evident in his voice. “No, he doesn’t know I have the book. Well, now he does. But I ran away from the boathouse with it and I think I can destroy it.” “Caleb-” “I’m going to the tower and I’m going to end this. We don’t have to guard the book. Nobody should get hurt by it anymore. I’ll destroy it and then nothing will happen on Halloween. Everyone will be safe.” “Caleb-” Adam tried again. “We need to talk, Adam. I need to tell you some things. But first, I have to do this. Then everyone will be okay.” “Caleb, you sound-” “Oliver told me not to use the book again and I listened to him but then when I got near campus I needed it. I needed it and I don’t want to need it anymore.” “Just wait where you are, Caleb. I’ll-”
“I love you.” Caleb said before he hung up.
Change of Scenery - Tower at Day
Caleb threw the book down once he got to the top of the tower. “All right, book, it’s done. That’s it. You don’t have the power over me or anyone else anymore.” He opens the book, as it hums to him. “No. No! No one will be able to use you. Against me or my friends.” Caleb rips a page out of the book in slight anger. “You can’t control me! I know who I am, I know what I want, I have been through all this and I can go through all this again, but I won’t let you win!” Caleb says angrily but gets cut off as the bells stop ringing and the door swings open. “What?” “Ah, I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure.” Somebody said, Caleb turns around quickly. “You… you.”
“Professor Seamus Blackwell. At your service.” He said before adding on, “I’ll be honest, I was expecting someone else.”
Change of Time, Fast Forward - Still in the Tower at Day
“Make your choice, Caleb. Who will you side with? Those who are like you? Those who know what you’re going through?” Silence. “Or those who will never be able to understand?” Blackwell said as he watched Caleb. “I… I… I can’t.” Caleb says as he rips another page from the book. Professor Blackwell is quick to grab his arm aggressively. Caleb grunts from the grip. “A pity, I seemed to have gotten to you too late.” He says before throwing Caleb harshly to the ground. Caleb grunts again from the pain as he drops the book. Blackwell walks to the book. “A damn shame. You showed great power, Caleb. Great potential.” He says as he picks up the book. “How did you know my name?” Caleb asks, looking up at the professor. “I know many things about you. And your friends.” “Leave my friends alone.” Caleb exclaims as he looks at Blackwell, scared of what this crazy man would do to his friends. “They have nothing to worry about. So long as you work with me.” “Never.” Caleb glared at the professor.
“You say that.” Blackwell started, pausing a bit before continuing. “I was like you. Everything… I felt everything. All at once, all the time. And then, when I got older I found I was able to change it. Change the feeling in others. Sadly it doesn’t work particularly well on those who share my ability, or we wouldn’t have a problem.” Blackwell went on, Caleb scoffing almost. “I guess consent is a foreign concept to you, huh?” “Consent is such a small minded concern. I prefer to think on a grand scale. Have control of all the pieces on the board. Know all the possible outcomes.” Blackwell said, stated almost like it was mere facts of the world. “Like… how I’d be here?” Caleb said, gulping. “That was only a matter of time, the book was always going to end up here.” Blackwell stated. “That… that can’t…” Caleb started, doubting the professor.
“Who do you think made the book?” Blackwell asked like he was talking to a toddler almost. “But it’s… it’s ancient.” Caleb said, looking at Blackwell in confusion. “Well, yes. But many hands, you understand. And when I finally got my hands on it, I knew… there was no way I’d allow for the book to be taken from me again.” “So you… what, cursed it?” Caleb spat out slightly. “Primitive, I had someone… adjust it. Ensured that, no matter where the book traveled… it would always find its way back here.” Black well said having stepped slightly closer, he leans in extremely close to Caleb. “You see, Caleb. Despite your friend's tenacity… they were always meant to fail. You chose the wrong side.” Blackwell hit Caleb harshly against the head. Caleb groans in pain as he falls back, head hitting harshly against the wall of the tower. Blood trickling down.
Change of Scenery, Back in Time - With Adam at Early Morning
“I love you.” Caleb said from the other side of the call before hanging up. “CALEB!” Adam said but froze before he looked at his phone. “Adam…?” Frankie said from the other side of the door to his room. “Are you okay?” He said before opening the door. “Adam… why are you crying? Was that Caleb?” He added but was startled almost as Adam started walking around the room putting on better outside clothes in a rush. Frankie watched but rushed out and just changed from his sweat pants to loose jeans and pulled on a hoodie quickly. “Frankie?” Ben said as he looked up. “Dress up!” Frankie said in an almost panicked tone even though he wasn’t sure what was happening. Ben and Sadie having gotten the message doing the same, Sadie rushed in and woke Caitlin up who was already awake and changing shirts after hearing them outside. They walked out quickly and saw Adam put on his shoes in a hurry. “Adam what’s going on?” Ben said as he rushed after Adam, all having their shoes on as they started running out of the apartment building at 3am.
