Hanson Fanatic

“What the merry hell do any of you know about these murders? Never mind,” Detective Piper said, “Let me guess, you don’t know a thing. Six of you here and none of you know a thing about them. I thought as much. Why they decided to pull you six kids from thetrain and dump you into my police station is beyond.....”

“I know something,” Zac said, smiling.

“...You know something? Oh, you know something, do you?” Piper said as he flipped through his small notebook. “You’re...ah... Zachary Hanson, aren’t you? Says here you claim to have actually seen one of the bodies. Is that true?”

“Actually, I’m the Zac Hanson and yes, it’s true. I saw the dead body. Toby and I were...”

Zac was interrupted and directed by Detective Piper to show him which one of us was “Toby”. Zac helped him out further by introducing the rest of us.

It came as a bit of a shock, actually. The train pulled into town and a couple of police officers got on. I could hear them asking questions about the Hansons. At first, I got kinda scared. I thought that maybe the veiled explanation I gave my Mom about my whereabouts and what I’d been up to wasn’t enough. Maybe she sent the police after me for being a runaway or maybe she wanted Taylor and the gang on a kidnapping charge or something. A few moments later one of the conductors, a big, dumb looking one with a toothpick in his mouth, pointed over to Zac sitting next to me.

The police officer told us that Zac and Taylor were wanted for questioning at the police station in town. At first, I thought it was about that dumb, smoke bomb thing, but the police said it was part of a murder investigation. Zac was right! The policeman was sort of upset when he found out that there wasn’t actually a legal guardian on the train for Zac. I think he was even more upset when he heard that he would have to take all six of us with him. We were sort of a packaged deal.

“So anyway, like I said, I found the body when I was searching with Toby,” Zac finished. “Finally, someone who believes me.”

“Oh, I believe you alright, kid. It was the second body you saw, right?”

“Second one?” Taylor interrupted. “There’s been two people killed on the train? I think we need some explanations. Starting with why were my friends and I brought here?”

“You tell him, Tay,” Zac said, “What? Are you gonna arrest us? Slap the cuffs on me.”

“Zac! I don’t think that this is the time or the place for any of....” Toby started but was interrupted.

“Shut up, all of you!” Piper said. “Kids! Two murders and my only link to them are kids. Here, I’ll start from the beginning, if it will make all you happy. There have been two homicides committed. No witnesses. They faxed all the information to me, and since they’ve been committed across state lines, the FBI will be involved. They should arrive tomorrow. Until that time, I have the right to require your cooperation. I’m trying to conduct a little preliminary questioning so I can have something to turn over to the G-men.”

G-men?! Detective Piper was a weird sort of guy. They stopped us at one of the small, whistle-stops along the train route. I don’t think there was much crime in this small town, about 100 miles or more outside of Chicago. It’s my guess that the most crime Detective Piper’s seen is a few jay-walkers and some shoplifting. In fact, he seems to sound like he got his police training by watching old cop-movies. He talks like a character in a play I did once.

“I’ve got alot of questions for somebody,” Piper said slowly, “And I want answers, too. Now, by a show of hands, which ones of you actually saw a dead body?”

Zac slowly raised his hand. Piper looked around the room and saw that Zac was the only one. Suddenly, Zac felt very alone.

“You found the body?” Piper said as Zac nodded. “Alone?”

“No, I was with Toby but we separated just before I found him in the little storage room near the back of the train. I ran back to Toby and told him to call someone to help. By the time we got a conductor, the body was gone. The conductor didn’t believe me, but I knew then that the guy had been murdered, and that we should call the police.”

“Got it all figured out, don’t you?” Piper said, “I’m surprised you even thought the police were necessary. They found that body along the train tracks. There’s a second body too. One of the conductors at a train station in Oklahoma. It says on my fax here, that a Taylor Hanson and another kid were seen talking to this train conductor before your train left. Witnesses identified Taylor Hanson, but couldn’t really remember anyone else talking to the conductor that day. I guess that’s the price of being famous, huh kid? You are famous somehow, right? Local celebrities, I suppose. Alot of people in Oklahoma seemed to know you. I’ve never really heard of you but the FBI told me to treat you with kid-gloves. Everything’s dealing with ‘kids’ these days!”

Two men killed! The words sent a chill down my spine. I was reminded of my dream again. I looked around the room and realized that I wasn’t the only one who had been affected by the claims of murder. It had such a nasty, criminal sound to it. Then again, why shouldn’t it?

Piper spoke again, “Notice anything else that might have a barring on this case?

Zac scratched his head and paused for a second. It was all for dramatic effect. He knew exactly what he was going to say. He said the same thing he told Toby, the conductor, me, Taylor and everyone else who’d listen, I’m sure.

“It was a body. He was stabbed. Blood all over the back of his pajamas, and there was a note stuck into the blood.”

“A note,” the detective said. “What did it read?”

“I can’t remember all the way. Something about how they had met one night and he needed him. Something like that.”

“That’s interesting,” Piper added. “The other victim had a note stuck to him as well. It said, ‘If I had the chance I’d never let you go.’ We didn’t find any note on your body, though. That’s not to say that they’re not still looking. Bits and pieces of that old guy everywhere, from what I hear. We’ll find it.”

