Chapter 7

I am sure I have a lot of reasons for being late; but there really is no deadline for these things.

Summary: Don gets kidnapped by a psyco killer and his possy and... etc...etc...

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, or related franchises. I do own Bazil and Roane.

It was dark around him, Charlie could just barely make out any of his surroundings. He was running, more like stumbling, fightened, being chased by an unseen terror. Somehow he found himself in a dimly lit hallway of a cramped apartment building that seemed to go on forever, he was no longer running; the threat has passed. Charlie felt something sticky and slippery under his bare feet, he lifted his foot. Blood. Charlie looked down at himself, his white shirt and plaid boxers were covered in blood. He held his hands up, they too were covered in blood. Charlie felt something drip on his forehead, he looked up, and the ceiling was dripping blood. Charlie felt not fear but an anxiety he got when he was late for something.

Charlie looked around; a different location, one of the huge halls of CalSci, though the blood was still there. The blood on the floor was up to his ankles now and much more thick, he began to move forward with unknown purpose. The blood was rising and mooving like a fast stream, in fact it was no longer blood but water, a fast moving stream of water that swept him off his feet. Suddenly Charlie was under the water, trying to get to the surface; but something kept holding him down. Charlie started to panic, his mind telling him don't breathe or he'll drown, struggling against an unknown force to get to the surface. Finally his lungs couldn't take it any more, he relaxed and when he breathed he found he drew in air, fresh air. Not only was he able to breathe, nothing no longer stopped Charlie from getting to the surface, using his legs he slowly started moving up.

When he broke the surface he found he was no longer at CalSci's grand hall, there was no stream, no blood, just water and white. Charlie also found he had no clothes on, he was completely naked and alone in this new place of water and white. Slowly he stared to hear voices, distant voices that whispered in his ear.

"Charlie! Come on get out of the pool! You lost your shorts!"

Charlie looked around for the source of the voice, as he did that, the whiteness started to melt away revealing a very hot and sunny day. It was a pool party, one that Charlie remembered, and he was in the pool still naked; but he was in his childhood body. It was also as though he were seeing the scene through someone elses eyes, like an out of body experience, though everything still affects him.

"Come on Charlie!" a kid older than him shouted. "Gather your shorts and come on!"

Charlie just stared at him, pint sized swim shorts floated past when it hit him. Don! Charlie reconized the kid as Don! As a kid! The kid Don was still talking to him; but Charlie couldn't hear him, everything was coming back now. The dinner, the rag, David, Megan, blackness, Dad, sickness. He was no longer swimming in a pool of water; but in a pool of blood. Charlie wanted out now, not from fear, but because he was somehow not amused by all of this, almost bored.

Don was still talking to him, no longer a kid but a grown man, he was holding his hand out for Charlie to grab.

"Come on Charlie! Dad's waiting for us!" he said.

Charlie was dressed again in his blood soaked shirt and boxers. He looked at the hand extended to him and back at the face who offered it. Charlie took his brother's hand and was pulled from the pool of blood. Now they stood face to face, silently studying the other.

Don turned to leave, but Charlie didn't want him to go.

"Wait!" cried Charlie and reached for his brother, catching him by the shoulder.

Don stopped walking, and half way turned to Charlie. An evil smile flashed on his face, as he struck Charlie down and cried angrily,

"Weakness is hinderance! Strengths come from overcoming weakness. Knowledge is power! Power is an immortal flaw. Knowledge is your power! Strength is your knowledge! You are your weakness!"

Charlie felt shocked, and was going to ask what he meant when Don continued.

"You have the knowledge, you have the power! You have strength! NOW GO USE IT!" he roared at the end. And Charlie's surroundings turned black.

Charlie felt like he was falling, and he was! Right off his bed! His eyes flew open when he hit the floor, and he nearly cried out in shock, but not before the thump of his landing had alerted his dad downstairs.

"Charlie? Are you alright?" Alan Eppes asked, coming into the room.

"I'm alright," answered Charlie.

"Alright? You fell out of bed! Come on, lets get back under those nice warm sheets," coaxed Alan.

"No! Wait! I have to help David and Megan find Don!" Charlie protested, picking himself off the floor and headed out of his bedroom, past his father, into the hallway.

"Not in your condition you don't!" said Alan firmly, walking after his son. Alan would have stopped him, however, something in him said let him go.

"I feel fine," replied Charlie, now walking down the stairs, trying to hide the facy that he was dizzy. He thought about his dream. Thats all it was. A dream. Just a dream. And what his dream brother said, his words sounded like they were coming from someone who was insane; they didn't make any sense.

Just then the doorbell rang, interupting Charlie's thoughts.

"I got it!" he called, since he was already at the base of the stairs right next to the door.

"Fine!" he heard his father reply sounding annoyed, most likely because Charlie wont go back to bed.

Charlie opened the door, no one was there. He stepped outside and almost stepped on a package left on the welcome mat.

Curious, Charlie picked it and studied it. The package was wrapped in brown packing paper with twine wrapped around it, it wasn't really heavy with it's rectangular shape and he found it was addressed to him. Charlie was compelled to open it and was doing so, as he unstrung the twine which slipped easily from the package.

"Say, what'cha got there Charlie?" he heard his dad say behind him, making him jump.

"Oh nothing, probably a new component for my computer's hard drive," said Charlie, now tearing at the brown paper that revealed a wooden box.

"So, are going to stand in the doorway the whole time?" asked Alan.

"Yes," answered Charlie shortly, as he was prying open the lid to the box.

Charlie got the lid open and found there was straw for packing matterial. And nestled there was three small vials of a familiar red liquid. Charlie lifted one of the vials to get a closer look, and a sinking feeling took hold of him. Don. Charlie dropped the vial and the wooden box containing the other two; the vials in the box were okay, but the one Charlie was holding broke when it hit the hardwood floor. Charlie stood there for a second, shaking like a leaf.

"Charlie?" asked Alan worriedly, he heard something drop and break though couldn't see what because Charlie was in the way.

Charlie suddenly raced towards the nearest bathroom and locked the door, the sounds of him heaving in the toilet did not make Alan feel better. What he saw made him feel worse.

There was blood spattered all over his doorway and the floor, broken glass and some of the box's contents littered the floor. Alan decided it would be best to call David and Megan before doing anything. As he got his cellphone out, he mumbled to himself.

"What happens in those dark times of old where evil dwells and good conquers all?"

End Chapter 7.

Until next chapter.