"MURDERS REPORTED IN SALEM"
"MISSING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: JEFFERY AND LOUIS WOODS"
"PARENTS FOUND DEAD"
"ANOTHER MISSING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: JANE ARKENSAW"
"THE SALEM SLASHER RETURNS"
"MURDERS SPREADING AROUND THE COUNTRY"
"JEFFERY WOODS VS. JANE ARKENSAW?!"
"NEW REPORT: JANE ARKENSAW: DEAD! CAUSE: CHILDBIRTH"
"IS JEFFERY AND JANE'S BABY STILL ALIVE?!"
"NEW KILLER ON THE RISE?!"
"JANE ARKENSAW SPOTTED AGAIN?!"
"THE SALEM SLASHER RETURNS...NEW "KILLER" FAMILY HAS BEEN REUNITED! MASS CHAOS SPREADS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD"
As tragic as the mentioned newspaper headlines were, there is usually an equally twisted origin connected.
Who was the monster responsible for these stories? Let us turn the clock and go back to see how it all began.
October 17th, 1975
A blue 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Townsman Station Wagon drove down a hill, as a family of four rode to their new neighborhood of Salem.
The parents in the driver's and front seat; Wendell Ernest Woods: goofy yet firm father.
He's the type of father that was rather nice and generous. He would donate to charity, earn money for the house, barley drank, and would smoke a cigarette to be "social"; truly a model-citizen. Although at times, he would be considered "nerdy" by his sons' classmates and his co-workers. But don't be fooled; you wouldn't want to be on his bad side.
He has brown eyes, black hair that could easily be mistaken as Rod Sterling's if it were shorter, and a thin mustache that looks something similar to Burt Reynolds'.
He wears a black business suit with a green tie, and a pair of black and white colored dance shoes, on account of his career as an actor/dancer. He was one of the richest in town, but was modest enough not to flaunt it like a member of the Mafia.
Michele Caroline Woods; dotting, and somewhat controlling mother.
She's the type of mother that is caring, and she wants what's best for her children. She was your typical housewife/mother who did most of the chores, and was superstitious.
She'd do ANYTHING to help her family's safety, even if it meant for her sons to wear bicycle helmets to school. That's exactly what she did for them in Kindergarten, through fifth grade.
Her sons and husband love her, yet at times, they consider her safety techniques quite embarrassing.
She has blue eyes, and dark brown hair that was in the style of Jackie Kennedy's. She wears an Emma Pencil Dress in Black and Pink, British Brevitts, white pearl earrings, and has a purse to match her dress.
The teenagers sitting in the back seat; Jeffery Herman Woods: curious and adventurous sixteen year-old; preferring to be addressed as "Jeff".
He was never bothered by loud noises, nor squashing bugs when present. He loved to watch monster movies when his parents were away, and his favorite thing to read is poetry written by Edgar Allen Poe, and other macabre books like "Psycho", written by Robert Bloch.
He was always bullied in all the schools he's ever attended. This is because he suffers from a rare skin-pigment condition called "Albinism".
His fellow classmates would tease and harass him for the way his skin and irises looked.
His skin was extremely pale, much like what you'd expect a white envelope to look like, and his irises were a light gray color, similar to that of an artist's sketch. His hair was surprisingly black, like his father's, and it was styled liked Michael J Fox's when he played the role of Marty McFly in "Back To The Future".
His pupils became dilated whenever his face was exposed to the sun, so he was forced to wear sunglasses in the daytime. Unfortunately, the kids would call him a "poser", thinking he was trying to be "cool".
He LOVES the idea of moving to Salem, Massachusetts. He's read all the history of this creepy township, more specifically; the Salem Witch Trials.
He wears a black t-shirt, with a white hooded sweatshirt covering it, black jeans, and high-tops, which looked like basketball shoes.
Then there's Louis Franklin Woods: timid and quiet seventeen year-old; preferring to be addressed as "Lou".
He is easily frightened, due to his brother, Jeff reading about creatures of the night, and play all sorts of spooky pranks before they matured.
Always there for Jeff whenever the bullies would mock his face by verbally asking for them to stop. This strategy didn't always work, and that earned my black eyes, wedgies, stolen lunch money, etc. He was also teased for the way he preferred to style his hair; which looked much like YouTuber, NateWantsToBattle's.
He was sitting with unease, as he remembered the tales his brother would tell about this twisted township.
