A/N: Hey everyone. This is the second to last chapter if you can believe it. Get ready. There's gonna be a few surprises. There's also going to be flashbacks annotated by asterisks or . Enjoy it!
Chapter 12: ThantaphobiaJessi walked over the threshold and quietly shut the door. She took in the room before her. It was a large outer office that had a few divider walls up. Cobwebs and dust overran the furniture that was strewn about, never cleaned up after the school closed. There were still stacks of paper, pencils and pens, and file folders on top of the desks. There were even typewriters with half typed messages in them. It was as if the staff went on a long lunch break or something. Obviously that wasn't really the case.
There were only a few windows off to the left side of the room, positioned high and out of reach. Not meant to be opened, but for natural light. The moon cast an almost heavenly glow on the room. If one were to listen closely enough, they could hear the faint tap of the keys, the almost silent scratch of pencils, and the whoosh of papers being shuffled around.
As she gazed upon each desk she imagined the secretaries bustling about the office, diligently working and gossiping in passing. She walked further into the office and let her pointer finger trace over the top of a desk, accumulating a large amount of dust on the digit.
She spied a phone off of the hook on another desk and ventured towards it. The thought of using the phone for possible assistance hadn't occurred to any of them since their cells had been left in the safe house. She picked up the old receiver and put it up to her ear. As expected she heard nothing. Not the dial tone, not the annoying beeping sound you get after you have the phone off the hook without dialing for too long, and not even the punk kid that calls asking if your refrigerator is running.
She pulled away the receiver and pushed down the switch hook a few times and then put the receiver to her ear again. Once again she was met with silence. Something she was getting quite sick of. It was much too quiet in this school. Especially considering it was haunted.
Ugh haunted. Those damn ghosts; especially Quinn who had yet to show his face to her and anyone else as far as she was aware.
Psht, if he's supposed to be all big and bad, why hasn't he popped up? Wimp. That's what he is. All he is is a scared little boy inside. Granted he's a scared, psychotic, homicidal little boy, but a little boy nonetheless. At least the clown had the balls to show up. Creepy little bastard he was too. I can't believe I let him slice up my polo like that. Jessi thought to herself as she looked down to her now ruined and partially bloodstained polo.
I had to act like I didn't see him though. That was Ashley's fight. Not mine. I would've gladly taken it for her however. But she needed to do it. I was kinda worried she wasn't gonna do it what with the way she was just sitting there. If the bastard weren't dead, I'd kill him myself. Oh well. At least now I have an excuse to go shopping!
Yeah, Jessi was quite sick of ghosts and quite sick of the school. Once she got out she was definitely going to have a talk with whoever sent her here. That was for sure.
She realized she still had the receiver to her ear and placed it back on the hook, its rightful place. She started to walk away when it began to ring. Thoroughly scaring the crap out of her. The tinny sound of the old bell that hadn't been used for years bounced off the walls.
RRRRRRING! RRRRRRING!
She stared at the phone warily. Something wasn't right about this situation.
RRRRRRING! RRRRRRING!
She looked around the office and noticed that nothing at all had changed.
RRRRRRING! RRRRRRING!
She gulped, but picked up the receiver and put it to her ear. Just listening.
"I'm waiting for you…"
That's all she heard. There was no click from the other end, no dial tone…just that voice.
Her breathing had picked up severely since the phone had first rung out but now; her eyes were definitely bulged out. That was the same voice that'd told them they were stuck in the school. It had to be Quinn. It just had to be.
A light going on behind the door at the other end of the room caught her eye. She looked at the receiver in her hand and then back to the door. She put the receiver back down on the hook quietly and shrugged the bag off of her shoulder. If she was going into that office, she wasn't going to do in unarmed.
The bag was a bit heavy, so she knew whatever the object she had would do just fine. She opened the bag and reached inside, only to pull out a revolver.
She looked at it, examined it with the intricacy of an art dealer scrutinizing a Picasso. It was definitely from a previous century. She wasn't a gun aficionado by any means, but it was quite obvious. There seemed to be a bit of rust in various spots of the barrel, however upon further inspection with the help of her flashlight, Jessi realized that it wasn't rust at all. It was blood; old, dried blood, which could only mean one thing.
She checked the handle of the gun and sure enough, carved into the wood of the butt, there it was.
Thomas Quinn
With a vice like grip on the gun, she walked to the office door. Her hand hovered over the knob for a few seconds while she took a deep breath. She turned the knob and stepped into the room. It was extremely cold compared to the outer office. So cold in fact, that she could see her breath.
