Future's Past
It all happened so fast.
Nick had been writing in his journal when he heard a loud crash from downstairs. Grabbing his gun, the exSeal checked its load and then ventured out, warily.
What he had found was not an anticipated burglar but Derek Rayne, lying at the bottom of the stairs, his neck at an angle that could only mean one thing.
Breathing heavily, Nick worked his way downstairs, all the while willing it not to be so, for him to be wrong.
He wasn't wrong.
Nick checked at least three times, but the result was the same. Neck twisted to one site, unmistakably broken - death had been immediate and quite painless.
Derek Rayne was dead.
Nick went through the next few weeks on automatic - arranging the funeral, sorting the legalities and trying to keep the others together.
He couldn't believe that after all they had gone through, the dangers Derek had faced down - to be killed off by a simple fall down the stairs, it seemed so ludricous.
Alex had taken to her room, not coming out - having trays sent up and sent down untouched. Rachel was trying to use her counselling techniques to keep it together, but it wasn't working, and Kat was withdrawn and sullen.
And Derek was dead.
The funeral was a somber and dignified affair, and afterwards Nick was left alone at the graveyard. There were some things he had to say to his friend before he finally bid him goodbye.
"I wish you had been my father, Derek." He blurted the words out, unable to hold back any longer.
Tears swelled in his eyes and he let them fall, crouching in front of the headstone.
"God knows that I loved you as one." There he had said it.
"Goodbye my friend. I'll take good care of your House, I promise."
He turned to leave.
"It's not supposed to be like this, you know."
He started at the voice, and whirled around to face it's owner. A child, dressed in white, sat on another headstone, reading Michael Johl, Beloved Son.
"What did you say?" Asked Nick, incredulously.
"He's not supposed to have died yet. And certainly not that way." Repeated the child, matter of factly.
"What? Who?" Nick beginning to wonder if he had finally lost it.
"You can change it back you know."
"I can?"
"They broke the rules when they pushed him down the stairs."
"How? How can I save Derek? Tell me!" Aware that he may have gone insane, Nick was willing to grasp at any straws held out.
"Derek was pushed down the stairs by one of them, simply stop that and your friend will survive."
"How can I stop the demon, I didn't see anything. By the time I got there... he was... Derek.."
"You have to remember, thats all." The little boy was beginning to fade, and so was the graveyard.
"Wait!" Cried Nick but the boy was already gone, leaving the exSeal uncertain of what to do.
All that he could hear was the faint echo of the boy's final words to him, as the world twisted and began to disappear.
"Remember...."
Nick Boyle shot awake in his bed, lights dimmed, with his journal on his lap.
He checked the clock and ran for the door.
"Derek!" He yelled.
Events began to move in slow motion, time slowing to a standstill.
Derek moving towards the stairs.
The blur of something behind him.
Nick lurching forward in a desperate bid to stop the terrible tradegy unravelling for a second time...
Derek's balance was lost as he was pushed from behind, and he pinwheeled, but before he reached the point of no return, hands reached out for him - grasping the scruff of his neck and yanking him back to the safety of the landing.
Both men landed with a thump, Nick sprawled over his Precept, hands still grasping his collar in an almost painful grip, as he fought to get his breath back.
"Derek? Are you okay?"
He got up off the Dutchman, who lay winded on the carpet.
"Nick? What - how did you..."
"They tried to kill you, they did before - but I got given a second chance - are you sure you're alright?" Nick was checking his friend over, almost urgently, the look on his face one of absolute terror.
"I'm okay. I haven't a clue what you're talking about Nick."
"Kitchen. I need coffee and so will you when I tell you what's going on. And bring your sword."
Nick insisted on getting everyone together, making tea and coffee whilst he explained the situation.
"So, I died? Who came to the funeral?"
"Derek, shut up about the funeral. You died, okay! You died and left us alone, and it was bloody terrible!Get something straight will you. Under no circumstances whatsoever are you allowed to die, okay." He handed the Precept a steaming cup of coffee.
