Characters: Kelly, Justin, Lance, Joey, Chris and J.C.
CHAPTER 1 Day 1, Kelly
Chris looked surprised at the cabin, he'd thought it would be empty but they could all clearly hear the music.
- That's odd, J.C. mumbled and unlocked the door.
- No kidding, Justin said and walked in after him.
Lance walked past the others and into the living room to find a blond girl vacuuming with the radio on, on full effect. He smiled and tapped her on the shoulder. She quickly turned around and saw him and the other guys.
- Oh my god, she sighed and turned off the vacuum cleaner and the radio, Don't scare people like that!
She hit him easily and smiled.
- I'm guessing that you are staying for the three weeks that the cabin is booked?
- Yeah, he smiled, And you are...?
- Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Kelly...
- Housekeeper? Chris said and looked at her.
- No, she giggled, that you're doing yourself. My father owns the cabins here...
- Weren't we going to be alone here? J.C. said thinking about fans coming and disturbing their vacation.
She smiled and walked over to him and putted her hand on his shoulder.
- I live a ten-minute walk from here, three if you run all the way, trust me... I know.
- Well, he said, hmm... I meant that as in, are we going to be surrounded by other people all the time or...?
- I know what you mean silly, she smiled and kissed him on the cheek, And no, it's an hour walk to any other house, and you can't run the whole time...
- What's up with this running thing? Justin said feeling kind of left out.
- I run a lot, she smiled, You would too if you were in my shoes.
She kissed him on the cheek too and smiled.
- My phone number is beside the phone here in the living room, and on the refrigerator in case you'd drop it, she turned to Chris and smiled, Feel free to visit me, okay guys?
She looked at all of them, she let her hand slide down from J.C.'s shoulder down to his hand and smiled. After that she put away the vacuum cleaner and left with a simble 'bye'.
They looked at each other. Still surprised that there'd been someone there when they'd arrived.
- Well, Chris said after a while, I like her...
- You are not alone, J.C. smirked.
Lance shook his head and smiled.
- As long as we don't start fighting over her because we're all single and she's a very attractive...
- There's no need to fight, Justin interrupted.
- Cause we all saw who she was most interested in, J.C. said and looked at the others with a big grin.
- I personally think that she'll pick the one who she likes so there's no need, Lance sighed.
- Exaclyt, J.C. interrupted again, Me.
- You didn't see the way she looked at Chris did you? Joey said.
- What? There was no look.
- Oh there was a look, Chris smirked.
CHAPTER 2 Day 4 Accidents happens
Lance smiled and watched Kelly and Chris fool around to 'The bad touch'. He knew it was just for fun, she had been coming over daily, keeping them company as she said, but it was probably just making sure that they didn't trash the house completely.
When the brown-white cat jumped up in his lap again he couldn't help start petting it. It was really weird, it didn't seem to like the others too much, and certainly not Chris, but it loved him.
- When did you get her? He smiled.
Chris stopped and let Kelly down from his back.
- Him, she said and walked over to Lance, Actually he used to... belong to the neighbors.
Joey looked at her carefully. He hadn't liked the whole atmosphere around here, it was something that was wrong, he could tell, but he weren't sure what it was, and the others hadn't noticed anything.
- But didn't you say...
- We used to have neighbors, she interrupted and looked at him, until their cabin burnt down, and all five of them in it...
- But that's awful! J.C. turned off the TV and gave her a hug.
The others nodded quietly.
- He just moved in, she said after a while, he was the only one that survived...
- But...
- It was 8 years ago, she said and looked at Justin.
- Didn't you say something about four people dying in a car accident too? Joey said after a while.
- Joey! Chris said irritated.
- Sorry!
- Three years ago. First accident.
- First accident? Justin said surprised.
- It's known that once a year someone dies here...
- WHAT?! They stared at her.
- We try to keep it down of course, she said carefully, When I was 9 two guys were stabbed to death here... It kept happening for three years...
- Stabbing? Lance stared at her.
- No, different ways... Until I was 13, when the murders were replaced with accidents.
- How can you be sure it was accidents? Justin said upset.
J.C. gave Justin an irritated look, it was obvious that the subject bothered Kelly. He pulled her closer into a hug and held her htere for a couple of seconds.
- Cause you can't make a moose attack...
- Moose? Chris said surprised.
- Two years ago a guy got attacked by a moose, she said and looked at him and then at J.C., stomped to death, he probably came between her and her calf or something...
