Fear ye the ripper!
"No!" I screamed sitting straight up in bed. I struggled to free myself from my sheets, winding myself on the floor in a sweaty heap. I panted, heals of my hands pressed tightly against my eyes. "Just a dream, just a dream," I whispered over and over again, knocking my head on my hard wood floor to further wake me up.
It'd been this way for the last three weeks. Ever since the Riverton Seven's birthday had begun leering over the not so distant horizon, I'd been having vivid nightmares. They were always the same, with Abel Plankov coming out from the darkness and slashing me to pieces. It seemed so real; I could almost feel the knife cutting me open. I woke up screaming every night. It wasn't doing me any favors.
Pushing myself up onto my elbows, I turned to check my nightstand clock. 11:33pm, nearly midnight. With a groan, I tossed my sheets away from me, revealing the skinny jeans and black t-shirt I had gone to bed in. I wasn't about to miss out on the kickoff of Ripper Day no matter how bad my night terrors got. Alex and Bug were counting on me. This year was bound to be big.
Pulling myself to my feet, I rushed to slip into my flats and yank on the black hoodie my boyfriend had given me. As I slipped my arm through the sleeve, I accidently knocked over my cordless phone and it clattered noisily to the floor. I winced, turning my eyes to the crack between my bedroom door and the floor. I waited, holding my breath, for a good minute, but nothing happened. The hall light didn't go on. I hadn't woken my mother up.
I sighed in relief before zipping the hoodie up all the way. Crossing back over to stand next to my bed, I leaned over, pushing my window up and open. I turned to the full length mirror hung on the back of my bedroom door before sticking a leg out. The hoodie hung down to my knees and when I pulled the hood up, it completely covered my royal purple dyed hair. I looked like a common hooligan and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
With a huff, I pitched myself out of my window and reached out to grab the branch that protruded from the tree in our backyard. Stepping lightly, I curled myself around the branch and began the long shimmy downwards. I hissed as my wrists were rubbed raw by the bark but continued on. Before too long I letting myself drop the last two feet to the damp, leafy ground. Glancing back up at my window, I cursed myself for not remembering to close it. It looked like rain and my pillow would end up soaked.
With an aggravated shrug, I shoved my hands into my pockets and began the short walk to the old ambulance. The gory story of Abel Plankov had come to an inferno-esque end only a ten minute walk from my house sixteen years ago tonight. Unlike the rest of the town, my mom was unconcerned about the danger of the Ripper and was out that night cavorting with the lower scum of Riverton. Nine months later I was born.
I was not an official "member" of the Riverton Seven, I wasn't even in the same grade, but I was still included in things like Ripper night. I'd walked this same path for the last two years, having finally qualified to go to the yearly ritual when I was thirteen. I stepped over toppled trees and ducked beneath low branches without even having to think about it. I was on autopilot. I could make it there with my eyes closed.
I stopped short as I reached a road. I turned my head, checking both directions, but not with the excuse of not wanting to get run down. This night every year was notorious for gatherings like ours and the cops had really started to crack down hard on Ripper Night. They had never busted it up before the chosen of the seven 'killed' the Ripper though. I supposed that was a good thing. Jay Chan –one of the seven- had told me that if the puppet Ripper wasn't killed every year, his spirit would come back to kill them all and then some. Frankly his stories gave me goose bumps and I was just glad that this year he was making the puppet instead of standing nearby spewing his wild lies.
When I decided the coast was clear, I jogged across the road and turned to start following it down to where the Ripper had made his last stand. It wasn't as if I actually believed Jay's stories, or even Jerome's –he liked to put in his two cents to scare every now and again- it was just that they made me uneasy. I wasn't afraid of the Ripper. At least that's what I told myself and everyone else. Abel Plankov was dead and gone and there was nothing to remind anyone of him except for nights like these. Nights like these…and Bug.
I perked up as I noticed a faint glow in the distance. Almost simultaneously I picked up the chatter of the general population of our small town high school. Smirking, I picked up my pace into a brisk jog and over took the party in a relatively short time. The glow had been coming from a hundred or so candles that were set and lit on the old shell of the ambulance that had carried Plankov. I nodded appreciatively at this, it was a nice touch. Glancing around quickly I decided that this had to be the biggest turn out we'd ever had. Brandon was getting very boastful.
I wisped my way through the small but dense crowd, smiling as I passed Penelope. She returned the gesture, nodding politely before letting her gaze wonder off to something only she could see. She was probably talking to God. I shook my head. Penelope could be pretty alright but sometimes her obsession with her religion made it hard to relate to her. Shaking my head one last time I turned and searched each face I passed expectantly. It was almost midnight.
