+back to fiction+
Flash...
Joey crept through the hallways, following JC's instructions to the letter. He walked to the door that led to the bedroom. He stood there for a moment. Fear filled him.
He took a shaky hand and opened the door. The room was large and filled with furniture. He scanned the room and found the massive bed. It had a large wooden overhang above it. He let his light shine over the incredible structure.
He took a deep breath and walked in. The wood beneath his feet creaked. The room had an eerie feel to it., even more than he had felt a few days before.
"You there?" JC asked.
"Yeah," Joey replied.
"How are you doing Joe?" Lance's voice asked.
"Not so good bro," Joey replied knowing his face told it all. He looked briefly at the camera, giving it a helpless look.
"You can do it," Lance answered.
Joey took another creaking step towards the bed.
"Joe, JC here. We need you to get into the bed, turn off your light and let us know when you do it so we can start the time. Then complete radio silence."
"I don't know guys. This room really creeps me out. It'd be so much better if I could keep the light on," Joey replied.
"You can't, it'll interfere with the EMF detector. You can so do this," JC answered.
"I... I don't know," Joey replied taking one more step towards the bed.
"You can do this Joe. I know you can," JC said confidently.
Joey whined frustrated with his one fear. "Why can't I do this?"
"You'll be fine. We're right here," Justin voice replied.
"I'm sorry guys, I can't. I'm coming back," Joey replied turning away from he bed.
Flash...
Joey walked into the room where he found his four friends obviously upset by his choice.
"I'm sorry," Joey said to his friends, but more so for himself.
"Joey, we believe in you. You can so do this," Justin broke the silence.
"I can't, that bed is just too spooky. I can't deal with the darkness," Joey replied sitting on the couch. His heart was filled with disappointment. He knew he was letting his friends down.
"Come here Joe," Lance instructed pointing out the door.
Joey stood up and did as he was told. Lance lead him to the lighted courtyard. Chris and Justin followed.
"Do you mind? I'd like to talk to Joey alone?" Lance snapped.
"Fine!" Chris replied as he and Justin left them.
"Look Joe, I know you're scared. I was scared shitless in that cupboard when the lights went out. I even gave up, but I survived and there was no real reason to be scared. It's all up here," Lance said pointing to Joey's head.
"I don't know why it freaks me out so much. I'm usually so good at shit like this," Joey revealed.
"It's something you've never done before. That's scary, facing the unknown. You have to believe in yourself. We do... I do," Lance replied.
"You do?" Joey asked.
"Yes, I do actually. I'll be here for you, just like you were there for me last night when I needed you. It meant a lot to me," Lance confided.
Joey smiled. "I'm not sure why I'm saying this, but in case something DOES happen to me, I just want you to know I have this crush on you," Joey confessed.
"You do? I didn't know you like guys," Lance replied shocked.
"I don't really, just you," Joey answered looking down.
"Why didn't you say something?" Lance asked.
"Because I don't know if it's some silly crush or something else," Joey answered still staring at his feet.
"I'll tell you what, when you get through this and you will get through this, I'll take you to dinner. It'll be just you and me and we can see if it's just a crush or something more," Lance smiled lifting Joey's chin up.
"Really?" Joey asked.
"Yes, really, but you have to do this for me and for yourself," Lance replied.
"I'll do it for you," Joey replied kissing Lance's lips softly.
Joey smiled back at him as he walked back towards the house.
Lance watched him enter the house then walked back into the safe house. "He's gonna do it!"
"Hopefully," Chris answered.
"He will, I know it," Lance whispered.
Flash...
7 minutes to go
Joey laid paralyzed with fear. He was in complete darkness and his mind was playing tricks on him. The moonlight created shadows in which his mind moved. He closed his eyes tightly shut. The EMF was crackling and beeping wildly.
He forced himself to think of something else. Justin had suggested happy thoughts and that he had thought of JC. Joey let his mind wander to Lance and his soft lips pressed against his. A smile cracked his face. Joey heard himself start humming loudly as the EMF started to go crazy again.
Joey's heart pounded. The EMF detector was scaring him. He began to sing to cover the horrible beeping. He sang the first thing that came to his mind. A spiritual hymn called Go Tell it on the Mountain. He sang it as loud as he possibly could.
Joey heard footsteps coming up to the room. Then it sounded like there was in the room with him. He sang louder to drown it out, refusing to open his eyes. He felt as if someone was standing next to him by the bed. He could almost hear them breathing in his ear.
Flash...
"What the hell did you have to say to Joey?" Justin asked.
"I just told him about how I felt when I was alone and scared in the cupboard," Lance replied staring hard at Chris.
"I'm sorry ok? Shit, you gonna let that go on forever?" Chris asked.
"Chris it hasn't even been twenty-four hours. You get a little harassment left to endure," Lance laughed.
"Fine, whatever," Chris huffed.
"Anything else?" JC asked nonchalantly.
"Not really," Lance answered.
"Sounded to us like you were picking up on Joey," Justin replied.
"What?" Lance asked shocked and a bit embarrassed.
"We heard you on the monitor. Well Chris turned it up for a bit," JC answered.
"You what?" Lance asked raising his voice.
"Hey, you shooed us off. We all were curious I was just brave enough to turn it up until JC made us turn it down," Chris answered shielding his face from any swings.
"What did you hear?" Lance questioned.
"We just heard you ask Joey to dinner and something about finding out what something was," JC answered with a smile.
