A Nightmare In Lawndale

Written by Patrick Moore

Chapter 1

Tommy Sherman began drinking his second cup of coffee at a nearby diner, planning on trying to keep awake for the test Ms. Barch has planned for them.

"Miss?" Tommy asked for the waitress, but she just walked past him.

Just then she turned towards him, but the woman's face was that of a burned up man with a bulging eye. "Hello, TOMMY," said the man, as his hand revealed a glove with razor sharp blades. "At lease you aren't going to die by a goal post again. I'm just going to SLASH you."

"Mr. DeMartino?" Tommy was puzzled. "You're dead!"

"Payback's a bitch, Sherman, and you're the FIRST to go," smirked DeMartino, as Tommy tried to run for his life. He turned to see DeMartino grow in size.

"Keep away form me, man!" shouted Tommy, as DeMartino came closer and closer to him.

The people at the diner looked in shock, as Tommy grabbed a knife to slit his throat, as the blood flowed down from his neck. The sound of DeMartino's laughter couldn't be heard from anywhere.

"Tommy Sherman's dead…again," said Daria Morgendorffer to Jodie Landon at the site of the Lawndale Roar office.

"What do you mean again?" Jodie asked.

"Just out of character," said Daria, as she looked at the latest issue of the Lawndale Times. "This isn't like Tommy to commit suicide in front of people in a diner. Do you think it has something to do with Mr. DeMartino's death a few months back?"

"Sure, he's dead, but what would you think that he's linked to Tommy's suicide?" asked Jodie. "The dead can't come back, Daria."

"That's all they say in those slasher movies," replied Daria.

Just then, Jane Lane, entered with Timothy O'Neill. "Class, another Lawndale High student has been killed last night," began Mr. O'Neill "Tom Sloane was cut to death in his bedroom."

"It's DeMartino," said Daria.

"Daria, Mr. DeMartino is dead," replied Mr. O'Neill.

"That's what they all say," said Daria, as she rolled her eyes. "I'm telling you, he's behind this."

"Prove it, Morgendorffer," said Jane.

"Cynic's best friend is a turncoat," frowned Daria, as she pulled up her shirt to reveal three slash marks on her stomach. "He came to my house to give me a warning to all the idiot students of Lawndale High."

"What's the warning?" asked Jane.

"Don't fall asleep," continued Daria. "We got to stop DeMartino, before he kills another idiot character."

"Maybe he should kill those idiot friends of yours back from Highland," said Quinn, who entered with the other members of the Fashion Club. "Beavis and Butt-Head are making a major comeback anyway."

"Quinn, I heard they're looking for camp councilors for Crystal Lake this Summer," said Daria, as she turned back to the others. "We have to stop Mr. DeMartino from the source of his power. Our dreams."

Everyone just laughed.

"I'm serious," Daria spoke in her deadpan look, as everyone went quiet. "As I was saying…"

Just then, Principal Angela Li enters to cut off Daria. "Miss Morgendorffer, Mr. DeMartino is dead, and he isn't coming back. Just stop this garbage, or else."

"Ms. Li, explain what just happened to Tommy Sherman last night?" Daria asked the principal.

"Suicide, Miss Morgendorffer, suicide," replied Li, as she walked off.

Daria just frowned.

Kevin Thompson just won the Super Bowl with the help of his team of the Lawndale Lions, as he ran towards his girlfriend, Brittany Taylor. Brittany screamed in excitement, as she hugged her idiot boyfriend.

"Oh, Kevy, you did it!" Brittany said, as she kissed him on the lips. "What are you going to do next?"

"I'm going to Disneyland, babe," said the quarterback.

"WRONG, Kevin!" said a very familiar voice, as Kevin looked to see Brittany morph into Mr. DeMartino, wearing a red and green striped sweater and a brown, torn hat. "You're going to DIE!"

"I just won the Super Bowl," said Kevin.

"IDIOT! This is a DREAM, and I've been waiting to do THIS for a long TIME!" DeMartino laughed, as he began slicing Kevin into ribbons.

Kevin woke up screaming in Ms. Barch's class, as slash marks appeared, while floating in the air. Kevin's own blood poured down on his desk and floor. Then, Kevin's dead body fell on the floor.

"I'm not cleaning that man up," Barch said, as she continued reading her novel, while evil laughter was heard.

To Be Continued…