Blood Upon His Breast/ Chapter 18
Title: Blood Upon His Breast [ch.18]
Pairing: Brian Haner / Zack Baker. Avenged Sevenfold.
Rating: NC-17.
Summary: Brian's high school career is about to go to hell.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All events, characters, names, and places featured here are either the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person(s), living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Author's Note: AU. Fantasy. Horror. High school. You will hate me for the end of this chapter.
[one] | [two] | [three] | [four] | [ five] | [six] | [seven] |eight]
[ nine] | [ ten] | [ eleven] | [twelve] | [thirteen] | [fourteen]
[fifteen] | [sixteen] | [ seventeen]
It was dark when Brian woke up. He didn't remember dozing off, but with as tired and exhausted as he'd been, it didn't surprise him much.
He stretched with difficulty, his spine and shoulders cracking oddly. The window was still wide open and the night was young and fresh, damp and too foggy outside. He blinked and pushed on Zack to make the shorter boy wake up.
Zack was sprawled out on his stomach, laying half across Brian's chest. His bangs were heavy and haphazard, sticking up and falling across his face. His shoulders rose and fell deeply with his breathing and he hitched a breath, stirring as he woke. Zack rolled and blinked, big lantern green eyes and chapped lips.
"S'time's it?" Zack groaned, voice full of gravel and sleep. Brian squinted in the dark to watch him arch his spine and stretch his arms out towards the ceiling, fingers spread wide.
Brian shook his head. The room was very dark, the night outside deep and the fog thick like smoke. The light that came through the window was pale and rose, maybe a porch light on downstairs, Brian wasn't sure.
Zack rolled onto his stomach and got his knees beneath him, stretching his arms straight out with his spine curved deep, ass up. Brian watched him with amusement, Zack stretching like a cat, his jaw cracking with an impressive yawn. His eyes seemed illuminated in the darkness, lime green and flickering briefly.
"That. Was the best nap I've ever had in my life," Zack admitted, crawling on top of Brian on all fours. He dropped their chests together heavily and pressed his face against Brian's throat, licking at his ear.
Brian twisted, grinning a bit, one hand coming up automatically to touch the back of Zack's messy hair. "I like waking up with you," he mumbled, which was true. Johnny always complained bitterly about Brian's raucous snoring or, when they slept on the floor or in Brian's bed together, about Brian's kicking and sprawled positioning. Zack didn't seem to mind at all.
Brian squirmed a little, Zack's teeth catching the skin at the edge of his throat and sucking, making a wave of heat course down his spine. His stomach clenched and he turned his head, bumping his jaw against the side of Zack's face. He felt Zack grin and Zack's mouth fell over his, warm and rough.
Brian lifted his chin into the kiss, opening his mouth and letting Zack's tongue slip past his teeth, wet and hot and rubbing against his. Brian moaned softly, sliding his hands around Zack's hips and working his fingers beneath the t-shirt, touching Zack's skin, the heat radiating off it. Zack twisted when he felt the palms on his bare skin, pressing himself down.
His knees were on either side of Brian's hips, their chests touching, and Brian felt Zack arch, rubbing against him. He moaned and picked his hips up, pressing into Zack's weight. His hands rubbed higher, finger tips touching the unnaturally hot skin over Zack's back and shoulder blades. Zack's tongue was heavy against his, rubbing and curving and touching, eliciting response.
He felt Zack's hand slip between them, his rough palm touching between Brian's legs and cupping against his crotch and he moaned again, feeling Zack's lips wrap around his tongue and suck it past his sharp teeth.
Brian's breathing had sped up and his hips lifted, grinding against Zack's palm to create friction. His stomach clenched up automatically and he twisted, feeling his skin prickle. Zack's mouth found his throat, nudging his cool nose against it and breathing over the skin, the teeth and tongue sudden and making Brian feel hot.
"Oh...fuck, wait," Brian groaned, Zack's fingers working to get his belt open.
Zack sat up on on Brian's thighs, his eyes glinting yellow in the dark. "Huh?" he grunted, pressing Brian's shirt up with the pads of his fingers rough, nails scratching lightly.
Brian tilted his wrist up, using his other hand to press for the light on the side of the watch, illuminating the numbers.
"Fuck. Fuck, Zack, it's after ten," Brian put his hands on Zack's hips and shoved at the other boy, trying to sit up. "My dad is going to fucking kill me. Kill me. I have to go."
Zack put his palm on Brian's chest heavily, shoving him back down to the mattress with a thump. He leaned over, forcing Brian's shirt up further and dropped his mouth to Brian's sternum, licking the skin.
