But he already felt it coming.

It was just like last time, only it came quicker. It began with his limbs tingling, his head clogging in a gray fog that was trying to suffocate him. He could feel it grabbing, clawing at the inside of his skin, pulling him into the place where he least wanted to venture again. But it was too strong to fight.

The light flashed.

He saw her waiting, perched in the back of the jeep. Though it was dark, something about her short blond curls shone, coaxing him closer. It chewed away underneath his skin, taking over every sense, possessing him with desire for her. She stepped down from the back, her shirt riding up and exposing the smooth skin underneath that glowed like the rest of her. It was all over him now, pushing him toward her and pulling her into his arms. Their lips touched instantly.

It churned inside him, ripping at his heart. A tornado of pain and shame thrashed through his body, but it would not let his mouth leave hers. He felt himself struggling to pull away, but he was locked in this place.

He was losing himself.

Tess broke the kiss, gazing up at him. Now it was so dark around her body. He could still feel it throbbing in his veins, threatening to break through his skin -- and it did. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His mouth was upon hers again, and he lost all control. It pounded in his eardrums as he kissed her and ran his hands over her body; he cried out inside for his mind to make it stop, to make her disappear.

She didn't.

They collapsed on the hood of his jeep and her shirt was gone, and the storm inside his body erupted with explosions of pain --

The light flashed again.

He was drenched in sweat, lying on his back, burning with hurt and fever. She was gone, his room surrounded him again, and the pounding was faint in his ears. He gripped the bedsheets tight to hold on to reality, and he began to cry.

He sobbed silently as to not wake anyone. He didn't understand what it was or why it insisted on taking over his body, each time arriving more quickly and with much greater force than the last time, forcing him into the world occupied only by her.

He hated the journey there, the journey to her. He hated losing control.

And then it came again, a slight tug on the inside of his skin.

He forced his eyes open and stumbled to his desk where he'd thrown his backpack after returning from the Crashdown that evening. He felt it pull again. His hands found softness -- the red sweater Liz had left lying in the passenger seat of his jeep. He gathered it in his arms and returned to his bed, lying on his side and drawing his knees up to his chest. His fingers tingled, blood pounded violently through his veins.

Liz. He cradled the sweater to his heart and wished for images of her to fill up his body.

More tears leaked from the corners of his eyes, and he held on tighter.