S

S C R E E C H

CHAPTER ONE

Karissa McNamara was walking home from her high school, Eastern Hutt, located in Wellington, New Zealand. She was walking with her close friend, Alice Garner. They were both very clever, yet aggressive students with a real comedic talent. Alice had curly brown hair and wide eyes, she was not nearly as well-known as Karissa, who had a dark brown hair with red streaks. Karissa's parents were both real estate agents, which meant they were hardly ever home. Alice's parents had died a couple of years ago, and her grandparents looked after her most of the time now. Although, she did not really need looking after, it seemed that Alice could handle almost anything all by herself.

Karissa unzipped her bag as they approached her doorstep. She put the key in the lock and stepped inside. Karissa went over to clear the alarm, but to her surprise it was already off. 'That's funny' she thought.

'Mum, are you home?' she shouted. Her voice echoed around the walls of her big, lonely house. It seemed that Karissa had forgotten about Alice for a moment, and she started walking up the steps in a trance.

'Mum?' she called repeatedly. 'Where the hell are you?'

Suddenly Karissa heard a short, spooky creak behind her. She turned around to see if it was Alice. She wasn't there. 'Alice where are you?'

Karissa walked down the stairs and checked inside the kitchen. No one was in there. She checked the study and the dining room, and Alice wasn't there. 'Alice, for crying out loud. Where the hell did you go?'

Suddenly Karissa's radio came on full volume. 'CRAP!' she shouted. She had almost jumped out of her skin. She quickly walked up the stairs to turn off her stereo in her bedroom. 'Alice, for god sake you gave me a -' Karissa stopped and screamed her head off. There on her four-poster bed, was Alice Garner, who had been stabbed to death.

Karissa ran for the telephone. Weirdly, her family had a telephone just by the tip of the stairs. She dialed 111.

Karissa suddenly heard her stereo stop. She started breathing heavily. There were footsteps behind her. Karissa looked around. "AAHHH!" she screamed. There in front of her, was a killer with a knife. He was wearing the mask that the murderers in the Scream movies had used. The killer acted fast, he heaved Karissa down the stairs with a mighty push. She landed hard on her elbows and knees. The killer started to walk in a slow, scary and horrifying way down the stairs. Karissa was still, she acted dead. The killer raised his knife. Just as he was ready to stab, Karissa reached into her top pocket and grabbed her perfume. She chucked it at the killers stomach, and ran down the stairs. She went down to the kitchen.

Karissa ran straight for the pantry, which is where they kept there knifes and food weapons. She went to grab a knife, but then unexpectedly, two dead bodies fell on her head! Karissa screamed at the sight of her slaughtered parents, who had had their insides ripped out.

The killer entered the room. Karissa tried extremely hard to push her parents off herself, but they wouldn't budge. The killer stood over her. He seemed relaxed. The ghost-face then ripped out his knife from his unnoticable pockets and stabbed Karissa right in the heart. She gasped in pain. The killer stabbed her several more times. Finally, the bastard was satisfied and he left the house out the back way.

On the other line on the phone upstairs, the police were getting ready to take a visit to the McNamara's house, to check out the so-called 'prank.'

CHAPTER TWO

It was nine o' clock pm. Katherine Chin put the telly on mute and reached for the ringing phone. Katherine was a well-known, independent young woman. She was a student at Eastern Hutt High School. Katherine has tanned skin and dark black hair.

'Hello?' she said.

'Hi', a dark and mysterious voice said.

'May I ask who's speaking?'

'No, you may not.'

Katherine was stunned.

'Who are you looking for?'

'You'

'Me?'

'Yes, you'

Katherine tsk-tsked.

'Let me guess, you have seen all 3 Scream movies? Your doing a prank, aren't you. Come on, Halloween is so over!? Plus, I don't get scared easily. And I've seen all the Scream films'

'You like the Scream movies?'

'Ya think?'

The voice was silent.

'Do you like scary movies, Katherine?'

'Eh?'

'Do you like scary movies, Miss Chin?'

'Who the heck is this and what in hell are you trying to prove?'

'THIS'

The killer came out jumped out unexpectedly from the closet behind Katherine's television set. She screamed and ran down the stairs at an extremely fast pace. Katherine was the fastest girl in her school, it would be a hard task for the killer to catch her.

Katherine grabbed her mother's most unique antique and chucked it at the killers mask. She got him right in the eye.

The killer fell back, obviously stunned by Katherine's girly power.

Katherine keeped running until she reached the back door. She yanked the door open and ran outside.

After many screams of "HELP!", the police finally came, but, as you expected, the killer had vanished.

