In the Grips of Fear, Beware - Part 2

By Nikki_Lynn

     Meanwhile, Mel was running through hallway after hallway, trying to lose the guard behind her. She didn't think she could run much longer. Suddenly, she saw her chance for escape... a very small opening in the wall. It looked like something that would be used to move equipment through. She cast a glance over her shoulder at the red-faced, panting guard, and decided that there was no way he'd be able to follow her through. Her legs ached, and she was gasping for ait, but she made it to the opening well ahead of the guard and quickly darted through, spinning around to see him trapped on the other side laughing at her.
     "What's..." she gasped, "so... funny?"
     The guard continued to laugh, and Mel suddenly became acutely aware that she as not alone in the room. She turned... and came face to face with six more security guards.
     "Oh... crap..." she panted.

* * * * *
     Nikki_Lynn had made it to the building that housed the Whose Line set. The guard behind her had long since lost her trail, and all she had to do was get into that building and find the guys. Unfortunatly, she didn't think that the half-dozen or so guards, stationed in key positions around the building, were just going to let walk right in.
     "Now what am I supposed to do?" she asked herself. Just then, she saw a large group of extras headed toward her, a familiar face catching her eye. Nikki_Lynn sighed.
     "The things I do for Whose Line," she mumbled, stepping out into view of the guards, "Hey! Looking for me!"
     The guards raced toward her, ready for persuit. She glanced at Holly, assuring herself that Holly understood the plan, then turned and ran... only to trip over a slightly raised section of concrete. She fell to the ground, wincing as her knees and palms scraped over the hard surface. The guards descended on her, pulling her arms behind her back and lifting her to her feet. Out of the corner of her eye, Nikki_Lynn saw Holly slip unnoticed into the building. She grinned at the guards.
     "I guess you got me," she said.
     "Take her to security and hold her along with the other one," said one of the guards, "The rest of us will look for the third one."
     A guard escorted her into an office where Mel sat on a large couch, the guard, whom Nikki_Lynn recognized as the one who had chased after Mel earlier, glaring at them both.
     "They got you too, huh?" Mel said, moving over so Nikki_Lynn could sit down.
     "Yeah," Nikki_Lynn replied, then whispering, "But Holly made it to the set."
     "No talking!" roared the guard.
* * * * *
     Holly sighed with relief as she finally found the door marked "Whose Line is it Anyway?: A Hat Trick Production". She pushed open the door and was greeted by the familiar intro music of Weird Newscaters.
     "Good evening, and welcome to the six 'o clock news," said Greg, "I'm Better Than Most... Tonight's top stories..."
     Holly ran toward the stage, only to be intercepted by the security guard lying in wait in the shadows. She struggled to get free, but he had her tightly by the waist and before she knew it, she was face down on the floor, her arms behind her back. She couldn't move enough to get away, so she did the only thing she could think of...
     "WAYNE!!!" she screamed, her voice punctuated with desperation. Her scream brought the game to a screeching halt, as Wayne, Ryan, Colin, and Greg all looked in her direction. Sudden recognition dawned in Wayne's face.
     "Holly?!" he cried, surprised, "What on earth... Let her go! She's a friend!"
     "The guard grudgingly released her, and Wayne helped her to her feet.
     "Wayne!" Holly sobbed, speaking quickly, "You won't believe... Linz, on the plane... and the hospital... had to warn you! Mel and Nikki_Lynn... WAX!"
     "Whoa! Slow down!" said Wayne, "What's going on?" Holly took a deep breath and started over.
     "It's Wax," she said, "He's coming after us... That's what the dreams are all about! Linz is in the hospital, and Mel, Nikki_Lynn, and I came here to warn you, but they wouldn't let us in, so we snuck in and we had to split up, and I don't know what happened to them!"
     "Alright, alright," Wayne said gently, "Come on. Sit down, and we'll figure out what to do."
     Dan turned to the guard and whispered something to him. The guard gave Dan a strange look, and then left the set.
     "Now what's all this about Linz being in the hospital?" asked Wayne. The others crowded around, anxious to hear the story.
     "It was Wax," said Holly, "Linz was on the plane here, and she fell asleep, and dreamt about Wax. And in her dream, she ended up breaking her arm and cutting her forehead. When she woke up, the injuries were real!"
     "That's impossible!" said Greg, "How could Wax hurt her in a dream?"
     "We don't know," said Holly, "But Linz said that Wax told her that this is just the beginning."
     Just then, the guard reappeared, Nikki_Lynn and Mel in tow.
