The Taylight Zone - Anthology Five

01 - Full Moon - A.J.

TRUST ME. . . I'M YOUR BEST FRIEND.


"Don't you ever get sick of being the world famous Zac Hanson?" Derek asked, laying back on the grass.

I laughed bitterly. "Oh, hell yeah. Even the world famouser Taylor Hanson gets sick of it."

"I know I wouldn't," Derek replied, running a hand through his hair. He smiled. "Dude, I don't know why you even convinced me to grow it out."

"Dude!" I protested, sitting up. "You CAN'T cut it off! Chicks LOVE it!"

Derek laughed. "You'd know, Zac."

"Yes I would," I smiled proudly. "OW! What'd you punch me for, retard?"

"You're getting spoiled by success," Derek replied, standing up.

I stood up, now his full five six height. "I'm as tall as you now. NOW I can kick your ass!"

"You so can't!" Derek replied, laughing. He suddenly stopped, and just as we were about to get into another small fight. "Hey, Zac? Can I ask you a question?"

I sat down. "Yeah, bud. Whatz doin?"

"If you could swich bodies with someone, you know, normal for a day or so, would you?"

I was taken back by the serious question. "That's somethin' to think about."

"With me?" Derek asked, suddenly turning to me. "With you, dude?" I gasped.

"I'll take care of your body, geez," Derek laughed. "But I might lose your virginity."

I laughed. "Derek, if it was possible, yeah, I would."

Derek's smoky blue eyes bore a hole into mine. "Is that a promise?"

Now things were getting REALLY weird. "Yeah, Derek, but it's not possible. Calm down, dude."

*~*~*~*

"What's wrong, Zac?" Ike asked, observing me brushing my teeth in the bathroom. "Because I know something's troubling you. You can't hide it from me."

I openly wanted to talk to Ike for once. "Ike. . . don't you think Derek's gotten a little weird since his Dad died?"

Ike scoffed, coming in and sitting on the toilet seat. "Yeah, anyone would."

I sighed frustratedly. "But weirder than weird! Freaky. CRAZY."

"I think you're just stressed," Ike shrugged. "SO art thou going to tellest
thy older brother what he ith being for Halloweeneth???"

"Noeth, Isakiel," I grinned. "You own up first." "Heeeeell no!"

"My costume is better than yours!" I declared.

He laughed. "We'll see about that!"*~*~*~*"Happppppppppy Halloweeeeeeen!"

"ZAC! IT'S SEVEN THIRY SIX IN THE MORNING! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"YEEEEAH SLEEZE, SHUT UP!"

I sat down on my bed. Ike and Taylor have NO Halloween spirit. Cartoon time.

But instead of watching the usual Saturday morning stuff, I vouched for the taped episodes of Celbrity Deathmatch. I settled down to watch the most recent, which I didn't get a chance to see. Gillian Anderson & David Duchovney were about to fight Tommy Lee Jones & Will Smith when the phone rang. I paused the tape and went for the cordless. "Yello! Joe's bar."

"HEY! Is Joe 'round?" Derek asked.

"Hold up. JOE! HEY, JOE! Some kid on the phone for ya. . . .This is Joe."

"Hey, Zac." "Joe." "Whatever. What are you doooing?"

"Watching Celebrity Deeeeathmatch. Why?" I asked, going back to the tape and clicking play.

"Well, I wanna compare costumes and stuff," Derek replied casually.

"AH AH! NO WAY! NO ONE SEES THE COSTUME YET!" I declared.

"Well, what if we're the same thing, like last year," Derek whined.

"NO ONE has my costume, I swear to God!" I laughed. "No one's that insane."

Derek muttered something."Huh?" I asked."Well, see ya tonight."

I looked at the phone, dial tone beeping, when I shrugged and watched Mark Hammil get devoured by a little green dude.

*~*~*~*

"Allright! Costume time!" Dad shouted, turning on the video camera.

Taylor bounded down the stairs first, carrying a fake scythe and wearing a long, dark robe.

"What are you supposed to be, Tay?" Dad asked.

Taylor looked up and pushed the hood back briefly. "A Hanson groupie."

"Ha ha."

"Fine, then. I'm the only thing that could destroy a Hanson groupie," Taylor replied, pulling the hood back over his face.

"Whatever, Tay," Dad shrugged. "Ike!"