"You're not going anywhere," Zack growled, his tongue sweeping over one of Brian's nipples so the other boy arched and grabbed at Zack's hair tight, his fingers fisting through the pieces.
Brian squirmed, letting out a low moan and arched up so his hips pushed against Zack's. He bit down on his lip and leaned his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. "Dammit... Zack..."
Zack's mouth slipped lower, tongue dragging down Brian's sternum to his stomach. He felt Zack shift, scooting down his legs so his mouth could reach Brian's navel, delving his tongue into the dip there, his fingers working over Brian's crotch.
"No...Zack, really, I'm late," Brian whined and felt Zack still himself, breathing against the skin he'd made wet with his tongue. Brian heard himself moan again, the warm breath on his stomach making him shiver and arch against his will. "I gotta... I have to go home."
"No you don't," Zack licked his lips so his tongue brushed Brian's skin again, though he kept his hands and body tortuously still. "Please... I want you."
"Zack," Brian whispered into the dark and rubbed the back of his head against the sheets, rolling his eyes up to look at the window, the thin light hazy, his head swimming. His fingers flexed through Zack's hair, stroking the pieces and Zack moaned, encouraged.
His mouth fell to Brian's stomach again, sucking and licking the skin. Brian felt his hips lift on their own, Zack's eager fingers tugging the denim down Brian's thighs.
Brian swallowed heavily so his Adam's apple bobbed heavily in his throat and closed his eyes again. "Zack, no. I need to go."
Zack stopped again and Brian felt him look up. "You're already late. We might as well have some fun before you're grounded forever."
Brian looked down, making out Zack's bright eyes and smooth grin, the teeth glinting in the dark. "What if...what if Saller or Alex..."
"They left," Zack shifted, his fingers tracing the hem of Brian's boxers, dipping beneath the elastic. "Let me. Please."
"They left? Where?" Brian sat up on his elbows, looking down and Zack's eyes seemed to catch the light, making them flash green like an animal's.
"They went... they just left."
"Where, Zack."
Zack set his mouth. "House," he said stonily, his palms pushing down hard against Brian's hips.
"They... Johnny's house?"
Zack nodded, hanging his head. "Don't worry about it, just lay back and-"
"No! Get off, now! They went... how could you...You!" Brian yelled and shoved at Zack, pulling himself up. He tripped in the dark and nearly fell, throwing his arms out for balance. He tugged his jeans back up, fixing his belt with his fingers unsteady. "They're going to kill his parents and you were just going to... you're. You did this on purpose! You were trying to distract me!"
"That isn't true, Brian!" Zack stayed on the bed, shaking his head hard. "I just-"
"Did they set you up to this? Did they tell you to keep me out of the way while they-"
"I didn't do it because of that, I was just-"
"Shut up! Where are my car keys?"
"Brian, don't go. Please. Just stay here with me. Don't think about it. Just lay down with me," Zack begged, his face white in the pale light, his eyes wide. He dug into his back pocket and held the keys up, not extending his hand. "Just lay down. Please. For me."
"Are you fucking kidding? You know what they're going to do. You know Alex is going to kill them. You want me to lay down? You want me to let them?" Brian snatched the keys out of Zack's hands and turned, going to the door.
It was locked.
Brian spun, glaring at Zack. "They did this on purpose. YOU did this on purpose! They locked me in here with you and you were supposed to watch me. Right? Answer me Zack!"
"YES okay?! Yes! That was their plan! But now it's not your choice!" Zack cried out, his fingers fisting through the sheets. "It's not my choice, either, Alex knew I couldn't do it. Because of you, I couldn't."
Brian kicked the door, twice for good measure, making the wood shudder in its frame. He pursed his lips and looked around the room for anything, Zack covering his face with one arm.
"Brian, listen to me. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to stop them," Brian's eyes fell on the window and he stepped up on the mattress, moving around Zack. "I don't fucking know how, but I'm going to try."
Zack groaned in frustration and grabbed Brian by the leg of his jeans, shaking his head. "Don't! Okay, just stop. Just stop and think for a second."
"I am thinking!" Brian yelled, shaking Zack off. He stuck his head and shoulders out of the window and looked down. It was a five foot drop to the sloped roof that came out over one of the downstairs window, the tiling still wet from the rain fall. It was foggy and cold out, damp and dark, the clouds still low and rust coloured, threatening to break with rain again.
He thought he could make the jump and if he didn't, he'd at least slide on the roof before hitting the grass. It might be enough to break his fall without breaking a bone.
He leaned back and swung one leg through the window, straddling the ledge.
"Brian. Stop. What are you going to do? How are you going to stop them? Why do you want to," Zack moved across the mattress on all fours and tried to grab Brian again.