CHAPTER THREE

Katherine Chin sat motionlessly in the police station. Officer Charles Taylor had kept her there for safety until her parents got home.

Katherine was absolutely stunned by the nights event, but what she was about to hear would be more horrifying than ever.

Officer Charles Taylor walked into the room with a look of plain horror on his face. He had a bit of a pause before talking to Katherine.

'Miss Chin -'

'Katherine is fine, thanks'

'Okay, Katherine. Have you seen the Scream trilogy?'

'Huh?'

Katherine had a thought that he was the prankster. But she wasn't sure, so she stayed put.

'Have you seen the Scream films?'

'Yes, yes I have.'

'Well, it seems someone is trying to duplicate the films. You did say the killer was wearing the same mask as the prop they used in the films, didn't you?'

'Yes, he was wearing the same mask.'

'And he contacted you on the phone?'

'Sure did.'

Officer Charles Taylor had a thoughtful pause.

'Do you know any reason why the killer would come after you?'

Katherine looked up at him and had a think about what he had just said. Then it struck her.

'My mother is dead. She was … raped and murdered.'

'Oh my gosh, just like Sidney Prescott, from Scream.'

'True…that is the only reason I can come up with.'

She was sitting silently until she was shocked and interrupted by Charles Taylor's secretary.

'Officer! Come quick! Four more bodies were found an hour ago. We currently identify them as Karissa McNamara, her parents and Alice Garner.'

Katherine was absolutely snowed in. Alice and Karissa were both good friends of hers. She decided to get more deeper into this conversation. She turned to the secretary.

'Do you have any info about why they might want to be killed?'

'No, all we've got is the information you gave us.'

'What are you going to do to protect other students?'

'The school won't be closed just yet, we have to find out if the killer is only wanting to kill you and Karissa. We will close it if the body count becomes too unbearable, though.'

'Do you know who the killer might be?'

'No idea.'

Katherine suddenly went noticeably pale.

'What is wrong, Katherine?'

'I live by myself. God, I so do not want to be in my house alone!'

'Do you have any close friends you could stay with?'

'Er … Alice was one of them…'

Officer Charles Taylor gave her a stern look.

'But, then there is always Melanie, I suppose,' Katherine said quickly.

'Last name?'

'Cleland.'

'Will her parents mind?' Officer Charles Taylor said.

'Not in the least.' Melanie replied.

'Right, sorted. Could you give her a ring and tell her the news, please? I have some more investigating to do on this case.'

Katherine went to pick up the phone with tears leaking down her face.

CHAPTER FOUR

Over the next couple of days, Eastern Hutt High School was told all about the horrible happenings of the small town.

Katherine kept close to Melanie all the time, and she demanded that all of them have the same classes together.

Melanie was a capable, fit, short and playful little girl. Her eyes were dark red and her hair was down to her shoulders.

Finally, it was time for the class that Katherine had been dreading the most. Film class.

Her and Melanie stepped in together and took seats and the back row.

'Ah!'

Katherine jumped as someone put their hand on her shoulder.

'Oh, its you.'

'Did I scare ya?'

Mitchell Reid, a film expert looked at her with a cheeky grin and scruffy hair. Katherine slapped him.

'Hey! That hurt!'

'Idiot, serves you right.' Katherine said with an angry look on her face.

'God, what's up your ass?'

'Didn't you hear about…?'

Katherine trailed off quietly.

'About what?'

'Er..'

'About WHAT?'

Melanie chimed in.

'Karissa McNamara and Alice Garner where killed after school yesterday. Then, the psycho followed Katherine home and tried to murder her.'

'And … you got away?'

Katherine gave both of them the evils.

'I don't want to talk about it, ok?'

Melanie comforted her.

'Sure, sorry. Didn't mean to upset you.'

Mitchell was in shock.

'Have the p-police found the killer yet?'

'No, but they are trying to trace the calls at the moment'.

'Crap, I am seeing Scream 3 tonight. You guys have made me not want to go!'

Melanie gave Mitchell a devilish look.

'The police think the killer is trying to duplicate the Scream films…'

'Why?'

'The killer was wearing the same mask as the prop they used in the Scream films,' Melanie said excitedly.

Katherine gave Melanie the 'that's-not-very-satisfactory' look, and then Melanie quickly shut up and got on with the lesson.

After school, Katherine and Melanie got picked up and taken to Melanie's house.

After tea and watching some TV, it was 9.57pm and Katherine was just about to fall asleep, when she heard her cell phone ring.

'Oh, crap.'

Katherine reached out and pressed 'TALK'

'Hello?' she said.

'Guess who, Katherine?'