He has dark brown hair that was styled how it was years ago, and light brown eyes. He wears a dark brown coat, along with a light blue suit shirt underneath, long dark khaki pants, black leather gloves, and a black and gray scarf around his neck.
Lastly in the Woods' car, is Smile Dog: Jeff's best canine friend and personal guardian.
Jeff has owned him ever since he was five years old, and since he was a newborn puppy.
He is a red and black German Shepherd, with a dark red collar and silver colored dog tag. Smile's a good dog, he always kept gaurd of his master.
He's even fought off bullies on the street before, letting out a snarl and a bark; truly a man's best friend.
Jeff and Lou's parents were overly happy, as they sang "Yankee Doodle" while their father drove the car.
Jeff didn't like to sing, and Lou was still at unease, as he looked all around the town, noticing strange things; potion shops, a black cat...
His thoughts about the strange history made his imagination run wild, as trees became morbid and grotesque inside his mind.
He then saw a strange figure next to a tree that he would describe as "a faceless lawyer or something". It seemed to just stare at him and Jeff, despite possessing no "face", and the family car driving past so quickly.
"J-Jeff...Did you see tha-" Lou was interrupted by his parents singing.
"Yankee Doodle went to town, a-riding on a pony. He stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni!" Their mother began, pretending to play a snare drum.
"Yankee Doodle, keep it up! Yankee Doodle Dandy, mind the music and the step, and with the girls be handy!" Both parents harmonized.
"Take it, Jeff!" Their father exclaimed excitedly.
"Dad, can I read a book? It's boring here, and I need to take my mind off going to the bathroom." Jeff replied, holding his crotch tightly.
"Son, don't you remember what I've told you about reading in the car?"
"'Reading in the car causes motion sickness. Don't be a fool, read inside and stay in school.'." They recited in unison.
"Right," His father said, as he kept his focus on the road.
Jeff rolled his eyes. "But what about my bladder?"
"Well Jeff, you'll have to wait until we're in our new house." His father smiled. "Can't just stop NOW, we're almost there anyway. Can you try to hold it a bit longer?"
"...I guess." Jeff tried to focus on holding his bladder back, as he hoped they'd arrive to their destination soon.
"Jeff, did you see t-that thing by the trees?" Lou asked, looking at Jeff with fear.
"No, what thing?"
"I don't even know...It had a...White face, but it didn't HAVE a face. Just a nose, and details OF a face. It was really...Creepy. Kinda looked like that "towel around your face to scare Lou" prank you pulled when we were kids."
"Lou, are you messing with me because we're in Salem now? Dude, I know ALL the stories, you CAN'T freak ME out...Maybe we could scare some little kids at Halloween though. Just looking around gives me some GREAT scare-tactic ideas."
"I-I'm serious, Jeff. It was...Looking at us...So-to-speak."
Jeff gained an evil smile. "Really? Huh, maybe it'll come over to our house once we're settled in...Hehehe..."
"Don't say that. I think we should ask around about it."
"And what? Most of these people have PROBABLY been exposed to witchcraft, but they'd probably think we're INSANE if we came up to them with that...It's bad enough my face doesn't look..."Normal" to SOCIETY'S standards..."
"Your face is just fine, Jeff. We just have to find SOMEONE that could tell us what it WAS."
"..." Jeff shrugged, and petted Smile's head, as the dog lays his head on his knee.
"Kids, we're here!" Their father announced excitedly, as he stopped the car and turned off the ignition. "Let's get our luggage and check the place out."
"I wonder who lived here before us...Maybe it was a witch that would brew potions in a big, black cauldron in the basement and took trick-or-treaters into her house on Halloween night to EAT them~" Jeff teased his brother, as he grabbed his suitcase.
Lou rolled his eyes and grabbed his bags, opening his car door; earning a laugh from Jeff.
Jeff lifted Smile, helping him down from the car. "C'mon, boy. Maybe if we're lucky, we could find a lucky charm in my new room and hide before dad tosses it."
Smile barked happily, as he ran up to the door with the family and sniffed around the building.
Lou walked up to his father, trying to hide a concerned look. "Dad, where's my room?"
"Upstairs, son. Yours and Jeff's are next to each other, isn't that nice?"
"...Yeah...That sounds great..." Lou said under his breath, walking upstairs.