Mahogany paneling lined the walls, as did shelves of books and trophies. The glass in front of the shelves covered in dust, just like the rest of the room. A large oriental rug swept across the floor and added an elegant feel. The far left wall held a large picture window with heavy crimson drapes that were parted enough to let in just a sliver of moonlight; the view no doubt of the courtyard.
Her blue-green eyes followed the sliver of light across the floor to the other side of the room, landing on a large, deep cherry wood desk. A small lamp, the bulb burning a soft orangey yellow glow, sat on the corner closest to her. Papers strewn about the top; documenting the past lives of students and goings on at the school decades before; in such a fashion that it seemed orderly but in a disorderly fashion.
Behind it a fireplace, not used in years, with a mantle that held more books. Above it, a large portrait hung. Painted many years ago, capturing what seemed to be a good side of the man that proved to be so evil. Quinn. But even then, in his eyes, the artist captured that sadistic glint. In his smirk you could see the malevolence.
The more she stared at the portrait the colder she felt. Those eyes were peering into her with such a power that she shuddered and returned her gaze to the desk, in its imperfect perfection.
The old rotary phone, in its black and white glory, lay off the hook. The long backed brown leather office chair on the 'business' side of the desk was turned to face the wall. Two more brown leather chairs with shorter backs sat in front of the desk.
She silently walked towards the desk. Since Quinn still hadn't shown himself, only his voice, he had to be in the chair. Jessi lifted the revolver in front of her and reached for the top of the chair, spinning it around to reveal nothing but an empty seat.
It didn't make sense and the confusion on Jessi's face emphasized that fact. This was supposed to be how it worked wasn't it? That's how it worked in the horror movies. The girl goes to the chair, turns it around and there's the bad guy smirking evilly. Don't ghosts know they can't deviate like that?!
"Did you really think I would be that predictable or cliché Miss Taylor?"
"EEP!" Jessi squeaked as she spun around. Her eyes were wide with shock.
There, in the left hand chair, smirk in place, was Quinn. The smirk widened into a grin as he spoke.
"Did I scare you my dear?"
Jessi narrowed her eyes and a scowl formed on her lips.
"A. Don't call me dear. I'm SO not your dear. B. Yeah, you did scare me! Jerk! And C.Why are you in this chair? You're supposed to be in that one! Deviation is not something I can deal with."
Quinn just shook his head and stood, which caused Jessi to again raise the revolver and point it towards the ghost.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Miss Taylor. That gun has one shot in it and if you try to shoot me it will be a complete waste. You can't hurt a ghost. I'm already dead."
"Damn…"
She lowered the gun and looked at the desk, noticing a rather heavy looking book within arms length. The tiniest smirk formed on her face as an idea popped into her head. He was right, she couldn't waste the bullet; not yet. There was something inside her saying that she'd need it later.
"Doesn't mean I can't try."
She picked up the book and hurled it at the ghost. As expected it went right through him, which only served to make him smirk again. He was obviously all about the smirking.
"I told you my dear, you can't harm me."
"UGH! I already told you to not call me that! I'm NOT your dear!" she growled.
"Nevertheless your group's efforts to escape are futile. No one is leaving here. I've already seen to that. You shall all die."
"No! I won't let that happen. I told them I'd get them out of here and I will. No one's going to die. Not on my watch."
"Silly child, I've already got my first victim ready."
"Oh what? You're going to kill me in here? Real original there chief." Jessi said while rolling her eyes; an attempt at not looking as scared as she really was.
Something did feel all too final about this now. Before stepping foot into this office she was sure that they'd get out. But now, after seeing Quinn face to face, it was as if all the hope she had had fizzled away. Of course, she wouldn't let him know that. Not until it was absolutely, one hundred percent certain. There had to be some way to get out, there just had to be.
"No, I'm saving you for last. You're an integral part of this Miss Taylor…you just don't realize it yet."
Quinn walked towards the window and waved his hand in front of the heavy curtains. They moved out to either side of the brass rod they hung on, successfully creating a large dust cloud in their wake.
He stared out into the courtyard, dreamily almost, with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Lovely night for a death isn't it? The moon is just right, it reminds me of the night I killed my wife. I'm sure she'll scream just as Augustine did."
Jessi stared at him disbelievingly.
"You're psychotic; truly, undeniably psychotic. And what do you mean 'she'? You're not killing anyone. I already told you this!"
He turned his head just enough so she could see his profile.
"And I already told you that I had my first victim ready. She wasn't too hard to convince though."
