Disclaimer: Never have and never will own Van Helsing or anything to do with the merchandise or actors lip trembles

Note to Tony: Sorry Tone Chi-Chi had to come up somewhere :D

Chapter 2

"So where's Alton Towers from here?" Chris asked checking the map.

"About three miles that way." Jory pointed vaguely to his left.

Marston grinned, "You guys know the story of the Towers?" he asked.

Sarah shrugged "Big tree, curse, every time a branch fell someone in the towers family died."

"Wasn't that the tree they chained up so the branches couldn't fall?" asked Amie. Bob sighed "A tree? Yeh chains are gonna help loads." He said sarcastically.

"It's a true story." Marston announced his voice eerily serious.

Tony raised an eyebrow "It's a load of crap."

Marston grinned at him as they walked up a grassy hill "oh yeh? Then how do you explain that?" he pointed over the hill where a large oak tree stood bare, no leaves covered its huge skeletal branches and heavy iron chain were attached to each branch chaining it to the floor.

Amie whimpered and held tightly to her boyfriend who had gone slightly pale. "Bollox," he muttered in awe. Marston smiled "Scares the bejesus outa me but this is the best camping spot."

Amie looked horrified "We're camping here!!" she yelled her voice unnaturally high. Chris shook his head "more like there" he said pointing to a clearing at least twenty metres beyond the tree.

It was a sandy clearing in the centre of the Alton woods, a circle of stones held the remains of the fire, evidence that it was a popular camping spot. It was around this that they pitched the tents. One, three man and two, two man tents.

After much argument Amie had agreed to share a two man with Sarah, while Bob shared with Marston. The thought that everyone would stick to his or her own tents was laughable; in fact the idea that anyone would get more than two hours sleep at night was ridiculous.

While they began to set up the tents Sarah saw Tony coming over "Oh crap" she muttered looking away quickly. Chris and Bob who had been helping her pointedly wandered away as he approached. "Good luck" Jory whispered to her grinning.

"Bastard" she muttered as she saw him laughing with Chris and Bob.

Forcing herself to act normal Sarah turned and met Tony "Hi" she said awkwardly

"Hi …er…do we have something to talk about?" he asked hesitantly. Sarah wished the ground would swallow her. "They told you?" she asked.

He nodded "So it's true?"

"Yeah a little bit"

"Right" They stood awkwardly for a few minutes, Tony glanced behind her and saw the others watching and listening to them. Sarah followed his gaze and spotted them, Chris grinned and waved.

They both laughed nervously "Want to go and talk a little more privately?" Tony suggested. "That would be less embarrassing," she agreed following him away from the camp.

"Aww bless," said Marston sarcastically they laughed as they watched the couple move out of sight.

The camp was fully set up by the time Tony and Sarah returned. Their friends watched as they pointedly separated and wandered to different sides of the site. Sarah knelt next to Amie and began to unpack her sleeping bag; she looked at her meaningfully and crawled into the tent. Amie grinned and followed pretending to help her arrange the material.

"So?" she asked, Sarah went bright red.

"Ok have you ever had one of those experiences where you don't know whether you're going to laugh or cry and you just wish the ground would swallow you?" Amie nodded grinning.

"Well that's pretty much what that was like."

Amie laughed "So you told him straight out?" she asked.

"Yeah, well he said that Jory and Chris had told him in the car right after we left the first stop off and he wanted to know if it was true or not. So I told him yeah it was true and that I've fancied him for ages now." Amie nodded wisely.

"Let me guess he made some sort of awkward comment or tried to make it funny."

Sarah grinned, "He did, he said that Mr Bradshaw would be thrilled." Amie laughed. Mr Bradshaw was the A'level Chemistry teacher and for two years he'd been trying to get Tony and Sarah as the only students in his class to become a romantic couple. He'd even gone so far as to take them on a trip to the Birmingham University and make his excuses in order to leave them alone together for the day.

"So then he said how I'm "not his friend", I'm his mate."

Amie raised an eyebrow. "The difference being?"

"Something like: friends can be anyone, like you or Chris or Bob. But apparently mates are people he feels completely comfortable around that he can banter with and not have to worry about repercussions. Like me and Jory."

"That's sweet, in a weird way." She said.

"I told him I was ok with that, and then he told me that he already had a girlfriend!" Amie gasped and someone echoed her from behind them. They both turned and found Bob and Jory eaves dropping at the tent door. The girls laughed, "He has a girlfriend?" asked Jory shocked. Sarah nodded "Since when!"

"He said six months." Jory frowned "Why the hell didn't he tell me?"