He walked up through the old house and found his new room; next to Jeff's and across from his parents' and the first bathroom. With each step, the floor would creak creepily, and echos of his steps were heard.
'Probably just echoing because it's an empty house...Once we've filled it up with our stuff and make it into a home, it won't be so creepy...I hope..' He thought to himself, as he placed his bag onto his new floor; tan carpet.
The room was white, yet dark from age and dust. It looked like it had been CENTURIES since anyone had lived in the house, so Lou cautiously opened drawers, his new closet and looked under the bed.
"Hm...This isn't so bad...Just needs some...Paint, a-and cleaning..."
"Boo!" Jeff grabbed his brother's back, hugging him from behind. He giggled when Lou jumped from surprise. "See a monster yet?"
Lou rolled his eyes and gained a sly look. "Yep, he's on top of me right now and yelling 'boo' like a five year old."
"Haha, screw you..." Jeff laughed, as he hopped off.
"Oh no you don't, you're not leaving this room without ONE OF THESE!" Lou playfully grabbed Jeff, pulling him into a headlock and giving him a noogie.
Jeff fought back playfully, trying to break from Lou's grip. "Oh God, you're strong! Hahaha, let me go!"
Lou laughed, playfully pushing Jeff away. "Pretty cool house, eh, bro?"
"Eh, I guess...Whatever makes dad happy, and keeps mom quiet about "safety in a bad neighborhood"...Eesh, remember when she made us wear bubble-wrap UNDER our CLOTHES? Jeez..."
"Hehe, I know...Dumb, right?" He nervously hid bubble-wrap under his shirt. "...So...What'cha wanna do to celebrate getting a new house?"
Jeff shrugged. "See if dad would let us go get pizza for dinner?"
"Sure, I'm STARVING...We haven't eaten since lunch."
"Let's go," Jeff happily lead his brother downstairs, and they chuckled when they saw their dog asleep by the fireplace, snoring much like how a wino would.
They walked up to their parents, who were setting up the kitchen; their mother putting dishes away, and their father inspecting the fridge and freezer.
"Alright honey, almost done with inspection...Looks pretty clean so far..."
"Dear, it looks like this house hasn't been owned in CENTURIES, I'll clean the kitchen later. Don't worry."
"Sorry, guess I'm just a big germaphobe." Wendell chuckled. "My mother would always have my two brothers and I to help her with the cleaning because she had very bad Asthma...I hope my dad's helping her through it all in their new home they just bought outta town from here."
Michele rolled her eyes at her husband's mention of his mother, as they didn't have a great past with one another.
"Dad, can Lou and I get pizza for dinner? We're starving." Jeff asked.
"Jeff, as your mother would insist, we should eat a bit healthier now that we don't live near all that junk in our OLD neighborhood."
"Actually hon, I think they should do it. We're in a new house, and I haven't gotten the chance to go shopping to fill our new refrigerator yet." Michele said, placing another stack of plates inside the cabinet.
"Alright. Here's three dollars; it should cover a large pepperoni pizza, plus tax...You kids have fun and be safe." Wendell handed Jeff and Lou the mentioned money.
"And stay warm!" Michele happily added, as Jeff put the white hood of his sweatshirt up, with his brother putting on his gray and black striped scarf.
Jeff and Lou went outside the house, walking up to the car. "You think Dad would mind if we borrowed the car?"
"I...Wouldn't take any chances on that, Jeff. Dad loves that car almost more than he does Mom. It's weird, it's like a second wife for him. Heh."
Jeff chuckled with his brother. "Right. Dude, you're SO lucky that you're seventeen. Next year, you get to move OUT if you wanted to...I have only two more years with them, and I'm a free man. I love our parents, but come ON...How long can we live in our parents' house without people raising eyebrows, y'know? I got my license a month ago, you got yours last year...And NEITHER of us even have our own CAR yet..."
"I guess you have a point, bro...But still, our parents will miss us and I kinda like doing chores, it makes me feel like I'm helping. Plus, since we're in our new town...Who knows what might happen? Criminals? I'm glad we have a couple more years so we can help keep an eye out for them."
"Me too. You're right...Jeez, now I feel like an ass saying that stuff before."
"Don't, let's just get dinner and relax." Lou replied, walking with Jeff down 2.6 miles miles down from their house. They were about a mile close to the local Mall, which had a Pizza Hut in the food court.
"The city's actually kinda...Pretty at night, huh? I like all the lights from the buildings."
