Memphis Ties

WARNING THIS STORY CONTAINS SEXUAL REFERENCES/ALCHOOL AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER AUDIENCES!
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Tag line: Even famous people must sometimes find out the hard way how life can be unfair.

His vision blurs sitting on the hardwood flooring, holding a glass clumsily in his hands.
The pregnant woman beside him laughs,"I got the hottest guy in music drunk."
His eyes are red with pain, and his cheeks are stained with tears,"No more pain," he slurrs, "noregrets." Justin attempts standing, and looks around the room,once on his feet, "This is like that sh** boat. Everything is spinning or coming in some direction."
She reaches for his arm,"Keep it down. The landlord already hates my pregnant a**."
"But, I'm on a tilt-a-whirl," he manages, stumbling over his feet.
"You are going sit back on the d*** floor," she half demands, pushing him onto the ground.
He whimpers momentarily, unable to control his actions,"I'm still spinning, but everything's getting dark, and I'm feeling sleepy."

He groans, waking to complete darkness, as the inside of his head pounds, like a drum.
Slowly, his fingers move along the dirty floor searching for his keys. Grasping onto the cold metal, he lets out a relieved sigh.
"You're a** is going nowhere, Timberlake," a woman whispers grabbing the keys from his hand easily.
"But they need me," he whines, attempting to stand, failing miserably,"My legs why won't they work for me?"
"Because, you're drunk. You're brain aint getting the signals."
Signals?" he questions with confusion. He reaches for her hand, missing,"Sh**signals." He mumbles, feeling the need to lean against the wall, before vomiting onto himself, "allreadyforhome."
She pulls off his top,"Come with me, Justin," she says barely above a whisper, getting him on his unsteady feet, and ushering him to a room.

His body is wet with sweat, as he finds his way to the unfamiliar bed, and feels her hands against his skin. She works her way over his body with delicacy, something he hasn't felt in a long time.
An amused sigh escaped his lips, when she presses around his special spot. He feels it bulge, and stiffen, as she throws his jeans into a Conner of the room.
His mind wanders.
He attempts to get up, but his body is too weak from the alchool, "Gottogethome," he cries.
"You are, so just relax." Her hand moves along his waistline. She half giggles,listening to his grunts growing fainter, "Time for sleep J."

Waking, his eyes can't seem to quite focus on the surroundings, and his head hurts to the point of crying, and his body,"Why am I naked? he asks coldly.

"You like to sleep that way," the woman from last night answers, as she walks into the room, pulling her hair back into a scrunchies. "It really doesn't matter Just. All that matters is you're OK."
"I don't feel okay," he croaks, pulling the blanket over his lower body. "I want to be home."
"What exactly would you call home?" She smiles sitting next to him.
"Home is where I feel safe, or so I thought up until those creeps robbed me." He closes his eyes, "I just needed some time to breathe, after all that sh**! Things should be normal, so I won't be forced into some physacatric home."
"I doubt it'll come down to that."

His home is a mess, as he slumps onto the hardwood distraught and angry. He wraps his arms around his legs protectively, "Better soon,"he slurs, feeling his eyelids grow heavy.

His mother moves his limp body to his bed,"Justin," she says, but he makes no movement or sound.
He hears a faint voice calling his name, and slowly comes too.
"Are you okay Justin?" His mother asks with concern.
He blinks at the tears stinging his eyes,"Trying to be." He pauses, and looks toward the window,"Who is the pretty lady outside Mom?"
Lynn shrugs,and gazes out the frame,"Nobody is out there, love."
"She is such a pretty person Mom. I wish you could see her."
Lynn smiles,"I wish I could." Her fingers run through his curls, as he drifts to sleep.

"You like it here," the pregnant woman chuckles, pulling the door open.
"This place is like a crack house," he admits."When my doctor told me it'd be good to see something worse than than the hell I'd been living I laughed. Nobody would expect a pop star in his prime to be hanging around a hole like this. Somehow I've become addicted to this joint. I thought about doing handyman work."
"You?" She raises her eyebrows,"What exactly can a boy like you do, other than sit on my floor and sulk?"
"I was thinking of fixing the floorboards. They left me with some nasty bruises, being all jagged."

