♦Things are getting strange, I'm starting to worry♦

[King]

M A S O N
- ad42ff​
|| Mason Riley || Deadbeat Bassist || Conspiracy Theorist || Defend the Pop Punk ||


♦ Somewhere in Nevada - Sometime time in the 1990's ♦

Almost two days. 47 hours since Taylor went missing. At first Mason wasn't worried, but the small town makes it hard for people to disappear without suspicion. Mason got a call from her mother, asking if she was staying over. Mason's reply "I wish." didn't go down too well. Turns out she hadn't been home for the whole day and nobody knew where she was or why she left in the middle of the night anyway. Mason sighed as he turned his head to the clock on his table. 48 hours.

The anxiety was getting too much, Mason decided to take a cigarette and jump out his window, landing on the garage. It made a loud clang, the roof was about to give way but his father couldn't be bothered to fix it. Climbing down onto the floor, Mason regretted not sliding a sweater over his tank top. The street was dark, illuminated by half the street lamps that decided to work that night. The beams highlighting Mason's broken fence. He lit the cigarette as he stood by the metal hanging off the fringes. Breathing in the smoke, Mason held it in as he thought about Taylor.

Maybe she went to visit family afar without telling anyone? Perhaps she's staying at a friends? What if someone took her? Mason exhaled uncomfortably, the thought making his heart panic.

Deciding to walk, Mason took down the street. The moon was pretty bright and since the town was miles from civilization, the stars were visible. Mason observed the shitty street as he moved onto Eli's
road. Wondering if he was as worried about Taylor as he was. Just to check, Mason picked up a stone and threw it at Eli's window with some force. "C'mon asshole." Mason hissed as he dropped his cigarette, stumping out the butt on the ground.



​

 

[MonstarNomNom]

Typically Elijah was late getting looped in on things, primarily due to his fairly antisocial nature, but this had been a rare case. He hadn't slept since word got out that Taylor had gone missing. Running solely on a heavy blunt and a line, he could hardly be considered a fully functional human being right now. It was a way to put his mind at ease, even if only temporary as he tried to focus on getting some guitar time in.

After all, Taylor was an independent woman more than capable of taking care of herself, one of the things he found most endearing to her character. It was hardly his business to butt his nose in when she had probably just gone the next town over. After all, Greenstone, ironically named since it was mostly desert, was known for some crazy ass parties. Though, it would be a bit odd for him to not be invited to a party with all of the inside connections he had many thanks to his little side hobby.

Sitting atop his worn mattress, Eli had been busying himself with learning from new rifts for a song the band started learning last week. That is, until he heard a loud clack against his already cracked window. He looked up, gaze hardening as he got up from his bed with a huff, peering out only to see a the familiar tuft of pink hair in the flickering streetlight.

Mason. If it had been anyone else he would be properly annoyed.

"If you start playing Peter Gabriel from a boom box I might have to throttle you," he grinned in jest, leaning into his palm out of the window once he had managed to open the shoddy thing. Normally Eli was careful to not get too loud to avoid the wrath of his evil neighbors in the apartment next door, but in his current state that filter was nonexistent.

 

[King]

M A S O N
- ad42ff​
|| Mason Riley || Deadbeat Bassist || Conspiracy Theorist || Defend the Pop Punk ||


♦ Somewhere in Nevada - Sometime time in the 1990's ♦

Mason put his hands into his pjyama pockets, looking around. The town was always hot, but it didn't stop the wind from blowing. His lazily dyed hair moving with the air. He sniffed, his nose wasn't as good since he started on coke. Weed and Cigs were good enough for him, but recently he'd been sniffing what Eli had, just because. He wasn't as drugged up as Eli, but saw the appeal. With Taylor missing, he certainly would like the edge taken off.

The sound of strugge made Mason look up to the window, seeing his friend force the old window open. Poor Eli's arms couldn't lug the piece of shit open. Mason snorted at the sight.

Mason made a snort similar to a laugh, making a disgusted face. The jabs at Mason's sexual encounters always made him pull the same face, especially if Eli was the one insinuating it. "C'mon loser, I can't sleep." He motioned with his hand for Eli to come and join him. It definitely wasn't an appealing offer; The cold or the bed? Mason or being alone? Mason knew Eli preferred the latter, but he still needed company. The streetlight barely lit up the street, but Mason could see the look on Eli's face.​

 

[MonstarNomNom]

Eli lived for that repulsed expression he was so often successful at pulling from Mason. He weighed the options inwardly, the thoughts obvious on his dazed expression as he debated whether he wanted to brace the humidity or stay cooped up inside. It had been a while since he'd been outside and cigarettes always tasted better in the open air.

"I'll be right down, Cusack." Just as he was about to move out of the opening, his elbow managed to slip out from under him in his hazy state and he fell forward slightly, managing to catch himself, but not before properly smacking his head against the bottom of the window. "Goddamn, fuckin piece of shit-" he growled, rubbing the back of his head just as he heard a loud banging beneath his feet. Ah yes, the other neighbors from hell.

Ah...maybe it was actually the other way around and Elijah was the horrible neighbor.

After a few long minutes, Eli was walking sloppily down the stairs from his door, pulling a worn red jacket over his lanky arms. "So where's the party?" He asked once he reached Mason, lighting a cigarette and placing it between his lips, peering at him from behind his glasses.

--------------
​

Dean was a total wreck. Taylor was gone and he had no idea as to where she might have disappeared to. It wasn't like her to just poof without a trace, at least not for this long. He had already grown suspicious before he parents finally called, and that only made his paranoia that much worse. The man had a bad habit of always allowing his brain to jump to the worst conclusions despite his better judgement.

So here he was, wandering around town with a flashlight in hand after his nightly jog in desperate hope, not that he actually expected to find much with such a tactic. The cops in this piece of shit town were useless and he knew this from plenty of first hand experiences. Hand shoved in his pocket, he found himself instinctively wandering toward the perimeter where Kyle lived with his grandparents. Maybe he might have an update? If Dean recalled, his grandma knew just about everyone in the small town so maybe he caught wind of something.

