Lance sat on the porch swing outside as he sifted through the articles that he and Justin had printed out before they left the library yesterday, making notes where necessary. He was trying to dig deeper and find something that maybe they’d missed the first time. There had to be something they were overlooking because Lance knew that a solution existed somewhere; they just hadn’t found it yet. They just had to find and utilize the information they’d found correctly. But so far he was coming up empty and starting to lose his patience again.

There wasn’t really anything else to find in the articles; they were pretty straight forward. Lance wasn’t giving up though because as far as he was concerned that wasn’t even an option. He looked down at some of the notes he’d made on the articles, especially the one that talked about the deaths at the cabin since that was the biggest article. However, his notes were more questions than anything else.

How did JC’s mom die? And for that matter, why did she have demons after her? Is that why the demons are after JC? Lance knew that he told Justin that it made sense that the demons would be after JC if they’d killed his mother, but the truth was that he didn’t have the foggiest idea. It was an educated guess because it made the most sense right now based on the knowledge that they had. But the thing that was eating at Lance was if the demons had been after JC’s mother and killed her, then why go after JC? It didn’t make any sense unless somehow JC had been involved too, which Lance doubted because JC had only been five at the time.

Lance sighed and let his mind drift back to what Justin had told them about what the demons had said because that’d been what drove them to research JC’s parents. Where he came from. It was pretty easy to see that they hadn’t meant it in the literal sense like a place, which brought them to his parents. But his parents seemed like normal people, or at least that was the impression he got from the articles. So what else was there?

Lance continued to repeat the demon’s words over and over in his head. Abruptly he sat up straighter when he realized that maybe he should think about what the demons said about JC being special. They’d been so focused on finding out where JC came from that they didn’t even stop to really think about what the demons had said. Sure, where JC came from was important, but what if why JC was special in the demon’s eyes was even more significant?

Suddenly Lance got an idea and immediately flipped open the notebook that he’d been using as a hard surface to take his notes on. As soon as he stopped on a clean sheet, he began to jot down what was in his mind because he knew that it would be easier to visualize if it was sketched down. After a couple of minutes, Lance sat back and eyed the diagram critically, looking for answers.

They were all connected with each other somehow. He and JC had telepathy that had started when he, Joey, and Chris had been attacked in the woods a couple of months ago. Then there was JC and Justin, which wasn’t as clear. Justin’d had JC’s nightmares for the longest time, and now his visions were through JC’s point of view. Lance wasn’t really sure when Justin first started having JC’s exact nightmares, but he figured it had to have been sometime after JC’s collapse.

Now the latest one was between Chris and Justin with Chris feeling the pain that Justin was in while Justin got off scot-free. That happened right around the time that Joey was attacked, as far as Lance knew anyway. Looking at his diagram and going along with the flow of it, next there should be some connection between Chris and Joey. But as of right now there was nothing, which raised so many questions.

Why was Joey the only one who wasn’t connected? Would there be something to connect him with Chris? If so, would some terrible event happen to cause it? And from there would it come full circle with Joey connecting back to Lance?

Lance didn’t have the answers, but thought it was pretty likely considering the pattern the diagram showed. It seemed like every time something bad happened, one of them connected to another, which didn’t bode well for the future. That left Lance unsettled, but that feeling didn’t last for long as it was replaced by confusion. Based on what’d happened, it didn’t add up to what the demons had said.

They’d claimed that JC was special, but the diagram showed the he wasn’t the only one. He, Justin, and Chris had abilities too, and Joey could possibly in the future. And he was right back where he started. JC was special because of where he came from, but what about the rest of them? Why were they getting these abilities? And for that matter, how? Justin had said that even the demons didn’t know.

So if the demons didn’t know, did that make their abilities a product of something good? Lance wasn’t so sure. His and JC’s was probably the most useful out of the ones that existed so far because it gave them a way to communicate without speaking or using a phone when they were separated. JC and Justin’s and Justin and Chris’s on the other hand were a different story. Initially what he thought about JC and Justin’s was that it would help warn them, and it did, but so far they hadn’t been able to stop them from coming true. And to top it off, the visions made Justin pass out for periods of time and left him tired when he did wake up.

While there could be a good benefit to JC and Justin’s, there wasn’t any good to Justin and Chris’s that Lance could see. Chris was going to feel double the pain from now on since he took Justin’s away from him. It didn’t even help Justin that much. Sure, he didn’t feel any pain, but that didn’t mean that he was suddenly invincible and couldn’t bleed or have any other physical affects of the injury. Not to mention that Justin had to deal with the emotional pain of Chris hurting because of him, and Lance knew Justin took that to heart.