"Don't fucking touch me," Brian snapped and Zack sank back, looking stricken. "I can't believe... what do you mean why would I want to? Alex is going to kill his fucking parents and I'm just supposed to sit here with you and get a fucking blow job?"
"Brian, you don't understand-"
"Yes, I do. Survival of the fittest, right? Even if it means the death of innocent people? Even if it ruins completely innocent, unaware people?" Brian ducked his head beneath the window and slid his other leg out, sitting on the outside ledge. He looked down again, measuring the distance.
"You're going to fucking break your leg Brian, do not jump out the fucking window," Zack growled from behind him.
Brian held the top of the window with one hand, his legs dangling. He leaned forward further, looking down at the roof and even past that, the grass, wet and shining beneath the dark pink sky.
"Well, then, at least I can say I tried," Brian answered. He took a breath and pushed himself off the ledge, keeping his back to the house. He fell and hit the bottom part of the roof on his ass with a heavy thunk, instantly beginning to slide on the rounded slope of the roof. He slid on his back, twisting and digging his fingers in against the rough tiling for any kind of leverage, the soles of his trainers scraping.
He caught himself barely from falling off the side, his heels dug in against the roof tiles. He looked up and Zack had his head and shoulders out the window, looking down with his mouth dropped open.
"You are an idiot!" Zack was whispering but in a loud voice. "What the fuck are you going to do!"
"I told you!" Brian snapped in the same strange hushed yell. "I am going to try and stop them from murdering Johnny's parents! And you are not going to fucking stop me!"
Brian scooted on his ass to the very edge of the roof, trying to glance down with out falling. He grit his teeth and pushed himself off the tiling, falling to the grass with a thump. He landed on his feet but rolled on impact, hitting his shoulder, face pressed against the wet grass. He stood up slowly, wiping off the seat of his jeans and tilting his head up, looking at how far he'd dropped.
"Damn," he said to himself, rubbing his shoulder. He felt for the car keys he'd dropped into his back pocket and pulled them out, the jingle strangely loud in the silent side yard.
He started to walk back towards the front of the house and heard the heavy thump of Zack hitting the roof behind him. He turned over his shoulder, watching Zack straighten up, standing on the edge of the roof over the window.
"Brian! Jesus Christ, wait!" he called.
"You are not going with me," Brian snapped, stepping through the bushes. He got to the driveway and unlocked his car door with the button on the keys, glancing back again in time to watch Zack come around the corner of the house.
"Brian, what about Alex?" Zack tried, a pleading look on his pale face.
"If he kills me, then okay. At least I knew I was doing the right thing," Brian answered, opening his door. "And I already said I wouldn't make you choose me over him, so fuck it."
Zack stopped short and glared at him, his eyes sparking and lips twisting in a snarl. "That isn't what I meant-"
"Bye, Zack," Brian shrugged and dropped down in his seat. He stuck the keys in the ignition, feeling nervous. What if Saller had done something to his car?
He turned the key, his heart thumping, but the engine started up without a hitch. Brian turned the lights on and set the break down, slamming his door closed behind him. He threw the car into reverse, backing up before putting the car in drive and twisting the wheel.
The gate had been left open and Brian drove through it, not glancing back towards the house.
He rolled his window down to the thick, foggy night, his palms wet against the steering wheel. In the distance behind him, he heard the low, lonely sound of a wolf howl.
***
Brian drove straight to Johnny's house. He parked his car on the curb and paused on the lawn, glancing down the wet street towards his own house. The black asphalt glinted, wet and bright beneath the low rusty clouds, lighting up pink with a crash of thunder. The fog rolled and curled around Brian's knees, the sound of water rushing in the drains a loud, persistent hum.
He thought of going home first and talking to his mother, but he wasn't sure if she would help. He wasn't sure if she could.
He walked across the lawn to the back of the house, the grass soaking the bottoms of his jeans. The air smelled wet outside and the fog was thick, making strange shadows.
The sliding back door was broken, the glass scattered across the patio and inside, spread on the linoleum in glinting shards. Brian hesitated, his heart pounding.
He wasn't sure if Saller or Alex were there or at the hospital, but Zack had said they'd come here and it seemed safer to check the house first. Now, he regretted that decision, staring into the depths of the dark, silent house.
He stepped in through the busted glass, his trainers crunching through the pieces. He wondered if they'd been there tonight or if this was old damage.
The dining table had been broken and thrown across the kitchen, laying in shambles against the cupboards. Brian stepped over a busted chair and into the living room, book cases thrown over and the couch shredded by claws.
