Final Confrontation - Part 1

By Mel

     Mel ran her hand through her long brown hear as she stepped off the train in Fargo. Inhaling deeply she glanced around for Linz and Nikki Lynn. Amidst the crowd she heard the loud voices of two of her best friends and knew they were near, even if she couldn't see them. Mel stumbled forward, pushed from behind by hurried passengers. Suddenly she saw them, smiling and waving. Mel ran as quickly towards her friends as she could, dodging a young woman and a few children before finally reaching them.
     "Hi guys," she cried, dropping her bags and throwing one arm around each friend pulling them both into a hug.
     "Hey Mel! How was your ride?" Linz asked, picking up one of Mel's bags.
     "Awesome," she responded grabbing her other bag, "But I couldn't have gotten here fast enough!" Both Nikki Lynn and Linz nodded their heads in agreement. It had been nearly two months since the Brady Bunch had been together.
     "So, when do Babs and Holly get here?" Mel asked, looking forward to seeing them too. Jessie and Mon hadn't been able to make it this time and all three girls knew they were going to miss seeing them.
     "Actually, they're coming on a flight in about 45 minutes," Nikki Lynn told her.
     "Yeah, we should get going now if we want to get there in time," Linz informed them as she checked her watch.
     The girls hurried outside to Linz's car and piled in, throwing the suitcases in the trunk. The ride to the airport was a joyful one full of talking, laughing and hoedown singing.
     Once the girls had met up with Holly and Babs, the five of them decided to head home to watch some tv, order some pizza, and just relax.

     "Now this is the life," Linz muttered, leaning against her couch and stretching her toes to the ceiling of her basement. She reached over and grabbed another piece of pizza as the Colin hoedown started playing on the tv screen.
     "No kidding," Babs agreed, happiness welling up inside her. It wasn't very often the group got to spend time together when they were all safe and awake.
     It was then that Holly started the sing along and everyone joined in, their voices ringing in unison. Once the episode was over, Nikki Lynn felt her eyes start to droop. As she glanced around her she noticed that everyone else looked kind of tired too.
     "Is anyone else as tired as I am?" Nikki Lynn asked. All heads turned towards her and almost as one, the group yawned.
     "Nope," Mel muttered during her second yawn and everyone laughed.
     "Let's get to sleep so we can get to the fair early tomorrow," Linz decided, standing up and stretching her stiff legs.
     "Ooh, we're going to a carnival?" Babs asked, excited about the thought.
     Linz smiled and nodded. "It's just a few blocks away. The best annual fair around," she informed everyone. "I go every year and I figured it would be something fun for us to do."
     "Cool!" Holly exclaimed.
     The girls quickly cleaned up, set up their sleeping bags and crawled out, turning out the lights. They were all asleep within minutes. All except Nikki Lynn. Something was bothering her. Something nagging at the back of her mind. But she couldn't quite figure out what it was...

     A man walked slowly through black corridors, feeling a cool breeze hit him from behind. Without a second thought, the man turned sharply and wandered into a small room. His hand reached out to touch the wall, his treasures lying where no one could see. The cold, sharp objects sent a tingle through his fingers and he shivered in anticipation. The man continued to wander through the pure black of night. But he didn't need any light. The man knew every inch of the room like the back of his hand. Every nook, every space, every object.
     "Soon," he cooed to himself. Soon he would be able to fulfill his dream. Soon it was going to happen. The man let out a laugh, one that started deep in the pit of his stomach and erupted through his lips with swift fierceness. He cackled into the night, malice oozing from his mouth.
     Soon.

     Holly was the first one up the next morning. She lay staring at the ceiling, hoping that someone would wake up soon. Half an hour later she decided to get up quickly to go to the bathroom. Holly unzipped her sleeping bag and climbed out gently. Holly had nearly snuck past everyone sleeping on the ground when she accidentally knocked over a bowl of chips that they'd been eating the night before. The room had been so quite you could have heard a pin drop. But this was a lot louder. Holly couldn't help but giggle. Linz sat straight up from hearing the noise and glanced sleepily over at Holly.
     "Hey," she whispered. Linz unzipped her sleeping bag and tried to stand up. She lifted her foot, expecting to step over Mel who was lying right next to her on the floor. But instead, Linz's foot got caught in her sleeping bag and she tripped over Mel, landing on the couch and toppling it over. Mel opened her eyes suddenly and sat up. As her head smacked against the underside of Linz's table, Holly burst out laughing.
     "Oh shit that hurt," Mel yelled out, trying to get out of her sleeping bag. Meanwhile Linz had gotten up and had been desperately trying to put the couch back in place. But instead she managed to kick a plant beside her and it fell over, making another loud noise. Holly was now laughing so hard she could barely stand up. Backing up, Holly tripped over Babs' legs and fell backwards.
     Nikki Lynn woke up then and seeing the commotion, started to laugh as well. A few seconds later, the whole Brady Bunch was rolling on the floor, overcome with laughter. As tears streamed down her face, Holly couldn't help but wish this moment could last forever.