I blinked in surprise as I felt someone yank my hood back from my head. Before I could turn, a pair of arms snaked around my middle and a pointed chin was digging slightly into my shoulder.
"Fear ye the ripper?" my boyfriend, Alex Dunkelman, growled into my ear playfully. With a scoff, I pushed away from him, turning so that we were eye to eye.
"Never," I laughed defiantly, poking him square in the chest. I noticed that he winced but didn't mention it in order to save his pride. Brown eyes sparkling with mischief, he grabbed my hand and pulled me against his chest.
"You sure about that?" he asked, his voice back to normal as he quirked an eyebrow at me. I took my bottom lip between my teeth and let my eyes roll up as if I were really thinking on it.
"Um…" He smiled at my charade. "Yes!" With a playful glare, he flicked my nose in warning.
"Well then you better watch your back for the next twenty-four hours," he said, stepping forward slightly so that I had to back up to keep him from stepping on me. "Because he'll be coming for you non-believers."
"I thought he only came for the Riverton Seven," I challenged, rocking back on my heels slightly but not moving from his grasp. He rolled his eyes as if exasperated.
"He can kill anyone he wants, Hayley," he huffed, his arms dropping from my hips and waving beside his head. "He's the Ripper!" I snickered before I felt a light tap on my shoulder and turned around.
"And he'll be coming for you, Hayley Snow," said Jerome King, managing to point his finger right between my eyes without the gift of site. I laughed, pulling him forward by his sleeve to wrap him into a hug. After Bug, Jerome was my favorite of Alex's friends. Jay and I often had problems based around the fact that he was always trying to scare me.
"How's it going, guys?" Alex asked, slinging his arm over my shoulder as I pulled away from Jerome. I waved at Jay from where he stood slightly behind the blind teen.
"It's going," the Asian boy nodded. "Are you all ready for my Ripper puppet this year?" he asked, excitement practically seeping from his pores. I nodded along with Alex just as Brandon O'Neil –the self-proclaimed head of the Seven- jumped up in front of everyone. I glanced around quickly, noticing for the first time that Bug wasn't here yet. Alex squeezed my shoulder and smiled down at me.
"He'll be here," he whispered.
Brandon started us all off on the annual countdown to midnight. I laughed as Alex bounced at every number until twelve and then we all cheered. Brandon, up from his place on a log turned to look across the river at the center of town.
"And the lights," he began , pointing. The lights shut down all together and we cheered again, Jerome reaching out to shake my wrist. "Are out!" I clapped along with everyone else, again briefly wondering when Bug would show up. Turning my face up to look at Alex, I smiled as he planted a short kiss on my lips just before Brandon started to address us. "Alright! Now as you all know, Ripper Day represents two things, one of them bad one of them good." He held up two fingers and we all nodded in agreement. This was the usual speech.
"The good part is, it's the birthday of seven of us here." The Seven minus Bug and Penelope all bristled in excitement. "Born sixteen years ago tonight." I nodded, winking at Jay as he shot me a thumbs up.
"Jerome King, hey Jerome," Brandon said pointing. Everyone applauded and I along with Jerome's sister threw in a whistle.
"Alex Dunkelmen," Brandon said next. Alex lifted in his hand in acknowledgment as I rubbed my face against his chest. Again he winced slightly so I pulled away as Brandon continued.
"Jay Chan, our new Ripper puppet for tonight." There was a louder applause here as everyone loved the Ripper puppet the most. It was the entire point of the evening. Jay beamed as Alex reached over and slapped him on the back.
"Bug Hellermen." Silence. We all looked around but Bug had yet to show his face. "Hellermen?" there was a rustling from behind the crowd and Bug appeared from the trees. I breathed a sigh of relief as everyone laughed when Brandon made a jab at the blonde haired boy. He looked worn out, dark circles noticeable under his eyes and his hair disheveled. Alex smiled at him, making room for him in the circle and asking where he'd been.
"Sleeping," Bug answered, his voice carrying its usual airy tone. "Hey, Hayley," he said, nodding down at me. I smiled my greeting, not bothering to wave as my hands had found their way into Alex's coat pockets.
"Bug takes a little longer cause he's a little slower," Brandon said condescendingly, making our classmates chuckle. Bug looked stricken and I felt for him. Everyone liked to tease him about that fact that he wasn't entirely as smart as the rest of us. Something about a complication at birth; it was harder for him to learn than it was for the rest of us. Brandon liked to pick on this fact.
He moved on then to introduce Penelope. I frowned as he of course attacked her beliefs in front of everyone, leaving her too looking troubled. I watched as her eyes darted around our party, stopping multiple times on Bug. I think I was the only one she'd ever told about her crush on him. Not that it wasn't obvious of course. It killed me that he had a thing for Brittany Cunnigham, whom Brandon had just introduced.