Zac sat up, triumphantly and said, “See! I was telling the truth. I knew about the note, huh? I was right! Why would I make something like that up, and how could I know that you really would then find a body! I wish I had that train conductor here right now. I bet he’d swallow that toothpick of his!”

“I don’t doubt what you say, kid. But there is nothing we can do right now. Unless something changes, I think it’s pretty much over. There’s no connection between the two victims. Near as I can see on my fax here, the conductor who got offed wasn’t even part of that train line carrying the old man, so he would have never met the other man. Only two things connect the two crimes. They are the notes left behind, and the fact that both men have encountered your family one while alive, the other one when he was stiffed. That is true, right. Aquatinted with the deceased man at all?”

“Never met him...uh...until I saw him dead,” Zac said.

“So, none of you knew the two men who were killed?” Piper asked. Maybe one of them tried to contact you. Some of you are famous, aren’t you. Do you know of any obsessed fans maybe? Maybe one called or maybe one of them wrote to you. I don’t know. But for some reason you didn’t answer them. So, the guy did what he could to impress you. I’m just throwing out theories. Trying to brain storm.

“To what-storm?” Zac said, “Are you serious? Did you make all that up by yourself or did someone help you?

“Listen, kid, I’ve forgotten more about detecting than you ever knew,” Piper said, his grey-ish face growing redder.

“You must have forgotten even more than you thought then,” Zac answered.

Uh oh. I was afraid of this. And the two of them were hitting it off so well, too. Zac has a way of getting under adults’ skin sometimes.

“Two men have been killed. The only link I have right now is that they came in contact with you. Until we figure out why, this case is very much open. That’s why I cannot allow you to leave town.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that the reason why this town is crawling with criminals is that you never let them leave town?” Zac said. “What do you expect us to do? Hang out in the cells all night?”

The detective explained to us that he had rooms waiting for us at a motel nearby. A police car would take us there and help us check in. We could call our parents from there and explain why we’re going to be a few days later than we thought.

Piper spoke again, “I can’t help wondering if you kids are the link to this somehow. Maybe it’s someone who knows you. It must feel odd to find out that someone you never met before could be staring at a picture of you for days, weeks, even months. Everywhere they turned, they would see you. They might imagine, ‘If only they could only see me. If only they could know me.’ Maybe that person snapped. What if they cared for you. What if they loved you.”

“Nah, we got attorneys to take care of nuts like that. You wouldn't believe the crazies out there, just on the internet alone! Still, If he’s trying to scare us, I think it’s working,” Zac whispered to Toby. “Sounds like he’s describing X, huh?”

“What’s that you said?” Piper chimed in. “Echs?”

He flipped through his notes and turned to X.

“What is your real name, son? Not this ‘Hollywood-type’ thing you gave one of my officers.”

X spoke softly, almost embarrassed. “That’s sort of the problem. I don’t know my name. I can’t remember.”

“Oh for the love of...” Piper said, “This case is turning into a real jumble. Listen, I was just tossing out theories about obsessed fans before. Saw something about it on the tee-vee. But now, I don’t know. It says here that after Zac Hanson found the body, he ran into you. What were you doing up at that time of night?”

“I..uh..couldn’t sleep. I was just wandering around for awhile,” X answered politely.

“And, your roommate a Mister...Xairec says he woke up alone on the night in question. How long did you just “wander around” anyway or did you forget that too? You sound like a case for the psych. ward rather than a nice soft jail cell. Maybe I better talk to you a bit more. Since you were up and all, maybe you saw the guy who actually committed these crimes. The rest of you can go. A couple of my men will drive you over to the motel, and I’ll call you if there’s any changes. I’d like to talk to your friend here for awhile longer.”

X felt the hand of a policeman on his arm directing him to stand. He leaned his weight against the police officer as he moved down the hall. Behind him, the site of his new friends grew smaller and smaller.

Quick walked the same five feet again, turned and walked back. He had been pacing back and forth for what seemed like hours. Actually, though, it was closer to about twenty minutes.

His friends had left for the police-chosen motel, at Quick’s insistence. They all wanted to stay, but it was getting late, and Quick knew that there was nothing really they could do. Even Zac seemed upset and worried about X. Zac didn’t mean to get him into trouble. It’s just that the boy didn’t know when this game turned so serious.

“How long to you think they’re gonna keep him in there anyway?” Quick asked, pointing his thumb at the interrogation room.

“Not much longer,” the pudgy, kindly cop said. “Detective Piper talks a good game but he really doesn’t mean your friend any harm. It’s just that, well... with the murder and all he doesn’t want to take any chances. He thinks this might be his big break, to solve the crime before the FBI can arrive. He’s just questioning your friend. I can assure you that the rubber hose and other techniques went out a long time ago.”

______________________

“Ok, ok, let’s go over this again,” Piper said as he circled the boy seated at the table. “What’s your name?”

“I don’t know.”

“What’s your address?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Reason for traveling through town?”

“I’m traveling with friends.”

“How’d you pay for the tickets?”

“A friend of mine bought it for me. Taylor Hanson. You met him earlier.”

X was trying to stay as calm as possible, but inside his felt like a kangaroo was boxing three rounds with his stomach. It was bad enough that he couldn’t remember anything but to have to be confronted like this. Plus, all this direct questioning and trying to force his memories that never seemed to come only confused him more.