     It was 9:00 by the time the Brady Bunch had eaten, gotten dressed and headed over to the fair. Nikki Lynn sighed as they walked into the mini carnival in Fargo. She hadn't been to a fair in such a long time. Nikki Lynn marveled at the crowds of people who had shown up on this bright and sunny day. Mothers with their daughters, fathers with their sons, children with their friends, older men and women holding hands and just walking calmly around. There were kids playing the games, and teenagers rushing to get in line for a ride. Cotton candy and popcorn wafted in the air.
     "So where do we go first?" Babs wondered, taking in everything around her.
     Linz shrugged. "Well, there's the rides, the games and the fun house. We could all go together or we could split up and meet back here for lunch. What do you guys think?" she asked her friends.
     "I'm not much for rides," Mel spoke up, "I'd rather play some games and go see the fun house or something."
     Nikki Lynn nodded. "Me too. I'm not much of ride person and I'd rather just wander around right now," she let them know.
     "I can't get enough of rides, so I'm up for that," Holly announced.
     "Okay. Then Mel and Nikki Lynn can go together and we three can go on the rides. We can meet back at noon," Linz voiced. "Is that okay with everyone?"
     Babs and Holly nodded and Mel and Nikki Lynn waved as they walked off.

Back in LA...

     Brad gazed around him. He couldn't tell where he was, but he knew he was in some kind of room. It was small and the walls were painted a midnight black. Brad walked forward blindly, not knowing what was ahead of him. Brad continued to advance, the air feeling warmer and warmer with every step he took. Bumping into something large, Brad stopped and lowered his hands to find the object he had hit. His palms rested upon a wooden box of some kind that was at his waist. Feeling, prodding, Brad's fingers stumbled upon two latches on the side of the box. Curious and afraid he unlocked them. A gust of wind burst forth from the box and sent Brad flying back... his body thrown against the cold, hard wall.
     When Brad picked himself up from the ground, he saw that a pale light was glowing from this box that appeared almost as if it a coffin. Brad felt himself lose control of his body and he was carried, almost as if he was weightless, up to the wooden casket. He didn't want to look, but the force controlling him made him. Brad's eyes lowered the see the body of the person inside the box. It was Wax, lying peacefully...calmly. His brown skin almost seemed to glow, his face no longer scrunched up in the menacing glare everyone had come to know so well, and his hands holding a single white rose. He wore a beautiful black suit and everything about him looked perfect. Brad backed up then, of his own will, and looked at the dead body of Wax.
     A splash of water landed on his cheek then and it took Brad a moment to realize that it was a tear. A single tear ran down Brad's face. And before he could understand why, more and more tears wet his soft skin. Soon the floor of the room had been filled with Brad's tears. The water rose higher and higher every minute. Brad tried to stop crying, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Brad felt helpless and in anguish. He desperately wanted to get away from Wax. And suddenly his mouth filled with salty water, choking him... strangling him. Brad fought to remain conscious, but his tears quickly filled his lungs. Just before his eyes closed, Brad saw a vision of Wayne. Standing on the coffin of Wax. Laughing. At Wax and at Brad.

     Brad rolled over restlessly and sat up, shaking from the dream he'd just experienced. What could it have meant? Brad wondered. He took a glance at his watch and realized it was only 7:10 am. Despite the early hour, Brad picked up his phone and dialed Wayne's number.

