Story Type: AU
Word Count: 4753
Warnings: Anti-Michael,
Beta Queen: Bigj52
Summary: It’s Devil’s Night and Justin is missing. Brian’s panicked, and Michael’s innocent act is failing miserably…
Chapter Summary: Now you know what stalking is, but not in a good way…
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are property of their respective owners, including, but not limited to Russell T. Davies, Cowlip, and Showtime. The author of this story is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended…
Things That Go Bump in the Night
Chapter Three ~ Shrouded In Darkness
On the side of the old country road that leads back to Pittsburgh…
Alex curses as he hits redial again. His phone keeps dropping his call, and he can’t get a hold of Brian.
“Fuck! We’re in a dead zone!”
Justin’s head whips around and stares at him with big eyes.
“No. No, it’s okay.”
Justin whimpers, “Dead, they’re all dead.”
“Who’s dead? Justin, is someone hurt? Did someone die?”
“Not real! Not real! Don’t touch me!”
His eyes are back to panic mode, shifting in all directions. He’s shaking, with tears running down his face.
“Hey, hey. It’s alright, you’re safe now.”
“I want to go home! I need Brian! Where’s Brian?”
“Can you tell me what’s happened?”
“Whispers, chanting, laughing. Someone’s touching me! Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!”
Justin’s hyperventilating, shaking, and crying. He whispers so low you can hardly hear him. “Not real, not real. It’s not real.”
Alex reaches out to calm him down, and he totally freaks out. He panics, clambers away from him, trying relentlessly to open the van door. It’s then that Alex sees that his fingernails are split and broken, from clawing at something. There’s dirt, and what looks like dead skin underneath them, and dried blood around his cuticles. The closer he looks at Justin, he can see his skin is splattered with tiny blood droplets, and what looks like handprints are forming on his arms and around his neck. Justin’s a walking crime scene. Alex needs to remove his clothes and preserve them. He needs to document all his injuries. Something horrific has happened, and he needs to take them to the hospital.
“Justin! Justin, it’s me, Alex. I’m not going to hurt you. Look at me!”
Slowly Justin turns and looks at him. “See, it’s just me. You’re going to be alright. I’m going to get you home.”
It’s then that Blake moves slightly, moaning, whimpering. Justin reaches out and pulls him close, holding him, rocking him in his arms. He whispers again. “I want to go home. I want to go home. I need Brian.”
“Okay, we’re going home, but I need you both to put on your seatbelts. Will you let me help? Can you do that?”
“No! No, don’t touch me!”
It’s starting to get dark, and the wind has a chill to it. Everyone’s senses are heightened with a feeling that they’re not alone, that they’re being watched.
“Reid. Start the van and turn on the heat. We need to get out of here.”
But the van won’t start. It barely turns over, and that’s when a chills run up and down their spines. Something’s wrong, something’s very wrong. There’s rustling in the trees, and they hear twigs snapping, off in the distance. Reid knows he should check the engine, but he jumps back into the van and locks all the doors. He knows it’s irrational to be afraid, but this whole situation has everyone on edge. He feels like they’ve walked into a nightmare. One that Blake and Justin have been living in for the last twenty-four plus hours.
There’s a flash of lightning in the sky, and the sound of thunder follows. Alex looks out on the horizon, and sees the rain is moving across the countryside.
“We have to get the van started. We have to get out of here.”
Reid nods at him and Alex grabs the toolbox, locking Blake and Justin in the van. They swear they can hear whispers mixed in with the sound of the wind.
“Run, run, run. You better run…”
“Did you hear that?”
With big eyes Alex stares at Reid, handing him a wrench to tighten the loose bolts on the battery. Damn, he wishes he had taken the time to replace it before they left.
“I hope that’s all that’s wrong with this old heap of metal. I swear I’m buying a new van when we get home.”
Reid turns the key and the old van sputters and coughs, but it finally starts. As he pulls out onto the road, he glances in his rear view mirror and is sure he sees a bald man in a doctor’s coat, with very pale skin, so white it almost glows.
