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Like all the other previous nightmares, it had started with thousands of voices whispering at once. Some louder than the other, some belonging to men while others sounded like women and even children. And like other times before, he could never quite comprehend what they were saying but it always ended up with him feeling that it was calling for him to wake up and understand. He never did though and tonight, he would expect no different.

It got louder with every whisper and much more urgent. Some of them came out sounding like spats of disgust while others sounded down right pleading. And in between the land of the slumber and reality, he found himself standing in the core of nothingness. No ground, no roof, no walls, no lights, no nothing. When it got really bad, he would feel himself spinning slowly, which like everything else in his nightmare, turned faster and went out of control That night however, he had not found himself jolted out of his nightmare drenched in cold sweat because of the spinning; it was a voice that called out to him that did.

AJ!

One syllable that sounded desperate, urgent, fear and even menace; The voice of Nick Carter.

The beating of the pneumatic drill that was his heart now told him that it wasn’t just a nightmare anymore. That there had to be some truth in his mom’s claims that he could be somewhat psychic. Something told him that there was a reason why he felt strange, that no normal person could have recurring nightmares for over weeks. That there must be a reason why the voices had finally became one to that of Nick Carter.

Yes, something was terribly wrong.

Before he could even regain his composure, he was startled yet again and this time by the barking of his cell phone. Good thing Sarah wasn’t here to witness how jumpy the supposedly cool AJ could be.

“Which continent of the Earth are you at now?”

“Hopefully same as yours...right?”

AJ sighed, stifling a yawn in the process. “Then you do know it’s almost two in the morning.”

“You’re asleep?”

“Most people are during this time of the morning, but then again, you’re not most people.” AJ replied sarcastically.

“Don’t have to be so peachy about it. Anyway, I need your help.”

AJ forced himself out of bed and strolled to the bathroom, “Brian, is Baylee breathing?”

“Wha...of course he is! What kind of a question is that?”

AJ pulled the single towel hanging by the hanger and started wiping the back of his neck with it. “Well, Leigh’s not home and you’re not exactly father of the year.”

“I’m fully capable of looking after my son all by myself, thank you very much!” Brian gritted. “Besides, this is urgent, can you not fool around for a sec?”

“Fine...what?”

“I need you to check on Nick for me.”

AJ froze. If that wasn’t a good enough reason to start worrying, nothing would it? How long does it take to get to Nick’s house if you’re only living a few streets down away from him? Considering the fact that it was AJ behind the wheels, it shouldn’t take too long.

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But half an hour had gone and still no call from the man. The clock on the wall showed it was already fifteen minutes past two in the morning and he was wide awake. If Nick is sleeping it off when AJ comes, he’d get hell from him tomorrow. There would be a lot to spill for the interview too. The interview, Brian wouldn’t want to think about that now. Just the thought of how sleep-deprived he would look early morning was enough to make him cringe. But something felt wrong, he could feel it in the air, as cliche as that might sound. “How come you’re never awake when daddy’s awake huh? ”Brian whispered as his worried glance fell back to Baylee, sleeping on their bed. He knew it was selfish, but he wished the baby would wake up and keep him company.

Then, out of nowhere, it happened. His cell phone rang. “AJ?”

“I’m here.”

“What took you so long?” Brian whispered urgently as he got out of bed and went for the window. Outside, everything felt stilled. Even the crickets weren’t too excited to make much noise.

“It’s way past 2 in the morning Brian, I can’t be speeding and not get into a fatal accident.”

“Shush, don’t talk like that!” Brian scolded, shaking his head as if AJ could see him.

“Yeah whatever...I’m going in now, I hope I catch him watching porno or something.”

Brian smiled, that was expected of AJ Mc Lean. “You might catch him making out with some woman on the couch.” You do not expect that from Brian Littrell,

“B-Rok! You Rule!”AJ chuckled on the other line.

“I try.”

“What’s that noise?”

Brian stopped on his track. Noise? He pressed the cell phone against his ear but still, it was hardly possible to hear anything. “AJ? What noise?”

“It’s coming from the back, I’m gonna check it out.” AJ whispered.