     Mel had already lost $15.00 American on games and was not any closer to winning a prize than she had been before. Nikki Lynn, on the other hand, had won a game on her first try and had chosen a cute stuffed dog from the prize rack.
     "Here Mel," Nikki Lynn said, handing her the stuffed animal. "You can have this since you've been trying so hard."
     "Awww...thanks Nikki! Are you sure you want to do that?" Mel asked, touched at the offer.
     "Yeah, it's no big deal," Nikki Lynn told her, putting the dog in Mel's hand.
     Mel hugged the dog to her and laughed. "Thanks! I can go home now and pretend like I won it! At least this makes my $15.00 look more worthwhile." Both girls laughed.
     "So where to now?" Mel asked. "I can't afford to stay near the games for much longer. I'd swear these things were fixed."
     Nikki Lynn grinned, knowing full well what Mel was talking about. "Hmmm...well, there *is* always the fun house. I know it's kind of a kiddie thing, but it might be fun to see," Nikki Lynn suggested.
     "Sure, why not?" Mel agreed. After all, they could use some harmless fun. And she *had* seen a few fun houses that were actually worth while. Digging a couple tickets out of her pocket, Nikki Lynn lead the way across the sandy ground over to the Fun House...

     The man smiled, watching them from his perch. He saw them talk, he saw them laugh, and he saw them decide to come to the fun house. He saw it even before they made their decision. As the girls walked towards the house, the man grinned. Everything was going right so far. The shorter one handed the ticket collector two tickets and the girls made their way into the building. The man turned away from his invisible perch, walking into the darkness again.
     Soon.
     Very soon.

     "So, are you sure it was Wax you saw?" Wayne inquired, half asleep on his couch. Brad had told him the whole dream and Wayne was trying to make sense of the whole thing. He had crawled out of bed and went to his living room so he wouldn't wake his wife.
     "Yes, I'm positive!" Brad exclaimed.
     "How are you positive?" came the response.
     "Because I know the difference between you and Wax," Brad told him, determined he was right. "What do you think it means Wayne?"
     Wayne leaned back, relaxing his head against a pillow and closed his eyes... thinking.
     "I don't know Brad. I mean, it was a dream. Who says it has to mean something?" he finally answered after careful consideration.
     "I just have this feeling," Brad murmured quietly.
     Wayne sighed. "It could. But I doubt it. We're meeting Greg, Colin, Ryan, and Lionel later on today. Let's talk about it then okay?"
     "All right," Brad answered, not sure that his dream meant nothing, but too tired to argue over it at the moment.
     Wayne hung up the phone then, but as he was about to go back to sleep, the doorbell rang. Wondering who could be at the door, he went to answer it and a chill ran through his whole body, unannounced and uninvited.

     Mel followed right behind Nikki Lynn as they ventured further into the fun house. The sound of laughing clowns was starting to get to Mel and she hoped they'd be getting to the mirror maze soon. Turning another corner, they pushed through another door and ended up nearly walking into their own reflection.
     "Finally...the mirror maze," Nikki Lynn muttered, just as relieved as Mel.
     Nikki Lynn reached out to find where the mirror was and then walked behind it. After making several turns in all directions, Nikki Lynn had a feeling that they weren't going to get out quite so easily.
     "Mel?" Nikki Lynn called out but got no response from her friend who had been just behind her a moment ago. Nikki Lynn continued to maneuver through the mirrors, calling out for Mel.
     "Did you make it out already?" Nikki Lynn shouted nearly ten minutes later as she nearly walked into another mirror. She was met with reflections of herself on all sides.
     "Great...I've reached a dead end in an empty hall of mirrors and I can't find Mel," Nikki Lynn uttered to herself. She reached to grab her purse from around her shoulder and noticed that her shoes were untied. As she bent down to tie them back up, she thought she heard a sound from behind her.
     Looking up, Nikki Lynn gasped at the sight before her. But before she had time to react, a heavy object smashed against her skull and she felt blood seep from the back of her head as darkness enclosed her.

     Linz glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time, wondering where Mel and Nikki Lynn could be. It was already 12:32 and they weren't anywhere in sight.
     "Do you see them anywhere?" she asked Holly and Babs.
     Holly shook her head. "Nope, I have no idea where they could be. It doesn't take half an hour to play a game."
     "I agree," Babs said, craning her neck to see if she could catch a glimpse of either Nikki Lynn or Mel. "They could have gone into that fun house you know."
     "Yeah, that's true," Linz agreed. "Do you guys want to head over there and see if they're there?" she questioned.
     "Sure, why not?" Holly said.
     Babs led the way to the fun house, watching for any sign of Mel and Nikki Lynn as they walked.