Alex looks in the back seat and sees that Justin has placed a blanket over his and Blake’s head, and he can hear their teeth chattering. He looks over their heads and out into the night as darkness sets in.
“Did you see that?”
“Don’t say it! Just get us the hell out of here!”
~~~
Michael’s POV
Michael didn’t sleep well last night, because he kept having nightmares about Brian and what happened last night. He’s convinced himself it was all just a dream, even though it felt so real. That is, until he stands in front of the mirror, looking at the bruises around his neck, and the dried blood running down his chest. Panicked, he jumps into the shower to wash away all his visions from the previous night. He can’t help thinking it can’t be true, that really didn’t happen. Fear sets in again when he remembers the splintered bone protruding from his neck, and the ghostly whispers, ‘Who’s Brian …’
Still shaking, he dresses in a hurry, needing to get out of the house. He found an old turtleneck sweater of Ben’s in the back of his closet to cover his bruises. The last thing he needs is his mother asking questions. Of course that doesn’t stop her interrogation about why he’s wearing a sweater that’s too big for him, and a color makes him look washed out. Then she asks where the boys are, and why he’s having breakfast alone. She makes him sit at the counter, she needs the booth because the diner’s crowded. He can’t help lashing out at her, telling her to mind her own business, and then he storms out like a petulant child.
He’s eating McDonald’s at the cash register of Red Cape Comics, when he hears noises coming from the storage room in the back. Opening the door, he doesn’t see anyone but the place is a mess. Comics are strewn about and a couple of his stupid toys, I mean, statues are broken. He actually breaks down in tears, crying about never being able to replace them. In a hushed whisper he hears someone say, ‘You’re totally pathetic.’
It’s reminiscent of Brian’s old saying, but it’s not Brian’s voice. It is a voice that’s familiar to him, and that frightens him even more.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
Then he just hears that creepy, hysterical laughter, followed by, ‘Where’s Justin?’
He questions what’s going on, and why he feels like he is constantly being watched. Like he’s losing his mind, and for the first time he wonders what might have happened to Justin and Blake. He can’t help searching the internet to see that video again from the insane asylum. Staring at the screen, he sees the two friends narrating the video they made exploring the hospital. They show footage of their friend wisecracking about not believing in ghosts, and daring them to show themselves. Michael’s eyes are glued to the computer monitor, as he realizes that he’s the guy that helped him nail the board back in place over the door. He’s the one who jumped out of the window. He’s the one who was in his bed last night. He’s the guy who keeps asking, ‘Where’s Justin?’
~~~
Brian’s POV
Brian’s nerves are shot, he’s agitated, on edge, but mostly worried. The sound of the phone ringing makes him jump, and for some reason he’s starting to feel paranoid. It’s Lindsay, and she sounds overly cheerful, but her voice has that condescending tone at the same time.
“Where are you, Brian? Please tell me you didn’t forget about taking Gus out trick or treating?”
“Is it that late already?”
“It’s almost five thirty. It will start getting dark just after six. Are you on your way?”
Brian hesitates, knowing all hell will break loose if he bails. He really does want to see Gus, and he hates to disappoint him. Maybe it’s the distraction he needs from all his worrying. It won’t be more than an hour or two, and he’ll have his phone if Carl calls. He just hates not being home should Justin show up. What to do? What to do?
“Okay, I’m on my way.”
He drags Ted with him, letting him drive as he tries Justin’s phone again. Surprisingly, he’s able to leave a message, but he’s kind of pissed that Justin didn’t answer.
“Where the hell is he! He better have a good excuse for all the worrying he’s put me through.”
“Calm down, Bri. At least you were able to leave a message. He’ll probably be home soon.”
Glancing at each other, they both wonder if that’s true.
They pull up to the girls’ house and Gus is already waiting for him, bouncing with excitement. He’s dressed as a pirate, complete with a pirate hat, long coat and sword.
“Daddy, you didn’t wear a costume!”
“Sure I did, Sonny Boy. I’m James Dean!”
“What about Uncle Teddy?”
