ANGELA AND THE BOYS

I didn't know where I was when I woke up…the girls weren't around me, I couldn't feel them anywhere, Claire was supposed to wake me. Shit, when she finds out I overslept instead of getting the things we need from the market a block over…I wasn't supposed to be anywhere near an ocean but I smelt salt water, very strong salt water…and we never had a canopy in the attic.

I opened my eyes slowly, black stars dancing in my vision, as I moved my aching body into a half bent sitting position; it was like I just ran a marathon. I raised my heavy limbs as my eyes adjusted quickly to the scene around me full of dark purple and blues. I was on a silky comforter surrounded by plush pillows. A black sheet was draped over me as I lay back in the bed.

I was in the cave where the Boys had whisked me off to after I had ditched the girls. David had given me bad rice, noodles and had spiked that metallic wine I had drunk before I blacked out. I let out a slow, painful breath as the memories of the night before rushed into my head. It hurt to breath, expanding my ribs for oxygen killed me. I rubbed my temples as I sat up again, letting the swathes of fabric drop to the floor before I tugged the comforter off and wrapped it around me as I hazily tried to find my shoes. Why wasn't it this cold last night? It was around thirty in here. The overhead canopy swayed lightly from the air cracks in the ceiling. I brushed another long silken sheet away from me that hung from the ceiling that created a kind of silky maze which I could see through. I looked around again before I stepped out into the cave, slivers of the moon shone through the high crack in the ceiling. My feet hit ice cold stone as I stepped out into the lobby.

No one was in sight, not even a shoe or…or…well, not even a shoe was in sight.

"David? Hellooo, anybody home?" I called out, letting the comforter drag after me as I walked on the cool ground. My body was like weak rubber, my knees felt like they'd give out any second. I sat down on the steps to the cave entrance, my body suddenly collapsing on itself in exhaustion. I groaned as my elbow hit a dull rock head on. Stars swam in front of me as my vision began to go white as if I was going to pass out. You know, if I hadn't remembered David or anyone I'd probably start assuming I was kidnapped or had traveled here to this cave in my sleep. I looked up to where the fountain was coolly sitting in the spotlight.

Spilled rice, cartons of Chinese food and a crumbled fortune cookie dismissed the two options in my head immediately though. Where the hell were they? They weren't sleeping anywhere I could see; maybe they slept inside the cave walls like that one creepy horror movie a few years ago. Maybe they had lied when they said they didn't have any families. No, they had looked to sincere, to truthful. I sighed and put my head in between my knees as the dizziness came back, ugh, those god damned voices would not go away! All they did was whisper in my head. I could hear…everything they said and then some. I groaned and closed my eyes.

"Angela."

"-the hell?!"

I screamed and jumped up, tripping over the comforter wrapped around me as Marko perched in front of the spot I had been dying in. My ass hit the ground hard as the wind was forced out of me, piercing my stomach painfully as it went. Marko grinned before getting up and holding a hand out to me. Behind him the Boys were walking through the far dark hole David had motioned to…earlier, or last night…either one I don't care but hey, there they were. Freaking magicians I swear.

"How was the beauty sleep?" David playfully mocked as he circled around the fountain like a panther.

"Just fine…you know, you told me it was dangerous to go back there." I rubbed my sore arms as Marko hopped off to someplace else. David hummed quietly before he collapsed in his King chair, one leg slung over the arm like last night…or day, whatever.

"I did."

I stared at him, waiting for another sentence but it never came. He grinned slyly and his blue eyes narrowed in consideration before he was up in a beat, swinging around me like some magician. His trench coat made up for the cape.

"So…did you guys drug me last night?" I asked as David went around the cave looking at it as if for the first time. Paul snorted as he stretched his arms.

"No, but you fainted. Can't hold your liquor very well obviously but hey it's okay, Marko can't either."

"Hey!"

"Sorry I'm not a party animal…" I smiled as he locked the younger blonde in a painful looking headlock, "What are you guys even…"

"How are you feeling?" David asked suddenly, his boots crunching over the rocks as he made his way back to me. I blinked and looked down at myself. David brushed against my back with a hand I shivered. My entire body hurt like I had been running a marathon, my head was still slightly dizzy and I felt the need to like, eat an entire town.

