PREVIOUSLY on Haunted Legacies
Paulina hatched an insidious revenge plot against Sam for making her nose slightly less perfect than it was before the day of the dodgeball incident. An insidious plot that involved a copy of the Necronomicon, the "Book of the Dead", and then a swimming pool and some duct tape. Sam escaped the pool with her life only thanks to a surprise rescue by Paulina's satellite groupie, Star, and returned home with Paulina's copy of the Necronomicon, which she left with Danny for safekeeping. Meanwhile, Danny went on a trip to the cemetery, where he intended to seek his lost friends' help in containing the ghost inside of him, but was met with a mysterious woman who seems to know everything about Danny's past and present. She asked him to help her find the Reality Gems, and in exchange, she would help Danny fight the evil that lives inside of him.
Haunted Legacies Episode 03: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
"Wow, that's so amazing!" A woman's voice exclaimed in glee and delight, her hands clapping in front of her to the beat of a flute being played to such perfection that it could bring a tear to anyone's eye. The woman laughed again as the girl danced in the middle of the room, her feet landing lightly and her fingers sliding gracefully across the length of her instrument. "Wonderful! Wonderful!" The entire room was alight with laughter and merriment, until people began dancing with the girl in the middle of the room.
"Listen, mommy." A soft little voice said from just outside the room. The little girl raised her own flute to her lips and began to blow into it. A single, long note echoed through the empty room, but didn't seem to penetrate the laughter from inside the next room. "Listen, mommy... listen." The girl blew and blew until she was out of breath. And kept blowing, unheard and unnoticed by the people dancing in the next room.
Her eyes snapped open at the sound of the alarm blaring by her bedside. It was only two hours before school was scheduled to start, and she knew how much Paulina hated to be kept waiting. So Star regretfully shoved her sheets back and climbed out of bed to get ready for the day.
She emerged from her bedroom with her day clothes in her arms and a towel draped over one shoulder, heading down the hallway of the one-story building on the edge of town. The house was made entirely of unpolished wood, looking more like an abandoned shed in the forest than a place of residents. Which was exactly the way her mother liked it. She always wanted to live out in the wilderness among the trees, but the practical applications of such a life were too much for her to handle. So she settled for a wooden hovel in the small town of Amity Park.
She made it to the bathroom and tried to open it, but found the door locked. "Ugh, are you almost finished in there, Moon?"
"Just give me a minute!" Moon shouted back through the door.
"Hurry up. Paulina doesn't like to be kept waiting." Star sighed and moved to lean against the wall beside the door to wait. She heard her sister scuffling for another thirty minutes in the bathroom before finally the door opened and she walked out holding a towel around herself with one hand.
"It's all yours." Moon told her. She was a head and shoulders taller then Star, with a man of voluminous pitch black hair that cascaded down around her shoulders in a wave whenever she walked, though it was currently sticking to her shoulders from the shower she'd recently taken. Star waited for her to move, then pushed past her into the bathroom, where she shut the door tightly behind her, locking it.
When she was showered, dried, and dressed in her clothes for the day, she emerged from the bathroom and made her way down to the modestly sized kitchen. Her sister was already sitting at the table eating in her own clothing, with her mother sitting at the table on her other side. Wearing little more than a toga draped around her body and a her hair up in a messily pulled together bun, she was eating a plate full of eggs, grits, and wheat bread.
Her mother looked over when Star entered. "Fair morning, my daughter." She said with a dreamy smile. "Please, have some breakfast before you go to school."
"I'm not hungry." Star replied as she often did. "I think I'll just grab a sandwich on the way."
Her mother looked disappointed, but said nothing. Before Star could leave though, her sister spoke. "Don't you mean on your way to meet Paulina?" She asked off-handedly, as if it was perfectly valid breakfast conversation. Moon didn't like Paulina very much, and often made her opinion known. Their mother, however, was sitting at the table with that same oblivious and content smile she always wore.
"Oh wonderful. Friendship is the force that makes our planet grand, after all." Her mother said with a serene smile. "Now why don't you join us for breakfast Star? You're always in such a hurry. We haven't had time to align our chakra."
"Um, yeah, I'll try to find time in my schedule." Star turned to leave quickly.