He stood for a moment in the living room, looking around him- the slashed curtains, the stuffing in the sofa thrown across the room, the coffee table splintered. Both book cases had been over turned, the pages ripped out and thrown like wasted confetti.
Brian tried to picture Alex doing this, but something felt wrong about it. Alex, forward and coldly intelligent, Brian wasn't sure if he'd done this or not. That left Zack and Brian had even more of an uneasy feeling. Senseless, insane destruction of the house.
They were looking for the footage, Brian reminded himself, stepping over the broken, splintered wood of a side table and the shredded remains of a throw pillow.
He got to the stairs, the house dark and uneasily quiet around him. They're not here, he told himself as he ascended the stairs slowly. He winced as his trainers made the stairs creak, his heart hammering in his ears. It was black up stairs, all the doors shut, and Brian moved carefully, his palms breaking out in a cold sweat.
He gripped the banister for leverage, moving slowly until he reached the landing. He looked around, the walls scratched with deep, gouging cuts into the plaster. Picture frames were dishevelled, hanging crooked or thrown off the walls, laying broken and dejected in the middle of the hallway.
Brian jumped when he heard a sound, a loud, resonating bang from behind Johnny's closed bed room door.
Brian thought he'd swallowed his own heart for a second, his knees buckling. Get a fucking grip, he told himself. No one is fucking here anyway. Might as well go to the hospital. They'll probably wait for his parents in the parking garage....
He found himself walking forward instead, unable to deny his piqued curiosity or the gut instinct telling him to wait here. Maybe it was because Zack had only said Johnny's house and not mentioned the hospital.
His palm fell to the brass handle and he turned the knob slowly, creaking Johnny's bedroom door open. Instantly, he stuck his hand out and felt against the wall to turn the light on.
That bang came again and Brian almost dropped to his knees in surprise at the sudden sound, his eyes flying to the window. There was a heavy scratching sound and then the sharp, sudden banging sound and Brian relaxed slightly, enough that he could breathe.
It was only the tree outside of Johnny's window, the wet black branches scraping the glass from the outside and cracking against it with a gust of sharp wind.
Brian stepped into the room completely and looked around. It had been torn apart, everything thrown upside down. His posters had been ripped off the walls and shredded up. His clothes were ripped and thrown about carelessly. The desk had been splintered and thrown, laying in a pitiful wreck in the corner. He closed the door after him out of pure habit. Even with the destruction, this bedroom was familar to him and not nearly as cold or threatening as the rest of the house.
Brian stepped carefully into the centre of the room and looked around, feeling his stomach tighten with nerves and his heart sink.
That's when he turned and saw the poem gouged into the wall.
It took him a moment to remember to breathe and when he did, he found himself taking several steps back until his knees hit the edge of the ripped bed. He dropped down heavily, stricken by the words on the wall.
He met a hound that came from Hel.
That one had blood upon his breast,
and long did he bark at Baldrs father.
Onward rode Odin - the earth-way roared -
till he came to the high hall of Hel.
The words were dug into the wall, deep and permanent, ripped violently into the plaster as with a knife. Or claws, Brian thought to himself and dropped his head into his hands. He worked his fingers through his hair and tugged slightly, trying to think.
What could he do now? Run to the hospital? And what?
He found his shoulders were shaking and he covered his mouth with both hands, wondering if he would throw up. He stared at the scratches, studying each line and then each word, over and over.
He needed to think or form a plan. He wrapped his arms loosely around himself and rocked slightly, biting his lip.
"They're going to die," he said out loud. "They're probably already dead."
Brian stopped.
He thought he'd heard a creak from down stairs and he shook his head at himself, reading over the poem on the wall again. "Get a fucking grip," he mumbled to himself. "Get a fucking grip and stop talking to yourself," he rubbed his fingers through his hair. "Okay. Okay, they're not here. That means they're still at the hospital probably. They'll probably stay the night. As long as they're there..."
He wasn't sure. He took a deep breath. Saller had said he didn't enjoy getting involved, but Brian wasn't sure if that meant he wouldn't at all, or just that he didn't like to, nor was Brian sure if he believed Saller about much of anything. Saller had no reason to tell Brian the truth about anything and Brian didn't trust him. Saller had been keeping something from him, Brian had that feeling.
Brian heard another creak, this one louder. He paused and then stood up from the bed slowly, tense, his heart in his ears. He heard the crunch of glass out in the hallway and picked his way across the demolition that was Johnny's bedroom floor, making his way to the door.
He paused with his hand on the knob. He heard the light sound of foot steps and the distinct crunch of glass beneath someone's shoe. Listening hard, he could hear someone breathing out there.
Brian set his jaw and tightened his fist on the door knob. He took a deep breath and opened the door to the dark hallway.
