To All a Good Night
"Can't they change the damn station already?" Kelli Shaw grumbled under her breath, glancing up from her reception desk and scanning the empty hospital waiting room as Silent Night blared over the radio. The young woman's gaze was met by the eternally jolly eyes of a paper Santa Claus, grinning back at her from the far wall.
"Ho, ho, ho," suddenly resonated through the room, nearly causing Kelli to scream. However, an unimpressive costumed Saint Nicholas strolled in from the corridor, removing his beard and strutting up to her desk.
"You scared me, Santa. Done visiting the children?" Kelli forced a tiny smile, shakily placing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before pretending to return to her work.
"Hehe, yeah, nice group a kids," the young Santa smiled cockily, revealing a gold tooth. "Now, what can I get you for Christmas, little girl? How does dinner sound, huh?"
"I have food at home, Santa," Kelli looked up at him, unimpressed. "Besides, isn't Mrs. Claus waiting for you?" The young woman tapped the man's wedding ring with her pen.
"Come on, humor poor ol' Saint Nick. It's two days 'till Christmas, and he can't function on milk and cookies alone, you know. He could use some spare Christmas spirit," the man chuckled, leaning closer to Kelli's face.
"My Christmas's spirit's already out on loan. Now, please leave, Santa," Kelli said coldly, pointing at the door. "I'm not in the mood."
"Aw, come on," Santa frowned. "Loosen up a bit, babe."
"Don't call me babe," Kelli retorted, as a buxom brunette in a nurse's uniform appeared in the doorway.
"Don't you have to get back to the North Pole, Santa?" the young nurse asked. "I can have a security guard escort you to your sled if you want."
"Alright, alright. I'm going," the man sighed, putting his beard back on before shuffling out the door and muttering a bitter "Merry Christmas."
"You alright, Kelli?" the brunette sighed, leaning on the reception desk. "God, I hate jerks like that."
"Yeah, thanks, Luisa," Kelli said softly, sounding rather unconvincing. With a soft moan, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, running a hand through her hair.
"Still nervous?" Luisa smiled weakly, resting her chin in her hand.
"A little, but I'll get over it. I have to do this…for myself. I haven't been back home in, what, eight years?"
"Just about. Everything'll be just fine, you'll see. In a few hours, we'll be on a plane, and then Ian and Maggie Jo'll pick us up, and we'll all drive into town, safe and sound," Luisa nodded.
"I know I should believe you, Luisa, but I just can't. Not after what happened," Kelli shook her head. "I just feel like he's still out there, waiting for me to come back."
"Look, Kelli, I don't know what happened all those years ago, but I've been your best friend since we were like five…We went to school together, I got you this job and let you move in with me….You're like my sister, Kell…and I hate to see you all messed up like this. I really want to help you move on, but if you're this upset, maybe you should wait another year before going home again…I mean…"
"No. I have to do it now. I can't keep running," Kelli sighed. "There's just a lot of trauma associated with Crystal Lake, you know? A sixteen year old investigated in four missing persons cases… nearly being slaughtered on Christmas…It was a lot to deal with, and nobody believes it happened. I was just some crazy kid scared by an old urban legend."
"I believe you, Kelli," Luisa smiled weakly. "But look, tons of people drive that old highway every day, and they come out just fine. What happened to you was a horrible, horrible thing…but…"
"Do you really believe me, Luisa?"
"What do you mean?" the nurse asked, looking intently at her companion.
"Do you believe me when I say I was chased by…something inhuman? It looked like a man, but it wasn't…And if the legends are true…"
"Honestly…I don't know, Kelli. I believe some nutcase chased you in the woods, and that that same nutcase was responsible for a lot of bloodshed that night…but I don't believe in monsters," Luisa sighed, almost apologetically. "Whoever was out there is long gone now, and I certainly don't believe that you were chased by the infamous Camp Crystal Lake Killer. It's an urban legend."
"I looked it all up, Luisa. Those murders back in the 50s and 80s were documented," Kelli frowned. "Jason Voorhees and his mother slaughtered a bunch of kids. Their own bodies just disappeared…"
"I know…But that's just it. Their bodies disappeared. Pamela and Jason Voorhees are both dead. You didn't even know those murders were real or that the killers had names until you started prying through all those old newspapers….And the power of suggestion is an amazing thing. All the legend says is that a killer still roams the woods, and that's all it is, a legend….You found a dead man to blame your experience on, so your mind created this image of some immortal monster. Whoever chased you that night…had nothing to do with the Voorhees murders. I'm sure of it."
"Since when were you a psychiatrist?"
"There you are, Nurse Panders. Don't you have patients to attend to?" barked a gruff mustached doctor, appearing from the corridor brandishing a clipboard like a weapon.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Rowan," Luisa said, turning and smiling dutifully. "Meet me at home in two hours, okay, Kelli? My shift's over in about an hour and a half, and then we'll head to the airport, alright?"