After fixing the boards, he sits on the floor. His tired expression meets the woman who took his keys last night.
Her eyes search his looking for anything positive, but he is lost in himself.
"How's it been?" she asks knowingly.
"Oh, it's been you know kinda crazy, and I haven't felt too well."
"You're going back out on the road soon. That ought to be special......"
Sniffling he turns his head in the other direction, "I suppose. I'm going to miss it here."
"You can always come and visit," she smiles sitting on the floor next to him.
"This place won't be here when I come back. It has nothing anybody, but you and I would want. This place is sh**, when it comes to looks. I've seen places in third world countries with more light. You come here, and it is like I'm sucked into a fu'**in hole of darkn ess. I half like, but the other part of me hates this place, warning me that the devil plays hard here. He wants me to fall into this hell hole, and be damned, because my life seemed so heavenly before, and now I live as if I have no life. Those men took away my soul, and spitted it back at me in a million pieces. I don't ever think my life will be the same. I don't even know if I can look past it all."
Kissing his forehead, she whispers, "You will. Close your eyes."
"I'm not in the mood," he whimpers, as her hands run down his sweaty undershirt,"Come on Just," she encourages, pulling his shirt down over his bruised abdomen,"you and I need to talk in the bedroom."
"No," he yells jerking his head to the side.
"Shh," he hears closing his eyelids tightly, but something inside of him is telling him to obey.

Giving in, she drags him to the bedroom. His head of curls rests against her shoulder, "Justin look at me," she demands. His blue eyes focus on her blurry face. "Don't be afraid. I know you are starting to remember the girl that only you could see..."
"What girl?" he questions. "You're talking crazy."
"No Just, my twin sister came to you. She told me."
"You have a twin Val?" He blinks at the tears stinging his eyes.
"Yes, but she is no longer here at least not physically. She thinks you are a very special guy."
"No, I'm just a dude trying to make life work," he manages, and I think it is insane to fathom that those that have gone before us have come back......" He pauses suddenly feeling cold.
"She's working her magic right now, JMan, by making your non-believing a** chilled.
"More so y'all didn't pay the electric bill and the company aint too pleased. I can afford it, if you want me to pay."
"That isn't it! Now listen to your heart! You can be so difficult at times," she yaps.
"I can't deal with made up sh**! Next you'll tell me about a lovely little fairy who can grant my every wish. This is the real world, crackhead or not. You have too see the difference."
"I'm not going to tell you about a fu'**in fairy, or that Santa is going to come down your fancy a** chimney. What I'm telling you is the God's honest truth Timberlake. You're going to see that one way or another, eventually."
What is that some effed up threat?" he grumbles distancing himself from her.
"I am not about making threats. You'll see soon enough."
"I am tired of all this," he sobs walking toward the door."I want out."
She grabs at his hands,"Stay, you're a mess."
"Because of you," he groans
"You wanted to live the idol life! I wasn't the one who broke into your classy home. You put yourself out there. You cannot blame me for that," she states grabbing his chin harshly, "Look at me."
"I can't," he moans, taking a deep breath,"I just need out. No more commitments."
Her hand creases his peachy face,as her free hand wraps around his body,"You aren't thinking. Just relax," but he moves out of her grasp, taking off out the door.

Two a.m., Justin coughs shuttering at the terrible sensation running through his head,"Momma?" he chatters hoarsely in the darkness.
Silence surrounds his achy frame. Lifting his head from the hard surface, he winces at the shooting pain through his skull.
"Fu**," he mummers as his eyes focus on the red sticky substance covering his hands. Reaching for napkins in the glove compartment, he wipes away the blood, leaning his head against the leather interior of his Chevy.
His body shakes violently,as he eyes the river, inches from him,"I shouldn't be here."
"You have a purpose for being here tonight," a voice calls out, "hang in there. You're going to make it through this."
"I'm so tired,and cold, and my head......" He grabs his scalp,"Hurts."
A bright blinding light surrounds his motionless frame. He senses it enveloping him, sucking him into an unknown universe. Justin opens his mouth to speak, but no words he can utter, as his eyelids grow heavy, and he drifts into a deep sleep.

