(The wonderfully awesome Circle Sky has let me do a prologue of sorts to their two shot fan fiction 'The measure of courage' that can be found on their Tumblr page. Please take a look at that story before or after you read this one. I asked and received permission from them to do this story. The original idea is theirs.
I hope you like this story.)
"Guys?" Mike called out looking around the deserted hallway. He could've sworn that Micky was right behind him, or so he thought.
"Micky?" He yelled "Davy? P-Peter!" He didn't mean to stutter out Peter's name, but he was getting spooked out. He waited straining his ears hoping to hear one of his friends call out to him. He was about to yell their names again when a voice that sounded like Davys called out filled with fear.
"Mike!" Davys voice screamed.
"Davy!" Mike yelled back and he ran towards the voice hoping he was going in the right direction. "Davy!" He called out again feet pounding against the stone.
"Mike! Help!" A new voice screamed. Mike skidded to a halt. That was Peter and it was coming from behind him.
"Peter!" Mike said turning and running back the way he had come shouting for his other friend. Running this way and that hoping that the bass player was just around the next corner Mike continued to run.
"Peter!" Mike bellowed hoping Peter wasn't far way. He stopped again the hallway formed into a T. He didn't know what one to take.
"Pete, where are you?" Mike cried out praying that nothing bad had happened to his friends.
"Michael!" A third voice called out.
"Micky!" Mike whispered to himself before raising his voice. "Mick! Where are you?"
"Please Mike, help me!" Micky's voice begged and Mike took a step to the right but before he could continue down the hallway Peter's voice came from the left and Davy's voice came from behind him.
"Mike, help please, she's going to turn me in to a vampire!" Davy's voice pleaded.
"Mike, they're making me wolfman!" Micky's called out.
"Please, Mike. Help." Peter sobbed out. Mike turned around in circles trying to see which way he should run first. His friends where calling out to him begging him to help.
"I'm coming guys, just hold on." Mike said but their cries got louder and louder until Mike had to cover his ears, not that it helped his friends pleading was too loud, still trying to see which way he should go going right towards Micky's voce his hands still covering his ears hoping he was going the right way to Micky. He walked and walked and finally broke into a run. He let his hands fall away from his ears and Micky, Peter and Davy's voices filled his head again screaming for help. Mike ran faster. His breath hitching in his chest as he did so. He turned a corner and skidded to a halt. He had been running around in circles. Mike groaned in frustration and he started jogging down another passageway. Then he realized something….the yelling had stopped. Mike slowed down until he had stopped walking and just looked cautiously around.
"Guys?" He called out knowing in his heart that they wouldn't answer him. He slumped to the floor holding back a sob of despair. They were gone. A sob escaped him as his shoulders shook and right when he didn't think it could get any worse the calls started up again.
Mike screamed and that's when he woke up.
Mike fumbled around for the bedside lamp clutching at his heart hoping he didn't wake up Micky, Peter or Davy. Turning on the lamp and shielding his eyes he looked around. His bandmates where asleep. Sighing in relief Mike got up quietly from his bed and make his way down stairs and into the bathroom. Splashing some cold water on his face he looked at his reflection in the mirror. Pale with dark bags under his eyes and now with water droplets running off his face mixing with the tears he could no longer hold back Mike slumped to the floor head on his knees silently sobbing. Movement from upstairs finally got Mike to look up. Not knowing how long he had been in the bathroom he quickly wiped his eyes and splashed some more water on his face and scrubbed it to remove all traces as he heard the pitter patter of bare feet on the stairs. Then taking a deep breath he walked out to find Davy and Peter sitting on the couch watching TV.
"Morning Mike." Davy said tiredly stealing a glance at his friend "You look horrid." Mike didn't answer as he made his way into the kitchen and started making a pot of strong coffee glancing out at the ocean.
"Didn't you sleep well?" Peter asked as Mike added in coffee grounds and turned the coffee pot on then went to sit down next to them.