Bob laughed, "Are you jealous Jory?"

When everything was fully set up and the fire was going it had begun to get dark. Jory and Tony sat beside Marston who was trying to light some portable barbeques they had brought along.

"Where are Amie and Sarah?" He asked cursing as he burnt himself on the matches. Jory grinned "Dead!" he announced gleefully Tony laughed. Then jumped as Sarah appeared beside him

"I told you Jory one day your gonna say that and someone will actually be dead and then your gonna feel guilty as hell."

"God Damnit woman don't you ever make any noise when you walk up to people!" Tony said indignantly.

Sarah grinned "awww did I scare you?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm just worried you're calling the devil up on me behind my back with your black magic." He said mockingly, he crossed himself and the air between them "The power of Christ compels you!" Sarah laughed.

"Tony if I were evil do you really think you'd still be sitting there right now?" she asked pleasantly.

From across the fire Bob laughed, "Can anyone else feel that sexual tension?" Sarah and Tony glanced around quickly to see that everyone had raised their hands. They laughed it off and Sarah walked around to sit next to Jory.

"So how come you didn't tell us you had a girlfriend?" asked Marston.

Tony glared at him "I had my reasons" he said evenly. Chris laughed from across the fire "Aww Chi-Chi's going to be so disappointed." Everyone laughed.

Some months ago Jory had suggested that Tony had a Panda fetish that had led to some very crude and sometimes disturbing stories about his adventures with a Panda the lads had dubbed "Chi-Chi."

Tony glared at them "Ok the panda thing stops right here!" he said threateningly. Around the fire the group sniggered. Jory couldn't contain himself, he stood and walked a safe distance away before laughing and yelling "Panda boy!"

Within seconds Tony had swept his feet out from under him and had him pinned in a headlock, pulling his nose back. Everyone was laughing now and Jory couldn't stop himself chuckling through the pain.

"Argh, I'm sorry!" he eventually managed to gasp out.

"Let him go Tony" Sarah said grinning at Amie who looked deeply concerned about Jory's nose.

In the chaos that followed a flash of white light in the darkening trees went unnoticed except from Chris.

He stopped laughing and peered through the trees to his left.

"Did anyone see that?" he asked. Marston stepped up beside him while Tony and Jory got themselves untangled.

"It was like a flash of light…there!" he pointed between the trees; a few meters off a tiny ball of light had flickered into life and then disappeared again.

"What the Fu?" Tony stepped up beside them, the rest of the group gathering behind him.

"I gotta say getting a little freaked out now," Marston stammered as it appeared again.

"Ball lightening?" asked Sarah, Tony shuck his head.

"Can't be," he whispered stepping forward. Nervously Sarah followed him, Chris close behind her.

They had barely gone a few meters when there was an almighty flash of dazzling bright light. They all cried out and covered their eyes temporarily blinded. "What the hell was that?" Sarah yelled furiously rubbing her eyes.

Jory blinked as everything came back into focus, everyone seemed to be ok just a little shaken up. Looking at where the light had been he gasped in surprise "I don't think that's normal" he said walking to stand beside Tony who frowned at him. "What?" he asked. Jory pointed behind him. Everyone turned to look; most of them muttered obscenities when their eyes focused on the thing before them.

The best way to describe it would be as a rip in the air, like someone had taken a knife, stuck it into nothing and dragged it down. Beyond the tattered outline they could just make out a wood at night, the trees were bare and there was snow on the ground.

"But its summer" Amie whispered.

"It's the god damn freaky tree, see I told you" Marston whispered fearfully, everyone shuddered.

Jory stepped closer to the image reaching his hand out to touch it, they gasped as he felt around the edge of the hole. "Wow" he breathed. Taking a breath he put his arm through it and felt the cold air of winter, turning he looked at Amie "Just to make sure, I haven't been drinking today right?" he asked. She shook her head "So I'm sober?" His friends nodded. "Just wanted to know," he said beginning to draw his arm back through shaking slightly.

Suddenly he uttered a strangled cry and was pulled through, Amie screamed and Tony rushed forward making a grab for his ankle, everyone rushed to help him but they were too late as he too began to disappear. His hand shot out and Sarah lunged for it, gripping him around the wrist. She screamed as she felt something unseen pulling her in with him. As she slid in after him she felt Amie, Bob, Marston, and Chris grab at her clothes. The force became stronger and Sarah heard their screams mix with her own as they were pulled into the hole.

Note: Ok this is my first fanfic so it's probably going to be really random in terms of chapter length and story line so please bear with me. Reviews and flames welcome :D Blessed Be!