AJ placed his head within his hands, pulling back slightly when he felt the abnormal heat from his face. He was seated in front of the computer for a good five minutes, waiting to radio Brian back and let him know when his time of investigating was up. He looked down at his right hand and noticed for the first time that an unusual colored discharge had seeped through the once white bandage.

“Shit.” he muttered as he took off the headphones and placed it on the desk. “Howie, when Brian’s time is up, radio him back and instruct him on how to find the chest.”

Howie moved into the now vacant seat and turned slightly to watch where AJ was going. His brows crinkled in concern as he discovered for the first time how extremely pale and clammy the younger man looked.

“Hey Nick.” he called out softly.

“Hmm.” he heard Nick groan, the noise barely audible due to the fact that his face was pressed into the pillow.

“Be the navigator for a quick minute.”

“What?” Nick whined slightly as he rose from his cot, “Why?”

“Will you just please do it?” Howie asked as he rose from his seat and made his way over towards the bathroom before Nick could protest any further.

Sighing heavily, Nick pushed himself up from his cot and walked over to the computer, watching as Brian’s time clicked down.

Howie approached the closed door of the bathroom and lightly knocked. “AJ?”

“I’ll be out in a second.” was the reply from the other side of the door.

Howie sighed, he knew AJ would be stubborn. “AJ, open the door please. I know you’re not using the toilet.”

After a few seconds of waiting and hearing a few obscene words being muttered, AJ opened the door, but kept his back facing Howie. “I thought you were watching over Brian for me.”

“Nick is.” Howie replied as he slowly walked further into the small bathroom, “But I came to check up on you because…” he stopped mid sentence as he glanced over AJ’s shoulder and caught site of what AJ was trying to tend to. “Jesus Alex.”

“It’s really not that bad.” AJ said as he bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from groaning out in pain.

“Are you kidding me?” Howie asked in disbelief. There was a rather deep and long gash that ran along AJ’s palm, the skin surrounding the wound had turned an ugly shade of purple and green while the wound itself was dark red, oozing pus. He winced when he also realized just how swollen AJ’s hand was and how small water blisters had formed on the surrounding skin.

“Just kinda forgot to clean it is all.” AJ shrugged as he grabbed the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and had poured the clear liquid all over his right hand. He sharply inhaled through his teeth and winced as the peroxide bubbled and sizzled away on his torn flesh.

Howie shook his head as he moved along side AJ, grabbing his right wrist and inspecting the wound closer. “This is something very serious Alex. When was the last time you had a tetanus shot?”

AJ shrugged, “I don’t know… honestly, I don’t even remember the last time I went to the doctors.”

Howie sighed at his answer, “Okay, I want you to close your eyes and keep it shut, alright?”

AJ glanced over at him in confusion, “Why?”

“Just do it.”

Without saying another word, AJ obeyed and closed his eyes. After a few seconds of waiting, Howie reached over and began to softly pinch AJ’s right wrist. When he didn’t get a reaction, he began to pinch harder and started pinching in different areas of the hand. AJ didn’t flinch. As Howie continued to pinch AJ’s hand in various areas, AJ winced when he felt Howie pinch a spot on his forearm.

“Uh, is there a reason as to why you’re pinching my arm while my eyes are closed?”

Howie looked down and realized that AJ still had feeling in his forearm, but other than that, his whole right hand was completely numb. “Alex, your hand is infected.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured that.” AJ said as he opened his eyes and pulled his hand away from Howie. As much as he loved the guys, he couldn’t stand it when they were worried about him. “Still think Kevin should have his way?”

Howie cast his eyes downwards. The truth was, he only gave into what Kevin was saying because he didn’t want him, or any of the other guys, to piss Kevin off and have him lash out on them in anger. For some unexplainable reason, Kevin had a really short fuse and it seemed as if almost anything could set him off.