"And last, but definitely not least," the jock let the sentence hang and all the little groupies shouted out his name as he made a show of flashing his varsity jacket. "Yes, yes, thank you." I rolled my eyes as Alex just snickered.
"Now, it's time for the bad part, people," O'neil went on, his voice turning as serious as he could probably get. "We of the Riverton Seven have had to share our birthday with a monster." I winced, not daring to glance at Bug as Alex tightened his grip around me. "Abel Plankov who died at midnight the night we were born. The Ripper." A murmur went up through the crowd as if we all hadn't heard this story a million times. "Legend has it that we, the Riverton Seven, our the mirrors of Abel Plankov's personalities. The ones that turned the Ripper in and that the Ripper still wants revenge on."
Alex looked at Bug then, smirking deviously and I poked his side. He and I were the only ones that knew the truth about Able Plankov. At least the only teens. It'd been decided when we were younger that all the adults should know, but would forever keep Bug's parentage from him. Alex had only been told two years ago when his mother died. He'd shared it with me and we'd never spoken of it again. It hurt me to keep something like that from him, but Bug was just too innocent. Information like that could drive him insane.
"Abel Plankov is dead," Brandon went on, redrawing my attention. "But his ghost isn't…and now it lurks under the old railroad bridge, you've all seen it." It had gone eerily quiet and I hugged myself even closer to Alex. I hated this part of the story. "It sleeps in the river. It roams the darkest corner of the woods, just waiting for the next Ripper Day to come around. Cause on that day, our birthday –tonight- the devil has told him that he can take his revenge." Alex jostled me slightly at that point, smiling as I frowned at the scary story.
"But," Brandon said, raising his voice. "He can only come out of the river at this spot." He turned to point at the muddy bank where the Ripper had supposedly escaped all those years ago. "And every year since we have been able, one of us Riverton Seven has volunteered to drive him back into the river where he belongs. And tonight is no exception!" The crowd had gotten a bit rowdy again and was starting to shout encouragement on to the Seven
"And I personally," Brandon continued, raising his hand. "Have chosen to volunteer…to volunteer Bug Hellermen that is." My heart dropped into my stomach as his arm swung down to point at Bug. "It's your turn, Bug, the rest of us have done it!"
Bug looked like a ghost he had gone so pale. I knew he wouldn't be able to handle something like this, he was too sensitive. But what Brandon had said was true. I hadn't been included back when Alex had had his turn to kill the Ripper, but I knew him and the others, including Jerome, had already done it. It was Bug's turn this year, and if he refused it wouldn't be fair to everyone else. Plus it was bad luck based purely off superstition. I knew he was scared but it was only a puppet after all.
"Now we must all summon the Ripper from the river and if he appears-" Brandon pointed. "Bug must slay him, or we'll all die!" This caused uproar in the crowd and everyone began shouting taunts at Bug. I looked up at Alex, but he was watching Brandon who had turned to the river now. "IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, RIPPER - MAKE YOURSELVE KNOWN!"
"MAKE YOURSELVE KNOWN!" everyone began chanting. Bug looked about ready to faint and I discreetly stepped on Alex's foot to make him stop from joining in. He frowned at me before turning to Bug and going still. "MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN!"
"I don't think Bug can do this," I whispered to Alex as he eyed Bug up and down.
"He has to, it's a tradition," he murmured, rubbing circles in my back. I rolled my eyes at this excuse, but he just met them seriously. "He's gotta be a man about it."
"FEAR YE THE RIPPER!" Brandon yelled over all of us.
"FEAR YE THE RIPPER!" was the reply. Alex reached over to smack Jerome on the chest to stop him from shouting too.
"What'd I do?" the confused boy asked, rubbing his abused chest as Alex leaned towards him.
"Bug's freaking out," he confided as the mentioned boy shifted his weight nervously as if preparing to make a run for it. Reaching over, I squeezed his arm reassuringly. He turned to me, eyes wide in fear.
"FEAR YE THE RIPPER!"
"Don't worry, Bug," I said encouragingly. "It'll just be Jay's puppet, it can't-"
Before I could finish, there was a noise from the woods and everyone jumped. I turned quickly away from Bug to face the trees and stifled a gasp as "The Ripper" stepped out from the darkness…just like my nightmares. Despite what I'd just been about to tell Bug, fear struck itself deep within my chest. I back tracked quickly, hiding myself within the crowd as Alex drug his best friend forward.