"What are you talking-"
Before she could even finish the sentence, Quinn transformed into a likeness of Spencer.
"It's funny what girls today will do for the ones they love. But when the one they love is of the same sex, they go against the will of God and therefore earn the right to go first."
Jessi's eyes widened and her mouth dropped a bit. Ashley. He had Ashley. But wait, he couldn't. No, there was no way. He had to be playing some sick mind game to throw her off.
"I don't believe you. She'd be able to tell the real Spencer from a fake any day."
Quinn changed back into his own form and laughed maniacally.
"Hahahahaha. That girl couldn't tell the difference between me and her beloved if her…well, if her life depended on it! Hahahaha!"
Jessi rolled her eyes once again. This guy needed to get out more or watch Buffy or something because his puns were quite horrible.
"Oh, ghost boy's got some jokes huh? You really should work on those by the way. That one was hardly amusing. And I still don't believe you have her."
He waved his hand toward the door to open it.
"Go see for yourself then…"
Smirk firmly in place with an added eyebrow cock, served to poke at the curiosity in the brunette.
Jessi raised an eyebrow of her own and clenched her jaw as she warily watched the ghost while she walked out of the office. Her pace steadily increased the further she got from the office.
She nearly burst through the outer office door in order to get to the hallway. Frantically looking around for her cousin, whom she didn't see, she did a 360 and took off towards the main foyer.
She ripped the walkie talkie from her pocket and radioed for everyone.
"EVERYONE GET YOUR ASSES OUT TO THE COURTYARD! WE HAVE A SERIOUS BEYOND SERIOUS SITUATION!"
She rounded the corner so fast she collided with the bell tower door as Glen and Spencer, the real one, were running out. Her head bounced violently off the wood and she fell down to the floor, blood slowly trickling out of the fresh cut.
Spencer looked at her in shock, knelt down next to her, and carefully lifted her head.
"Jessi oh my god are you ok?!"
Jessi's eyes were wide with shock for the umpteenth time that night, but this time was because of the impact of the hit. It was a miracle she wasn't knocked out cold from it.
"No time! Gotta go! No time!"
She scrambled to her feet, a bit woozy and a monster headache forming, and grabbed the blonde's hand and took off for the courtyard yet again; Glen completely confused trailing not far behind.
When they got outside, Aiden, Kyla, and Madison were all standing there utterly frazzled. One look at the brunette's forehead sent Kyla into a tizzy.
"Jessi what the hell happened?"
"Door. Ran into. Ashley. Ashley's missing."
Forming full sentences was the last thing she cared about doing. She needed to find her cousin, and she needed to find her now. Time was running out and she could feel it.
Spencer spun Jessi around, causing the girl to go a bit off kilter for a minute, and yelled.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ASHLEY'S MISSING?!"
The shrillness in her voice was enough to make everyone wince and make Jessi's head throb even more.
"Quinn. You. Took Ashley."
"Speak normal English woman!" Kyla demanded as she spun the Wisconsin native around.
She was starting to look a bit green, motion sickness from the sudden spinning mixed in with the already messed up equilibrium in her head from the door. She probably had a concussion, but that didn't exactly matter. Not until Ashley was safe.
"Quinn turned into Spencer and lured Ashley away."
Kyla looked at her skeptically, no one else really paying attention to the bickering.
"What?! It's the truth! I mean come on, how can you not believe me? After all the crap that's gone on tonight you're gonna not believe this?" she said indignantly.
"She's telling the truth guys. I saw Quinn in the basement. He looked like Billy and almost killed me the same way."
Ahh Spencer, ever the savior.
It suddenly dawned on the three girls that the other three in the group were being just a bit too quiet. They turned and saw exactly what was the cause of the silence.
"Holy shit." Jessi said.
"Holy shit." Spencer echoed.
"Holy. Shit." Kyla concurred.
Obviously everyone was in agreement. Not exactly a big surprise though, considering they'd found Ashley.
…Strapped to the stone cross that Kyla ran into earlier, completely knocked out…
"Ok, pretty sure that thing was facing the other direction when it came out of nowhere and hit me!" she exclaimed.
The entire group, except Jessi rushed forward to help Ashley down. They struggled with the wrist restraints and tried to wake up the eldest Davies' sister, but to no avail.
Glen had glanced over his shoulder and noticed Jessi just standing there looking like she was about to cry. He whispered to Aiden.
"Dude…why is she just standing there?"
Aiden looked over to the girl, a pained expression splashed across his face.
