That afternoon, as she somewhat cautiously headed back off of the campus towards the shops across the street, Elissa was surprised to not see Michael anywhere in sight, carefully scanning her surroundings, knowing that he could easily be hiding as she'd learned he liked to do.
As she was about to cross the street though, she saw something that she hadn't expected: Libby's car, very slowly pulling away from the curb, driving right past her, speeding up only after it had passed Elissa. She tried to peek inside of the car, but the windows were up and the sunlight made it difficult to see through the glass. It wasn't so odd for Libby to be around the college, as she was attending it too, but it was something about the way it'd gone by so slowly that struck Elissa as odd. Had Libby been waiting on her for some reason?
Shaking it off as Libby just being a bitch and trying to freak her out further, Elissa continued walking, moving past the shops, which were buzzing with activity from other students who were also done with class for the day. She remained mindful of her surroundings as she walked along, finding herself peering between houses and hesitant to pass any hedges, feeling very paranoid, freezing at even the slightest object or sound that seemed out of place. She was uncomfortable in the open like that and she was wishing that she'd either brought her own vehicle that day or had caught a ride with someone.
Her uncomfortableness was only increased when she saw Libby's car slowly driving down the street towards her, not stopping, and again only speeding up once it'd passed Elissa. Why would Libby have circled around to drive past her again?
Starting to walk a little faster, she was really hoping that the internet was ready when she got home as she was eager to try to find a way to contact Dr. Loomis. She really wasn't sure what she'd do if she couldn't reach him. He was her only hope.
Turning onto Lampkin Lane, she continued to walk fast, despite having not seen any sign of Michael. And then she heard the sound of a car slowly approaching behind her. Stopping to look, she saw that it was Libby's car again and instead of speeding away when it was past her, it was suddenly braked to a stop. Shaking slightly, Elissa slowly approached the car, planning on telling Libby off, but before she could reach the car, it suddenly sped off again. She watched as the car went up the street, turning a corner and disappearing from her sight.
Thora was just stepping out of the bathroom after a shower, having needed one after her fun and messy time spent with Todd, when Elissa returned home. Elissa leaned back first against the door after she shut and locked it.
Able to tell that something was wrong by the look on Elissa's face, Thora started to walk down the stairs and asked, "What's wrong?"
Elissa seemed to snap out of a daze at Thora's words and looked up at her friend for a moment, quickly replying with, "Oh, it's nothing."
Thora felt her high spirits drop slightly, able to tell that Elissa wasn't being honest, but she supposed she couldn't blame her. Chance and she had tried to remain logical when it came to Elissa and her fright over the house, had even driven her to tears in frustration. She couldn't just forget about the heart in the fridge from the day before though or the fact that she thought she'd seen someone moving around outside the house earlier.
Walking the rest of the way down the stairs, she then said, "Well, the cable and internet is all set up and ready to go. The guy gave me his own number to call in case we have any issues."
Of course, Thora neglected to mention that the deep fucking Todd had given her probably had something to do with that and she did plan on using the number one way or another, hoping to see him again sooner rather than later.
"That's good then," Elissa replied, setting her backpack down in the living room before heading to the kitchen, Thora following her. "That'll give us something to do other than studying."
Thora could still hear a hint of unease in her friend's voice, but she didn't pry, not sure what she could say anyway that might improve the situation.
"Before I forget," Elissa then said, turning to look at Thora as she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the table, not in a hurry to return to the refrigerator herself, though they both supposed they'd have to eventually, "at school, Chance told me that Rob's coming over tonight for dinner. She said they'll bring Chinese."
"That fine by me," Thora responded. "Chance probably told him that our cable was getting hooked up today and now he wants to watch our free premium channels while we have them."
A few hours later, Elissa, Thora, Chance, and Rob were all seated at the table in the kitchen, several cartons of various Chinese food open on the table, the contents on their plates. Chance had also picked up a fresh case of beer, so they were drinking on that too. They had plenty to talk about, but they avoided mentioned the heart in the fridge, especially since Chance thought it was a dog heart and they all knew what people said about dogs and Chinese food.
"Has Libby stopped by to pick up any of her shit yet?" Chance asked. "Tomorrow's her last day. I know she still has a key, so she has no excuse to not do it."
"Not that I know of," Thora answered. "Knowing her, I doubt it."
