Everybody's Back

Chapter 6

"Do what, Kev? Kev? Kevin?"Brian couldn't believe this,"Not again! NOT ANOTHER ONE! KEVIN!"

Nick placed his hands on Brian's shoulders,"He's gone Bri.." he was saying calmly,"Bri.. He's gone."

"No, no, he's here! We can find him! We can!"Brian had a funny brightness to his eyes, like he was losing it.

"Ok, ok, we can find him..."Nick said softly,"But, lets sit down first, before we look."

"Yeah,"Brian sat down hard letting his pack fall to the floor. Nick slid down beside him. Brian put his head down in his hands, he felt light headed. Kevin was gone! AJ was gone! Howie was gone! Who's next? He felt Nick's cool trembling hand on his back. Brian raised his head slowly, clearing it, "I'm ok... It looks like its just you and me, Frack.." Brian managed a weak smile,"Let me see if I can find my flashlight."

"Man, have I already said I hate this place?"Brian exclaimed,"I hate this place!" He and Nick had been wondering around the house for what seemed like an eternity. The figurines and paintings they passed seemed to be getting more grotesque and horrible as they went along,"Hey Nick, have we been down this hall yet?" Brian gave Nick's shoulders a small shake.

Nick was basically sleepwalking,"Hmmn?"

"Oh man, Nick! Listen, I know you're tired, I'm tired, and I know you probably don't feel good, but you gotta help me out here!" Brian said sounding desperate, his voice almost a whine.

Nick's sleepy blue eyes looked at Brian's long, weary face, then he looked down the hallway trying to wake up a bit and focus,"I don't think we've been down this hall yet."

Brian nodded, he appreciated Nick trying to participate, but he knew he really couldn't take what Nick said too seriously. He had been mostly asleep walking down the halls, and wouldn't have noticed if his own mother had been in one of them. They walked down the hall, hmmn... Nick had chosen well, Brian really didn't remember some of these ugly pictures.. He hustled Nick on down the hall with him. At the end of the hall there were double doors,"Good choice Nick!"

Nick murmured something unintelligible.

Brian cautiously approached the door, he was remembering the last time someone had gotten excited about a door. He put his ear to the door. He heard nothing going on inside. He stood a distance from the door and kicked it open. He grabbed Nick's arm and pulled him inside with him. Now where had Brian seen this room before.. It was the library they had explored when they first came in,"Nick look! It's the library!" Brian jostled Nick to wake him up again.

"Huh?... Oh hey, we've been in here!"Nick said, he yawned and shook his head as if trying to clear it,"Hey, if we're all the way back here, that means we're not too far from the front door!"

"Yeah,"Brian sounded excited.

"But.. But.. Wait... What if.. What if the crazy-bus-driver-zombie-monster-thingy-that probably ate Howie, AJ, and Kevin is there waiting for us!"Nick said,"We're lost."

Brian hadn't forgotten about that, though he wanted to. He didn't want to agree with that out loud, but he felt that way too. He walked around the library with Nick following closely behind him.

He heard something.

"Did you hear something?"Brian stopped suddenly.

"Man, Brian, I thought you had given up on that game! It's not funny,"Nick said sounding annoyed.

"No, it's not a game, I really heard something!"Brian said,"Shh.. Listen! You hear that?"