Chapter 7

"I can't believe you!" Janet screamed when they came back to Hayvenhurst. "Breaking into your brother's home like that!"

   "This is a life and death situation." Jackie stated. "I have a right when it comes to that." He put his black coat on the couch.

   "Michael is not a killer." Janet repeated. She put both hands on her head, closed her eyes for a moment, and tried to calm down. Then she looked up at Jackie. "We both grew up with him and you know it for a fact too."

   "People change, Jan'!" Jackie said. "You know it. You are in denial. You don't WANT it to be true. But it is. Face the music."

The next day, Jackie lay in his bed and thought about the situation. He didn't know what to do. He decided to rest his brain for a moment and cut on the radio. On every channel there was static.

   "Damn, stupid thing..." Jackie said, still changing channels. Then the static started to clear a little. Jackie started to listen closely and he heard children behind the static.

One, two, Jackson's coming for you....

   "Oh god, no..." Jackie whispered. He switched the channel.

Three, four, you better lock your door....

Jackie turned the radio off.

   "I'm gonna die..." He said in panic. Suddenly there was a knock on his door. Jackie slowly sat up. As slowly as possible he got out of the bed, heart racing.

Knock.....knock.....knock....

He took small steps towards the door and slowly turned the knob. To his horror, it was Michael. He looked at him with wide and terrified eyes. Michael smiled and put his hands in his jean pockets. "What's your problem?"

   "No..." Jackie backed up against his bed.

   "What?" Michael asked, still smiling.

   "You aren't gonna kill me." He pulled out a gun from underneath bed. "Get back."

   "Put the gun down now," Michael said calmly, putting his hands in front of him. "I only left my demo tape in here."

Jackie's hands were shaking. "Get out! I will shoot you!"

Michael laughed. "You are funny!"

Jackie took the safety off.

   "Jackie, bro..." Michael chuckled. "I left my demo tape in here." He slowly went over to Jackie's dresser drawer and took a cassette tape off of it. He waved it in front of him so Jackie could see.

   "See? It's my demo."

Jackie couldn't take any chances. He knew for sure that Michael was a madman. He shot him twice.

Michael dropped the cassette. He started laughing. "Oh my god, Jackie, you didn't..."

Jackie kept the gun aimed at him.

Michael tried to step forward but he dropped to the ground instead. He began laughing hysterically. "You actually had the guts to do it!"

Tears came to Jackie's eyes. "I didn't-- I mean..."

   "You meant to do it. You wanted to do it. You wanted to kill me." Michael whispered. His glassy brown eyes looked up at Jackie.

   "I- I love you..." Jackie said in a shaky voice. He lowered the gun.

   "I know that. I know." He collapsed on the floor. Tears came down Jackie's cheeks.

   "I didn't want to..." he whispered to himself. He went  up to the body. He hadn't realized he had shot him twice, once in the heart and once in the stomach. Jackie rolled the body over so that it was laying on it's back and got blood all over his hands. He turned his head away and cried harder.

   "I'm so sorry," Jackie whispered.