As far as Lance could tell, their abilities caused more grief than helped them. It wasn’t even like they could really use any of them when they were in trouble except for his and JC’s. And Lance really doubted that if Joey did get an ability that it would help them since none of theirs really did, and it would fit the pattern. Thinking about Joey just brought up all of his questions again. If Joey was going to get an ability, then Lance was pretty confident that something bad was going to happen, and unless Justin had a vision about it, they wouldn’t have any idea what would happen or when.

“Ugh!” Lance cried in frustration, throwing his pencil down onto his notebook, causing it to roll off the paper and onto the ground below.

Lance sighed heavily and sunk back against the cushions, closing his eyes. Having so many questions with no answers was grating on his nerves more than it had when he’d first started researching. He wasn’t going to quit just yet, but he needed a break. Just then he felt a light weight on his shoulder. Immediately Lance opened his eyes to find Katrina standing in front of him.

“What’s happened?” Lance asked, a hint of panic in his voice as he threw his pile of papers onto the cushion to his left, preparing to get up. Normally he only saw Katrina when one of them was in trouble.

“Nothing. Everyone is fine,” Katrina assured. “I’m just here to talk.”

Lance sat back in relief. He’d really been afraid that something else had happened to one of the others while he’d been out here trying to make sense of everything that’s happened to them lately. “About what?”

“You look frustrated, so I’m here to give you some answers,” Katrina said, sitting down next to him.

Lance paused. “Do you know what happened to JC’s mom?”

“No.” Katrina shook her head. “I didn’t know her that well and didn’t get along with her.”

“Why?”

“After what happened to Mandy…” Katrina paused. “I blamed her for it because she should’ve been watching Mandy and JC while they were playing. The next morning your father wanted to leave you with her while we made the necessary arrangements, but I didn’t think it was a good idea after what’d happened. I tried to put my foot down, but your father insisted.”

“You committed suicide then, didn’t you?” Lance asked, remembering how the article said she’d been found dead the morning after Mandy drowned.

“When your father left to take you over there…that was the first time I’d been alone since it happened. All I could think about was how I’d lost my only daughter.”

“You still had me and dad,” Lance said, quietly. “Weren’t we worth sticking around for?”

“Oh, honey, of course. I just wasn’t thinking clearly. When a mother loses a child it’s…it’s worse than dying. And if I could go back, I wouldn’t have done it.”

Lance nodded slowly. While it was still a little weird to think of Katrina as his mother when he’d been raised with Diane as his mother, he still felt some emotional attachment to Katrina. He didn’t remember her, which was understandable since he’d been so young when she died, but he did wish he’d returned the love she had for him a little more. There was no doubt that while he might not ever love her as much as he did Diane, he felt grateful for the constant help she provided him.

“So you don’t know why the demons were after her?” Lance asked.

Katrina shook her head. “No. I didn’t spend much time with her, so I didn’t know if there was anything that didn’t fit the norm.”

“Do you know anything that you didn’t already tell me?”

“Yes,” Katrina admitted. “There is something that I think will make you understand why the demons are after JC.”

“What is it?” Lance asked. This could be it. Another part of the puzzle that was missing, and that could ultimately lead them closer to a solution.

“JC is marked,” Katrina said.

Lance frowned. “Marked? Like physically?”

“No. It’s something that only supernatural beings can see. His soul is essentially tainted.”

“His soul’s tainted?” Lance repeated, staring at her in disbelief.

Katrina nodded. “Yes.”

“How?” Lance asked.

“A person’s soul gains a mark when a deal is made with a demon or a spirit wants revenge. Basically, it’s created by something evil,” Katrina explained.

“Are you saying that JC made a deal with a demon?” Lance asked.

Honestly it had been something that’d crossed his mind, but it’d been dismissed almost right away because there was no reason that he could think of that JC would make a deal with demons for. Now he wouldn’t put it past JC to make a deal for the demons to stop hurting them because that was what’d been bothering him the most, but the demons had been after him long before they realized what was happening.

Katrina shook her head in disagreement. “The first time JC came to the cabin over a year ago was when I’d noticed that he had the mark. I thought it was from me since I wanted revenge on him for what happened to Mandy, but when I saw him again a year later to help you guys in the woods, the mark was fainter but still there.

“It should’ve been gone by then. That was when I realized that it must’ve been caused by something else.”

“The demons,” Lance said and Katrina nodded. “But then how do you know for sure he didn’t make a deal?”

“Because of how faint the mark was. You see, the mark is strongest for the person who the demons or spirits were originally after. And since JC’s is so faint it leads me to believe that the mark was passed down to him through a family member,” Katrina explained.

“That can happen?” Lance asked. The idea sounded kind of crazy, but then crazy was relative right now considering they had demons after them.

“Yes. It could go as far back as his great grandparents if one of them made a deal, and as long as they have children while under contract then it gets passed along to the next generation,” Katrina said.

Lance frowned. “So there’s no way to know if it started with his mom?”

