This story is set just after the files and is in a different universe altogether to Nightmares. After the last case she took ended badly, Nancy has sworn off of detecting and is beginning college at Emerson, determined to make a fresh start. However, all does not go to plan and Nancy soon finds herself caught up investigating a rash of attacks on female students at Emerson. To those reading Nightmares, I have almost completed the next chapter and should be posting soon. Anyways, enjoy!
Strong shafts of sunlight bleeding through the worn, threadbare curtains roused the sickly-pale girl from her troubled sleep. Her blue eyes squeezed into thin painful slits, she glanced around the room in confusion, her head aching from the sheer exertion of it. Unfamiliar posters of various rock bands and pin-ups of pouting bleached-blonde girls plastered the scuffed blue walls. Dusty books titled in names she didn't recognize lay stacked on the scratched, much-abused hardwood floor and slotted haphazardly into a bookcase that occupied much of the wall at the far side of the room. A few pairs of mud-encrusted sneakers lay scattered untidily beside the bed, and draped over the wardrobe was a black cotton shirt, the logo of a restaurant in town printed neatly on the back.
Where am I? she thought groggily, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Her memories of the previous night were fuzzy at best. She had brief flashes of laughing and dancing with her friends but after that, the night just disintegrated into a vast black void. Closing her eyes, eager to give some relief to her throbbing head, she buried her head deep beneath the striped blue and white blanket.
I wonder where everyone is, was her last thought before sinking back into darkness.
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Arriving at the imposing mock-Victorian building that was to be their home for the next year, Bess and Nancy cheered excitedly, each regarding the other with ecstatic, self-satisfied expressions. It really had been the most perfect day for making the four-hour journey between River Heights and Emerson. The sun shone brightly from an azure blue sky and a warm breeze had rippled through her long reddish-blonde hair as she drove along. Negotiating her Mustang expertly up the narrow tree-lined driveway that wound around the dorm, Nancy only narrowly avoided colliding with several cars that had been semi-abandoned by their wide-eyed, smiling owners, who were too busy scrambling to drag bags out onto the sun-warmed asphalt to notice or even care.
If Nancy was to be entirely honest with herself, she was a little apprehensive about starting college, about giving up the comforts of home and the stability of family life, but she had to admit she was excited about the prospect of embarking on a new adventure, with the added bonus of having her boyfriend and her best friend by her side. Too often Nancy had worried that her relationship with Ned had suffered at the hands of their punishing schedules and the frustrating distance that had separated them, and now they would finally have the opportunity to see where this new-found togetherness would take them.
Starting college at Emerson heralded a whole new beginning for Nancy. She had promised herself, swore to her father that she was done with detecting, that she owed it to herself to lead a normal life at Emerson. The last case Nancy had taken had ended badly, culminating in a horrific car crash that had almost taken her life. She hardly remembered the day of the accident, but still-livid scars running up her abdomen and back bore testament to the fact. A month in the hospital and weeks recuperating at home clinched the deal. She was through with detective work. It wasn't fair to keep putting her father and Ned through the same hell over and over again. It was time to grow up, settle down and focus her energies on her classwork.
"Nancy," Bess called, nudging her impatiently. "Come on, I'm dying to see our room."
Jolted to her senses, Nancy turned to her friend apologetically. "Sorry, Bess. I was just thinking."
Chaos reigned in the parking lot. The area was clogged with badly parked cars and smiling, laughing students, laden down with boxes and bags, their anxious parents imparting some well-intentioned words of advice. A few shuffled around awkwardly, unsure and uncertain, weighed down with belongings and eager to find a friendly face. Others wore more confident expressions and rushed about enthusiastically, hugging and greeting friends after the long summer separation.
"Oh my God, college is going to be so exciting," Bess chattered on, barely hearing her. "We can stay up late talking and share clothes. It'll be like a constant slumber party."
"I'm not going to get any sleep for the next year, am I?" Nancy said, amused.
"Well if you don't, I'm sure it won't be me keeping you up," Bess replied pointedly, laughing at the mock-glare Nancy threw her.
Unloading the car, Nancy shook her head in disbelief at the veritable mountain of luggage Bess had managed to squeeze inside.
"Where's Ned, anyway?" Bess grumbled good-naturedly, grabbing the handle of an oversized suitcase and heaving it onto the ground. "He could have helped us carry some of these bags."