     "Would someone mind telling me why you want us to release a bunch of trespassers?" he asked.
     "I'll explain it," Dan sighed. Dan and Drew escorted the guard off the set.
     "Ouch," Brad commented, looking at Nikki_Lynn, "What happened to you?"
     Nikki_Lynn looked down at the raw, bloody flesh that covered her knees.
     "I'm a klutz," she sighed, "That's what happened."
     "What are we going to do about Wax?" asked Mel, getting everyone back on track, "We're putting our lives in danger every time we fall asleep!"
     "I don't know what to do," said Wayne, "But I'd like to talk to Linz..."
* * * * *
     But rushing off with a taping scheduled to begin in less than an hour simply couldn't be done. Nikki_Lynn, Holly, and Mel sat down with the rest of the audience as they were let in, their minds so distracted the could barely pay attention to the show. The girls' applause and laughter was almost robotic, a reflex, as a single thought stood out in their minds. 'What are we going to do?' Mel let her gaze wander across the stage, watching Wayne, Greg, Colin, and Ryan, for the first time in her life asking herself when would the show be over. Glancing at her firends, knowing they were just as anxious as she was.
     "Damn you, Wax," she mentally cursed, "You've completely ruined this taping for me!" And in the back of her mind, she could have sworn she heard an answering laugh, as her heart jumped into her throat. She shuddered involuntarily, praying that it was just her over-active imagination.
     The taping ended after what seemed like an eternity to the girls. As the audience slowly filed out, Ryan appeared and waved at the girls to come backstage.
     "We'll give everyone a little while to clear out, and then head over to see Linz," he said, as the girls approached.
     "I just hope they let us in this late," said Nikki_Lynn. Twenty minutes later, everyone had reached the conclusion that they couldn't stand to wait any longer, and they headed for the parking lot. Holly and Mel ran ahead and retrieved the rental car from it's hiding place in the alley, while Ryan offered to drive everyone else. They arrived at the hospital a short time later, only to be greeted by the desk nurse from Hell.
     "Visiting hours are 9 to 5," she screeched, "You can't see your friend right now. I don't care what TV show you're on. Come back in the morning!"
     "Come on," said Mel, "We'll stay over in the waiting area."
     She led them over to the chairs that the girls had occupied earlier that day. They sat down in silence until, finally, Colin spoke.
     "What I don't understand," he said, "I why Wayne is the only one besides you girls who's having these dreams."
     "I've been thinking about that, too," said Nikki_Lynn, "I get the feeling that Wax has something specific planned. He's playing with us. Threatening us. Maybe he's got something different planned for you guys..."
     Suddenly, their conversation was interupted by the sound of an alarm from the nurse's station. They watched as doctors and nurses rushed toward one of the rooms.
     "Oh God," said Mel, "Isn't that..."
     "It's Linz's room!" Holly cut in, jumping to her feet and racing down the hallway. The others weren't far behind. The scene inside the room was like something out of an episode of ER. Babs stood motionless against the far wall, while a crowd of medical personnel surrounded Linz's bed. Wayne gripped Babs' arm and led her over to the group.
     "What happened?" he asked.
     "We... we fell asleep," Babs stammered, still in shock over the whole thing, "When I woke up, all these alarms were going off... And the doctors came, and I don't know what's going on!"
     She held back a sob of frustration, and Colin put his arms around her, holding her gently as the doctors and nurses swarmed around Linz. Gradually the activity slowed. The doctors and nurses began to disperse, one woman remaining, the electronic blip of the heart monitor the only sound in the room. Finally, Brad spoke up.
     "What happened?" he asked.
     "We're not sure," replied the middle-aged woman, taking a pen from the pocket of her white lab coat and writing something on Linz's chart, as two orderlies entered and wheeled Linz out of the room, "We're taking her upstairs to run some tests, but I believe it was some kind of seizure. She's in a coma."
* * * * *
     The group stood, dumbfounded, not knowing what to say or do. Linz was in a coma. Anyone of them could be next. Finally Wayne broke the silence.
     "We can't do anything here," he said quietly, "Let's go somewhere and figure out what our next step should be."
     Eventually, they found themselves at the hotel the girls were staying at. The nine of them crowded into the room that Nikki_Lynn and Mel were sharing. Holly sat at the edge of one of the beds, and the others milled about, not sure where to begin.
     "Alright," said Mel, "This is ridiculous. We've all dealt with Wax before. We can handle him."