As she walked out she heard Moon sigh under her breath, but she ignored it and made her way outside, where the rest of society looked as normal and warm as her family seemed strange and weird. She hated her family at times. Going outside with them was pure embarrassment and they never really gave her the time of day. Sometimes she figured they wouldn't miss her if she were gone. Her mom would still have Moon, after all.
She made her way down the sidewalk until she reached a larger house closer to the school. She approached and rapped on the door lightly. It took only a few moments for Paulina to jerk the door open, her lips curled into a wry smirk.
"You're almost late." Paulina insisted.
"Sorry, my sister was hogging the shower." Star replied. Paulina chuckled mirthfully.
"Ah, sisters. Makes me glad to be an only child." Paulina cackled and hefted her book bag up over one shoulder. "Well, let's get going. We don't want to be late for our praise and admiration, do we?"
"Of course not." Star smiled and stepped aside so Paulina could pass. Paulina passed by her without a second glance, and they were on their way to school. The morning sky was overcast with a swath of light clouds, but there were darker ones coming up over the horizon. It looked likely to rain at some point in the day. Hopefully it would be over by the time school let out.
"Did you bring the lunch I asked for?" Paulina asked.
"Um..." Star winced. In her haste to leave the house she'd completely forgotten about it. Paulina stopped walking and turned to glare at her. "Sorry, it must have slipped my mind."
"What do you mean? You forgot it?" Paulina frowned angrily.
"I'm sorry, really! I'll buy you lunch! Anywhere you want!" Star insisted quickly.
"Good." Paulina turned away from her again. "I'm not going hungry because you can't remember one simple little promise." Star nodded quickly and followed after her friend. It was a simple promise, to provide Paulina lunch every day. It wasn't a bad request, she knew others would ask for far more if they could.
As they approached the school Paulina stopped a moment to fluff out her hair and check her makeup in a small compact before proceeding further into the school grounds. Star could see girls and boys all over the place look in their direction, almost as if trying to catch a glimpse of the queen of England strolling through the park. This was the part that Star liked best. The recognition. The admiration. They envied her, they wanted to be her. And she couldn't imagine any better feeling.
Soon though she noticed that not all of the glances were envious. Some looked almost amused, and other kids began chuckling right before they turned away. Paulina was also beginning to notice, her expression fading from her usual cocky demeanor to angry confusion.
"What's going on here?" Paulina demanded. "People do not laugh at me. They love me. Because I am an adorable peach!" Paulina stomped up to the nearest snickering student she could see. Star scurried close behind her. "What are you laughing at!?"
"Nothing! Nothing!" The boy snickered with his friend.
"Be careful Ned, she might try to cast a spell on us." His friend said with a wave of his crooked fingers. Both of the boys almost collapsed to the floor laughing, but Paulina did not look amused. Her face turned red and her eyes began to bulge dangerously.
"Stop laughing at me!" She roared.
"Ah! No! She's after us!" The boy called Ned exclaimed in mock horror.
"Klaatu, Verata, Nicto!" The second boy waved his fingers at Paulina as if trying to enchant her. It was at that point that Paulina lost it and lashed out at them, but the boys dashed off down the hallway, avoiding her attack.
"Yeah! You run! Nobody disrespects me!" Paulina was absolutely livid in the middle of the hallway. Those students who were still snickering around her fell suddenly silent, sensing the danger in laughing any more.
Star worriedly walked up behind her friend, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Paulina, it was just two kids." She stopped when she heard a crunch from right behind them. Paulina and Star slowly looked to the side, and spotted Samantha Manson leaning against one of the lockers nearby. She had her back against the locker, a half-eaten apple in one hand, and a very satisfied smile on her face.
"Hey Paulina. They finally let me back in school." Sam spoke as if they were long time buddies meeting in a clubhouse.
"What did you DO, freak!?" Paulina looked more furious than Star had ever seen her. But then, nobody had ever laughed at Paulina before. Well, nobody except the school losers, but they didn't count as people. "What vile, hideous lies have you been spreading?"
"I didn't lie about anything." Sam replied. "I just told a little tale about a certain evil ritual of yours. It's not my fault it's so hilarious."
"You... YOU..." Paulina's fists shuddered at her sides. "How DARE you undermine my popularity! Losers don't get to tell embarrassing stories about their superiors!"