It was the same voice, the same person who had tried to murder her the previous night.

Katherine's jaw dropped open. She called out for Help.

'What the hell do you want you sick, worthless junkie?'

'I want you,' the killer replied.

Melanie's parents walked in the room.

'What is it, Katherine?' Melanie's father said.

Katherine didn't stop talking.

'Yeah, sure you want me. Next, are we gonna play a little game?' she said sarcastically.

She heard someone hang up.

Katherine turned to Melanie's family and told them it was the same psycho.

Melanie told her parents to trace the calls A.S.A.P.

Katherine was replaying the Scream movies in her head all over again, the start, the middle and the end of each one. Katherine was certain this killer was trying to copy-cat the Scream movies, somehow, this guy had everything figured out. Who was next?

CHAPTER FIVE

Katherine awoke late the next morning. It was July 2nd.

'Hun, we're gonna be late,' she heard Melanie say.

'Where are we going?'

'School'

'Oh, God. Do we have to, Mel?'

'Well……no.'

That day Melanie and Katherine decided to have a relaxing day. During one of their many conversations, Melanie asked Katherine who she thought the killer was.

Katherine finally said something about 5 minutes of thinking.

'I have no idea, lots of people are suspects.'

'I think it was Mitchell,' Melanie said.

'Really?'

'He is the most obvious person, I mean, hello, he went to see Scream 3 last night, you gotta call on your cellphone from the same person?! Its easy to tell.'

Katherine thought about what Melanie said.

'You could be right, however, we shouldn't judge too quick…'

'You're right. Sorry for bringing it up'

Without warning, the phone rung.

Katherine hid her head in her hands. Melanie reached for the telephone and picked it up.

'Hello?'

'Hi, is Katherine there please?'

'Who's speaking?'

'It's Michael. Mitchell told me what happened and I'd like to speak to her.'

'Katherine, its Michael.'

Katherine looked up. She was obviously stunned that Michael had rung her. And at Melanie's house?

'Hang on.'

Michael was Katherine's ex-boyfriend. They were friends, but they avoided each other when they were alone.

Katherine took the phone from Melanie.

'Hello', she said, desperately hoping the Scream-voice wouldn't answer.

'Hi, Katherine. It's me.'

It was definitely Michael. His voice was easily distinguishable.

'How did you know to call me here?'

'Mitchell told me about what happened. He told me where you were.'

'Oh, alright.'

Michael twitched his mouth a little as he spoke.

'Listen, Katherine. I know, I know, it will be shocking for me to ask this -'

Katherine prayed on the other line that he wouldn't ask her out. Surely not…

'I was wondering if you want to come and play a little game of Nightmare with our group of friends. We can keep in contact by walkie-talkie things. You will be in contact with me, Mitchell and Melanie. Just in case.'

Katherine was not quite expecting this.

'I don't know, Michael. What if…'

'There will be too many people around, a group of about 17 people and the police out on the road…'

'I'm still not too sure,' Katherine said after a short pause.

'Oh, come on. Live a little.'

Katherine felt like saying 'I'll live very little if I come.'

'Fine then, I'll join you guys. What time?' Katherine asked.

'8.56pm, precisely. Tomorrow night.'

Katherine hung up. Melanie looked pleased with her. She had obviously already heard about the 'little game.'

'It's good you said yes.'

'It's also a great trap for all of us to fall into.'

'But -'

'I don't want anyone else been killed, alright?' Katherine said.

'I know you don't.'

Katherine gave Melanie yet another stern look at they continued talking deep into the night.

CHAPTER SIX

The next day at Eastern Hutt High School, Katherine and Melanie me up with all their friends and discussed the midnight game.

'Why 8.56 precisely?' Katherine asked with a thoughtful look.

'Don't ask.' Mitchell said.

Katherine jumped suddenly.

'Sorry! Didn't mean to freak ya, Kath!'

It was Victoria Bennett. She was a popular, funny, interesting 16 year old who seemed to be friends with almost everyone.

Katherine and Victoria hugged. They were almost as close as Melanie and Katherine, but then again, Victoria was close to everyone, Melanie had few friends who she adored and loved as much as Katherine.

'So, you coming to the game tonight?'

Katherine smiled.

'Yeah.'

'Really? I'm surprised. With what happened and all…' Victoria's voice trailed off.

'Yes, I know. Everyone is. But, I ain't gonna let no killer stop me from living, right?'

Katherine gave everyone a cheeky look and headed off to class.

Michael Carruthers walked home fast-paced. He was a tall, quick and recognisable lad. As he was just coming to his street home, a police car pulled up in front of him.