     "Well," said Babs, "Linz's idea was to stay awake until we could find some way of fighting back..."
     "See?" said Mel, "We've got a plan already."
     "Yeah, well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm exhausted. It *is* two in the morning," said Nikki_Lynn.
     "What if we slept in shifts?" Greg wondered aloud.
     "Yeah," said Holly, "Then if Wax gets into our dreams, whoever's awake can wake us up before anything happens."
     "Sounds good to me," said Brad, yawning.
     They decided that Nikki_Lynn, Holly, Brad, and Colin would sleep first, the others standing watch. In no time, they were fast asleep, peaceful for the moment...
* * * * *
     Nikki_Lynn found herself in the dark. A cold draft wafted up from the darkness, making her shudder. Reaching out a hand to feel her way, her footsteps echoing on the damp ground. Suddenly a shreik assailed her ears as she toughed something soft and warm, drawing her hand back, surprised.
     "Who's there?" she asked nervously.
     "Nikki_Lynn? Is that you?" answered an familiar voice.
     "Holly?"
     "Where are we?" Holly's disembodied voice asked, the sound reverberating in the dark.
     "I don't know," Nikki_Lynn replied, "I can't see a damn thing. It's too dark!"
     "Oh God."
     "What?"
     "I think we're dreaming," said Holly, "I think you're in my dream... or I'm in you're dream... or we're in Wax's dream... However this works."
     Nikki_Lynn looked around, futily trying to get some sense of her surroundings. Suddenly, she froze as something slid over her foot. She gasped.
     "What's wrong?" Holly asked.
     "We're not alone in here," said Nikki_Lynn, forcing herself to remain motionless, "Don't move..."
     "Why aren't the others waking us up?" asked Holly...
* * * * *
     Wayne watched silently over the two sleeping girls. Neither had moved or made a sound since falling asleep. They seemed to be sleeping peacefully. A grim look settled over his features as he thought about their current situation. He couldn't stop thinking that all of this was his fault. Everything that had happened to the Brady Bunch was all due to the fact that Wax was jealous of *him*. His thoughts were interupted as the door opened and Mel entered the room, returning form her 20 minute absence, with coffee for the five of them.
     "How are they doing?" she asked, handing a cup to Ryan.
     "Nothing unusual," Ryan replied, taking a sip, "They seem fine."
     Greg and Babs sat in a couple of chair talking quietly to one another, occasionally glancing up to check on Brad and Colin...
* * * * *
     Holly shuddered as something coiled around her ankle. She remained as still as possible.
     "What is it?" Holly whispered.
     "I'm not sure, but I think it's..." Then the telltale hiss rising from the floor.
     "Snakes..."
     "And knowing Wax, I'll bet they're venomous, too," said Holly. A light flared high above them, casting a sickly light all around the two girls. A vast expanse of shadowed cavern, the ground they stood on alive... a virtual carpet of snakes of all colors and sizes. And then the laughter descending from above. Holly and Nikki_Lynn looked up, seeing the source of the light. A torch flickering in Wax's hand, casting ghastly shadows over his grinning face as he stood on an outcrop.
     "Well, well, well," he said, taunting them, "Two more little Brady Bunchers to add to my collection."
     "What do you mean, collection? What are you up to, Wax?!" Nikki_Lynn demanded, forgetting for that split second the immediate danger that slithered around her feet. Taking a small step toward Wax, and realizing, too late, her fatal error...
* * * * *
     A sudden cry of pain from the sleeping Nikki_Lynn jarred Wayne from his revery. He moved to the bed, shaking Nikki_Lynn, trying to wake her. Nearby, Holly gasped and sat bolt-upright, suddenly awake.
     "Oh my God," Holly cried, "Is she alright?"
     "She won't wake up!" Wayne replied. By then, the noise had roused Brad and Colin, as well.
     "He got her!" Holly sobbed, "First Linz, now Nikki_Lynn!"
     Brad appeared with a glass of cold water, which he poured over Nikki_Lynn's face. She coughed, choking on some of the water, but didn't wake up.
     "What are you trying to do?" asked Ryan, taking the glass away, "Drown her?"
     "Well, it always wakes *me* up," Brad pouted. Finally, they resigned themselves to the fact that Nikki_Lynn had joined Linz on Wax's hit list. Looking at her, they somehow knew that there was no way to wake her. Just as they knew that Linz's coma was no ordinary coma.
     "Holly? What happened?" asked Wayne back a sob.
* * * * *
     Holly moved from the bed to a chair, and settled back to tell her story, the rest of the group listening impaciently.