"What about you, Elissa?" Chance then asked, looking over at Elissa.
Elissa merely shook her head 'no', not bothering to mention the bizarre incident with Libby's car that afternoon, refusing to set herself up for more lecturing from her roommates. Chance nor Rob seemed to notice Elissa's awkward silence, but Thora did, giving her friend a concerned look, who saw and simply gave her a small smile in return.
"I say come Saturday morning," Rob said, "toss her shit to the curb. She can come pick it up from out there if she still wants it. I say change your locks too, if she still has a key."
"Yeah, good idea," Thora chimed in. "I'm afraid to even think about what might happen if Tyrone got a hold of her key."
Or if someone else did. At that thought, she took a long sip of her beer.
A little while later, Chance and Rob headed for the sofa in the living room, flipping through the premium channels in excitement, and Thora was secretly contemplating calling Todd as she cleaned up what few dishes they'd used. Elissa headed upstairs to her room though, having other plans of her own.
After plenty of hits and misses, Elissa finally found what she was looking for. After sifting through a variety of sites, some of which she'd seen previously at the library she'd finally found something that looked promising. Like many of the others it detailed Myers decades long murder spree sparing no gory details, but unlike the others more emphasis was placed on Dr. Loomis's role in the events.
So much emphasis on Loomis in fact that the webmaster claimed to have interviewed the man personally in 1998 and posted it on the site. Elissa almost cried with relief finding this gem. If the webmaster had managed to get in touch with Loomis to interview him, then perhaps he could do her the favor of either passing along a message for her or even better yet have Loomis himself contact her.
She clicked on the email address posted in the contact section, and carefully thought about how she would word what likely would sound like a ridiculous, histrionic request. While she was certain Loomis would understand and believe her given all of his experience with Michael, how could she be so certain that the author wouldn't write her off as a crank?
Given that there was in her new-found experience researching Myers not much ever said about Dr. Loomis himself other than his association with Michael, she decided to read the interview first, and then send her email. After all if she were going to contact him for help, it might be very well worth it to see exactly what he had to say about Michael, in his own words.
An Interview with Dr. Samuel Loomis 10/01/1998
By Steve Nedbalek
Q. First off Dr. Loomis, I want to express how thankful I am that you took the time to let me conduct this interview.
A. I'd say it's a pleasure, but that would be a lie. Oh, don't take it the wrong way, I'm glad to talk to you, but the subject is really anything but pleasant.
Q. Does it get tiring, being asked about him all of the time?
A. Tiring, what a loaded word. I don't sleep well at night, you know, so I suppose I'm always tired. (laughs) I honestly thought that once I retired, that I would wash my hands of the whole affair, hang it all up, enjoy the countryside, take up a hobby. To just step back and let it all go, to be done with it all. Done with him. And it has not been for lack of trying that I have not, you see?
Q You were his doctor for most of his life. You were associated with him in one way or another since he was six years old. I don't find it hard to believe that anything that anyone invests that many years into can be written off at the drop of a hat.
A. You would be right there. More right than you might know.
Q. So I read a few years back about the lawsuit brought by the victim's families against Smith's Grove. What is your take on that?
A. Well, I argued from the very beginning that Smith's Grove was not the place for him to be. I suggested Litchfield, I brought up the fact that our facility lacked security, and that the staff was not adequately prepared for him. It was argued he was catatonic, and that there was no need for him to be placed in a maximum security facility. My notes were ignored, and they chose to keep him there. You know how that ended.
Q. And then there was the incident almost ten years ago, with the transport from Ridgemont State Penitentiary to Smith's Grove.
A. Again, an example of exactly what I was saying. Unprepared, and resulted in devastating consequences for all involved.
Q. I think I understand what you are getting at.
A. I said it in the beginning at his hearing. I'm saying it now. He should have been taken to Litchfield.
Q. You were also named in the suit, basically blamed by one of the victim's fathers for letting him out. Do you feel that was a fair statement?
A. Well, in a way, no, I don't think it was a fair statement. But I understand why that father was upset. You see, like so many others, he simply didn't understand. I tried my best to keep him locked up and because of the effort I made when no one else was willing to, I was naturally the first to be blamed by people.