"Yep, I remember when Dad actually LET Mom drive the car on his days off and he'd work on "his novel" at home...But we'd check out the lights of the buildings as little kids."
"When did YOU figure out Dad's "novel" was a cover-up for drinking with his friends in the basement to play cards?"
"Since I was seven, you?"
"When I was six," Jeff chuckled. "Why does he HIDE it though? To convince Mom that he doesn't drink, or what?"
Lou shrugged. He was about to say something, but was cut off by the sound of motorcycle motors in the distance which grew louder by every second.
"Hey guys, check out the dumbasses! Hoodie and scarfy. Awww, I think they're looking for a cheap motel to move their make-out session to!" A male voice called out, which was followed by two guys laughing. The male's voice sounded like he was from Brooklyn.
Jeff stopped in his tracks. "Oh look, it's a jerk-off that can't mind his own business, and can't tell that the guy with the scarf is my BROTHER!" He mocked the voice.
The motorcycles stopped, as the guys walked over to Jeff and Lou. "You REALLY like to run your mouth, kid. I like that.."
It was the local high school bully with his cronies. He wears a black leather motorcycle jacket, dark blue jeans which were torn on the legs as if the bully was in a struggle with a paper shredder or something and brown biker boots, which echoed hauntingly with each step he would take. He has brown, spiky hair which looks greasy from hair gel and he held a cigarette, as he puffs some smoke from his mouth.
"Whoa-ho-hooo~ What do we have here?" The bully looked at Jeff with a taunting smirk. "Nice makeup kid, did your mommy do it for ya?"
Jeff looked at him, his anger growing. His mouth forms into a smirk, as he stared the bully in the eyes. "Actually, I was BORN like this. It's a rare skin condition called "Albinism". If you weren't so much of a motoCROSS-DRESSER, you'd KNOW that..." He riposted.
Lou snickered at Jeff's pun, but he's suddenly pulled backwards by his scarf. It was one of the two cronies the bully had brought along with him.
"Something funny?" The crony snarled.
Lou's thoughts were now battling; was he to fear for his safety, or attempt to fight back?
The bully pulled out what looks like a chain and grabs each end of it with both hands and spreads it in a threatening manner. "Alright, since you two bozos are new in town, lemme introduce ourselves. Guy holding scarfy's Manny,"
Jeff looked over to Manny, who was holding Lou up by his scarf. He wears a dirty white t-shirt with shredded sleeves that looked like it hadn't been washed and was re-worn for weeks, black leather pants and no shoes, only socks, which had visible brown stains from God knows what. He has black, unkempt hair, which stood on the top of his head. The sides and back of his hair looked trimmed ironically.
"He's Rick," The bully added, as Jeff and Lou look over to the crony standing next to his motorcycle, holding a belt with a brass skull belt buckle on it and patting it to his left hand threateningly. He wears no shirt, only dark gray sweats and dark green and black colored high tops. He has a shaved head.
"And I'm Seth. Or as you can call me now; your boss. Because if you don't do EVERYTHING I tell ya to do, I'm gonna tie ya up with this chain, and I'll let Rick beat the Hell outta ya with the belt."
Lou looked at Jeff anxiously, not saying a word.
"And what would "everything" include?" Jeff wondered, unfazed by Seth's threats.
"You'll see," Seth answered, as he smirked back. "Aye Manny, let scarfy up. Don't let him go until I say."
Manny nodded, not letting go of Lou's scarf, but loosening his grip so he could stand up.
"And Rick, you keep an eye on freak-face over here. Don't want HIM getting away either..."
Rick looked at Jeff, baring his teeth. "You do ONE stupid thing, and this buckle's going in your head, freak-face."
"Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa, only *I* do nick-names around here." Seth slapped the back of Rick's head. "You KNOW that! Anyway...Come with me, freak-face."
Jeff followed Seth, as they all were lead to a clothes store inside the Mall. "Alright, freak-face. Here's your job; you distract the crowd as a "regular customer", while the REST of us lift some of the most EXPENSIVE clothes here so we can sell 'em. We've gotta make a profit SOMEHOW, so this should be an easy job for you. Screw it up, and it's time to chain you up for a beating. Capiche?"
"Yeah, I've got'cha. Hope you hurry, the mall's closing and my brother and I were supposed to get pizza for dinner. Our parents are gonna FREAK when we get home."
