I sat up in bed, shivering slightly. I'd been having a bizarre dream about Sky. He'd been running round in circles screaming continuously, "The bananas are coming! The apocalypse will take us all!" The more I thought about it, the funnier it got till I had my hands clamped over my mouth, stifling my giggles. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I lowered my hands from my mouth and frowned. I yelped as a bloodcurdling scream rang in my ears. I bolted out of bed and was over by the door in less than a minute. It hadn't woken my parents yet, but I was scared. It came again, a primeval sound that chilled me to the bone and turned my blood cold in fear. I had my hand on the door handle. It was silent once more. Somehow that was even scarier than the screams. Then they came again, echoing through the sleeping village. I shivered and opened the door, running down the stairs and pausing by the front door before cautiously opening it. Sky's house was right next to mine and I had no doubt that he would be scared too. He was a light sleeper so it had probably woken him already. I crept outside and closed the door behind me. The Oak's leaves rustled slightly in the warm summer breeze and the moon crawled across the immense sky. I shuffled along the wall of my house, my back resting against the woodwork. I reached Sky's house and knocked lightly on the door. "Sky, bud, you awake?" I yelped as a terrifyingly loud shriek sounded nearby. "Sky! Help!" The door was flung open and Sky stood in the doorway. His yellow eyes were wide in terror and his hand gripped the handle so hard his knuckles were white. Another scream and I whipped round. A shadowy figure stood a few metres away from us, beneath The Oak. It raised its head and I saw a glimmer of moonlight reflect off of their blue eyes. Sky grabbed my arm and pulled me into the house, closing the door quickly behind us. We both stood there, our breathing rapid and shallow. I turned to Sky, eyes wild with fright. "What the hell was that?" Sky was shaking. "R-remember the rumours?"
SSundee had gone very still. The rest of the team were captivated by Ty's chilling story. They didn't realise how hard Ian was clenching his fists. His knuckles had gone white and he was shaking slightly.
"Yeah, I remember the rumours. But they weren't real Sky. You saw Ian at school today. He's perfectly normal." I pointed towards the closed door, towards outside. "But that thing isn't." Sky took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. "Ok...ok..." We both stood there. The night was silent once more. "Did it wake you up?" Sky nodded. I smiled wryly. "I was already awake. I'd been dreaming about you." Sky looked at me. "...what?" I giggled. "You were running round in circles screaming, 'The bananas are coming! The apocalypse will take us all!'" We both laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like me." He admitted. I took a deep breath and opened the door a crack, looking outside. "D'you think it's gone?" Sky had his back against the wall and was sliding down it slowly, staring at the ceiling. "I-I hope so. It scared the crap out've me." I nodded shakily. "I think the coast is clear." Sky frowned. "Why do people say that? I mean, we're not even on the coast-" I clamped a hand over his mouth and stared out at The Oak. The figure had reappeared beneath it and was staring intently at us. I could feel it, even though it's face was wreathed in shadows. I looked above it and could just make out Mitch and Jerome peeking down at it, terrified, as it stood below them. The figure blinked and broke the trance it had put me in. I blinked too and it stepped backwards, instantly melting into the shadows.
I made a sound of disgust and whipped my hand from Sky's mouth as he licked my hand. He laughed at my disgust and I wiped my hand on my pyjama trousers. "That was gross dude." He smiled wryly, then his pupils dilated in fear at the memory of the sinister, screaming figure. "What the heck was that do you think?" I shrugged, shivering slightly. "No idea. Wasn't human, that's for sure." Sky sighed. "You gonna wait till dawn to go back?" I nodded. "Yeah. That figure might come back." Sky smiled. "Ok." I shut the door and we both went and sat on Sky's sofa. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Sky was silent, then he said, "I hope Ian's ok. He's all by himself." I frowned. "Nah Sky, he's got his family." "I-I don't think he does Ty. He's always alone when he walks to school. He never walks home with any siblings and his house is right on the edge of the village, away from everyone." I sighed in exasperation. "Don't start with the rumour crap Sky." He made a hmph sound. "Well forgive me if I find some screaming person in our village at the dead of night related to the fact that one of our friends is rumoured insane." I snorted. "You're so weird." Sky gave up after that and I soon fell asleep thereafter.
