Amanda walked carefully around the abandoned house, hearing the floor boards' creek beneath her feet. She walked into the main room where 17 years ago Michael had killed everyone in the house that night. The room felt colder than the others and she shivered, she often thought about why he had done what he did.
Everyone in Haddonfield had wanted an explanation, and for years Loomis had tried and failed to get anything out of Michael, even when he was still talking- he never said a word about that night. Then one day he stopped talking all together, by then everyone had given up on the hope of finally getting a reason. Amanda knew if anyone could get an answer out of him it would be her but she knew that he didn't speak, wouldn't speak- not even to her. Maybe he couldn't?

Amanda noticed suddenly the floor board's creek exceptionally louder than before and sensed a presence behind her. "Hey Mikey." Amanda called out but didn't turn didn't need to, there was no reply of course but the steady and constant breathing behind her remained. She sighed at turned around to face her friend.
She smiled. "I thought you were hiding?" she asked, walking towards him. She wasn't even nervous any more, it was like it was like it always had been.
He nodded and looked around the room, gesturing silently. "You've been hiding here?" she asked surprised.
Michael nodded.
All this time he was here and she could have seen him, she cursed herself for not returning sighed and held out her hand hopefully. Michael stared at it for several moments before putting his hand in hers. She smiled and moved closer. They sat on the floor together backs resting against the wall.
"I don't know how to feel Mikey, my head is all scrambled." Amanda whispered. From the corner of her eye she could see Michael's head turn slightly to look at her- showing that he was listening.
"I had to accept long ago that I would never be able to see you again and you know," she paused to sniff. "People just couldn't understand why I was so upset about losing you; at first they thought it was the shock. The shock and denial at finding my best friend was a murderer, but it wasn't that at all. It was the fact that I couldn't see you, couldn't talk to you. And no one would tell me WHY!. " Amanda shook her head. Michael's eyes burned into hers.
"I begged and pleaded with them to let me see you, I knew if I could talk to you- get through to you, you might be alright." Amanda gabbled, her words becoming faster. "No-one knew you like I did; I wanted to be there for you. To hold your hand, like a best friend should. But they just didn't listen." Amanda didn't pause for breath.
"Then, after several years and the loneliness had devoured my soul- I hadn't let you go. I wouldn't, couldn't." She swallowed, the tears welling up behind her eyelids. "No-one would look at me, they all thought I was mad. My parents sent me to about 30 different therapists, none of them could understand why I still held onto you. They all said it was just a "phase". That it had been traumatic for me as a ten year old and that eventually I would snap out of it." Amanda laughed bitterly and Michael tensed.
"Snap out of what? Wanting my best friend back?" her lips trembled. "They all gave up on me eventually, said I was just fucked up and nothing was going to help me- because I didn't want to help myself. "
Amanda turned to look at Michael who's eyes spoke an expression she hadn't seen before- sadness.
"I haven't lived a day since you left Mikey," she whispered softly. "There hasn't been a day since then that I haven't dreamed and prayed that I could see you again." Amanda looked up at him under damp eyelashes. "And now I have," she smiled even though the tears were falling from her eyes. "But we can't be together, I know this- and I don't know how I'm going to handle saying goodbye again." She croaked. Michael moved so fast she didn't have time to register; his hands grabbed her tops of her arms and yanked her into his chest roughly. His arms held her tightly and she buried her head into his shoulder, never wanting him to let her go.
"I don't want you to leave me again." Amanda cried into his chest, her words were muffled but Michael must have heard because he held her even tighter and although it was getting close to uncomfortable Amanda didn't care. Michael's fingers dug into her shoulder hard enough that she was sure it would leave bruises, she pulled back to look at him properly- he didn't let go of her though.

Amanda smiled sadly. "I just need to know that you're going to be safe Mikey, can you promise me that?" Michael's fingers dug deeper, she almost winced. "Never mind about me, just as long as your safe then I'm gonna be fine." She vowed. His dark eyes poured into hers, she lost herself for a moment- just relishing being with him for one last time.
"Don't come back here anymore Mikey; they're bound to suspect something soon. Get out of Haddonfield, go somewhere quiet- stay hidden." It tore her in two to send him away; she knew she had no other choice. If he was caught he'd be taken away, she didn't know what they would do this time. Michael's hands moved from her shoulder to her elbow joints and held onto them just as tightly, the pain in her chest was from both his unwillingness to leave her and the fact that she had make him leave. She could ask him to stay, she could keep him hidden- it wouldn't be safe but they could be together. But it was a dream- one she had had all too many times and it couldn't be reality.
"I'm going to miss you Mikey, more than ever. But I'll always think of you- every day, every hour just as I always have." Amanda could feel the tears coming again, this time she forced herself to blink them away.
"You're not going to forget me are you Michael?"
His hands reached up to stroke her head; it was such a gentle gesture she gasped. His palm catching lightly on her cheek as his fingers combed through her hair. She smiled and pressed a kiss to his mask before reluctantly disentangling herself from him and standing up. Amanda shivered, she was cold now she had moved from him and the ache in her chest felt like an anchor pulling her down. She turned to look at him one more time.
"Goodbye, Mikey."