“Come on, answer!” Adam said as he tried to call Oliver or Mark. “Finally! Oliver! Where is Caleb?!” Adam said in panic, feeling tears build up in his eyes but tried to keep them in. He knew he wouldn’t be able to run if he could. “I don’t know! I told him to stay in the boathouse but he’s not here anymore!” “Fuck!” Adam said as he hung up on Oliver and called Mark at least a million times. “Mark answer please…” Adam knew his hands were shaking from either cold or fear but he didn’t care about figuring out which it was. “Ugh… what?” “Mark said from the other side. “Are you still in Yale? Close to Yale? Ten minutes from Yale max? Wake up!” Adam said a bit rushe, feeling his legs go tired but the adrenaline was running high, he ignored the confused and worried voices from the others behind him. “What? Adam? What’s wrong?” Mark said, more awake now. You could hear professor Beck groaning in the background as well. Had they had an all-nighter? No time for that! “Caleb called me! StartedtalkingaboutusingthebookandbalanceandfuckingeverythinguphetalkedaboutdestroyingthebookandneedingitandnotwantingtoneeditandmeetingwithOliverand-” “Adam! Slow down! I can’t make sense of what you’re saying” Mark said, definitely awake. He could hear Beck tell him to put it on speaker. “I’m putting you on speaker for Beck.” Mark said doing so and told him to say it again but slower.
“Caleb called me, talked about talking with Oliver, using the book for balance, fucking up, needing it but not wanting to need it, destroying it and before I got anything more out of him he just said ‘I love you’ and hung up!” Adam cried out, the group behind him going quiet when Adam had talked, but even more after he said what Caleb had said. Adam could hear Mark and Beck curse as they were moving. “Did you hear where he was going? We’ll uhh, pick you up and get to him quickly.” Mark said as he and Beck had rushed out to a car. “The tower! The Tower by Yale!” Adam said as he also said where he was. “I-I’m with the others but-” “It’s okay! Go Adam! We will meet you there! Tell us if any destination changes!” Caitlin says and Adam nods. “Just pick me up!” Adam says. Mark agrees. After not very long even though it felt like forever, Mark and Beck arrived and Adam basically threw himself into the backseat almost. They drive away quickly.
Mark, Adam and Beck got to the Tower and Adam and Mark were the first to rush out and towards the tower. Beck was driving so he just turned off the engine and ran out not far after them. They got to the door and Mark threw it open, running up the stairs taking two to three steps at a time up the spiraling stairs. “Caleb!” They all called for him, Adam and Beck a little behind but not far. Mark got up and froze as he saw Caleb in the end of the top. “Caleb…?” Mark whispered, stopping Adam from getting the whole way up. “Mark, move! Let me see him! Is he okay?!” Adam cried out trying to push past or see. “Beck, take Adam downstairs…” Mark said, Beck quickly understood and picked up Adam, easily walking back down with him.
Mark sped walked over to Caleb and shook his shoulders. “Caleb? Come on, wake up man. Caleb! Shit.” His voice shook as he gently slapped Caleb’s face. Mark quickly pulled out his phone and called Sam on speaker. “Mark what? It’s like 4am-” “No time for that! Sam! I’m in a tower, Caleb is bleeding from his head and I- how do I stop the bleeding!?” Mark said in panic. Sam was immediately startled awake then. “Caleb? What- oh, any fabric of some sort and bandage it around the head. Mark? What is going on? Why is Caleb blee-” the sound got cut off and Mark noticed he accidentally hung up. “Great! Agh whatever!” He looked around but just took off his outer shirt and ripped a piece of fabric and tied it quickly around Caleb’s head to stop the bleeding, completely ignoring Sam’s calls. He avoided looking at the wall covered in his blood as he laid Caleb down gently. “Mark- oh god” Beck had managed to convince Adam to stay down there. “Is he breathing?” Beck rushed over and felt over Caleb’s mouth while checking the chest. “It’s very weak…” he said as he started doing chest compressions. “You stopped the bleeding? Was he awake?” He said while counting in his head the compressions. “I think so? I tried to wrap the shirt tightly around his head. No, he wasn’t awake.” Mark tried to calm down his breathing as he watched. Beck went down to give Caleb two breaths of air and then back to give chest compressions. Beck then leaned down to check for a pulse. He tried to find it again, and again before going up and looking at Mark shaking his head slowly. “I’m sorry…” was all he said, Mark looked at him with wide eyes and looked down at Caleb. “No… nonononono, no! No it can’t be! Caleb! Wake up! This isn’t a funny joke!” Mark panicked as tears started falling down his cheeks. “Please no!” He shook as he cradled Caleb into his arms. “You were supposed to be my little brother…” Mark cried as he hugged Caleb’s head. He went to his phone and quickly dialed his sister’s number, putting it on speaker.