Brian yelled in surprise.
Pairing: Brian Haner / Zack Baker. Avenged Sevenfold.
Rating: NC-17.
Summary: Brian's high school career is about to go to hell.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All events, characters, names, and places featured here are either the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person(s), living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Author's Note: AU. Fantasy. Horror. High school. You will hate me for the end of this chapter.
[one] | [two] | [three] | [four] | [ five] | [six] | [seven] |eight]
[ nine] | [ ten] | [ eleven] | [twelve] | [thirteen] | [fourteen]
[fifteen] | [sixteen] | [ seventeen]
It was dark when Brian woke up. He didn't remember dozing off, but with as tired and exhausted as he'd been, it didn't surprise him much.
He stretched with difficulty, his spine and shoulders cracking oddly. The window was still wide open and the night was young and fresh, damp and too foggy outside. He blinked and pushed on Zack to make the shorter boy wake up.
Zack was sprawled out on his stomach, laying half across Brian's chest. His bangs were heavy and haphazard, sticking up and falling across his face. His shoulders rose and fell deeply with his breathing and he hitched a breath, stirring as he woke. Zack rolled and blinked, big lantern green eyes and chapped lips.
"S'time's it?" Zack groaned, voice full of gravel and sleep. Brian squinted in the dark to watch him arch his spine and stretch his arms out towards the ceiling, fingers spread wide.
Brian shook his head. The room was very dark, the night outside deep and the fog thick like smoke. The light that came through the window was pale and rose, maybe a porch light on downstairs, Brian wasn't sure.
Zack rolled onto his stomach and got his knees beneath him, stretching his arms straight out with his spine curved deep, ass up. Brian watched him with amusement, Zack stretching like a cat, his jaw cracking with an impressive yawn. His eyes seemed illuminated in the darkness, lime green and flickering briefly.
"That. Was the best nap I've ever had in my life," Zack admitted, crawling on top of Brian on all fours. He dropped their chests together heavily and pressed his face against Brian's throat, licking at his ear.
Brian twisted, grinning a bit, one hand coming up automatically to touch the back of Zack's messy hair. "I like waking up with you," he mumbled, which was true. Johnny always complained bitterly about Brian's raucous snoring or, when they slept on the floor or in Brian's bed together, about Brian's kicking and sprawled positioning. Zack didn't seem to mind at all.
Brian squirmed a little, Zack's teeth catching the skin at the edge of his throat and sucking, making a wave of heat course down his spine. His stomach clenched and he turned his head, bumping his jaw against the side of Zack's face. He felt Zack grin and Zack's mouth fell over his, warm and rough.
Brian lifted his chin into the kiss, opening his mouth and letting Zack's tongue slip past his teeth, wet and hot and rubbing against his. Brian moaned softly, sliding his hands around Zack's hips and working his fingers beneath the t-shirt, touching Zack's skin, the heat radiating off it. Zack twisted when he felt the palms on his bare skin, pressing himself down.
His knees were on either side of Brian's hips, their chests touching, and Brian felt Zack arch, rubbing against him. He moaned and picked his hips up, pressing into Zack's weight. His hands rubbed higher, finger tips touching the unnaturally hot skin over Zack's back and shoulder blades. Zack's tongue was heavy against his, rubbing and curving and touching, eliciting response.
He felt Zack's hand slip between them, his rough palm touching between Brian's legs and cupping against his crotch and he moaned again, feeling Zack's lips wrap around his tongue and suck it past his sharp teeth.
Brian's breathing had sped up and his hips lifted, grinding against Zack's palm to create friction. His stomach clenched up automatically and he twisted, feeling his skin prickle. Zack's mouth found his throat, nudging his cool nose against it and breathing over the skin, the teeth and tongue sudden and making Brian feel hot.
"Oh...fuck, wait," Brian groaned, Zack's fingers working to get his belt open.
Zack sat up on on Brian's thighs, his eyes glinting yellow in the dark. "Huh?" he grunted, pressing Brian's shirt up with the pads of his fingers rough, nails scratching lightly.
Brian tilted his wrist up, using his other hand to press for the light on the side of the watch, illuminating the numbers.
"Fuck. Fuck, Zack, it's after ten," Brian put his hands on Zack's hips and shoved at the other boy, trying to sit up. "My dad is going to fucking kill me. Kill me. I have to go."
Zack put his palm on Brian's chest heavily, shoving him back down to the mattress with a thump. He leaned over, forcing Brian's shirt up further and dropped his mouth to Brian's sternum, licking the skin.
"You're not going anywhere," Zack growled, his tongue sweeping over one of Brian's nipples so the other boy arched and grabbed at Zack's hair tight, his fingers fisting through the pieces.