His heavy breathing penetrating into Brian’s ear. He felt uneasy, something was definitely wrong. “AJ be careful, and don’t hang up on me.” AJ didn’t answer but he could hear his soft foot falls threading the ground. He tried picturing Nick’s pad in LA and guessed where AJ might be heading right then. “At the back...AJ, wouldn’t that be his kitchen?”

“Yeah,”AJ whispered, followed by a short silence before adding, “I think it’s his mutts. They’re barking for some reasons.”

“All three of them?”

“Um,” paused. “I heard two.”

“He did say the dogs were barking non stop when he called me earlier, that’s when that strange voice came to the phone and threatened me...”

“Brian, I have a feeling that ain’t a prank call.”

Brian didn’t dare to say anything. More silence ensued. He moved away from the window, desperately needing something to do to divert his attention from the growing tension building in his body. He turned towards Baylee and assured that he was too deep in sleep and the bed huge enough for him, he walked out of the room and started pacing the corridor. “Come on AJ, what’s going on over there?”

“Brian, his back door is opened but the kitchen light is off. Something’s definitely wrong man.”

AJ sounded scared, rightly so, Brian thought. He started to tremble a bit and wondered if AJ had worn enough clothes in his hurry to get out. The night was too cold. “AJ, I don’t think this is a good idea, I think you should get out of...”

“Brian, listen to me carefully,” Brian, again for the umpteenth time that night, stopped breathing. There was something in the way AJ talked that convinced him whatever was about to be said was nothing good. “I want you to get on another phone...call...call 911. Tell them someone is critically injured and need help now! I’ll wait for you on this line.”

“AJ, tell me what’s wrong! Why do you want me to call 911? Did you find Nick? Is he okay?”

“I...I don’t know...but there’s a trail of blood on the kitchen floor Brian...there’s too much of blood...”

“AJ, listen to me, get out of the house NOW! Don’t try to be hero on me now Bone, get out of there, I’m calling for help!”

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Howie would love to kill the person who had successfully woke him up in the middle of the night, but considering the ID caller showed Kevin’s number, the intention was blown with the wind. 'Please say they cancelled the interview! Please, please, please!' “Yes Kevin, good morning to you!” Howie answered, hoping to sound sarcastic enough.

“Sorry to wake you up D, did anyone from Management call?”

'YES!' “They cancelled tomorrow’s interview?” Yes please!

“I wish it’s that simple D, but no.” Kevin replied. A small sigh later, he continued. “Management called. Does the name Desdemona Wainwright meant anything to you?”

Desdemona...Desdemona…

“No offence Kev, but it is 2.30 in the freaking morning.” Howie yawned. As expected, he was drawing blanks, although Wainwright sounded familiar.

“She’s Gary Wainwright’s sister, you remember him?”

“Should I?” Howie asked, a little annoyed that Kevin had woke him up for a little name quiz.

“Gary Wainwright, the wacko who attacked Nick like four years ago outside the hotel; remember him?”

Howie was wide awake; he found it strange for Kevin to call him that late just to recall the past. That would normally be Nick. And he always had fun dozing off while the blonde one was still blabbering on the other line. But it wasn’t Nick on the line playing this little game now, and he had no intentions of sleeping it off when it comes down to Kevin. “What about him Kevin?”

“It’s not him, it’s Desdemona, his sister...she...she was found dead in her room today and Gary was nowhere to be found.”

Howie thought he heard fear in Kevin’s voice but wasn’t sure why. “Kevin, did Management tell you this?”

“Yeah.”

“Then it must be something serious...”

“They’re searching for Gary, he’s the main suspect now. And D, if what the police found in his room are true, then we might be in danger.”

Danger. Us? “Kevin, tell me what’s going on. No one called me so far.”

“They tried calling Brian but his cell phone was busy for the longest time and they couldn’t get hold of Nick and AJ.” Kevin explained in a hurry. “And I offered to call you myself.”

Danger.

“Why couldn’t they get hold of them? You think something happened to them?” Howie asked in a panic.

“Howie slow down...all I know is they tried calling Nick and AJ but couldn’t get through and Brian’s busy. Anyway...”

“Did you tell them Nick and AJ are in LA?”

“Oh, aren’t they in Florida?”Howie sighed. Not like Kevin to forget that easily.

“They’re supposed to record their parts today, remember? And I have a feeling Brian might be on the phone with Leigh about some baby trouble.”

