As we drove into the driveway of Michael's house, we saw him and Charlotte sitting out on the front steps. Jealousy, like the nasty monster that it is, reared its head against my stomach, knocking the air out of me.

But I didn't show it. I tried not to show it anyway as Eric and I got out of the car and walked towards them, who seemed to be in their own little world. Why didn't he act like that when he had been with me?

"Hey guys," I said.

Michael stood up, turning towards us. When he saw us, he ran to us, making us fall backward onto the grass. We tumbled back laughing. Charlotte looked at us and smiled. "Hi, Emily. Hey, Eric. How are you guys?"

"Not bad," I lied, brushing the grass off of me.

"Good," Eric said.

"I guess I better be going. I'll see you next week right?"

She was talking about her party, something I didn't even want to think about, but I nodded my head. "Right."

Before she left, she kissed Michael. I wanted to look away, but I didn't. I watched them, her fingers running through his hair, his hands on her waist. I wanted to remember this and store it.

When I couldn't see her car lights anymore through the trees clustered in the yard, I turned towards Michael and Eric. "So, ready to get wasted?"

____

"Why didn't you tell me you were back with Charlotte again?" I asked. I saw him grimace in the light of the refrigerator.

"Take a wild guess."

I pushed him out of the way, grabbed a beer and popped the cap open and took a long, long drink. "You didn't care."

He slammed the fridge door shut and looked at me. I couldn't see his expression in the darkness of the garage, but I had it from experience that if looks could kill I would be dead right now. Somehow, Michael could make his anger palpable.

"Don't tell me I didn't care. I did- I do care. I didn't want to start this between us. I told you what we had was good and didn't need to be screwed up with-with what we did."

"Didn't stop you from giving in," I mumbled.

"I didn't tell you because I knew you would be hurt. But I wanted to be with Char. I love her, Emily. I love you, too, just not in the way I love her."

I smiled, an expression obscured by the dark. "I know. I just, I would have liked it better if you could have told me."

He breathed out. "I'm sorry."

I laughed to lighten the mood. "Well, what's done is done. Now we drink."

____

Michael and Eric were both downing beers and then shattering the bottles against the cave's walls. I was content to just sit back and watch them make idiots of themselves.

When Eric came back by me, I whispered, "Are you ready?"

He nodded, grinning like a fool.

"Hey you guys. I bet that both of you wouldn't be able to jump from here and land down on the sand."

"How much?" Michael asked. He was always one not to turn down a bet.

"Twenty bucks and a hit."

He smirked, and took out twenty bucks from his wallet and threw it into my lap. "You're on."

Eric did the same.

I ran down to the bottom, a bottle in hand. I looked up. The jump wasn't far, maybe five or six feet. "On the count of three!" I shouted. "One…two… "

And like we had planned, Eric pushed Michael off, and he landed with on his feet, but wobbled and fell back. "You, bitch!" He yelled up to Eric.

I ran up to Michael, and smashed the bottle in my hands on his head. "You lose," I whispered to his sprawled body on the ground. And then I felt the anger growing inside. I turned him on his back. Straddling his waist, I clasped my hands around his neck and squeezed. I remembered the way he had kissed Charlotte. He did love her. More than he ever loved me.

I could feel his heart beat faintly, and then nothing. I don't know how long I stayed like that when Eric's yells took me out of my trance.

"Emily! What the fuck!" Eric yelled, trying to yank me off of him, but I still held on. He took a hold of my hands, and my grip pulled free.

He tossed me aside, and bent down to see if he was breathing. When he heard that he wasn't, he tried CPR.

I moved my hands down against the rock wall, looking for any loose rocks. When I found one, large in both hands, I stood up and walked over to Eric, who kept pumping Michael's chest in vain.

When he saw me standing by him, he looked up at me. "This isn't what we planned," he whispered. He looked down to Michael, and that's when I brought the rock down hard on his head. When he didn't move, I did the same to him. I pulled my hands free from his neck when I was sure enough time had passed.

I looked at both of their bodies lying there. I did this, I thought. To Michael and Eric. My best friends. Realization hit me sometime later, and I ran. I ran towards the main beach. Maybe if I don't see them this will all be fake. A nightmare, I thought.

Reaching the main beach, I let myself fall face first into the sand, and I cried. I cried for what Michael did, I cried for what I did. For Eric, who didn't have anything to do with what I did. I fell asleep with my hands covering my head, crying into the sand.

____

"Wake up, doll." Someone was shaking me.

"Hm?" I looked up, pushing the hair from my face and brushing off the wet sand from my face. I heard his laugh. Michael.

I looked up to see him and Eric sitting in front of me, pouring sand into my hair. "Michael? Eric?"

"The ones and only," Eric answered. He extended his hand to give me the beer he was holding.

I sat up and took it, only taking a sip. I was relieved to see them sitting there alive. "What are you guys doing here?"

Michael who was sitting closest to me, cupped my cheek. "Are you okay, Em?"

I looked at him, and at Eric. "Yeah."

"I know what will make you feel better," he said.

I breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of the water that lapped up against the beach. It had all been just a bad dream. "What?"

Michael kissed me and said, "It's in the cave."

I thought it over and realized what he was talking about. "I'll race you there."

Stumbling up onto my feet, I ran towards the cave leaving them behind.

By the time I had reached our place, I couldn't hear Michael and Eric laughing anymore. It was just as well, I could enjoy the stash in peace without a couple of drunkards they tended to turn into when given a six pack of beer. A bunch of girls they were.

I took the stash out and began to roll a blunt, when I heard the sound of crunching gravel, more like crunching rocks.

"You'd better hurry up, there isn't much left," I called out. I giggled at the thought of them fighting over it.

I lifted the blunt to my lips, and lit it, exhaling the smoke, and breathing it back in. It was a horrible stench, but I was used to it.

The oddest sensation came over me. I felt little pricks along my back. I hadn't had this side effect before. I got up and walked outside,maybe walking it off would help.

Where could those idiots be? I couldn't hear their voices, and they should be near by now; it's not like it's so far away.

The pricks along my back intensified, almost like rubber bands being snapped against my spine. I threw away the blunt, and pushed my shoulders back.

I saw a figure walking down below me. "Mike?"

It wasn't Mike or Eric. It was a girl. I could tell now by the length of her hair, and her curvy figure. When she glanced up, her eyes looking straight at me mine, the pain along my back turned into what felt like burning a sensation. My skin itself felt like it was being charred with a torch.

oOoOo

"Do you remember now?"

I lay shaking in my bed, sweat dampening my hair onto my forehead, my palms sweaty against the bible I clutched.

"Oh, Em, doll. I know you remember. Tell me, what part did you like best: when you were gripping his neck for dear life, or when he was sprawled lifelessly before you?"

I stumbled from the bed to the window, standing against the wall opposite it. He sat on the branch, smiling, teeth gleaming. His eyes fully black, the wrinkled flesh around his eyes a strong contrast against the smoothness of his cheeks and forehead. I couldn't take it anymore.

I threw the bible with all I could against the window, hoping that it would hit him; obliterate him as if it were a knife or fire. Instead, it fell to the ground, not even a crack on the glass.

"What do you want?" I cried, sliding down the wall to the floor, defeated

"You. Your soul, to be exact."

A/N: All right, so what do you think? Yet another cliffhanger. But at least now you know, with some background info, why he's there (I hope). Oh, and now that you have at least some detail, you might be able to vote on the poll that I have on my profile about the Visitor. Thanks for reading! Please Review :-D