When I awoke Sky was shaking my shoulder. "Ty, your mum's calling you." I yawned and got up, stretching as I did so. My mum was stood at the door, talking to Sky's mum. Elizabeth, Sky's sister, was looking at me hopefully. I smiled at her and ruffled her hair playfully. Her face went redder than the Nether and she hid behind her mum shyly as I walked to the door. I caught snatches of our mum's conversation. "Did you heard the screams last night?" "I did, I went to find Ty and figured he'd have come here." Sky's mum frowned. "Have you seen the new kid?" I froze and I could tell Sky was listening intently now at the mention of Ian. "Yes I have. No parents you know. He lives alone." Sky gave me a look as if to say, I told you so. I rolled my eyes and kept listening. "Shouldn't someone adopt him?" My mum shrugged. "I'm not getting involved. Rumours and stuff. Come along now Tyler." I smiled up at her and waved goodbye to Sky. "See you later buddy." Sky grinned. "Sure." Silently, we both exchanged a single glance of concern for our friend. If even the adults were believing the rumours about Ian, he was in big trouble.
***
Ian wasn't at school that day. We searched everywhere for him, even in the hybrid sector beside our school. I curled my fingers through the chain-link fence as Sky questioned our friends Husky and Kermit. "Have you seen Ian anywhere? You know, the tall brunette that made friends with the ocelot hybrid?" Husky shook his head sadly. "Why, is he missing?" I sighed. "Some weird stuff happened last night. We haven't seem him since." Kermit looked at me. "Was it anything to do with those screams?" Sky growled. "It was everything to do with them. People are spreading round rumours and it's not fair on Ian." Husky nodded. Then the bell went and we had to return to class. Me and Sky said our farewells and turned away; I spotted Seto hurrying into class and ran up to him. "Hey Seto!" He smiled at me. "Hey Ty. Have you seen Ian today?" I shook my head. "I was about to ask the same to you." Seto looked worried. "Some of the older years are saying horrible things about him." Sky appeared at my side. "Like what?" Seto eyed the throng of students heading into class. "I'll tell you after school." Then he ran to join them. Sky and I exchanged a doubtful glance and ran in to catch up.
***
Finally, it was the end of the day. Sky and I waited with Mitch for Jerome and Seto to exit from their lesson together. They'd had to ask the teacher about the homework. We made small talk until they appeared. "So Sky, what are you doing for the Geography homework? We have to research a biome right?" Sky nodded. "I'm guessing Jerome's helping you with yours." Mitch grinned. "Bacca's know all about the jungle biomes." I smiled, then said, "I wonder why Ian wasn't in today. It doesn't seem like him." Sky was about to say something when Seto and Jerome ran up to us. Seto looked angrier than I'd ever seen him. "Those jerks just called Ian creeper-dung!" My eyes widened; that was the worst insult you could get!" Sky growled. "That's not cool." Jerome's claws slid out and I saw Mitch rest a hand on his friend's shoulder. "No Jerome. Play it cool dude." I narrowed my eyes. "Where are those twats?" Seto sighed. "I don't know, they ran off afterwards." Suddenly, I heard someone calling my name. It sounded like- "Ian!" Sky ran over to our friend who was standing by the school gate. He smiled. It struck me how tired and haggard Ian looked, but there was still a mischievous glint in his startlingly blue eyes. "The reason I wasn't at school today was because I found something about a week ago and it just woke up this morning." Sky looked excited.
"What is it?!" Ian smiled. "C'mon. I'll show you." We all followed our friend out of the school, towards the outskirts of the village. He paused in front of a dense forest. "You dudes need to stick by me or you'll get lost in here." We all nodded and followed as he disappeared into the trees. It was cool in the forest and wet leaves brushing against my skin gave me chills down my back. We emerged in a clearing where a small house was. Ian didn't say anything but I instantly knew this was where he lived. He led us round the back where a small room had recently been built out of cobblestone and wood. Ian opened a door in the side and we all stuck our heads through the doorway because we couldn't all fit inside. Ian knelt down beside someone. The someone sat up. They had brown-blonde hair and piercing green and blue eyes. It was a male. He smiled shyly. "H-Hi." Sky grinned, the friendliest one out of all of us. "Hey! My name's Adam, but my friends call me Sky!" I waved. "I'm Ty!" Mitch smiled. "I'm Mitch and the fuzzy guy is Jerome." Jerome grinned. Seto smiled warmly. "I'm Seto." The boy waved back at us. "I-I'm Jason. Your friend Ian here rescued me from hostile mobs a few days ago and brought me here." Ian smiled. "I wasn't at school today because I was helping Jason get better. He was half-dead when I found him." Sky smiled. "You're forgiven."
