Thank you Anon for your review, I am planning on going over the first chapter and upgrading it thanks to your input.
Setting down her last box in her new bedroom, Jill gives a small sigh, it has been a week since the murders and since she'd been in the hospital. Her abdomen healing nicely, soon her stitches will come out, but for now she had been reminded a couple of times by doctors to not get her bandage wet. Or at least too wet and to change the bandage after the move.
Sidney's dad was gone on a business trip, like he used to be back when she was in school. Trevor came over and helped with moving the belongings, and helped with moving her boxes up to her new room, the spare room.
"Call me if you need anything, I'll drop what I'm doing, okay?" Sitting on her bed, Jill thought about what Trevor had said on his way out. She looks at the walls of her new room, she had put up a few pictures, her Mac on her bed, clothes in boxes to be put away. She would do more, but the doctor told her to take it easy and her abdomen started to protest at her doing much more.
"Jill! Dinner's ready!" Sidney called from downstairs.
Closing her eyes for a moment, Jill takes a moment longer for herself before opening her eyes, standing up and walking out of the room to the stairs. The smell of a cooked roast reaches the stairs and Jill walks down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Sidney just finished with slicing the roast into big and small pieces, a small pot of gravy on the stove with a pot of rice and a pot of beans. The table is set for the two of them to sit across from one another at the small table. Fork and knife sitting on either side of the plates, a glass of grape juice at Sidney's end of the table.
Opening the fridge door, Jill pulls out a jug of Sunny D and pours it into her glass before grabbing her plate and putting her desired amount of food onto it.
"There is plenty of left over roast if you want to have a sandwich later," Sidney said as she removed the lid to the clear container of butter and put some onto her rice and beans.
"Sounds good," Jill said quietly, Sid looked over her shoulder at her wondering if she has something on her mind or if it is just that she isn't in her element. Her home.
Sitting down at the table, Sidney puts some salt onto her food before cutting up her slices of roast. "Do you like to cook?"
Looking up at Sidney as she sits down with her own plate, Jill gives a small shrug, "I don't mind cooking, I can make a nice sauce to put onto chicken, stir fry, I make good kabobs." Thinking for a moment while she cuts up some of her roast, she smiles proudly, "and I can do steaks, hamburgers and hotdogs really good on the barbeque."
Sidney smiles at her as she eats some beans, thinking about the things she cooks, now curious as to how Jill cooks some of the things she does. Swallowing, "want to show me your skills with stir fry tomorrow night?"
Jill smiled a little more as she swallowed her roast, eating a little fast, as she didn't realize before coming down just how hungry she was. "Sure, sounds good. I hope you don't mind a little spice."
Shaking her head with a smirk, "no, not at all," Sidney continued to eat, watching Jill eat her cooking. I come back to Woodsboro for my book, kids get killed, my little cousin loses her mother and her closest friends and now I have her. But I don't know her, what do I ask a teenage girl? Sidney wondered as they ate in silence.
"Did you want to do anything tonight? Movie, board game, or sit outside on the porch?" Sidney offered and Jill picked up her glass to drink the rest of it down, her plate now empty.
Jill thought it over, watching a movie reminded her of starting to watch Stab 7 with Kirby and then her thoughts went to Charlie. She mentally crossed that one off the list, she was feeling a little tired and not really in the mood for a board game. However, she feels that the offer for the porch is a chance to talk, and she doesn't want to do that, yet.
Looking up after grabbing her plate with the dishes, "I think I'll just go to bed early, it's been a long week," Jill finally answered. Turning on the tap to rinse her dishes off and start the sink up with hot water and soap.
Her own plate finished, Sidney stands up from the table, "I'll take care of the dishes, you can go to bed sweetie."
"Okay, good night," Jill said and turned away to leave the kitchen and start up the stairs.
"Good night," Sidney said and set her own dishes into the sink. Looking over her shoulder as she watches her little cousin go up the stairs. She gives off a sigh and cleans up the dishes, pulls the drying rack out from under the counter, places the clean but soapy dish into the hot water and then onto the rack.
When you were her age we didn't have facebook, websites to watch movies on, but you also didn't lose everyone. Her ex-boy friend is a survivor like her, and I'm sure he feels horrible still that all he could do was watch while lying on the ground, he couldn't protect her. I had to fight off one of her friends and kill him just before she got… Sidney closed her eyes.
Unplugging the drain, she puts the leftovers into Tupperware containers and into the fridge before putting the dishes away. "I need some air," she decided, walking out to the porch and sitting down on a wooden bench.
Meanwhile Jill was glancing over her friend's facebook pages, reading the messages from classmates and family members to those who had been killed. The slander on Charlie and Robbie's wall, she had a fair few messages on her wall as well.