Kevin chuckled lightly but Howie remembered that they were supposedly in danger and cut the older man away. “Not to sound heartless or anything, but what’s her death got anything to do with us?”

“Everything. The police suspects Gary had intentions to hurt us and now that he’s missing, he might be...you know...on his way for one of us. They called to inform that securities are coming over to our houses as we speak and I’m supposed to tell you in advance so that you won’t kick them out of your house.”

Was this really happening, or was he just dreaming this away? They’ve had countless of stalkers before, why would this one be so serious?

Because he just killed his sister, slow brain.

Shaking his thoughts off he asked, “Kevin, where was his sister murdered?”

“In LA...oh shit.”

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Something out there just killed Nicky, broke the canine’s neck with its’ bare hands. And it had pounced on him out of nowhere in the dark, scared the hell out of him too. He couldn’t remember what happened except that he did all his best to fight it off. It wasn’t easy but he had somehow managed to scare the thing off and it had leap once again, suddenly leaving him all alone again. But common sense told him it wouldn’t be a good idea to hang around out there. That whatever it was that had attacked him will come back for him. He couldn’t look at the dead mutt now lying still somewhere in the bush, it nauseate him just to think that someone or something had the heart to do the deed. And whatever it was that had attacked him had managed to kick on his leg good. With a limp, he forced himself to take big steps back to the kitchen. The two remaining dogs appeared from behind some bushes and followed their master in. Fear was evident in their eyes too.

“Come on boys, get inside and we’ll think of something.”

The first thing that caught his eyes once in the kitchen was the abandoned cordless phone on the dining table. He remembered the weird call and the sound of the woman struggling before someone threatened to come for him next. And then he remembered Brian, who must have been waiting for him on the line. Yes, he could ask Brian for help. Two more steps was all it took to get to the phone but he never reached it in time. A sharp pain exploded from the back to every part of his body and he felt his legs gave way and his head connected roughly to the ground. Footsteps somewhere near him and a shadow of a man passed him by before a voice was heard.

“Don't think because you're so far away I'm going to forget about you.”

He didn’t understand what that was supposed to mean and he didn’t care. The dogs had started to bark again outside and he was in a lot of pain. What happened to him?

The footfalls came back and out of nowhere, heavy breathing was heard just next to him. “I could have used the gun but Chaucer said it would make too much noise. The kitchen knife however is a silent killer and you’ll die a slow death. That’ll teach you a lesson for stealing Nick’s body!”

“I...I’m...Nick...” He struggled to reason, only to be met with his yelling to shut up.

He felt his legs being lifted and seconds later, he was dragged on the kitchen floor all the way to the living room. His back throbbed its defiance from being forced to move and he knew he wasn’t going to last long but slumber never paid a visit. He was forced to feel everything and hear everything that this mad guy was saying “Stay still, it’ll soon be over for you, don’t fight it!”

He remained dazed as the lights were switched off and he watched the shadow of death coming for him. He felt something cold placed on his forehead and Death’s low growls as he repeat over and over again what was to be a ‘chant’. And still, darkness never come for him...

“WHY AREN’T YOU DEAD YET!!!!”

He watched as the shadow paced the ground back and forth, wishing that he could somehow escape it’s wrath. But he knew he was done for.

There is no way to escape this. He will die. “I can’t wait for you to die, I have four others to stop! And Nick will die if he doesn’t get his body back!”

But I’m Nick! “Yes, that’s a good idea Brian! Thanks!”

Brian?

“Brian said I’ll have to stab you again, and this time, I’ll go for your heart. Isn’t Brian smart?”

Brian?

He felt the sharp cold steel pressed against his chest; somewhere along the line, he must have ripped his shirt off. If only he had taken the call seriously “With this charm I beseech thee...”

This is going to hurt like hell. This is so unfair.

“Out of sight and out of me...”

'I can’t back out now Brian, Nick might be hurt somewhere,I’ve got to get to him!'

AJ?

“Shit!”

He felt the sharp steel slowly fading away and Death backed away from him.

“What do you know...looks like I’ll be killing two birdswith one stone tonight.”

The last thing he saw was the shadow of Death backing away into the dark, hiding somewhere.

Waiting.