A mile or two down the road, he found himself standing in the front lawn debating whether he should actually attempt to get his attention without waking his notoriously shotgun happy grandad. After all, Dean hardly looked the nonmenacing type with his stature. Sucking in a heavy breath of air and letting his cheeks puff out at he exhaled, the man picked up a rock and wandered to the side of his house where his small window was.

'One rock. If he doesn't wake up, tough luck.'

Clack!

The rock hit square in the middle of the glass. And then silence.

'Maybe one more...'

He threw another once he was confident he hadn't disturbed anyone else in the large house.

 

[King]

M A S O N
- ad42ff​
|| Mason Riley || Deadbeat Bassist || Conspiracy Theorist || Defend the Pop Punk ||

​

The sound of banging from underneath Ei's room made Mason huff. They were dicks, or so he had heard. Once Eli had disappeared from sight, Mason looked around the town. It was such a shithole, but with a name Deadwood it was fitting. Mason had no idea why he lived there, he had no family but his father here. Most people had lived there for generations, but not Mason. Once Eli resurfaced Mason waited for him to reach the gate.

"No party, I'm bored." Mason said, beginning to walk back to the outskirts of the streets. Kyle's house was right on the other side, which pretty much signaled the end of Deadwood. On Mason's side was the military sign, urging people to turn back. The two weren't that far away from each other at all, showed how small the town was. "Well, I couldn't sleep." Mason sighed as he opened up about his worries, "I wanna know where Taylor has gone, Y'know?"

The thoughts he had before ran through his mind on the possibilities of Taylor's where abouts. "If there's a party she would have told us about it right? Then where was my invite?" He half joked, feeling the looming elephant in the room. If Taylor's parents didn't know, then Mason feared some man had taken her. Deadwood wasn't exempt from creeps or pervs. That was Mason's conclusion anyway. Half of him hoped Eli would suggest a better alternative.

​

-

K Y L E
- ff87f3​
|| Kyle Bradley || Plant Expert || Psychic visions || Soft Vocals ||

​

Sleep wasn't coming easily for Kyle. He had been having nightmare's all night. Something was telling Kyle to fear the worst. He knew Taylor had been taken. He didn't know who, or why, but that's what he felt. His gut was painful, knowing there could be a grim outcome. He hadn't said anything of course. As much as he spoke about his friends past lives and told them the little things, he'd never tell them about this sort of vision. It was too dark, nobody wanted to hear it, they wanted to stay positive.

Kyle was half asleep in his attic room. It was a cold room, too old for a radiator. The window was decorated with charms, dream catchers and succulents. He loved his room, tie-dyed and purple, the crystals protecting him. He had a Fire Agate crystal tied to his neck, a crystal to give him courage and protection.

The loud clack woke Kyle up. He sat up, trying to figure out what it was. It wasn't until a second one hit the window, making Kyle's neck snap to the right. Was someone throwing stones? He took another second to wake properly before making his way to the window. He saw Dean standing there with a flashlight. A small smile crossed his face. The window didn't open, so Kyle signaled he's be a second. He left his blue pajama top on, half buttoned and creased, but pulled a pair of jeans on over his shorts. Kyle tip toed down the creaky steps, hoping not to wake his grandparents up.

Once he was out of his back door, Kyle slid he shoes on, grabbing his backpack. "Hey." He whispered, "Are we going on an adventure?" He smiled, his blond hair flopping all over his face.​

 

[MonstarNomNom]

Eli raised an eyebrow at his friend's lackluster response, pulling the cigarette from his lips as his eyes squinted. The air around the two was uncomfortable and he couldn't say he was too happy about that considering he'd ingested a pretty penny not long ago to get rid of this feeling. This had never been a virtue he possessed and he could openly admit he was a horrible person to confide in for the simple fact he was awful at comforting people.

And there it was, the big elephant.

"Shit, man. If you wanted to talk about your feelings you should have gotten to me before I fucked myself up." He returned the cigarette to his lips, taking a long drag and slowly exhaling the thick smoke. He lazily followed beside Mason, noting there was at least some semblance of a breeze tonight, which was nice. He chuckled at Mason's mention of a party. "What's a party without us?" He grinned weakly at that, his brain beginning to sober quicker in the heavy atmosphere that lingered.

"Look, I'm sure she's fine, dude. In a town the size of a matchbox, how far could she go? She probably just needed a break from our bullshit." Eli gave Mason a brief nudge on the shoulder with his own in an attempt at reassurance. Lord knows Taylor was basically a saint for putting up with them as much as she did.

--------------
​

Dean was just about to walk away until he caught sight of a familiar figure, giving him a slightly awkward wave in return with his hand that held the flashlight. He waited patiently, glancing about as he rocked gently on his heels. His worn sneakers crunched in the rocky terrain, noting it might be time to invest in some new ones as his gaze briefly looked down at them. He looked back up at the sound of Kyle approaching, offering him a warm smile that was half at the fact he was still wearing part of his pajamas. Only Kyle could make that look as endearing as it did.

"Hey, sorry to wake ya up," a small sigh fell past his lips. "I wish. I'm just kinda wiggin' at this whole Taylor thing." He paused as he gave his stubbled cheek a scratch. "It's only been two days but I just feel like something is wrong. I can't shake it. I was hoping you might have heard something else since we all talked." They had had a half assed band meeting earlier that day on the matter, but it didn't really seem like everyone was ready to acknowledge it was a problem yet at that point. Maybe they all hoped she would just show up and that her parents were simply overreacting.

He began to walk them back toward the road that led into town. "And I also think I wanted some company. I've lived in Deadwood my entire life, yet I still don't like walking around by myself at night." Dean gave a gentle chuckle at how ridiculous that sounded. This town was full of weird, unexplainable shit that the entire population used as a marketing ploy to attract alien curious tourists. It was a pretty successful scheme, though no one wanted to admit that it might actually be real.

 

[King]

​

Mason rolled his eyes when Eli made the joke. He really didn't talk about his feelings. When it came to that sort of thing, Mason attempted to be as manly as possible. Taylor tried to pry him open once but he refused, deflecting the questions with shitty jokes.