     Mel awoke, feeling like a hammer had been smashed into her brain. Her head was pounding so loud she thought it could be heard from the other side of the carnival. Her cheek was pressed firmly against the ground and she had to use every ounce of strength just to sit up. Fighting down nausea, Mel leaned her back against the wall she was sitting against, pain coursing through her entire body. Mel's head was spinning as she tried to focus her eyes and see her surroundings. But it was too dark to see anything and Mel couldn't keep her eyes open long enough to adjust them anyway. Suddenly she heard a groan nearby.
     "Nikki?" Mel called out weakly, moving to get on her knees. There was another groan that swam through the air, but Mel couldn't focus long enough to tell where it was coming from. Instead she crawled blindly forward, using the wall for guidance. A few minutes later Mel bumped into a body on the ground, nearly falling over herself.
     "Is that you Nikki Lynn?" Mel asked quietly, shaking her gently. Silence ensued for several tense moments.
     "Mel?" came the fragile reply. Nikki Lynn tried to sit up, but quickly realized that she was in no condition to do so. Mel sat down and leaned against the cold wall for support. Then she reached over to help Nikki Lynn sit, resting her left arm around Nikki Lynn's shoulder for support.
     "You okay?" Mel queried once she had gotten them both in semi-comfortable positions. Nikki Lynn was silent for so long that Mel was starting to wonder if she'd passed out again.
     "I'm all right," Nikki Lynn finally managed to spit out. "But where are we?"
     Mel started to shrug her shoulders but the pain it brought her caused her to stop and just sit... waiting for the agony to subside.
     "I have no idea. In the fun house still?" she eventually answered, feeling confused and disoriented.
     "Maybe," Nikki Lynn responded. She leaned her head back and sighed deeply. Whoever was responsible for this was much more harsh than anyone she'd ever come into contact with before. She just hoped that their captors would come and do something soon... because Nikki didn't know how long she could stay like this. Or Mel.

     The man grinned, feeling good already. 'Two down and three to go,' he thought wickedly. The two girls were still passed out, as far as he knew. But he'd send someone in there just in case. He couldn't have them getting away. Not this time.
     The man glanced out from his perch to see the other three walking towards the fun house. Very soon he'd have the bait in place. And all he'd need then was to catch his fish.
     But that was the easy part. He'd already sent the message to the person he *really* wanted. 'He should be on his way here by now,' the man thought, another smile forming on his cruel lips. The hard part would be to convince him to give in. To give up and let him win. But he'd do it. He'd win this time.
     Wax Brady felt his heart race as two of the three girls entered the fun house below. Soon everything would be in place.

     "Well, there it is and I don't see any Nikki Lynns or Mels around here," Babs commented dryly as they stood in front of the building that read 'Fun House'. Holly squinted her eyes and turned to look at the crowd, trying to see if she could see either Mel or Nikki Lynn.
     "I don't see them anywhere," Holly said, turning back to Linz and Babs.
     "Neither do I," Linz muttered, making it official that Mel and Nikki Lynn were nowhere to be found. "So what should we do?"
     "We could go through it and see if they're in there," Holly suggested.
     "That's a good idea," Linz concluded. "Should we all go? Or should someone stay here just in case they come out?"
     Babs raised her hand. "I'll stay out here and wait," she offered.
     "Okay then," Linz said. "We'll see you in a few minutes," she muttered, waving good bye to Babs and following Holly into the fun house.

     "Hi guys," Colin called as he entered Denny's restaurant and joined the rest of his friends at a table. Greg, Ryan, Brad and Lionel were already there. Colin was glad that he wasn't the last one there.
     "Hey Col," Ryan said, motioning him to sit down. A chorus of 'Hi Colins' rang out through the group as he took a seat.
     "I guess we're just waiting for Wayne then," he commented as he took off his jacket and placed it on the back of his chair.
     "Yeah," Lionel said. "Although it's not like Wayne to be late."
     The others shrugged it off and decided to order their food. A waiter came around and everyone ordered their food, discussing their most recent rehearsals. It was only a few minutes later that a frantic Mandi came running into the restaurant.
     "Mandi!" Brad cried out, standing up. "What's the matter? Why are you here?" he asked.
     Mandi hurried over to them, trying not to make too much of a scene but failing miserably. In her hand she clutched a slip of paper. She took a deep breath as her husband's friends stared anxiously at her, awaiting the reason she had barged into Denny's in such a hurry.
     "Wayne's gone," she stated frantically, finally catching her breath.
     "What do you mean he's *gone*?" Ryan demanded, his voice rising above the rest of the talking people and everyone turned to stare at him.
     "He left. Went to Fargo," Mandi told them, near hysterics. She sat down and everyone sat down with her, eyes glued to Mandi's face.
     "He left me this note before he left," she informed them, passing over the piece of paper with shaking hands. She was on the verge of tears, but was desperate to hear what the others had to say.
     Greg, Colin, Ryan, Lionel, and Brad gathered around Ryan as they read the note Wayne had left for Mandi.