Seth guffawed. "You're funny, kid. Just wait 'til we find out where you two dumbasses LIVE. We'll "take care" of your parents. Don't worry, I'm a SMOOTH talker..." He chuckled evilly.
"...Alright.." Jeff became concerned at Seth's wording. "Crap, hurry. I see a security guard."
Seth nodded, snapping his finger. He started walking to the back of the store, with the cronies following with Lou in restraints.
'Okay...Don't worry, Jeff...Just get the security guard...But wait, shoplifting at the mall probably just gets a cell in the mall until closing...Dammit, I hope Lou's alright...' Jeff thought to himself. 'Mom and Dad are gonna KILL us when we get home...' He looked around, looking at the crowd who were just minding their own business with their purchases waiting at the cashier's position. He walked around for a while, eventually to the point where he was PACING the store. 'So booored...'
A girl about Jeff's age bumps into him. She wears a black suit jacket that covers a wine red shirt, black leggings and mid-calf lace-up boots. She has a short black bob and light blue eyes. She almost fell to the floor until Jeff instinctively grabbed her hand, pulling her into a "hug" to straighten out her legs. "Thanks, I'm sorry about crashing into you. I think I stepped on your foot, are you al-" She noticed Jeff's face and jumped with eyes widening for a second, until she hides her shock with a smile. "Whoa...Your eyes are really cool."
"...Thanks." Jeff was equally surprised, as someone didn't scream and run away from the sight of his face. "I-I'm Albino, I didn't choose my face to look like this...So many people have made fun of my face and tortured me about it."
"You're not..From here, are you?"
"Nope, just moved in from California with my parents, dog and brother."
"Well here is full of...Strange things, I'd watch out if I were you."
"You're tellin' me," Jeff replied with a slight blush. "I've been researching Salem since I was seven, I actually like it here."
"Really?"
"Yeah, especially the Salem Witch Trials. Anything else I should know about here?"
"Well a lot of those hangings were done in this town, it's hard to tell whether or not they were innocent of witchcraft." She sighed. "I've had ancestors that've been hung here..."
"Really..."
"Yes, and I actually...Well this is kinda hard to explain, but I've actually...Inherited some abilities. It's by blood, cursed from one of the FIRST Arkensaw(s). I can do...Different things."
"Spells?"
"If I wanted to," She answered. "But I kinda...Avoid things like that. I can do natural things, like energize myself by listening to music, and I can also tell if someone's intentions are good or not...It's kinda hard to tell as I've said before, but yes...I probably BELONG here..."
The two shared a chuckle. "Jeffery Woods. Just moved in, and I'm already getting used to this...New place that I call my home."
"I'm Jane Arkensaw, local "witch" of this town. I don't tell many people, but I can sense you mean well...Hey, we've been...Hugging like this for a while. Hehe.." She blushed slightly.
"Oh, sorry!" Jeff let go, as his blush deepened. "I-I was trying to help you up and-"
"I know," Jane said with a sly look. "What brings you to the Mall anyway?"
"It's a LONG story...My brother and I were coming over to pick up pizza for dinner since our parents let us come alone...Then there were these jackasses that started talking trash."
"Oh God," Jane groaned. "It's Seth, isn't it?"
"How'd you know?"
"He goes to the same high school as I do. He's TOTALLY annoying, and his cronies are even worse, just blindly following his EVERY command...It's sickening."
"It sure is, and he's actually robbing the place right now. He told me to keep watch for him, I don't wanna do this, but they have my brother. I have no other choice, they'd tie him up with some chain and break his teeth out with a-"
"Belt buckle?"
"Yeah..."
Jane sighed. "There's a way outta his chains; distraction. If there's a way your brother can get into the-"
Lou came running out the back of the store as fast as he could. "Jeff! Help!"
"What happened?" Jeff asked.
"I said I had to go to the bathroom so I could escape. Manny was standing outside the stall. I jumped him after slamming the door open into him and made a break for it."
"Whoa-ho~ Didn't know you had it in you, bro."
"Yeah, yeah, we've gotta hurry because-" Lou was cut off, as a chain was lassoed around his ankle, and he was now being dragged onto the floor.
"Well well, scarfy tried to book it," Seth smirked. "Not on MY watch...You work for ME now, Louie boy~ You know what I do to traitors?"
"Let me go, I don't want to BE here!" Lou demanded.