"Hey, I just report what I see. If people laugh, maybe you should take a good look at yourself." Sam pushed off of the locker and turned to leave, flinging the rest of her apple carelessly over her shoulder. The apple slapped wetly into Paulina's forehead, sticking there for a few seconds before sliding slowly down her nose. By the time it fell to the floor it was covered in makeup.
"Why... I... ur... URRAAAAGH!" Paulina howled out her rage, her fists pumping uselessly into the air around her in a death field that nobody wanted to penetrate. "How dare she! I've never been so insulted! Nobody insults me like this and gets away with it! Nobody! You hear me!?"
"Paulina, calm down. People are staring." Star warned in a whisper. Paulina collected herself enough to look around at all of the other students, watching with wide-frightened eyes. She stood up tall and straightened out her blouse, forcing herself into a calmer posture, though she was still shaking with rage.
"This didn't happen. RIGHT!?" Paulina screamed to the other students in the hallway. They all nodded their heads quickly, so Paulina turned to make her way down the hallway with Star bringing up the rear close behind. "I can't believe that loser had the guts to start spreading rumors about ME. I can't believe anyone would actually believe her! Has the world gone insane!?"
"It's totally uncalled for." Star agreed with a nod.
"Of course it is! WE spread rumors about HER, not the other way around! What is wrong with this school!?" Paulina stomped up to her locker and yanked the door open to retrieve her books. Star quickly reached into her locker, which was right beside Paulina's, and pulled her own books out before turning to follow Paulina down the hallway again. They both looked up when Dash almost bumped into them as he emerged from a hallway to the side.
"Hey babe." Dash said with a charming smile. "I've heard about you-"
"SILENCE!" Paulina roared. "You heard nothing!"
"I... I heard nothing." Dash agreed with a swift nod.
"And you will help me get my revenge!" Paulina added.
"I will! I will!" Dash nodded eagerly.
"Good. Meet me in the usual spot after lunch. We'll come up with something that will shut Miss Dark'N'Gloomy up forever!" Paulina whirled to stomp down the hallway, with Star once again hot on her heels. "It's simply outrageous!"
"A travesty." Star agreed.
"A trave... darnit Star! Don't take my exclamations!" Paulina shouted.
"Sorry." Star smiled sheepishly. They approached their first class. Star had made sure at the start of the year that they shared all the same classes, so they wouldn't have to keep separating throughout the day. Paulina was taking care of her after all. If it wasn't for her, Star would never have gotten along in this place after moving here. She could still remember it. She was a small town girl moving to a relatively large town. No idea how to act around the others. Paulina had helped her though. Helped take her from an awkward newcomer to one of the most popular girls in school. Star had never been popular before. She found it exhilarating. She always walked with her head a little bit higher now.
After their first class was behind them, Paulina led the way down the hall, then looked around to make sure they were alone before ducking into the same broom closet she likes to use for all of her secret meetings. She could simply call everyone to her house of course, but there was too much risk of her parents overhearing there. They found Dash already waiting, looking incredibly bored.
"Hey!" Dash perked up when he saw the two girls enter. "So, what do I do? Punch someone?"
"Hmm... crude, but effective. We'll call that Plan B." Paulina replied. "First, we should try something a bit more scarring. Like the way she scarred me, AND my reputation." Paulina growled bitterly, then her eyes lit up and she let out a laugh. "And I have the perfect idea! All I need you to do is get her to the flag pole in front of this school tonight at... let's make it eight. I have a piano lesson and then of course I'm such a beauty I need at least eight hours of solid beauty sleep."
"Um... how am I supposed to get Sam there at eight?" Dash asked. "I wouldn't want to be seen walking around the streets with her, it could ruin my image! And that's all I've got in life!"
"I don't care how, just see that it happens!" Paulina snapped back. "Now if you'll excuse me, we have preparations to make." Paulina turned to leave the closet, pushing the door open and marching boldly out into the hallway toward her next class. Star paced her closely, wondering what kind of plan Paulina had in mind. The last plan had left her feeling pretty uncomfortable.
She still remembered seeing Sam huddled over on the ground beside the pool after Star pulled her out of the water. She'd been weak and gasping for air, trembling and soaking wet like a frightened animal that had barely escaped a death trap. If Star hadn't shown up, she was afraid Sam would have died. She didn't want to see that, and she was sure Paulina didn't either. She didn't... did she?