Brian squirmed, letting out a low moan and arched up so his hips pushed against Zack's. He bit down on his lip and leaned his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. "Dammit... Zack..."
Zack's mouth slipped lower, tongue dragging down Brian's sternum to his stomach. He felt Zack shift, scooting down his legs so his mouth could reach Brian's navel, delving his tongue into the dip there, his fingers working over Brian's crotch.
"No...Zack, really, I'm late," Brian whined and felt Zack still himself, breathing against the skin he'd made wet with his tongue. Brian heard himself moan again, the warm breath on his stomach making him shiver and arch against his will. "I gotta... I have to go home."
"No you don't," Zack licked his lips so his tongue brushed Brian's skin again, though he kept his hands and body tortuously still. "Please... I want you."
"Zack," Brian whispered into the dark and rubbed the back of his head against the sheets, rolling his eyes up to look at the window, the thin light hazy, his head swimming. His fingers flexed through Zack's hair, stroking the pieces and Zack moaned, encouraged.
His mouth fell to Brian's stomach again, sucking and licking the skin. Brian felt his hips lift on their own, Zack's eager fingers tugging the denim down Brian's thighs.
Brian swallowed heavily so his Adam's apple bobbed heavily in his throat and closed his eyes again. "Zack, no. I need to go."
Zack stopped again and Brian felt him look up. "You're already late. We might as well have some fun before you're grounded forever."
Brian looked down, making out Zack's bright eyes and smooth grin, the teeth glinting in the dark. "What if...what if Saller or Alex..."
"They left," Zack shifted, his fingers tracing the hem of Brian's boxers, dipping beneath the elastic. "Let me. Please."
"They left? Where?" Brian sat up on his elbows, looking down and Zack's eyes seemed to catch the light, making them flash green like an animal's.
"They went... they just left."
"Where, Zack."
Zack set his mouth. "House," he said stonily, his palms pushing down hard against Brian's hips.
"They... Johnny's house?"
Zack nodded, hanging his head. "Don't worry about it, just lay back and-"
"No! Get off, now! They went... how could you...You!" Brian yelled and shoved at Zack, pulling himself up. He tripped in the dark and nearly fell, throwing his arms out for balance. He tugged his jeans back up, fixing his belt with his fingers unsteady. "They're going to kill his parents and you were just going to... you're. You did this on purpose! You were trying to distract me!"
"That isn't true, Brian!" Zack stayed on the bed, shaking his head hard. "I just-"
"Did they set you up to this? Did they tell you to keep me out of the way while they-"
"I didn't do it because of that, I was just-"
"Shut up! Where are my car keys?"
"Brian, don't go. Please. Just stay here with me. Don't think about it. Just lay down with me," Zack begged, his face white in the pale light, his eyes wide. He dug into his back pocket and held the keys up, not extending his hand. "Just lay down. Please. For me."
"Are you fucking kidding? You know what they're going to do. You know Alex is going to kill them. You want me to lay down? You want me to let them?" Brian snatched the keys out of Zack's hands and turned, going to the door.
It was locked.
Brian spun, glaring at Zack. "They did this on purpose. YOU did this on purpose! They locked me in here with you and you were supposed to watch me. Right? Answer me Zack!"
"YES okay?! Yes! That was their plan! But now it's not your choice!" Zack cried out, his fingers fisting through the sheets. "It's not my choice, either, Alex knew I couldn't do it. Because of you, I couldn't."
Brian kicked the door, twice for good measure, making the wood shudder in its frame. He pursed his lips and looked around the room for anything, Zack covering his face with one arm.
"Brian, listen to me. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to stop them," Brian's eyes fell on the window and he stepped up on the mattress, moving around Zack. "I don't fucking know how, but I'm going to try."
Zack groaned in frustration and grabbed Brian by the leg of his jeans, shaking his head. "Don't! Okay, just stop. Just stop and think for a second."
"I am thinking!" Brian yelled, shaking Zack off. He stuck his head and shoulders out of the window and looked down. It was a five foot drop to the sloped roof that came out over one of the downstairs window, the tiling still wet from the rain fall. It was foggy and cold out, damp and dark, the clouds still low and rust coloured, threatening to break with rain again.
He thought he could make the jump and if he didn't, he'd at least slide on the roof before hitting the grass. It might be enough to break his fall without breaking a bone.
He leaned back and swung one leg through the window, straddling the ledge.
"Brian. Stop. What are you going to do? How are you going to stop them? Why do you want to," Zack moved across the mattress on all fours and tried to grab Brian again.