“No name. No address. No identification of any kind. You’re lucky that you were traveling by rail, kid. You couldn’t have boarded a plane like this. How am I suppose to release you? I let the other kids go ‘cause I have their names, their parent's names and their addresses. What am I suppose to do with you? I don’t even know if I can hold you. Are you a minor? How old are you?”

“I’m not sure.”

Piper put his head in his hands.

“Crimeny!” he said. “What a screwball. Let’s go back to what you might know. What’s the earliest memory ya got, kid?”

X screwed his eyes closed and tried to recall the best he could, “I remember waking up on a street corner. I was beaten and bloody. My pockets were empty. I...remember going to a clinic for help. The doctors looked at me, but were at a loss to explain why I couldn’t remember anything. They said there was nothing physically wrong with me.”

“Did they try to contact anyone? Your parents? Missing persons? Anyone?” Piper said.

“Umm,...they talked about that after they mentioned sending me to the psych. ward for an evaluation. I...well, didn’t stay around for that though. I..sort of.... Well, I sort of left before they could. I don’t like being confined.”

That much was true. X squirmed in his chair, and kept on squirming. His face was flush, his hands clammy. It didn’t much help his case. It gave him the look of a wild, caged animal.

“Let me get this straight. A runaway? You ran away. Right, kid? Sounds like it wasn’t your first time. Woke up beaten on a street corner? Turning tricks maybe? I can see why you’d want to forget something like that. Filthy business.”

X’s blue eyes welled up with tears. He was determined not to cry though. He had to be tough. For as long as he could remember - which wasn't that long really - he had to be tough. Waking up on the street, without a dime to your name - hell, without a even your name - will do that to you. He had managed to survive this long, mostly by himself but lately with a little help from his friends.

The door suddenly burst open.

“Alright, I think that’s enough,” Quick said as he passed a supportive look to the upset looking X, “I want to know why exactly my friend is being held, and why it’s not me.”

Piper missed the last part of Quick’s comment, but X didn’t. Despite his state, he managed to smile. X thanked God for Quick. He always seemed to come to his rescue.

“You just can’t burst in here like this,” a purple-faced Piper bellowed. “I’m conducting an investigation!”

“Alone? I don’t think so. This boy is a minor and as such you must have someone from social services present. There are rules you know. That’s what separates us from the major communist nations of the world. Well, that and large bodies of water and mountain ranges, stuff like that.”

“I’ve had just about enough from you kids. I’ve got a notion to book the two of you on obstruction of justice charges!”

Quick didn’t flinch. He simply said, “Do that. I’d like to see how you fill out a police report on my friend. Oh, and I can assure you that my family will file a class action suit against you and this town, the likes of which you’ve never seen. Now, it’s late. How about releasing my friend and letting us go to what I’m sure is your best four-star dump.”

Piper pinched the bridge of his nose with his finger. In some ways, the kid was right. It was late. He had nothing really to hold this “X” character on at the moment, and there was no way he was going to wake up Pete Chalmers from social services at this hour.”

“Alright, you two can go, I s’pose. But, I’m having one of my patrol cars pass by the motel periodically tonight. If anything happens and you’re not there.... I got your name and address, Xairec. You’ll be the one with hell to pay. One other thing, ‘X’ or whatever your name is, this isn’t over yet. Since I’m releasing you because you’re a minor, that means I can also pursue you for being a runaway. You did admit to that. I’ve got it on tape. Tomorrow morning, one of my men will be by to take you to the sanitarium to talk to one of the doctors. We’ll see if he can get to the bottom of this convenient memory loss of yours. Now, get out!”

Quick put his arm around the distraught X and helped him up.

“Sanitarium?!” X thought. “I can’t. I can’t go there. They won’t lock me up. They can’t. I have to get away.” He looked over at Quick and realized that if he left, the police would go after Quick for aiding and abetting. His own safety or Quick’s? Which should he choose.

X put his head against Quick’s shoulder as he stood. Quick directed him into the next room and told him to get a drink of water. One of the police officers would be driving them to the motel soon.

“One last thing, Xairec,” Piper added, just as Quick reached the door. “There’s one other event which may, or may not be connected to the crime. This fake arson attempt on the train which turned out to be a smoke bomb. Where was “X” when the incident happened?”

Quick hesitated before he answered. His mind flashing back to what seemed like a month ago.

......flashback.......

X had come in on Zac, Toby, Jaxsper and him in the lounge car, scaring the bejezus out of Zac in the process. Quick was still pretty mad at Zac for accusing X of stuff, so even though Zac and Toby left, Quick still didn’t feel much like eating. He and X politely refused Jaxsper and Taylor’s invitation to have lunch.

“Did you see how close Zac was sitting to Toby when I walked in,” a smiling X said. “What were you guys talking about anyway?”

“Nothing,” Quick answered, thring to contain himsemf.

“It must have been something. Zac really must have scared himself with that ghost story. I like how he turned immediately to Toby. I think my plan is working,” X half whispered, half said.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Sorry. Hey Quick, do you mind if I was alone for awhile?” X asked, almost dreading the response.

“Not at all,” Quick said, his voice a dull monotone.

“Really? Wow, I thought you would be mad again.”

“At what?” Quick asked.

“You know. The whole, ‘Once again X wanders off alone into his own world, lost in thought’ thing again.”