They were all quiet for a while, just thinking about what they'd just heard. Kelly leaned against J.C. quietly, she really didn't like to talk about these things.
- You didn't tell us because...? Joey looked at her.
- I didn't want to scare you guys, she said carefully, I did come around everyday though...
They looked at her quietlly, nobody said or did anything for a long while.
- It's okay, J.C. whispered and kissed her in the forehead.
CHAPTER 3 Day 6 He's... dead
Kelly slowly opened the door and looked at them.
- Hi, she mumbled, what are you doing here? And at this hour...
- Well, J.C. said and smiled, we have to ask you something...
- What? She said and looked at him, still a bit sleepy.
- Can we use your shower? We are out of warm water...
- And it's all Justin's fault, Lance muttered.
- Sure, she smiled, come in...
She stepped aside and let the two guys come in.
- The others...?
- Had already taken a shower, then Justin came along...
Lance hurried over to the bathroom and closed the door before J.C. even had closed the front door behind him.
- So this leaves us then, J.C. smiled.
- It sure do, she smiled back.
He would have been lying if he had said that he weren't attracted to her. She was a very pretty girl, the only problem were that he weren't alone. Lance looked at her as a friend, so did Joey, but the others...
- I got a question, he smiled.
- Oh? She said and sat down in the couch, What could that be?
- Who do you like the most?
- What? She looked at him as he sat down beside her.
- Out of us five, he looked at her carefully.
- Oh... Why do you wanna know? She smiled and looked him in the eyes.
- So I can pick on the others when you say that it's me, he smirked.
- Well you're lucky, she smiled, you can pick on them without lying.
He smiled and leaned over to kiss her.
- KELLY!!!
She looked up immediately. J.C. recognized Joey's voice at once and got up.
- What? She said worried and ran over to the hallway.
- It's Justin! Joey said and looked at them.
His eyes showed that it was something terribly wrong. Chris just stood there, like a ghost.
- What's happen? J.C. said worried.
- What's going on? Lance looked out from the bathroom.
- Justin... he's, Chris looked at the others, the words didn't want to come out at all, dead...
- WHAT?! The others stared at them.
- It's true! Joey said upset, We found him, he said he was going to take a walk...
- He got stabbed or something, Chris said, there's blood all over the place...
- No, no, Kelly shook her head, this isn't happening... not again...
J.C. just stood there, shocked by the news, he looked at Kelly, it seemed like she would freak out in any second. Joey looked at them, then at Lance. None of them could believe it.
CHAPTER 4 Day 6 Like a bad horror movie
Kelly looked at Justin's body quietly. She knew that this was only the beginning, soon more of them would die. She wouldn't, she never did. It was like a bad horror movie, repeating itself over and over again, or maybe not repeating, just coming with more episodes, and she was the heroine. She couldn't die. She would have to go through this over and over again till the murderer was dead, or at least caught.
She glared at the living members of 'NSync. J.C. was in shock, Joey and Chris was completely pail, and Lance was sitting under one of the big trees with the cat, slowly mumbling something to it. She knew what it was, 'this isn't happening', she could remember it... the first time she'd seen a dead human.
The polices were walking around there, nobody seemed to be the least interested in examine her of what she knew. She never knew much, just what they could see themselves, they'd got used to it, after six years she couldn't exactly expect too much either. They knew her, they didn't even bother anymore.
Kelly looked at J.C. as he started to come back to reality, and realize that this was actually happening. She stepped closer to him and hugged him. For a change she comforted a guy, she was so used to that her father were there to comfort her when things like this happened, now he was on a two week long vacation and wouldn't find out until he came back. And then it would be too late. He were going to be gone for another eight days, and during those days the rest of 'NSync would die. Some way or another, but they would die. Of course she wouldn't, she'd live to the next year, as always, nothing ever changed in this story, just the number of people killed and how. Nothing else.
J.C.'s cries made her snap out of her daydreaming about what had started six years earlier. He was crying so hard that he was shivering, she couldn't help feeling sorry for him. She'd really liked Justin, and most of 'NSync, especially J.C., Joey were a little questionable, mostly because he didn't seem to like her, which made it hard to like him.
She slowly sat down with J.C. in the grass and held him like if he was a baby. He slowly opened his tear-filled blue eyes and looked at her, he was scared, she could see it so clearly. She forced herself to smile and wiped away the tears that rolled down his cheeks.
- It will be alright, she whispered even though she knew she was lying.
CHAPTER 5 Night 6 I hope I see you in the morning
She looked at the four guys. They were all sad, still crying, still shivering, J.C. were still holding on to her, like if she'd be able to protect him from getting killed or something.
