CHAPTER TWO

"Well, I will say one thing Puckerman, it is a lovely view," Lauren congratulated as she leaned in closer to Puck. They looked out on the little city lights of downtown Lima shimmering in the darkness—looking like fireflies from their perch at Lima's notorious make-out spot.

"I told you I knew a good spot," Puck bragged. Lauren glanced over at the two cars surrounding them, occupied by horny teenagers, no doubt. However, the windows were too foggy to really tell.

"Well, let's just stick with 'the view's pretty' for right now. A good spot might include some privacy," Lauren stated.

"Hey, I said I knew a spot, here it is."

"It's a fine spot, Puckerman."

"Well, then let's cut the chatting and start macking."

"I think that's the most romantic thing you have ever said to me," Lauren leaned in to Puck and instantly it was as if they were born conjoined at the lips. Lauren could feel Puck's breathing begin to quicken—this may be the hottest action she'll ever get. Lauren began to feel Puck's body. Puck returned the groping. It started to get very warm and moist in the car. Both their breaths were quick and shallow. Maybe they would finally go all the way. Endless possibilities raced through Lauren's head when –

"Puckerman, did you hear that?" Lauren pulled away, wiping her lips off as she spoke.

"Hear what?" Puck responded, clearly irritated.

Lauren looked over to the two cars surrounding them. The windows were no longer foggy. She could just barely make out the faces of some teenagers she had seen around school. They were just sitting there.

"Hold on, something isn't right," Lauren said as she opened the car door.

"Hey," Puck began, but Lauren quickly shushed him.

"Just wait right here, I'm just going to ask those other kids if they heard anything."

Lauren shut the door behind her and walked over to the car next to them.

"Hey, did you guys hear anything?" She asked as she reached the car. Then she saw it, blood was spattered like rain drops all over the inside of the windshield. The kids had their throats slashed. Lauren backed away and began to dry-heave. Who could have done this? She fell to the ground, dizzy, her stomach felt as if it were going to burst through her skin. A cold sweat began to surface when she remembered Puck.

"Puckerman!" Lauren hopped to her feet and ran as fast as she could. She reached the car to find it vacant. Puck was missing. "Puck, where are you?" Lauren screamed. She felt tears beginning to emerge.

"The police!" she exclaimed as she reached into her pocket for her phone. As soon as she grabbed it, it started to buzz. She answered it.

"Puckerman, I don't know what sick joke you are playing, but the kids next to us are dead."

"I know," responded a dark, raspy voice, "I killed them."

"Who is this?" Lauren demanded.

"The captor of your boyfriend, how can I be of service?" The Voice let out a dark chuckle as Lauren felt her face begin to flush.

"You'd better let him go, you bastard, or I'll call the police on your sorry ass and when they arrive I'll ask them as I personal favor that they let me rip you a new one. I am a region-championship wrestler!"

"Is that so? I hear lately that you've been doing glee club."

"That's not the point," Lauren was growing more fearful by the second, "The point is, the police will be here and I'll have the satisfaction of assisting putting a psychopath behind bars."

The Voice just chuckled some more, "Do you really think I'm a psycho?" The Voice sounded pleased, "Go into the glove compartment of the kids you just found dead. They have a flashlight in there that might be helpful."

"Helpful with what?" asked Lauren.

"Our little game," The Voice was clearly enjoying this.

"What happens if I don't want to play your stupid game and I hang up and call the police, did you think about that, jackass?"

"You hang up and your boyfriend's insides will become your newest lawn ornaments."

A chill crawled up Lauren's back, "What do you want from me?"

"I just need you to answer a few questions for me," Lauren could feel that The Voice was definitely smiling, "First question—what's your favorite scary movie?"

"What kind of question is that?" Lauren said as she dug through the dead kids' glove compartment searching for the flashlight, finally grasping it.

"Just answer the question!" The Voice snapped back.

"I don't know," Lauren rolled her eyes, "The Shining. It's long enough to have a decent make out session and it's so cheesy that I can get a good kick out of it too, is that good enough for you?"

"I see you've found the flashlight," Lauren looked around, obviously he could see her, "Start walking towards the trees."

