Brian paced back and forth through the room he had checked into under an assumed identity.  Should he call the police? Should he confess and tell them that it was an accident he didn’t mean to make his friend fly out the window to his death.  Would they believe it was out of self defense that his friend had attacked him first with a syringe?  He couldn’t call them; there would be a media storm.  

Brian thought back on everything that had happened he felt like he was losing his mind and it all started with that day he met the fan and passed out.  He tried to think back to that day.  Did the woman have something on her that started all of this? 

He shook his head, how would she have passed drugs through his system, through her hand?  She was affected too.  That’s when it struck him, she as affected to.  Was she having the same hallucinations and dreams about him?  

Brian had no idea how he could contact her.  It wasn’t like the girls left their names and numbers at the concert venues, well most of them didn’t.   Not being able to think of anything else, Brian picked up his cell phone and started to scroll through the contacts.  He stopped on Leighanne’s number and stared at it.  He should call her and let her know what happened.  He was about to hit send when he thought better of it, he didn’t want her and Baylee to be involved in whatever it was that was going on with him.

He could call the front desk, maybe they would have a computer he could borrow and get online and look up any information about a girl who fainted at the meet and greet.   Before he could call the desk a knock came at the door.

Brian sat still, afraid to even breathe.  Had someone else called the police? The knock came again and this time he ventured to the door and peeked out the peephole.  Standing in the hall were Kevin, Nick and AJ.  He couldn’t see anyone else.

“Brian, I know you are looking at us through there, let us in.”  Nick’s eye came close to the peephole. 

Brian sighs and opens the door to his friends but quickly closes after they all entered.

“What the hell Brian?” AJ asked sitting on the couch. 

“Why the hell did you run off like that?” Kevin asked.  Concern was apparent on his face.

“I, I… you don’t know?” Brian asked confused.  If they didn’t know he killed Howie then what were they doing here.

“Know what Brian?” Nick asked clamping his hand down on his shoulder. 

“How did you find me?”  It’s not like he checked in under his name, he knew better than that.

“Brian, it’s us you are talking to man.  We came up with most of our alias names together.” Nick patted his shoulder before removing his hand and sitting down.

Brian nodded.  Of course they would know his names.  He wondered if management was waiting for them downstairs.  Kevin probably asked that they get a chance to talk to him first, to calm him down.  The police were likely downstairs waiting for him as well.  He really messed things up.

“What is wrong?” Kevin asked in his usual calm, even tone.

“I can’t believe you guys are so calm about this.  I killed Howie as self defense and you are acting like I am having a nervous breakdown for no reason.”  He shouted out and turned his back to them.  He didn’t want to see their faces; he didn’t want to see disappointment in his friend’s eyes. 

Another knock at the door startled Brian. He was not going to answer the door to management or worse the police.  He stood still as Kevin went to the door and opened it.

“Hey sorry about that guys but I just couldn’t hold it any longer,” Howe’s voice sounded out through the room. “What’d I miss?”

Brian turned quickly to see Howie standing in front of him. “No, it can’t be.” He backed away from Howie.  Was he an apparition? No, he couldn’t be, the other guys could see him.  He knocked on the door. 

“Brian just confessed to killing you,” AJ was the one to speak up.

Howie started to laugh but stopped when he saw the serious expressions on the other’s faces. “Seriously, you thought you killed me?”  His face became serious as he approached Brian. 

Brian was still not convinced this was some trick and somehow he was seeing Howie’s ghost, maybe he was dreaming again.  He started pinch his arm but nothing happened.   “You attacked me,” Brian’s voice was barely above a whisper.   “With a syringe,” he added. 

“Why would I do that?”

“I kicked….I kicked you through a window.  There was so much blood.” Brian sat down and dropped his head in his hands.  He had to be losing it.  First passing out at a meet and greet, then visions of the girl plaguing him, now believing he’d killed his friend. 

He felt the couch give way next to him and peeked out slightly to see Howie sitting next to him, his hand gently resting on his back.   “Tell us what’s been going on with you lately.”

Brian sighed; it was time to tell his friends what he had been experiencing.  He couldn’t leave them in the dark any longer.  “I’ve been having visions and dreams since that day I passed out at the meet and greet.  The woman that I shook hands with has been in them.” He decided to leave out the connection he felt towards the woman, the proposal in the park.  “Mostly we are being chased by a van driven by,” Brian looked up at Kevin, “you Kevin.” Brian shook his head and rubbed his eyes.

“Go on,” Kevin still sounded so calm.  How could he sound so calm when Brian felt so out of control? 

“Once in the van, I only see stars outside and then I’m falling.”  And that’s pretty much it.

“Does the girl fall with you?” AJ asked.  Of course, AJ asking about the girl, only he would think about what happened to the girl in a dream.

Brian shook his head.  He never knew what had happened to the girl at that point.  “I don’t know where she goes.” He admitted.  

“This has been going on since the meet and greet?” Nick asked solemnly.

Brian nodded.

“Guys, can you leave me and Brian alone?”  Every single one of the four said at the exact same time.  Even Brian had to chuckle slightly at their unison. 

They all walked towards the door and Brian could see them discussing who was going to be the one to stay with him and talk to him alone.  All of them wanted to, none of them wanted to back down but eventually someone would have to win out.  Brian couldn’t find his voice; he wanted Nick to stay with him.  Nick with all his crazy notions and ideas, he knew that he would be the most open-minded about the entire situation.   Brian wasn’t sure AJ could handle his own crazy and didn’t want to burden him with more and the thought of being alone with the man he thought he killed scared him, but so did being alone with Kevin who dragged him into a van for the past few nights.

Before he knew what really happened the door to the room had closed and he was left alone with Howie.   Brian sighed; he should have known it would be him.  If the situation was reversed and Howie thought he’d killed Brian, Brian would want to be the one to talk to Howie.

Howie stood at the door for a few minutes before moving closer.  He was quiet as he sat back down on the couch next to Brian.  

“I don’t envy you.” Howie spoke up.   “The situation you’ve found yourself in is a losing battle.”

Brian looked at Howie confused. What was he talking about? Losing battle? “What are you talking about?”

Howie moved closer to Brian who was still too confused to know it would be better if he moved.  Before he could react, Brian felt the pinch of a needle puncture his skin.   “Deep down you had to know better.  Only a cleaner can kill one of the nine,” He whispered as Brian’s eyes closed.

Before it went completely dark, Brian saw one last image.  He was strapped down facing the young woman again.

“I love you, I will find my way back to you I swear,” Her mouth continued to move but he could not hear the words coming out of her mouth. 

The image eventually faded as Brian slipped into unconsciousness.