- Do you guys wanna stay at my house tonight? She said and looked at them.
They nodded and went to take their stuff, except J.C. who wouldn't step away from her.
- J.C.? she looked at him but he didn't respond, Joshua?
He looked at her quietly.
- Come on, she said and walked against the stairs, we'll bring you some clothes and you guys will stay at my place tonight, okay?
- Okay, he mumbled but his voice cracked due to the hours of crying.
- J.C.? she looked at him.
He slowly looked up at her again.
- Do you wanna share bed with Chris? She said and looked at him carefully.
He shook his head and wiped away the tears that wouldn't stop coming. Kelly sighed and looked at them. She couldn't make him or anything so it was just up to the others to fix something else.
- I can sleep on the couch, Chris said and looked at her, if it's okay that you and him...
- Sure...
Kelly looked at the others, this might be the last time she would see them alive. She carefully let go of J.C.'s hand and hugged the others during the tense silence.
- We'll be upstairs then, Lance said and walked up followed by Joey.
- Yeah...
Kelly looked at Chris quietly before she hugged him one more time.
- I hope I see you in the morning...
- I can't say anything differently, he said and hugged her back.
- We'll be upstairs, if there's anything...
- Like a psycho killer? He said even though the smile never came.
- Even if it's a psycho killer, she said and looked at J.C., Joshua?
He nodded quietly and gave Chris a brotherly hug. He feared that he wouldn't see him alive again. He feared that none of them would ever wake up again, ever.
Chris couldn't help wanting to run up the stairs when he saw Kelly and J.C. walk up there and leaving him in the living room all alone. He didn't like the thought that Justin was dead, he didn't like the thought that there was a murderer walking around there either. Maybe if he was lucky he'd wake up again, and maybe this would all just be a dream and Justin would be alive and laugh at his dream when he told him about it.
CHAPTER 6 Day 7 Two
Kelly slowly moved J.C.'s arm and looked at him. She wished that the situation would have been different so they... There were no time for daydreaming she remembered herself. She got up and half walked, half ran down the stairs and over to the living room.
- Chris?
When there were no answer she ran over to him and shook him roughly.
- What? He mumbled drowsy and looked at her confused.
- Thank god, she said relieved, you're alive...
- Seems like it, he said and forced himself to smile.
Kelly smiled and stroke his cheek.
- Okay, get up, she said seriously, I don't want you down here alone.
- Oh? He said and got up, Why?
- It's safer for you if you are upstairs with the others...
The others. Chris looked at her. 'NSync were one member short now, and would always be. Justin was gone, 'NSync were history, and if what Kelly was saying were true so would they be unless they were really careful.
He followed her upstairs but went into her room where J.C. just had woken up.
Kelly carefully opened the door and stepped in.
- Lance? Joey? She looked at them.
- Yeah? Joey mumbled half asleep.
She sighed and walked over.
- Lance? She looked at him carefully.
- He's sleeping, Joey mumbled drowsy.
She shook her head.
- No, he's not...
- Lance? Joey looked at him, Oh my god!!
They stared at the lifeless body.
- Two, Kelly mumbled and took a step back.
- LANCE!! Joey got up and shook him around.
Chris ran into the room and Kelly hurried out, meetin J.C.
- Don't! she protested when he were going to enter the room, Don't J.C.!
He looked at her for a second, but pushed her away and hurried in. Kelly leaned against the wall. Two dead, three to go. She couldn't stop it, none of them could. They were all going to die like flies, one by one. Except her, she'd live, and wait for next year, only wondering when it would happen, not if, but when.
She'd been 9 the first time she'd seen a dead body. It had been one of the two guys that had stayed there 1993. One had been found in the bathtub, stabbed to death, and the water had had the color of blood. The other one had been ripped up and most of the organs had been placed on a table. That had been what she'd seen. A guy in the mid-20's, dead on the floor with the majority of his organs on a table next to him. She'd been 9, she thought she would have got used to it by now.
Kelly walked into the bedroom again. Three grown men, standing there, speechless.
She slowly walked over and looked J.C. in the eyes. Just as she'd expected he threw himself crying in her arms.
- It will be alright, she whispered and hugged him, everything will work out, don't worry...
She could feel how Joey looked at her. She knew what he was thinking. It wouldn't be alright, it weren't going to work out in any way that would be good enough. Justin and Lance were dead, they weren't coming back.
