Chapter Two

" Eric, you're hurting me!" Mel cried out painfully as his arm tightened on her thorax. All she succeeded in doing as making him pull back and choke her even harder as he grunted in that strange voice.

" I don't know what's fucking going on and why you kids are here with this gook, but I want answers now! Who are you guys?", he demanded, his own eyes wide in confusion as he repeated his demand.

Jackson stepped forwards, fists balled and ready for battle as he made a demand of his own: " Get you fucking hands off Mel right now or I'll break your damn jaw Eric! I don't know what kinda sick game you're playing but it sure as hell isn't funny!" the big sandy haired teen steadily advanced even as Eric backed into the fuselage of the wreck, dragging a red faced Mel with him.

Nathan walked towards them as well, his jaw set firmly as he spoke, " Let her go man. You're hurting her! Just because you didn't get your way it doesn't mean you have to flip out!" he and Jackson glanced at one another, then dove at the struggling couple.

And got the shock of their lives as Eric slung Mel to the ground and went into the two of them like a dervish. He spun and backhanded Jackson in the mouth even as he kicked Nathan in the last place he wanted to be kicked. With Nathan down, he sent a foot into Jackson's knee, knocking him down and then slammed a fast left into his astonished face. Then, a hard knee hit Jackson in the temple and the world went black.

" Dude, I'm gonna kill your psycho ass, " Nathan wheezed as he grabbed the smaller young man from behind and spun him around, unleashing his best right …

Which Eric caught in the air, grabbing and pulling Nathan forward, then slamming his fist twice into Nathan McHugh's wide open stomach. Then, he grabbed Nathan's head with one hand and sent it rocketing into his knees. Nathan slumped onto the sand like Jackson had. He looked at the girls, who had clustered around a gasping Mel and gave a sneer to Lex before running off into the nearby jungle. He paused at the edge to give a last look of mingled hatred, fear and confusion at them before plowing on.

" Mel, will you be ok for a second, we have to check on the boys." Daley snapped as she dove for Nathan, leaving Jackson for Lex and Taylor to help. The big guy was moaning as he lay there, a tremendous bruise on the left side of his head already visible. Daley dove to here Nathan lay on the bright white sand. He was moaning still from the violent assault.

" Nate are you ok? , " she asked frantically as she helped him roll over. His face was half covered in sand that she brushed away as she helped him sit up.

" Jesus, where did he learn to fight like that?!" Nathan said in amazed pain as he surreptitiously rubbed here he hurt the most, hoping Daley wouldn't comment. She didn't , she was already turning her attention back to the nearly hysterically crying Mel, who had staggered over to Jackson with the help of Lex.

" Jackson! Help me sit him up Taylor, please," Mel said urgently ash she sank to her shaky knees on the earth beside him. He had his blue eyes open, but seemed to be having trouble focusing just yet. " Can you see me Jackson? Are you having any double vision. Damn, if you have a concussion, I don't know what we can do to help it." she fretted.

Jackson sat up slowly, a wave of nausea washing over him, " Oh, my head feels like there's a King Kapisi concert in it." He gingerly touched the bruise on the side of his head, " Man, if someone had told me that little shit would be able to whip me and Nathan at once, I'd have told 'em to roll one up for me too. I haven't been beat like that since I was in second grade and got into with a sixth grader." he held his head between his knees as Mel rubbed at his back. " Where did he go?"

Lex pointed into the jungle. " He turned and ran off that way. He had the strangest look on his face though, just before he went into the woods; like he wasn't sure of where he was or who we were. Strange."

Daley spoke out, " he kept saying that, who are you guys. And calling Mel names like Jap and gook. Eric's an asshole, but he's never said anything like that before. Could he have really had some kind of breakdown."

" He's so high strung, anything is possible with him." Taylor added, " And it does sort of run in his family. His mom's been going to therapy for years. She uses the same doctor as my aunt Belinda. Of course , Aunt Belinda thinks her cocker spaniel is trying to take over her life, too." She stopped, flustered at the inadvertent glimpse into the nuts on the Hagen Family tree she had just given them.

They ignored that part of it.

Lex pointed something out. " If he really has lost it, we should try to find him. He could hurt himself in the shape he's in." He looked nervously into the woods, obviously afraid the demented Eric might mount a fresh offense.

" Yeah, or someone else, " Mel mumbled darkly, rubbing the welt he had left on her throat. Then, her basic compassion took over, " No, I'm just mad. If he's having some sort of episode, then we need to help him." The black haired girl looked expectantly at the others.

" You're more generous than I am Mel, " Nathan commented as Daley helped him to his feet, " Personally, I'd still like to kick his skinny ass. Of course, " he chuckled humorlessly , " that's apparently not as easy to do as I always thought it would be."

Jackson , aided by Taylor and Mel, was back on his feet was well. " I'd suggest that we run back to camp and get anything he could use as a weapon first." He rubbed at the bruise with wince as he pointed out, " If he's this dangerous without a weapon, I'd hate to see how he does with one."

"Let's get to camp then. Then we'll figure out our next move." Daley said as they started up the rise to the trail.

Next: Eric and Walter have a talk. Seriously!