Six-forty-three a.m.,His eyes flutter in the dim lit room,"Momma?" he questions nervously receiving no answer he sighs.
"Shh," a womanly voice whispers.
"I need to see Momma," he tries weakly.
"In time Justin. You're not doing too well right now, and need your rest." She gently pats his hand,"Tell me about what happened last night?"
"I lost my balance on a stupid rock," he shrugs.
"You're not telling me everything, and I need to know to help you."
"I'm too damn tired for this." His eyelids droop,"So sleepy."
Covering his body with a heated blanket, she glances at the numerous monitors,"Do you want me to call Val, and tell her to come down?"
Val?" He ponders the thought, racking his brain, remembering who Val is,"sure."

Eleven-thirty a.m.,"What were you thinking?"
"I had no idea what I was getting myself into," he sobs."I'm so sorry. You can leave, if you want too."
"I have no plans to go anywhere," Val declares.
"You really care about me," he shutters,"and I'm so stupid for not letting you in."
"Let's not worry about this right here. You have a nasty bump on your head. I'll take you home with me...."
"I want to be alone, my own home, even if it is broken."
"No, you're not stable, and I can't even think how your mother will react to all this," she grimaces.
He slowly sits dizzily,"My real home is where I need to be," he pleads."
"Fine, I'll drive you there, but were not staying. Grab some personal items, and then were heading back to the apartments."
"Whatever," he sighs, as his breathing begins to slow.

This is the room that still has the warmth and compassion he loves most. A baby grand piano is the centerpiece of the empty living room: Justin's heart and sole linger within the ivroy keys. Whether he pounces or delicately tackles the keys he finds great comforter.
The sun bounces of his dull color face,as his fingers move into place. He cringes at the growing nauseated feelings running through his body.
They wash away. The music whisks him from the trouble suffocating his mind, body and soul, as Val watches him in utter amazement.
He pulls himself from the keys, gazing at his bag of personal items,"I guess I'm ready."
"Good," she says linking her arm around his waistline for support.

"You don't pack lightly do you?" she chuckles,"If I didn't know better I'd think you were Santa."
"Santa doesn't exist, so there's no comparison. It really isn't much, or at least I don't think it is." He rests his head against the interior,"I'll put something back if you think should."
"I'm not letting you step foot in that house of horrors for a long time," she dishearteningly admits.
"But Momma is going to wonder...."He pauses shakily, "I'm going to have to at least talk to Momma."
"I'm not holding you back from speaking with your mother, Justin. I just don't thing you are ready to face her, after you're Stormy night. You cannot keep living like you do. Does she know how unhappy you are?"
"She's unclear about me, and my life after the break in. She doesn't want to believe I'm broken, and I want nothing to do with the ties that bound me. I never wanted her to feel like I've dejected her, but Memphis isn't for me anymore. I'm don't know where it would be right...." He stops wiping at the tears burning his blue orbs. "I want to get this right," he sobs, at the car comes to an abrupt halt.
"You will," he hears, as a chill runs through his spine.
"Who said that?" he questions eyes wide with worry?"
"Said what, Justin?" she implies.
"Somebody said I will find my way," he deeply breathes.
"You can," she smiles, bringing her arms around his frail form, in hopes that he won't continue on about the voice,"Shh."
"Take me home," he cries with desperation.
"We'll be there shortly," she assures,"Try to relax, Justin."