Q. You retired shorty after the suit was brought. Was that by choice?
A. I felt that it was for the best. But don't mistake that for me giving up. As I said before, people didn't understand, and that hurt me very badly professionally. I didn't give up though. Not a day has passed since I first met him that I haven't thought about him. How could I? I don't blame that father or the other people either. It wasn't their faults that they didn't understand. That was something I grew quite used to actually, people not understanding.
Q. In your opinion, what was Myers obsession with slaying his family members? He killed one sister, tried to kill another, and his niece is also presumed dead. Why?
A. Oh, it was nothing but pure hatred. As a psychiatrist, I almost wish it was more than that, but after having analyzed him so many times before he escaped, I've become certain that it was nothing more. Hatred and, as you said, obsession. When he killed the first sister, it was just the beginning of what I believe in his mind was a mission to kill any siblings and their offspring. Nothing more than that.
Q. You alluded to the fact that even though you are retired, and have been for some time now, you're still haunted by Myers. Do you think he is still out there?
A. Yes, I do in fact believe that he's still out there. I unloaded my revolver into his chest twice in one night and then blew him up in that hospital, yet he still survived. I know some do believe he either died in that police station or that he's simply died from something else, but I don't believe either of those. He'll never die and he'll never stop. I have seen what I believe to be signs that he's still out there and that he's still active as a killer. I don't have the power to try to stop him again or the reputation to convince others of what I know, but that's something the others will have to deal with when he does resurface. He will resurface.
Q. And finally, here is the question you've probably been waiting for. You've probably been asked this a million times, if not more. I apologize for that, but I must ask. What made Myers what he was? Why did he kill his sister that Halloween night, and then go on to continue to kill dozens more?
A. Well, as I said, I believe it was nothing but hatred and obsession that drove him. As for what made him what he is, not was, it was just evil. His parents were quite normal. I met them of course, when he was first placed under my care. It's a shame, how they died, but I don't believe that affected him in a good or bad way either. Some thought he wasn't even aware of their death, even though he was told. They thought he was catatonic and had no idea about the outside world. But I'm certain he knew and I'm certain he didn't care. He killed his sister because he was evil and he tried to kill the others for that same reason. He iss nothing but evil. His eyes, they're the blackest, I'll never forget them. I see them behind his mask every time I think about him.
Q. Is there anything you'd like to add, anything I might have missed? I told you over the phone that I wanted to publish this interview on a website I run. Anything you'd like to say to anyone that might be reading this?
A. Yes, and I'm glad that you'll be sharing this on your website. I don't know much about websites myself, I guess that comes with being an old man. (laughs) But I suppose if there's anything I'd like to say to anyone who might read this, as well as you, Mr. Nedbalek, is that the boogeyman is real and he is Michael Myers. If you're ever unfortunate enough to come across him, and I hope you won't be, know that he is not a man and that if he comes after you, he will not stop. I don't mean that to frighten anyone either, but it's true too. He is dangerous and he doesn't feel things like right and wrong. If I could, I would still pursue him like I used to. I don't blame myself for him getting out, but I do know him better than anyone else does. I hope this interview can help anyone who is able to accept and understand what he is.
Q. Thank you again for your time, Dr. Loomis. It was an honor.
A. You're welcome. I would say it was a pleasure, but when it comes to 'evil', can it ever really be a pleasure?
Elissa sat there for what seemed like forever, digesting Loomis's words on Myers. It wasn't lost on her that Loomis was an old man now, and certainly not what he had been decades ago. He'd even alluded to being unable and perhaps even unwilling to take Myers on again, something that made her heart sink a bit as she honestly considered the man to be her last hope at this point.
However, he'd specifically used the word pursue... as in actively pursuing and tracking Myers as he had years before. Surely her situation was a different thing, something that fell more into the lines of protection. Elissa felt that the fire inside Loomis had not grown so dim that he would refuse her help, not given that she was facing the thing he'd spent most of his life trying desperately to contain and protect others from.
Loomis had been willing to sacrifice himself to destroy Michael once before, when he'd ignited the oxygen and ether tanks in the hospital operating room to blow them both to kingdom come. When that had not worked he'd doggedly trailed Michael a decade later, despite suffering from advanced age as well as his own wounds sustained in the hospital fire.
Surely he'd come through again, for her... he had to.
Elissa sat at the computer, searching for the right words, something much harder than she'd envisioned when she'd first formulated her plan. She sat there for what seemed like forever before cautiously beginning to compose her plea to Nedbalek. After an hour of starting and stopping, deleting and replacing words and even entire sentences, Elissa sat back to review before hitting send, praying it would be enough.