"So you finally grow a pair thinking you can stand up to me?" Seth chuckled evilly. "Well suit yourself...Manny, choke him by the scarf."
Manny did as he was told, grabbing the back of Lou's scarf, which choked him.
Seth pulled the cigarette from his mouth, puffing smoke and cracked his knuckles. "Time to make you MINE...You'll have THIS...For the rest of your life, Scarfy~" He pressed the cigarette onto the middle of his forehead, earning a scream.
"HEY! Let him go, jackass!" Jeff tackled Seth, as the cigarette fell, burning Manny's foot.
Manny screamed, letting Lou go, as he checked his foot.
Lou punched Manny's head and went to help Jeff, who was punching Seth in the jaw repeatedly. He kicked Seth in the scrotum, earning a shriek.
"ALL OF YOU STOP!" Jane yelled. "Seth, we've ALL had enough of your crap, let Jeff and his brother go!"
Seth started laughing, despite being in pain. "Aww, freak-face has found a bride...Isn't it JUUUST DISGUSTING? Hahaa."
Jeff kicked Seth in the back, Rick got the belt out, aiming the buckle at Jeff's head, only to get Jane's foot into the chest. "I said...ENOUGH!"
Lou checked his forehead. "Jeez, I hope this isn't PERMANENT..."
"HEY! What'chu kids doing here?!" The security guard came dashing to the group.
"They attacked me, sir! Honest!" Seth cried fake tears. "They all ganged up on me and my friends. We were just hangin' out..."
"Seth, shut your mouth." The security guard insisted. "I said that if you started ONE more scam, the authorities would be involved. You've left me NO other choice. Refusal of arrest, attempted shoplifting, under-aged smoking, AND starting fights with other customers."
"Aww maaan...Not the cops..." Seth groaned.
"And the REST of you...The law does NOT promote violence of ANY form. ALL of you, up against the wall. Now!"
Jeff, Jane, Lou and the others put their hands up against the wall, spreading their legs.
"Okay...Drop ALL weapons this instant."
Seth dropped his chain, and Rick threw his belt to the ground. Manny pulled a switchblade out his pocket and tossed it to the ground.
"The authorities will be here in five minutes, I've been holding the walkie-talkie speaker button down while all this craziness was HAPPENING." The security guard said, letting go of the said button.
Jeff secretly looked at Jane with a small smile. "This isn't SO bad, right?" He whispered.
Jane shook her head. "I don't know, I've never BEEN in this kind of situation."
"Me neither, but still. At least WE didn't have weapons. Who knows what would happen if we DID? Hehe."
"That's enough out of BOTH of you," The security guard dictated. "Mall fights are very COMMON here because kids like YOU ALL live here. Where's the decency?"
'Maybe it's somewhere the sun doesn't shine...' Jeff thought to himself.
"Either way, since this is white hood, striped scarf and Jane's first time getting CAUGHT doing this...There's a choice the cops will give you; community service, or a month in juvy."
Lou's eyes widened, as he looked at Jeff and Jane with a worried expression.
"We'll do community service, officer." Jeff answered.
"I said shut your mouth, you'll speak only when spoken to."
"Sorry."
"DAAAAH!" The security guard groaned with annoyance. "Just wait 'til the police get here."
Minutes passed, and the teenagers were bored out their minds.
Jeff tapped his fingers against the wall, Lou was biting his lip from anxiety, Jane was just looking at the wall...And the bullies looked as if they were planning something...
Seth nodded at Rick and Manny, as a couple police officers enter the store.
"Okay, what seems to be the problem?" The first officer queried.
"These kids were fighting, and Seth-"
Those were the only words the security guard could say before getting kicked in the leg by Seth.
"OOOW! There's THAT too..." The guard grabbed Seth by the shoulder, pulling him closer to the two officers who put handcuffs on his wrists.
"Community service AND a month in juvy for you, MacDonald." The first officer spoke up.
"Do I ever get private time in my room? I've kinda got something I don't want my parents to see in my dresser." Seth looked a bit worried.
"You shouldn't want your parents wanting to witness THIS, let ALONE whatever's in your dresser, kid." The second officer coldly replied.
"..."Nakkid Chickz Magazine", isn't it?" Lou smirked.
Seth blushed heavily from embarrassment. "...Yeeeah..."
"Let's go, pervert." The second officer grabbed Seth shoulders, leading him into the police car.