'Are you Michael Carruthers?' the police officer said. It was Officer Charles Taylor.

'Yes. Yes, I am. Why do you ask?'

'We need you to come down to the station, son. We have some questions about recent … events we need to ask you.'

Michael looked taken aback. Officer Charles Taylor smiled comfortably.

'Your friend, Mitchell Reid is down there too.'

'Are we the prime suspects?'

'We'll tell you everything when you're down at the station, Michael.'

Michael and Officer Charles Taylor approached the police station in the comfortable, equipped car. They walked inside.

In the station, Michael could see lots of desks with officer's hats, guns and more weapons. The station was reasonably large, like, just the perfect size.

Michael looked around some more and spotted Mitchell sitting in a locked, glass room with an officer named Stephanie Mander. Mitchell gave him a quick glance and turned back to Officer Stephanie Mander.

'This way, please, Michael,' Officer Charles Taylor shouted out to Michael, who was at the other side of the room.

Michael made his way to the room Officer Charles Taylor was pointing to and walked inside.

'Its quarter to 9, Katherine, we better get going.'

Melanie, Victoria and Katherine had decided to go together. They were at Victoria's home and Katherine was adjusting her walkie-talkie headphone thing.

She stepped out of the door when she had decided the fit was good enough. On the walkie-talkies, Mitchell and Michael had sello-taped people's names to the connections which they used.

#1 button on the walkie-talkie allowed Katherine to talk to Mitchell.

#2 button put her in reach with Michael.

#3 button was probably the one Katherine was going to use most, it was the one which allowed her to talk with Melanie.

Katherine, Melanie and Victoria reached the school grounds at 8.54pm precisely and walked over to where she could see a bunch of her friends. Mitchell and Michael were telling everyone about how they had been called into the police station to answer some questions.

'Oh my God, what did they make you say?' said Rachel Price, a close friend of Michael's.

'They said we might know something,' Mitchell said, grinning.

'Why would you know something? Do they think you're the killer?'

The questions continued until Mitchell's watch flashed 8.56pm. Time to start the game.

Everyone was to spread about across the fields they had at school. No one was allowed inside.

Katherine sprinted off. At the start, Rachel Price was the nightmare-person. She had trouble catching Katherine, and Rachel was a fast chick herself.

At first, Katherine found the whole game a bit babyish, but after a half an hour of Nightmare, she began to realise she was having loads of fun. Katherine also realised after half an hour that her walkie-talkie was switched off. She turned it on and pressed the #3 button.

'Hey Mel, having fun?' she said into the speaker.

Katherine waited a few seconds and Melanie hadn't replied.

'Melanie, are you there?'

Katherine's eyes widened as she heard a scream and a knife raise.

'Sorry, Katherine. Melanie isn't able to answer the phone at the moment.'

Katherine screamed. It was the voice of the killer who had rung her.

'Where the hell are you? What the -'

'Right here.' That voice hadn't come from the walkie-talkie. It was the same voice, but it sounded closer. Closer. It sounded as if it was coming from behind her…

Katherine spun around. And dropped her walkie-talkie in horror. The killer was there! Katherine's walkie-talkie batteries fell out and rolled across the grass as she ran for the classrooms.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Katherine bolted up the Technology deck. The killer was soon safely out of sight, but she didn't want to take any chances.

Finally, she reached a class. She grabbed the doorknob. It didn't budge.

'Oh Shit No!' she screamed at the door. It was locked. Katherine looked around for something to throw at the door and break the window. She spotted a chair by a small green gate. The gate was the same height as Katherine. She ran to the chair. Before she could pick anything up, the ghost-face bounded over the fence with his knife raised. Katherine looked at him in horror and ran for it.

Katherine hadn't been running far when she reached the sport shed. The keys were in there. She thought it might be a trap, but she wasn't sure enough, so she quickly jumped inside.

Katherine stepped further into the sports shed and hid behind a gigantic bag of basketballs.

Katherine hadn't been hiding for long when she spotted a walkie-talkie next to her. She looked on the buttons.

#1 contact was Katherine. Herself.

#2 contact was Victoria.

#3 contact was Rachel Price.

It must have been either Mitchell's or Michael's. Or Melanie's? Katherine looked around for anyone who might've dropped it.

Suddenly, Katherine dropped the walkie-talkie in horror. Next to the machine was a small drop of blood. She saw that is continued down to the very back of the sports shed. Katherine fearfully started to walk down the blood trail. Eventually, it came to a halt. She was standing outside a little doorway. Katherine stood still in absolute horror.

'AAAHHH!' suddenly she screamed as the door opened and she saw Mitchell's gutted body. Katherine panted as she ran away from the monstrous dead body.