“No. You would’ve had to ask her yourself.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Lance asked.

“I wasn’t sure until a couple of months ago, but even then I didn’t think it would make much of a difference. You’re determined to save him, and I thought that this would only discourage you,” Katrina said.

“I’m not giving up,” Lance replied, determinedly. “But I’m at a loss. I don’t know what to do anymore, or even how much time we have before the demons finally decide to collect.”

“I can’t give an estimate as to when they will come, but what I can tell you is that they are waiting for the right moment to take JC.”

Lance raised an eyebrow at Katrina. “How do you know that?”

“There are certain rules that all supernatural beings have to follow, demons especially, when killing someone. I’m sure the demons have to wait for something to happen before they can take JC, but in the meantime they’re hurting you and the others to torture him since they can’t touch him yet,” Katrina explained.

“So,” Lance sighed and ran a hand over his chin, “there’s no way to know when they’re able to take him.”

Katrina shook her head. “I’m afraid not.” She paused. “I wish I could help you more.”

“You’ve helped a lot,” Lance assured. “We’d probably be dead by now if it weren’t for you.”

“And I’ll continue to help you in any way I can.” Katrina glanced behind her. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.” She turned her attention back to Lance. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too.”

Katrina smiled at him. “Good luck.”

Lance watched her vanish into thin air and sighed as he rubbed at his forehead. He’d learned so much information, but none of it was really useful. It helped him get a greater understanding of what was going on and why, but unfortunately they still weren’t any closer to finding a way to save JC. Lance wasn’t sure where to go from here, but hoped that he’d at least stumble upon something that would bring them to a solution before their situation got any worse.

The beat of the club was pulsing, and Joey’s body moved in time with the music along with everyone else. He glanced over at Lance who was dancing a few feet away. They’d arrived about an hour and a half ago, and Lance hadn’t left his side since.

“You can go hook up with some chick. You don’t have to hang out with me,” Joey said.

Lance scoffed. “Like I would do that. Besides, I swore I wasn’t going to leave your side.”

Joey groaned. “I don’t know why you won’t let me drink. This is the time when you’re actually supposed to drink.”

“You’re not ready yet, Joe,” Lance said.

“How do you know? I haven’t drank in a long time,” Joey replied.

“Which makes you more susceptible to overdrinking,” Lance said.

Joey sighed. “Whatever,” he gave in. He didn’t want to get into it in the middle of the club, but that didn’t mean that he was going to let this go.

On the other side of the club, JC sat in the VIP section much like he had on his previous clubbing trip with Chris. He drummed his fingers on the wood finished table, letting beads of sweat condensate on his Screwdriver. JC didn’t want to be there. The others had approached him after dinner with the idea and coerced him into going clubbing with them when he’d refused. This wasn’t something he was in the mood for right now because he didn’t want to pretend that everything was all right and it was a normal night when it wasn’t.

“Hey,” Chris greeted, startling JC who hadn’t seen or heard him coming. He watched as Chris slid into the other side, wincing.

JC frowned. “Are you OK?”

“I’m fine. My stomach just hurts a little,” Chris said.

“Stomachache?” JC asked and Chris shook his head. Suddenly it hit him. “It’s Justin, isn’t it? Is he overdoing it?”

Chris didn’t answer and JC took that as a yes. He stood up only to be pulled back down by Chris tugging on his arm. “Don’t.”

“Why not? If he’s pulling his stitches out, then it’s up to you to let him know,” JC said.

“Look at him.” Chris gestured to the dance floor where Justin was dancing with a pretty brunette. “He’s having fun, and I don’t want to ruin it just because my stomach hurts a little.”

“But it’s not worth it if he’s causing harm to his body,” JC said.

“If he was really pulling his stitches out, I would be in a lot more pain,” Chris reassured.

JC’s frowned deepened as he noticed Chris rub at his forehead. “You got a headache too?”

“Yeah, but it’s not a big deal,” Chris said. He motioned to the drink sitting in front of JC. “Aren’t you going to drink that?”

“Well, Lance got it for me, so I don’t know if I want to,” JC said with a bitter expression on his face.

“He meant well, C,” Chris replied.

JC glared at him. “I don’t care. He shouldn’t have done that.”

“I’m not saying that what Lance did was right, but you can’t blame him. You have a tendency to neglect taking care of yourself when you’re stressed,” Chris said.

“Did you ever stop to consider that maybe, just maybe, I’m stressed because you guys are always breathing down my neck?” JC snapped, gripping the table in anger.

Tense silence fell over the table for a minute before Chris said, “You know, you wanted us to stop worrying about you and the demons. Here we are clubbing like we always used to and having a good time except for you.”

“Yeah, having your stomach hurt and a headache is loads of fun,” JC replied, sarcastically.