No, of course not. Star shook her head to clear away the ridiculous thought. Paulina was a bit forceful, and some even called her mean, but she wasn't evil. She was a good person. She took Star under her wing after all. She'd taken this pitiful, hopeless outsider girl and turned her into one of the most loved girls in Amity Park. She wouldn't do something so horrible as try to kill someone. It was a mistake, Paulina couldn't have foreseen Sam's shoes weighing her down. Star was lucky she noticed it after the others turned to leave. Yeah, that's right. They didn't notice it. That was what happened.
Still, Star moved closer to Paulina to ask a question. "What are you gonna do to her, Paulina?" She asked curiously. "It's not TOO bad, is it?"
"Of course not. It's exactly what she deserves." Paulina grinned, but said nothing more. Rather than risk upsetting her, Star let the conversation lapse into silence. She didn't want to upset Paulina, she just hoped that she wouldn't go out of her mind over this.
Sam lounged back in her bed at homes, her hands propped up behind her back while she watched the 50-inch LCD TV perched at the foot of her bed. She didn't like to flaunt her money, but sometimes it was nice to submerse herself in some of the luxuries it afforded her. Including the stereo speakers that emerged from her walls and floor to give her viewing of Nightmare on Elm Street that extra edge of creepiness.
The grunted in irritation when the phone on her nightstand forced her to pause her movie to answer it. "Hello?"
"Hey Sam." Danny's voice came back. Despite her irritation at having her movie interrupted, his voice made her smile. "Just called to see what's up."
"Not much. Enjoying some me time."
"Ooh. Sorry. I'll let you go." Danny replied.
"Nah. It's fine. I sometimes like some company in my me time." Sam smiled slyly. "What have you been up to?"
"Trying to do anything I can to block out the baby." Danny replied. "It wouldn't even be so bad if it was constant. But it starts and stops at random. I'm not sure Jazz actually knows what she's doing."
"She wasn't exactly prepared for this." Sam smirked. "It's only been two weeks, she'll get the hang of it." She listened to silence on the other end of the line for a moment, then hears a sigh of relief.
"Whew, it finally stopped." Danny's voice was dripping with relief as he spoke. "I think Hope may have finally gotten to sleep."
"See? Jazz knows what she's doing. She just needs a minute to figure out what it is she knows." Sam pointed out.
Danny laughed. "Yeah, a minute and maybe a few years on top of it." Sam laughed and they lapsed into a comfortable silence for a few moments.
"So..." Sam smiled. "What're you wearing?" Sam didn't have time to hear his reply before she heard her mom shout from the bottom of the stairs.
"Sam, a friend of yours is at the door!" Her mother called.
"Ugh, give me a second. I'll be right back." Sam set her phone down on the bed with an irritated grumble and turned to head downstairs.
When she reached the front door she slowed to a stop with a stunned, blank look on her face. Dash was standing outside with the fakest smile she'd ever seen plastered on his lips while a thick leather jacket and a pair of blue jeans only made him look more like an arrogant muscle head than he really was.
"Hey Sam!" Dash waved with such energy it was almost creepy. "I had to come by to see you!"
"Who the Hell are you?" Sam demanded.
Dash laughed. "Oh golly gee Sam, you know me! I'm Dash Baxter from school! I've thought about the way I've been treating you and well... I know I've been a big jerk. So I'd like to make it up to you."
Sam stared at him, her expression becoming equal parts suspicious and disgusted. "Did you actually just say 'golly gee'? What the heck is going on here? You know what, forget it. You're starting to freak me out, so I'm going to close this door and pretend you never came. Please also pretend you were never here, okay? Okay." Sam moved to close the door, but Dash shoved his foot in the door to keep it from closing.
"Wait, wait." Dash sighed, looking more genuine than before. "Come on, hear me out. I'm serious here. I just want to talk." Sam could hardly believe it, but she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Alright, you have thirty seconds." Sam told him without opening the door any wider.
"I've been talking to some buddies of mind and I know I've been a jerk to some people. I don't mean to be, it just happens sometimes. So I thought I would go around and apologize to those who've gotten it the most. I know I've been kind of hard on you and your boyfriend, so I wanted to apologize to you first. I'm heading to Fenton's after this, I just wanted to talk to you first."