"You two are coming with the SAME sentence. We're taking you boys AND your "leader" to your PARENTS' houses so you'll actually learn a lesson." The first officer said, putting handcuffs also onto the wrists of Rick and Manny.
"I believe community service should be the only punishment for these three, they mean no harm. Heck, they're the only ones without WEAPONS..." The security guard looked over to Jeff, Jane and Lou.
"Community service for a week since you hadn't possessed weapons, nor attacked an officer." The first police officer spoke, exiting with Rick and Manny.
The security guard nodded, as he went back to his usual patrol. "You kids stay outta trouble, or you'll be doing BIG TIME..." He exited the store.
"What happened to the clothes?" Jane wondered, as she got off the wall with Jeff and Lou doing the same.
"They dropped them in the back of the store when I made a break for it," Lou answered. "Crap, our parents are gonna KILL us, Jeff..."
"Don't worry about it, let's just say the Mall was PACKED, and that we had to stand in line for HOURS..." Jeff responded. "They DON'T need to know that we got in trouble with the cops and that we're sentenced to community service."
"You mean LIE to them?"
"Don't think of it as LYING...Think of it as "if they knew what happened, our heads would be nailed to the shower wall by Dad so we'd drown even though we'd have severed bodies."..." Jeff countered.
"Good point..."
Jane looked curiously at Jeff. "Well that's a...Different way to look at things."
"What can I say? I'm a "different" kinda guy..." The tone of Jeff's voice seemed smooth, as if he were flirting with her.
She looked at him with a sly look. "I like different..."
"Then you're gonna LOVE me..." Jeff spoke softly, putting a hand to Jane's cheek and leaning into her, tilting his head to the side.
She blushed, as she closed her eyes and puckered her lips.
"We've gotta GO, Jeff! Mom and Dad are gonna KILL us..." Lou grabbed Jeff shoulder, dragging him out the store.
"Sorry about this...No worries, we can continue tomorrow if I see you again~" Jeff called out.
Jane innocently wave "goodbye" with her blush still present. "Good luck with your parents, Jeff..."
Jeff giggled from the experience, as Lou was still dragging him. "What the Hell man, I was gonna score..." He spoke with a relaxed tone, as if he were in a trance because of the girl he had met minutes ago.
"Yeah, what's more important; happy parents while we go off clean, or "Psycho" shower scene like YOU just said?"
"Aaa-HA! I KNEW you watched that with me and didn't chicken out under the blanket like you said when we were eight..."
Lou shook his head in annoyance. "We'd better HURRY, Pizza Hut's about to close. You remember where the food court was?"
"A mile from here,"
"Dang it, we'd better run. Can I trust you NOT to run back to Jane instead of doing something that WOULDN'T piss our parents off?"
"Pssh," Jeff laughed. "I don't think they'd EVER be as pissed as the time they caught us WATCHING "Psycho" when we were eight...Hahahaa."
"Alright, smartass, better help me beat the foot-traffic then."
"You had FUN watching "Psycho" with me, aaadmit iiiit..." Jeff smirked.
"Yeah, whatever. I did, c'mon, let's go!" Lou let Jeff's shoulder go, as Jeff started shoving random people out the way.
"Sorry, excuse us! Parents about to ground us if we don't have dinner right now..." Lou apologized to the crowd.
"FOUND IT!" Jeff yelled out, starting to run at full speed.
"Wait for me, man!" Lou ran after Jeff to Pizza Hut, which was closing in one hour.
"Hurry up and tell the cashier what we want~" Jeff chuckled, as his brother finally ran up to him.
Lou was running out of air, as he breathed heavily while trying to catch his breath. "We need a large pepperoni to go, p-please..."
"Comin' right up," The cashier accepted the money Lou gave her and went back to the kitchen for twenty minutes. She came back with the pizza, and handed Jeff a four-pack of PEPSI-Cola. "That PEPSI-Cola's free tonight, it's on special."
"Perfect, thank you so much." Lou was finally caught up with his breath, as he carried the pizza box. "Let's go, Jeff."
The two left the Mall, walking back to their house. Everything seemed okay at first...But then, Lou saw something at the corner of his eye; the thing he saw in the afternoon. His eyes widened in fear, as he looked at Jeff. "J-Jeeeff?"
"What?"
"L-Look..." Lou pointed to a tree, which the tall, slender figure stood by.
