THE RETURN OF TERROR

AUTHOR'S NOTES: The fanfic that you are about to read is a sequel—yes, a sequel—to "A Clockwork Orange" (& one of a number of sequel-stories that I hope to make into real movies one day). If any of you object to the idea of a continuation of ACO, kindly hold the proverbial phone & allow me to offer you an explanation: chronologically, the sequel takes off from where Kubrick's movie ended, but story-wise, it is more rooted in the ending of ACO that Anthony Burgess originally intended for his novel version. So basically, while the ACO movie stopped short, the story wasn't quite over yet...

Hopefully, bearing this in mind, you will become interested in this fanfic & read further; you may like it, & perhaps you may even love it. Heck, you'll probably be like my GMD 2 & "Rescuers 3" fans & be begging for this sequel to be made into a real movie! But whatever your reaction may be, please remember that in making this story, I only had the best intentions.

Alex DeLarge, Georgie, Dim, & Billyboy are property of Stanley Kubrick & Anthony Burgess, but all other characters, especially Angela DeLarge, are mine & shouldn't be used with my permission. Thanks in advance.

Please enjoy the story, & be sure to send me a review. I'll take anything from simple comments to constructive criticism, as long as they are not flames.

Prologue

The wizened old man with silver hair & bright blue eyes gazed with tenderness at the young girl sleeping in her bed, cuddled up under the covers with her favorite stuffed animals. The lass smiled in her slumber as pleasant dreams filled her head, a beautiful crown adorned with locks of long golden hair that shone like the morning sunlight. Surely, the girl's rest was peaceful & untroubled by any nightmares as she slept in the dark room, but should she ever be frightened, her dear grandfather would be there to comfort her & make everything all right.

Now the melody of the old man's lullaby echoed softly in his ear: Whenever night approaches & you're feeling all alone, don't be afraid, my little lamb, for I shall lead you home... Oh, what memories that song brought back for Alex...He had written that lullaby for his granddaughter, his beloved Angela, when she was a small infant, not yet out of her nappies. The proud parents frequently brought their baby to Grandpa Alex's house during family visits, & whenever little Angela got cranky, Alex would often croon the lullaby to her while he rocked her in his arms until she fell fast asleep. And long after Baby Angela had sailed off to dreamland, Alex would continue to hold his tiny granddaughter, gazing fondly at the child with fine blonde hair & blue eyes just like his own...

That little baby was all grown up now, as hard as it was to imagine; she had celebrated her 17th birthday three weeks ago (on August 6th of 2028) with her dear Grandpa Alex, but though the occasion was certainly a happy, festive one, it was also bittersweet at the same time, as Angela's mother & father were not there to join in the merriment. They hadn't been able to, in fact, for nearly a decade; in another month's time, it would be the 10th anniversary of the horrible deaths of Cliff Robertson & his wife Julienne...she who once went by Julienne DeLarge.

The years had certainly passed since Alex's daughter (oh, his poor, sweet Julienne!) & her husband had been killed, & despite the constant attempts to block out the memories of the long-ago event, Alex could still remember every detail of what happened in those dark, tragic hours. It was 11:00 on a cold night in September, way past Angela's sleepy time, & Alex had been trying to call her parents since the afternoon; he had not received a word from Cliff or Julienne (or even Angela!) all day. Worried & concerned about what may have happened to his loved ones, Alex took his car & drove through the streets of Elstree all the way to their flatblock across town. Alex remembered now that when he had entered the house, he'd been completely horrified to see that it was empty & completely dark. The next thing he knew, Alex was rushing madly up the stairs when he heard little Angela crying, & once he got to her room, a mixture of emotions were running through his mind when he saw her still in her pajamas, weeping & stooping over the motionless bodies of her parents.

Even now, Alex could still hear Angela's melancholy words echoing in his mind: "Mommy, Daddy, wake up! Please wake up!" The girl had noticed Alex & then turned to face him with tearful blue eyes. "Why won't Mommy & Daddy wake up?" Angela had asked Alex, her voice breaking. Still crying as she rushed over to her grandpa, Angela threw herself against Alex, wrapping her tiny arms around him as though she would never let go (it was then that Alex noticed that Angela's hands were covered in blood & that abandoned weapons & signs of a gang invasion lay near her parents' ensanguined bodies). Trying to keep his tears inside so he would not upset Angela, Alex had done his best to comfort the traumatized girl, & soon afterwards, after he drove his granddaughter home in his car, he had contacted the police & reported to them about the murder of his daughter & her husband. When Angela asked what murder was, Alex had told her with a vacant stare & a saddened look, "Never you mind, dear. Never you mind..."

That was all 10 years ago. Ever since that horrible night, Alex had been raising Angela on his own, trying to shelter her from the world of evil that had swallowed up her parents & left her alone with the remains of her ruined life. As the only remaining member of Angela's family, Alex felt he could do no greater deed for the dearest of his kith & kin. Alex loved Angela with all his heart & was determined to keep her safe from the vice in the world at all costs; he wanted his granddaughter to be as happy, healthy, pure, & innocent as a young girl could be.

The perfect little angel, Alex thought wistfully to himself, continuing to gaze lovingly at Angela as he blew her a kiss & tiptoed back out of her bedroom, gently shutting the door behind him. After Alex entered his own chambers, he sat down at his desk & turned on a little table lamp that rested upon it, before reaching into a drawer & pulling out a cassette player with a tape inside of it. Alex pressed the "play" button, & as he listened to the final message he had left for his late daughter, his eyes flooded with silent tears & his chest heaved with sobs...