Chapter 3 - The Long Night
That night, the twelve "prisoners" sat moodily around the crackling fire.
"I guess whoever’s behind this is serious," Hazel commented.
"Once someone finds us, they’re gonna be dead meat for kidnapping us," AJ muttered.
"That’s right, we forgot you’re more important than us," Ellie snapped.
"Ellie, shut up! That wasn’t what he meant and you know it!" Karen shouted.
"Look, maybe we should talk about something else," Howie suggested.
For a moment, no one said anything.
Becky cleared her throat. "Well, since none of us know each other that well, we could just ask each other questions . . . or something."
"Okay, I’ve got one," AJ jumped in. "What do you guys have against us?"
Howie sighed loudly. Nice one, AJ, he thought.
"Well, for one thing your music sucks," Tom said nonchalantly.
"No it doesn’t," Becky retorted.
Ellie shrugged. "She’s right. Some of it’s okay."
"It’s the image we have a problem with," Maggie explained.
"What’s all this ‘we’ business?!" Becky cried, standing up. "I’m tired of being grouped together with you guys! I like their music! I like them!"
Ellie gasped. "You don’t mean . . ."
"Yes! I’m a Backstreet Boy fan!" she shouted.
For a moment, no one said anything.
Then the BSB burst into applause.
"You go girl!" AJ cried.
Becky walked over to where the Boys were sitting and sat right in the middle, crossing the invisible barrier between the two groups.
"Come back!" Maggie cried. "You’ve been corrupted!"
Brian put an arm around Becky’s shoulders. "No she hasn’t."
Maggie hissed at him.
"So, do we get to ask you guys a question now?" Hazel asked.
"Sure," Howie answered.
"Do you believe in God?" Sierra asked.
"Yes," all five men answered in unison.
"Well, that answers that," Ellie said.
"Where are you guys from?" Nick asked.
"We’re all from New Hampshire except for him," Ellie answered, pointing at Tom. "He’s a Masshole."
Maggie hissed at her.
"Do you guys play any instruments?" Kevin asked.
"I play the flute and sax," Becky answered.
"Piano," Ellie replied.
"I play flute and piano," Sierra added.
"I can play clarinet and piano," Hazel said.
"I used to play flute and trumpet," Karen put in.
Ellie rolled her eyes.
"And most of us can sing," Becky finished.
"Though I’m sure not with the amazing talent the Backstreet Boys demonstrate," Tom commented.
Becky and the BSB glared at him.
"Do you guys play any of your own instruments?" Hazel asked.
"Nick, Howie, AJ, and I play guitar," Brian answered. "And Kev plays piano."
"I play drums, too," Nick added in.
"How old are you guys?" Howie asked.
"Between 17 and 20," Ellie answered. She pointed at Maggie. "She’s the oldest. And shortest."
Maggie hissed at her.
"I’ve got a question," Tom announced loudly. "Does anyone remember getting here?"
No one answered.
"What’s the last thing anyone remembers?" Kevin asked.
"We were at that little cafe in Boston," Howie answered.
"I only remember getting our appetizers," AJ added. "Everything after that is just . . . gone."
"We were in Boston anime shopping. Where was the cafe?" Ellie asked.
Brian told her the location.
"That’s where we were!" Karen cried.
"I remember getting our meals," Becky continued. "But nothing after that."
"What’d they do -- kidnap the whole restaurant?" Ellie asked.
"They must have given us something pretty potent," Nick remarked.
"It must have been in the food or something," Brian added.
"You think it was the cooks?" Hazel asked.
"There’s no way to know until one of us remembers something else," Maggie concluded.
"I’ve got another question," Tom went on. "Where are we now? This climate is way too warm for Massachusetts in April."
Again, no one answered his query.
Becky yawned. "It’s getting kind of late."
Maggie, Tom, and Ellie just looked at her. "No it isn’t," they said in unison.
"I don’t feel safe out here," Sierra said.
"Maybe we should take turns keeping watch," Brian suggested.
"Two people at a time," Kevin added.
"Sounds good to me," Karen replied.
Ellie looked at her watch. "It’s one now. And we can have six shifts because there are twelve of us. We can each take an hour and a half. I’m no good at falling back asleep, so I’d really like to be on the first watch."
"I’ll stay with you," Hazel offered.
"So, who wants to come on at 3:30?" Ellie asked.
"I will," AJ answered. "You with me, Dee?"
"Sure," Howie agreed.
Ellie continued making the schedule. "Who wants to get up at five?"
"I will," Becky volunteered. "I know I’ll be able to fall back asleep afterwards. Who will share it with me?"
