Brian woke up on the floor between the two beds. He'd had to move because Nick had been tossing and turning all night. Sunlight filtered in through the pale curtains, and the dust caused Brian to sneeze. He stood up and stretched, and sat down on the end of one of the beds. He was alone in the room with Kevin and Nick.Howie and AJ had disappeared the night before. Their bus had broken down,and the driver had gone alone for help. He opened his suitcase,and found his CD walkman. He'd listen to some music until the other guys woke up. But he couldn't get his mind of AJ and Howie. He walked over to the window,and peered out. He could see the back end of the bus from that window. His stomach growled as he remembered that they had no food,except what was on the bus.He remembered what Kevin had said the night before about not seperating. But he was starving. He took his CD walkman with him as he crept out the door and downstairs. The sun was hot and bright as he walked out into the morning air. He wondered how long it would be before Zeke got back.He reached the bus within a few minutes,hoping to find Howie and AJ asleep on the bunks. But the bus was empty. He opened the cooler,and grabbed a coke. He found some peanut butter and break in the cabinet above the refrigerator. He wolfed down the food,and then stuffed a pack of oreos and chips into an empty duffle bag under Zeke's seat. Then he started back for the house. The wind picked up,causing the trees to dance. Brian thought he heard something moving, but passed it off as the wind. The sky darkened above him,like it was going to rain. He decided to check around the outside of the house for Howie and AJ. He was halfway to the backyard when he heard someone scream. Terror shot through him. "Hey!Hello?Who's out there?" He cried. No answer. He began to move deeper into the thick of trees,unaware that he was being watched."Hello!," he called again.He heard a flock of birds chirping as they scattered from the safety of the trees.He was about to turn around when he tripped.Something had grabbed his leg. Looking down,he realized he was caught in a dog trap. Blood was beginning to seep through his jeans.He grimaced in pain,and dropped to the ground. He couldn't get the trap off,no matter how hard he tried. Thunder rolled above him,and he knew he was in serious trouble. The leaves moved around him.He panicked,and moved back against a tree. He kept his eyes open,and began to feel the pain in his leg getting worse. How was he going to get back to the house? Suddenly,someone lept out at him.He screamed just as they did,and he came face-to-face with AJ."Oh,man!You nearly gave me a heart attack!How did you find me?," he cried. "Find you!I'm lost in here with a dog trap ripping my leg open!," Brian cried. Realizing that his friend was in pain,AJ knelt down to help Brian pry off the trap. When they got it off,AJ took off his t-shirt under his Tommy shirt,and tied it tightly around Brian's leg as Brian protested in pain."Hold still!," he cried. Brian bit down on his lip to keep from screaming."Can you walk?," AJ asked."Yeah,I think so," so they turned to start back towards the house."I don't know what happened,man. I left the house cause I heard dogs or something back here. Then I couldn't find my way back......like I was walking......in circles," AJ talked as they came to a stop."Brian,we're lost.We were just here," AJ said.He pointed to the bloody dog trap that had been caught around Brian's leg."What are we gonna do now?How do we get out of here?," he asked."I don't know,man.I've been walking like this all night,and nothing happened. I just kept walking in circles," he replied."AJ,we have to find Howie," Brian said."Howie?," AJ looked confused. "Howie disappeared right after you did last night.What if he's lost out here,too?," Brian asked."Howie!," AJ cried. His voice echoed through the woods. But nothing answered back."Howie!," Brian shouted. They heard the wind howling as drops of rain started to fall from the dark sky."Hey,look!," AJ spotted a little shack back towards the woods. Deeper into the woods,further from the house.But they'd be safe until they could get back to the house."Come on," AJ let Brian lean on him as they walked towards the shack. It was like a small shed,but it looked harmless. That's why it suprised Brian when AJ opened the door and screamed."Man!Don't do that to me!," a voice cried.Brian breathed a sigh of relief as Howie stepped out of the shack."You nearly made me go into a spaz or something! Busting in on my like that!," Howie said. Then they all laughed, glad to be together again."Come on in,check out my pad," Howie joked. He had somehow found candles,and lit them. The place was small,but cozy. It contained nothing but a table,and a rusty looking cot."This was my bed last night," Howie said,patting the cot as he sat down on it."Yeah,I'm glad somebody slept," AJ answered.Brian sat down on the chair as Howie looked at his leg."What happened?," He asked."I was walking back here.I heard somebody scream.I thought it was one of you.Then I got my leg caught in a dog trap,and AJ nearly killed me when he lept out at me like some wild beast," Brian said."AJ is a beast," Howie teased.In response,AJ did a very good Tarzan impression by beating on his chest and hollering.The boys laughed,"Screaming,huh?," AJ said,"That could have been me.A tree collapsed this morning,and I thought for sure it was going to fall on me." "Wow.Guess you got lucky,huh?," Brian asked.AJ nodded."Well, what do we do now?Go back to the house?," Brian inquired,as he tenderly touched his leg."After this rain calms down.Maybe we'll be able to find the house," Howie replied. The boys fell silent as Brian put his CD player on the table. He remembered the duffle bag,and they ate what was in it. They just had to wait out the storm,and then they could get back to Kevin and Nick.
Will the guys be reunited?And what has happened to Zeke? Find out in chapter 3 of MISSING:A Fan's Worst Nightmare!
Get your own Free Home Page