Ike side stepped down the stair slowly. He wore a very old fashioned suit, a long and royal purple velvet cape to match. His hair was tied back into a tail, and his face was as pale as hell. Despite the fact that becuz of his
braces he couldn't have fangs, the silver color he got them in and the long  length of his eye teeth at the moment made up for the fangs. Ike made a great  vampire.

"Aaaah, Lestat!" Dad crooned, pleased.  "Zac! Zac, come on!

"Zac! Come on.Zac!"

I came down the stairs slowly, revealing myself to everyone. My hair was tied back and really high, shaved underneath. I wore purple corduroys, and an open-chested purple velvet shirt.

"What are you supposed to be, honey?" Mom asked.

"Taylor," Ike said, cracking up.

"Hey, shut the hell up!" Tay declared, hitting Ike with the fake scythe.

Derek knocked once before bounding in. He wore a brown leather jacket, sandy colored shirt, khakis, had a whip hanging from a beltloop, and an unmistakable hat."Indiana Jones!" I declared.

"You're a Backstreet Boy!" Derek declared.

"Yep!" I replied.Ike and Taylor began to laugh.

"Dude, don't hit on me," Derek warned.I made a face.

"Which one are you supposed to be?" Ike asked.

I looked in the mirror and shrugged. "No preferance. I don't know there names, anyhow."

Derek took off his hat. I looked at him. His long, sandy hair had been chopped off at the tippity top of his ear, lightly grazing it. "Aw, dude, what'd you do?"

"I like it this way," Derek grinned. "Well, anyhow, come on, Zac. Letz hit the good houses."

"Okay," I replied, picking up my pillow case and following Derek outside.

"Bye, people!"

But when Derek was outside, he didn't head towards the Stoughs' house. EVERYONE knows they're the richest people around; giving the best stuff.

"Dude! Where are you goin'?" I asked, stopping.

"Just this way," Derek replied, meaninglessly, pointing towards the woods.

"Shortcut to the Stough place."

"Okay," I shrugged, following him in. Soon it became evident we were far from the Stoughs, or even the Mantelbanos'. He streetlight was long since gone, and moonlight was running low. I was wearing Docs, but even in boots things were getting a little tough. "Derek, where are we?"

Derek turned to me, a sick look on his face and in his eyes. "Zac, you promised me."

I dropped my pillowcase and put my hands up in defense. "What, dude?"

"You'd switch," Derek hissed. "On that night, on that full moon, Zac."

I watched Derek pull a hammer or something heavy from his pillow case. "SHIT! DEREK! WHAT THE FUCK!"

Derek came closer, and the next thing I felt was pain. . . and darkness.

*~*~*~*

"Oh, look, he's coming to!"

I opened my eyes with a groan. I was in a hospital. I tried to sit up."Deere-"

"Derek, honey, lay down," a nurse said, pushing ME down."Huh? What?" I wondered.

"Your best friend is here," the nurse added.

I slowly sat up and a gasp caught in my throat. It was. . .me. My Docs, my face, my hair...Derek's soul. "YOU!"

Derek's--MY--eyes widened in horror as I dived at him, yanking at my blond locks and my face. "YOU STOLE ME! YOU STOLE ME! I'M ZAC! I'M ZAC! I'M ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC!"

Derek fell to the floor, the hood falling from his face--FROM MY FAVORITE WINDBREAKER!!! He gasped for air, stood up, brushed off his--MY--clothes.

I was pulled back onto the bed, and when straps were fastened to my arms, I realized I was in a mental hospital.

"He's obviously been severly traumatized from his father's death," Derek replied. "He tried to kill me on Halloween yesterday. He tried to cut off my hair."

"NO! YOUUUU LIAAAAAAAAAR!" I screamed. My hair, he cut it off! Gone, gone, gone...The people began to leave the room, and tried to tug "Zac" out.

"Wait a sec," Derek replied. "Lemme talk to him for a second."

Everyone left my room, excpet for the nurse, who stood at the door.

I shrank back onto the bed, my wrists halfway up and tied with those brown leather straps. I didn't want to see him, but I couldn't close my eyes.

He leaned forward, his golden blond hair lightly touching the tippity tops of his ears. He whispered with my pink lips. "It's okay, Zac. You trust me, don't you? I'm your best friend. I'll take care of your body." Here a small laugh. "I may lose your virginity, though."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" I screamed, trying to reach out at him.

He pulled away. "He's insane!"

The nurse came to push me down...and he left. The last time I saw him...in my body...he left...you have to stop him!...he's crazy!...you do believe me, right???


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