"Yeah, sure, Luisa," Kelli nodded, "I'm sorry for taking up her time, Doctor." With that, the young nurse and her superior disappeared, their shoes echoing away down the stark hall. Sighing, Kelli looked down at the papers strewn across her desk, startled by the various doodles of hockey masks she'd drawn. She didn't even remember doing them.
With a horrible shriek, Kelli tripped in the snow, staring wildly around at the forest that consumed her. Looking down at her bloodied jacket, she struggled to crawl to her feet, using a dead tree for support. Less than a few feet behind her, the masked maniac gave steady chase, walking menacingly closer with machete raised high.
"Please, leave me alone," Kelli yelled, struggling to run in her clunky boots. "Just let me go home." However, she merely fell forward again, frozen in place. Suddenly, the passing seconds become hours as she felt the foreboding presence stop behind her and the machete sink into her back. With a final gurgled moan, Kelli lay there as the woods faded into darkness and the warm sensation of blood loss consumed her body. However, strong hands suddenly gripped her shoulders, pulling her back to reality, as the bright lights above her airplane chair blinded her sleepy eyes.
"Wha…Wha, what happened?" the girl moaned, rolling over to face Luisa in the seat beside her.
"You were talking in your sleep," the young woman sighed. "Come on, the plane's landing."
"Already?"
"Yeah, you slept most of the way. Now, buckle up. Ian and Maggie Jo are probably already waiting down there. Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Kelli sighed, slowly buckling her seatbelt as the plane unsteadily began its descent. For Kelli, the next half hour was a blur as she and her companion wandered through the airport, tracking down their luggage and screaming at some poor employees when some of said luggage went missing. Though, in truth, Luisa had done most of the yelling, while Kelli stood there, absorbed in her own wonderings.
"At least they didn't lose our coats," Luisa sighed, donning a gray overcoat and black scarf before tying her hair into a ponytail. "It looks like it's freezing out there."
"Yeah," Kelli nodded in detached agreement, slipping into her oversized red ski jacket.
"You look like a big strawberry," Luisa cracked a smile. "Remind me to take you shopping when we get home."
"If…"
"Don't start that," Luisa frowned. "We'll be fine. Now, are you ready to get going?" Without waiting for a response, she started for the door and gave a tiny wave to a dapper blonde man and curly-haired teen waiting there. Kelli followed close behind, and she couldn't help but give a wide smile upon seeing the waiting pair.
"Ian!" Kelli smiled, wrapping her arms around the man. "I missed you."
"Hey, Squirt," Ian grinned, ruffling the woman's hair.
"Don't call me 'Squirt.' I'm not a kid anymore," Kelli sighed, struggling to fix her ruined bangs.
"You'll always be Squirt to me, sis," the man grinned. "Nice to see you, Luisa."
"Ian," Luisa nodded, smiling. "Good to see you too."
"Maggie Jo Panders, is that you?" Kelli's eyes suddenly widened, walking over and giving the teen an awkward hug. "Last time I saw you, you were only this tall." Kelli held her hand just above her waist.
"Well, I'm all grown up now. Seventeen next month," Maggie Jo nodded.
"Do you remember me?" Kelli asked. "You must have been, what, nine when I left?"
"Of course I remember you," the girl said before walking over and courteously taking one of Luisa's bags. "Hey, sis."
"What are you up to, Maggie Jo Panders? Your present is hidden where you can't get your hands on it," Luisa winked, taking her bag back and starting for the door.
"I was just trying to help you," the teen frowned, playing idly with a stray curl.
"Unless you suddenly learned manners since Thanksgiving, I don't buy it," Luisa shrugged as the four shuffled out into the chilly night air.
"I'm parked over here," Ian waved, leading them over to a beaten-up old minivan and shoving their baggage into the trunk.
"I can't believe you still have this hunk of junk," Kelli smiled warmly before climbing into the backseat and buckling up. "Hey, I'm starved. Mind if we stop somewhere?"
"Didn't you eat on the plane?" Ian asked, taking his place behind the wheel.
"She slept like a baby," Luisa piped in. "Besides, the food up there was gross."
"Fine, we'll stop at that diner on the highway before heading home. Will your parents mind, Maggie Jo?"
"Not if I'm with Luisa," the girl shook her head, climbing into the front of the vehicle. "Besides, I don't feel like going home yet."
"Alright, alright," Ian nodded, starting the engine and taking off for the snow lined road.
"Well, well, look at this motley crew," the tanned waiter smiled as the four shuffled into the empty diner as snow started trickling down from the sky. "Wait a minute…Kelli Shaw, is that you?"
"Oh my God, Ryan! You still work here?" Kelli smiled again, although her cheeks were beginning to hurt from doing it so much. "It's been ages."
"It has. Nice to see you, Kelli. You too, Luisa. I didn't know you were in town. Clearly people around here never tell me things," Ryan frowned at Ian in particular, scratching at the black stubble that covered his chin. "Alright, follow me, everyone. Do you really need menus? You've been in here like a thousand times each."