"True." He smiled at the party comment. Both of them supplied the music, drugs and fun. The next dealer had to be in the big city. Mason looked at the windows of the houses they passed, not a light on in any of them. The whole town seemed pretty lifeless anyway, but at night it was ghostly. The passing thought left Mason with goosebumps. He let his eyes look behind him, the paranoia setting in. The shoulder bump brought Mason's eyes back to Eli's, "Yeah. More like your shit dude, you hit on her more than you hit the bong." He snorted. Before he could get another joke out, Mason caught something in the night sky.

"Holy shit." He recognized the shape instantly. Three lights under a black triangle. Almost exactly the same as the one he see's when he looks out the window at this time. Nobody believed him. "Dude do you fucking see that?" He slapped Eli's shoulder hard, pointing desperately at the triangle. Before he could spill some crazy conspiracy out, the UFO burst into a bright light, making a loud whirring sound and flew right over their heads. And from Mason's head, straight to the Military Base.

"Fucking shit dude!" He slapped Eli again with excite and worry. "What was it doing hovering near Kyle's house?" He asked, sudden panic in his voice.


​

-


​

His attempt to keep things light was futile. He swallowed, his mind instantly going back to that thought he had. Did he want to share it with Dean? Not really. He didn't want to confirm everyone's worst fear. At the same time, Kyle didn't want his belief's to be shamed at such a sensitive time. "Ma hasn't said anything." He sighed, putting his hands into his pockets. "She's been freaking out, dude." Kyle shook his head as they began to walk. She always wore the same crystal, but now she was wearing her prayer crystal. When Kyle saw it he knew she was worried about Taylor.

When Dean made the comment about Deadwood. Kyle was the same. There was a strange aura around Deadwood. Not good, not bad. Mysterious and eerie. "Who does? It's freaky." Kyle pointed out as the town was coming into sights. "The whole military base, aliens and all that and a bag a' chips." Kyle forced a laugh. Nobody even stayed in Deadwood, there was one motel but that was it. You stayed in the big city and came down to look for aliens in the day. They had reached the buildings and streetlamps, Kyle kept looking around, like he couldn't keep himself from watching behind himself.

"It's mad cold." Kyle said quietly, the mild wind blowing through his thin pajama top. He looked up to Dean, who was so much taller than him. He really liked it though, it gave him butterflies when he thought about Dean lifting him up for a hug. Which he was yet to do. Kyle was looking forward to it. He craned his neck to look at Dean, smiling. He was super handsome. So much so it bothered Kyle. He was trying really hard not to catch feelings, and yet.
​

 

[MonstarNomNom]

Eli laughed heartily at the bong comment, his smile wide as he blew out another stream of smoke. "Now there's the Mason I was waiting for."

Eli looked over at Mason hazily as he suddenly started shouting at something, turning to follow where he was motioning. All he could see was a vague outline, accompanied by lights that could easily just be some big ass stars. But then he took his glasses off. "Shit. I am waaaay more blazed than I thought I was." He mused with a casual chuckle and shake of his head, but then it hit him that Mason was the one that had seen it first. And as far as he knew, the guy was totally sober. Standing there silently for a minute, he almost bought it.

"You're fucking with me, man." He grinned, giving his friend a single finger gun as he nestled his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. Eli had lived in Deadwood for about five years now, and there was no way he was ever believing in the alien bull people liked to talk about. He even worked in one of the shithole gift shops, but maybe that made it even less real for him. All he saw was a marketing ploy. "You can be really convincing when you want to be. Seriously- you almost got me to think I saw a damn UFO."

--------​

Dean let out a defeated sigh as Kyle confirmed his fear. So they were still tough outta luck with no information or leads. His stomach was in so many knots it was a miracle he wasn't doubled over.

He forced a smile at Kyle's laugh, wishing they could be out here under any other circumstance. Anything would be exponentially better than this. Dean looked down, not able to help from letting a more sincere smile a the sight of Kyle looking up at him. It made him thankful for the lack of light because he might have otherwise seen a faint blush creeping on his cheeks. As if his crush couldn't be obvious enough. "Want my jacket?" He offered, however just before he was able to start shrugging it off his shoulders a familiar, loud whirring noise drifted into the wind.

"Wait...did you hear that?" He paused, turning to look over his shoulder from where the noise had come from. Nothing was there, but something wasn't right. Never would he voice it out loud but Dean was a believer. The mystery of Deadwood Creek was a thing for a reason, and he had seen the UFO's before. The sightings were brief and far apart, but he was no fool to deny it. He quickly moved his flashlight toward the edge of the woods in the general direction of the noise, his heart racing as the light darted about.

Until something caught his eye.

Without a word, Dean sprinted to the edge of the forest with urgency, crouching down to the leafy ground and picking up what he had seen. He looked back for Kyle, utmost dread reading on his expression. "It's...Taylor's shoe." The black Steve Madden slip on was lying on the ground, obviously thrown in haste.

 

[King]

Mason knew Eli was plastered, but when he looked at him, he saw the shock and confusion on his face. He had seen it too. Mason felt relief but then Eli pulled the same shit he always does. "Eli you know what you saw." Mason tried not to get angry, but he knows what he sees. He was as sober as he had been for weeks. He swallowed his tongue, knowing Eli could be slapped in the face by an alien and he'd still be skeptical. Best to leave it and see what happened.

He breathed in, that the smell of burning scented the air. That was undoubtedly done by the UFO. "C'mon, let's check it out. If something's burning I wanna make sure it isn't taking Kyle with it" He shook his head. He was nervous and excited, wanting to see if he could find more evidence of it being a UFO. It hadn't even occurred to him that it could be involved with Taylor's disappearance. That seemed too far fetched, even for Mason. Yet, he wasn't dismissive of much if it involved the government.

Mason grabbed Eli's arm and tugged it, they would have to get into the forest to make it to Kyle's house. Through the town was a little longer. "Shit, I don't have a light." Mason said as they reached the trees. It was a dead forest, not much grew thanks to the desert-y weather, but it still managed to seem pitch back. He made his way into the trees, wishing he had better shoes on. Oh well, Mason made his way into the forest, looking up to see the moonlight filtering through the dead branches.