Jeff squinted his eyes for a second or two, and saw it; the figure that seemed somehow familiar to him. "Oh my Lord..."
"Y-Yeah...That's t-the thing I was trying to tell you about earlier..."
"What the Hell IS that thing?"
The figure's "face" became fuzzed with static fury, as he heard them speaking of him.
"RUUUN!" Lou started running off with Jeff. "J-Jeff...If we don't make it...I want you to know something..."
"What is it, brother?"
"IT'S YOUR FAULT I HAVE A CIGARETTE BURN ON MY DAMN FOREHEAD!"
Jeff felt guilty, but couldn't help but laugh from anxiety.
Lou snickered with Jeff, as he saw him trying to hold back a laugh.
The two laughed it off, as the figure seemed to be following them...
"And also...You're right...I DID have fun watching "Psycho" with you when we were kids, man. Sorry that I had to yank you away from Jane..."
"Nah, I'm over that. I'll see her again. It's not THAT big-a town, y'know?"
"Yeah...Thanks, man."
"Dude, that thing's following us..."
The figure teleported to a different tree that was close to the brothers.
"OH MY GOD, MAN! THAT THING CAN TELEPORT ITSELF!"
"CRAAAP!" Jeff grabbed Lou's shoulder and started running back home.
Lou held the pizza box with one hand as tightly as he could. "I SEE OUR HOUSE! HAHAHAHAAAAA!"
"SWEET!" Jeff ran up to the door, knocking fast. "MOM! DAD! OPEN UP, WE'RE HOME AND THERE'S SOMETHING OUT HERE!"
The figure teleported right up to Lou, and leaned his "face" in to stare at the teen.
"J-J-Jeeeff..." Lou was close to urinating his pants at the sight of the figure.
The figure's face turns to nothing but static, like the image you'd expect the television to make if it weren't in the correct setting. A static noise came from him, as he spoke no words. Just stared at Lou. He then reached his hand out, and touched Lou's forehead.
Jeff slowly turned his head to look at Lou, and his eyes widen. "W-What the Hell?"
Wendell opened the door with a stern look. "Where have you kids BEEN?"
The figure disappeared with a static sound when the light touched his "face". Neither Jeff OR Lou could respond, as they were more concerned about the supernatural entity disappearing the way it did at that instant.
"WELL?!" Wendell wasn't amused with no response from either of his sons. "This story oughta be GOOD..." He moved out the way so the two could enter their home.
Jeff and Lou ran straight inside, freaked out over the creature. They breathed heavily, as they placed the pizza and soda onto the table, with their mother also possessing a face that didn't look pleased.
"Where WERE you boys? You were supposed to "be right back", remember?"
"M-Mom...W-We..." Lou coughed. "Were waiting in line, but then there were robbers that got arrested. They had...Guns, and it was REALLY scary. Before the cops showed up, everybody had to get down onto the ground...I'm glad the criminals are gone, the police said they've been sentenced a YEAR in jail for terrorist threats."
Michele ran up to the brothers, removing the scarf and putting down the hood. "O-Oh my gosh! Were you boys hurt? A-Are you alright?"
"Yes Mom, we're FINE..." Jeff rolled his eyes, earning Lou's elbow to his arm. "Ack...I mean...Yes, we're okay, Mom."
"Y-Yeah, we're okay, Mom."
"Oh thank Heavens, I KNEW it was a BAD idea to move here with all of its magic and evil spirit conjuring! Wendell!"
"Yes, honey?" Wendell met eyes with Jeff when he walks into the room.
"T-The boys were in a r-robbery! They had to stay low onto the floor before police came by!"
"What?!"
"I know!" Michele began crying. "I'm j-just glad they're alright..." She sniffed.
"Why didn't you boys SAY so at the door? Do you realize how big a robbery IS?"
"D-Dad, you were mad a-and we were at a lose of words because we were afraid they'd break outta the police car and come KILL us or something..." Jeff lied.
"You still should've said something. I don't care if it was you running for an ICE CREAM truck...You tell your mother and I where you're going to be."
"Yes Dad..." Jeff looked down.
"Alright, now that THAT little talk's done...Who's hungry for some pizza?" Wendell lightened up a bit, pulling out a chair for his wife and opening the pizza box.
So the first day in the Woods' new house is done, and it was fun...But now it's time for emotions to churn, as this tale takes a dark turn...