A loud noise woke Jamie. She sat up in bed. Her room was dark but she could see. There wasn't anything unusual about that. What was unusual was the loud, insistent pounding on the front door. Jamie waited for it to stop, but it wouldn't.
Whoever was out there wanted to be let in.
Jamie got out of bed. She looked down at herself and was surprised to discover that she was dressed. She didn't remember when she had gone to bed and she couldn't figure out why. She always changed out of her clothes. She was wearing the exact same clothes that she had worn to the concert last summer. They were covered with dirt. Her hands were covered in it too and it was imbedded under her fingernails. Like she had been digging in the dirt with her hands.
She walked to the bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway. Jamie tried to turn on a light but they wouldn't work. It didn't matter anyway, the walls were emitting a dull gray glow. Just enough for her to see by.
Her feet were bare but she was not cold. There was no concept of heat, or lack thereof, in the house. She was certain, however, that it was freezing outside. That was one of the reasons why the person knocking wanted to get in. The other reason was that they wanted to get to her.
She knew who the person was but she couldn't remember their name. It wasn't a person that you would want to meet in a dark and lonely place. This person was dangerous.
The knocking grew louder and the blows came harder and faster. Jamie was beginning to get scared. The person was not knocking with their hands. They were using something heavy, something that they might want to use to crush her head to a pulp with. She hurried down the hallway to her parents' room.
The room was empty, the bed neatly made as if no one had ever lain in it. Her parents were long gone. She ran to her brothers' room, knowing what she would find.
Nothing.
Everyone was gone. Their was no one there to protect her. She was the only one who could answer the door.
She started down the stairway, gripping the wall as if it were her only salvation. She realized that the banging was at the back door, and not the front. The blows were changing, as the wood became soft and began to splinter, giving in to the beating.
She quickened her steps through the empty living room. A dry wind was blowing through the lower portion of the house. It brought with it a dusty grit, like sand, that settled over everything. She could not imagine where that hellish wind came from, yet it was there. And it was familiar, Jamie had seen it before, it smelled of dry grass and parched earth. It hung heavy and thick, every time that she took a breath she could feel her lungs filing with the asphyxiating smog.
Jamie could not hear her panting lungs. Only the beating of her racing heart and the pounding on the disintegrating door.
The front door would not open. It was not locked and the knob was not stuck. It simply would not open. She began to panic, especially when the pounding suddenly subsided. As terrifying as the pounding had been, the abrupt stopping could only mean that the final obstacle to getting to her had been removed.
She closed her eyes, sinking into the corner, waiting for the blade that would split her skull in two.
But it never came. Praying for a second chance, she tried the front door again.
Then something terrible happened, something worse then waking up in the middle of the night to the sounds of a murderer, chopping his way inside.
Her hand stuck to the doorknob.
And it wouldn't come off.
On the other side of the door, someone began to knock. It was a polite civilized knock, reminiscent of old world flowers and ballgowns.
"Who is it?" she whispered hoarsely.
"You know," the person on the other side said. "You have always known."
And it was true. She did know. And that knowledge filled her with terror. She began to scream, as the door began to open.
"Don't come in!" Jamie screamed, sitting up in bed.
She took several shaky gasping breaths and grabbed the phone. She looked at the clock. It was 3 AM.
"Hello?"
"Jamie?"
"Yeah. . .Justin?"
"There's been an accident. It's JC."
"Is he dead?"
There was a long pause.
"We don't know. I'm calling from his house. The police are here."
"I'm coming over!" she said, already struggling into her clothes.
"If you want to I guess. But don't talk to anyone until you talk to me."
They hung up and Jamie wiped the tears from her eyes. She remembered the question.
"Who is it?"
But she couldn't remember the answer.
Joey stretched his arm over his head. He thought back to the last several hours after the meeting at the curly slide.
*FLASHBACK*
Joey paced the mall nervously. Sasha was supposed to meet him there. She had assured him that her sister wouldn't be home and that they had the night to themselves.
