Hey hey, the final installment. No more waiting for more. This is it. Fin. Finish. The Ghostly Hours is at its end. I have enjoyed so much writing these chapters. The e-mails I have received about this are overwhelming. I'm not going to put a huge, five-paragraph goodbye here. You came to read the story. I was going to have a 5th installment for the Epilogue but I decided to just include it with this one. PLEASE send comments about this to MeJDM@hotmail.com
I would love to hear what you think of the ending.
Also, just so you know. I don't have a vendetta against any of the guys in here, in any way, shape or form. This is just the way the story came out.
***Any people mentioned in this FICTIONOUS story are not known by me nor is their sexuality.
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Chapter Four
Tears of the Fallen
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Justin woke up with an eerie feeling, one that seemed to unsettle his stomach. He opened his eyes to notice JC was gone. 'Where did he go?' "JC?" Justin stood up and looked around the room, empty. A sudden chill fell down his spine. He stepped out into the hall, looking around. "Lance? Joey?" No one answered back. He looked down to the end of the opposite end of hall at his mom's door. It was slightly cracked open. He took a step toward it.
"Justin..." Justin turned around to face the direction of Chris' voice. Justin wanted to ignore it. He tried to ignore it.
"Justin..." 'He'll go away'
"Justin..." 'Please go away'
"The box." This time Justin paid attention. 'The box? What about the box?' Somehow, he felt like he understood. He went into his room and grabbed the box from the dresser, the metal warm in his hands.
"Chris?"
"Follow..." Justin turned to the doorway and saw Chris pass by. Justin quickly went into the hall. He looked over, seeing Chris in Lance's doorway. "Closet Cries. Christ." 'Christ. What does that have to do with Closet Cries?' Nonetheless, he followed. He walked into Lance's room, looking for Chris. Spotting the closet instead, he took a quick peek in the hall to make sure Lance wasn't near and opened the closet. Inside were some clothes and a lot of religious items. 'Wow, Lance sure has gotten some more stuff since Chris' death. Poor guy.' Justin looked down, spotting a small figurine. He bent down and looked it. "Hey, Christ." Looking closer, he saw it was crying. 'Christ Cries.' He put down the box from his right hand, picking up the figure. His fingers felt something in the back. Turning it around, he saw a small bump. At first glance, it looked like a part of it. Justin took a closer look. 'It's a key.' He used his middle finger to pop off the key and then put down the figure. 'Darn cast.' He picked up the key and put it in the box. 'Perfect fit.' He turned the key and the box popped open. 'Pictures? Of the group?' He pulled some of the pictures and realized they were cut outs. He pulled some more. 'Wait, why are all of these of JC?' After taking some more out, he saw the same thing. Cut outs from photos and magazines of JC. He dug through the photos until he saw something different. A thin tan book was at the bottom. Justin pulled out the book. 'Lance's journal?' He opened it in the middle.
September 16 Dear Journal,
God Justin and JC have been spending so, no, too much time together. They are getting too close. I love JC. JC, ugh, why Justin? I am so much better than he is. Why can't JC realize this? Man, Chris is starting to suspect something I think. I saw him come from my room. I think he was snooping. JC will be mine, and no one will stop me from having him. NO ONE.
Justin turned a few pages and saw the writing was no longer neat with little circles of damage, like someone was crying while writing it.
November 03 Fcking Cris, he getting close. He wn't stop me. I'll nevr stp. I mst do something. We lave for Enland son. SOON.
Justin's eyes widened as tears began to make their way. 'Lance? Lance killed Chris?' Justin heard a creek behind him. He turned his head to see Lance, knife in hand. Justin rolled to his right, dodging the strike that hit the box. "LANCE!" Lance lunged the knife forward, stopped by Justin's hand. "Stop THIS!"
"No, you have to die." Lance pushed his weight forward, slowly moving the blade towards Justin's chest. 'I'm going to die. Lance is going to kill me and have Josh. Josh. Would he hurt Josh? NO!' Justin kicked out Lance's leg, Lance's flying back. The knife swooped upward and barely cut Justin's cheek. Panicking, Justin stood up, running for the door. A hand reached out and grabbed his ankle, tripping him.
"Damn it Lance." Justin took his other foot and kicked Lance's face. The hand released and Justin ran out the door into the one across, Joey's. "Joey?!" A small pool of blood surrounded Joey. His breathing was quick and his hand was covering his stomach. "Oh my god. Joey. Jesus." Justin rushed over to his friend. "Joey?"
"Lance is nuts." Joey's fear projected into his raspy voice.
"I know." Justin turned to the door to see Lance, knife in hand. "Poor Joey. Superman's gonna die. And so is Lois." Justin backed up, in sync with Lance's advancement. Justin's right hand flailed behind him for a weapon, anything. Nothing was in his reach. Blood ran down his neck from his cheek.
"Hey guys, I'm home." JC's voice carried upstairs. The front door could be heard faintly closing.
"He's home early. Hmm. Catch Justin." Lance tossed the knife at Justin and ran downstairs to JC. Justin caught the knife and followed in pursuit.
"JC, WATCH OUT. JUSTIN'S LOST IT." Lance ran down behind JC, acting like a scared child.