Quick looked at him and chose his words very carefully. “Mad? Why would I be mad? I’ve done some thinking and I’ve come to the realization that you and I are separate people and even though I would like the two of us to be together, we sometimes have to live separate lives. We’re not joined at the hip, you know.”

X thanked him, turned and walked determined towards the back of the train.

“...Shyeah right!” Quick muttered to himself as he followed X, making sure not to be seen.

He followed X through the train. It was difficult not to be seen because the trail basically went in a straight line. A couple of times, Quick had to duck down behind some of the train seats, once to the chagrin of a woman still occupying one.

Quick saw X enter Zac’s compartment. Zac obviously wasn’t back yet. A few moments later, X emerged again and continued towards the back of the train. Quick slipped into Zac’s room to see if he could find out what X was doing in there.

On the bed laid a note, a single slip of paper. Quick only had time to pocket it, and slip back into his own room before Zac and Toby returned.

......end flashback.......

“You deaf, Xairec? I said, ‘Where were the two of you when the smoke bomb incident happened?”

“We started out in the dining car and ended up in the lounge car. We were together,” Quick answered.

“The whole time?” the detective asked, his eyes narrowing.

“The whole time.”

Quick walked out of the room to find X.

_______________________

The drive to the hotel was pretty quiet. X simply stared out the window, that far away look in his eyes, contemplating his fate and his future.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Quick said.

“Nothing. No, that’s not true. I was just thinking how sad it is. Two men I never met before, died in the last two days.” X answered.

“I know what you mean, a girl I never met before had sex with an entire football team in the last two days.”

X brightened up slightly. Once again Quick came to his rescue and saved him, at least for a little while, from his thoughts of doom and gloom.

“Penny for your thoughts, Quick?” X asked.

“I was....I was thinking about you. Actually, if I had a penny every time I thought about you, X, I’d be making about $500 a week, I guess.”

There was silence as the two of them stared into each other’s eyes. Quick always felt as if X had the power to look clear through his eyes, and into his heart. He wondered if X could see that far now, and he worried what X might find there tonight.

“You... you do believe me, right?” a scared X asked.

“Better than that,” Quick answered, “I believe in you. We’ll get through this, together. I promise you.”

X returned to looking out of the window. Quick sat quietly watching his friend for awhile, the lights of the highway dancing off of his face. He slowly pulled the note he snagged from Zac’s compartment just before the false-fire occurred. He read the words X wrote again, “You’re hot.”

“Whew, at least it’s over,” I said to no one in particular.

I felt free again. Free and validated. For some reason I sometimes dream about what’s going to happen, especially when it comes to Taylor. The shaman woman who married us told me it was because I was connected to Tay in some way that goes beyond understanding. When I dreamed....... When I dreamed what I did.... Well, it was horrible. It felt as if I was on a runaway train, speeding toward a cliff, and I couldn’t do a thing to stop it.

It turns out that I was partially right. Someone did die, I must have just messed up some of the facts in my dream state. But messed up or not, at least we’re off that train and away from the even the hint of any sort of murders. Thank God!

I’m outside the door to our motel room. The motel room provided to us by the local police. Taylor and I are sharing a room, Zac and Toby are in another around the corner. Quick stayed at the police station with X, but they should be home soon. They must still be talking to X, but I don’t really think it’s going to be too big of a problem. The police still have to talk to Taylor and me a bit more tomorrow about the conductor we met. The one who was killed. They also need to talk to Zac. As horrible as those two deaths are, I can’t help but feel elated that we’re all safe.

A voice broke me from my reverie.

“Umm, excuse me, Jaxsper,” Toby said. “I just wanted to thank you.”

“No problem,” I answered. Then a second later I added, “Thank me for what?”

“Thank you for arranging for my trip to Tulsa to see you and Taylor get married. I know I’ve said it before, but seeing the two of you together really means something to me.”

I told him it was not problem, and we smiled at each other. I couldn’t get a handle at what Toby was getting at, but I’m sure he had more on his mind that thanking me.

“Cold night, huh?” I asked, not really knowing what to say. “If I would have known we’d be stuck in snow country, I’d have packed my skis.”

“Yes it is cold, I reckon, but I’m used to it,” Toby replied, twisting his foot nervously in the small patch of snow below. “Looks like it might snow some more tomorrow. Nothing too bad, though. When did you know that Taylor loved you?”

The question came out of no where and took me by surprise, but I tried to answer it as honestly as possible.

“I don’t really know. I think it was always there. There was the sparkle in his eyes the moment I saw him, the laugh in his voice. It took me awhile to admit to myself that I loved him in ‘more than a friendship’ kinda way, but I think that Taylor always knew. That’s probably what attracted me to him. The fact that even when I’m stumbling around trying to do the right thing, he always knows what’s best immediately.”

“Even so, you knew pretty much right away that you were in love, didn’t you?” Toby asked.

“I think so,” I said smiling. I can’t help but smile when I think about Taylor. “Remember when Taylor and I went to the carnival that night when we were filming ‘The Real World’ stuff? That’s when I was sure it was more than just a physical attraction between us. It was so romantic, that’s when I knew that he loved me.”

Toby looked at me and said, “I remember the night that the two of you went to the carnival. Even though we didn’t know that you two were ‘dating’ Zac said he knew for sure it was in fact a real date.”

