By: J.C. Gonzalez
Author's Note:
I never intended to have a sequel to my The Ring Around the Moon trilogy. But I've decided to see how things turn out in Samara's Awakening. It'll probably be broken up into 4 parts titled by the season the part in the story takes place in. Oh yeah, and make sure your settings are set to "All" or "R" because the next one or two might be rated R for strong language as well. I hope you enjoy the sequel!
THE RING AROUND THE MOON 2SPRING:
Samara's AwakeningThe telephone rang, the sounds bounced off the walls of the empty house. It was Kelly's house. No one was home, so the answering machine picked up. A dark whisper of a little girl left the recording.
"Seven days," Samara said.
*
1 Year Earlier: Spring*
Kelly held the baby in her arms as she sat in the backseat. Rick was driving her home from the hospital. This was her first day out of the hospital since she gave birth to the baby. Kelly was staring out the window, watching the tall grey buildings pass by. She didn't even glance into the baby's eyes. Not once since the day she gave birth to her. Kelly was afraid to.
She also never referred to the baby as "her" daughter. Kelly always called it "the baby" or by it's name "Katrine." Rick finally pulled to a stop in front of their house. They got out and walked to the front door, silent.
*
One Week Later*
It was night, and it was raining. Kelly lie awake in bed, faced away from her husband and staring at the wall with blank dead eyes. She stared at it for two hours, thinking about the baby. Kelly watched the shadows of the rain bleeding down her wall. Wondering if she was insane. She didn't think so, but what was happening was irrational. What was happening was insane.
Katrine—her possessed baby—began to cry. Kelly didn't bother to go see if the baby was okay. She lay motionless. Rick stirred in his sleep and eventually woke up because of Katrine's crying. He shook Kelly's shoulder.
"Kelly, it's Katrine again. She's crying," he said, half asleep.
"I know," Kelly said quietly in a whisper.
"Kelly, what's wrong? You've acted strange ever since… since Rebecca's death," Rick said. "Are you okay? You're still depressed, we'll always be sad for our daughter but… but…"
"You don't care that she's dead," Kelly whispered in the dark room.
"What?"
"You don't care that Rebecca is dead. Well, wait, you do care to a certain extent," Kelly said in her quiet monotone voice. "But you are more relieved than depressed."
"What the hell are you talking about, Kelly? What the hell's gotten into you?"
"Nevermind," Kelly said.
"And what about the baby?" Rick asked.
"What about her?" Kelly replied, uncaring.
"She's crying," Rick was angry now.
"I know that…" Kelly shut her eyes, making an attempt to sleep.
"Shit!" Rick screamed. He jumped out of the bed in anger. Kelly felt the bed shake. Rick stomped across the room and headed for the doorway, he was going to check up on Katrine.
"Why don't you come to check up on the baby? Why didn't you check earlier?" Rick shouted.
"Don't you yell at me, damn it! I carried that piece of shit for seven months! It grew faster that usual and put me through fucking hell! So don't you tell me to be checking up on her in the middle of the night when I'm trying to sleep!" Kelly snapped.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Rick shouted across the room. The baby screamed louder. "You can sleep later!"
"I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN EIGHT MONTHS, IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED!" Kelly screamed at the top of her lungs. The baby screamed even louder.
"And you're telling me that I don't care that Rebecca died! YOU DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT YOUR OWN DAUGHTER WHO'S CRYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!"
"I DO CARE ABOUT HER! I DO CARE ABOUT DAMN SAMARA!" Kelly went dead silent. Then she gasped once she realized what she said. Rick was silent too, looking at her in disbelief.
"What the fuck is up with your head?" Rick said, panting, tired from screaming. "Samara? Who the hell is Samara?"
"No one…" Kelly said, teary-eyed.
"Obviously, she must be someone in your life that is very important! It seems you've mistaken her for our daughter," Rick said, fuming. "It sounds familiar, hmm, could it be the girl you say killed Rebecca?"
"Fuck you," Kelly replied.
"This is why I told you to go back to Dr. Kirigoe! You need to see the psychologist!"
"NO! Just leave me alone!" Kelly yelled at him as she threw herself on the bed and covered herself with the sheets.
*
The ring… the well closes…The shore, dead horses lay amongst the waves…
The ladder… then the tongue stretching into infinity…
The ring around the moon…
Her eye…
Her whispers…
… Hello Kelly…
"What do you want from me, you bitch?" Kelly said, angry. "Why am I still dreaming about this, why am I still having these dreams?"
… Because… …because I need to tell you something…
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"
… I want to thank you… …I thank you, Kelly…
"Burn in hell, you bitch!"
… Thank you for bringing me alive…
The ring…
The ring around the moon…
Her eye…
Her whispers again…
…Everyone will suffer…
*
Two Months Later*
Becca awoke in her cell at the psycho ward that night. She heard the high frequency whining pierce her ears and echo against the walls.
"No… no…" she whimpered. She screamed. Becca saw Samara standing at the far corner in the room. The little girl stood silently in the darkness. Samara staggered forward. Each step increased Becca's terror. Samara stepped into an area lit by the moonlight. Becca could see part of Samara's face; the unseen part was covered in hair and in shadows.
She could see that Samara was smiling. Samara continued to stagger forward, step by step. Closer. Closer.
The door flew open and lights were flicked on. Nurses and doctors flooded the room. Becca was relieved, but was even more frightened when Samara had simply disappeared. She knew that Samara would be back for her.
"What happened? What happened, Becca?" one of the nurses asked. He waited for an answer. Becca stared at him.
"It was a dream… another nightmare," Becca lied. She wanted to get out of the psycho ward, and she knew that she never would if she said that Samara was there in her cell, even if it was true. Becca soon realized after she was put in the mental institution that the more she tried to convince them, the crazier she was seen. "Just another nightmare," she repeated.
"Good, it's been the only one so far this month. That's progress. You know if you continue this progress then maybe you'll be able to be released by the end of this year," he said with a smile.
*
Two Weeks Later*
Katrine began to cry again. It was 12:30 at night.
"Shit!" Kelly said. She was beginning to fall asleep, but the baby's cries disturbed her.
Kelly laid in bed, still and quiet, waiting to see if Katrine would stop crying. She waited for ten minutes. Katrine's cries only grew louder.
"SHIT! GO TO FUCKING SLEEP!" Kelly screamed. Rick stirred in his sleep, but remained in slumber. Kelly cursed again and jumped out of bed. She headed down the hallway to Katrine's bedroom.
She opened the door, furious. The same small black figure stood at the doorway, watching her, peering out of the eyes hidden behind the shroud of thick, wet, black hair. It was Samara. It screamed at her. The wailing shriek pierced Kelly's ears. Kelly screamed too and jumped back, slamming her body against the wall. Kelly fell to the floor in horror and pain. The door slammed shut by itself.
Kelly lay in the dark hallway, sobbing and trembling.
*
THE END OF
THE RING AROUND THE MOON 2:
SPRING
Samara's Awakening*
COMING SOON:
THE RING AROUND THE MOON 2:
SUMMER
Insomnia