"Ok, Ok... What now?"
"Well, from what the boy said, they broke the rules killing you outright like that. But I don't think they're finished yet, so you and I Derek are not parting company anytime soon." Declared Nick.
"You've already prevented that Nick, by saving me on the stairs. Thanks by the way."
"Welcome. I couldn't handle all that paperwork anyway."
"Do we know anything about whoever pushed Derek originally?" Asked Alex Moreau.
Nick shook his head, resolutely.
"How did it get into the House?" Wondered Derek Rayne, sipping from his cup, thoughtfully.
"Good question."
"Did we bring anything into the House today? An artefact maybe?"
"No... wait, that kid - Jason Deville. He was referred to us by Boston House. He's staying over."
"Deville? Could it be that obvious."
"Why not. It worked didn't it. You took me in!" The 'boy' laughed, and morphed into another form - a demonic one.
Derek very quietly reached behind for the sword Nick had insisted he bring down with him, keeping his eyes and attention on the demon.
"I will kill all of you, starting with the Precept." Announced the demon and raised its hand. Power leapt from it, it's aim deadly accurate.
Derek wasn't about to die a second time, raising the sword he deflected the deadly bolt, returning it to it's owner who howled with pain.
"Good shot, Derek!" Crowed Nick.
"Thanks."
The battle lasted a good ten minutes before finally ending with Derek's sword delivering the final verdict. The demon howled it's resentment, before returning whence it came.
It was over.
"Derek?" Nick stuck his head round his friend's bedroom door.
"Nick? What is it?" The Dutchman asked, worriedly. Had something else happened?
"Just checking. Oh and Derek?"
"Yeah."
"Don't forget that promise. Night, Derek."
Grinning, the ex-Seal left to retire to his own bedroom.
Journal of Nick Boyle
You don't know what you've got until it's gone.
I was lucky, and got given a second chance - I got back my friend.
One day, I'll have to say my goodbye for real.
But not today.
Thank you God.
It all happened so fast.
Nick had been writing in his journal when he heard a loud crash from downstairs. Grabbing his gun, the exSeal checked its load and then ventured out, warily.
What he had found was not an anticipated burglar but Derek Rayne, lying at the bottom of the stairs, his neck at an angle that could only mean one thing.
Breathing heavily, Nick worked his way downstairs, all the while willing it not to be so, for him to be wrong.
He wasn't wrong.
Nick checked at least three times, but the result was the same. Neck twisted to one site, unmistakably broken - death had been immediate and quite painless.
Derek Rayne was dead.
Nick went through the next few weeks on automatic - arranging the funeral, sorting the legalities and trying to keep the others together.
He couldn't believe that after all they had gone through, the dangers Derek had faced down - to be killed off by a simple fall down the stairs, it seemed so ludricous.
Alex had taken to her room, not coming out - having trays sent up and sent down untouched. Rachel was trying to use her counselling techniques to keep it together, but it wasn't working, and Kat was withdrawn and sullen.
And Derek was dead.
The funeral was a somber and dignified affair, and afterwards Nick was left alone at the graveyard. There were some things he had to say to his friend before he finally bid him goodbye.
"I wish you had been my father, Derek." He blurted the words out, unable to hold back any longer.
Tears swelled in his eyes and he let them fall, crouching in front of the headstone.
"God knows that I loved you as one." There he had said it.
"Goodbye my friend. I'll take good care of your House, I promise."
He turned to leave.
"It's not supposed to be like this, you know."
He started at the voice, and whirled around to face it's owner. A child, dressed in white, sat on another headstone, reading Michael Johl, Beloved Son.
"What did you say?" Asked Nick, incredulously.
"He's not supposed to have died yet. And certainly not that way." Repeated the child, matter of factly.
"What? Who?" Nick beginning to wonder if he had finally lost it.
"You can change it back you know."
"I can?"
"They broke the rules when they pushed him down the stairs."
