"It happens, rare but happens."
"How could this of happened, he was only seventeen."
"I'm sorry Mr. Johnson, but a thin wall in the boy's brain collapses, causing the blood clot to form, it couldn't of gone detected for years…he could of even been born with it."
"There was nothing anyone could of done?"
"I'm sorry…but no."
Alice stood beside Debbie and twenty other people at Rick's funeral. His dark sunglasses shielding her tears as she clutched onto his bandana. Her twin brother, her best friend in the world, her protector was dead.
She had taken him in.
The priest read out the final passage as everyone said their good-byes to her father, who had taken all of this in utter shock, and went to the bottle to recover.
She couldn't take it in herself…everyone she loved was dying.
Rick, her brother…her only brother who was always there for her. The boy she loved with all her heart, who had been there from the start and was dead.
Looking at the coffin she thought of him getting out of it as if it was some big prank, joking like he always had done. Walking over and telling her how he wouldn't of left her.
"No more day dreams…"
She choked under her breath as he disappeared.
It was time to grow up…something was happening and she was the only one to stop it.
Her brother, the only person who meant the most to her was now gone.
Snapping out of it Debbie walked with her across the graveyard.
"Are you okay?"
"Not really…"
Debbie sighed.
"I believe you…I really do."
Alice looked at her though as nails friend and knew she was just as scared as she was.
"I'm the only one who can stop it."
"That's bullshit, we all have to survive…I don't spend hours at the gym so some night stalker can beat me!"
Alice tried to smile, as the aching pain in her heart throbbed louder and louder.
"You don't really get it, he's not a night stalker and it will take more then bench presses to beat him…"
Debbie tried to smile back when they heard her name be called out.
"Alice?"
Alice and Debbie turned and saw Joey standing there, dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Having stopped by his house an hour before he was able to get a fresh chance of clothes and shower and shave. Somehow that had helped him feel more awake.
His eyes looked terrible.
She knew he hadn't been sleeping either.
He had heard about Rick and knew this was time to stop hiding.
Slowly walked by to the two girls, almost not being able to look them in the eye.
"Can we talk?"
Debbie eyed them and then looked at Alice.
"Hey I'll call you tonight…"
"Yeah sure…"
"Here, take this…"
Alice opened her hand as Debbie placed one of her famous spiked bracelets into her hand.
Smiling they hugged each other and Debbie only nodded at Joey before turning and walking away.
As she did so, she noticed something was different about Alice…something so strange it reminded her of Kristen, Shelia, and Rick all at the same time. It was as if she changed…or changed after every death.
Leaving the two of them alone they just stood there for a while looking at each other.
"Why didn't you come earlier?"
"There wouldn't of been anything I could of done."
"That's bullshit and you know it."
Hate was rising in her voice, never before had she thought she could speak this way to someone.
"You were in the dream with me, you know this is real."
Joey looked at her.
"Tell me everything…"
They looked at each other hard for a moment and then Joey nodded.
"Come on…"
Alice started to cry a little, slow tears rolling down her face and she still tried to stare at him, showing she wasn't weak.
He took her hand and brought her close as they started walking towards the car.