“Yeah,” I added, “Zac’s another one who always knew we should be together. No matter how much I tried to push Tay away, Zac knew that we belonged together. I owe him alot.”

“He’s like Taylor, I reckon,” Toby said. “Always seems to know what’s right and what he wants. ..... and what he doesn’t want.”

Toby’s voice trailed off at the end of his sentence. I asked him to repeat it, but he said it was nothing. Toby asked if I knew were Zac was right now. I told him that the last I saw of Zac he was behind the motel at a small creek. He headed over there soon after we checked in. Toby thanked me again, and went off in search of Zac.

I should have realized how odd it was that Zac’s ever-present, best friend wasn’t with him already, but I was too busy thanking God for keeping all of us safe.

______________________________

Toby found Zac behind the motel, just as Jaxsper had said. He was kneeling in front of a small, partially frozen creek picking up rocks.

“Hi, stranger,” Toby said.

Zac shot upright, startled and pushed something into his pocket.

“Toby, there you are!” Zac said, trying to sound perfectly normal. His eyes were as big as saucers.

“Zac, have you called your parents to tell them what’s going on?” Toby asked.

“Yeah, I told them some. Tay and I figured that we wouldn’t tell them everything just yet. Otherwise Mom and Dad would be on the first rocketship up here, and Mom’s not too crazy about Taylor being in love with another guy.”

Toby sat down on one of the cold rocks near the creek. Maybe it was the chill in the air. Something made his knees feel weak all of a sudden.

“I’m..... I’m going to call my folks and have them come and get me,” Toby said, decidedly. “We’re not too far outside of Chicago. I could be home by tomorrow, maybe.”

“But, Tobe! You can’t! The cops said we had to stay here,” Zac protested, the tone in his voice showing a bit more than civic responsibility.

“They have to question you, Taylor and Jaxsper. You’ve all had contact with victims in this case. X and Quick are stuck here for questioning too. But I’m not. I never saw anything, and they have my address. Really, what’s keeping me here?”

They sat there in silence for a few minutes. The cold wind whistled past their ears. A few snowflakes started to drift down. It was Zac who broke the silence.

“I’ve been thinking...” Zac started.

“Yeah, me too. I’ve been doing alot of thinking,” Toby answered.

“What about?”

“You first.”

“Ok,” Zac said, tossing a pebble at the frozen creek. “I’ve never really worried about stuff. I’m up on stage, hundreds of people cheering for me. I’ve got fame, fortune, all that stuff and I’m not even old enough to drive. Sometimes I start to think that I’m immortal. Given my weird sort of life, I guess I start to think that the people around me are immortal too. It just takes a second to realize how wrong you are about everything. What I’m trying to say is that when I thought the train was on fire, I thought I was going to lose you and.... now I feel ashamed. I guess that’s why I haven’t been able to talk to you much since then.”

“Ashamed? Why?”

Zac tossed another pebble at the ice in the creek. His eyes stared straight ahead. They were fixed, focused.

“I keep pushing you away, even when I don’t want to. I’m afraid of hurting you, and as a result I end up hurting you even more. If you died without ever knowing how much I care for you, Tobe, I would never be able to forgive myself. Because...because I love you, Toby. It’s taken me awhile to admit it, but I can’t stand to be without you.”

Toby didn’t know what to say. Finally he heard the words he’d longed to hear. His emotions were in a tug-of-war that no one could win. He sat bolt upright, not moving. His nervous system in shock.

Zac continued, “You know how you said that you were looking for your ‘perfect moment’ on this trip, Toby? How each trip you take has one perfect moment? Well, I started to think that when I’m with you, there’s alot more than just one perfect moment. What I’m trying to say is, ummm, here. I’ve got something for you.”

Zac reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of wet stones, some with sand and silt still on them. Toby figured that he must have collected them down by the creek. Zac’s hand squeezed around the rocks for a second, then he dumped them into Toby’s cupped hands.

“You...uh...got me rocks? Perfect, I guess,” Toby answered, still stunned.

“No! They’re more than that. They’re memory stones. See? I wrote out all of our ‘perfect moments’ on each one, so you wouldn’t forget them. I’m gonna get a jar and we can keep them in it. We’ll add more memory stones too, for all the ‘perfect moments’ we’re gonna have.”

Toby opened his hands and sifted through the rocks. He could see that Zac had written on each of them with a marker. They said things like, “brochure gathering”, “run for the train”, “popcorn fight” and “yellow walkie talkie.” They detailed all the special times the two friends had shared.

“This is great. I can’t... I can’t even tell you how good this makes me feel. God, I’m nervous,” Toby finally stated. “I didn’t think I would be, but I am. Shouldn’t there be bells and whistles and all that stuff when this happens? I thought I would feel tons of things, but all I feel now is butterflies.”

“Well...,” Zac said slowly, “Maybe if I kiss you, you won’t be nervous anymore?”

Zac leaned in to kiss Toby but pushed him over on his back instead, knocking the memory stones out of his hand. Zac then rolled over on top of him so he was laying sideways across Toby’s chest, resting on his elbow and looking down into his face trying not to laugh.