     Nikki Lynn opened her eyes groggily and was surprised to be met by a dim light this time. She reached up and touched her head, but instead of finding the bloody scab, she found a bandage wrapped around her head. Looking around, she saw Mel... still asleep a few feet away from her, her stuffed animal lying on it's side next to her.
     Before Nikki Lynn had the time to check out her surroundings a door opened at the back of the room and in walked two burly men carrying an unconscious Linz and Holly. They had put them both on the floor before realizing that Nikki Lynn was awake. The bigger one reached in his pocket and pulled out a bottle of ammonia and a handkerchief, advancing quickly on Nikki Lynn.
     "No! Please don't knock me out again. I'm not sure how much more of that I can take," Nikki Lynn cried, struggling with the man but knowing that she couldn't win.
     "Hold on a second," another voice called from the doorway. The man stopped in his tracks and released his grip on Nikki Lynn, backing up. But immediately Nikki Lynn had recognized the voice. It was one she wouldn't soon forget.
     "Wax!" she screamed out, furious that it was he who had trapped them.
     "Yes, it is *I*, your dear friend Wax," he crooned evilly, inching forward ever so slowly. "How are you liking the accommodations?"
     Nikki Lynn felt a growl rise in her throat, but pushed it back down, refusing to let Wax have the satisfaction of knowing she was angry and afraid.
     "Frankly, they suck," she spat out.
     Wax grinned and sauntered over to Nikki Lynn, a smug look plastered on his face. "Really? I'm so sorry to hear that," he oozed, his voice reeking of sweet sincerity. "But at least we got that nasty wound patched up for you."
     Nikki Lynn narrowed her eyes, refusing to let him get to her.
     "Are we playing the silent one today? Aren't we the calm and cool one Nikki," Wax cooed, emphasizing her name.
     "What the hell are you doing kidnapping us at this carnival?" Nikki Lynn finally asked.
     "All in due time dear, all in due time," Wax told her, his voice dripping with honey, "We'll wait until your friends wake up," he murmured softly. Wax winked at Nikki Lynn, turned and walked out of the room.
     "Damnit," Nikki Lynn cried out as he left the room, followed by his goons.

     Babs glanced up at the fun house, at the crowd behind her, and back at the fun house again. It had been over half an hour since Holly and Linz had entered the house and so far no one had returned. She knew they'd wanted and expected her to wait outside, but this was too much.
     Babs dug in her purse for a couple extra carnival tickets and proceeded to the ticket holder, handing him the little yellow slip of paper. Taking a deep breath she marched into the fun house, unsure of what she would find and unsure if she even wanted to know.

     "So, he just up and left?" Ryan asked, not really believing the note that Mandi had handed him.
     She nodded, looking a bit flurried. "Yeah. He was gone when I woke up. I called the airport and found out that he left on an 8:30 flight to Fargo. I don't know what to do," she said as a single tear ran down her cheek.
     "Well, it's past eleven now, which means that he should be arriving in Fargo soon. And he's got nearly three hours head start on us," Greg said, mentally calculating how long it would take to get to the airport.
     "I think we should go out there too," Brad suggested, "I have a bad feeling about this."
     "What? Why?" Mandi cried, growing more concerned by the minute.
     "It's okay," Colin said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "It's just a precaution. We don't all need to go." The others nodded, knowing that it would be best not to worry Mandi until they knew what was really going on and how serious the situation was.
     "Ryan, Greg and I can go," Brad said.
     "I want to go too," Mandi cried out.
     "You should stay here Mandi," Ryan told her, "Everything is going to be fine. We'll call you as soon as we know something." He took her arm and sat her down in a chair beside Lionel.
     "You can stay with us," Lionel offered, motioning to Colin and himself.
     "We should get going right now," Brad said quietly. Ryan and Greg nodded, agreeing with him. They hugged Mandi, said good-bye to the three of them and then jumped into Ryan's car, heading directly for the Los Angeles airport.

Continue Reading Part One