"Come on, Bug," I heard him say, his hands gripping Bug's shoulders. "It's just a puppet, knock it over."
"FEAR YE THE RIPPER!"
I'd backed up far enough now that I was standing by Penelope. We glanced at each other momentarily before clasping hands. She was my only female friend in school as everyone else was run by Fang. I held my breath as Bug approached the puppet, everyone continuing to chant as it loomed over him. Jay had done a really impressive job unfortunately. The thing was completely terrifying.
"FEAR YE THE RIPPER!"
I winced as I saw Brandon shove Bug forward. He was literally shaking in his shoes and I was surprised he hadn't wet himself. Alex stood nearby trying to encourage him but it obviously wasn't working as Bug continued to back away from the skulking puppet. Suddenly he turned away from it completely and looked pleadingly at my boyfriend.
"I can't do this!" he cried, shaking his head as the puppet stalked closer behind him. My heart sank further and I felt Penelope grip my hand even tighter.
"But you must, or we'll all die!" Brandon ordered, laughing at the smaller boy's terror. Alex continued shouting for Bug not to be afraid and I found myself repeating him under my breath.
"Knock it over, Bug," I pleaded.
"FEAR YE THE RIPPER!"
Suddenly I felt Penelope whip her head around to look further up the road. I joined her, momentarily forgetting Bug's battle as we both moved over slightly only to see whirling red and blue lights approaching. A loud siren followed after. My eyes grew wide as the headlights flashed over my face and Penelope turned back to the gathering.
"COPS!"
At the mention the cops, there was an immediate panic and people scattered every which way. I barely got a chance to catch Penelope's nervous smile before she too fled the scene, disappearing from sight as she molded into the crowd. Since I was standing on a slight hill, I was able to see the Ripper puppet drop to the ground like the pile of fabric it was and sighed slightly in relief. It was done.
"You're in violation of the Riverton midnight curfew!" I came back to myself as I heard the officer shouting over their microphone. "Return to your homes immediately, or your parents will face prosecution!"
Shaking myself I began to carefully but quickly descend into the crowd. People shoved pass, trying to get to where they had hidden their cars or just reach the tree line. My eyes streaked around searching for Alex just as a boy from my second period yelled "POLICE BRUTALITY!" It was getting a bit hectic and I started to worry that I'd get scooped up and driven home in a cop car.
Suddenly something slammed into me from behind. I would've fallen if not for the arm that wrapped around my waist and began hurrying me forward. "Come on, Hayley!" Alex hissed, running me over to Bug who stood waiting like a lost child as our classmates rushed by him to disappear into the woods.
"Let's go!" he said, pushing me on in front of him as he grabbed Bug by the collar. Looking over as we ran, I noticed Jay and Jerome catch up with us. The two of them appeared to be having a blast, running through the woods at midnight while possibly being pursued by cops. "Watch your feet, Jerome!"
Alex's warning came too late as the blind young man rammed into my side, causing me to crash into Bug. I pitched forward, falling on my face as Bug rolled down into the river. The other three doubled back, Alex pulling me up by my shoulders as Jay helped Bug up the bank. He hadn't gotten himself too wet thankfully and the guys seemed to be having fun laughing at him.
"I'm blind, Bug, not you!" Jerome joked as he steadied himself on a nearby tree. Sometimes I wondered where that boy left his walking stick. We all jogged along the bank then until we reached a log. I helped Jerome over before hopping it and flattening myself to the ground. Alex, Bug and Jay followed suite, each crouching down as we tried to quiet down. From here, the glow of the candles was still slightly visible over our hiding place.
"What the fuck was that, why did they stop us?" Alex asked as he peaked over the log. I pulled him down again by his collar as we heard one of the police officers start to address the area.
"Go home!" he shouted as we all glanced at each other. "Ripper Day is officially canceled!" It went quiet then and we all began to chuckle to ourselves. Alex stretched out next to me as Jay removed his jacket to give to Bug.
"Why so glum, chum?" he teased, tossing his jacket over Bug's wet shoulders. Turning away from Alex who had been nibbling on my ear, I noticed that Bug did look down and pushed myself up on my elbos.
"Bug?" I tested as Alex also sat up slightly to stare at his best friend. The young man glanced at us before focusing his eyes on his shoes.
"I failed," he said sadly.
"Why, because you couldn't kill him?" I asked only slightly confused. Yeah this whole thing was pretty scary and I was even having nightmares over it, but Bug didn't actually believe it, did he?
"Now we're all gonna die and it's my fault," he said as if it were pure fact.
"Oh, Bug, no," I said, shaking my head. Sitting up completely, I vacated the spot between Alex and Jay. Scooting forward I sat in front of Bug. "None of that story is true."
