The dark familiar form's outline was illuminated by light, "Everyone dies inside, everyone breaks down and cries, everyone screams silently at night, everyone has a tormented mind."

Taylor looked bewildered for a moment. Watching his friend light the black, white, and red candles that were arranged in a sphere-shape. "Tormented mind?" He asked softly.

Derek looked up sharply. "Everyone has a tormented mind." He voiced darkly. "We all have troubled thoughts that we just can't stop or keep out."

"D, man, you're seriously freakin' me out now, dude." Taylor said stuffing his hands in his pockets to keep them from shaking noticeably.

"Wasn't it you who said 'what you don't believe in, can't hurt you'?" Derek asked grinning slyly as he lit one last candle.

Taylor nodded, "Sure I did." He admitted shrugging. "I also said I'd have to kick my own ass if I wore tight pants. But that was three years ago!"

Derek simply shrugged his shoulders, the same sly smile still spread on his thin lips. "Tay, I know your mind is tormented as well." He said softly. "I know the torment your mind undertakes every day when you have to think, and every night when you can't stop the thoughts from coming."

A look crossed over Taylor's face before disappearing quickly. Nervously he cleared his throat loudly; "I don't know what you're talking about, man."

A bitter laugh unexpectedly escaped from Derek's mouth. "Don't try and deny it, Tay." He remarked dryly. "I see the emotions and thoughts that come and go on your face and in your eyes."

Noiselessly he stood and stepped silently towards him. "Everytime a girl screams in your face. Everytime one stops to talk to you. Every damn time one asks you out. You keep wondering if they would feel the same if you weren't known world-wide, if you were just Taylor Hanson teen-boy, not Taylor Hanson teen-star."

Taylor started backing away slowly. "Derek, you know nothing about what I think or the thoughts that come and go." He argued calmly. "You're not in my mind like that, D."

His head shook in disagreement, "You don't know anything about things like that with me."

Stopping, Derek stood and watched him. His eyes taking in the worried and scared look in his friends' eyes. The labor of his breathing as his soft panting could be heard. Waiting a second, he turned away and went back to his circle of candles.

"What if I told you I could stop those thoughts, Taylor?" He questioned softly; his eyes focused on dancing flames. "What if I could make it all just go away for you?"

Curiosity got the best of him; Taylor took a step forward. "I don't understand." He admitted self-consciously. "What are you talking about?"

A sardonic twist came about his mouth, "I mean, curing yourself of the thoughts that you don't want. The one you aren't admitting," He added dryly. His eyes looked up at him, "I'm talking about being able to live with one last and happy thought."

Something triggered fear inside him, "D, I still don't understand what you're talking about." Taylor said shakily. "I'm going home, call me when you figure it out or find a better explanation." He started walking away from the bright circle, leaving it behind him.

"Taylor!" Derek screamed loudly, almost as if in agonizing pain.

He turned back around slowly. Horror started coursing through his heated veins. Derek was standing in the circle of candles; a revolver pointed straight at his own chest.

Taylor started to shake visibly, "D, whatcha doin' man?" He asked nervously, his eyes never leaving the gun pointed at him.

"I can ease your suffering, man." Derek said smiling in delirium.

He shook his head fiercely; "My suffering is not all that bad!" He yelled angrily. "Fine! I admit it. Sometimes I feel tormented by my thoughts. But I can always change them. I can always think of something else. Something infinitely more beautiful than those ugly and tormented thoughts!"

Derek's head dropped limply, as well as his hand holding the shiny revolver.

"You can too, man." Taylor said quietly.

"No!" The scream was torn from Derek's throat, and sounded foreign and wild to Taylor's ears.

"No!" He screamed again, then there was a loud crack.

Taylor closed his eyes tightly and held his breath. Nothing happened. There were no more sounds, no more movements, nothing.

Almost refusing to open his eyes again, Taylor slowly lifted his lids. As he suspected his friend lay in the center of the candles, in a pool of his own blood. There was a deep and wet hole in the center of his chest.

Walking up to his friend, Taylor knelt down beside him, and gently closed his opened eyes. "Rest well friend." He whispered softly. "And be free of your tormented thoughts."

Then, silently and slowly, he removed himself from the scene. Leaving the dark woods in quietness that was abnormal to him. New thoughts and visions were racing in his mind, tormenting him once again.

"Thank you, D." He said quietly in a hoarse voice. "You've added your own tormented thoughts to mine." Deftly he ducked his head to the light drizzle coming down. It was going to be a long night…