My smile dropped. "Ian, can I talk to you alone?" He stared at me. "Um, ok." He followed me out of the room and Sky jumped into his place. I kept walking till we were out of earshot, then said, "Everyone at school is saying really bad stuff about you. The rumours have gotten worse too since last night." Ian stiffened at the mention of last night. "Why, what happened?" I stared at him. "You didn't hear the screams?" He blinked and looked as if he was hiding something. "N-no. Why?" I frowned. "Ian-" Sky ran up to us. "There's a bat in your house Ian." Ian rolled his eyes. "That thing keeps coming in through the window!" He followed Sky back to the house and I was left alone, filled with doubt. What was Ian hiding? I went back to the room Jason was in and found him sitting with the bat in his lap, softly stroking its ears. I smiled at him. "Is that yours?" Jason smiled back. "No one else wants him. I'm gonna call him Dillan, after my brother." His face fell and I thought I caught a glimpse of a tear on his cheek. Sky bounded up to me, looked at Jason with the bat, then back at me. "We should probably head back now Ty, my mum will explode otherwise." I stared at him. "You did mean that in the way that she'll get mad, right?" Sky rolled his eyes. "Nah, I meant in the way that she's a bomb. You're so dumb Ty." I grinned.

"Not as dumb as you." Sky smiled. "Butter." Then he ran off. I facepalmed. "Sky you don't know the way out you dumbass!" He stopped and whirled round. "Oh yeah." Then he ran back past me over to Ian and said something to him; Ian nodded. "I'll take you guys back to the village. I need to get some stuff for Jason as well." Mitch and Jerome emerged from the woods, Mitch pale and Jerome shaking. Ian looked at them. "Where'd you guys go?" Mitch paused, swaying slightly, his face tinged green. "W-we found a body." I stared at them. "You can't be serious." Jason emerged from the small room, still holding Dillan gently. Seto went and stood by his side. "What's going on?" Sky looked at him. "Apparently Mitch and Jerome found a body." Mitch looked close to fainting. "It was all torn up and bleeding still." Ian looked horrified. I frowned. "Show me." As we walked I felt nervous. Why had I asked them to show me? I guess it was because I thought they were joking. We emerged into a smaller clearing and Jerome pointed into the bushes opposite. "I-it's over there." I walked towards the point he was gesturing to and took a deep breath before moving the leaves apart. I froze, staring at the mutilated body before me. I backed away. I knew why Mitch was being sick in the bushes now. You could barely make out that it was human. I turned to Jerome and Mitch, shaking. "Let's go back to the village. This place is freaking me out now."

Ty stared up at the stars. Mitch shuddered. "I still have nightmares about that body." Sky had his hand under his chin and was resting his elbow on his knee, legs crossed. He glanced over at SSundee. His friend had his head in his hands. Jerome put a furry arm round Mitch's shoulders. "Same here bud." Husky sighed. "So...now Ty's said his bit." They all looked expectantly at Ian. "You don't want to hear my story because you'll never trust me again." SSundee's tone was dark and he didn't sound like himself. Sky swallowed hard. "What do you mean? You're our friend Ian. We all trust you." Ian sighed and rubbed his face with his hands before letting them drop into his lap. He stared into the fire, not meeting anyone's gaze. "What if I was to tell you that that body was hidden for a reason? What if I was to tell you that you should've believed the rumours? And what if I was to tell you..." He raised his head, his sunglasses hiding his wild eyes. "That those screams came from me?"
(A/N: I got an update out! I'm so proud. XD cliffhangers for DAYZ. So yeah, next chapter is Ian's side of the story. And if you know me, which you kinda do by now, you know it's not not gonna be pretty XD anyway dudes, comment and vote if you enjoyed, I'm trying to lengthen the chapters again like they were before cus I know the last one was kinda short. And I guess I'll CYAAAAAAA!)