The apartment is chilly, as Val wraps a blanket around his troubling form, "Are you feeling better after your nap in the car?"
He shrugs his shoulders,"Not at all. Why won't you talk to me about the voice? Is it because I'm going crazy?"
"Because you didn't want to deal with the woman I told you about before, and I doubt you are willing to believe, just yet."
He questions, "Am I in some kind of weird cult?"
"No, ghosts happen, and one just so happens to be my sister."
"You're right, I'm not ready to deal with this. Sorry for sounding insensitive," he sighs sadly,"Something has to change, and soon."
"Things always have a way of working themselves out. Give it time, Just."
"I'm not sure I can," he weeps softly into her worn tee-shirt,"Am I savable?"
"Of course you are," She pats his back,"You want to rest in here while I go speak to Alley?"
"I suppose," he closes his eyes, leaning against his pillow.

He awakes to darkness, and distant chatter,"Alone again," he muses shifting his distraught form to the side of the bed. His fingers run along his bruised scalp, and down his battered sweaty facial features. "Nobody fu**in wants me," he breathes heavily.
"They're all probably sh** wasted, and forgot all about the damaged star sleeping in the room not too far from them....
Footsteps, he hears them, as the sounds of voices fade from his ears. Loud and clunky shoes hitting the old wooden boards, coming closer send Justin into a tailspin.
"Anyone in here?" a husky man shouts, pounding on the door.
Gasping, Justin watches the door handle, and then the door fly open revealing a bulky man in uniform. He squints at the gruff figure flashing a light.
"Sir you'll have to get up. We've been stinging this place for the last week."
"Sh**," Justin seethes under his breath, as he quickly pulls the sheets from himself, and stands before the man.
"I won't do anything, if you come with me. Hands behind your back."
Justin cringes, as his head fills with a deep blistery sensation. The icy cuffs against his skin burn, as they grow tighter.
"Out with you now,' the officer demands.

Sitting on the floor, he watches the police search the apartment. His body trembles, knowing he is next.
"An injection," he states to himself, as his blue eyes grow wide,"He wants to shoot me up with whatever @#$% is in there to get something out of me."
His eyes are menacing trying to look at every nook and cranny on Justin's body, "This will all be over soon," he grumbles, taking Justin's nightshirt sleeve, and lifting it quickly.
Another officer questions, "What's your name son?"
"Justin," he stutters softly, turning to face this new man. He closes his eyes feeling an intense jab in his arm.

Twenty minutes later, Justin yawns drowsily attempting to focus on his surroundings. Everything is fuzzy, coming out of the sedation drugs.
"You are in the hospital again," a womanly voice says.
"Cause I fu@#ed up," he replies growing angry.
"You made a bad choice, but it will be okay. You need to move on. Val is so sorry about all this."
"Now, the world thinks I'm a criminal," he sobs.
"No, they were informed it was a misunderstanding. It will blow over, like your attitude should."
"I would try if something started to go right for a change," he explains, as his voice becomes hoarser.

The next morning,"Momma," Justin says with fear evident his deep blue eyes,"I'm not ready for another interview like this."
"Just tell them what we discussed Justin. We'll get through this."
"That's just it Mom, I'm not about to lie. I had that concussion long before landing my a@@ in that crack house. I have connections with them. I'm not about to give them hell when they did more good for me than bad. Val that girl is amazing..."
"Justin, that is no place for you to be living. It is got they were exposed like this, before you got hurt."
"Hurt?" His eyes grow wide, "Hurt was me being dejected by my own mother after three guys decided to break in, hold me a gun point and tell me I was a fu'@#er, and shouldn't be alive. You tried to pass it off as something I could easily get over, but I hadn't. When you started realizing what a wreck I was, you sent me to see this weird man who smelled like bad Colene, and only cared to take me on because I had buckets of money to keep him in business, as long as my paycheck would keep going up. He told me to go see how the real world is, visiting a home full of people on drugs. I learned a lot from these guys."
"I never meant to hurt you, by doing that. I figured the doctor knew a lot better than I would have.' Her hand runs along is back creating soothing motion, "Shh, you can call this off and you and I can spend some time together to think this all through...."
His tired blues wander the room, before meeting hers, "I owe this to my fans to stay true. I have to do this for them to understand my reasoning."
"Okay Justin," she says turning on her heels to walk out of the room.