“Mark? It’s 4am. What do you want?” Joan said in a tired voice. “It’s Caleb… come get here with the aid kit to Yale, the tower by Yale. Please… he can’t be… he just can’t…” Mark sobbed as he hugged Caleb. “What? Mark, what's wrong with Caleb?” Joan said quickly getting dressed and rushing out of her home. “Ma’am, I think it’s best if you get here and see for yourself.” Beck said in a sad tone. “Who are you? I- I’ll be there as soon as I can! I might be able to get there in 10 minutes.” Joan said and started driving. “We will see you there.” Beck said, knowing Mark wouldn’t reply. Beck hung up and looked at Mark before standing up. “I’ll let you be alone with him.” He said and then went down the stairs, leaving the tower.
(Here you can put on the song.)
Don’t go tonight
Stay here one more time
Mark held onto Caleb as he tried taking deep breaths but just couldn’t. He held onto the boy’s body, crying and sobbing, making him shake as he tried to think of what he could have done better in order to save him.
Remind me what it’s like
When Beck got down he got bombarded with questions and worried teens from Adam and their friend group.
And let’s fall in love, one more time
After a while Sam and Joan came rushing to the tower, Sam having contacted Joan and Joan knowing where they were. Joan was holding onto a kit as they both noticed Beck and looked at him in a questioning manner. Beck just shook his head sadly.
I need you now by my side
It tears me up when you turn me down
They all turn around when they hear the door open and Mark comes out with Caleb in his arms, hands under his knees and behind his back. Adam along with the others froze at the sight.
I’m begging please, just stick around
Adam felt his whole being shake as he looked at Caleb’s unmoving form and the fabric around his head. He rushed forward and looked at him again, tears welling up as he tried to find a pulse anywhere. “He- he can’t be…”
“I’m sorry, don’t leave me, I want you here with me
I know that your love is gone”
Adam cried as he leaned his head against Caleb’s forehead.
I can’t breathe, I’m so weak, I know this isn’t easy
Frankie and Ben just stood there before they started shaking and crying as well. Ben felt like he’d explode but managed not to. Sadie fell to her knees as tears streamed down her face, watching Adam stand there with Caleb.
Don’t tell me that your love is gone
That your love is gone
Caitlin stood there and watched Caleb’s hanging hand in silence, silent tears falling down her face. “Stop joking, this isn’t funny Caleb…” she said in denial, voice trembling.
Don’t tell me that your love is gone
That your love is gone
Joan and Sam watched everyone, both crying. Joan watched Mark stand there, with Caleb in his arms and Adam crying over him. She rushed over to him as she noticed that his knees would buckle. She helped them down as Mark held Caleb tighter.
I’m sorry
Rain started pouring all over them but nobody cared. Their friend was dead. Time went on eventually, Beck knew he couldn’t wait and muttered “I’m going to stop Blackwell and kill him.”
Don’t leave me
Beck had stopped Blackwell just in time. Blackwell was dead, but nobody cared. Joan and Sam had brought Caleb’s body to the AM after Mark and Adam regrettably had let him go.
I want you here with me
Adam went back home and met Caleb’s family and told them what happened and Caleb’s death
I know that your love is gone
Mark told the others (Chloe, Frank, Oliver, Jackson, Mags) about Caleb’s death as he gathered them all in one place.
I can’t breathe
Caleb’s parents broke down in tears immediately from the loss of their son. Alice just stood there, silent before going into her room and crying inside there.
I’m so weak
“What? The kid is… dead?” Oliver said with wide eyes. Chloe started crying along with Mags. Jackson just looked down in disbelief and Frank just seemed frozen.
I know this isn’t easy
On the day of Caleb’s funeral everyone stood there, even the sky was crying like God knew they lost somebody special. Everyone sat silently as nobody dared to speak, the people standing up to talk about Caleb only ending up in sobs and cries.
Adam stepped up, somehow managing to keep it together all this time. He opened his mouth and immediately started crying. He tried to calm down but nothing worked, he tried breathing calmly like he and Caleb used to whenever any of them panicked or felt overwhelmed. But everything he did brought back memories and he just started crying more.
“ Don’t tell me that your love is gone”
That your love is gone
That your love is gone
They watched as they lowered the casket down into the ground and then covered it with dirt. Flowers upon flowers were put on the grave once the stone was polished more.
Caleb William Michaels
1999 May 16 - 2021 Sep 19
“A wonderful friend, boyfriend, son and brother.
Saved and helped many without knowing.”
I can’t breathe, I’m so weak, I know this isn’t easy
Yale University had been shut down for a month due to a student dying on their campus. And Boston University had been shut down for a month as well due to one of their students dying. By the tower and by a big tree that Frankie and Sadie knew to be one of Caleb’s favorite spots became the memorial places. Hundreds of candles and flowers along with a picture of Caleb laid by each place as students mourned somebody they didn't know, saw once and known a bit.
Don’t tell me that your love is gone
Adam, Frankie, Sadie, Caitlin, Ben, Mark, Oliver, Chloe, Mags, David(Caleb’s father), Heled(Caleb’s mother), Alice, Joan, Mags, Jackson and Frank stood there, by the tower by the memorial a week after the school no longer was shut down. They stood there and just watched in silence, tears falling as they said their goodbyes again, the sun was shining brightly.
That your love is gone…
“ I love you too, Caleb…”