Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2002 11:01:35 +0100 (GMT Daylight Time) From: David Grimstone <grimstone@btinternet.com> Subject: After Dark 2 Ater Dark by DCG - Chapter 2 ############# DISCLAIMER ############# I wonder how many people actually read this stuff written under the heading 'Disclaimer'...Hello? Hi there? HEEEEEELLLOOOOOOOOOO? Nope, I didn't think so!! hehe Anyhoo, don't read if you don't want to and are too young, but do read if you like this stuff!! And I do not intend to insinuate anything about the little fellas that are NSyncy...They know who they are and who they love, and it is their own business... (It's not my fault Justin finds me irresistible now is it???) hehe Author's Notes: Hey there, they appear here, thankfully!! I hope the past chapter wasn't too short, or too boring, or whatever...But here is where the drama begins, and the true bad guys and gals reveal themselves to us one by one...and the thriller begins in the snow capped, and desolate mountains...And Chris finds the one person to complete his life...but who that is is another question... Anyhoo, on with the show with a brief reminder of what happened in Chapter 1 of After Dark... ***************************************************************************** Last Time in After Dark... The wind and snow continued unabated as suddenly the car started to slow, in time with Chris' pumping of the brakes...Chris knew that the car had moved away from the ice covered centre of the road, and he was relieved beyond measure as he closed his eyes for a second and let out a withheld breath... The speed of the car diped below 20 as the rough ride continued along the road edge. Chris opened his eyes, getting ready to stop and survey the damage...when...he saw a faint silouette approaching, fast, dead ahead, shrouded in snow and darkness. It captured Chris' attention for a moment too long, just a moment... And now, the continuing story... ***************************************************************************** After Dark by DCG Chapter 2 - Touch Wood The sun slide from behind the still snow covered peaks and basked the side hills and ground below in a golden hue. The morning had arrived in earnest and the night before had been forgotten by Joey Fatone who stood at the open door to his chalet and looked out into the distance. It was 8am and early, except for him and Chris, and moments later Chris edged his way past and made his way to the garage, which he duely opened. "What are you doing now?" inquired Joey "I thought I'd clear the driveway, you know, in case we want to take the scimmers out...makes sense" said Chris, shrugging his shoulders in the process. Joey chuckled to himself. 'If only the others knew.' Joey laughed...If only they knew Chris had come up with a good suggestion...'His reputation would be ruined!', and with that he laughed out loud, and caught Chris' attention "What?" "Nothing." answered Joey. "Give me one, I'll give you a hand..." he followed up, and grabbed a plastic spade from Chris' outstretched hand. They spent the next ten minutes cleaning the driveway of the rapidly melting and disintegrating snow pile, when suddenly, as Joey swept some snow aside, his spade hit something solid, metalic... He stopped. bent down, and took a look, and after a brief moment, sifting through the slush, he picked it up, carefully. In his hand sat a shiny metalic spike, and it bemused Joey no end... "Whats that you got there Joe?" asked Chris as he noticed the lack of work from Joeys spade. "Good question, ask me another..." joked Joey as he held it up for Chris to see. They both glanced it over for a few seconds before the jangling of an attached chain caught their attention. They both looked at each other, with a 'What the hell?' look and went back to re-examine the chain, and attached spike. Side by side they began to trace their way down the chain as it rested under a blanket of snow on the road edge. Moments later another spike popped from underneath the snow and passed through their grip... It took them a few minutes more but they managed to track down the chain for another 20 meters or so before it changed direction and pierced the snow and ice that graced the road. "I doubt this was meant to be part of the decorations." said Chris as the reached the tenth spike in their journey. They both managed somehow to avoid cutting themselves on the sharp edges that protruded each spike after Joey picked up the third one, haphazardly and cut his hand right open. They slowly made their way across the road as the suns' rays increased in intensity as it revealed itself in it's full glory from behind the hills that it had begun to protrude from several minutes ago... Chris looked ahead for a second and saw the chain head for a rather large and ominous tree at the other side. He surveyed the base for a second before nudging Joey and pointing to a reflective sunstance near the base. "It leads there..." pointed Chris as the continued their walk, revealing another spike. "This is weird..." said Joey in a matter-of-fact way as he dropped the chain segments he held and walked carefully around the edge of the trunk... "It had to have been put here after we got here yesterday...cause we came this way and it wasn't here before." summarised Chris as he looked down the road, and then turned back to look at the house, and the cars parked inside the garages... As he was saying this Joey reached the back of the tree and spotted the padlock that bound this chain to the tree and bent down to look... "Then someone put it here last night." resolved Joey as he grabbed the padlock in his hand and examined it... 