"Don't fucking touch me," Brian snapped and Zack sank back, looking stricken. "I can't believe... what do you mean why would I want to? Alex is going to kill his fucking parents and I'm just supposed to sit here with you and get a fucking blow job?"
"Brian, you don't understand-"
"Yes, I do. Survival of the fittest, right? Even if it means the death of innocent people? Even if it ruins completely innocent, unaware people?" Brian ducked his head beneath the window and slid his other leg out, sitting on the outside ledge. He looked down again, measuring the distance.
"You're going to fucking break your leg Brian, do not jump out the fucking window," Zack growled from behind him.
Brian held the top of the window with one hand, his legs dangling. He leaned forward further, looking down at the roof and even past that, the grass, wet and shining beneath the dark pink sky.
"Well, then, at least I can say I tried," Brian answered. He took a breath and pushed himself off the ledge, keeping his back to the house. He fell and hit the bottom part of the roof on his ass with a heavy thunk, instantly beginning to slide on the rounded slope of the roof. He slid on his back, twisting and digging his fingers in against the rough tiling for any kind of leverage, the soles of his trainers scraping.
He caught himself barely from falling off the side, his heels dug in against the roof tiles. He looked up and Zack had his head and shoulders out the window, looking down with his mouth dropped open.
"You are an idiot!" Zack was whispering but in a loud voice. "What the fuck are you going to do!"
"I told you!" Brian snapped in the same strange hushed yell. "I am going to try and stop them from murdering Johnny's parents! And you are not going to fucking stop me!"
Brian scooted on his ass to the very edge of the roof, trying to glance down with out falling. He grit his teeth and pushed himself off the tiling, falling to the grass with a thump. He landed on his feet but rolled on impact, hitting his shoulder, face pressed against the wet grass. He stood up slowly, wiping off the seat of his jeans and tilting his head up, looking at how far he'd dropped.
"Damn," he said to himself, rubbing his shoulder. He felt for the car keys he'd dropped into his back pocket and pulled them out, the jingle strangely loud in the silent side yard.
He started to walk back towards the front of the house and heard the heavy thump of Zack hitting the roof behind him. He turned over his shoulder, watching Zack straighten up, standing on the edge of the roof over the window.
"Brian! Jesus Christ, wait!" he called.
"You are not going with me," Brian snapped, stepping through the bushes. He got to the driveway and unlocked his car door with the button on the keys, glancing back again in time to watch Zack come around the corner of the house.
"Brian, what about Alex?" Zack tried, a pleading look on his pale face.
"If he kills me, then okay. At least I knew I was doing the right thing," Brian answered, opening his door. "And I already said I wouldn't make you choose me over him, so fuck it."
Zack stopped short and glared at him, his eyes sparking and lips twisting in a snarl. "That isn't what I meant-"
"Bye, Zack," Brian shrugged and dropped down in his seat. He stuck the keys in the ignition, feeling nervous. What if Saller had done something to his car?
He turned the key, his heart thumping, but the engine started up without a hitch. Brian turned the lights on and set the break down, slamming his door closed behind him. He threw the car into reverse, backing up before putting the car in drive and twisting the wheel.
The gate had been left open and Brian drove through it, not glancing back towards the house.
He rolled his window down to the thick, foggy night, his palms wet against the steering wheel. In the distance behind him, he heard the low, lonely sound of a wolf howl.
***
Brian drove straight to Johnny's house. He parked his car on the curb and paused on the lawn, glancing down the wet street towards his own house. The black asphalt glinted, wet and bright beneath the low rusty clouds, lighting up pink with a crash of thunder. The fog rolled and curled around Brian's knees, the sound of water rushing in the drains a loud, persistent hum.
He thought of going home first and talking to his mother, but he wasn't sure if she would help. He wasn't sure if she could.
He walked across the lawn to the back of the house, the grass soaking the bottoms of his jeans. The air smelled wet outside and the fog was thick, making strange shadows.
The sliding back door was broken, the glass scattered across the patio and inside, spread on the linoleum in glinting shards. Brian hesitated, his heart pounding.
He wasn't sure if Saller or Alex were there or at the hospital, but Zack had said they'd come here and it seemed safer to check the house first. Now, he regretted that decision, staring into the depths of the dark, silent house.
He stepped in through the busted glass, his trainers crunching through the pieces. He wondered if they'd been there tonight or if this was old damage.
The dining table had been broken and thrown across the kitchen, laying in shambles against the cupboards. Brian stepped over a busted chair and into the living room, book cases thrown over and the couch shredded by claws.
He stood for a moment in the living room, looking around him- the slashed curtains, the stuffing in the sofa thrown across the room, the coffee table splintered. Both book cases had been over turned, the pages ripped out and thrown like wasted confetti.