Joey told Lulu that he was visiting his brother and that he'd be home the next day. He had pretended not to notice the flicker of doubt in her eyes. Joey checked his watch.
Sasha was fifteen minutes late.
He finally saw her running through the crowd towards him. Her red hair was loose and curly and she was wearing leather pants and a jacket over a black tank top.
"Hey Babe!" said Joey, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Joey! We can't do this! Look! There's Sammy!" she said, frantically pointing. Joey's face drained of color and Sasha laughed.
"Gotchya!" she said, kissing him.
"Don't do that to me!" he scolded playfully. Sasha laughed.
"I feel like we're in a spy movie. What if someone does see us?" she whispered.
"No problem," Joey shrugged.
"I feel a little weird sneaking around like this," Sasha admitted. "Sammy really likes you." Joey shrugged.
"What movie do you wanna see? Scream 3?"
You'll be the one screaming, Sasha thought.
"No, I already saw that," she replied.
"Well what do you wanna see?" asked Joey, getting frustrated.
"Do we have to see a movie? Can't we just hang out?"
"Yeah sure," he shrugged. "So you like to shop?" he asked as she pulled him into a jewelry store.
"No. . .but I just love earrings!" She ran over to a large display of hoop earrings and dangled them from her ears. She began to try on pairs.
"Excuse me Miss," a saleslady said. "It is against store policy to allow customers to try on merchandise. Please don't try on any more earrings."
"Sure," said Sasha, putting some pairs back. "Bitch," she muttered under her breath.
"She was just doing her job," said Joey. Sasha just rolled her eyes.
"I could shop for earrings all night!" she continued.
"Oh boy. Really exciting night I got coming to me," Joey muttered. He didn't think that Sasha had heard him, but she had.
"This isn't exciting enough for you?" She raised her arched eyebrows slightly. "You want excitement?"
"Yeah!" said Joey, beginning to get excited.
"Then let's make some!" said Sasha, walking out of the store quickly.
"Wait!" said Joey, grabbing her arm. "You didn't pay for the earrings!"
"I know," she whispered. "I'm taking a hundred percent discount," she said casually. As they left the store they heard a voice behind them.
"Young lady? Excuse me? Miss?"
Sasha grabbed Joey's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as they continued to walk out of the store.
"Young lady, stop!" called the saleswoman. "Stop them!" Sasha pulled Joey behind her.
"Joey run!" she cried. They ran through the mall, weaving through the shoppers.
Joey lost sight of Sasha for a moment and then caught up with her around the corner. They ran through the food court, cut through the line at McDonald's, and ran between rows of tables. Joey could see the exit looming ahead of them and relief washed over him in waves.
Until a uniformed security guard blocked their path. His beady eyes were narrowed in anger.
Shit! thought Joey. We're caught! Of all the stupid things she had to do this! And drag me into it! My career is over!
"What's your hurry?" the guard drawled.
"We're late for. . .for. .. my friends birthday party!" Sasha managed to gasp out.
Joey heard shouting behind him. He turned, expecting to see the salespeoeple from the jewelry store, but he was relieved to see that it was just a bickering couple.
"You shouldn't run." the security guard told them. "These floors can be slippery."
"Yes, we're sorry," said Sasha lowering her eyes and looking suitably repenant.
The guard dismissed them with a wave of his hand and ran off to yell at a group of teenagers pouring soda off the balcony.
Sasha began to laugh as soon as she was out of earshot. They walked through the parking lot, laughing hysterically.
"When that guard stopped us I almost shit!" Joey laughed. Sasha eyed him.
"He was old. We could've taken him." Joey wondered what she meant by that comment. He just laughed to cover up his anxiety. They got into her car and drove to her apartment.
They walked up to the apartment, in lieu of taking the elevator. Once inside the apartment Joey began to kiss her.