'Bells' he said to himself as he recited the make. "What would someone want to put it across here for?" asked Chris as he looked back across the road, following the chain as it lay on top of the disturbed snow. "If I knew the answer to that one we both wouldn't have bemused fucking looks on our face!" laughed Joey as he tried to budge the lock with his bear hands to no avail. Chris raised his hands in defense. "Hey, calm down Sherlock...I was only askin! Nobody said I was supposed to be the brainy one. He's still in bed!" he laughed as he watched Joey smirk a response and walk back to him. "We need to get that lock undone before anymore cars come down here...it could cause an accident or something." said Joey as he left Chris and went back to the garage to retrieve whatever tools he could lay his hands on for the job of removing the padlock from around the tree. It only took him a few minutes but he managed to get a hacksaw and some other tools he thought would do the job. When he returned Chris was bent down over the padlock. "It won't budge just cause your staring at it." joked Joey as he reached the tree. It jolted Chris out of his slumber and he slowly raised himself up. "That lock looks new..." he pondered as he pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket, along with a lighter. Joey verbally ignored the comments and went down to work on the lock...He knew it would take a while to cut through, but that was better than letting it spoil someone elses vacation, or worse, their life. 'What possesed someone to put this damned thing here?' thought Joey as through gritted teeth he pushed forward with the blade and made his first incision into the shiny metalic lock. Chris stood and watched Joey at work, and occasionally looked around the surroundings. As he turned his head back to Joey his nose caught the scent of something familiar... He inhaled through his nose but couldn't quite pinpoint the smell... "Hey guys..." shouted JC from the door of the chalet. "What the hell are you doing." he bellowed as he stood afar and watched. Chris' attention was caught immediately and he looked up and forgot the smell completely. "Go put breakfast on or something JC, we'll be in as soon as Joeys finished working out!" laughed Chris as he pulled a cigarette from the packet and put it between his lips... JC just giggled a response, waved his hand in recognition and walked inside. Joey stopped, and looked up. "And what are you trying to get at Monkey Boy?" laughed Joey as he looked up at a blank faced Chris. "Low blow Joe, low blow" said Chris as he immitated getting punched in the gut. Joey just laughed and returned to work, but suddenly the smell reached his nose...It was very familiar, and he stopped the sawing motion immediately. 'What is that?' he thought as his ears caught the sound of a match being lit, and moments later the sound of cigarette paper burning...The smell grew in intensity and suddenly a realisation hit him square between the eyes. 'Petrol' But it was too late. In the corner of his vision, he saw a flickering match float in the air, bound for terra-ferma, and the flame was still live. There was nothing he could do but assume the worse. He could only assume the petrol was nearby, possibly where the match would land... Without warning or sound Joey pounced from the ground and tackled Chris in the midrift taking him to ground in the road side...The match continued to fall with Joeys eyes glued to it. When it struck the ground it did indeed connect with something flammable... A plume of flame errupted from the ground, instantly melting the surrounding snow, turning it to hot water. Even from the sodden and cold ground they both felt the intense and sudden heat it produced and guarded their eyes for that instant. But it didn't stay there for long. The flames caught wind and moved across the ground like they were possessed. Chris and Joey looked on as it traced the road edge, occasionally darting from side to side, igniting the odd branch that dangled too low. "Shit!" uttered Chris as he looked on in awe. They stood quickly, but Joey had altered his gaze from the flames and from Chris' comments to an object strewn at the road edge in the distance. Another foreign object in this natural habitat. "A car..." whispered Joey as he looked on as the now tall flames intruded on his vision. Chris almost began to murmur a response when the ground suddenly shook beneath their feet. They both felt as though the earth that existed had begun to evapourate into nothingness. The flames had met the side of the vehicle and connected with the catalyst instantly...The cars entire being shuddered to it's core as almightly flames ripped through the windows and seats and melted every instrument...The car itself raised from the ground and unleashed a cataclysmic shockwave that knocked both Joey and Chris to the ground and scattered remains across the road, and around them... Moments later it was all over and all that could be heard was the distant sound of sparks dancing over the car remains almost as if in celebration. Smoke covered the vehicles entirity and Joey and Chris remained unmoved on the ice covered floor... "What do you guys w..............." started JC as he reached the door. He stopped immediately as his eyes met the scene... ***************************************************************************** There ya go folks...Chapter 2 done and dusted. The next chapter is already in here so enjoy and keep on readin!! Get back to me in your droves to tell me what you think and whether or not you think i should continue... grimstone@btinternet.com or ujemeflip@hotmail.com