"Nah, I think we all know what we want," Luisa looked around, and without waiting for approval, she sunk into a booth.
"So, what do you guys want to drink?" Ryan asked as everyone piled against the table, squeezing together uncomfortably. The young waiter placed a familiar hand on Ian's shoulder, absentmindedly stroking the man's arm as everyone murmured off their pleasures. "Alright, I'll be right back."
"Well, well, Ian," Luisa raised an eyebrow, smiling through overly vibrant red lipstick.
"What? I'm an adult. I don't need to report all my relationships to everyone," the man retorted, glancing at Maggie Jo.
"Did you know about this?" Luisa asked, staring at the teen.
"I kinda…set them up…By accident," the teen pursed her lips as Ryan placed a cup of coffee in front of her.
"Hey, Ian, you mind giving me a ride home when you all finish? My shift's almost over, and Sheila took off with the car because she wasn't feeling well," the waiter sighed, mixing up the drinks so that everybody got the wrong one.
"Sure thing," the blonde man nodded.
"Thanks. Anyway, everybody know what they're eating?"
After a half hour, and a quasi-dinner of omelets and burgers, the five of them were huddled in Ian's old van, barreling down the highway ten miles above the speed limit.
"Oh God, Ian. This thing's a screaming metal deathtrap," Luisa moaned, hanging on for dear life as they zoomed along the slippery road, the car rattling and making godforsaken howling noises. The falling snow had become more violent, pouring down relentlessly on the surrounding woods.
"It gets me from point A to point B," the man sighed. "How's everyone else holding up?"
"I'm doing fine," Maggie Jo shrugged, glancing at the dashboard clock. "Huh, 12:01…It's Friday."
"Merry Christmas Eve, everyone," Ryan grinned, as Kelli closed her eyes, noticeably nervous.
"It'll be alright. We're almost there," Luisa patted Kelli's back, smiling comfortingly. She stroked Kelli's hair, assuming the role of mother.
"We're right by it," Kelli whispered, staring out at the snow-covered trees lining the road. "This is right where they picked me up."
"I know, Kell. Try to calm down. You're doing great," Luisa whispered soothingly.
"What the hell?" Ian said, blinded by sudden high beams. Speeding down the wrong side of the road, a tiny blue car was heading straight for the van and showing no sign of stopping. His thoughts racing, Ian turned the steering wheel in a desperate attempt to avoid a crash, swerving off the road and slamming into a tree. Back on the road, the other vehicle slid to a halt as two figures crawled out.
"Is everyone alright?" Ian asked, staring around at his passengers, who appeared shaken but not badly injured. Blood trickled down Maggie Jo's forehead, as her airbag had not deployed.
"My head," the girl moaned, barely noticing the red liquid staining her white coat.
"Here, let me have a look," Luisa said softly, unbuckling herself and examining her sister's wound. "You'll be alright. We just have to get it cleaned up."
"Oh God, Oh God. It's happening again," Kelli had started hyperventilating, as Ian got out of the van and stormed unsteadily for the road. "Stay in the car, Ian! Please!"
"Hey, asshole, what the hell are you doing?" the man yelled, ignoring his sister's pleas. "You could've killed us!"
"Hey, whattar…whattar you gonna do about it, fag?" the other driver chuckled, laughing drunkenly as if he had said something incredibly clever.
"I should've figured…Clyde Owen," Ian rolled his eyes. "You gonna pay for my car?"
"Nah, I ain't go no insurance," Clyde laughed some more, as his girlfriend, a lanky Asian woman with mangled black hair, tried to get him to calm down.
"Denise…are you hurt?" Ian asked, biting his lip and watching as the woman tried to restrain her boyfriend while simultaneously attempting to hide a bruise on her arm.
"Nah, I'm okay. We weren't the ones who crashed. How about you guys? I'll have my dad take a look at your van tomorrow…Free of charge," the woman smiled weakly, trying to force Clyde to sit down. "I'm really sorry. He insisted on driving…and I couldn't…"
"No…Don't worry…It's not your fault," Ian said softly. He didn't exactly put it past Clyde to hit the poor girl if she didn't let him have his way. "We're all fine….Maybe it's not my business…but Denise, did he do that to your arm?"
"Oh…no, I fell the other day, don't worry about it," Denise gave a small, desperate smile as Luisa, Maggie Jo, and Ryan appeared behind Ian.
"That's right. What we do is none of your goddamm business, fruitcake" Clyde slurred, standing up.
"Sit down, Clyde Owen," Luisa snapped, apparently unimpressed.
"Where's Kelli?" Ian asked.
"In the car," Ryan shrugged, pointing. "She refuses to come out."
"Well, she'd better…" Ian froze midsentence, his eyes widening as he saw a hulking shadow emerge from the woods and begin walking slowly toward the crashed van, where an unaware Kelli was curled up in the backseat.