“Sister of mineee. Home again…” Pilar sings looking out the window at the falling snow. She clutches her knees tightly to her chest as she sits on the end of the large wooden bed, “Lonely in a crowded room. The radio plays out of tune, so silently. The radio upon the floor is stupid; it plays aznavour, so out of key…”
JC looks over at her and shakes his head slowly. She was so spaced out in her own world most of the time that he still didn’t know what she was like. And Justin had been asleep all day after his breakdown of some sort.
“Sister of mine. Home again. Sister of mine. Home Again,” Pilar sings softly, “Broken on a ship of fools even dreams must fall to rules; so stupidly. Words are all just useless sound just like cards, they fall around and we will be…”
JC looks at her hard and sighs again, “Do you want anything to eat?” he asks her softly walking towards her.
She stares at him with bright green eyes and says nothing.
“I won’t hurt you,” JC tells her. She hadn’t said anything except for the other night when Justin had been screaming.
She locks eyes with him and shakes her head no.
“You’ve got a good voice…”
She stares at him.
“Listen, I know you don’t want to talk, but it would make everything a lot easier if you did.”
“She doesn’t want to talk leave her alone JC,” Justin says from his pillows.
JC’s eyes snap away from her and he walks over to Justin’s side, “Justin? You ok?”
“I’m fine,” Justin sighs, “Ok my back hurts like a bitch, but other then that I’m fine.”
“What…what happened?” JC asks sitting on the bed lightly.
“I…I don’t know,” Justin says sitting up slightly.
Pilar turns around on the bed and stares at him.
Justin locks eyes with her and smiles softly, “Hey.”
She smiles softly at him.
JC looks from Justin to Pilar and then back to Justin, “Did you know her before?”
“No,” Justin says softly looking up at the ceiling.
“Are you ok though? What happened the other night?” JC asks looking at him hard.
Justin looks at Pilar and frowns, “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. It was like…like someone just kept smacking me over the back again and again with like a whip. I could feel it. I could hear the whip crack. I had no idea where the hell I was. I could hear men talking and laughing behind my back as they hit me…I…I just don’t know.”
JC stares at Justin oddly and sighs, “Will it happen again?”
“I hope not,” Justin says, “God my back hurts so badly.”
Pilar looks at him and sighs softly, “Are there marks on your back?” she asks as JC turns to look at her.
“I dunno,” Justin says softly.
She nods, “Bruises?”
“I can feel them,” Justin says, “I guarantee you they are there.”
She nods again, “I know you.”
Justin stares at her, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know you. I’ve seen you before.”
“We saw you once with your boyfriend,” JC adds in.
“No,” Pilar says softly, “I know him from somewhere else.”
“Where?” JC asks.
“Here,” Pilar says pointing to her head, “He knows me too.”
Justin sits up and stares at her, “No. I don’t.”
Pilar stares at him hard and crawls up the bed to sit by him looking him in the eyes, “Yes, you do.”
He shakes his head no.
“You see what I see.”
“No.”
“You see what I see. You see the water. You see the darkness. You see this cabin. You see him. You know him,” she says looking at him hard, “You know him. The young man with the green eyes.”
Justin shakes his head no.
“You know him…”
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“…You know the man…”
“…I don’t know what you’re saying…”
“…You know the man with the eyes like mine…”
“…No…”
“…He’s American too…”
“…I don’t know him…”
“…Yes you do…”
“…NO I don’t…”
“…You know the man who is supposed to kill me…”
Justin stares at her face blankly, “What?”
“…You were supposed to kill me…”
“…I…I…”
“…but you’re not now.”
Justin stares at her silently.
“Will someone explain to me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!” JC yells.
Nick sits on the floor hunched over slightly as Xander Brower rubs a wet gauzes pad over the deep cuts on his back.
Xander lets out a long sighs and shakes his head, “Whip marks, my God.”
AJ stares at Nick and the large gashes on his back, “Who did it to him?”
Eli looks at AJ and shrugs, “I have no idea. It just happened…”
Nails paces around the room and yawns loudly, “Where are Stanton and Cole by the way?”
Xander looks up at him and then back down at the floor.
Nate looks at him, “He left,” he says dryly, “with Cole too.”
“He left?” Tacks asks, “Where to?”
Owen shrugs, “We have no idea. They just left with this guy Brian. Said they felt a pull.”
Nick looks out of the corner of his eyes at Kevin who is staring at him hard, “What?”
Kevin runs a hand down his face and sighs, “It just happened all of the sudden?”
“Yeah,” Nick says, “I don’t know why or how?”
Kevin nods, “Did anyone say anything to you before it happened?”
“Say anything?”
“Odd.”
Nick stops to think and sighs, “No, not that I remember…no wait, Falco. Falco was there. He gave me something and just said 10:37.”
“He said that to Pilar,” Jackson says from the corner of the room on the floor.
Nick nods, “It was weird…really weird for Falco.”
“What did he give you?” Kevin asks.
Nick looks over at his coat on a chair in the kitchen, “It’s in my pocket. It wasn’t big.”
