"Zac! It's so good to see you looking so more upbeat!" Diana smiled at Zac, eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes. He smiled back. "Do you know where Taylor is?"

Zac frowned. "He didn't come home last night?"

"Of course he did. But he's not down yet and I was wondering what was taking him so long."

"He's probably fixing his hair." Zac shoved another spoon full of cereal in his mouth.

"Could you go get him for me, please?"

Zac stood up abruptly, pushing his chair aside he mumbled. "Yeah, I'll get him."

Taylor sat on the floor of his room, his head leaned back against the bedpost, his ears flooded by the music from his portable CD player.

"TAYLOR!" Zac yelled, unmoved by the peace of the room.

"Huh?" Startled, Taylor took off his headphones.

"Get your ass downstairs and eat." Zac turned and left. "Whatever I do, I can't do it here." Hungry, Zac left the house. "Mom! I'm going to a friend's house. I'll be back in the afternoon!"

Zac stared at the playground of kids. Some with their parents, some venturing without them for the first time. Each kid smiled, they were laughing and enjoying themselves thoroughly. If Zac had seen the happiness radiating from the children he might have smiled. But he didn't. All he saw was Justin Wilkens, siting under a tree by himself.

"Hey Justin." Zac smiled.

"Hi. What's your name?" Justin smiled. Other kids wouldn't play with him. He had asthma. He couldn't run, he couldn't jump, he couldn't do anything.

"I'm Zac, Mack's older brother." He extended his hand, which Justin shook happily. "How come you're over here, all alone?"

Justin hung his head. "None of the other kids will play with me."

"Why not?"

"Because, I have asthma. It ruins everything."

"What else does it ruin?" Zac sat down, cross-legged, in front of Justin.

"My birthday."

"I was supposed to go to your party, but I got in trouble."

"Why were you in trouble."

"I stayed out too late."

"My mommy always puts me to bed at 8 o'clock."

Zac smiled. "You must have a very strict mommy."

"Nope. I have a good mommy. I love my mommy. She doesn't die."

Zac raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't?"

"Nope. Not like daddy did."

"Your dad died?"

"When I was little."

"How old?"

He held up 2 fingers. "This many." He said.

"Well, I'll play with you." Zac smiled. "And I won't die either."

"Really?"

"Yeah, what do you want to play?"

"Airplane!"

Zac laughed. He picked Justin up and swirled him around in circles making airplane noises. As he spun he took small steps into the woods nearby. When they were completely enclosed by the forest he dropped Justin carefully to the ground. "The airplane is landing. Landing, landing." He said, in a silly, robotic voice.

Justin laughed. "What should we play now?" Justin looked around at the woods. "How come we're in here? It's dark."

Zac grinned. "You're not scared of the dark are you?"

"No."

"It's just more fun to play in here." Zac explained. Justin seemed to accept this answer. "So what do you want to play now?"

Zac sat, thinking. "How about Hide-and-go-Seek? But we have to stay in the woods. No going back to the play ground."

"Okay." Justin grinned, as if a light had just gone off in his head. "I know why you took me out here!"

"And why is that?"

"Because there are more places to hide here."

Zac grinned wickedly. "Yeah. That's exactly why I brought you out here. Here, you go hide and I'll seek first."

"No, I want to seek! Please? Please, please?"

Zac shrugged. "Okay. I'll go hide and you count to 30, okay?"

Zac ran off behind a tree, as Justin began to count. "28, 27,29, 30, 31, oops. Okay, ready or not, I'm coming!" Justin began looking around me. He walked and looked under and few bushes and he looked up a few trees. He spun around a few times with his finger out. When he stopped he was facing Zac's direction. "Okay, I'll look over there." He skipped over to the tree and looked behind. "Hey! I found you! I found you! Wow!"

Zac smiled. "Yep you found me, now you go hide and I'll go find you." Justin nodded. Zac peered through a small opening just below his elbow and watched Justin hide. "22" Justin decided he didn’t like that spot. "23" The little boy ran to a bush. "24" He crawled underneath the bush. Zac sped up his counting a little. "25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30! Ready or not! Here I come!" Zac imitated Justin's spinning technique. When his finger didn't point to Justin's push Zac sighed and half-heartedly pretended to look. Then he turned to the bush. He walked over and lay on the ground. "I found you." He whispered, his voice a menacing growl.

"Yep, you did." Justin nervously got out of the bush and began to walk away. "I think I can hear my mommy calling me."

Zac reached for the little boy's wrist. "No she's not." He looked into Justin's eyes. "She's not out there." He said.

"Yes she is." He tried to pull away. "She's out there!"

"No she's not." Zac insisted. Trying to soothe and control the boy with a gaze.

"Yes. I need to go."

"No you don't."

"I do too! Zac, stop being mean!" Justin tried to shake free of Zac's grip.

"Dammit, this worked so well for Taylor." Zac looked away from Justin, holding his wrist tighter. "Oh hell." He grabbed the little boy and thrust his neck into his mouth. Justin's breath came in quick, painful gasps. His short legs kicked weakly against Zac's knee. When he ceased all movement Zac wiped his mouth. "Now we'll see if your mommy dies or not."

"Hello?"

"Ms. Wilkens, I presume?"

"Yes. What can I do for you?"

"I found your little boy. He was playing and um…well…" Zac shifted his leg to reveal the paling body of the young boy, propped against his side.

"Oh my god." Zac hid his smile. "My baby. What…how…how did this happen."

"If you invite me in I'll be more than willing to tell you all the details." He smiled, sadly. He forced his voice to sound soft and soothing.

"Alright, alright. Come in. Please. What's your name?"

"Zac, Zac Hanson."

"Oh, I know your mother."

"You mean you knew my mother."

"Did something happen to your mother?" Ms. Wilkens closed the door carefully behind Zac.

"No, she's find. But I'm afraid something might happen to you."

He smiled, revealing menacing, fanged eyeteeth.

She didn't even have time to scream.
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