Ted grabs an old flannel shirt from his car’s trunk.
“See, he’s a lumberjack.”
“Oh, okay then.”
He rolls on the balls of his feet, swinging his little plastic pumpkin in one hand and his sword in the other. Brian hands the pumpkin to Ted, and grabs Gus’s hand, as they start down the street.
“Just don’t stab anyone with that thing.”
Teddy starts reminiscing about trick or treating with his sister when he was little.
“I always dressed as a hobo, dreaming about what life would be like riding in old train car, traveling from city to city.”
“And look, all you need now is a stick tied with an old bandana, slung over your shoulder.”
“How about you, Brian? What did you always go as?”
“A boxer. I always had a black eye and bruises to complete my costume.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Why? You weren’t the one beating the shit out of me.”
“Still. I’m sorry you experienced that.”
“Yeah, well… You should have seen the ridiculous outfits Deb dressed Mikey in.”
“I can imagine.”
“He loved dressing up as a gypsy. He wore some girly blouse with lots of ruffles, and lots of Deb’s scarves tied around his waist. Oh, and his makeup. You’d think he was practicing for his drag queen debut.”
Ted laughs. “Channeling his inner Dina Devore.”
Gus runs ahead to the houses to collect his candy. Brian plays with the sword, challenging Ted to a duel as they wait for Gus on the sidewalk. A chill runs up Ted’s spine, as he feels like someone is watching them. They walk several more blocks, but the sensation hasn’t lessened.
Ted asks, “Is it just me, or do you feel like were being watched?”
Brian looks around. He’s also sure someone is lurking in the shadows, but he refuses to believe anything’s wrong. Gus’s excitement is waning, and his pumpkin is almost full of candy.
“What do you say, Sonny Boy? You ready to start back to the house?”
“Yeah. It’s spooky out here, Daddy. I’m scared.”
Glancing around again, he starts to feel uncomfortable. He lifts Gus up and sets him on his shoulders, holding the sword as if it could protect them. The wind picks up, rustling the tree branches, and a cat yowls in the distance. Yeah, someone is definitely watching them, following them. He thinks he sees a faint outline of someone behind the hedge. Then it turns and faces them and it’s some ghostly-looking kid in a white lab coat, with a painted white face. Only, it wasn’t really a kid, and his face wasn’t painted, it was glowing in the moonlight. It’s the first time Brian has felt real fear in years, and he’s grateful they’re almost home.
Once they’re in the house his fear dissipates, but doesn’t really leave. He checks his phone, but there are no new messages. None from Carl, or Justin and he can’t help feeling like something’s really wrong. Gus is dancing around, swinging his sword, and singing.
“Brian, how much candy did you let him eat?”
“It’s Halloween, give the kid a break.”
“That’s so typical of you. Getting him all wound up and then just dropping him off with us.”
“Fuck you, Mel! Where would you like me to drop him off?”
“Brian. All Mel is saying is, it’s almost his bedtime and he’s cranked up on sugar.”
“You’re the ones that sent us out on a candy run!”
“Let’s not fight?”
“Fine!”
“So, where’s Justin tonight?”
“Leave Justin out of this!”
“Trouble in Paradise again?”
“Fuck off, Mel!”
Gus is still spinning around in circles as he says, “Justin’s with the spooky man tonight!”
“What? Why’d you say that, Sonny Boy?”
“Because, that’s what the doctor said.”
“The doctor?”
“Yeah. The one in the white coat with the spooky face.”
Brian glances at Ted, and they both go very pale.
“Is Blake with Justin?”
“No. Blake’s in a time out. He’s not anywhere anymore.”
Lindsay, in her superior voice asks, “Gus, what are you talking about? How do you know this?”
“I told you! The doctor says they’re going to live in the hospital from now on.”
“What hospital, Gus?”
He looks at her like she’s stupid. “The spooky hospital, of course.”
~~~
They’ve been driving for an hour and it’s pitch black outside. There’s no moon in the sky, just darkness. Reid glances over to Alex, as he slows down, looking off in the distance. The van’s headlights are illuminating the trees in front of them, as the road curves around. They recognize it was the spot where they stopped the van earlier that afternoon.