Kevin nods and stands up walking into the kitchen, over to the coat and fishing out a small parcel wrapped in tissue paper.
“What is it?” Eli asks.
Kevin walks back into the living room and sits on the couch unwrapping the small parcel carefully.
Jordan leans over his shoulder slightly as Kevin pulls out what looked to be a necklace at first glance.
“A crucifix?” AJ says oddly staring at it.
“No,” Kevin says, “A rosary.”
“A rosary?” AJ says, “What about it?”
Kevin stares at it and looks at Nick.
Nick stares at the rosary and then at Kevin, “Oh my God.”
“What?” Jordan asks.
“That caused this?” Eli asks.
“No,” Kevin says, “No.”
AJ looks at them and sighs rubbing his eyes, “I’m so confused.”
“What’s with this 10:37 nonsense,” Jordan asks Kevin.
“I dunno,” Kevin says honestly thumbing the rosary.
“This just keeps getting weirder and weirder,” Jordan sighs, “First the whole city goes to hell. Then all these weird natural events start happening and my brothers vanish following “a pull”. Then I almost get killed only to be saved by some guy my age who has an odd interest in Pilar…”
“What?” Jackson asks.
“Yeah, that Justin kid,” Jordan says, “He was really interested in her.”
Kevin looks at the floor and smiles slightly, “He would be.”
“What’s that mean?” Jackson asks standing up suddenly, “Are you telling me he knew where she was and you never told me?”
“No,” Kevin says looking up at him, “I think it’s time you let her go though Jackson.”
“You don’t know me,” Jackson says defensively, “You don’t know her. We’re supposed to be together remember? We saw it. We both did.”
Kevin looks up at him and shakes his head no, “You were supposed to meet each other. Just like I was supposed to meet these people. Just like my cousin was supposed to meet Eli, Pilar and you. Just like Justin was meant to meet JC. Pilar is very very important, Jackson, and so…is Justin. He doesn’t know it yet, but he is.”
“What are you saying?” Jackson asks as anger flickers in his eyes.
“I’m saying Justin is supposed to be with her. I’m saying Justin is meant for h…” Kevin gets out before Jackson punches him across the face and falls onto him punching him still.
“Whoa!” Xander yells running over with Jordan and pulling the two of them apart as everyone stares at them.
“Cool down!” Jordan yells at Jackson, “Calm the fuck down!”
Jackson begins straining against Jordan’s grip and trying to get near Kevin again.
“Jackson calm down!” Nate yells at him.
“Ohhh I see what you’re doing. I see it!” Jackson snaps at Kevin, “I know you’re intentions now, Kevin,” he snaps, “It’s not gonna happen. It’s not! I’ll make sure of it. Oh I will…”
AJ stares at Jackson oddly as he backs away from him.
Jackson smiles oddly and throws Jordan off himself, “Get off me. I’m not being around him,” he says motioning to Kevin, “Not anymore. I’ll do this on my own,” he says making his way to the door out.
“Jackson don’t be stupid you’ll be killed,” Eli says.
Jackson turns around and looks at him, “Fine, fine I see how it is,” he says and walks out the door, “Have fun Elijah!” he yells back.
“What the fuck was that about,” Nails asks looking at them all.
Kevin sighs and rubs his jaw.
“He left,” Jordan says stating the fact.
Eli sits down onto the floor and sighs loudly holding back tears, “Why the hell I this happening. Do you realize he was my best friend for years and now all of the sudden he hates me for some reason. My other friend is out there somewhere where she can be killed any minute and I’m here with people I hardly know besides Nails and Tacks.”
Nick looks over at him and looks down at the floor picking at the carpet, “Maybe it was supposed to happen like this.”
Eli stares at him.
“I mean…maybe you’re supposed to help us. You’re supposed to help me.”
Eli stares at him hard.
Nick sighs, “I dunno. All I know is that my back is all cut up, I can hardly breath without my chest hurting, Jackson just left, 10:37 has significance and a rosary has been given to me. Trust me I’m more confused then any of you. Hell I was supposed to hate Halflings and now I’m in a room full of them and they’re the only people I can trust with my life.”
Kevin smirks and looks at him, “You weren’t the only one who felt that.”
“Huh?” Nick asks.
“The whip…you weren’t the only one.”
“Who else felt it,” Nick asks.
“Justin,” Kevin says.
“Why us?” Nick asks.
“You’ll find out all in due time,” Kevin says, “I’m sorry I can’t explain it better.”
Nick nods.
AJ looks at them all, “Shit I could really go for a cigarette right now.”
Brian opens his eyes slowly and stares at the night sky above him. To his right was Stanton Brower curled up in a ball on the floor of the abandoned motel room softly snoring. To his left was Cole Brower and a girl named Evie they had come across curled up together. Above him the stars winked suggestions to him and the moon smiled optimistically. Where he was going he had no idea. What he was going to find there he didn’t know. He just knew that they had gone as far as they needed to for now. Stanton was worried about his brothers and wanted to go back to New York City, but on the way there they had felt a need to stop and rest to relax somewhat. To take a break from all the chaos.