A message from Trevor saying that if she needed to talk he was there for her, lots of students leaving messages of saying sorry about her mother and hopes of her doing well in this difficult time in her life. Jill had been contacted by her high school to come in and talk, she knew it had to be about counseling, what course of action she wanted to take, stuff like that.
Closing up her Mac lid, she puts it into her night table and flops onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. "What happens now? Do I take time to grieve? Do I even need help? How is someone who doesn't even know me supposed to know what is best for me, degree or whatever or not?" Jill wondered.
She closes her eyes briefly, deciding she should probably get to sleep as all of the speculating wasn't going to help her right now. Getting off of her bed, Jill changes into a set of pajamas, short-sleeved shirt and pants in navy blue, and then climbs into bed to pull her sheets and covers on.
Great now just clear your mind and fall asleep… a no brainer, right? Jill shook her head at her own thoughts, turning onto her left side she hugs the end of the pillow to the side of her face for sleep to claim her.
Listening to the wind move the trees around the house, a warm breeze, the night is quiet, an owl can be heard in the woods somewhere. Sidney was sure she saw a bat or two going from tree to tree, but it was hard to tell.
"When do I talk to her about it?" Sidney asked under my breath to herself, "how do I get Jill to open up to me about what she is feeling and going through?"
Sidney turns on the bench to lie on it, looking up at the twinkling stars overhead. I knew Gale from my mothers death, Dewey being the deputy and my best friends brother, Randy, my dad. But Jill only has Trevor and me. Sure she can talk to Gale and Dewey, but she needs someone else to be able to talk to, another girl her age… maybe once school is over for her we'll move to someplace new.
"If Jill doesn't open up in two more weeks, I'll sit down with her," Sidney decided, closing her eyes to enjoy the peaceful quiet night.
What if I hadn't of left home that night? Jill wondered in her sleep, remembering hiding under the bed and watching Charlie walk out of the room to the balcony where Sidney made it sound like she had gotten away.
He isn't coming back, but she hears someone coming up the stairs, sounds like someone staggering. "Hello?" came the quiet calling of Robbie from the hallway. Robbie is alive? Jill bites her bottom lip wondering if it is safe to come out, after all Sidney told her to stay there, that she would come back for her.
"Jill? Kirby? Anyone?" Robbie asked as he staggered into the bedroom, Jill watched his feet.
Deciding that Robbie needs help, Jill comes out from under the bed, he gasps in surprise, she looks at him and sees he is a bloody mess. "Robbie, what are you doing up here? You should have stayed downstairs and called 911, you're in no condition to be walking about," Jill whispered.
His mouth open agape, blood on his lips and shirt, "I got scared for you and Kirby, I saw the killer chase after you and Sidney upstairs," he coughed and bent over.
Looking around, Jill puts her left arm around his shoulders, "come on, let's hide in a room down the hallway here," she suggested to feel something pointy press into her back.
"No," Robbie said, standing up straight, holding a knife to her back, "lets go downstairs, I have a big surprise for you," he grinned at her. Oh shit… no Robbie, you can't be a killer!
Tossing and turning in her bed, Jill bites her bottom lip, gripping her bed cover with her left hand, eyes shut tighter.
Coming out to the kitchen area, having been trying to get her hands free since she got put aside, turning to face Charlie Jill has the tape removed. "Don't do this, Charlie!" she said and heard sniffling to the side, looking to her right she sees her mother on the floor with Sidney kneeling next to her. Blood on her side as she is holding her mother, dying on the floor, Robbie standing over them.
"No Mom! I'm so sorry!" Jill shouted. Feeling responsible that if she hadn't of left her own home and came to Kirby's, they would all be safely locked up in their own house.
"Mom… I'm so sorry," Jill started to whimper in her sleep, tears brimming her eyes.
"Your mom and Sidney only wanted to protect you, but in the end you could only think about yourself! You wanted to get away and hang out with your friends, and now look at where that has gotten you," Charlie said and Jill watched as Robbie walked around her mothers body.
Sidney stood up; backing into the counter, "don't hurt her!" Jill tried to move over but Charlie stopped her from walking.
Robbie holds up his knife and stabs Sidney for the second time, "No!" Jill yells, fighting to get her hands free and free of Charlie's hold.
"No… Mom! Sidney! You can't do this!" Jill cried out loud as she tossed and turned in her bed.
Sidney's eyes shot open and she sat up, the nightmares have begun she registered and ran into the house, up the stairs and hurried into Jill's room.
Jill watched as Robbie pulled out a gun, and fired a round into her mother's head, and another one into Sidney's. "No! You can't do this!" Jill cried before Charlie shoved her into falling and breaking the glass table.
"Why Charlie? Why are you doing this?" Jill asked and Sidney sat on her bed, gently taking her shoulders.