-​

The offer of the coat made Kyle's face light up, he tried not to nod so eagerly. He saw Dean's muscles appear from under the sleeves. Kyle was pretty excited about that.

Unfortunately the moment was ruined by a loud whirring noise, like a silent car drove past them at top speed. Kyle's heart beat a little faster as he looked around quickly. "What was that?" He didn't consider the possibility of a UFO. Kyle checked behind his shoulder again. Deadwood had a horrible aura that made you feel like you weren't in danger, yet. Like something was always there, waiting to happen. Kyle snapped his head back to see Dean running away. Kyle panicked, now he knew why Dean needed company, Kyle couldn't deal with being alone out here either.

He quickly caught up with Dean, who was crouched down to a familiar shoe. The leather shined back in the light. Kyle quickly gripped his crystal, there was a dark sense something was wrong and that danger was creeping quickly. "She's in the woods." Kyle said, he knew it. The horrid sense was pounding in his chest as he stood up and jogged into the forest, hoping Dean would follow. Before he could stop himself, kept going, like something was guiding him. Taylor was out here somewhere, he was terrified she was hurt, or worse.​

 

[MonstarNomNom]

Elijah could here the irritation in Mason's voice and even in his current he knew better than to think Mason would lie about this kind of stuff. He was the local loony conspiracy theorist, after all, and Eli found it entertaining and enjoyed the fact it provided plenty of fodder during their friendly banter. However sometimes he would get this little glimmer in his eye and you couldn't disagree with him- he was too convinced. It would take a lot more than seeing some floating lights to get the guitarist to believe anything mildly related to the supernatural and aliens.

He only shrugged and followed Mason in the direction of their local creepy ass forest, which he hated by the way. The only reason he was allowing himself to tag along was to make sure Kyle was okay because despite his dulled senses, he also caught scent of the smoiness that was now drifting along the breeze. "Well....we make a great pair then." Eli commented rather grumpily to the lack of light comment, stumbling over a large rock when it caught his shoe. "Dammit, I did not sign up for some fuckin' late night forest excursion."

--------
​

Dean stood, picking the shoe up as he did so. He didn't waste any time with questions as Kyle began to delve into the darkness, letting his hand rest on his shoulder once he caught up. "Hey, don't run off too fast. Don't wanna lose you." The thought of getting separated out here made his stomach churn, especially with the fact he was the only one with a light. There was an eerie feeling that was almost suffocating the farther they went, and the idea of finding Taylor was the only thing that made him able to move forward. And then he heard a familiar voice, which startled him at first. Being on edge already, instincts threw him between Kyle and the general direction of the voice, however a quick shine of his flashlight revealed the familiar figures of Eli and Mason.

"If it isn't the two love birds-" Dean's surprised expression quickly fell at the words as he gave Elijah a rather unamused look, which was barely visible from the glow of his flashlight. He was torn between feeling relieved to see familiar faces and being annoyed. He could smell the thick aroma of a freshly smoked joint coming off of him as they approached- of course he'd be baked while wandering out in the woods. He was quick to speak up before Eli could throw out anymore quips, which he was not in the mood for. Taylor was out here somewhere and they needed to find her.

"What are you guys doing out here?" He asked, voice hushed. The fact they would all end up in the same place at the same time seemed a bit too much of a coincidence, but there were more important things at hand. In this town you had to expect the unexpected. "We were walking and...heard something." Dean paused as he couldn't quite find a way to describe the noise and he wasn't about to start spouting things about aliens. He moved to pull his other hand up, revealing the black Steve Madden he and Kyle had found as he shined the yellow light on it. "And found this. I'm positive it's Taylor's. I saw her wearing them at practice." The feelings inside his gut were twisting uncomfortably as his mind jumped to countless horrible situations that Taylor could be in right now.​

 

[King]

The forest really messed with Mason's head. It was slightly colder here and darker. There was really no comfort, so he walked as closely to Eli as he could without it looking too gay. He put his hands in his pockets, watching the floor carefully for things to trip over. He watched the ground become softer, he could recognize familiar prints in the floor. Mason frowned, the moon light creating shadows in the dips.

"Dude." Mason put his hand out to stop Eli from walking onto the prints. He could clearly see a human footprint. He frowned, nobody went into the trees in full hiking gear, let alone barefoot. He looked to Eli with a concerned face. Fuck. Mason decided to keep following it, something in his mind was telling him it could be Taylor. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

They continued to follow the path until a light was shined on them. Mason put his arms up, tilting his head away. He was about to panic, afraid of who was behind the glow. That was until he heard Dean's cooing voice. "Coming from you two gay boys." Mason snorted in a light-hearted way. Dean didn't half make it obvious he fancied Kyle, not on purpose. When questioned, Mason was quick to jump to his theory, "We saw a UFO in the sky then smelt burning. We came to check it out." Trying not to seem too sappy, Mason left out his concern for Kyle and Taylor. That was until Dean pointed out the shoe. He didn't mention the footprints until he heard a scream.

-
​

When he heard Dean following him, Kyle turned round as he waited for him to catch up. He smiled limply when he caught up, not feeling too good. He just wanted to find Taylor. And the further they got into the forest, the more nervous Kyle got. He didn't wanna show it in front of Dean, but he was pretty scared. And hearing voices wasn't helping. When Dean jumped in front of him, Kyle instinctively gripped a hold on Dean's shirt, balling it into a fist. It didn't last long before he heard Mason. Sighing out, Kyle peeked out from Dean's arm. When Mason called them gay, Kyle blew a raspberry, that was rude. But it was also Mason, so it was expected.

When Mason mentioned a UFO, Kyle rolled his eyes. Yeah maybe he did believe in aliens, but he was sure that Mason could believe the moon was a UFO. He didn't make the connection between the sound and what Mason saw. Although, he could smell something when he breathed in. But he always assumed that smell was Eli.