"He could have," Nancy agreed mildly. "But in fairness, Bess, I never thought you would have so much stuff." Although I probably should have, she added silently. "You do realize, we will be going home at some point in the next few weeks, and there's a laundry room in our building. I'm just glad for your sake that George isn't here to witness this," she finished jokingly, a wide smile spreading across her face. "She'd never let you forget it."
George had been offered a sports scholarship in a prestigious college upstate and had accepted enthusiastically, eager to further her athletic achievements. Although both Nancy and Bess were thrilled for her, they were also a little sad. Having grown up together, the trio had survived the traumas of high school, and shared the excitement of first dates and first kisses. This break seemed to signal the sign of things to come, that the girls were growing up and moving on and not necessarily in the tight cozy trio they had shared for as long as Nancy could remember.
The dorm was in a predictable state of disarray. Boxes were piled up everywhere and beaming girls spilled out of rooms, weighed down with books and laptops, their tearful parents hugging them goodbye and extracting grudging assurances from their amused offspring that they would call and visit often. Shiny haired freshmen passing them in the midst of the chaos met their eyes hesitantly and flashed them small, shy smiles before retreating to the calm of their rooms.
Spying room twenty-four, Nancy and Bess squealed in excitement. Gingerly unlocking the door, careful not to disturb the bags tentatively balanced on her shoulder, Nancy's face lit up as she acquainted herself with the room that was to be their sanctuary for the coming months. The room was bright and airy, painted in shades of cream and beige with large timber framed windows that allowed plenty of sunlight in. The bathroom, although small, was clean and perfectly functional, and tiled in gleaming white.
Their bags safely deposited on the scratched hardwood floor, Nancy turned to Bess, smiling.
"Let's go visit Ned," Nancy suggested casually, running a brush swiftly through her windblown hair and arranging it in a loose ponytail. "I told him we'd meet up after we dumped the bags."
"Nancy, please tell me you don't intend to spend every waking second with your boyfriend," Bess responded, making a face.
"Parker might be there," she offered temptingly, and was rewarded by a bright smile from Bess.
"Really?" she asked, and then sprung into action, delving into her neatly packed suitcases and tossing brightly colored dresses and skirts into the air. "Do you think I need to change?" she asked anxiously, regarding herself critically in the mirror.
"Bess, I spent a half an hour watching you try on clothes this morning. Please don't put me through it again," Nancy pleaded. "Anyway, I'm dying to see Ned. Come on, we're going now," she demanded, pulling Bess impatiently towards the door.
In stark contrast to the mad chaos of the dorms, the Omega Chi Epsilon fraternity house was blissfully quiet and bore no sign of the slovenly mess that usually dominated the sprawling clapboard house. Classes hadn't started yet and most of the guys were taking advantage of the final days of summer, spending time with family and friends before returning to the hectic pace of college life.
Spotting Ned lounging on an overstuffed sofa, a sandwich perched tentatively on his lap, Nancy emitted a happy sigh and rushed over, eager to be in his arms again. Long days spent working under the harsh summer sun had burnished his skin a deep, golden brown and the gray cotton t-shirt he was wearing fit snugly over his broad, well-developed chest. Catching sight of Nancy's red-gold hair out of the corner of his eye, Ned sprang up enthusiastically and caught her in his arms.
"Hey, you," he whispered, holding her close. "How's the first day of college treating you?"
"Pretty good." Nancy smiled into his chest. "We haven't really done anything yet though, we just dumped our bags and came over to find you."
Hearing a discreet cough, Ned looked behind Nancy to find Bess crossing the room, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. Giving Nancy a final tight squeeze, he reluctantly released her before turning his attention to Bess.
"Hey, Bess. Welcome to Emerson," he greeted her warmly, giving her a quick hug. "What are the dorms like?" he inquired casually, wrapping an arm around Nancy's shoulder and planting a kiss on her cheek.
"They're crazy." Bess responded, gesturing wildly with her hands. "There are people everywhere, blocking up the street with their cars and the elevators with their bags and boxes."
"You're one to talk, Bess," Nancy interrupted, laughing as she recalled the ridiculous quantities of luggage her friend had squeezed into the elevator, much to the consternation of the other students. "Our room is really nice, though," she bubbled on excitedly, catching Bess's eye and smiling.
"Yeah, it's perfect," she sighed in agreement.
Recognizing Parker's deep, familiar tones drifting in through the open window, Bess hurriedly applied another layer of shiny lipgloss and bounded over to him, tossing her blonde curls over her shoulder for effect. Shaking his head in amusement at Bess's rather obvious flirtation, Ned pulled Nancy down onto the sofa beside him and, gently brushing back the reddish-blonde strands hanging loose around her face, tilted her face up to meet his.