"Jill, wake up, your asleep," Sidney said, a little loudly but she also didn't want to frighten her.
Her side hurt, but she couldn't understand why, her whole upper body aching, pieces of glass poking into her back all over. Using her legs she tries to back away, sliding away a bit from Charlie, watching him aim his own gun at her.
"Please don't do this," she pleads, and she hated that she had to beg for her life, and there she was begging.
"Please Charlie… don't do this… Mom! Sidney!" Jill cried and Sidney felt and watched her little cousin move about.
Shaking her shoulders a little, "Jill wake up, I'm right here," Sidney tried again. Taking in the tears down Jill's cheeks, the sweat along her hairline and her now damp pajamas. "Jill, wake up!"
He fires the gun and she feels the hot metal in her left shoulder, she gasps and lies on her back. "Why have you done this, Charlie?" Jill asked, as she watched him grin, a grin that would haunt her.
Jill's body gave a jerk when in her dream she got shot in the shoulder, Sidney watched her gasp and cry, "Jill! Wake up! I'm here!" Sidney shook her shoulders a little bit more.
"It's all because of you," Charlie said simply, raising the gun, she looked at him before he pulled the trigger.
Screaming Jill sits up, waking up instantly and Sidney wraps her arms around her. "Your okay, it's alright, I'm right here," Sidney soothed and Jill couldn't hold back. The pain of losing her mother and seeing it in her dreams so fresh in her memory, she broke down in Sidney's arms. Crying on her shoulder and hugging Sidney tightly.
I hope she doesn't have to go through this too much Sidney hoped as she rubbed Jill's back with her left hand. She kisses the side of Jill's head and continues to hold her until she slowly went quiet.
Pulling away, Sidney looks at Jill as she wipes away her tears from her cheeks and gives a sniff. "Are you okay?" Sidney asked and Jill just sat there, looking as though lost in thought, but she would wait for her to answer once she collects herself.
"I… I don't know," Jill said quietly, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. "I don't want to go back to sleep."
Giving a nod, "okay, would you like to talk?" Sidney offers and Jill mauls it over, pursing her lips.
"Probably should, shouldn't I?" Jill asked back and Sidney offered a small smile.
Reaching up and placing her left hand onto Jill's right cheek, "only if you think you're ready. You can talk and I won't say anything until you want me to if you'd like."
Looking at her older cousin, hearing her words, she gives a nod.
"Okay, I'll make us some hot chocolate, coffee or tea if you'd like and we can sit here and talk or downstairs," Sidney offered and Jill sniffled.
"Honey lemon tea I guess," Jill said and started to pull her sheets off, what was left on her anyways. Sidney got up and left the room to start up on that tea in the kitchen while Jill gathered herself.
Within four minutes, Jill came into the kitchen to hear the kettle still heating up and two mugs already with the contents in them, just needing the hot water.
Sidney looked over and looked at Jill's shirt, "did you change your bandage?" she asked and Jill stood still, going over her memory she shakes her head.
Jill lifts the bottom of her pajama top and sees what her sleep did to it, the tape coming off and it finally registered to her why her side began to hurt while she was sleeping.
"I'll help you, take a seat and I'll get the box," Sidney said and Jill did as she was told.
Taking a seat at the kitchen table, she makes a face and starts to peels the tape off, a big piece of gauze coming off of her side. I'll be happy once your gone she thought as Sidney came back into the room to set the box onto the table and open it.
Removing the tape, a square piece of gauze in a paper package, disinfectant wipes and scissors for the tape. "Hold your shirt up for me," Sidney requested and Jill did so while a disinfectant wipe was pulled out.
Cleaning the stitched area gently and then moving the wipe around the area, Sidney opens the gauze package and places it over the cut. "Hold that there," she instructs and Jill reached her free hand down to hold the gauze in place.
Pulling a stretch of tape out, then two, Sidney places tape along the left side, right side and the top, but leaves the bottom open for air.
The kettle going off, Sidney goes to the stove while Jill puts the bottom of her shirt down and then places the tape and scissors back into the box just in time as her tea is set before her.
"Thank you," Jill said and blew at the top of the mug.
"For what?" Sidney asked, unsure if she was thanking her for helping with the bandage, the tea, helping her upstairs or all of the above.
Jill looked up at her, "For not saying 'it was just a dream'" and Sidney gave a small smile.
Closing her eyes for a moment as she organizes her thoughts, Jill decides to start from the beginning. "I dreamt about the night, coming out from under the bed to help Robbie. Only to find out he was one of the killers," she opens her eyes and looks at her mug of tea.
"I watched as mom died in your arms in the kitchen on the floor, I felt so helpless, Charlie kept me from getting to her. Then Robbie killed the both of you," Jill felt her emotions coming back, fighting to stay in control but with the images in her mind, a losing fight.