He wondered what Kevin was up to back in the city. He wondered is he was still confusing the hell out of the Browers. He wondered if the Browers were still putting up with him. Oddly enough though he mostly wondered about what had happened to the two young men who had passed by them some miles back, JC and Justin. He didn’t know anything more about the two of them then their names and he was wondering about them. Odd. Of course his life was odd.
Where the hell was his odd life taking him now.
Justin opens his eyes slowly and looks around the cabin as he sees JC curled up on the couch fast asleep. By his side curled up against him was Pilar quietly sleeping. He frees his right hand and softly traces the curves of her face with his thumb. He touches his nose to her lightly and looks at her softly moving in to kiss her lightly.
“Why’d you have to do it Justin!” a voice yells and Justin jumps up turning around to stare into the darkness of the cabin, “You just had to go and ruin EVERYTHING!”
Justin looks around the cabin as he sits up in bed, “Whose there?”
“You were supposed to be one of us…remember?”
“Lance?” Justin asks panicking slightly.
“Oh Justin…Justin, Justin,” Lance says as his green eyes glow in the darkness and he walks out of the shadows slowly.
“What do you want?” Justin asks sharply.
“You know what’s going to happen now don’t you?” Lance says, “I’ll kill you both. Actually all three of you,” he says looking at Pilar.
“Stay away from her!” Justin snaps.
“Justin, you don’t even know her. You don’t even know her last name. What’s her favorite color? Her favorite meal?”
Justin stares at him.
“You gave your life up for some girl with a pretty face and a guy who’s a dead man,” he says looking over at JC, “You know we’ll find you. We’ll kill him first. He has to go. Then her. Slowly…painfully…you can watch if you like…actually we’ll make you watch.”
Justin stares at him angrily, “Go away Lance.”
Lances laughs deeply and smirks, “You just don’t get it, Justin. You’re a dead man. All those friends from training, they’ll kill you. They will hunt you down and kill you. You chose the wrong side. Those images that you see. This cabin and the drowning. It will all happen and guess what? She sees things too Justin, but she sees something else. And that’s her death Justin because we’re going to kill her. She knows it already.”
Justin stares at him and pulls his hands into fists tightly. He lunges for Lance and falls into the darkness of the cabin.
“You’ll kill her Justin. You’re killing her now because you’re with her.”
Justin looks around the darkness and begins to panic. There was no way out now.
“You’re not killing her,” another deep male voice says.
Justin spins on his heels and looks behind him as a pair of purple eyes pierce the darkness and Kevin walks out, “Kevin?”
“Justin.” Kevin says walking up to him, “Don’t listen to Lance. He is trying to play mind games. You need to stay with her and JC both.”
“I was supposed to kill JC.”
“I know. I knew when you were at the Browers. I also knew you didn’t want to.”
“You trusted me?”
Kevin nods, “Of course.”
“What do I have to do with any of this?”
“A lot Justin. So much more then you can even comprehend.”
“And her?”
“The same.”
“Will she die?”
Kevin looks at the ground and sighs, “I can’t tell you no, Justin. I can’t tell you yes either though.”
Justin looks at the ground quietly.
“I’m warning you though. Stay away from Jackson. Stay far away from him. You, JC and Pilar…especially you though.”
“Jackson why?”
“He’ll kill you, Justin. He will kill you.”
“What? Why?”
“You have to trust me, Justin, just stay away from him. I don’t know what he is capable of yet.”
“Ok…what should I do.”
“Stay here for now. Don’t come back to New York just yet. I’m trying to figure things out.”
Justin nods.
“You were meant for our side, Justin. You were meant for her.”
Justin nods, “I know.”
“You feel it.”
“Yes.”
“Go with your feelings, Justin. Trust them beyond everything else,” Kevin says as he starts to fade into the darkness again, “Trust yourself, Justin,” he says before everything vanishes into darkness.
Lance drums his fingers on the desk he is sitting at and stares out of the large glass window before him viewing the New York streets below.
“Sir,” a young brunette no older then eighteen says walking in cautiously.
“What,” Lance snaps.
“You said to bring in anyone who can provide information…”
“Anddd,” Lance asks growing impatient.
“Well, I think I may have found someone who can help us greatly,” he says.
“And that is?” Lance asks finally looking at him.
The young brunette steps out of the doorframe as a taller lankier older brunette walks into the room.
Lance looks at him and smiles brightly, “How can I help you?”
Jackson stares at Lance calmly, “You want Justin?”
Lance nods quietly, “somewhat.”
“I want Justin.”
Lance’s smile broadens, “You must be Jackson.”
Jackson nods, “And if I am.”
“Then I think we can come to a general idea that we both want the said young man dead.”
Jackson stares at him coldly and nods slightly, “And the others?”
“JC has no use to you. He’s mine.”
“And the girl?”
Lance smirks slightly, “She can be yours.”
Jackson looks at him studying his facial expression as he talks.
“Is it a deal then?” Lance asks prying.
“Do I get her?”
“Only if you deliver the others,” Lance says simply.
“How do I know I can trust your word?”
“Well, very simply put, what other choice do you have?”