"No better than most nights." Mike answered "What are we watching?"
"The morning news." Davy answered.
"Micky still asleep?" Mike asked and Peter nodded yawning. Mike smiled slightly.
"Looks like you could do with a few more hours yourself." Mike commented.
"So could you." Peter answered.
"Oh, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Mike said rubbing his eyes. He didn't see the worried glances Davy and Peter shared.
He was back in the castle alone, again.
Why is it every time we go somewhere we always end up separated? Mike wondered as he walked down the stone hallway back tracking to get back to where he left Peter alone in the library. After a few wrong turns and a narrow escape from a trap door Mike finally found the library only to find Peter gone.
"Gawd dang it." Mike swore looking around. "Peter come on. Come out. This isn't funny." Mike said putting his hands on his hips and tapping his foot like a father waiting to scold a child. Peter didn't appear, but a noise from the hallway made Mike duck into a picture frame hoping that whoever it was would think that her was a picture. It was Lorelei and her uncle. Mike held his breath as they talked about what they were going to be doing to his friends. Mike paled as he quickly wrote down what was going to happen. As soon as they left Mike tiptoed out and made his way to the door and down to the dungeons. He had to get to his friends and get them all out before they got turned into monsters. Finally finding his way down to the bowels of the castle he made his way along the wall keeping his eyes peeled for any monsters or his friends.
"Davy?" Mike whispered "Micky? Peter? You guys down here?" He paused in a doorway and peered in. There was Davy, facing away from him.
"Davy, Thank God you alright." Mike said going over to the smaller man to give him a hug in relief. Davy turned around slowly his eyes had no spark of acknowledgment shown in the Brits eyes. They stared at Mike as if looking through him.
"Davy?" Mike questioned. Movement from behind him made his turn around and gasp in shock. Micky and Peter where coming at him Micky's teeth bared a little bit. Mike shook his head in dismay.
"No," He whispered backing up "No, they couldn't have gotten to you guys."
"They didn't." Davy hissed and Mike turned around and let out a strangled cry as Davy showed his own teeth his canine's pointed.
"W-what do you mean?" Mike whispered.
"You did." Peter answered as Mike backed away even more.
"H-how?" Mike asked not taking his eyes off his friends.
"You left me alone in the library." Peter said simply "Lorelei came and took me that wouldn't of happened if you were there."
"You wanted to go down the passageway." Micky chimed in Mike broke eye contact with Peter to look at Micky "I didn't want to, but you went down leaving me up there alone, Wolf man got me."
"I-I'm sorry Mick Peter, I'm so sorry." Mike whispered.
"What about me?" Davy asked and Mike turned around to look at him.
"I heard you guys enter," Davy said taking a step towards Mike as well. "I heard you call out once you got down the stairs Mike. I hollered out for you hoping you'd come and save me." He took another step and as Mike backed up again his felt his back press up against a wall. His friends had him cornered.
"You didn't." Davy continued. "Instead you messed around in that sarcophagus putting on mummy rags."
"Davy I-" Mike started to say but Micky cut him off.
"Don't try to make excuses Michael." He spat "You're the reason why we are what we are now."
"It's your fault." Peter said.
"I hate you." Davy said "It's clear you wanted to save your own skin rather than try to help us."
"Guys, no, I tried." Mike stammered out "Really I did…I was." But he never finished what he was going to say. Peter, Davy and Micky rushed at him and all he could hear was screaming coming from his own throat.
Mike woke up breathing hard his hand to his chest.
"Calm down." He scolded himself "It was just a dream." But he got up and made his way quietly over to Davy, Micky and Peter in turn making sure they were alright and where they should be. He pulled Micky's blanket up around the sleeping drummer a bit more snugly and rubbed Davy's back when Davy started muttering about monsters trying to get him until Davy calmed down. Looking at the clock he saw that it was a little after one in the morning. Sighing Mike made his way down stairs to play his guitar making a vow from now on to make sure they all looked before they leap.