He realized he still had Dean's shirt in his hand, he quickly let go and stood next to him instead. Kyle shifted about on his feet, eager to keep going to find Taylor. Before Kyle could input anything, he heard a scream. He had the quickest reaction, his feet unable to carry him any faster without falling. He bolted past the three, panicking Taylor was hurt. Kyle made it so far into the forest in seconds, jumping over wood. Taylor was close, but Kyle was dreading that she was hurt.​

 

[MonstarNomNom]

"Gay boys?" Elijah couldn't help but chuckle at the statement. He wrapped his arm around Mason's shoulders, bringing them uncomfortably close, at least what he knew to be past Mason's "no homo" comfort levels. "You know that almost reminds of that one time when I was minding my own business and all of a sudden, there you were. In my lap. And pretty shirtless too-if I'm remembering right." The grin plastered on Eli's face could be considered one akin to a cheshire cat with the way it curled so mischievously at the edges. However, he was quick to jump to the other subject.

"Yeah...UFO." Eli grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at the other pair, arm still very much in Mason's personal space. He was distracted at the shoe Dean had brought out, squinting his eyes in the contrasting light to the dark space around them. That was definitely Taylor's shoe. And suddenly Eli, of all people, was hit with an unexpected sense of urgency. Sure, all the girls were wearing those things nowadays, but Taylor's had a very noticeable bleach stain on the left shoe. Also, it is fair to note Eli did not spend copious amounts of time looking at Taylor's footwear.

A stream of curses fell past Eli's lips at a sudden scream that filled the empty air of the forest. He was frozen, but not for long as Kyle suddenly pushed past all of them and darted off with a speed the guitarist had never seen him reach before. Now, it probably wasn't the best idea for the baked guy to go running through the rock and root infested space, but that's exactly what he did.

-------​

So they had seen a UFO? Elijah had hardly seemed convinced, as always, but of course Mason seemed quite certain. He often had tales of UFOs he had seen at night, among all of his other crazy conspiracy theories he somehow came up with. He gave a side glance to Kyle as he let go of his shirt, letting his hand rest reassuringly against his back. The touch did not last for long when he had suddenly sped off immediately after a loud cry echoed through the tree tops. Without any cause for concern for anyone else, Dean sped off right behind him.

He easily hurdled through the plenty obstacles that lay in their way, and he caught sound of another, softer cry that wasn't far off. He hurriedly began to shine his light around the trees as they made their way through the brush, and suddenly was a flash of unruly blond hair. "Oh my god!" Dean exclaimed as he rushed over.

There was Taylor, lying propped up against the base of a tree. Various bruises sprinkled her pale skin and her clothes even more ripped than they were in their normal state. On her right foot was the matching shoe to the one in Dean's hand. He was at a complete loss for words as he knelt by her, glancing to the others once they caught up. Even Elijah looked scared shitless.

He quickly shrugged off his jacket, reaching to wrap it around her but she shriveled away, her eyes wide as she looked up at them in sheer terror. "No- get away from me!" She shouted, pressing herself as far against the tree as she could in her weakened state. Her eyes were now glued to the dusty ground at their feet, almost as if she was too frightened to look at them.

 

[King]

Mason was the last to follow the boys. It look him a second to process what had just happened, but he didn't want to get left behind. He ran carelessly through the forest, tripping over everything he could. He could here Taylor's screech, it really chilled him to his bones. It didn't sound scared, it sounded like the dying breath of a bird or something.

Once Mason reached the group, he stared down at Taylor. This was unreal, something fucking awful must have happened. Taylor had been in worse situations and barely looked liked she was bothered. This was another person. "What the fuck.." Mason hissed, his voice barely escaping his lips. He didn't want to get involved, since she started to panic. Dean and Kyle were the ones who could deal with this. Mason looked around instead, trying to see if he could figure out how the fuck she got here. The smell was insane now. Mason knew that craft had singed the plants, it was typical of a UFO sighting.

Then it hit him. He watched Taylor screaming and pointing. Maybe that UFO had something to do with it. He wasn't sure, and he wasn't gonna mention anything yet. But he was already counting up the signs of an abductee on Taylor. When asked by Kyle, Mason nodded, "Stay with her, I'll go into town to get signal and help the med's find her." He said before jogging back the way they came.

The panic in Kyle's eyes was just as bad as Taylor's. He saw her propped up against the tree, shaking and crying. Kyle could hear Dean behind him, his long legs carrying him to match Kyle's pace. Kyle slid onto his knee's skin getting caught on the sharp edges of the rocks around him, but he barely felt it. "Taylor, Taylor what happened?" Kyle asked, reaching out for her. She didn't even look at him, like he wasn't even there. But when Dean shrugged off his jacket, that's when the screaming happened. Kyle fell back as she started to shake violently.

"Tay, it's us. It's Kyle." He crawled up closer. But Taylor wouldn't have it, like he didn't recognize any of them at all. She used her feet to push her back even closer into the tree, like she was trying to get away from them. Her tights were torn to shreds, branches and leafs tangled into the material. He looked at her bare shoulders, noticing all the scorch marks.

"No! Don't touch me!" She screamed, sobbing after every word. Kyle looked up at Dean, seeing the horror in his face as well. When he looked back at Taylor, she had put her face in her hands, like she was trying to hide, murmuring to herself. She wasn't gonna come with them unless Dean and Mason carried her out with force. "Call the hospital." Kyle looked at Mason, who had his nokia in his pockets.

​

 

[MonstarNomNom]

Elijah was more or less completely useless as he stood there, looking down at this person who only mildly resembled Taylor. The horrible chemical burning smell that surrounded them was suffocating and it was not meshing well with his current state of mind. He began to feel dizzy and it was almost as though everything was happening in slow motion: Mason looking around while Dean and Kyle were crouched in front of Taylor to try and console her. He held the sides of his head as he looked around, terror welling behind his glasses as he tried to pull himself together. It was too much for his intoxicated haze and he was beginning to feel like he might pass out.