After a moment of silence, Nick spoke up. "I will."
"Six-thirty shift?" Ellie offered.
"I’ll take it. I’ll need to take my medicine around then anyway," Maggie answered.
"I’ll get up with you," Tom said immediately.
"Eight o’clock?"
"Me," Karen said. "Hopefully I can pull a Becky and fall back asleep."
"On that same reasoning, I’ll join you," Brian stated.
"So that leaves Sierra and Kevin on the last shift," Ellie concluded. "And we all will have gotten some semblance of sleep by that time. Is everyone happy? If you’re not, too bad. This is too complicated to work out again."
~~~
"Okay, it’s just about 3:30," Hazel told her partner.
"Hee hee -- it is?" Ellie burst into muffled laughter. "How are we going to be able to tell which Backstreet Boys to wake up?"
Hazel tried her best not to let Ellie’s laughter become contagious. "I remember one of them. The one with the dyed hair."
"Oh yeah," Ellie said, still giggling in her exhaustion. "I think we should do your hair like that. It would freak out your parents."
Hazel sighed and shook AJ’s shoulder gently.
"Huh? Our turn already?" he asked sleepily.
"Yeah," Hazel answered. "I’m sorry."
AJ shrugged his broad shoulders. "It’s not so bad." He reached down and shook Howie awake.
"Ellie, go to sleep," Hazel told her giggling her friend.
"Okay," Ellie replied, settling down in her sleeping bag. "You know, none of this is funny at all. I don’t know why I’m laughing . . ."
"You’re tired," Hazel replied. "Go to sleep." She curled up in her own sleeping bag for some needed rest.
Ellie finally stopped giggling and settled into sleep.
Howie rubbed his eyes. "I don’t think this was a good shift to sign up for."
"Sorry, man," AJ apologized. "You didn’t have to stay with me."
"I wanted to keep you company," Howie answered. "Don’t worry about it. I’ll wake up in a minute."
AJ poked at the glowing embers in the fire place with a stick. "I guess that girl really knew how to make a fire."
"I think once they see we’re just regular guys, they won’t be so hostile."
"Except Tom."
Howie tried not to smile. "He just knows how to get under your skin."
"Damn straight."
~~~
Howie shook Becky’s shoulder.
It took her a minute to fully wake up. "Is it our turn?"
"Here," Howie said, handing her a glass of water. "It’ll help you wake up."
"Thanks," she answered, blushing a little. She took a sip of water, then dumped the rest over her head.
Howie blinked. "Feel better?"
"Much," she answered cheerfully. "Oyasumi -- I mean, goodnight."
"Hey, you know Japanese!" Nick exclaimed.
"Just a few words," Becky replied.
Howie and AJ crawled back into their sleeping bags.
"You like anime?" Nick asked, crossing from the BSB side of camp to the other.
"Well, just one really. Fushigi Yuugi."
"I’ve heard of that, but I’ve never seen it."
Becky shivered as he sat down next to her.
"You want one of the blankets?" he asked.
She nodded, praying that he couldn’t see her blushing in the dim light.
Nick picked up one of the blankets, draping half of it across her shoulders. "I hope you don’t mind if I share it because I’m freezing to death, too."
"No, I don’t mind." There was a moment of silence. "Bet you didn’t think this was gonna happen when you woke up yesterday morning."
Nick laughed softly. "Not exactly." He sighed. "It’s irritating not knowing who’s behind this."
"I know," she replied. "Things are a little awkward."
They looked at each other, then looked away.
"Yeah, staying out here with complete strangers isn’t my idea of fun."
She half-smiled. "Well, it’s not so bad for me."
Nick returned the smile in full. "So, were you a closet fan or something?"
"Yeah, kind of. I really do like your music. Well, Millennium anyway."
"Yeah? What’s your favorite song?"
" ‘Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely,’" she answered immediately.
He nodded. "Cool."
I don’t suppose I should mention that he and Brian are my favorites and I’m really tempted to lean over and start kissing him, should I, she thought.
"Just hit me or something if I start to fall asleep," she told him.
"Nah, it’s not nice to hit girls. I’ll just have to wake you with a kiss or something," he said with a grin.
He’s joking. He’s joking. Don’t even think about fainting. Don’t think about taking him up on it. Just smile and laugh. It was a JOKE!
She giggled, trying not to sound nervous.
"We’ve been on weirder sleep schedules with all the traveling and stuff."
"I’m sure. I hate jet lag. I go to England a lot, so I know your pain."
"I hate it when it sneaks up on you."