"I'm fine, why?" I lied, watching as his lips curled into a small smirk. He shook his head and stopped pacing, looking down in my eyes in front of me. His breath was cool on my cheeks as he studied my face. I frowned and he just shrugged before looking at the other Boys.

"Nothing."

"I don't know if you notice it David, but you're like, a serial killer…just letting you know."

"Maybe I am."

"I'll stab you if you touch me."

"And what would you stab me with?" He played along, a small smile curving on his lips before he frowned.

"…I'll stab you with a spoon…or bad rice." I joked playfully, watching as David nodded to that and stepped by my side again, watching the others start a tag war…that involved shoving ones face to the ground instead of lightly tapping on the back.

"We want to show you something…something nobody's ever seen before." He whispered cautiously like it was a secret. His voice dropped an octave and I found my skin breaking out in goose bumps as we found each other's eyes again dead on, "Something no human has ever seen done before."

"…Are you guys secretly part of a circus, 'cause now I'm beginning to think so." I challenged jokingly. David just looked at me with this…look. I shut my mouth immediately and brushed my hair out of my face. Right, Rule number one; be quiet.

I was dimly aware of the other three Boys throwing sharp pieces of stones at the other when one yawned. Dwayne was getting the best of everyone so far. I smiled as Marko flashed me a grin and chucked a rock at Paul's brow, earning a loud yell from the older blonde. David moved around me like a snake again, slowly circling until he reached my right side and stared at the Boys along with me. I rubbed a sore spot on my elbow.

"If I get shown what you're going to be showing me, will I die?"

"Maybe." David shrugged, "But it'll help you in the long run. Let's go Boys!" he bellowed, the others grinned (Marko and Paul) and eagerly flew out of the cave like bats, yelling and cursing at each other. Dwayne passed us with a nod before he too was gone through the pitch black cave entrance. I stared at David.

"I never said I'd go…"

"Then go home." He bit sharply, turning and following his fellow friends. I stood alone in the cave for a few more seconds before I followed as well. I couldn't see a thing; all I could feel was the rocks around and below me. I sighed and began making my way where I thought I heard the ocean. There was the soft crunching of boots behind me when I heard the tell tale swish of a leather jacket. I rolled my eyes and kept shuffling along.

"You know, you're really cocky. Like, way more than football players."

"And how would you know that?" his voice scratched, I could picture a deep frown on his face perfectly, "Nobody made you Queen of the damned world."

"Well nobody made you King of dark caves either."

"Just get moving all right? You're holding up the line."

"…There is no line asshole."

"Again, how would you know that."

"I'm a girl, I know everything."

"Do you know you're about to step in a two foot hole?"

"Wha-Agh!" I turned around but my foot had already slipped into said-hole and I felt my ankle give a slight twist as I was thrown forward. Warm leather arms enclosed around me and I felt David snickering to himself as he pulled me back up gently. I pulled out of his grasp and growled, fucking great, another bruise.

"You so smart now, Angela?"

"Shut up jerk." I began walking faster away from him, hoping he wouldn't hear me leave but he took off right after me.

I walked out into the open salty air a few minutes later and shielded my eyes from the whipping wind. David stood besides me, frown heavy on his face as his hands were buried in his pockets. Marko hopped down from where he had been sitting on the stairs and called us over before running up. My hair whipped and slapped me in the face as I pulled my jacket closer around me and walked to the stairs. If going down the stairs was scary…then looking up the stairs and attempting to go up them was a horror movie. My hand closed over the rickety railing and I began slowly climbing up, keeping my eyes on the step above the next one. I looked back once, making sure David wasn't like, diabolically screwing up the ladder so I could soar to my death fifteen thousand feet below me. He was lazily climbing up after me as if the wind wasn't trying to rip him from the air.