"I still can't believe that you're going to school here," he murmured tenderly, kissing her gently on the lips, his fingers tangled in her hair.
"I know," Nancy responded breathlessly, burrowing closer to him.
Giving her a final kiss, Ned pulled back reluctantly and gazed worriedly at Nancy, his eyes warm with concern. "How did things go at the hospital this morning?"
"Fine," Nancy shrugged, smiling. "Apparently I've healed up really well and the doctor was pretty happy with me. I'm not scheduled for another check-up until early October."
"That's great news, Nan," Ned sighed with relief, guiding her head onto his shoulder, and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I wanted to call you earlier, but I knew you were driving and I didn't want to distract you," he finished, his voice trailing away.
"Ned, I'm fine," Nancy repeated insistently, jerking her head up to look him in the eye. "Really. You don't need to worry about me."
"What about the nightmares?" Ned persisted, his brown eyes searching hers worriedly. "Are you still having them?"
"Yes," Nancy exclaimed, frustrated. "But I'm dealing with them."
Exhaling an exasperated breath, Nancy edged out of Ned's arms and reached for a newspaper tossed on the glass-topped coffee table. Eager for a change of subject, Nancy thumbed through it idly, pointing out various articles to Ned until a disturbing headline caught her eye, the column oddly relegated to one of the back pages of the paper .
"Three girls attacked in Emersonville since the start of July," Nancy read with interest, skimming through the rest of the article before turning to Ned, curiosity burning in her eyes. "That's strange," she mused, twisting a lock of hair thoughtfully around her finger. "There's been nothing about this reported on the news or in the newspapers all summer."
"So?" Ned responded indifferently.
"Does it not strike you as odd that this would not make regional news, hell, at least merit a front page article on the local paper? Girls are being attacked on this campus, Ned," Nancy reiterated firmly, determined to make her point. "Usually the news stations love this kind of thing and we haven't heard a peep."
"Nancy," Ned cut in, annoyed. "I thought you were through with detective work after everything that happened this summer."
"I am." Nancy smiled reassuringly, tearing the article out of the paper and slipping it into her bag. "It's just strange, that's all. Now, Mr. Nickerson, any suggestions on what a bored freshman like me could do to pass the afternoon?" she questioned him mischievously, smiling as Ned pushed her back onto the sofa, his weight pinning her down.
"I can think of a few ways," he murmured, his breath hot on her skin as their lips met in a tender kiss.
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Calm had finally descended on the sprawling campus as Nancy and Bess followed the winding, brightly-lit path that led the way to the Omega Chi Epsilon fraternity house, where Ned, Mike and a few of the other brothers were throwing a party. The night was still and peaceful, broken only by the faint hum of music hanging lightly in the air. Glittering stars twinkled high in the sky and the moon glowed a pale silvery-blue.
"Our first college party," Bess thrilled giddily, her wide smile revealing a row of pearl-white teeth. "I've been looking forward to this night all summer and now it's finally here." Placing her hand on her head, Bess carefully explored the intricate series of curls she had knotted into a bun before turning to Nancy, her expression serious. "Are you sure my hair looks okay?"
"Relax Bess, you look gorgeous," Nancy reassured her, running her fingers through her own red-gold tresses, which hung in loose, shiny waves around her shoulders.
For the first time in weeks, Nancy felt confident about the way she looked. The ugly bruises had finally faded and her skin glowed becomingly, after a week spent lounging on a beach in sunny California. Her dress, a birthday present from her Aunt Eloise, was shaded in dramatic midnight blues, clung flatteringly to her gentle curves and displayed her recently acquired tan to perfection.
Music spilled from the house as Nancy and Bess traipsed up the steps, weaving in among the smiling couples engaged in intimate conversations under the cool night air. Ned stood perched in the corner of the kitchen, laughing and joking with some of his teammates, a beer clasped securely in his hand. Spotting Nancy, his smile spread into a wide grin as he enclosed her in his arms and greeted her with a kiss.
"You look beautiful, Nan," he whispered appreciatively in her ear, trailing his fingers down her bare back and pressing his lips gently to hers again. "I can't wait to get you all to myself."