"I didn't ask him out. I just said I'd treat him to dinner. Not like you JC, who blatantly offered sex to Justin. We can hear when you don't turn off your radios," Lance rebutted.
Justin stood in shock his mouth wide open and cheeks flushed red. JC turned quickly to Lance's statement. "He's my boyfriend."
"You heard that?" Justin asked.
"Loud and clear," Lance smiled at his embarrassed friend.
"Hey we're getting off topic here guys," Chris interrupted, "Is there or isn't there something going on between you and Joey?"
"Not really," Lance answered.
"What does that mean?" JC questioned.
"It means nothing yet, but who knows," Lance answered.
"How long does he have left?"Chris asked.
"About a minute," JC answered.
"It'd be cool if you two go together," Justin whispered to Lance.
Lance smiled back to Justin. JC took the radio and kept it in his hand wa tching the clock tick down the seconds.
"Ok Joe, times up. Get back here," JC said.
Chris snatched the radio, "You did it Joey. It's your birthday. Go Joey."
Justin took the radio from Chris. "You really are Superman Joe. I knew you wouldn't let us down." Justin let the radio fall silent. He waited for what seemed like an eternity. "Joe, you there?" Silence.
Lance snatched the radio from Justin. "Joey, it's Lance, you ok? God please answer."
Lance waited for nothing. He felt his heart beat faster. "God damn it Joe, speak to me." Still nothing happened.
"Maybe we should go after him," JC said concerned.
"I'll go," Lance quickly said, already putting his gear on.
"We'll all go," Chris agreed as he put his own gear on.
Flash...
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Justin whispered.
"Honestly?" JC asked.
"Yeah," Chris replied.
"No, I'm doing this from memory," JC answered.
"That's comforting," Chris said sarcastically.
"Joey, you there?" Lance asked still hopelessly trying to get an answer on his radio.
"There, I think that's it," JC pointed to a door.
The four men listened for any sounds, but nothing was to be heard. JC opened the door taking a step and finding no ground beneath his foot. He felt himself start to fall. He let a yell escape his lips.
Justin and Chris grabbed for JC. They both caught an arm as his legs dangled into nothingness. Lance helped them pull JC back onto the floor.
"What the hell is that about?" Justin asked out of breath.
"It's the door that leads to the eight foot drop to the kitchen sink. We're close. It's the other door and up the stairs. He should be almost directly above us," JC replied regaining himself and pulling himself off of the others.
The others got up from their pile and followed JC through the other door.
"Be more careful, would you? We don't need a rescue party for the rescue party," Chris informed.
The group made their way up the stairs and opened the door leading to the third floor. The group stopped paralyzed at a strange sound that echoed through the hallway before them.
"What is that?" Justin whined.
"I don't know. Get off me, I'm not JC," Chris whispered, pushing Justin off his back.
"Let's just stick together. There's safety in numbers," JC instructed.
"What's that some kind of French wisdom? They say that about animal herds, which is all fine and dandy except for the one animal the predator picks off," Chris rambled quietly.
"Chris," Lance warned.
"What? I'm just saying I don't want to be the one picked off. Is that so bad?" Chris asked as he followed the group quietly down the hall.
The noise still undefinable became louder the further down the hall they went. Soon the noise became distinguishing. It sounded as if someone was almost wailing.
"Is that?" Justin asked.
"Oh god, it's Joey," Lance said rushing in front of the group and into the room that the wailing came from. The others ran behind him.
Lance without thinking or any concern for himself barged in. "Joey?" he shouted.
Joey sat up screaming. Lance immediately rushed over to him, while the others scanned the room with their lights.
"Joey?" Lance asked again.
"Lance? What are you doing here?" Joey asked as his heart beat frantically.
"What? You're joking right?" Chris asked.
"We've been calling you for five or ten minutes. You never answered," Justin added.
"I never heard anything," Joey answered standing up.
"Maybe because your monitor fell out," Lance pointed to the loose ear piece that dangled at his neck. JC shined his light on the swaying earphone.
"What was that noise we heard then?" Justin asked.
"What noise?" Joey asked.
"It was like crying or something coming from this room," JC replied.
"Oh nothing," Joey answered quickly.
"You ok?" Lance asked.
"Yeah, I was just singing to stop the sounds of this damn detector and the noises of the room," Joey answered softly.
"That was you singing?" Chris asked loudly then began to go into a fit of hysterical laughing.
"Sounded like someone dying," Justin said joining Chris in his laughter.
"Shut up Chris!" Joey replied sternly.
"Hey guys," Lance interrupted.
"What?" JC asked.
"We did it, we won," Lance shouted.
"We did, didn't we? Woohoo!" Chris yelled.
The group shouted and jumped around the room. Joey turned to Lance and hugged him tight lifting him slightly off the ground. He then returned Lance to the floor and smiled.
"Congrats Superman," Lance whispered.
"You owe me dinner," Joey replied.
"Anytime," Lance said pulling Joey's face to his and kissing the man passionately.
"Woohoo! Look at 'em go. Go Joey it's your birthday!" Chris hollered.
Lance continued his kiss releasing Joey when he was done. "And you ever scare me like that again and you better be dead or I'll kill you myself."
Joey blushed by the light of Lance's flashlight.
"Way to score Joey. I told you getting into bed would be a good thing," Chris yelled excitedly.
"Shut up Chris," the other four men shouted then joined Chris in hysterical laughter.
Flash...
the end