The kiss soon escalated to more than just a kiss. Joey cupped Sasha's face in his hands and ravaged her mouth. Sasha wasn't interested in kisses though. She wanted it hard. She wanted it fast. And she wanted it now.
She pulled Joey's shirt over his head and grabbed one of the belt loops on his pants. Sahsa dragged him into her bedroom and threw him onto the bed. She quickly jumped onto the bed and straddled him.
Sasha pulled Joey's pants and boxer briefs off as brusquely as she had his shirt. She had a little trouble getting his jeans over his sneakers but she managed.
Joey was naked with a fully clothed Sasha astride him. She traced one fingernail over his chest, scratching his nipples. Joey moaned.
"Joey hun," she murmured huskily. "Would you do something for me?"
"Yeah," he replied hoarsely, wanting her to get naked too.
Sasha reached around him, making sure that her breasts hung into his face. She rummaged through the drawer in her nightstand before pulling out what she had been looking for.
It was a black leather dog collar with lethal looking silver spikes. There was a silver ring with a long silver chain attached to it.
"Oh no!" Joey shook his head. "You are not getting me to put that thing on!" Joey had experimented with bondage before and he hadn't really enjoyed it. Sasha laughed huskily.
"Not for you," she whispered, leaning down to his ear. She flicked her tongue around the rim before plunging it inside. Joey groaned.
Sasha handed him the collar and he fastened it around her neck. Joey pulled off every article of clothing from Sasha's body.
Sasha jumped ontop of Joey.
"Now you spank me and make me bark like the dog I am!" Sasha said.
Joey thought that her request was a bit odd but he really wanted to get laid so he consented with her wishes.
Sasha turned and presented her shapely rear end toward Joey. He gripped the chain in one hand and smacked her ass.
"Oh!" cried Sasha. Joey continued to connect his hand with her ass firmly.
"Can I stop now? My hand hurts!" Joey whined after about ten minutes. Sasha rolled her eyes.
"Fine!" she sighed, getting up and pulling off the collar. She grabbed a condom and rolled it over Joey's stiffy.
Sasha suspended herself over his throbbing maleness before impaling herself onto him.
Sasha threw back her head and growled fro the incredible pleasure. She began to raise and lower herself onto him. She rode him lustily, exhausting both of them so that they fell asleep immediately afterward.
*END FLASHBACK*
Joey smiled at the route his meandering mind took. He looked over at Sasha, her body bathed in moonlight.
Joey realized then, just how identical she and Sammy were and he began to have serious doubts.
Jamie pulled into the driveway. The street was filled with police cars. She saw Justin approaching her car. His hair was messy and his sweatsuit was hastily thrown onto his body. He hugged her tightly.
"What happened?" asked Jamie finally. Justin rubbed his eyes and stared up into the sky.
"JC. . .is gone. . .he left behind. . .a lot of blood."
"How much is a lot? Where's Mariette?" asked Jamie frantically, not giving him anytime to answer either question.
"The police said that there's a chance that he could still be alive. No one is quite sure what happened. The trail of blood leads from the bedroom, out the backdoor, and around to this street. Mariette found it. She had to be sedated and taken to the hospital."
"After the meeting at the curly slide me, Lance, and JC came back here. We decided not to let him out of out sight. At about nine we started drinking and Mariette had left a few hours earlier to go to her parent's for dinner. We were pretty uptight with September disappearing so we drank too much and forgot that we were supposed to be guarding him."
He sighed and Jamie rubbed his shoulders.
"We figured that no one would come after him," Justin continued. "So we left. A couple hours ago I got the phone call. Since I was the last one to see him and Lance was pretty upset, he wanted to question me. I would have told him the whole story but I found this on my car seat when I came to drive over here." He handed her a familiar purple envelope. Jamie swallowed hard and pulled out the green paper inside.
If you are not certain they are dead, do what you know you shouldn't, and be certain.
Your Caretaker
"What are we going to do?" asked Jamie tearfully. Justin shook his head.
"I don't know."