"How? How can I save Derek? Tell me!" Aware that he may have gone insane, Nick was willing to grasp at any straws held out.
"Derek was pushed down the stairs by one of them, simply stop that and your friend will survive."
"How can I stop the demon, I didn't see anything. By the time I got there... he was... Derek.."
"You have to remember, thats all." The little boy was beginning to fade, and so was the graveyard.
"Wait!" Cried Nick but the boy was already gone, leaving the exSeal uncertain of what to do.
All that he could hear was the faint echo of the boy's final words to him, as the world twisted and began to disappear.
"Remember...."
Nick Boyle shot awake in his bed, lights dimmed, with his journal on his lap.
He checked the clock and ran for the door.
"Derek!" He yelled.
Events began to move in slow motion, time slowing to a standstill.
Derek moving towards the stairs.
The blur of something behind him.
Nick lurching forward in a desperate bid to stop the terrible tradegy unravelling for a second time...
Derek's balance was lost as he was pushed from behind, and he pinwheeled, but before he reached the point of no return, hands reached out for him - grasping the scruff of his neck and yanking him back to the safety of the landing.
Both men landed with a thump, Nick sprawled over his Precept, hands still grasping his collar in an almost painful grip, as he fought to get his breath back.
"Derek? Are you okay?"
He got up off the Dutchman, who lay winded on the carpet.
"Nick? What - how did you..."
"They tried to kill you, they did before - but I got given a second chance - are you sure you're alright?" Nick was checking his friend over, almost urgently, the look on his face one of absolute terror.
"I'm okay. I haven't a clue what you're talking about Nick."
"Kitchen. I need coffee and so will you when I tell you what's going on. And bring your sword."
Nick insisted on getting everyone together, making tea and coffee whilst he explained the situation.
"So, I died? Who came to the funeral?"
"Derek, shut up about the funeral. You died, okay! You died and left us alone, and it was bloody terrible!Get something straight will you. Under no circumstances whatsoever are you allowed to die, okay." He handed the Precept a steaming cup of coffee.
"Ok, Ok... What now?"
"Well, from what the boy said, they broke the rules killing you outright like that. But I don't think they're finished yet, so you and I Derek are not parting company anytime soon." Declared Nick.
"You've already prevented that Nick, by saving me on the stairs. Thanks by the way."
"Welcome. I couldn't handle all that paperwork anyway."
"Do we know anything about whoever pushed Derek originally?" Asked Alex Moreau.
Nick shook his head, resolutely.
"How did it get into the House?" Wondered Derek Rayne, sipping from his cup, thoughtfully.
"Good question."
"Did we bring anything into the House today? An artefact maybe?"
"No... wait, that kid - Jason Deville. He was referred to us by Boston House. He's staying over."
"Deville? Could it be that obvious."
"Why not. It worked didn't it. You took me in!" The 'boy' laughed, and morphed into another form - a demonic one.
Derek very quietly reached behind for the sword Nick had insisted he bring down with him, keeping his eyes and attention on the demon.
"I will kill all of you, starting with the Precept." Announced the demon and raised its hand. Power leapt from it, it's aim deadly accurate.
Derek wasn't about to die a second time, raising the sword he deflected the deadly bolt, returning it to it's owner who howled with pain.
"Good shot, Derek!" Crowed Nick.
"Thanks."
The battle lasted a good ten minutes before finally ending with Derek's sword delivering the final verdict. The demon howled it's resentment, before returning whence it came.
It was over.
"Derek?" Nick stuck his head round his friend's bedroom door.
"Nick? What is it?" The Dutchman asked, worriedly. Had something else happened?
"Just checking. Oh and Derek?"
"Yeah."
"Don't forget that promise. Night, Derek."
Grinning, the ex-Seal left to retire to his own bedroom.
Journal of Nick Boyle
You don't know what you've got until it's gone.
I was lucky, and got given a second chance - I got back my friend.
One day, I'll have to say my goodbye for real.
But not today.
Thank you God.