AJ glanced over at Howie when he realized how quiet he had fallen. He sighed heavily, regretting what he said, “Look Howie, I didn’t mean to say that because this isn’t your fault. I know you want to quit all this, but the fact of the matter is… we’re stuck in this game man.”

Howie looked up at AJ, not liking the sound of his voice. The sound of utter defeat. AJ continued on, “Although both Nick and I were taken aback at how easily you gave in to Kevin’s argument, we’re not blaming the fact that we’re still here on you. If I wasn’t so damn stubborn, I would’ve done the same thing… for the sake of others. But of course, I was being selfish, and you… being the sweet one you are had brought the quarreling to a cease to save us.” he took a pause to grab the Neosporin, “You know what I’m learning from this whole… fucked up experience?”

“What?”

AJ stopped what he was doing to turn and look Howie in the eyes, “That it’s okay to be afraid.”

Howie stared long and hard at AJ, wondering where he was taking this. “I’m scared shitless of him D…” AJ explained. “And it’s not that intimidating fear that I felt years ago upon first meeting him, it’s something else, and I know you, Nick and even Brian feel the same way. That’s why I said we’re stuck in this, because…” he faltered off.

“Because what?”

AJ sighed as he grabbed the roll of gauze and began wrapping it around his right hand, “Because I think that’s the only way we can get him back.”

Before another word was said, the door to the safe house flew open, immediately causing all of them to jump slightly. They all turned and watched with wide eyes as Brian walked back into the house.

“What’s going on Bri?” Nick asked as he rose from his seat and walked over to where Brian was. Fully alert, Nick immediately froze when he noticed the distant look in Brian’s eyes. “What happened?” he questioned softly.

As soon as Brian removed himself of his equipment, he collapsed down on his cot, seemingly in a phase. “I couldn’t do it.”

Both Howie and AJ walked out of the bathroom and was now standing in front of Brian, waiting for him to continue on. Nick was frightened and concerned at Brian’s behavior, for the first time ever seeing that he was really freaked out.

“Tell us what happened Bri.” Howie said soothingly as he knelt down in front of Brian, trying to catch his eyes.

Brian broke his stare from nothing and looked over at Howie, “This isn’t a game, this isn’t an urban legend, this isn’t a myth… this is real.” He closed his eyes as the memories threatened to resurface. “When I entered the chapel, everything was stale and dark, I could smell the stained blood, it made me sick to my stomach. I looked up above the alter and see a cross… and on that cross was a corpse, nailed down. I was suddenly hit with this spell to throw up, and that I did… that is when I saw the satanic star on the floor of the chapel. I couldn’t handle being in there, standing before the mock of the crucifixion, I just couldn’t do it.”

Nick rose slightly and sat on the cot beside Brian. Without saying another word, he grabbed Brian and pulled him into a tight embrace, hoping that he could ease Brian’s shaken state.

“Shouldn’t we call authorities or something?” Nick asked no one in particular, “I mean, we’re dealing with corpses now.”

“It’s George.”

All three of them shot their attention back to Brian, “What?”

“George was the one that was crucified.”

Howie closed his eyes and sighed heavily, none of this was making sense. According to the stories, George was the man behind all the murders, convinced that he needed to kill people in order to collect their souls for Satan, so why was George crucified? “I don’t know what to do.” he muttered, feeling at a complete loss at the moment.

AJ stared at the three of them, and then glanced over at Kevin’s still sleeping form. He was torn between doing what was right and doing what needs to be done. He was the very one that wanted to put an end to all this, but now he was beginning to realize that this is something they just can’t walk out of. They entered the realm of the restless dead, they disturbed them and now they are trap. They already lost Kevin to the grasp of evil, and if they were to walk out now they would lose more than that.

“Like I said Howie, we’re stuck.” AJ muttered back as he walked over to the computer.

Howie looked back at AJ and watched him as he made his way to the computer. Before he could protest, AJ had clicked the button to see who would have to take over Brian’s dare.

“Yellow, it is your job to complete white’s mission. Green will navigate.”