"Later," Nancy promised, twining her arms around his neck and reaching up to kiss him. "I promised Bess I'd follow her onto the dance floor. She's over there now, dancing with Jan, I think." Nancy shrugged uncertainly, peering through the mass of bodies tightly packed on the makeshift dance floor, and was rewarded with a glimpse of Bess's hot pink dress.
Enclosed in a circle composed of beautiful, long limbed girls she vaguely recognized as the girlfriends of some of Ned's teammates, Nancy danced until her skin was sticky with sweat and her throat was parched and dry. The other girls sipped on sticky rum concoctions, their balance waning with every mouthful, while Nancy, under strict doctor's orders, limited herself to plastic cups of the warm, flat soda laid out on the kitchen counter. Lingering in the corner of the room, Bess was happily occupied with a besotted Parker who hung on her every word, his hand straying nervously onto her shoulder.
Feeling a strong pair of arms encircle her waist, Nancy whipped around, smiling as she found herself staring into Ned Nickerson's warm brown eyes.
"Found you," he murmured tenderly, pulling her close and kissing her deeply, his hands moving possessively over her glistening skin. Breathless, Nancy could only nod, her skin burning under the weight of his insistent touch.
"Get a room, you guys," Bess chorused from behind them, sighing dramatically as the couple resumed their passionate makeout session.
"That's the best idea I've heard all evening," Ned whispered tenderly, pulling back and kissing her gently on the nose. "How about we head back to your room, Nan? Something tells me Bess won't be staying there tonight."
"I suspect you're right," Nancy smiled in agreement. "Let me just tell Bess we're heading out and then we can go."
Their relationship, defined since the beginning by chaste kisses and tender hugs, had developed dramatically during a week's stint in Italy, when Nancy had accompanied Ned to a family wedding. Ned's parents were caught up in the elaborate formalities of the wedding, so the couple, left to their own devices, spent most of their time basking on the beach, kissing and laughing, growing closer and more familiar with each other with every passing day.
On their last night, long after everyone else had retired to bed, Nancy and Ned had walked hand in hand to the beach, the gentle glow of the torch leading the way. Bathed in gentle moonlight, the still quiet of the beach was broken only by the sound of the waves lapping playfully onto the shore. Stretched out side by side on the cool sand, Nancy and Ned had indulged in a little stargazing, his hand clasped protectively around hers. Kisses that had started out tender and sweet had soon turned demanding and insistent, their hands exploring each other's bodies eagerly and tugging off the frustrating layers of clothes that separated them. Under the watchful gaze of the stars, slowly and hesitantly, they had made love for the first time that night. It had been a magical, wonderful experience and had Nancy had never felt closer to anyone than she felt to Ned that night, wrapped tightly in his arms, his kisses warm on her skin.
The buzz of hairdryers and the low hum of chatter, sounds of the dorm springing to life, pulled Nancy from her dreams. With Ned's arms wrapped tightly around her, Nancy felt safe and secure and had enjoyed a deep, restful sleep which, for the first time in days, had been unbroken by terrifying nightmares. The night before had been amazing, they had made love twice in the still dark of the room and Nancy shivered as she remembered the tenderness of his touch on her bare skin. Sighing contentedly, Nancy resumed her cozy position locked in Ned's embrace, when the sound of his phone vibrating furiously on the bedside table roused her.
"Ned, your phone," Nancy whispered urgently, pressing her lips softly to his cheek.
His face slack with exhaustion, Ned fumbled for the offending item, answering it groggily. "Hello," he muttered tiredly, his voice so thick with exhaustion that Nancy wasn't entirely sure he was even awake. Suddenly something in Ned's expression changed. By the worried, almost shocked tone of his voice, Nancy knew immediately that something horrible had happened. Alarmed, she turned to Ned and pleaded with him silently to let her know what was going on.
"Okay, we'll get over there right away," he promised in comforting tones, before tossing the phone onto the table again and ripping back the sheet that was draped over their partially clothed bodies.
"What's going on, Ned," Nancy demanded, unnerved by her boyfriend's shocked state.
"That was Mike," Ned explained, shaking his head in disbelief. "Jan was attacked after the party last night. I haven't heard the full details but we need to get over to the hospital right away."
"Jan was attacked," Nancy repeated, her voice thin with shock. "That's terrible. Is she okay?"
"I don't know," Ned shrugged sadly. "Mike wasn't sure. She was brought in unconscious but she's getting checked out now, so I guess we'll know more when that's done."
Pulling on their clothes hurriedly, Nancy left a hastily scribbled note for Bess before racing to the hospital with Ned.