CHAPTER 7 Night 7 The killer is... Joey?
- I don't want to go back to that house! Joey protested.
Kelly looked at him. J.C. were willing to go wherever she went, Chris were pretty much easy to manage while Joey refused to do anything she said.
- Why not? She said irritated.
She was running out of patient. Sure two of his friends had just died but it was at least possible to talk to J.C. and Chris.
- WHY? He stared at her, Cause Justin died there, that's why! You can't expect us to go back there after what's happen to him!
- So you are saying my house is better?
- No! Lance died there! He was laying right next to me!!
Kelly looked at him carefully. It weren't that he was mad, he was just plainly scared. She stepped over to him and gave him a hug.
- How about a hotel then? She said and looked him in the eyes, Would that be better?
- Yes it would, he muttered.
- Good, a hotel it is.
Chris looked at her. She seemed so untouched to what's happen recently.
- Do you even care? He said after a while.
Kelly looked at him quietly for a while. Both Joey and J.C. were asleep.
- I've seen worse.
- Two of my friends just died, he said and looked at her, Justin got stabbed to death in the back, Lance suffocated cause someone kept a pillow over his head... And you don't care?
- I care, she said coldly, but I've seen worse.
- Joey were laying right next to Lance! I can't believe that even happened!
- Sch! She protested and pointed at Joey.
Joey had been angry varied with confused and sad all day. He had been hypersensitive the whole day and first a few minutes earlier he had been able to fall asleep.
- I do care, she said and walked over to Chris, I care a lot.
- It doesn't show, he said and looked into her green eyes.
- Chris, you are lucky that you're not me. I was 9 the first time I saw a dead guy...
- Still...
- When I was 10 a girl, or well, she was 23, fell down from the roof, in an angel costume. At least they said that she fell, after that the word 'fallen angel' isn't mentioned in our house, she sat down beside him, When I was 12 a guy got nailed up to a cross for two weeks, like Jesus... he died of course...
- For two weeks? He stared at her.
- We wereon a vacation ourselves, she sighed, and when we came back we found him... This is nothing against what I've seen.
He looked at her carefully. She seemed to be close to crying even though she didn't seem to care at all otherwise.
- Do you think we'll survive? He said.
He couldn't believe he had actually said that. Of course they would, no doubt.
- To tell you the truth, she sighed, I don't think you will...
- Me or us?
- All of you.
Chris looked at her, he couldn't believe what she was saying. How could she even say something like that withouth showing any feelings at all? How did she know?
- Do you know who the killer is? He said instead.
- If I did, don't you think I'd stop this? She looked him in the eyes.
He nodded quietly. "Not if you were the killer..." he thought and looked at her "But still, how would a little girl like you kill a grown man?"
- I know what you're thinking, she sighed.
- Oh?
- You are thinking that I might be the killer, but then you remember that I'm just a girl, who'd never be able to kill a man.
- How did you know? He said surprised.
- I could see it in your face, she sighed, That's why they don't question me anymore, they know it isn't me. I just happen to be stuck in this whole mess... I'm sorry that I dragged you into it too..
- It will be over soon, won't it?
- Yeah, but I highly doubt that it will be painless...
Chris nodded quietly. He didn't wanna die, he didn't want Joey or J.C. to die either.
- And it's more likely Joey who's the killer than I am, she sighed.
- What?
- Well he was there all night... I know the police think it was he anyway...
- How do you know?
- They highly doubt that he was asleep through the time it takes to actually suffocate a person...
- But that's ridiculous! Why would Joey kill his own friends?
- I didn't say he killed them. But that's what they think, you didn't even notice that?
- No... I never thought that... Oh my god... What if you're right?
She looked at him. "You doubt your own friend?" she thought "Maybe this is worse than I thought..."
- No, Chris added, it can't be. Joey would never...
She smiled when he looked at her.
- How about J.C., he said.
- What? Do you think he's the killer? Didn't you see how shocked he was when he saw Justin?
- I didn't mean like that...
- Oh? Then how?
- As in, do you really care for him?
- You are worried that I'll break his heard when there's someone walking around probably planning to rip it out and cut it into tinly little pieces?
Chris noded, she was right. It was just silly to think about that now. Still he didn't want J.C. to get hurt, of course, but even less he wanted him to get killed.
CHAPTER 8 Day 8 The killer knows...
The scream woke them both up. J.C. looked at her confused before he realized it was Joey who was screaming in the bathroom.
- OH MY GOD!!!!
Kelly got up and jumped over J.C. and ran over and opened the door to see Joey staring at Chris' dead body.