"She always looked out for Ash when they were kids. She was like Ashley's big sister, so protective of her. Ash was on the phone with her one night before we had a date and she wanted to talk to me, and by talk I mean she threatened me that if anything happened to Ashley while she was out with me that she'd kick my ass three ways from Sunday. I wouldn't put it past her to make good on that. And now that something happened while she was with Ash…"
"Gotcha." Glen nodded in understanding.
He was the same way with Spencer and even Clay on occasions. It was just an older sibling kind of thing.
Jessi just stared at her cousin's face, lost in thought. Tears started to form in her eyes.
11 years ago…
A six year old Ashley sat quietly in her room dressing up her Barbie in a brand new outfit. Jessi was across the hall using the bathroom, claiming she had to 'pee like a race horse'. Whatever that meant.
Ashley loved when her favorite cousin visited. Ever since she could remember; which wasn't that far considering she was only five; anytime Jessi visited she had more fun. The older girl always played the games Ashley wanted to play, always made the food Ashley wanted to eat, and always made sure she was safe.
Now that Ashley had just finished her first year of school and was on summer vacation, someone had to watch the girl. Raife was making another album and Christine was off on some extended 'business trip'. They'd considered hiring a nanny, but when Jessi heard she jumped at the opportunity. She simply adored the curly headed, brown eyed, spastic ball of hyperactivity.
Sure she was only 12, but there were plenty of adults around; the butler, the maid, the chauffer, the gardener, the tennis instructor, and the pool boy. Jessi sure did like that pool boy. Of course Ashley didn't see the appeal, boys had cooties. She'd warned her almost teenage cousin of the dreadful things, but Jessi assured her that she'd received her cootie shot and was safe.
They'd spent the entire day together, just the two of them. Ashley woke up at what Jessi described as 'the butt crack of dawn' and proceeded to jump on her cousin's bed until the girl begrudgingly dragged herself from the oh so soft Egyptian cotton and into the kitchen.
After preparing the meatball Spaghettios Ashley insisted upon having, she drew the little girl a bath and set off to get a shower in for herself. Neither of them took long getting ready so by 8 a.m. they were sitting in front of the television watching Rugrats and various other cartoons.
By 10 the T.V. was off and, going against her better judgment of watching The Price is Right instead, the girls were in Ashley's room playing with Barbies. Five minutes in and Jessi had already found an excuse to break away from the massive amounts of pink. When she got back though, she made a discovery that made the whole thing worth while.
"Ash, why are Barbie and Melanie in the same bed?" the eldest girl asked while trying to stifle her giggles.
"Because they like each other."
The curly headed Davies said it so simply, her innocence bubbling out, like it was the most normal thing. If only the rest of the world was like that.
"They don't like boys?"
Ashley looked at her like she'd grown three more heads.
"What?! NO! Boys are icky! They have cooooties. Besides, they look really good and stuff together don't you think?"
Jessi looked at her cousin with the softest smile that Ashley had ever seen her wear. In the softest voice she replied,
"Yeah Ash, they do."
She was full on crying now. This entire experience was her fault. She just had to check that email. She just had to bring it up at the table.
The group turned around and looked at the broken girl. They didn't know what to do anymore. She was pretty much the leader of the pack. Madison decided that tough love would be a good approach.
"Jessi! Stop crying and get your butt up here and help us! You're not doing her any good by standing there being a blubbering idiot!"
That only served to make her cry harder.
"She can't help her. None of you can."
When they heard that voice they instantly backed away from the cross. Quinn appeared next to Ashley, looking menacingly at the bound girl. With a snap of his fingers she groggily came to.
She lifted her head and through lazy, glazed, heavily lidded eyes stared directly into her cousin's eyes.
"Help me." She pathetically whispered.
Quinn grinned heinously and snickered. He leaned in close to Ashley's ear and whispered.
"She can't help you. She's the one that's going to kill you."
Ashley went wide eyed and turned to stare the ghost in the eye. She was met with a wink and quickly whipped her head back to Jessi. The view wasn't any better there. Jessi stood there, gun pointed directly at Ashley, with a shattered expression on her face and tears still pouring down her face.
8 years ago…
Christmas vacation had hit and Ashley was in Wisconsin visiting with her favorite of the extended family. Unfortunately, the house they lived in was kind of creepy at night. It was pitch black and the smallest noise startled the wide awake nine year old. She thought about turning on the T.V. and letting that lull her to sleep, but she didn't want to wake the entire house.
She'd been sound asleep until a nightmare about that freak Bozo the clown chasing her with pies and balloon animals made her wake up and wake up fast. She despised clowns. That was a fact.