Mr. Nedbalek,
I read your interview with Dr. Samuel Loomis about Michael Myers on your website, haddonfieldhalloweenmurders. I urgently need to contact Dr. Loomis and I really hope that you can help me.
About a week ago, a couple of my friends and I moved into the old Myers place and, well, strange things have been happening since day one. I'm sure that this will sound crazy, but I think he's back. I think I've seen him. But no one believes me and I don't know what else to do about it. I feel like Dr. Loomis would believe me though and if I could speak to him, if I could explain the situation to him, I hope he can at least give me some kind of advice.
I'm really feeling desperate here. I feel like I'm all alone on this. It's me versus him. I see him in my dreams. I constantly look over my shoulder whenever I'm out of the house. I fear for my life. Please help me.
-Elissa Green
What else could she say? She was aware of how desperate, and perhaps even crazy she probably came across in the email, but in all honesty how could anyone possibly transcribe her feelings of hopelessness and terror any more succinctly? She prayed it would be enough to convince Nedbalek to contact Dr. Loomis.
"That was something I grew quite used to actually, people not understanding..."
She couldn't help but think of Loomis's words as she pressed send. Loomis had hit the nail dead on the head with that gem. She couldn't agree more with his statement. She had grown used to people not understanding, or believing her. With any luck, that would all change tomorrow.
She shut her laptop down and began to undress for bed hoping that Nedbalek checked his email regularly, and hoping there would be a response in the morning.
She slid into bed, snuggling down under the covers and closed her eyes. While she certainly felt a surge of relief in having been able to make the steps towards alerting Loomis, something else he'd said also stuck with her.
"... the boogeyman is real and he is Michael Myers. ... know that he is not a man and that if he comes after you, he will not stop."
He stood in her doorway, a location he'd become quite accustomed to as he watched her, the rest of the house quiet except for light snoring coming from Judith's bedroom. He held a photograph in his hand, which he moved his head to gaze down at. The girl in it was his other sister, a smile on her face, indicating a happier time of her life. A time before she even knew she had an older brother. He tilted his head slightly as he continued staring down at the photo, studying it, his grip tightening and slightly bending it.
His trance was suddenly interrupted however when he heard a gasp. Snapping his head to look back up, he saw that Elissa had awakened. He could see that she was squinting, still not fully awake, but when she did realize what she was seeing, she began screaming. Dropping the photo to the floor, he quickly walked away from her doorway, lights in both of the other girl's rooms flicking on. Moments later, Thora and Chance both came running into Elissa's room, turning on the light in there as well. Thora grabbed Elissa by her shoulders and shook her.
"Elissa, wake up!" Thora shouted. "You're just having a bad dream!"
Elissa stopped screaming, but she knew it hadn't been a bad dream.
"He was there!" Elissa responded, pointing a shaky finger at her doorway. "I woke up and Michael Myers was standing there watching me!"
Chance just shook her head, rubbing a hand at her eyes as she yawned.
"It was just a nightmare, Elissa," Chance then calmly said, with a slight amount of frustration in her voice. "I'm surprised you haven't had one before now."
Thora didn't answer, just looking at Chance and then back at Elissa. She couldn't help but think of the dog heart in the refrigerator and the things she'd seen outside herself. Or what she thought she'd seen anyway. She still wasn't prepared to just hop on board the Michael Myers train with Elissa.
"I wasn't dreaming, god dammit!" Elissa retorted.
Shaking her head again, Chance simply turned around and started to walk away when she saw a white square on the floor with the word 'WANT' scrawled on it in red crayon. Bending down, she picked it up, turning it over in her hands.
"What is it?" Thora asked.
Turning around, Chance had an unexpected look of surprise on her face.
Holding the photo out to show her friends, Elissa in particular, she then said, "She...looks just like you."
Elissa however wasn't surprised at all, by the photo or the word.
The three girls decided to check the doors and windows to make sure that they were still locked, failing to notice the cracked open attic hatch, a sliver of white latex visible through it. The attic as well as the ladder attached to the wall underneath it were located at the top of the stairs between the bathroom and Elissa's room, tucked out of the way from the rest of the house.
Once confirming that the house was still locked up, they headed back to bed, the attic hatch closing the rest of the way as the lights were turned back off.