The Lost Boys

Pete rode hard. He wanted to test Frank, to find out just how bad he wanted...whatever it was he wanted.

Gerard clung on tight to the back of Pete's jacket as they roared along the beach, then up through the trees...up toward the Bluff. He looked back at Frank, laughing with the exhilaration of the ride...giving the tattooed boy "come get me" eyes.

Pete turned his bike up the trail...he knew the others were around them, whooping and hollering into the darkness. He was impressed that Gee's new friend was keeping up, and was excited to see what he'd do when they reached their destination.

The trees cleared and the ground levelled out. Bumpy dry dirt with the odd patch of grass spread out before them into a fog that was quickly gathering ahead.

Pete gunned it, looking to his left where he saw Frank had not only kept up, but caught up, and was now trying to pass him.

Gerard looked from Frank to the ground ahead, then back. He tried to warn Frank with his eyes, but apparently Frank was too focused on beating Pete right now to notice.

Pete couldn't see more than 20 foot in front of him through the fog, but he knew that the edge of the cliff was growing closer by the second. He egged Frank on.

"Come on Frank...you can do it."

He laughed as he saw the determined look on Frank's face turn into a concerned one as the light from the lighthouse that sat just off the coast started to shine through the fog, up over the edge of the cliff.

He didn't stop, and neither did Frank...until he did. Pete laughed as Frank ditched a few short feet from the edge, and Pete stopped easily next to him, his boys pulling up around Frank and dismounting.

Gerard slipped quickly off of the bike as he knew this was not going to be pretty.

Frank got up and looked at the cliff. He then ran at Pete and punched him in the face.

"What the fuck Pete huh? What, you trying to fucking kill me? You can't handle the competition?"

Frank slid his eyes over to Gee.

Gerard stood biting his lip and looking between the two men nervously.

Pete turned his face back to Frank, blood dripping from his nose and a smirk on his lips.

"How far y' willing to go Frank? You ready to go all the way?"

Frank was being surrounded by Pete's buddies, holding him back and ready to spring on him, but the boy gave him courage.

"Just me and you Pete. Just me and you."

(time passes)

Pete and his boys lead the way down through the rocks and into their lair. Gerard hung back near the entrance, watching as Pete waved his hands around at the flame lit cavern.

"Welcome to our place Frank...what do y' think?"

"It's...interesting."

It was like a cathedral in a cave. That was the best way Frank could describe it. It was like the cave was meant to be worshiped in with high pillars that reached out to the heavens, but Frank had a feeling that God was the furthest thought from this montly crew's mind.

"Not bad huh?..."

Pete said as he moved further into the space. His boys lit candles and more fires in oil drums around the room, lighting up the walls to show off the graffiti, dubiously acquired objects and the drawings that adorned the walls. There was a large painting of Jim Morrison on one wall that Gerard was particularly fond of.

"This was the hottest resort in town about 110 years ago..."

Pete's voice echoed eerily.

"Too bad they built it on a fault. In 1906, when the big one hit San Francisco...the earth opened up and this place took a header, right into the crack."

He kicked the side of an oil drum as he passed, circling back to where Frank was stood, a few feet inside the doorway, listening to Pete's speech. Pete stopped in front of Frank.

"And now it's ours."

"So check it out...Frankie."

Billie-Joe shouted from across the room as he jumped down from the table he was stood on to light a torch set high on the wall. All the boys laughed at the nickname.

"Trè..."

Pete called. The blonde boy looked up.

"Food."

Trè turned and disappeared out the way they'd come in.

"That's what I love about this place..."

Pete said conversationally to Frank as he lead him toward a mismatched group of chairs nearby. Gerard watched from the corner, pulling his jacket tighter around himself and hoping that Frank would see sense and leave.

"You ask, and then you get..."

Billie-Joe handed Pete a spliff out of nowhere.

"Thank you..."

Pete turned to Frank, who was staring around in wonder. He held out the smoke to him.

"Appetiser?"

Frank was not a toker per say, and he knew this was stupid, but he didn't want to look bad in Gee's eyes.

"Sure, why not."

He took the spliff, inhaling too quickly and before he knew it, coughing his lungs out.

Pete laughed, patting Frank on the back.

"You'll like it here Frank."

Gerard ducked further back into the shadows, pulling Andy with him away from the boys...for now.

(time passes)

Patrick was laying in bed reading the comic that Brendon and Ryan gave him. Inside was a note.

*Stay Safe, The Frog Brothers*

"Who the hell would name themselves The Frog Brothers?"