Tears were streaming down her eyes, her back was aching and her mouth was as dry as raw fish.

In the distance, Katherine could see something red. It was ...an axe! An axe, to chop down ropes and break out fire extinguishers. She felt like screaming for joy. But Katherine didn't want to act too fast.

She grabbed the axe as quick as a fox and hurried to the classroom to smash down a window. There was nowhere else to go, trying to leave the school was far too obvious.

She broke some of the glass, and stepped inside.

'Oh Crap!' suddenly, Katherine had dropped the axe into a dark corner. It looked like someone was hiding behind her.

'Smart move, Katherine,' it was the killer's voice. The figure was standing right behind her. He had no weapons, in his hand at least.

'Is this the part where you reveal your identity?' Katherine said, scowling at the ghost-face.

'Right after this, I promise,' the killer replied.

Katherine was about to bolt away, but the killer was too fast. He knocked her to the ground and kicked her and punched her, and physically beat her up.

Katherine fought the fear and the pain she was feeling and stood up.

'So, who is this mysterious killer?' she said with a sarcastic look on her face.

The killer turned his head both ways and looked back at Katherine. Then he reached up to his mask…

CHAPTER EIGHT

'M – m – Melanie?' Katherine looked up at the now mask-less killer.

Melanie nodded her head at Katherine.

'Why? You were my best friend…?'

'The best friend thing, right. Exactly, perfect. No one would expect Katherine Chin's best mate to be the killer, right? They would expect all those horror movie maniacs like Mitchell and Michael to be the one's going round ripping people's inside's out.'

Katherine stepped away, her eyes watering with fear.

'That is not the reason why you did it, you sick bitch.'

Katherine took 2 more steps back.

'The reason why I did it, simply was because the fun of it. That is the only difference I have from all the killer's in the Scream movies. All the killer's had a purpose. But not me, I did it for the fun. And they may be the best reason yet…'

Katherine stood back against the wall. Melanie approached her slowly.

'See, Katherine, I have a similarity between all the killers in the Scream films.'

As Melanie talked on, Katherine felt something sharp behind her.

'For instance, in Scream 2, the killer was female. And she was the most unexpected person to be the killer. Just like me…'

'You both are sick bitches!' Katherine replied suddenly and hurled the axe across the room. Melanie ducked and pulled out the knife she had used for the killings. Katherine threw chairs across the room, but Melanie was too fast.

Melanie lunged Katherine onto a desk and pulled her hair. She readied the knife.

'NO!' Katherine screamed just as Melanie was about to stab her.

Katherine kicked Melanie hard in the stomach and ran to the door. Melanie sat on the desk, howling in pain.

'HELP! SOMEBODY!' Her voice echoed across the lifeless school-grounds.

'Where is everyone?' Katherine's eyes widened and her gigantic tears dropped to the glass door.

'They're right here, Katherine.' Melanie said, again using the creepy Scream voice.

Katherine turned around slowly, just as Melanie revealed Victoria and Michael's body out of a closet. They had tape around their mouth, and they were not dead.

Melanie laughed at Katherine's horrified expression. Melanie's face then turned white, something was in front of her, and it had scared the hell out of her.

'OFFICER!' It was Officer Charles Taylor, and Katherine ran to him.

'What is going - '

'Give me your goddamn gun!' Katherine reached into his bag and grabbed his gun. She shot Melanie. In the head. And the stomach.

Officer Charles Taylor was speechlees.

'O-o-o-o-o-o OH MY GOD! She was the one?'

'Yes, she was.'

Katherine jogged over to Victoria and Michael. She untied their bodies and pulled off their mouth-tape.

'My god, Melanie was a psycho bitch!' Victoria screamed instantly.

'Yes, but she's gone now.' Katherine said quietly.

CHAPTER NINE

Katherine had struggled dealing with the recent events over the past months, but soon she was cured and back to her normal self. She still lived in Wellington, but had moved in with Victoria after she discovered her parents had died in a plane crash.

One rainy day, Katherine was cooking popcorn while Victoria was out renting some films for them to watch.

Victoria came inside soaking wet, yet she still had a satisfying smile on her face.

'I rented your favourites, Kath.'

Katherine came and looked over at the videos she had rented.

Victoria had rented 3 films, Scream, Scream 2 and Scream 3.

'Okay, these were the one's I was least expecting.' Katherine said cheekily to Victoria. They walked over to the family room and stuck the tape in. Just as they were getting to the killer-reveals-all part of Scream, the phone rung.

Victoria stood up. 'I'll get it.'

The End