“Isn’t that the same field where we found the boys?”
“Did we really just drive around in a circle?”
“How is this possible? We didn’t turn anywhere, we’ve just been driving straight.”
Slowly, from out from the shadows they see several figures approaching.
“I don’t know. I don’t know, but don’t stop! Not here!”
“We can’t just keep driving, we’re getting low on gas.”
“What? We just filled the tank when we had lunch.”
“The gauge says it’s almost empty.”
Justin mumbles from the backseat. “Not real. Not real.”
They both turn to look at him. When they look back up the van is surrounded by people, but they appear to be from another era from the past. They’re dressed in old muslin fabric clothes, and medical scrubs. Their skin is weathered, translucent, and their bodies are thin and boney. It’s almost like you can see right through them.
“What the fuck?”
“Make sure the doors are locked!”
Looking back out at the road it’s empty. Darkness everywhere with just the sound of whispers in the air.
“Run, run, run. You better run!”
Reid slams on the gas pedal and they speed down the road.
Justin mumbles from the backseat. “Not real. Not real.”
~~~
Michael’s been walking up and down Liberty Avenue since dusk. He keeps hoping he’ll see Ted and Emmett, or Brian. He knows it’s silly, but he’s afraid to go home, afraid of who might be waiting for him. He could go to the shop, but he might be there too. He wishes Ben was back from North Carolina. He even thinks he wants to move there now with Ben. He’d go to the diner, but his mom told him to leave if he wasn’t going to order something. It’s crowded and she’s needs the seat for paying customers tonight. After all, it is Halloween.
He ends up at the loft, and he can’t shake the chill running up his spine, as he ascends the stairs. He prays that Brian’s home, but it’s eerily quiet as he unlocks the door. The streetlights shine through the large windows, leaving distorted shadows across the living room. He calls out, even though he knows no one’s home. He wants to stay, as he thought he’d feel safe here, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t feel safe anywhere, and he doesn’t know where to go. He pulls out his cell to call Brian, the call connects but there’s just silence.
“Brian? Brian, are you there?”
Then he hears it, the same creepy voice that’s been stalking him. “Who’s Brian?”
He throws his phone across the room, and hears it break as it hits the wall. Then hysterical laughter echoes through the loft. He panics and runs down the stairs, leaving the loft door wide open, still hearing the laughter as he reaches the street. He runs as fast as he can until he finds himself across from Babylon. He grasps the lamppost for dear life as he catches his breath. Looking around, he’s surrounded by dozens of costume-clad queers, yet his fear still claws at him, as he scans the crowd for a friendly face. There’s no one, not a soul, not even Todd…
Where is everyone? He feels like he’s stepped into the Twilight Zone. This is his Babylon, but not his people. Everyone looks freaky, and they all seem to be staring at him, talking about him, pointing at him. He’s unsure what to do. Should he stay, or should he go? He laughs to himself as he hears the old Clash song running through his mind. Someone hands him a drink and he gulps it down fast, needing something to take the edge off. He stumbles out onto the dance floor as his mind slowly melts. Soon he’s in a mosh pit with hard bodies pressed up against him. He gasps for air, as their cold clammy skin brushes up against him, making him feel nauseous.
Something’s wrong, and again he thinks to himself, these aren’t my people. Looking closer at them he realizes that they’re, they’re… Dead… The mosh pit is closing tighter around him as they all reach out to touch him. Cold dank fingers and hands run up and down his arms, across his back, through his hair, around his neck. Tighter, tighter, tighter… Less and less oxygen is getting to his brain, and finally he goes limp, sliding down onto the floor. Just before he passes out someone whispers in his ear, “Where’s Justin?”
~~~
Ted’s driving back to the loft, as Brian’s anger at Mel dissipates and his fear returns.
“We have to find them? They’re in trouble, something really bad is going to happen.”
“If it hasn’t already.”
“Don’t say that, Brian! Don’t even think that!”