"Eli-get a grip!" Dean had given him a good whack against his arm when he noticed he was pacing back and forth behind them, only making Taylor's unease worse. He nodded hurriedly, running a hand through his hair as he took a deep breath. They needed to remain strong for her sake. Though with Mason now gone, he was left to stand awkwardly with no idea of what to do.

Dean turned his attention back to Taylor, trying so hard to think of something he might be able to do or say. Seeing her in this condition was terrifying for him, as he was sure it was for everyone else. She was always fierce and extremely sure of herself, never letting much of anything bother her. Never had he seen this kind of look in her eyes before- so scared, so desperate to get away. He very gently reached forward with his free hand, placing it very lightly against her shoulder. Taylor shuddered.

"Taylor...it's us. Dean and Kyle. And Eli back there." He said slowly, keeping his voice calm. And finally she managed to raise her eyes to look at them just long enough, her lips quivering. She was still mouthing something but he couldn't quite make out what it was she might be saying. "You're safe now." Dean reached around, inch by inch until he successfully managed to get his jacket around her bare shoulders. Taylor instantly reached for the edges, hugging it closer.

"Kyle...Dean...Eli," She repeated shakily, looking between them as her cries seemed to slow. He nodded and offered the smallest of reassuring smiles that he could muster. Taylor began to calm slightly, at least in her body language, but her gaze was still unsure.

"That's it. You got it." He said softly before glancing over at Kyle. "I feel weird...just waiting here. I feel like we need to at least get her out of the woods." Dean commented. He could easily lift her, however the fact of whether she would allow herself to be willingly carried was another matter completely.

"Why don't we? They'll just take forever getting through all the trees and shit with all their equipment," Elijah finally chimed in.

 

[King]

In the middle of town, Mason found a pay phone. Luckily 911 calls were free, so he tapped it in and waited. The nearest hospital was miles away and the ambulance would take ages, but they couldn't leave her. He slouched against the plastic to regain his breath as he held the phone against his ear.

"Hello, I need an ambulance." Mason breathed heavily, waiting for the click. "Hi, I need help, my friend, she was abducted." He said. The sound of confusion then a damning tone saying he shouldn't call this number with a joke. Mason cut the woman's voice off sharply, realizing that it might have sounded a bit crazy, "No, listen. She was taken by someone and now she's manic, screaming and bleeding from her legs." Mason couldn't even think as he pictured his best friend. Once the lady realized he wasn't prank calling, she asked him for all the details.

"Send the ambulance to uh-" Mason looked around, trying to figure out which street he was on, "The convenience store on Kennedy Street, Deadwood." He said quickly. It even sounded like the woman on the phone didn't know where that was. When the ambulance was confirmed, Mason let out a sigh, keeping the phone rested on the top of the phone stand.

As he was waiting, Mason felt his stomach churn so hard. This entire situation felt like a bad dream, he looked up at the clear sky, dotted with stars. Was she really taken by a UFO? Mason felt bad. Somehow it felt like he was using her situation to promote his own beliefs. Mason coughed, turning to the side to throw up. He curled over and vomited, the nervousness was too much.

Watching Taylor relax a tiny bit with each passing second calmed Kyle. He was about to enter her manic state if she didn't. He didn't reach out to her, Dean's hand was probably enough. Kyle watched as she mouthed something. He couldn't quite figure it out.

When Dean suggested moving her quietly, Kyle's eyes widened. "We can't.." He whispered, Taylor looked like she would have a panic attack and die if two guys grabbed onto her and pulled her out of the woods. When Eli made a point, it did get him thinking rationally. Mason had been gone a while, and the ambulance would already take ages to get to them, they may as well save Taylor some time by getting her closer to them. Kyle licked his lips and looked at Taylor, who was now only taking short sobs, rather than screaming and hyperventilating.

He cautiously looked at Dean before looking at Taylor again. "Tay Tay-" He started softly, watching Taylor look up at him with wet eyes, "It's cold out here, do you think you could stand up?" He asked her as slow as he could. Taylor looked at Dean, then at Eli. When she finally landed her eyes back at Kyle, he nodded. Taylor didn't seem to give any indication before she tried to stand up. Her legs were limp, like she had done something to one of her ankles. Kyle stood up too, looking at Dean. Neither he or Eli had that much strength, Eli was tall and lanky, Kyle was short and chubby. Dean was definitely the guy to help her here.

​

 

[MonstarNomNom]

Dean followed as Taylor stood, torn desperately between instinctively grabbing her as she struggled to keep herself steady and trying his absolute best to give her the distance she needed to not send her into panic again. It was a hard balance to maintain, but he did manage to steady her with a hand on her waist. She leaned against him, her eyes scared for only a moment before she allowed herself to settle against his side. Her hands remained gripped at colorful windbreaker around her shoulders, only moving a hand to rub at her nose.

His voice was soft with offered encouragement, though it was obvious they wouldn't be able to get far with her on her feet. Dean didn't feel comfortable at all and forcing her to navigate these woods in her condition, even with help, was a risky idea. Her legs were already in horrible shape and there was no telling what other injuries she had. "Taylor, are you okay if I pick you up?" She was silent, staring idly at her feet before she looked up at Dean through watery eyes as if trying to debate if she could trust him. It was an expression that cut deeply- seeing a close friend look at you as though they didn't recognize you.

Finally she gave him a silent nod and Dean let out a relieved sigh. After handing his flashlight off to Eli who was closest, it only took a split second before she was gently lifted into his arms.

"I think I saw where Mason ran to- back toward where we came. I think it was near the convenience store." Eli's free hand was buried deep within his jacket pocket, almost completely sober from the sheer amount of adrenaline now pumping through his veins. He might be in a foggy state of mind, but he at least had a decent sense of direction.

-----

After what felt like a century, the trio finally arrived at the edge of the woods. Taylor's face was buried against Dean's chest as she continued to mutter what sounded like muffled gibberish. However, her quiet state was short lived at the bright lights around the store and street lamps. She began to squirm, her cries growing louder. Dean struggled to keep her calm, but it got so much worse when the ambulance sirens grew louder.