Patrick looked at the big husky next to him.

"We named you better then that didn't we boy?"

"Talking to the dog again Patrick?"

"Yeah, he's a really good listener."

Linda walked in. She hung up a few things from the laundry in his closet.

"Mom, don't forget okay?"

Linda smiled and made sure the closet door was completely shut.

"You know, one of the reasons I divorced your father was because he didn't believe in the closet monster."

"MWAHAHAHAHAH!"

Patrick jumped and saw his grandfather smirking.

"Pop, really?"

"What, it's good to scare him. Grow hair on his chest. Hey kiddo, I brought you something."

Patrick grimiced as he saw his grandfather holding some kind of large rodent stuffed and mounted on a wooden plank.

"Thanks Grandpa."

"How thoughtful of you Pop."

He walked in and put the animal right on the nightstand next to patrick.

"Pleanty more where that came from."

He patted Patrick on the head and headed out.

"Alright young man, lights out."

"Let me just finish this comic book."

"Alright, Night champ."

Linda kissed his head and left. Patrick looked at the rodent. His beady eyes were staring at him. He tried to go back to reading his book, but it was too unnerving.

"Alright you, that's it."

Patick got out of bed and went and grabbed the stuffed thing. He walked to his closet and put it on the shelf. he closed the door and went back to his bed and his comic about vampires.

(time passes)

Trè bounced back down into the cavern with a large take out box in his arms.

"Feeding time. Come and get it boys."

Gerard was sat on a step that went nowhere, with a white shawl wrapped around his shoulders. He was trying really hard not to grab Frank and Andy, then run right out of there with them, never looking back...but he knew they would never make it, so he sat in nervous silence as Trè handed out boxes of Chinese food to the boys.

Pete accepted a box with a smirk.

"Chinese. Good choice."

He opened his box.

"Over here."

Billie-Joe called. Trè tossed a box to him. Pete held out his open box toward Frank.

"Guests first."

Frank watched Gee as the containers were passed around. He could live in the boy's eyes. He was brought out of his stupor by Pete pushing a container out to him.

"Nah man, vegetarian."

"You don't like rice?..."

Pete raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me Frank, how can a billion Chinese people be wrong?"

He offered up the box again.

Frank looked at the rice. It was just plain white. He smirked and took the box. They didn't give him and chopsticks or a spoon so he dug in with his hand. The rice was actually pretty good.

Pete accepted another box that was handed to him by Trè, he dug his chopsticks in and looked up at Frank.

"How are those maggots?..."

He asked.

Frank looked up at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Maggots. You're eating maggots Frank...how do they taste?"

The boys laughed around them and Gerard shifted nervously.

Frank blinked and then looked in the box. Sure enough there were maggots writhing around.

"What the fuck!?"

Frank threw the container down. Rice spilled out everywhere.

Pete and the boys laughed loudly as Frank spat the rice from his mouth.

"Leave him alone."

Gerard said weakly from his step, a few metres behind Pete's chair, an obvious pout in his voice. Pete's laugh continued for a moment then died out as he felt Gerard's upset rolling off of him. He looked down at the box in his hands.

"Sorry about that..."

Pete said.

"No hard feelings huh?...why don't you try some noodles."

He held out the box.

Frank was wary now. He looked into the box.

"Fuck you, those are worms."

Pete pulled the box back quickly to peer into it.

"Worms?...what are you talking about Frank?"

He picked up some with his chopsticks and lifted then toward his mouth, leaning over the box. His boys all laughed.

"Gimmie that."

Frank grabbed the box and looked inside. It was just plain LoMein. Frank was confused. He figured it had to be the drugs.

"They're only noodles Frank."

The boys laughed in the background.

"That's enough."

Gerard said quietly, standing and moving next to Pete's chair.

"Chill out girl."

Billie-Joe chuckled. Pete signalled Trè over and whispered in his ear. Trè nodded then went over to what used to be a bar...long ago.

Gerard watched him and got suddenly very nervous. He saw Trè return with an ornately decorated wine bottle that looked older than God. It was handed to Pete and Pete grinned. He uncorked the bottle and breathed in deep. The boys were all watching Frank, as Frank watched Pete. Gerard moved to stand behind Frank...close.

Pete put the bottle to his lips and took a deep drink, his eyes closed. When he lowered the bottle, he shuddered slightly, a smile spreading. He opened his eyes and looked at Frank with a glint in his eye.

"Drink some of this Frank...be one of us."

He held out the bottle toward him.