When we reached the top, the wind was suddenly gone and the Boys were all lounging around on their bikes. I tried to push my wind swept hair down instead of having mad scientist hair as David walked over to his monster of a bike. He didn't even look at me as he mounted the bike and made it roar to life. I hadn't meant to make him mad; I hadn't even meant to make him remotely angry. I hesitantly took a step forward as the other Boys started their bikes and slowly made their way to the opening of the forest. Gliding over to David I climbed on behind and hesitantly snuck my arms around his waist.

"You on?" he mumbled, revving his engine, I nodded and leaned closer to him as he kicked up the stand.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I'm up for anything okay? I owe you one, well two actually." I offered. I could feel the tension literally drain out of his shoulders and a weight lifted off my own as he raced off towards the others.

Around fifteen minutes later we broke through the trees and raced across soft tufts of grass. The engine's noise roared and woke everything to life in the forest but out here, it sounded softer. Like a lion growling instead of roaring. I closed my eyes and rested my head against David's back. I felt safe here with David and the Boys, riding in the night. I felt closer to them, I felt…like I belonged. David said nothing as we zipped across sudden tree roots and pushed for more speed. The engine snarled and rocketed across a beaten in path, surprisingly missing some low hanging trunks. Once we broke through the trees and onto another clear path, we raced alongside the train tracks. I frowned as I looked down at the ground below the tires…what if a train was coming straight at us? David skidded his bike to a halt along with the others as we parked besides the train bridge.

"Perfect timing." David whispered as he cut off the engine and slid off. I followed and blinked as everyone began to walk towards the bridge. Paul pulled me under his arms and laughed as if someone said something funny.

"What's going on?" I asked, pulling away from Paul and sticking to David's cool side. I looked down as we crowded around a hole in the bridge. There was only fog below us. I took a step back instantly as everyone chuckled.

"Angela wants to know what's…going on." David smirked and turned around with a wild look in his eyes, "Hey Marko, what's going on?"

"I dunno. What's goin' on Paul?" Marko laughed loudly, piercing through the fog as I watched each of them, giving an amused smile. What the hell…

"Wait, who wants to know?" Paul collapsed onto Dwayne's shoulder and Dwayne grinned.

"Angela wants to know!"

I nodded shortly and grimaced as the Boys smiled, showing their sharp white teeth.

"Very funny. Hilarious even."

"I think…we should let Angela know what's going on." David grinned, wrapping a tight arm around my shoulders as he pulled me next to him, "Marko?"

"Ye-ah." Marko grinned from behind his hand as he straddled the ties on the floor, "G'night Angie. Bombs away!"

"MARKO!" I screamed, lunging forward and making my skin rub raw from where David kept a grip on my shoulders.

Marko had jumped down the hole…Marko…David chuckled behind me as I struggled out of his grip, had he not seen him jump to his death!?

"Marko!"

I stared in disbelief as something dropped into the pit of my stomach and filled with icy dread. Paul stepped into my view as David held me up with a cruel smile.

"Bottoms up man." Paul snapped his fingers before he too, fell down through the hole. Not even a second, a god damned second later, Dwayne sauntered over and jumped to his former dead friends' death.

"Come with us Angela." David whispered quietly, letting me go. I dropped to my knees and stared at the hole, I couldn't breathe anymore. They were dead…dead…Marko, Paul and Dwayne…all dead. I looked up to David as he crouched down and lifted up my chin with a finger. I wanted to scream at him, say something when he got up and fell down the hole with a smirk.

"DAVID NO!" My throat ripped and blood came out as I lunged forward with my palms smacking on the edge of the hole, "No…no this is crazy. I'm not awake, I'm asleep."

That was when I heard cheers below me and the tell tale laugh of Marko. I quickly leaned over the hole inch by inch and let out a gust of air. Four non-dead people looked up at me with calm smiles as they hung from a railing underneath the bridge. They began to shout my name in happiness as they played chicken with each other.

"Angela Marie Collins!" David bellowed, imitating a TV host. I stared wide eyed at him as his blue eyes bore into me, "come on down!"

"No…this can't…" I looked fully down the hole as my hands gripped the edge until my knuckles turned white. I inched forward looking at the bars. I slowly lowered my body without a thought as the Boys kept taunting me. Fog filled my vision as I griped the ladder lowering myself down.