"Charlie pushed me onto the table, shot me in the shoulder and all I wanted to do was go to you two, I couldn't understand why they were doing it," Jill sniffled, a tear on the verge of leaving her right eye.
"He then killed me, telling me it was my fault," Jill started to cry again, the tears coming down freely again.
Sidney pursed her lips, gripped her tea and wanted to jump in and tell her she was wrong. But she also knew that Jill has a lot of bottled up emotions, they're all coming up and she needed to hear everything else that has been going on in her mind since that night.
"I was frustrated with how my mom was acting that night, that I wanted to get out and spend time with my friends. I wasn't thinking, I just wanted out of the house and to not feel like I was being watched by the cops. I felt so limited in what I could do while Kirby, Trevor and the others could go out and have fun," Jill holds her mug and takes a sip finally.
"I should have never left, we were safe in the house, as long as the doors were locked… but I got my mom killed and I almost got you killed," Jill finally looked up at Sidney. "It's because of me, I was being selfish and gave the killers what they wanted. Mom got worried about me getting hurt when you found out that they were coming for me to get to you.
"You tried to leave to get to me and protect me, I got my own Mom killed, and I almost got you killed. I've lost my two best friends, and two others I cannot even call possible friends because they killed them and tried to kill me," she sniffled and had some more tea.
"Trevor feels guilty for not being able to do more, for not being able to protect me, everyone looks at me differently in the school. They see me as a survivor, but I don't feel like a survivor because of everything I have lost, I don't know of what to do… I want to be strong," Jill said. Her voice shaking and Sidney reaches out, happy that she isn't sitting at the other end of the table and sitting to her right instead. "But, how do I move forward knowing that because of my actions, I killed my mother."
Jill started shaking, her cries taking over and Sidney holds her hand. She knows there might be other parts that she is holding back for now, but she cannot hold back any longer.
"Jill, look at me," Sidney says in a firm tone and waited till she made eye contact. "None of this in any way is your fault, you had no idea what the ghost face killers were planning on doing. You didn't know that they were going to come after you to get to me, you are a kid and you just wanted to live your life.
"No one wants to feel caged, but when you have cops watching over the house, you'll feel it. And nothing that happened that night was fair, your mother wanted to protect you like I did. You never meant for any of it to happen, and she knew that. Your friends didn't deserve what they got, none of them did and we don't know why people kill," Sidney took a moment to make sure that Jill was taking in what she was saying. Her shaking had calmed and she wasn't crying as bad as she was a few minutes ago.
"The town here knows of what happened, they knew your friends and they know you. They don't know what you saw, or what you went through because they can't imagine it, but you like me don't want anyone to feel or experience what has happened. The people here care about you, and no one blames you for what happened," Sidney quickly remembered her experience in the bathroom with the two girls talking about her first attack.
"When you go onto College or University, things will be different. If you think it is too hard to stay here after what you've been through, we'll move to wherever you'd like. You've been through more than I have, as I didn't lose so much in one night like you have, and you have been very strong Jill," she gives her hand a squeeze. "You didn't kill your mother, Olivia, Kirby, or anyone in this town. You fought just like they did, and you saved my life when you stopped Charlie from shooting me. We are all victims here, Jill, it is our job in what we do next that will define how we are seen."
Jill took a moment, a few mouthfuls of her tea before looking at Sidney, "you're not going to force me into therapy or anything?"
Sidney smiled at her, "I'm not going to force you into anything. We'll take things day by day, alright?"
Giving a small nod, Jill drinks down more of her tea, starting to feel exhausted from the night's events and letting out her bottled up emotions. Jill yawns and Sidney drinks some more of her own tea.
"Do you want to lie down on the couch and I'll sit down with you?" Sidney asked and Jill gave a weak smile.
"Sounds good," Jill answered, she got up and set her mug into the sink and so did Sidney. Leaving the two mugs for the morning.
Sidney turns off the kitchen light and turns on a lamp light near the couch before sitting down for Jill to lie down on her right side. Grabbing a pillow, Sidney sets it onto her lap and Jill rests her head on it, at first just staring at the wall directly ahead before closing her eyes and falling asleep.
Gosh, I go from being on a book tour, to murders to my little cousin losing her mother and now I am looking out for a teenage girl who has been through so much. I hope she doesn't continue to blame herself for her mother's death, she is fighting to be strong, I know she is and I hope that she'll share her thoughts as she gets through this. I never thought I would be taking care of a teenage girl, to start my own family Sidney smiles a little.
Looking at the sleeping form of her little cousin, now sleeping either dreamless or something far from the nightmare she just had. Sidney just hopes that the monsters will stay out of the girl's head.
To Be Continued...
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Thank you for reading this!
SLITH