1:12 AM WEDNESDAY 2 DAYS TILL THE WORLD ENDS

"James!" I was up and moving before I knew what I was doing. I hate him. I honest to goodness hate James Doodley. He's annoying, rude, anything but caring. He blames me for his life failures and clings to video games as a source of life. He saved my life and then left me. He sucks. That's why I'm practically jumping up to see if he's alright.

"Wait Chloe!" Van said. All of them were surprised at my suddenly flip out. I didn't pay that much attention; my mind was running on one track. I was halfway our the trap door when we touched.

Van hadn't been wearing his gloves. Partway through my retelling of my night he had taken them off and was fanning his face. Can't blame him; it was over one hundred degrees. I also can't blame him for reaching out to stop me and....

My last thought was 'Oh geez I'm going to die.' And then pain exploded everywhere.

Everything happened so fast I let go of the ladder, Van pulled back, my mind caught fire- or what it would feel like if I could burn- and then Molly and Quinn jumped up, Van started panicking and then everything went black.

When I opened my eyes I instantly knew something was wrong. I was white. like a ghost. panick swelled up in me. I cant be dead! I refuse to be dead, not that I actually have a choice.

Suddenly I was standing in that alley with James and those guys. None of them even reacted to me.

"James!" I yelled. He didn't to hear. His face was full of fear but he crackled with electricity. I stepped in front of him and waved my arms. he stared right through me. Wait didn't something like this happen before? Like in Harry Potter?

"He can't hear you." I whipped around startled to see Zach also glowing.

How can he be here? where is here? am I really dead? Whats going on? My face must have said it all because he laughed dryly.

"It's quite annoying." He said. "I mean we're not even really here. Its a side effect of Van's power. at the randomest times I get pulled from my life to watch someone else's. I'm guessing Van just pushed you out of the way of a car?" There was an unusual amount of spite in his voice.

"No, I fell out if a tree house. " I said nervously diverting my gaze to James and the men. A full out fight had started and I just then noticed the eerie silence around us. I watched in horror as the black clad figures lunged for him with glints of metal. knives. they were going to stab my brother wih knives until he died.

Despite knowing that it didn't feel real. I felt like I was at the movies seeing a new premier and eating buttered popcorn. Oh I wish. As I watched with Zach standing uncomfortably close the danger felt far away.

James was letting out charges of energy but it didn't seem to effect these guys at all. he put up a good fight for someone who doesn't work out on a daily basis, eats more potato chips than they have stocked in the store, and plays video games all day. He tossed the first man over his shoulder and side kicked another one. the third guy went to slash and he ducked with barely enough time to avoid an unexpected hair cut.

the fourth and fifth men grabbed his arms not even bothering with a knife. James struggled for all the good that did him. He didn't have a way out and it showed clearly on his face.

"This is the good part." Zach said, smiling. I gave him a horrified look. his amused look quickly to horror to. "No I didnt mean it like-just watch." He said trying to correct his statement.

I watched in desperate hope for something that would help James. He had barely a minute left by the looks of the guys closing in. the first guy slashed at him. Stupid mistake. as soon as he made even the slightest contact eletricity jumped through the knife and he fell to the ground smoking.

James made a small smirk. "Didn't count on that, did you?" His voice sounded really odd and far away, but the smugness was just like my brother.

The two guys heaved him into the alley wall. A brick wall. the kind that superheroes are thrown into and don't come out of. Except James isn't a superhero.

Thankfully he didn't go straight through the wall so it didn't calaspe on him. He didn't move. I ran to him and checked his pulse. He was still alive. But blood dribbled from the cut on his shoulder and he had a goowe egg the size of a softball on his forehead. More blood dripped from a slash when the explosion hit. And Zach thought this was Funny?!

I whipped around glaring daggers at his ghostly figure. "My brother isn't laughing." I said driving as much venom in into my voice as possible.

"No just- just wait." Zach said "l like your brother. he's really nice and all. trust me I don't want to see him die. See?"

Just then a whirlwind of dust zoomed through all of the figures knocking them back and creatin a barrier between James and me and the sinister people trying to kill James. Suddenly Zach was there. I looked back and forth between them. A full colored Zach and a ghostly image of Zach. in the time it took me to assess that there were two of him the colored Zach had already taken out all of the men in black. He was that fast.

James groaned subconsciously. Zach raced over and knelt right next to me. He checked my brother's pulse and looked relieved when he found it. Hen he examined his cuts like a mini doctor. I know he couldn't see me but I could help noticing how good he looked up close. I looked back at the other Zach who was floating borely around like he has nothing to do. I could see his good looks even in his white wispy form.

when I looked back James ans Zach were gone.

"Where did they go?" I asked looking around. not a sign of them anywhere.

"Back to my apartment." Zach answered. Suddenly the whole world wavered.

"Chloe." the voice came from everywhere. "Chloe."

"Quickly, its time for you to go." Zach said rushing " you can find us at the Oakland apartments. Ring number 12 and ask for Wally West. got it? and try to ditch Van before you get there. I'd like to keep me apartment a secret for now."

"Chloe."

" Wait Zach," I said. "Just thanks. for that." He smiled.

"Anytime, Chloe, anytime." He waved.

Then I woke up.