- Oh my god, she mumbled and stepped over to him.
- DON'T TOUCH ME! Joey yelled and pushed her up against the wall.
- JOEY! J.C. protested and hurried over.
- SHE KILLED HIM! Joey looked at her and lifted her up high enough so her feet didnt' touch the floor.
- I DIDN'T! She objected and tried to get loose.
- JOEY! LET HER GO RIGHT NOW!! J.C. yelled and grabbed his arm.
He slowly putted Kelly down again but looked at J.C. instead.
- How do you know she didn't kill him? Joey said upset.
- Why would she?
- I don't know, maybe cause she's a psychopath?
- She's not! J.C. looked at him seriously.
- Do you know her perhaps? Last night she accused me for killing Justin and Lance!
- I didn't!!
- I heard you and Chris talk! Don't try to deny it!
- I didn't! I said that it were more likely you than me!!
She stared at him. She'd been sure that he'd been asleep, she would never had said anything about all that if she'd known that he was awake.
- Can we all calm down, J.C. looked at them, now.
- He's dead! Joey said upset, Chris is dead too and that bitch strangled him!!
- Don't call her that!
Both Joey and Kelly got so surprised that they stared at J.C. "Why on earth would he defend me?" she thought "I could be the killer, just because I'm a girl doens't mean that I'm not capable of killing..."
- You two are in on this together? He said and looked from J.C. to her.
- We are not in on anything together, Kelly muttered, If wehad been, don't you think we would have killed you? You are standing in here with no chance whatsoever to protect yourself against us two...
He looked at her carefully. He didn't trust her, he really didn't. And now J.C. took her side instead of his, that and the murders was just too much.
- Joey, J.C. said and interrupted his thinking, why would I want to kill the others? Why would I defend someone who did?
Joey nodded quietly.
- I'm sorry Kelly, he mumbled.
- We have to call the police, she sighed and looked at Chris, I warned him...
- Wait a second! This means that the killer knows where we are...
Joey looked at the others.
- He must have been following us...
They looked at each other. The killer must have known that they went there, the killer must have either followed them or already been there when they came... The killer could be just outside the door, they couldn't even guarantee that the killer weren't in the room.
CHAPTER 9 Day 9 Five
- You think that you'll live? Kelly looked at them.
J.C. was still in shock and holding on to her like if she could save him, and Joey had become more and more convinced that she was the killer.
Joey looked at her from the driver's seat.
- You can always stay here, he said coldly, if you think that there's something wrong with the car...
- Now when you say so, she said irritated, it wouldn't surprise me at all if there were...
- Trying to warn or threaten us? He looked at her and then at J.C. who were standing beside her.
- Warn, she said and looked Joey in the eyes, and I hope you know better than to run like this, you won't make it anyway...
- J.C.? Are you coming?
He looked at Joey, then at Kelly, and then shook his head.
- Don't go Joey...
- You really believe her, he said, I'm sorry J.C., but you know I can't force you to come, but I'm not staying.
- Don't go, Kelly protested when Joey started the car, Why would you survive when the rest died? Why do you think for a second that this car is safe?!
She was close to start crying when he drew away. She couldn't exactly have said that she'd loved the guy, but she didn't want him to die either. Kelly grabbed J.C.'s arm and looked at him. They both thought the same thing, he weren't going to make it either.
She looked at the headline, it immediately made her awake even though it really was way to early for her, "Car crash, one dead".
- Joey, she mumbled and hurried inside again.
She slowly walked up the stairs, looking at the text. They hadn't been able to identify the body yet since the car had been inflamed when help got there.
- J.C.? she opened the door and looked into her room, J.C.? Where are you?
Kelly walked in and realized that it was empty. She dropped the newspaper and quickly ran down the stairs.
- J.C.?! she yelled but there was no answer.
She hurried to the living room and to the kitchen. The door out was open.
- Not him, she cried and ran outside, please not him too...
She stopped and looked around. He could be anywhere, she probably wouldn't find... Kelly saw it. "Of course" she thought "The basement..." She ran in and stared at him.
- No, no, no, she mumbled and walked over and did her best to get away the rope around J.C.'s neck, Please don't...
When she finally succeeded J.C. fell down on the floor, lifeless.
- J.C., she sobbed, no...
Kelly looked at him one last time before she closed his eyes, it weren't her fault, he'd broken his neck when someone had kicked away the chair under him.
- I'm sorry I couldn't save you, she cried, forgive me...