"Put me down!" She demanded, weakly fighting Dean's grip but he held on for dear life while trying to reason with her. The second he put her down, he could tell she would have darted off. Elijah was useless as he worriedly ran his hands through his hair, low key freaking out between Taylor's cries and the fact he was about to be surrounded by authorities while high as hell. The only thing that could make tonight even better was ending up behind bars while his friend was being rushed to the hospital.

"Kyle- a little help..." Dean managed, Kyle being the only one that seemed to be able to calm her while they walked over here.

 

[King]

The alone time was quite useful, Mason leaned against the telephone stand, breathing deeply as he thought about everything. The more he thought about it, the crazier the whole situation became. What really happened to Taylor? She had all the signs of someone who had been seriously traumatized by the government. And Deadwood wasn't a stranger to those sorts of rumors. Mason sighed, this was shit. He had always sort of hoped he'd really see some shit, but now he was he wanted to back out. He wouldn't wish Taylor's state on anyone.

The sounds of footsteps finally appeared after what felt like hours, Mason perked up. He turned the corner to see Dean carrying a distraught Taylor, Eli and Kyle following. He jogged over, "Holy shit." He whispered again, putting his hand on his head. He barely noticed the sounds of sirens when he watched Taylor slowly descend into panic again. Instead of being useful, Mason backed up a bit, finally noticing the ambulance had parked up outside the convenience store. The two men jumped out from the back and looked at Mason with confusion, like they didn't know what was wrong. That was until Taylor let out a manic scream. All three men ran round the corner to see Taylor almost escaping Dean's arms.

Kyle followed closely as they quickly walked through the trees. He kept trying to comfort Taylor. At some point he figured maybe she trusted Kyle more than the others because he didn't look as half as intimidating as the rest, they also did know each other for years. He hushed and tried to make her smile, but she just stared blankly at him. Kyle hated it, she looked like someone had sucked the soul out of her.

Seeing Mason pop out from behind the corner was a relief. Kyle was now worried about all of his bandmates. If Mason wasn't where Eli said he would be, Kyle would begin to panic again. "Oh thank God." He sighed. However his relief was short lived as the sirens began to upset Taylor. He stood next to Dean, who struggled with keeping Taylor from running away.

The paramedics were getting closer and Taylor was getting hysterical. When prompted, Kyle thought about the only thing he could do. He grabbed Taylor's cheeks and looked at her. She was like a deer caught in the headlights, staring back at him with huge eyes. "Tay, it's okay. I'm here. Dean is here. We're not leaving you alone." He said in the softed voice he could. Taylor's breathing was heavy, she was still crying. At least she wasn't attempting to run away though.

The paramedics got her to lie on the stretcher, but every time one of them tried to touch her, Taylor would throw a fit. One of the paramedics said something about drugs, maybe he assumed she was on them.

"Can we come?" Mason asked one of the men in green, "One of you, we can't carry everyone." He said as he rushed off into the back. They all looked at each other, like they were trying to figure it out. "I'll go." Kyle said, hoping everyone would agree. He knew they all wanted to keep her safe, but Dean could drive. By hell was Kyle going to let Mason jack his dads car again. "Dean, can you take us?" Mason asked as Kyle crawled into the back, Taylor still sobbing. "We can't just wait here." Mason watched as the doors shut, sirens on. Taylor's screams were still audible over the sirens, the worst sound he had heard all day.​

 

[MonstarNomNom]

Everything from the blinding ambulance lights to the bustling paramedics was all a blur to Dean as he stood there. He was functioning solely on adrenaline as they pulled Taylor, distressed and screaming, from his arms. And suddenly Kyle was in the ambulance with them and the sirens drifted back off into the distance leaving the trio behind in a cloud of desert dust.

Elijah coughed dramatically, straightening his glasses. "Fuck...what just happened," he asked aloud as he pulled the worn red jacket tighter over his lanky form. Dean was still regaining his composure, finally shaking out of he trance he had found himself in.

"We're going to the hospital." Dean said simply, wasting no time in walking back toward town where his car was still parked at the old record shop.

"Hey!" Eli called, stopping him with a tug on his arm. "I can't go. I'm so fucked, man...." his voice softened when Dean looked down at him, his eyebrows furrowing. "They'll lock me up, for sure."

"Yeah. Typical Eli." Dean sneered, his worry for Taylor now getting the best of him as well as the lack of Kyle to keep him from holding his temper at bay. Elijah's expression fell dramatically at the words as they cut him and Dean could see the pain written all over his face. He sighed at the realization of his brash choice of words, running a hand through his messy dreadlocks. "Look, I'm sorry. But I really need to go. We can't waste time like this-" He paused, "Mason, stay with Eli. Meet us at the hospital in the morning. We'll catch you up there." And with that he took off toward the main road.

----

Dean groaned unhappily at the gentle beams of sunlight that streamed through the cloudy glass windows of the run down hospital. He flopped a thick arm over his eyes, but was quickly driven awake by the painful crick in his neck he was now grossly aware of. He ran a hand over his face, sitting upright and rubbing the pained muscle. Everything from the night before slowly came back to him and he looked down to see Kyle curled up beside him beneath a blanket, head resting in his lap. Well, if that wasn't the cutest damn thing to wake up to.

He smiled softly to himself, resting back against the chair and resting a hand against his shoulder. Dean's mind was soon drifting back to Taylor and the previous night's events. He hadn't been able to see her of course, but her parents had rushed over as soon as he called and had been in the room with her almost all night. He'd stayed awake most of the night, unable to fall asleep as he tried to put all of the pieces together to try and figure what it was that had happened to her.

He found himself reluctantly arriving at the same conclusion each time: aliens. It was the only possibility that made sense with all of the mystery that surrounded her disappearance and all of the tell tale signs had been there. However, he refused to fully commit to the idea, at least not until Taylor confirmed it herself.

---

Elijah grumbled unhappily as he slowly began to wake up from the deep sleep he had crashed into once they got back to Mason's place. He reached up with a tired hand, giving his heavy eyes a rub as he yawned. Once his blurry vision began to focus, at least as much as it could given the fact he had pretty shitty eyesight, he soon realized he wasn't on the couch anymore.