"Yeah, that sucks."
They again lapsed into silence.
"You still cold?" he asked.
"Yeah, a little," she admitted.
Seemingly for no good reason, he blushed a bit. "Um . . . look, don’t take this the wrong way -- I mean -- you know, body warmth -- and . . ."
She smiled, moving closer to him until their sides touched.
He flashed her a goofy grin. "Right."
~~~
Becky shook Maggie and Tom awake.
Maggie reached for her purse and started digging for her medicine.
Tom looked from Becky to Nick, then back again. "So, when are you due? Are you hoping for a Backstreet Boy or a Spice Girl?"
Maggie collapsed, shrieking with laughter.
"Oh, that’s it!" Nick cried, striding forward.
A few other people stirred at the noise.
Becky stopped him. "Don’t bother. He just does it to amuse himself. He doesn’t do it to be mean. Getting mad about it won’t help."
Nick backed off. "Look, you insult us all you want. But just leave our fans out of it. They have the right to like what they want."
"Oh, I see. They’re under the great Backstreet Boy wing of protection," Tom replied.
AJ had at this point woken up enough to be coherent. "Look man, if we have to survive out here together you can at least make an effort to tolerate us."
"I’m tolerating you fine. You’re the ones who seem to have the problem," Tom pointed out.
"Fine! Then try to be tolerable!" Becky shouted at him.
"It’s not my fault if --"
"TOM!!!"
He shrugged. "Fine. Nobody appreciates me."
"I do," Maggie said, proceeding to kiss him.
He paid attention to her and everyone else went back to sleep.
~~~
At eight Maggie woke Karen up. "I hope you know which Backstreet Boy you need to wake up because I don’t want to have to touch them."
Karen sighed. "Yeah, I know which one."
"Good."
Maggie crawled back over to Tom and settled down in his arms.
Karen timidly went to Brian’s side and shook his shoulder.
"Huh? Oh, time for our watch," he said, comprehending. He slowly sat up, trying to straighten his tousled hair.
Karen picked up the blanket that Nick and Becky had used and wrapped it around herself. Brian pulled his jacket on and sat down next to her.
"So, you’re Karen, right?" he asked.
"Yeah. And you’re Brian."
He grinned. "Guilty as charged." After a moment of silence he asked, "So, what do you think of our music?"
Karen shrugged. "I guess I can take it or leave it. It’s not bad."
Brian nodded. He looked up at the light sky. "I hope I can fall back asleep after this."
"Me too. All the good shifts were gone."
"The one after this would’ve sucked because it’s too early to get up and too late to go to sleep after it."
Karen nodded. After another silence she added, "I don’t think it’s right of Tom to make fun of you guys to your faces."
Brian shrugged. "I don’t let it get to me."
"I try not to get mad when he does stuff like that, but I just can’t help it. He just doesn’t have any respect for anyone."
Brian shrugged again. "Some people are just like that. It’s usually best to ignore them. Speaking of which, let’s talk about something else. You got any pets?"
~~~
Brian poked his cousin until he stirred. "Enjoy your watch."
"Thanks," Kevin said, rubbin g the sleep out of his eyes. He looked across the camp to his partner as she crawled out of her sleeping bag and looked in dismay at her rumpled clothing.
Kevin smiled. "Don’t worry about that. We’re all in the same boat."
Sierra blushed. "Yeah, I guess so. I hope we don’t have to be out here for too long. These clothes won’t last forever."
Kevin sighed as he sat down next to her. "I hope whoever’s doing this will come to their senses. They’ve got nothing to gain from this."
"I know. I guess we’ll just have to pray someone finds us."
"Yeah. Hopefully before Tom, AJ, or Nick end up dead."
Sierra giggled.
"So, tell me a little about yourself . . . Sierra, right?"
She nodded. "Well, I’m 19. I play piano and flute. I’m a music education major. Um . . . my favorite movie is Gone with the Wind. Uh, I read a lot. My parents are divorced, so I have a big, confusing family."
Kevin smiled. "I can imagine."
"So, what about you?"
"Well, I’m 27. I hate getting up this early. I’m amazed I’m so awake. Anyway, I also play the piano. Brian is my cousin, in case you didn’t know. We’re both originally from Kentucky. My favorite movies are Top Gun and The Shawshank Redemption. And . . . I’m a ballroom dance instructor."
"Really?! I’ve always wanted to learn how to ballroom dance!"
"Well, I could always teach you a few steps later," Kevin replied, a grin lighting up his handsome face.
Sierra attempted not to melt.
~~~