“Cyke! If you think I’m gonna get all mushy and stuff like ‘Taylor, the Blushing Bride’ you better think again,” Zac said, loudly. Then he added in a much softer tone, “But I do love you, Toby, and I’m through trying to say that I don’t just to protect you.”

It was silent again, but this time the silence felt much better. This time it was laced with possibilities.

“Well,” Toby said, finally. “It’s a shame that two people had to be killed, and you and I almost get cooked, before you would admit you had feelings for me.”

“Don’t you dare sully this moment with your talk of murder!” Zac said. “You know what I do to combat the morbid-ality of death? I think about the life force. The thing that denies death it’s due. The act of hard core bangin’!”

Toby laughed and said, “You really are crazy, you know that?”

“Hey, I can’t help it. Sex and death. 2 sides of the same coin.”

“I thought I was suppose to be doing the seducing here!” Toby replied with a grin.

At first glance, Zac looks to be the picture off teenage innocence and energy. But, if you looked closely, the huge smile on his face could only be saying, “come and get me.”

He rose and dusted some of the snow from his knees. Toby scooped up the memory stones in his hand.

“Come on, Tobe. Let’s get inside. It’s way too cold out here. I know just the thing to warm us up.”

Zac extended his hand to Toby, helping his friend up. The two of them walked hand in hand back to their room.

“You’re right about one thing, Tobe. This murder investigation really did bring us together. We’ll have to do more of this, maybe open a detective agency. What sounds better by the way partner ‘Hanson and Quirk’ or ‘Quirk and Hanson?”

“Well I say ‘Quirk and Hanson’ definitely.”

“Bzzz! Wrong answer,” Zac said. “I’m sorry but the correct answer is ‘Hanson and Quirk’. Think about it, ‘Abbot and Costello’, ‘Martin and Lewis’, “Chip and Dale”. The straight guy always goes first.”

Toby stopped to pick up a couple more stones before they reached their room. He told Zac that they were for memories yet to come. They reached the hotel and entered their room together, never once realizing that they were being watched.

_________________________

The bullet. It flew threw the air. It shone in the glow of the flashing multi-colored lights like a silver rocket out of control. The bullet. The first of two.

I could see it there, cutting through the air. I tried to freeze it in time with my mind. It slowed down as I squinted my eyes. Then, I succeeded. The silver bullet stopped moving. It froze in midair. I did it. I stopped the inevitable, at least in my dream.

But I couldn’t hold it. It began to push at my will and move again. Slowly it started moving, and this time I couldn’t stop it. It regained its speed, and this time no matter how hard I tried to stop it, it just sliced onward.

It was going to happen again.

Taylor and I were together. Moments before we were happy, but now the bullet would end all that. Now matter how hard I tried to control the dream, it was going to happen again. The bullet kept moving.

The rational side of me, the part outside the emotional pain of the dream, was amazed at how clearly I could see the bullet coming towards me. It was also amazing that this time, I was able to stop it at least for a moment. My will power was not strong enough to maintain the situation, though. The bullet kept on moving, gaining even more speed. Now no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep it from finding it’s mark.

I had to stop it. Again I squinted my eyes and pulled up all my strength, ordering the bullet to stop. It did. I did it. The bullet shuddered and pushed against my mind, but I held it fast.

“Funny thing. Dreams I mean, son,” someone said.

It was my dad’s voice. He sounded just the way I remembered him, before he died.

“There’s a song that says, ‘In dreams, you will lose your heartache. Whatever you wish for you keep,’ but I say that dreams aren’t always like that. Your dreams aren’t always wish fulfillment, son. They’re more like a preview to a movie.”

I could see my dad out of the corner of my eye. I wanted to run to him, and ask him to comfort me, to save me from this horrible nightmare, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t take my eyes off the bullet or else it would start moving again.

“There are things about being a father, son,” he continued. “Even though I’m away from you, I’ll remember them forever. How I held you in my arms as a baby. How awkward it felt, like holding a shifting sack of flour. I finally got the hang of it. I remember how you came home from your first day of school, clutching a paper full of blue squiggles and how to you it was the deep, blue sea. I was bursting with pride that day. Your first day of school..... There’s not alot of firsts that you can remember in this world. Most ‘firsts’ in your life happen when you’re very young, before you know enough to take notice of them. Now you’ve found your first love. You’ll remember that, son. You’ll carry it with you always. And I want you to know that even if I can’t be with you, I’ll love you always too. Even when you’re gone, you’ll always remember the people you love.”

A tear formed in the corner of my eye. I blinked my eyes, trying to clear my vision. That’s when I lost it. I lost control of the bullet. It sped forward, finding it’s mark. I could hear the crack as it drove into flesh.

My head snapped back then forward. I screamed, and sat up in bed. My body was drenched in sweat. I was shaking. The dreams again. They weren’t over. I hadn’t cheated fate yet.

“Hi, honey. I’m home,” Zac yelled as he opened the door to his motel room. “Oh wait, you’re with me.”

Zac led Toby into the room by the hand. Suddenly without warning, Zac yanked his friend’s arm tossing him onto the bed. Zac stood at the foot of his bed looking down at Toby.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted this,” Toby said breathlessly.

“What? You. Me. Tawdry sex in the proverbial cheap motel? My dear Toby, you are a slut,” Zac laughed.

Zac leapt from the floor to jump on the bed, bounced once on his ass then landed with a flump to lay beside Toby.