"Oh my gosh." Sam blinked in amazement. "You're really serious about all this, aren't you? It's like... it's like Jack the Ripper apologizing for all those killings! It's historic!" Sam stepped outside with him, growing excited now. "Well, ahem." She coughed, trying to calm down. "Okay, well, if you're really serious about this, I guess I can give you a chance to turn yourself around. I'm always an open girl and am willing to listen to anything you... might..." She trailed off when Dash reached out and closed her front door, a broad grin spreading across his face. Sam narrowed her eyes. "You evil motherfu-"
Dash's hand snapped out, grabbing her tightly up against his chest and turning to run away from the house with her clutched like a football under one arm. Sam struggled to get loose, but all the muscle that was missing from his brain had been spread into Dash's arms. She couldn't even budge his grip. She couldn't believe this. This was the second time in as many weeks that she'd been snatched and dragged somewhere against her will. She needed to hire a bodyguard.
She couldn't even scream with his disgusting, sweaty meat-hand clamped over her mouth, so she just sighed and let him carry her through the back alleys to avoid being seen by those people who continued to roam the streets in the growing orange light of dusk. Eventually Dash wound his way through the back alleys and emerged near Casper High School, where he charged across the front lawn like the meathead he was.
As they approached the flagpole Sam groaned inwardly at the sight of Paulina and her small group of lackeys standing around with superior smirks on their faces. Though Sam noticed that Star was looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"I got her for you Paulina." Dash swung Sam in front of him and let her feet land on the ground, though he held her arms behind her back so she wouldn't escape.
"Well, look who decided to join us. The star of our show tonight." Paulina smirked that cocky smirk of hers. "Revenge is swift, Sam. And you will pay for turning me into a laughing stock!"
"You turned yourself into a laughing stock." Sam pointed out.
"Silence! Tie her to the flagpole!" Paulina roared furiously. Dash dragged Sam by her arms to the flagpole and grabbed the rope from which the flag hung, wrapping it around Sam and the pole to pin her there. Sam struggled against the bonds, but still couldn't do much against Dash's solid grip. He didn't do a very good knot though, Sam noticed, but she didn't want to work it loose with him standing so close.
"What are you going to do this time? Curse me into a life of celibacy with the Kama Sutra?" Sam asked mockingly. A few of the other girls cackled, but fell silent immediately when Paulina shot them a death glare.
"I decided to be more direct this time." Paulina grinned and held out one hand. One of the other girls approached with a long, solid looking black whip and placed the end in Paulina's open hand. "Something a bit more scarring." Sam blinked in surprise, and a bit of fear. What was it Jazz had said about the cycle of revenge ending in a world of pain? "So I decided to leave some real scars."
"H... hey... y'know, about the whole 'let's all laugh at Paulina' thing, you know I didn't mean it." Sam chuckled nervously.
"I'm sure you didn't." Paulina walked toward her, slapping the whip idly into the palm of her free hand. "All just a misunderstanding, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. I told a friend the story, and she misunderstood it and passed it along. I had nothing to do with the laughing and... and pointing... and mocking." Sam trailed off, trying to figure out how not to tick off Paulina further.
"Shut up!" Paulina cracked the whip with a surprisingly expert flip. The whipped snapped into the air in front of her, so close to Sam's face she could feel a puff of wind strike her cheek from its passing. She was almost shaking now, though she tried not to. "Oohhhh, do I see you shaking? Finally I think I'm getting through to you." Paulina laughed. "There's a reason nobody makes fun of me, Goth girl."
"Okay, don't you think this is going a bit far?" Sam asked shakily. "A voodoo curse is one thing, but this is-."
Paulina interrupted her. "This is a lesson well-earned." Paulina lifted the whip back over her head, bringing it around sharply. A scream leapt out of Sam's throat involuntarily as it ripped across the tender flesh of her stomach. She doubled over in pain against the bonds that held her against the pole, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut against the sharp sting in her stomach.
Paulina's lackeys let out gasps at first when they saw the blood dripping down from the intense gash across her stomach. Paulina though just looked down at her stomach with a strange expression on her face, her fist tightening around the handle of the whip.
"Oh geeze." One of the other girls shuddered. "Oh geeze, oh geeze."
"We are dead meat when the principal finds out about this." Another girl exclaimed fearfully. "Our parents are going to kill us until we're dead."
