And Then There Was One (2019)

Chapter 2 - Colby McAuley and Tayler Thompson

Orlando, Florida

July 1, 2019

"And here comes the airplane, Colbyyyyy!!!" Tayler Thompson, a giggly childish brunette man from Saskatchewan, Canada, sing-songs out as he stands up and leans over the table with his arm extended out ahead of him. He is wearing a simple black, long-sleeved shirt and dark denim jeans with an Orlando-themed sports' cap turned backward on his head.

Colby McAuley, a sassy but easily frightened San Jose prospect, frowns and hisses at Tayler, leaping out of the chair and sprints across the room in his tiger cub form. "Don't feed me!! I'm not a baby! TREVOR OLSON!!!" He spins around and flashes his canines at the brunette man who gives chase, holding a spoon with orange paste on it.

Trevor Olson stomps down the stairs, shaking his head. His hair is messy and he is rubbing his eyes. He has on a baggy white t-shirt and black sleep pants. "Guys...seriously, not today."

"Come here Coco!"

"Get away from me!"

There is the sound of something rattling, before a loud, echoing crash. Then Colby skids on his paws over to where the sleepy older man is standing and dart-scrambles behind his legs to hide.

"Tayler Thompson! Colby McAuley! Knock it off!" Trevor scolds them. "You're going to break something like always with your childish fights. Colbs, darling..." He bends down to pick up the tiger cub. "Maybe get out of your tiger form, so you can actually eat?"

Colby frowns at him and slashes at his face.

"Don't you swat at me!" Trevor scolds him. "I know you hate being held...you little shit." He sets Colby back down on the ground.

"But we loves youuuuuuuu!" Tayler sing-songs and grabs him at once, hugging him.

"Can't. Breathe. Gonna. Die." Colby squeaks out, pushing at Tayler's arms with his paws.

Trevor chuckles, more awake now. "Okay, behave, I'm going to get the mail!"

Colby slips free, hitting the ground on his paws and transforms back into his human form, smirking up at Tayler. "No guarantees!" He jumps up to his feet and brushes himself off, wearing a dark gray and black loose compression shirt with the Lightning logo on the collar of it and a pair of black legging-pants.

"BEHAVE MCAULEY!" Trevor snaps at him. "Otherwise, I'm calling Uncle Mitch Hults over and he's going to probably bring Uncle Troy. And I know you don't want Uncle Troy on your asses!"

With that, Trevor walks past them and out the front door, heading for the street, where the mailbox is stationed. As soon as the door creaks to a sliver, Colby turns and shoves Tayler, sending him to his butt.

"Hey!" Tayler whines.

Colby folds his arms. "That's what you get for trying to feed me! I'm not a baby."

Tayler bounces back up to his feet. "Oh, you're wanting to fight huh?"

Colby narrows his eyes and flashes his teeth in a snarl. "Maybeeee."

"Bring it, oh, what is it that Uncle Johnny calls you that you hate so much? Penalty Minutes." Tayler smiles proudly at his catcall and hops back and forth with his fists raised up at the ready.

Colby lunges at him, but Tayler grabs him and flings him onto the couch. "You know I dislike that stupid nickname!" The fiery young man pushes himself up, puffing his floppy dirty blond hair out of his face. He blinks and spins his head around to find Tayler's new spot, only to come face-to-face with the smiling brunette.

"I hate you!" Colby snaps, grabbing him and flinging him to the ground, knocking over a lamp, which shatters on the wood floor. He pins Tayler to the ground and produces a ball of saliva in his mouth. "Try to escape from this, Tommer!"

At that moment, Trevor walks back in and sighs, seeing them. He slams the mail down and heads for the kitchen, grumbling to himself, "It's no use...they're just kids..."

The saliva begins to drip out of Colby's mouth, heading for Tayler's face.

"Okay, okay, stop!"

Colby shakes his head and lets the saliva ball hit Tayler in the forehead. "Now, I'm satisfied. Colby Cooties!"

"Coco, ewwwwww!" Tayler whines, squirming to get his arms free from Colby's hold. He throws his head back and spots the stack of mail Trevor had brought in. A shiny red object on one of the envelopes catches his eye. "Oooh!"

Colby cocks an eyebrow and relaxes his grip, licking his lips for excess saliva.

Tayler throws him off of him to the side and dashes for the mail, snatching the envelope. "It's for BOTH of us!"

Colby throws his head back, managing a stern expression on his face. "What do you mean we...? I'm not sharing ANYTHING with you!"

Tayler opens the envelope up in a messy way and then pulls out two pieces of paper. "Oooooh! An amusement park!!"

Colby takes the invitation from the brunette. "What a stupid idea!"

"It takes a lot to draw your interest, huh?" Tayler chuckles.

Colby chuckles with him, sarcastically. "Yeah. This sounds like a stupid scam...and what's that?"

Tayler hands it to him. "I don't know. It's a fun murdery poem!!"

"Oooh! Give that to me!" Colby snatches the note from Tayler. "How deliciously sick and twisted. We're not going to this, Tay."

Tayler pouts his lip and looks at the ground. "But--"

"Hey, I might be mean to you and pick on you, spit on you...but, I care about you, TT, you know that." Colby puts his hand on Tayler's arm. "This..." He waves the papers in the air to the side. "Is a bad idea."

"Coco, you're just scared!" Tayler grumbles, folding his arms. "Maybe Olly will let me go!" He brightens up at once and turns to go to the kitchen, but Colby grabs him by the wrist to stop him.

"No, TT, please. You remember that murderous clown movie you forced me to watch?"

"It!?" Tayler remarks, his deep brown eyes glittering.

"Yes...that one..." Colby sighs. "Hated that fucking movie. Anyway, this sounds like some psychopath trying to lure us to a fancy place just to kill us! You wanna die before reaching the NHL?"

"Nooooo," Tayler squeaks out.

"Then let me throw this shit out!" Colby lets him go and heads to the trash can, crumbling up the papers into a ball. "Thanks but no thanks Mr. Masquerade guy..." He then lets it drop into the can.

Suddenly the room floods with an eerie silence. Then there is a bloodcurdling scream from the kitchen.

Colby spins around and snatches Tayler's wrist. "I know you like to run off, but I'm asking you nicely for once, don't do it, TT!" Colby gulps, stepping backward toward the front door with Tayler held tightly in his hold. His heart begins to pound in his chest.

Behind them, the door flies open and then they see a pool of blood puddle out of the side of the kitchen.

"TREVOR!!" Colby screams out as he and Tayler are then roughly grabbed by two men.

Tayler pulls himself free, playing a game with his guy, until he is tasered into unconsciousness. Colby jerks at the hold, trying to fight back, but his arms are grabbed and forced behind his back and tied together with duct tape. Then tape is placed over his mouth and he is dragged out of the house, with the visual of Trevor's blood pouring out of the kitchen like some crazy thriller movie.

But this was real! It IS real.