"You better hurry Angie." David called; smiling at me with his cold blue eyes growing wild with excitement.

I slipped and gasped, the air rushing out of my system as I closed my eyes and swung back and forth. I opened my eyes and hung there, suspended by my arms as my feet swung over the fog below me.

"Holy shit!" I cried out, gripping the railing harder as I tried to get a dryer grip. David laughed besides me as Paul swung over to me easily.

"Welcome aboard Angie!" he yelled before he swung hand to hand like a monkey. I watched as Marko tried to slam his boots on Paul's finger to let go, beside me David and Dwayne were having a conversation in which Dwayne kept glancing over to me with narrowed eyes.

"How're you feelin'!" David yelled as I felt a rumble go through my fingers. I gaped.

"Why aren't you all dead!?" I felt another tingle go through my fingers as a sudden rush of adrenalin shot through me. David's eyes glowed bright lightning blue as a train horn sounded through the air.

"Like I said Angela." He grinned as the rumbling train shook the rails harder, "Perfect timing. So HOLD ON!"

The train soared over us, just by a couple feet and I felt my palms grow sweaty as the railing vibrated painfully. My arms trembled and the air grew hotter, air choking around me with coal and dust and smoke. It was deafening, I could barely hear the Boys' yells and calls. My hands slipped and I struggled to get a better grip. Paul let out a scream of joy as he swung violently. He winked at me and I saw the decision before he even came to grips with it himself. I opened my mouth to yell but he let go, his body disappearing below us in the fog.

"PAUUL!" I screamed and felt my arms give out for a split second as the Boys cheered on Paul's second death jump. A sob tore through my throat as Marko nudged me with the toe of his boot. I weakly looked up and watched as he grinned slyly.

"Marko…please…don't…"

"Don't be afraid Angela! You're free!" he hollered. He let go with one hand as the train raced over our heads, a terrifying bump sounded and Marko let go. The last I saw of him was a grin before he fell after Paul. I let out a sob again and tried to keep holding on as I closed my eyes and let my tears fall down through the fog. I looked over just in time to see Dwayne drop with a happy shout…I screamed again.

"DWAYNEE!"

They were gone again, just like that. I looked to David quickly, watching as he turned to face me full frontal. I shook my head silently as the train sent tingles down my spine.

"Let go Angela!" he shouted, I shook my head and groaned.

"No, please no! David don't!" I saw David grin as more tears spilled from my eyes and leaked hotly down my face, I was having hysterical tears by now, "David, please don't do this. Please David!"

"You're one of us now Angela! DO IT!"

David fell.

"NOO! NO-OO, DAVID!" I reached out with one hand, swinging forward to grab something on David, anything.

My hand caught nothing and I hung from the railing from one arm as my heart ripped from slice to slice. I sobbed dryly as the train passed overhead slowly. My body hung weakly as I tried to get my other arm up to the rail. Sweat slicked my palms and I looked above me, sweat and pain running down my face as my fingers began slipping.

I swung my arm up angrily and caught the railing. I swung my feet and pulled myself up, hugging the railing with both of my arms as I buried my head in my struggling arms. I could barely hold on like this…my arms were beginning to give out again as I tried to hoist myself up.

"Come on!

"Let go Angela! We're waiting for you!"

Voices cut up above me through the fog and I weakly turned my head, staring past my dangling feet where Paul and Marko were shouting from. Fucking…great, they died twice and now they're ghosts. They had to be dead, but I could hear laughter…they had to be dead.

"Drop Ange!" Dwayne barked and I shook my head.

"Angela."

I cried as my arms died and I was thrust down through the air by some force as David's voice echoed around me. I closed my eyes and let gravity take hold as I let out one last breath. Wind whipped around my face and my arms flew in front of me as the fog floated around me. The ground seemed to take forever to hit me as the wind screamed in my ears.

That pull that I had felt before came and yanked me down harder by my stomach and I landed on the ground, colliding with the soft earth. Something jammed onto my neck and cold air ghosted over my face. I sunk into the ground as something smoothed over my eyelids. Blood spilled out of my mouth as I looked up and spotted four dark, muddled figures around me.

"She's perfect."