"NO JC, GET AWAY FROM HIM." JC saw the bloody knife in Justin's hand.
"Okay Justin, stop. Put down the knife." JC put out his hand, hoping Justin would stop. 'Oh my god, I've lost Justin.'
"He stabbed Joey and then he went for me." Lance pulled JC backward as Justin threw the knife away from himself and advanced.
"Justin just stop." Justin continued his advance.
"JC, get away from Lance. He stabbed Joey. He's crazy." Justin stopped, seeing this was getting him no where. Lance continued pulling JC back. When they got near a wall, Lance suddenly moved to JC's side, pushing his head to the wall. "NO!" JC crumpled to the ground, unconscious. "BITCH!" Justin started to go after Lance but stopped when he saw the knife in his hands. "OH FUCK!" Justin turned around to get the knife he dropped. He heard Lance's foots steps as Lance headed for him. 'Oh damn it. Where's the knife?' He heard Lance getting close to him. He sprinted into the living room, Lance close behind him. The run continued into the kitchen as Justin looked for anything. He ran behind the island as Lance entered the kitchen. Justin grabbed a butcher knife off the counter.
"Oh, you gotta knife." Lance began to make sudden jerks, trying to fake Justin out. Justin copied his moves.
"Why are you doing this? JC? He won't love you. He loves me. Just stop." Justin tried to talk sense but he knew it wouldn't work.
"YES HE WILL!" Lance's anger rose with every word. He calmed himself down quickly. "After you are gone, he will love me. You. You are in the way. You pathetic person, always crying. How could he love you?"
Lance hopped the counter and lunged out Justin. Justin dropped the knife in fear and ran for it. Lance's foot flew out and kicked Justin down. Justin blacked out for a second as he hit the floor. He heard Lance's footsteps come closer and closer. Justin moved his hands and became to crawl away, his world spinning.
"Give up Justin. He loves me." Lance raised the knife in the air. Justin looked up, fear in his eyes. He closed them waiting for the end. Justin heard a small gasp.
"JC?" Lance's voice quivered. Justin opened his eyes. JC stood behind Lance, his hand on top of Lance's, holding the knife impaled into Lance. JC let go as Lance fell to the floor.
"Lance!" Justin crawled over to Lance, his balance still gone.
"God JC." Lance coughed up some blood. "I...Love...You." Lance's eyes looked at JC and then he coughed up blood as his head flew back.
"Why Lance? Why?" Justin's tears made their way again but then he remembered what Lance said. Lance's breathing stopped as his head rolled slightly to the side. Justin looked into Lance's eyes. They carried the same lifeless look as Chris did.
JC pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. "Help please. My friends are dying." JC stayed on the phone talking while looking at Lance. 'Dying. Lance. I wish you were dying and not dead. Why?' A small tear ran down JC's cheek and fell to the floor.
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Epilogue
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Justin sat in the waiting room, a small bandage on his cheek. The hell brought upon his life this past week flowed through his thoughts. Joey had been admitted for the knife injury. They said the wound was deep but he'd make it, but it only helped Justin's nerves a little. Lance was dead and JC's head was being checked. Lance was dead. Chris was dead. Two friends gone. It was too much for someone to handle. But Justin couldn't cry. No tears came. He knew what Lance had say held some truth. He cried too much. He was weak. He had to become strong, if only for JC. JC worried about Justin so much that JC began to have his life revolve around Justin, leaving others without JC's love. Justin shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. He looked down at the book in his hands.
After his world stopped spinning, he went to help Joey. Lance usually had a first aid kit in his room and Justin looked for it. He found the book in it. It was another journal of Lance's. He kept it from the police. He didn't know why, but he did. He slowly opened it to the first page.
November 16
Dear NEW Journal,
I can't find my box, which had my other Journal. I bet Chris took it. That thief has been going through my room. Well he can't open it without the key. I have to stop him before he breaks it open. He has to die. I found a drug that'll do it. They'll never know what it is. And he'll die. JC will be mine. Sweet JC. I'll comfort him after Chris' death. He'll love me. I may have to get rid of Justin. No I must. He MUST join Chris shortly after. JC will be mine.
Justin's hand trembled as he turned the page. Too many emotions ran through his head, allowing no rational thought. The next page was dated two days after Chris' death.
November 20
Justin's going to die. I've got it figured out. Joey has been mad lately. I'll just say it was Joey. Then have it look like Joey killed himself. It'll work out somehow. JC will fall for me. We will be happy. I love him. I love him. I love him. I love him. I love him. I love him. And he will love me.
Justin turned the page but found it blank. 'Oh Lance.' Justin turned back the page and ran his hands along Lance's writing. He saw the emotion in Lance's writing. Anger. Justin looked up at the clock. He wondered if Chris would come any more. Would Lance? Would he wake during the ghostly hours of midnight anymore? 'JC, do you love me still?' He closed the book and rested his eyes, thinking to himself, allowing it all to absorb in.
"Justin..."
THE END
Send all comments about this ending to MeJDM@hotmail.com I hope ya'll enjoyed this story. =:o) Thank you to all the people who e-mail me for support. And Special thanks to Nifty and David, for posting these wonderful stories for all to read. Ya'll have a good day now.