“Hold on half a tick,” Toby said.

He leaned over to place the handful of memory stones on the nightstand, then turned to gaze at his new lover again.

“I want to do it all, Zac,” Toby said, “And I want to do it with you.”

“Like I said, total slut!” Zac replied.

Before moving on, Toby studied Zac’s face. Was this what he really wanted? Was he regretting this? Was he just projecting his feelings onto Zac?

“What a beautiful face,” thought Toby. “No lines, no cares, no worries.”

There was suddenly a silent understanding between the two boys as they stared into each other’s eyes.

Zac positioned himself so that he laid partially on top of Toby. He placed his hands on either side of Toby’s face, moving his lips forward. He covered Toby’s mouth with kisses, silencing any unspoken questions.

Toby opened his mouth to allow Zac’s tongue to probe deeply inside. This was what he had been waiting for. Not the quick jack off sessions the boys had shared a few times before. He wanted to feel the love to flow between them. Zac kissed hungrily and sloppily, with little finesse. He moved his face back and forth as he had seen in the movies. It wasn’t the best kiss in the world, but to Toby it was the only kiss in the world.

Toby tugged his arms free from the weight of Zac’s body to wraps them around his friend. Minutes went by and they hardly breathed. Excitement fueled both boys more than simple oxygen ever could.

Toby loved the feeling of Zac’s body on top of his. He loved the weight of it, how it warmed him after being out in the cold. He loved the frantic energy that forced Zac to constantly move and wiggle as he lay there. The boys began to grind their crotches against each other.

Suddenly, Toby felt Zac’s hand move away from his face. The hand traveled down his neck and squeezed between their bodies, squirming toward the bulge in Toby’s pants. A moan escaped between the pair’s tightly pressed lips. Zac’s hand rubbed and squeezed and fiddled with the bulge in Toby’s pants, massaging him. As he did this, his other hand shot up the front of Toby’s shirt and began rubbing the skin of his chest. The pace was rapid and out of control.

“Oh my god. I think I’m going to cum!” Toby said.

He couldn’t hold back much longer without good reason. He tried to stop himself. He tried to calm down, but he couldn’t. Weeks and months of dreaming of this moment and wanting it with all his heart, forced his emotions closer to the surface. Toby moaned. Like a huge tidal wave Toby came, gushing out what seemed like gallons, totally filling his briefs.

“I’m sorry, Zac. I’m sorry,” Toby said, slightly embarrassed by how rapidly he had been brought to orgasm.

“It’s ok, Tobe. You never have to be sorry with me. We got plenty of time for more,” Zac whispered as he raised his body up off of Toby’s.

Zac slowed the pace now. He carefully pulled Toby’s shirt over his head, kissing his lips again when his face popped out of the other side.

Toby lay there looking at his best friend. He couldn’t help but have a goofy love-look on his face. Toby spread his legs apart more, and let his fingers toy in Zac’s hair. It felt so good to be like this. Sure, they had jacked off together before, but even then Toby had to hide how much he liked it from Zac. He had to pretend that they were just kids messing around, instead of one boy so deeply in love with the other. Now, he didn’t have to hold back anything. He wanted to share every sensation with his best friend.

Toby gently removed Zac’s sweater and gazed at his friend’s smooth chest. He felt the blood flow to his lower body again, restoring him to a state of action. His penis quadrupled it in size in under two seconds. Toby unzipped and tugged down Zac’s pants, revealing his purple checked boxers. Even though he had rushed to cum once already, he forced himself to slow down now. He wanted to make this last.

Zac’s hands traveled down Toby’s stomach. The touch caused involuntary spasms all through Toby’s body, especially the boy’s cock. The penis twitched and oozed out a few more drops of the white liquid into his soaked briefs. Zac could see a wet patch forming on the front of his pants. He carefully helped Toby out of them.

Toby’s dick flopped forward and back, making a wet, slapping noise and it bounced against his stomach. Some of the cum still clung to his penis and it glistened in the dim lights of the motel room.

Zac tentatively touched the stuff, as if he was feeling it for the first time. Like a scientist, he rolled some of it between his fingers. It felt hot. It felt solid and yet liquidy. It felt like alot of things, and it made Zac feel good to think that he helped Toby make it.

“Still smells good, the way I remember it,” Zac said. “Wonder if it tastes the same.”

He scooped up a bit more on his fingertips and raised it to his lips, sliding his tiny tongue out to touch at it with the tip. Zac confirmed that it was as he remembered, the one time he had taken Toby’s uncircumcised penis into his mouth.

Toby told Zac that he wanted to share the sensation and asked Zac to turn around. Zac spun his body around, positioning his crotch over Toby’s face, as his lips hovered just above Toby’s rejuvenated erection. His body was fully aroused and responsive. His every emotion pouring into this one moment. His whole being pounded with pleasure and anticipation. At last the sensations became so fierce and so pervasive, his body and mind joined together.

Zac turned to look over his shoulder at Toby.

“Ready?” he whispered

Toby yanked Zac’s boxers off, exposing his erection.

“Ready!” Toby replied.

Zac’s cock was inches from Toby’s face. He reached up to wrap his hands around Zac’s back and pulled the boy even closer. The swollen head of Zac’s penis passed between Toby’s lips and into his mouth. At the same time, Toby felt Zac’s full lips and teeth playing around at his re-hardening dick.