Five p.m., Justin answers the phone in a raspy sounding voice,"Hello?"
"Hey there J Man, sorry about all that. The police released me finding nothing to convict me of, other than being in the wrong place at the right time."
"I miss you Val," he sighs, and closes his eyes.
She inquires, "You want me to stop by later?"
"That'd be great," his voice full of desperation.

"You've done some organizing," she laughs.
'I had to get to it eventually. It may help to get past the trama, I've faced. Mostly, it's a lot of glass. They mutilated my costome picture frames."
She bends to the floor gazing at the destroyed photos, eyeing one piticular photograph,"Do you know who this girl is?"
He shrugs his shoulders,"I can't think straight," he mumbbles running his fingers along the healing facial bruises. His eyelids are heavy, and reasonably swollen.
"How is your head feelling?' she asks with concern.
"Sleepy from the pain medications," he sighs.

She clould listen to him play the piano for hour with ease.
He stops abruptly, at the sensation of somebody's hand's atop of his, "Stop," he seethes, "fuc**n stop please."
His head shoots in every direction, "what is this?"
Val grasps his hands, "No one is here, Just. Keep playing.
"I hear her. Why can't you?" He wipes at the tears stinging his saphire eyes.
"I'm not sure," she sighs.
He pounds on the keys, closing his eyes, and falling into a trance like state. His breaths slow, as the rockish meldoy lulls to a ballady masterpiece.

Later, his eyes drift from face to face. There's a sea of eyes starring trying to figure him out, understand where he is comming from.
He steps forward into the disco light, and quickly grabs the microphone. His voice is smooth, and soothing, and he pulls it off seeming in good sprits, when inside he couldn't be more broken.
His newest album is selling like hotcakes. A small smile forms on his face at this accomplishment, but it quickly fades when someone in the audience reminds him of the atttack, "Why didn't you give it to them? You act all big and mighty in these songs, but really you're a @#$%!"
Justin half shouts, "I was fu**in scared, ya know? When somebody has a gun to your head unless you're physco you aint gonna fight it at the chance they'll blow your brains out. I'm here to preform, and that's what I'm gonna do."

The fans are gone, and he is safe in her arms in his bedroom, "Shhh," she says,"You're with me now, and everything is going to be okay."
"I believe you," he whispers,"more than ever, I do."
"You'll always have a place with me," she tells him, pushing the fine curls from his eyes.
"Memphis ties us together. No other location will ever be as special as Memphis, even after the heart break...."
She kisses his head lovingly, as his eyes close.
"He's falling fast for you," her sister smiles, "just like I had said."
"It's early yet," Val replies," and he is still struggling to survive, anything else happens, and he made need to be hospitalized. He's so lost in himself he can't cope with what is around him."
"Sometimes bad brings the good out of people, and Justin is one of them. He hasn't climbed to the peak of the hill yet."
Val shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know what you are getting at."
"You'll see shortly," she says before vanishing into thin air.

The ringing of his cell phone wakes him, "Hello?"
"Mr. Timberlake, I have some unfortunate news, I need you to come down to the police station, because we believe we have found your biological father and step-mom perished in a car wreck."
"I'll be right there," he breathes unsteadily.

At the station, Justin gasps at the two boys sitting with a female officer.
"Justin," the children cry, as he approaches them, with his heart caught in his throat.
"Are you two okay?"
Jonathan the oldest wipes at his eyes,"We want Mommy and Daddy."
Bending down, Justin embraces them,"I'm not sure we can have them." He sniffles, and picks Steven off the ground holding him tightly in his arms,"We're going to get through this together." He wraps his freehand around Jonathan's fingers, "I have go talk to the policemen. I promise to be back in a few minutes. The nice police woman will watch you for a bit more, okay?"
The two kids nod their heads, as Justin places Steven in her arms, and walks away.