Hey everyone. Thanks to those who read, and those who reviewed -- JosselynR., naley19, SV, x.kaytee.x, BRUCAS EQUALS LOVE and SammyWinchesterGurl. The reviews really mean a lot. Here's another chapter...

Chapter 3... Conversations With Dead People

"You ready yet?" Mouth asked, as Rachel finished the final touches to her look. She smacked her lips, and turned halfway around, checking out her ass in the mirror. She smiled seductively, and then turned to face Mouth, who was sitting on a chair next to the kitchen table counter in the hotel room. The room wasn't quite as crappy as they'd thought it would be. It had two single beds, a microwave, a fridge and a coffee maker. There was a window on the opposite side of the kitchen, which overlooked the roads and shops outside.

"I am now," Rachel said, sauntering towards Mouth. "How do I look?"

"Great," Mouth replied. And she did.

They were about to leave to go to a restaurant called 'Raro', a French and Italian place three blocks away. It was supposedly the best and only fine dining place in the whole town, and they thought it'd be just the right one for them to try out. They'd cut the cake there, and then head off to a newly built dance club opposite the restaurant. It seemed like the perfect plan and the perfect night.

"Should we call their room and ask if they're ready?" Rachel questioned, sitting herself down on a chair opposite to that of Mouth's.

"Nah, that's alright. I'll just walk across and ask them." He stood up, pushing the chair back, and grabbing his coat off the back of the chair. Rachel replied with an 'alright', and he walked outside and closed the door. The hallway was quite trite, with an orange and red symmetrical patterned carpet, and two fire extinguishers halfway. The wallpaper wasn't that special, a flowery design of yellow, white and pink. Just as Mouth passed room number 12/22, he heard a bump. He stopped midway, and looked at the door.

Another bump, this time harder.

That's weird, he thought. He didn't remember anyone coming inside the room; Rachel and he would've heard them. He shrugged and started walking forward again, when suddenly, he heard a slow moan come from inside the room. It sounded like a man crying out in pain, and Mouth stopped again. He stared at the door, and everything was silent again. Surely Rachel must have heard the noise too.

Mouth didn't know why, but he started to walk closer to the door. He wanted to know where the noise came from, who the noise came from.

He pressed his ear sideways towards the door and listened.

Silence.

Then suddenly, the handle of the door started moving. Mouth quickly backed away, retracting from the door to the wall, startled. Suddenly, as the door almost opened and he faced the person who had yelled out, Bevin's door opened too and she stepped out, calling out excitedly, "Hey Mouth! We're ready!"

Mouth couldn't see anything - except for a long, red hand, just before the door to 12/22 shut again. Mouth looked between the room and Bevin, not understanding what had just happened. He didn't want to believe that he had just heard a moan, and then seen a bloody hand. He couldn't have. So he shut his mind to it, and turned to Bevin. He put up a fake smile, and exclaimed, "Finally. You guys take forever to get ready."

Bevin looked great, wearing a seawater-blue coloured dress that came up to a little above her knees. It spread around in different papery layers near the bottom, while the top clung perfectly along her thin figure.

"You look great, birthday girl," Mouth told her.

She stepped out, and so did Peyton, wearing a loose black strapless blouse that revealed her shoulders, and black jeans in the bottom. She looked great too, and Mouth felt lucky to be surrounded by them. He smiled, washing away any thoughts of horror.

"Aww thanks," Bevin said, hugging him. They called Rachel, and they all stepped into the elevator, heading down into the warm night.

…

"Nathan, I need to talk to you."

Brooke looked over her side at Nathan, who sleeping on his stomach, his shirt off, a blanket covering his legs. She'd told herself she would tell him about the whole Haley thing. But then she felt it was useless, a trivial matter, nothing important. And so she'd put it off. Put if off and still the words she'd meant to say kept ringing in her head. Maybe she would talk to him in the morning.

Does he feel like he's cheating when he's with me?

Brooke shrugged the thought, and closed her eyes. She rested her head on the pillow, sighing. They'd had sex around an hour ago, and he said he was tired afterwards, kissing her, and consequently falling asleep. She'd been lying there on the bed, waiting and wondering if she would fall asleep any time soon. But random thoughts kept whizzing in her brain. But now she was feeling tired, and just as she was falling asleep, she heard a voice.

"I'm real, you know?"

It was Haley. Again.

Shut up brain, shut up. Let me sleep.

"How long can you pretend you're okay with this? You're clearly not. You don't even love him like I do. You just want to have him for an hour a day, and then you go away, leaving him a broken mess. You'll never take my place, Brooke."

Brooke didn't open her eyes. "You're not real, you're not real…" she whispered.

"You keep telling yourself that, if it helps you sleep at night."

Brooke opened her eyes. No one was there, no one in front of her, no one close by. She looked out the window; it was a full moon outside. She closed her eyes again.

She felt a chill by her right cheek, and then Haley continued. "You know what you are… a whore. And you're ruining my husband, just like you ruin all of them…"

Brooke opened her eyes and shouted, "He's not your husband anymore!"

She glanced sideways at Nathan, he hadn't woken up. He looked like a small child the way he was sleeping. She felt pangs of guilt in the pit of her stomach, and then mumbled, "The real Haley wouldn't do this… Please, just please, go away."

She felt tears forming in her eyes, and wiped them away before they fell down her cheeks. She put her head back on the pillow, turning her back to Nathan. She closed her eyes again, trying desperately to fall asleep.

…

"That was a great meal, you guys." Bevin beamed at her friends, happy that everything was going so well. The restaurant wasn't all that bad, it had a warm ambience, and sweet French music was playing in the back. The waiters were polite, and the food was delicious. And the best part was yet to come.

Cake.

Life is good, Bevin thought, sighing inwardly.

And then, a waiter came, bringing with him a bottle of champagne and a two tier vanilla-marzipan covered chocolate cake. Peyton, Mouth and Rachel started singing 'Happy Birthday!' and Bevin glanced at her watch, it was exactly midnight.

She grinned excitedly, singing along, "Happy birthday to me…!"

Peyton had been singing, when her phone buzzed. Amidst the happy noise, she whipped out her cell phone and looked. A new message.

At this time?

Must be for Bevin, she thought.

She clicked and opened it. It read,

From: Private Number.

Having fun? See you soon, sister.

Love me like I love you,

WATCHMEWATCHYOU.

Peyton was stunned, her face started heating up. But before she could react, Rachel nudged her and said, "Hey, grab a glass slowpoke!"

She clutched the glass Rachel forced into her hand and the four of them clinked their champagne glasses together, as Bevin, Mouth and Rachel said, "Cheers!"

Well, that's all for now. I hope you liked the chapter, and please let me know what you think. And don't worry, the gore will come soon. Anywho, thanks!