Doing the only thing she could think of, she got off the couch and headed down the hall to Jessi's room. She pushed the door open to find the teen spread haphazardly across her bed, blankets strewn every which way, snoring away. She chuckled at the sight and moved closer, poking slightly at the girl's stomach.
"Mmfheorangrr. The duck flies at midnight!" she mumbled, still in her dream state.
Ashley poked her again, harder this time. Jessi jerked awake and looked at her cousin and then at the clock.
"Ash…it's 3 in the morning. Why aren't you asleep? I get that it's Christmas, but seriously babe…this is just a bit ridiculous."
Jessi was definitely not a person you wanted to wake up at obscene hours of the morning. She cherished her sleep, something everyone was well aware of.
"I had the Bozo dream again."
She'd said it in the smallest voice and had the cutest frown on her face that could melt the ice off just about anyone's heart. Jessi had no choice but to sigh and scoot over to make room for the little girl.
"Come on!" she patted the empty space next to her.
Ashley grinned and hopped onto the bed. After ten minutes of situating herself to get comfortable she looked over to the older girl who'd fallen back to sleep. She poked her again to wake her up.
"Whaaaaat?" she whimpered.
All she wanted was her 10 hours of sleep. Was that too much to ask?
"I can't sleep."
Apparently that night it was. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"Sing to yourself. You've got a great voice."
"What should I sing?"
"I don't know…how bout Ricky Martin? He's hot."
"Will you sing with me? I don't know all the words."
"Mmfhauregerf. Sure…whatever."
Sleep was overtaking her again.
"Talk to me, tell me the news. You wear me out like a pair of shoes. We'll dance until the band goes home, then you're gone. Yeah baby. Well…um…well…um…I don't know what comes next."
Nothing but the sound of deep, even breaths were coming from Jessi. Ashley poked her one last time, fatigue setting in on the younger girl.
"You really gotta stop poking me Ash…"
"You said you'd sing with me."
After a few grumbles and repositioning herself so she was lying on her stomach, Jessi let out a monotoned, utterly unenthused performance.
"Well if it looks like love should be a crime, you'd better lock me up for life. I'll do the time with a smile on my face. Thinking of her in her leather and lace…"
She expected to hear Ashley to take on the chorus but no sound came from her tiny lips. Jessi cracked an eye open to see Ashley totally knocked out, little snores coming from her.
"Night Ash…"
She blinked out of the memory. Ashley's eyes pleaded with her.
Quinn said I was an important part of this. If he's so powerful why can't he kill Ashley? Why does it have to be me? Jessi thought to herself.
It made absolutely no sense. Why could the ghost that had brought them here not carry out what he obviously so desperately wanted?
"Kill her." Quinn ordered.
Jessi pulled the hammer back until it clicked into place. She moved her eyes around the courtyard, behind each of the teens were the ghosts they had to face. Quinn was on one side of Ashley, the clown on the other. It was like the rest of them couldn't see any spirit but Quinn's.
The moon disappeared behind the large clouds that had rolled in, seemingly out of nowhere. Thunder and lighting clattered and flashed violently around them, but no one made a move. Too scared to try anything, unaware if the gun would go off. All eyes were on the Wisconsin native.
Come to me clouds, may you rise as an evil storm born to rip them open. As death surrounds me I will not run. Fate has brought me here for a purpose I shall fulfill. May the blood that courses through my veins cleanse this place; I pray you.
The words of the prayer repeated in her head over and over and over. They were all she could comprehend.
"Kill her!" he demanded more forcefully.
More thunder. More lightning.
"Fate has brought me here for a purpose I shall fulfill. May the blood that courses through my veins cleanse this place; I pray you." She whispered to herself.
And suddenly, it clicked. It made sense. She knew what she had to do.
"Turn around." She softly, but forcefully demanded of the teens.
They were dumbfounded and had no idea what was going on.
"Turn around!" she said more harshly.
They listened and she turned her gaze to Ashley.
"I'm so sorry Ash…I'm so sorry. I love you. Close your eyes."
Jessi had tears in her eyes again, Ashley had no idea what was about to happen.
"I love you too Jess, but what are you doing?"
"I love you Ash. Just please…close your eyes. I can't look into them when I do this. It'll all be over soon."
She had no other choice, she closed her eyes.
Jessi let a few tears fall before looking at Quinn. He still had that damn smirk plastered on his face.
"I'll see you in hell you sick bastard."
She slowly brought the revolver to her temple. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her index finger slowly pulled back on the trigger.
"JESSI NO!"
BANG!