Brian tried to picture Alex doing this, but something felt wrong about it. Alex, forward and coldly intelligent, Brian wasn't sure if he'd done this or not. That left Zack and Brian had even more of an uneasy feeling. Senseless, insane destruction of the house.
They were looking for the footage, Brian reminded himself, stepping over the broken, splintered wood of a side table and the shredded remains of a throw pillow.
He got to the stairs, the house dark and uneasily quiet around him. They're not here, he told himself as he ascended the stairs slowly. He winced as his trainers made the stairs creak, his heart hammering in his ears. It was black up stairs, all the doors shut, and Brian moved carefully, his palms breaking out in a cold sweat.
He gripped the banister for leverage, moving slowly until he reached the landing. He looked around, the walls scratched with deep, gouging cuts into the plaster. Picture frames were dishevelled, hanging crooked or thrown off the walls, laying broken and dejected in the middle of the hallway.
Brian jumped when he heard a sound, a loud, resonating bang from behind Johnny's closed bed room door.
Brian thought he'd swallowed his own heart for a second, his knees buckling. Get a fucking grip, he told himself. No one is fucking here anyway. Might as well go to the hospital. They'll probably wait for his parents in the parking garage....
He found himself walking forward instead, unable to deny his piqued curiosity or the gut instinct telling him to wait here. Maybe it was because Zack had only said Johnny's house and not mentioned the hospital.
His palm fell to the brass handle and he turned the knob slowly, creaking Johnny's bedroom door open. Instantly, he stuck his hand out and felt against the wall to turn the light on.
That bang came again and Brian almost dropped to his knees in surprise at the sudden sound, his eyes flying to the window. There was a heavy scratching sound and then the sharp, sudden banging sound and Brian relaxed slightly, enough that he could breathe.
It was only the tree outside of Johnny's window, the wet black branches scraping the glass from the outside and cracking against it with a gust of sharp wind.
Brian stepped into the room completely and looked around. It had been torn apart, everything thrown upside down. His posters had been ripped off the walls and shredded up. His clothes were ripped and thrown about carelessly. The desk had been splintered and thrown, laying in a pitiful wreck in the corner. He closed the door after him out of pure habit. Even with the destruction, this bedroom was familar to him and not nearly as cold or threatening as the rest of the house.
Brian stepped carefully into the centre of the room and looked around, feeling his stomach tighten with nerves and his heart sink.
That's when he turned and saw the poem gouged into the wall.
It took him a moment to remember to breathe and when he did, he found himself taking several steps back until his knees hit the edge of the ripped bed. He dropped down heavily, stricken by the words on the wall.
He met a hound that came from Hel.
That one had blood upon his breast,
and long did he bark at Baldrs father.
Onward rode Odin - the earth-way roared -
till he came to the high hall of Hel.
The words were dug into the wall, deep and permanent, ripped violently into the plaster as with a knife. Or claws, Brian thought to himself and dropped his head into his hands. He worked his fingers through his hair and tugged slightly, trying to think.
What could he do now? Run to the hospital? And what?
He found his shoulders were shaking and he covered his mouth with both hands, wondering if he would throw up. He stared at the scratches, studying each line and then each word, over and over.
He needed to think or form a plan. He wrapped his arms loosely around himself and rocked slightly, biting his lip.
"They're going to die," he said out loud. "They're probably already dead."
Brian stopped.
He thought he'd heard a creak from down stairs and he shook his head at himself, reading over the poem on the wall again. "Get a fucking grip," he mumbled to himself. "Get a fucking grip and stop talking to yourself," he rubbed his fingers through his hair. "Okay. Okay, they're not here. That means they're still at the hospital probably. They'll probably stay the night. As long as they're there..."
He wasn't sure. He took a deep breath. Saller had said he didn't enjoy getting involved, but Brian wasn't sure if that meant he wouldn't at all, or just that he didn't like to, nor was Brian sure if he believed Saller about much of anything. Saller had no reason to tell Brian the truth about anything and Brian didn't trust him. Saller had been keeping something from him, Brian had that feeling.
Brian heard another creak, this one louder. He paused and then stood up from the bed slowly, tense, his heart in his ears. He heard the crunch of glass out in the hallway and picked his way across the demolition that was Johnny's bedroom floor, making his way to the door.
He paused with his hand on the knob. He heard the light sound of foot steps and the distinct crunch of glass beneath someone's shoe. Listening hard, he could hear someone breathing out there.
Brian set his jaw and tightened his fist on the door knob. He took a deep breath and opened the door to the dark hallway.
Brian yelled in surprise.