"Ow..." Sam grunted out finally once she could speak. The pain was so intense she couldn't even straighten her back. It stung like a dozen bees, and lingered on well after the initial impact.
"Maybe we should get her to a doctor." Star suggested worriedly. "It looks like a pretty nasty cut."
"She'll tell on us! We'll all catch Hell for this!" One of Paulina's other lackeys screamed in a panic.
"It's over! We're dead!" The second girl cried mournfully.
"SHUT UP!" Paulina shrieked over the noise, silencing her lackeys. "We're not going to get in trouble for this. I NEVER get in trouble." Paulina marched right up in front of Sam, putting her hands on her hips. "She's not going to tell anyone. Nobody would believe her anyway."
Sam smirked through the sharp, but fading, pain. "My mom saw me greet Dash at the door. If nobody else, he'll definitely be linked to it."
"Me!? But... but my scholarship!" Dash exclaimed in fear. "Kidnapping is punishable by being kicked off the football team!"
"Nobody will know about this!" Paulina silenced him sharply, then whirled on Sam. "Listen, I am not losing my future because of you! Girls with a record of physical violence never become famous! Ever!"
"Guess you're screwed. Hehehe." Sam cackled mischievously. It occurred to her it was a bad idea to taunt the girl holding the whip only after a second crack ripped through her right leg in a fury. Sam howled and hunched over the ropes again, holding up her leg and biting her lip against the pain.
"Don't do that, Paulina!" Star shouted suddenly, grabbing the whip and pulling it away from her. "You hurt her enough!" Paulina and the other girls whirled to look at her in shock, their horror over Sam's plight being replaced by confusion at the very concept that one of their own would ever rebel against Paulina. "I mean, you'll get us in worse trouble." Star hastened to explain. "One lash is hard enough to explain, two just looks... malicious."
"Are you trying to stop me, Star?" Paulina demanded. "I do what I want, nobody stops me!"
"Of course not!" Star complained. "I just think-"
"You don't think! That's why you have me! To think for you, because you don't know how this place works. Now give me the whip." Paulina held out her hand. Star looked down it, almost trembling as she slowly began to hold it out.
"Don't give it to her Star." Sam said suddenly. "Who knows what she'll do with it? How bad does it have to get before you realize this isn't just some silly prank? She wanted to see blood tonight."
"Ridiculous!" Paulina shouted. "I am not a violent person!"
"Whose bright idea was this then?" Sam looked around at the crowd. "Who decided this was a good prank, huh?" All eyes turned to Paulina, whose face was bright red with rage. "Who decided it was a good idea to throw me in a swimming pool and walk away? A prankster would've stayed around to make sure I was safe. That wasn't a prank. That was attempted murder! Just like this!"
"I am not a violent person!" Paulina shouted. "I just have to do things sometimes! You know how it is! I don't want to do it!"
"You guys don't believe that, do you?" Sam asked. "Come on, who are you gonna believe? Me, or her?" Sam asked. The girls looked back and forth between them, along with Dash, who looked uncertain for a moment before he caught Paulina's eye and walked over to stand beside her. The other girls followed suit, affirming their blind loyalty to the royal witch. That suited Sam just fine. She prepared to twist the knot loose and make her break for it, now that Dash was far enough away.
She stopped when, to her surprise, Star walked around the crowd, moving to stand in front of Sam with the whip clutched so tightly her knuckles were white. The rest of the gang stared at her as if she just mutated into a horrible monster, but she stood with her back straight, though her knees were practically trembling with nervousness. She gulped and took a deep breath before speaking.
"This isn't right, Paulina. Yeah, Sam started those rumors, and before that she deformed your nose, but... but all of this? This is torture!" Star insisted.
"You're defying me?" Paulina asked softly, though her soft voice hid a horrible rage seething inside.
"I just don't understand." Star's voice shook. "I don't understand why a good person like you would ENJOY this! Why!?"
"She's not a good person. She's a power-hungry she-witch who uses people and throws them away. People like you." Sam said from behind her.
"Don't listen to the loser." Paulina scoffed. "And don't act so high-and-mighty. You enjoy all of the same things I do. You like seeing the lesser students of this school squander their lives trying to reach my perfection." Paulina flipped her jet black hair back over one shoulder, striking a sultry pose. "You like making them wish they were us. The power it gives us."