Lauren hesitated, the sweat began to resurface and she feared her dinner would too. Lauren took a few deep breaths, through which she uttered a silent prayer and began to walk towards the forest.

"Now," The Voice hissed as she entered the forest, "I'm going to ask you a few questions, you get them right and I might let you live. However, if you answer incorrectly—well let's just say, answer the first one wrong, your boyfriend gets his eyes gouged out, the second, your boyfriend dies, the third you both die."

"What kind of questions?" Lauren tried to sound strong through her lump in her throat.

"What is Michael Meyers', from the movie Halloween, middle name?" The Voice asked, disregarding Lauren's question.

Lauren began to really sweat. Halloween? She hadn't seen that movie in years. She racked her brain. Michael Meyers' middle name? Did serial killers have middle names? What was it? Puck's eyes where at stake.

"Audrey," she finally answered, stomach churning with the fear that she could be wrong.

"Correct. I guess your boyfriend can keep his eyes. But can he keep his life?"

"Stop screwing around and give me the next question," Lauren wanted this over with.

"Getting snappy are we? Alright, question number two: what crimes did Charles Lee Ray commit before transferring his soul into the doll known as Chucky in the original Child's Play?"

This one was easier, "He was a serial killer, the police called him 'The Lake Shore Strangler'."

"Very good—now the stakes are higher than they have ever been, answer this next one wrong, and you and your boyfriend become my little playthings," Lauren's stomach threatened to burst, but she held strong.

"Bring it," she stated, as strong as she could possibly muster.

"Which actor has portrayed Dracula on screen more than any other?"

Lauren began to panic. Dracula? She never cared about Dracula. Dracula, she had cheated off some kid in her English class when it came to Dracula. He had said something about Gary Coleman—no, it was Gary Oldman. Gary Oldman played Dracula. Did Gary Oldman play Dracula more than any other actor? How many Dracula movies where there, anyway? Who else played Dracula? Bela something. Bela Lugosi! Bela Lugosi was the guy in the old black and white Dracula, right? He's got to have played Dracula more than Gary Oldman!

"Bela Lugosi!" Lauren shouted into the phone with confidence.

"Ooh, sorry, wrong answer! Christopher Lee played Dracula eight times. Your chances are up!"

Puck's cries of anguish pealed through the phone, Lauren instantly dropped it and ran in the direction of the sound, crying his name.

"Puck, where are you?" She screamed, praying it was all some sick joke.

She ran as quickly as she could towards Puck's cries, the branches of the trees scratching her as she went. Lauren finally found Puck, bound and gagged to a tree. His shirt was stained red and his body was limp.

"Puck, oh my god, Puck," Lauren put her ear to his chest. Nothing. He wasn't breathing.

"Where are you?" Lauren screamed, "Show yourself you sick fuck!"

Lauren turned to the sound of a footstep. Nothing seemed to be moving. She took a step forward to peek behind some trees. Nothing to her left, she turned to her right to see a figure dressed as Ghostface, she instantly recognized from the Stab movies. She screamed as Ghostface lunged towards her pulling out his long, blood-stained knife. She ran frantically towards the entrance to the forest when she past a blinking light and a ringing noise on the forest floor. Her phone! Maybe she could grab her phone and call the police as she ran. She turned around to see Ghostface pick up her ringing phone. He answered it silently and lunged towards Lauren. Lauren tried to dodge him, but her foot was caught in a tree-root and the blade slid into her stomach as she fell to the ground.

"Lauren, Lauren, are you there?" She recognized the voice as her father's, "Lauren, if you can hear this it's time for you to come home."

Lauren reached for the phone in Ghostface's hand, "Dad," was all she could muster as Ghostface tossed the phone deeper into the woods.

"Why are you doing this?" Lauren pleaded.

Ghostface just hunched down to Lauren's side, pulled the knife out of her stomach, causing blood to gush from the wound, and then he slit her throat.

She let out a final wheeze as she bled from the fatal wounds. Ghostface wiped the blood of the knife, walked over to the phone with Lauren's father on it and stomped on it, crushing it into pieces. His job here was finished.