“I can’t help it. I know everyone thinks he’s strong, invincible, but he’s not. He’s been through so much already, and eventually he’s going to break.”
“They’re strong, they’re together. We just have to find them.”
Ted knows, even as the words come out of his mouth, that time is running out.
Brian’s voice cracks. “I’m scared. I can’t lose him. Not after coming this far. I need him. I love that fucking twink!”
“I know, Brian, and you won’t. We’re going to find them, we are.”
But the words sound hollow as he says them, and he tries not to panic for his own sweet boy.
Brian’s phone rings, and Carl asks where he is. They’re almost back at the loft, when they see Carl standing at the front door. Waiting for the elevator, they feel a gust of wind breeze through them. Seeing the loft door wide open gives Brian hope, but it quickly vanishes as he realizes that no one’s home. Looking around he’s astonished. Nothing’s missing but the furniture is all rearranged. The Naked Guy painting is hanging over the bed upside down. Cocktail glasses and half-empty beer bottles are scattered around the loft, and all the bottles on the liquor cart are empty. He suddenly hears the sound of the shower running, but when entering the bathroom, he can see no one is in the shower. The mirror over the sink has a question written in the steam. ‘Where’s Justin?’
Staring at the mirror, his image is distorted through the steam, but through the lettering he can see Justin’s image staring back at him. He brushes his hand across the wet glass as Justin’s image appears briefly, and then as the water drops run down the mirror, it’s gone. He reaches out and grips the sink, unable to comprehend what’s happening. He can’t take much more, he’s at his wit’s end. He needs a drink, but he promised himself that morning that he wasn’t going to drink anymore. Well, at least not until Justin was home. Then they could drink the expensive bottle of champagne he bought to celebrate their commitment. Why is it that every time he’s ready to make a commitment to Justin, he’s always taken away from him? Was the universe trying to tell him something?
~~~
The radio in the old van suddenly stops working, maybe they were in a dead zone where they can’t get a signal. All they can hear is static, or maybe some weird white noise. Then strange humming, that slowly changes to soft chanting. Alex reaches over and turns it off, but it just turns back on all by itself. He tries again, and then he turns the sound all the way down.
Reid just stares at him. “What the fuck is happening?”
Then the soft chanting starts again, but it’s not coming from the speakers. It’s coming from under the blanket in the backseat. Both Reid and Alex turn and look at them, and that’s when they hear scraping against the side of the van. Looking up, Reid turns the steering wheel hard, just scraping the old wrought iron gate at the entrance to the hospital.
Alex asks, “What the fuck are we doing here?”
“What is this place?”
“It’s an asylum, a mental hospital. It’s been closed for decades.”
Justin screams from the backseat, “No! I want to go home!”
Reid has already started making a U-turn through the tall weeds. He swerves, almost hitting someone, but he doesn’t stop. He accelerates, speeding down the driveway. Looking back in his rearview mirror, he sees that same figure from before. A balding man with ghostly white skin, wearing a doctor’s coat.
“What do we do now? Obviously, we’re not being allowed to go back to Pittsburgh.”
“There was a small motel next to the café where we had lunch. I think we might be able to make it back there before running out of gas.”
“Okay, we could all use something to eat, and a good night’s rest. Maybe we’ll be able to reach Brian, if our phones work.”
Justin mumbles, “Brian, I need Brian.”
“I know, I know, Justin. I’m working on it.”
~~~
Michael finally comes around, all his senses on high alert. He’s blindfolded, his hands and feet are bound, yet he feels like he’s floating. He’s really high, and he knows that he’s been drugged. It must have been when he first got there, and someone gave him a drink. He can hear Brian’s warning, ‘never accept a drink from a stranger, or leave your drink unattended.’
He feels someone’s warm sour breath near his face, as someone tightens the straps around his wrist and ankles. It finally hits him that he’s bound in a sex swing. He remembers the one Brian gave him and Ben. Ben convinced him to try it out, but he freaked out once he was strapped in. Ben was disappointed and thought he was acting like a prude, throwing a temper tantrum. He demanded that Ben get rid of it, saying only perverts would actually use such a device.