     "We were in a cavern. There were snakes everywhere. And Wax was there just... mocking us!" she said, "One of the snakes bit Nikki_Lynn, and she screamed and pulled away from it. Then another bit her, and another, and another... And the whole time, Wax was laughing like it was the funniest thing he ever saw!"
     She paused trying to regain control over her anger. Wayne leaned forward, pressing the palms of his hands against his face, horrified even by the conciseness of Holly's tale.
     "I don't understand this," said Greg, "Obviously Wax has some kind of plan, but apparently he intends to keep you alive. Something just doesn't fit here."
     "I know what you mean," said Mel, "Wax is bent on killing us all. But he's had multiple opportunities and we're all still alive."
     "This is my fault," said Wayne, his head still in his hands, "You would all be better off if you'd never heard of me."
     "Don't say that, Wayne," said Holly, "None of this is you're fault. It's all Wax."
     Ryan put his arm around Wayne's shoulders.
     "You can't blame yourself."
     "But Linz... and now, Nikki_Lynn..." Wayne trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
     "They'll be alright," said Greg, gently, "We'll find a way to help them."
* * * * *
     They passed a sleepless night, languishing in silence, no one really knowing what to say or do, fatigue becoming apparent to all. As the sun began to rise, Babs and Colin volunteered to go to the hospital and see what they could find out about Linz. The rest remained at the hotel, overcome with a feeling of helplessness.
     "Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing," said Brad, after a time.
     "He's right," Holly said adding, "Maybe we should go over what we *do* know, rather than focusing on what we don't."
     "Ok... We know that Wax has some kind of plan that involves all of us," Ryan began.
     "Do we? Only Wayne and us Brady Bunchers have been having these dreams," Mel interjected.
     "Alright," said Ryan, "Then, we know that whatever his plan is, he wants or needs you guys alive... for now."
     Holly nodded, "And we know that something happens in our dreams that prevents us from regaining conciousness... There could easily be a medical explaination for that."
     "We're missing something," Greg cried in frustration, "I can feel it... We're missing something obvious!"
     He suddenly paused, "Why is Wax only attacking one of you at a time?"
     Wayne glanced up, turning to Holly, "That's right! He had both you and Nikki_Lynn right in the palm of his hand. Why only Nikki_Lynn?"
     "And both Babs and Linz were asleep when he went after Linz... but he left Babs alone," Greg commented.
     "Maybe his plan is very specific," Brad shrugged.
     "Or *maybe* he can only handle one at a time," said Mel, looking over at Nikki_Lynn, who lay unconcious on the bed. She was about to continue, when the door opened and Babs and Colin walked in. Neither looked very optimistic.
     "Any news on Linz?" Wayne asked hopefully.
     "She's the same. They've been running all kinds of tests, and they haven't found anything medically wrong with her," Babs said as she sat down, resting her head against the back of the chair.
     "Well, we think we may have something," said Mel, and she quickly brought the up to date on their new theory.
     "If he *can* only handle one of us at a time, maybe if we all go to sleep we can overwelm him somehow," Babs said, voicing her thoughts.
     "And if we're wrong about this," Holly argued, "He'll have us all together in one convinient place."
     Ryan paced back and forth across the room.
     "What if one of you went to sleep... and then when Wax shows up, you probe him for information? We all know how he loves to gloat."
     "It should be two of us..." said Mel, "Just in case something goes wrong and we don't wake up in time. That way one of us will be able to bring back what we find out."
     "So who sleeps and who watches?" asked Greg.
     "I'll sleep," said Wayne, "I owe it to Linz and Nikki_Lynn."
     "I'll go with you," said Babs. Wayne looked at her gratefully.
     "When do we start?" asked Colin.
     "No time like the present," Mel replied...
* * * * *
     Babs lay down on the unoccupied bed, and looked over at Nikki_Lynn, unconcious on the other bed. Wayne sat down next to Babs, and took a deep breath, as the reality of what he was about to do set in. He lay back and closed his eyes. Babs shifted her gaze from Nikki_Lynn to Wayne, studying him, his body tense, his face set in an expression of anxiety. She gently reached for him, coiling her fingers around his hand. Wayne opened his eyes and gave her a nervous smile. It took awhile, but eventually, they fell asleep.
     "Watch them closly," cautioned Mel, "The second either of them looks they might be in trouble, we've got to wake them up."
     The others nodded in agreement and settled back to watch over their sleeping friends as the sun rose higher in the sky.

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