Frank took the bottle. He wondered why they put all this crap on it. It was hard to hold. He looked in it.

"Don't drink it Frank..."

Gerard pleaded weakly over Frank's shoulder.

"You don't have to. It's blood."

Frank looked at Gee over his shoulder and then at Pete and the other guys.

"Yeah right."

He lifted the bottle up and took a large gulp.

"BRAVO!"

Pete cheered as the boys all started hitting Frank on the back and welcoming him to the group.

Scared and upset, Gerard grabbed Andy from where he was stood watching everything happen, and backed them both into a dark corner, as far from the other's eyes as they could get. He pulled Andy down with him and they huddled together on a pile of fur coats that had somehow collected there. He never wanted this to happen.

Music started to blast through the space from an old style boombox, and the boys got rowdy, dancing and jumping around.

"You're one of us now Frank..."

Pete grinned as he saw the bloodwine start to work it's magic.

"Enjoy it."

Frank smiled. The wine or whatever it was must be strong cos he was feeling tipsy already. He watched the other guys run around and dance. One swinging from a chandelier and why didn't he notice that shit before. Frank stumbled around laughing with them as he continued to drink.

Time passed and Pete was getting restless.

"Let's go find some fun."

He suggested. Of course it wasn't so much a suggestion as a command, but his boys wouldn't have argued either way.

"Come on Frank lets go..."

Billie-Joe slung his arm round Frank's shoulders and grinned at him.

"Night's still young."

Gerard watched Frank lead out into the night. Tears trailed down his cheeks as he cuddled a now sleeping Andy to his chest.

"I'm sorry Frank..."

He whispered into the now silent cavern.

"Please forgive me."

(time passes)

Pete and the boys...and Frank...rode their bikes through the night until they reached a railway bridge just outside of town. It was long and tall and if you looked off the side, you would see the river a long way below...except tonight. Tonight, you would see only a thick blanket of fog.

Pete stopped and got off his bike a couple dozen feet from the start of the bridge, and the others followed suit.

"Come on Frank...lets play."

Pete headed out onto the bridge.

Frank had seen this kind of bridge in movies, but here he was. It was like a Stand By Me moment. He looked over the edge.

"Long way down huh?"

"It really is."

Mike, the quietest of Pete's boys muttered next to Frank.

"You like games Frank?"

Pete asked as the reached the centre point of the bridge.

"Games? What kind of games?"

"The fun kind."

Pete said as he climbed up onto the rail, grinned, then stepped off into the void.

One by one Frank watched the guys do this. He heard them, but could not see them. He got down on his knees and looked through the fog. They were all hanging from the bottom rafters of the track.

"Come on down Frankie."

"Yeah, come join us Frank."

"It's easy...come on. Don't be chicken."

Pete and the boys all called up, egging Frank on as they hung by their hands below him.

Frank grinned. He hopped down and grabbed onto the rafter. He looked down, but could not see anything.

"So now what?"

Pete looked over at him and grinned.

"We wait."

"Wait? For wha..."

Before Frank could finish his question he heard the tell tale rumble of the train coming.

"For that..."

Pete grinned.

"Hold on tight Frank."

Frank squeezed against the wood as the train rumbled over them. he could not understand the other guys were hanging from one arm and not worried at all. Then suddenly...Tre let go.

"Bye Frank."

Mike said, then he was gone.

"Adios amigo."

Billie-Joe grinned before letting go and disappearing into the fog.

"You're one of us Frank."

Pete said loudly, but calmly.

"Let go."

Frank could hardly hear any of them over the noise of the train.

"WHAT? NO, PETE!"

"YOU...ARE...ONE...OF...US!!"

Pete shouted, then laughing, let go and dropped out of sight.

"PETE!"

Frank watched helplessly as his new...friends, disappeared into the fog below. The train started to fade into the distance now and without it, he could hear them...they were alive and calling for him.

"Frank...come on man."

"Just do it Frank."

"Frank..."

"Frank..."

"Frank."

The boys shouted up through the fog. Pete spoke softly, but he knew that Frank would hear him clearer than the others.

"Come on Frank. You are one of us now. You don't have to be afraid...just let go."

Frank looked up again. He should just climb back up and go home. That would be the smart thing...the responsible thing. The problem was Frank was not any of those things. He closed his eyes and let go.

Notes

Hi there chipmunks...how's you?

Sorry for the long wait on this one but we got in a muddle over the order we were waiting our fics in, then I had a bad week. But we're back on track now (train track?) and this is what we did.

Until next time...PLEASE COMMENT, and peace out babies!
<3