Looking Glass

Chapter One

Innocently enough Billy Hitchcock was riding his beloved bicycle. It was more to take his mind away rather than for the simple pleasure this time though. Something about riding against the wind comforted him. After Terry's death he was starting to buy Alex's ludicrous idea. What if Death was after them? Worse yet, what if he was next? He had to see the Jets win the Super Bowl! He couldn't die!

He easily careened around the next corner and began to pedal again. He was just a little jumpy, that was all. How many people saw friends die right before their eyes? The night air had been a good choice he decided ; he needed to little time to think. And a 7-11 was just around the block so he could stop and grab a snack.

When the florescent sign was in clear view he lowered his feet and allowed the rubber of his shoes to drag lazily across the rough pavement. They really needed to cement it again, he mused. Now walking to bike up to the door he rested it against stone wall of the building.

Hopefully no one would steal it ... that bike was one of his prized possessions. Glancing upward he saw he knew the person tending to the store. Hadn't she decided not to go on the French trip a few hours ahead of time? He entered with the light jingle of the bell above the door and quickly spotted a package of Twinkies. Perfect.
He tossed the sweets onto the glassy counter and dove into his pocket for change. A dollar eighty-eight ... easy enough. Carefully he counted out the coins and handed them to cashier. He knew her from school, but had only seen her a few times.

"Hey, Billy," she greeted him casually as she opened the cash register.

"Hi er ... Erika," he replied. For a moment he had almost forgotten her name. "Thanks."

Billy just wanted out back into the cool night air. He pocketed the pastry and easily located his bike. It was the same as when he had left it, which was a relief. Putting one leg over he hopped onto the seat and began to pedal before he had even secured his baseball cap. For the first time he noticed something - the streets really were empty that time of night.

After a few silent minutes he approached Ms. Lewton's house. He recognized it because once he needed some help not failing several classes and he had stopped by. Just as he was about to pass by it he slowed. A figure was hurtling from the entrance like a bat out of hell.

"Oh, hey Alex!" He shouted as his friend sprinted across the finely trimmed lawn. He made it about three forth's of the way before the entire building exploded into flame. Billy tumbled right off of his bike as particles of debris were flung in all directions and embers rained down.

Alex looked at him, terrified, for a moment then collected himself and ran off into the darkness. Billy was left to stare at what remained of the burning house. Distantly, he could hear the humming of sirens. Suddenly he realized that Ms. Lewton had been the third on "The List."

Well maybe Carter was wrong for once in his life. And that lead Billy to wonder why he ever believed anything the jock had ever told him in the first place.

Billy couldn't seem to ride fast enough. At an almost painful speed he biked through the desolate streets. It seemed that not even the nocturnal animals were awake anymore. At first he thought he should have gone straight home but for some reason he lingered in the night.

At the first sign of the beach he slowed then eventually stopped and removed himself from the bike. He hadn't really been one of those who wandered away to be alone but now seemed as good a time as any to take a break from life. Having Death stalking you could wear a person out.

The teen shoved some stray branches away from the blazed trail to the water. As he walked, Billy realized just how shadowed the night was. Harsh blackened clouds had eclipsed the moon and somehow the stars seemed faded and dull. Was Death controlling that too?

Billy knew Carter would laugh at him for believing Alex's crazy ideas, but he did. He removed his hat and began to fidget with the bill of it for a moment. What was he doing anyway? Alex was probably the one causing all of this destruction anyway. He'd personally seen him running away from the crime scene! Determination to prove Browning wrong for his own sake took over and Billy wandered back up to his bike and hopped on.

He wasn't really that sure of who to tell ... but the police seemed to be a decent place to start.

It hadn't been that long. Maybe an hour or two? Billy sat on his front porch, elbows propping up his head. He was informed that Alex's fingerprints had been on one of the kitchen knives, and his footprints in the blood on the floor. The police has profusely thanked him for tipping them off, but somehow it felt wrong.

The night was still young, but still the moon was waning. It dulled and drifted more into the background as the sky was painted in charcoal. He was surprised to hear the familiar ringtone of his cell and he quickly pulled it from his pocket and flipped it open.

He was even more surprised to find out that Clear was on the other end.

"Hello?" There was a few minutes pause.

"Alright, I'll be there."

He pocketed the device and made his way back to his bicycle and picked it up from where it was leaning against the side of his house. If Clear had something to say he could at least listen. Maybe what she had to say would calm his fears. He began to pedal away, but before he did he pulled the Twinkies from earlier out of his pocket and chewed on one. There was no better medication for stress.

The memorial stood eerily lit in the moonlight, the shadows playing across it in just a way that it looked as if the bird that perched upon it was truly about to take flight. As Billy neared he could spot Carter putting his beloved car in park and jumping out into the night.