"Yeah it's all just a bunch of bullshit Brandon made up," Alex agreed, leaning over me slightly. "If he was so worried about it, he would've killed it himself."
"That puppet was scary," Bug murmured, rapping his arms around his knees.
"The coat was creepy," Alex complimented, turning his attention to Jay who was practically glowing with pride at Bug's comment. "You added some moss and grass and shit right?"
"Yeah, man, he lived under the bridge for like sixteen years, he's prime evil, baby!" Jay said, turning to each of us in turn. I rolled my eyes. None of this was going to help Bug feel any better.
I crouched back on my haunches as the guys launched into an entire conversation surrounding the story of the Ripper. I really didn't need to hear it, but then again neither did Bug. I wondered briefly if his sister ever got scared on Ripper Day. I mean Plankov had tried to kill her too, before he himself was shot. Or at least that's what Mrs. Dunklemen had said. I wasn't part of Fang's group so I didn't know if she ever even spoke about it. As far as I knew, no one at school was even aware of her and Bug's relation.
"The Ripper's alive!" Bug's frightened question ripped me from my thoughts and I fell back on my bottom. "I thought you said he was just a ghost!" he went on looking at all of us in fear.
"No," Alex cut in, sounding annoyed with the others. "He's dead."
"Not necessarily," Jay cut in, wrapped up in the story. "Nobody ever found his body." Bug was back to looking ashen and I cut in before Jerome could add in his own comment.
"Knock it off you guys," I hissed. "You're scaring Bug!"
"I saw the way you ran from my puppet, Hayley," Jay whispered teasingly. "You know you fear the Ripper just as much as any of us, especially Bug."
"Leave her alone," Alex warned as I glared at Jay. Alex was the only one I'd told about my nightmares and he knew that his birthday made me nervous. Since we were thirteen he'd always told me I didn't need to come to the Ripper slayings but I'd insisted. Just like Bug, I didn't want people to think I was a coward.
"I'm just saying," Jay went on, pretty much ignoring Alex as he met my glare with a smirk. "Don't try to act like you're not afraid when you obviously are."
"Shut the fuck up," Alex hissed as he glanced over the log. We all fell quiet and I crawled back over between him and Jay on my belly as the glow from the candles started to dwindle. The police officers were ending the kickoff to Ripper Day.
"I gotta get home," Jay whispered when the cost was clear. As he started to straighten up he turned back to Alex and Bug. "Are you guys set for tomorrow?"
"For what?" Alex questioned, confused.
"The buzzard thing," Jay clarified making all of our mental light bulbs turn on.
"Condor," Bug and I corrected simultaneously. Apart from Alex, Bug was my best friend. He and I could talk for hours, which was rare for Bug. The thing he liked to talk about most though was of course the California Condor. At this point I probably knew as much about it as he did.
"Yeah we made a sock puppet," Alex sighed, rolling onto his back slightly. I choked back a laugh. They could be so lazy sometimes.
"You're gonna put your class to sleep," Jay chided, crouched down beside Jerome. "A good show and tell needs shock and awe."
"It's my fault," Bug concluded. "I was too scared about tonight to think about it." I straightened up so that I was seated leaned against the log. Alex followed and we both looked at Bug sympathetically. Sighing, Jay sat down again and put his hand on his birthday mate's shoulder.
"Listen, Bug," he said lowly. "I'm scared of the Ripper too."
"You are?" Bug asked about as surprised as I was. I turned to Alex with an eyebrow raised and he just shrugged, moving his arm to rest over my shoulder.
"I have to cross that bridge twice a day," Jay continued talking about the railroad Brandon had mentioned. "I just do what my grandma taught me. Spit in the river. And he won't come after me."
"That works?" Bug asked, eyes wide as if he were learning the secret of life. Reaching out I pet the back of his head lightly. He was so innocent. I let my arm drop and cuddled closer to Alex. It was getting late.
"Yeah for sixteen years," Jay finished, squeezing Bug's shoulder. "See ya." With that he returned to his feet and snuck away through the brush. Glancing at the dark sky I patted Alex's chest and moved into a crouching position.
"I gotta get going too," I said, glancing quickly over the log to make sure the cops weren't turned our way. Alex leaned forward pulling me into a kiss. I cupped his slender face, pulling away with a smile on my own.
"Love you," he whispered, tugging on the end of a strand of my hair affectionately. I beamed, leaning forward to kiss his cheek.
"You too," I murmured, before turning and waving quickly at Bug. As I passed Jerome I squeezed his shoulder in parting. Then pulling my hood over my head, I set out at a jog straight into the darkness, faking that I wasn't afraid.