Instead, he was snuggled up quite close to none other than his best friend. The realization brought a sleepy grin to his face and he nuzzled his face against Mason's back, tightening his arm that was wrapped loosely around his middle. Mason would certainly not be so pleased with Eli's decision to intruding on his "personal space", especially since he could vaguely remember Mason telling him, quite specifically, to stay on the couch. He almost waking up and sneaking back out, but he wouldn't mind sleeping in a little longer considering his head currently felt like it was being split in two. And, let's be honest, he could never pass up an opportunity to ruffle Mason's feathers.

 

[King]

It seemed about right that Mason and Eli ended up crashing at his shithole. Kyle and Dean were going to spend time in the hospital with her. Mason pointed the couch out specifically for Eli, he even collected some old blankets for him. Most of the night Mason thought about the nights events. He thought about Dean and Kyle comforting a screeching Taylor in the ambulance, as Mason tried to keep Eli from passing out. He worried about Taylor. Mason checked the clock on his desk, four AM. Mason sighed, turning around to attempt to get some rest.

The next morning came about, and Mason could barely force his eyes open. He grumbled as he tried to move, a weight was on his back. Mason opened his eyes more, twisting his head to see Eli curled up behind him. "Aw man, c'mon." He grunted, his voice two pitches lower and twice as croaky. He wriggled as much space between the two of them as he could on his single bed. "There's this thing called personal space bub." He cringed, still too lazy to get out of the bed.

Mason's dad, John opened the door. A five day, grey beard on his face. "You got the my razor?" He asked, not batting an eye at his son being in bed with another man. John couldn't give less of a shit about what Mason got up to, as long as it didn't disturb him. "Hey Eli, you two datin' now?" He asked, before he rummaged through Mason's room. "Dad, I'm not gay!" Mason whined, quickly getting out of the bed. He rubbed his head, "It's in the bathroom, get outta here!" John shrugged, "Nice'ta see you Eli." He waved them off. "Ugh." Mason sat back down, "I told you to stay on the couch."
​

-
​

Kyle's experience in the ambulance was less scary than the forest. He held onto Taylor's hand the entire time, like she finally recognized his face. Anytime the medic tried to do anything, she was sent into a fit again. Kyle stroked her arm and held onto her for dear life. She kept saying things through her sobbing, and he finally was able to hear what she was saying. "The light, I don't want to see the light anymore." She sobbed. Kyle was so confused, what had someone done to her. She kept rambling about lights and being surrounded. Kyle was really distraught.

Once they got to the hospital, they stabilized her, and had to use an awful lot of injections to finally stop her from resisting. Once her parents arrived, Taylor calmed down, Kyle knew she really loved them so it must have been a relief. Kyle couldn't keep his eyes open. Once Dean arrived, he needed a quick hug before they were placed in the waiting room. As soon as he could, he wrapped himself in the blanket and closed his eyes.

Kyle didn't know how he went from sleeping upright with an old blanket, to curled up on Dean's lap. He realized the move then Dean's leg moved aswell. Kyle didn't open his eyes, but snuggled up a bit more, his head resting on Dean's thigh. He was wonderfully comfy, and needed the sleep. Even though he knocked out as soon as he got the blanket, he had nightmares that kept him from falling into a deep sleep. It wasn't until the light his his eyes that Kyle moved, "Noo.." He sighed, not wanting to move.​

 

[MonstarNomNom]

"Personal space is a foreign concept to me." Eli said nonchalantly as he yawned, scratching at the day old stubble that sprinkled his cheek. He looked up groggily when he heard the door suddenly open, Mason's dad standing in the frame as he seemed to be looking around for something. Elijah groaned as he began to fumble around in drawers, gripping at his pulsing head from the sudden invasion of loud noises.

"Mornin', John," he managed through his splitting headache, not bothering to answer the question as Mason was very quick to chime in with his own, very predictable response. It did bring a rather wide grin to his face though- it was way too easy to yank Mason's chain. And just as quickly as his dad had come in, he was being hurried back out again. "Nice seeing you too, John," Eli gave him a half assed wave as he looked over his shoulder, hair sticking out in every direction.

He grinned tiredly over at Mason before flopping back onto the mattress, happily stretching out now that he had it all to himself. "I got cold- plus that couch is shit. I swear there are springs sticking out of it." He stared at the ceiling as the events from the night before slowly began to come back to him. God, he hoped Taylor was okay. "You snore by the way," Eli added with a cheeky grin. He gave a brief glance down at his ragged tshirt that he'd already worn for a couple days now. "Mind if I borrow some clothes?" He gave a hopeful glance to Mason. Normally he wouldn't give a shit about how he looked, but this was Taylo, and she was kind of a big deal.

-----

Dean had slowly begun to nod off again while getting lost in his thoughts, head draped over the back of the unsupportive waiting room seat. A single eye opened as he felt Kyle beginning to stir, giving him a gentle pat of empathy- he knew exactly where he was coming from. Dean had barely slept that night himself and the fact Kyle had slept so fitfully worried him even more. In the time he had known Kyle, he'd realized he was pretty sensitive to those around him and whatever emotions of situations they were experiencing. What he really needed was some proper sleep, and Dean had tried to offer to drive him home but Kyle wouldn't have it- not that he blamed him. He was closest with Taylor, after all.

"You should go back to sleep," Dean reassured him, his back giving a noticeable pop as he straightened in the seat. "They still haven't come out to say we can see her," he gave an exasperate sigh at this. When they had gotten to the hospital, he had almost immediately been hounded by the police as if he was some kind of suspect. Dean preferred to forget almost everything about last night. He thought for sure they would have been able to see her by now, but there was no telling what kind of state she was currently in. He'd only been able to catch a glimpse of her when they were wheeling her to her room and it was obvious she'd been dosed with some heavy drugs to calm her down.

"How are you feeling? You had me worrying about you all night with how much you were thrashing around in your sleep." Kyle had even mumbled a few things, but Dean had never been to catch what it was he was saying.