Now here he is about to experience the true meaning of being owned. He’s scared, unprepared for the unknown, and terrified as he listens to the sounds of sex all around him. He hears the snap of a flogger whistle through the air and the cries of pain that follow. He can’t help wondering when Babylon got a dungeon, and where all these leather daddies came from. Fear is coming off him in waves, as he feels the touch of someone’s hands on his waist, and senses their body closing in above him. He whimpers and cries, pleading to be let go. This isn’t his style of sex. He’ll do anything else, but please untie his wrists and ankles.
“Just relax, boy, you’re about to have the time of your life! Over and, over and over again!”
He feels the swing shift, and the head of his penis against his entrance. Flesh to flesh, no condom, and no lube. Michael’s pain is fierce as his master plunges into him, pushing deeper. Tears run down his face, as he screams, begging for them to stop.
“You’re not afraid of a little pain, are you?”
~~~
Carl looks around the loft. “What the hell happened here tonight?”
After all, he only left there a couple of hours ago. Ted’s at a loss for words…
“I don’t know. It wasn’t like this when we left, and you were with us when we got back.”
“Looks like someone had a party! And what’s with the furniture being moved all around?”
“It must be someone’s idea of a joke.”
“Who has a key to this place?”
Brian’s returned to the living room, surveying the changes.
“Just me, Justin, Lindsay and Michael. Oh, and Cynthia, my assistant. But she wouldn’t do anything like this, and we just left Mel and Lindsay’s.”
“Well, that leaves Michael.”
“That it does.”
“I’m going to kill that motherfucker!”
“I wasn’t able to track Michael down this afternoon. It almost seemed like he was hiding. Although I did talk to the feds about Gary Saperstein, or as you like to call him the Sap.”
“You did? What did they say? Could he have something to do with Justin’s disappearance?”
“I don’t think so, but it’s possible. He was convicted for embezzlement and tax fraud, sentenced to ten years. He was in Federal prison in upstate New York for three years. But he was released early for good behavior. Obviously, they never investigated his sex crimes, and drug abuse. He never even showed for his first parole hearing, so he’s pretty much in the wind. I wouldn’t cross him off our list, but I don’t think he’s a real threat to Justin either. I mean he wasn’t arrested until a couple of years after Justin’s run in with him. But it sure would be nice to know where he’s at these days.”
“But you said it’s still possible.”
“Yes, but Justin didn’t turn him in for the sexual abuse. He never reported anything that happened at that party. He may not have liked Justin kicking him in the mouth, and breaking his teeth. But Saperstein would be a fool to come back to Pittsburgh.”
“You know, Carl, weird shit has been happening tonight. I know it’s Halloween and everything but …”
“What kind of weird things?”
“Well, like all this …”
Brian waves his arms, motioning towards all the mess in the loft.
“And earlier tonight when we took Gus trick or treating.”
“What about it?”
“We just felt like someone was stalking us.”
“Did you see someone?
“No. Not exactly. I mean, it was probably just a kid in a Halloween custom. But, it just seemed off, really strange.”
“But he didn’t approach you, or hurt you in any way?”
“No. He was just lurking around in the bushes near the girl’s house.”
“I can send a patrol car over to check the neighborhood.”
“No. That’s not necessary, stranger things are happening here at the loft.”
“Well, my guess is that it’s Michael playing a prank. He’s awfully childish and immature these days.”
“Isn’t that the truth.”
~~~
Somehow the café and motel seem more menacing now than it did earlier in the day. The neon sign is blinking like it’s about to burn out. There were other travelers and patrons around that afternoon, now there’s no one else around. Reid gets out and orders food to go, and gets a motel room for the night, while Alex stays with the boys, making sure they don’t bolt off into the night.
Reid came back loaded down with lots of burgers, fries, milkshakes, and a whole apple pie. Their room has two double beds and a big screen TV, hopefully they’ll make it through the night unharmed. Hopefully…
TBC…