"I... I do..." Star replied. "I like being in control."
"And I am the reason you are in control. So give me the whip, and get back in line." Paulina held out her hand, waiting for Star to hand over the weapon. Star looked down at the whip, gripping the handle tightly in two hands. She looked over her shoulder at Sam, whose stomach and skirt were covered in her blood, though the flow had thankfully stopped by now.
The blonde girl turned back to Paulina, her grip on the whip tightening. "I want to be with you... but Sam doesn't deserve this. And I won't let it happen."
"Oh, please. As if you can stop us anyway." Paulina smirked. "But fine... if you want to throw away everything I've given you... the status, the control, the pride... then you're free to. Girls, get her!"
"Come on!" Sam ripped the last piece of the knot open on the rope holding her against the flagpole, grabbing Star's wrist and pulling her along as she charged across the front lawn of Casper High. Her leg was throbbing where the whip had bitten into it, but it was only a surface wound thankfully.
The girls and Dash Baxter ran after them, their footsteps ripping across the schoolyard lawn, but Sam and Star ran as hard as they could. Sam's wounds quickly began to slow her down, but Star yanked her close and dragged her along, forcing her to keep running until at last, they turned down a corner and made it to the next alley before Dash and the girls could follow suit. They ducked low against the wall, their breath coming in fast, deep gasps while their hearts raced.
They remained silent for a long while, listening for any sign of their pursuers. After ten minutes of silence, Sam felt herself relax somewhat. She shifted against the wall, putting one hand to her stomach, where the vigorous motions of running had once again opened part of her wound, which began to bleed a little bit through her fingers. "Geeze... really stings."
"I can't believe I did that." Star sounded numb as she stared into the wall across from her. "I can't believe Paulina would do that."
"Yeah, well... way I see it, I owe you my life twice now." Sam told her seriously. She'd been truly frightened back there. She doubted Paulina had the guts to go through with the final act, but there was still that slight possibility. Plus being left in a pool to drown made it a bit easier to believe Paulina had very real homicidal tendencies. "Thank you isn't really enough this time."
"Hey, don't gush all over me." Star blushed and looked away. "I've never had a stomach for violence or killing... it just makes me nervous, and I have to try to stop it."
"Lucky for me." Sam smiled wryly. "You didn't seem like you really belong with them anyway. There's just something... a little different about you."
"You noticed...?" Star still refused to look at her. "Well, unlike the others, my family isn't... isn't..."
"Filthy stinking rich, giving you your heart's every desire and turning you into a spoiled brat?" Sam asked. Star didn't respond. "Trust me, I know the type... but if you're not one of them, why would you want to become that?"
"I don't know. I was new here, I've never been popular and it... it felt good to be loved and admired." Star replied. "I guess I just thought since Paulina helped me she was a good person... but maybe you're right. Maybe she was just using me all along."
"You know, I think I know who you should talk to." Sam pushed herself to her feet, grunting a bit.
"You're going to help me?" Star looked up in surprise.
"Well duh. You've saved my life twice now. Trying to help you work through whatever issues you have is the least I can do." Sam held out her hand. Star reached up and took it, letting Sam help pull her up to her feet. "Besides, I'm sure Jazz would be ecstatic to have her first patient."
"Jazz? Well... I have heard good things..." Star said thoughtfully.
Sam gestured for Star to follow and finally left the safety of the alley, making her way down the sidewalk with Star by her side. "Come on, maybe we can swing by Danny's place and I can... oh man, Danny!"
Danny sat on his bed, holding his phone to his ear like a statue, waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting...
NEXT TIME on Haunted Legacies
Danny receives a mysterious call from the Guys In White, who claim to have Danielle in their lab, injured and in need of his assistance. Danny goes to help and finds her unconscious, but he doesn't have time to ponder why she won't wake up. The Men In White haven't forgotten Danny Phantom's existence, and Dani has given them the clues they need to find out who he really is once again. Now Danny may have to unleash his dark side to save himself and the girl whose life he came to save. Meanwhile, Sam and Star attempt to bring Paulina's violent nature to the attention of school authorities, but nobody will listen. Can anyone protect them from Paulina's true, unhindered wrath?
Haunted Legacies Episode 04: She's A Phantom