“I still—ugh!” Chris cried, clutching his head in his hands. After a minute, he looked up at JC with pain still etched on his face, but clearly the worst was over.

“Are you all right?” JC asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Chris said, waving him off.

JC eyed him critically, concerned. It was odd that his headache suddenly got worse. At that thought, the color drained from his face when he realized why Chris’s headache had gotten worse. Before Justin would always have really bad headaches right before he had a vision, which meant that now Chris was feeling the pain that Justin should’ve been feeling.

“We need to find Justin,” JC said, standing up.

Chris stood up too. “Dude, leave him alone. Let him have his fun.”

“He’s about to have a vision,” JC said.

“How do you know?” Chris asked.

“Because his headaches used to always intensify right before he had one. We need to get him out of here before it happens,” JC said in rush.

Not another word was said as Chris led the way to the dance floor towards the area where they’d last seen Justin. As they made their way through the crowd, they kept their eye out for Lance and Joey too. They were halfway to the spot where they’d seen Justin when they ran into Lance and Joey.

“We have to find Justin!” Chris shouted, trying to be heard over the loud music.

Lance raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

“He’s having a vision!” JC yelled.

Joey and Lance looked surprised, but quickly nodded before joining him and Chris in their search for Justin. A couple of minutes later they’d scoured the entire dance floor, and couldn’t find Justin anywhere. There weren’t any people standing around in one spot, possibly crowding around an unconscious Justin, which led them to believe that Justin wasn’t on the dance floor anywhere. They looked around wondering where he could’ve gone when Joey pointed to the bathroom and led the way.

The four of them entered the bathroom and the sound of the club became muted as the door closed. Immediately their eyes were drawn to the floor. Justin was propped up against the wall with his eyes closed. He looked like he was asleep, but JC knew better.

“Great,” Chris groaned, sitting on the bathroom floor and pulling Justin’s head into his lap so he wouldn’t have to wake up in an awkward position. “No way we’re going to be able to get him out of here without a bunch of people noticing.”

“We’ll just have to wait until he wakes up then,” Lance said

“What if someone comes in?” JC asked.

“I’ll keep watch,” Joey volunteered before stepping out of the room.

Lance sighed as he leaned against the opposite wall next to the sinks. “God, did we get lucky.”

“What do you mean?” JC asked.

“He could’ve passed out in the middle of that huge crowd and caused a scene,” Lance said.

“But he didn’t,” Chris replied.

“He must’ve felt it coming on,” JC said.

Chris raised an eyebrow. “You really think so?”

“Well, sort of. I mean, he’s not bleeding from the head and the way he’s sitting makes me think he sat down before it happened,” JC explained.

“Do you think he’s getting to the point where he’ll be able to tell when it’s going to happen?” Lance asked.

JC shrugged. “Maybe, but if he doesn’t we’ll know when Chris’s headache gets worse.” He turned to look over at Chris who staring down at Justin. “How’s your head?”

“It’s fine,” Chris said, distractedly. He didn’t take his eyes off Justin, and JC understood his concern. Justin’s visions seemed to become more and more frequent, which was alarming because overall it meant that more bad things were going to happen. That just furthered JC’s determination to end all of this as soon as possible so they wouldn’t be put through anything else.

“I don’t think so,” Joey’s voice floated through the door. “Go have sex in the girl’s bathroom.”

Chris chuckled lightly. “He’s like our watchdog.”

“I’m sure Joey would love to hear you say that,” Lance said.

Joey peeked his head in. “How’s Justin doing?”

“Still out,” JC said.

Joey nodded and disappeared behind the door again. They sat in tense silence wondering when Justin was going to come to. It seemed like he was out longer for each time, which was worrisome by itself, but factor in what his visions were about…Finally about twenty minutes after they’d first entered the bathroom, Justin started to stir before he opened his eyes.

“Hey, buddy,” Chris greeted. “How you feeling?”

“We need to keep an eye on Joey,” Justin said, ignoring Chris’s question.

“Why? What did you see?” Lance asked.

“A fire.” Justin paused and looked up at JC. “In one of the bedrooms.”

“C’mon,” JC motioned for Chris to push Justin into a sitting position, “We need to get out of here. You can rest at home.”

“All right,” Justin agreed easily.

JC nodded because he knew that Justin wasn’t going to fight him on it since his visions left him pretty tired. Besides, it was getting kind of late. Nearly two o’clock in the morning. He watched as Chris carefully pulled Justin to his feet. Justin and Chris had been close before, but they were even more now that Chris had Justin’s pain to deal with. JC suspected it was because they had to be so conscious of each other and whether or not they were in pain.

Together the four of them opened the door, and Joey looked at them in surprise. “What’s up?”

“We’re going home,” Lance said. “He needs to sleep it off.”

“We’ll fill you in once we’re in the car,” JC told Joey before he had a chance to ask.