It felt like nothing he had ever known before. Last summer, when they asked Jaxsper how it felt to be like this, he had said that it felt like the greatest feeling in the world. They realized how right he was. When you’re with the person that you love, it’s the greatest feeling in the world.

Toby’s mouth stretched to the limit to take Zac in. He wanted it all. He wanted to share all the ecstasy he had felt. Toby could feel his own dick in the warm, wet mouth of his friend. Toby could also feel Zac start humping, carefully pushing and pulling his dick in and out of Toby’s mouth. Toby did the same.

Zac’s rough tongue rubbed against the super-sensitive head of Toby’s cock. He quickened the pace, rapidly moving his mouth up and down Toby’s cock. He wanted to see if he could make it spurt again, so quickly after the first time. He could taste the salty, stickiness of the boy’s previous cum, and he felt some of the fresh, hot pre-cum sliding down his throat as he continued his assault. He felt connected to the boy in a way he never did before. Closer than ever, like a yin-yang symbol. Each beginning where the other ended.

Toby could tell that Zac was close now. He could hear Zac moaning and babbling around the dick stuffed in his mouth. Toby felt him give a few, hard thrusts pushing deeper into Toby’s throat. Zac’s body stiffened, every muscle tense. Then, Toby felt the cock spasm, and a gusher of cum spattering against the back of his mouth. Like a wave that had been held back, his oncoming orgasm was suddenly everywhere. Toby’s own muscles grew very tight, his body preparing to add his own cum to the mixture of entwined bodies and fluids. Toby tried to keep up with the constant flow from Zac’s dick, but he couldn’t. Drops of the juice trickled down his cheeks.

Just as Toby took his last swallow, his own penis came for the second time in 20 minutes. He couldn’t help but push more and more of himself into Zac’s face as he came again.

Zac stayed on Toby’s cock for some time, cleaning it and rubbing it all over his face. Finally he turned and looked over his shoulder, giving a sloppy grin.

“We did it, Toby,” Zac said. “We did it together. It felt so good.”

Zac spun his body back around and nuzzled close to his best friend. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. They cuddled for a second and then kissed, tasting themselves on the other’s lips. Their bodies let off a glow that only two lovers can know.

Toby gasped for breath. This was better than he ever thought it would be.

“Yeah, we did it,” Toby whispered to himself. “We fell in love.”

The boys drifted into a deep sleep.

_______________________

Toby awoke to find himself entangled in Zac’s arms. A bit of drool rolled down Zac’s face.

He got out of bed and stared at his reflection in the mirror. The bedside lamp was on, giving him just enough light to see himself. He was a mess. Hair jostled around, a bit of cum stained on his chin, the goofy, love-look still in his eye.

“I’m in love,” he whispered to his reflection.

He wondered why his heart pounded so rapidly at the sound of those words. He flashed back to the orgasms he felt. His heart pounded then too, so much so that he thought for a second it would burst. “They call them 'little deaths'. That's the old English term for an orgasm,” he thought. Now he knew why.

He looked out of the window at the night sky, wondering if it would snow again. The sky was clear now though, a full moon hung in the sky illuminating the ground. He leaned his forehead against the glass - and froze.

Someone was standing in the shadow of the tree near their room.

Toby blinked twice, unable to believe his own eyes. The figure didn’t go away. It stayed there, motionless. The stillness, the watchfulness of it was very, very scary.

He stayed there for a few minutes, watching someone watching. Suddenly, with a cold chill, Toby realized that he was outlined against the window by the light of the nightstand lamp. Whoever was out there, might know that Toby was looking. Even though he couldn’t make out the figure standing in the shadows, maybe the shadowman could see him.

Toby jerked back with a muffled squeak. He yanked the curtains closed and stood there. His heart was pounding, his breathing was heavy. It was similar to when he was with Zac earlier but far less enjoyable. Toby clutched the curtains so tightly that his fingers were beginning to tingle. He let go, walked back to the bed and turned off the lamp.

“Zac.... Zac!” Toby said as he shook his friend awake.

“Wha...? What is it Toby? Ready for some more?” Zac answered dreamily as he rubbed his eyes.

“There’s someone outside of our room, I think,” Toby said, his voice shaking a bit. “Stay quiet. I don't want him to hear us and don’t turn on the light.”

“Ugh, is this gonna be like one of those dumb horror movies where we look outside and everything is normal, and we think that you’re crazy. But, then it turns out there really is someone out there and he jumps at us and kills us. Is that it?” Zac said.

He could see by the look on Toby’s face that he was serious. They walked carefully to the window and pulled the curtain just enough to peer out cautiously. Toby flinched a little, not knowing what to expect.

Nothing.

All they saw was the emptiness of the night. Dark. Still. Quiet.

The boys walked to the door, pretending for each other than nothing was wrong. They made sure it was locked. They checked every window to be certain they were secure, and then returned to bed.

They talked. Had Toby imagined it after all? Had all this talk of murder just make him see things in the shadows? Toby was sure of what he saw. They decided not to tell any of the others about though, until they could be sure. No sense in being laughed at all over again. If they wanted to be believed, they would need proof.

It was a long, long time before they fell back asleep.