Billy slowed his bike to a stop and began to wander towards the memorial when Clear stepped from the darkness. She looked slightly tired which was probably the case. All of them had been looking over their shoulders.

He hadn't even noticed that Carter had taken out his pocket knife and tried to etch Terry's name into the stone plaque. Clear gave them both glances that showed hints of a smile that they had come. Carter looked up at last, annoyed.

"So, why'd you want us to meet you here? Now?"

"They're watching me to see if I'll go to Alex," she replied calmly.

"Are you?" Billy spoke up, curious to why she would go to him in the first place. They weren't exactly friends, were they?

Clear smiled slightly. "He knows which one of us is next."

So they had found Alex. And they had listened to his ideas. And Carter had almost been mangled by a train. Billy stood shaking near the rail-road tracks as the train flew by at a rapid pace. Honestly, he was stunned. Now, most people thought Billy was a stupid person. Someone who didn't comprehend much.

They would be wrong of course. In fact, at that moment, Billy's mind was getting quite the workout. If Carter was next ... which was painfully obvious ... then he had to be after his friend. So then .. he was next. Terror was plaguing his thoughts ; It dug into him and nested, spreading throughout his body and expression.

He turned to Carter and stared for a moment with a confused and frightened expression painted onto his face in the darkness. Alex was telling something to Clear and Carter and Billy struggled to catch some of the conversation

Clear was speaking now. "Bullshit. He saved your life .. again!"

"That's right! She's right! You are next! I'M GETTING THE FUCK AWAY FROM YOU!" Billy gestured accusingly at Carter's form sitting on the ground. His friend gazed up at him, annoyed.

"Shut up Billy!"

"We don't need this now!" Clear added angerly.

Stummbing now, Billy backed away. He had to get away from them before it got him too. He didn't want to die ; he had to prove that stupid person when he took his driver's test wrong. No, he refused to die at a young age, just plain out refused.

"I don't need it ever! Get away from him - he's next!" Billy seemed near hysteria by now.

"Fuck you, Billy! I'm not dead!" Still resting on the ground, Carter was looking at Billy with an odd expression. The wheels of the train were making an awful whining sound that was starting to hurt his ears. Metal against metal ..

Billy backed even further away. "You will be! You're dead! You're dead!"

A sickening screech of breaking metal caught Alex's attention, and his head whipped upward to stare at the train tracks. He stared at the remaining debris of the car for a moment before he realized what Death was planning.

"And you ain't taking me with you!"

At that exact point in time the sheet of metal broke free from the tracks and was hurled directly at Billy's neck. Being turned the other way he took no notice of such actions behind his back.

"Billy!"

Also at that moment, Alex pulled hard on one of Billy's feet and dragged him to the dirt. The metal sheet cascaded past it's mark and into the silent trees. Everyone stood completly still for several long minutes, breathing heavily.

Panting frantically Billy looked about ready to die of fright. His eyes were wide and radiated fear at such a very close call. He couldn't be around them anymore, he decided. No .. no! They would just end up getting him killed too!

"Are you alright?"

He wasn't sure who it came from but he did here it. Were they kidding him? Hell no he wasn't alright! He would have told them then and there that there was no way he could ever be alright after that. Never. Not even in a million years. But somehow, he seemed to had lost control of his voice.

Alex walked up behind Clear and rested his hand over her shoulders. Distantly, sirens could be hear humming. The low drone picked up volume as it closed in on area. How the police had found out so fast they would never know.

"We gotta get out of here!" Carter yelled, sprinting off into the darkness with the rest of them in tow. They couldn't afford to get caught near another accident. Already they knew the police, FBI and who else knew thought they were guilty of the deaths.

Personally, Billy was still in somewhat shock. He seemed to be having the most difficult of times seeing straight. Absently mindedly as he ran he reached up to find that his hat was not in place. But where at it gone?

Faintly he was aware of Alex tugging him along. Jesus .. they had to find a way to cheat Death for good or he was going to go crazy looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. Shoving some stray branches from his path, he realized they were almost at Clear's cabin.

Billy paused for a moment at the entrance. Carter stopped at looked at him curiously, tilting his head to one side, questioning. Billy just stared for the longest moment before speaking usually clear.

"I fucking hated French class!"

Ah um. Another fic for me to probably never touch again. I've actually had this for some time now so I figured I'd might as well post it. It actually had a plot and stuff so I dunno. Maybe some day ..Anyway, a small preview of the next chapter :

All he saw was light. From the storm he safely assumed. He knew he wasn't next and the lightning probably wouldn't be striking him down anytime soon but the thought of Alex out there alone was enough to make him uneasy. If he didn't make it through this .. what would become of the rest of them?