Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners.
CHAPTER XIV – Old Friends
The sound of knocking woke the quartet in the very early hours, jostling everyone with great alarm. Groggily, Nick stood up from his chair to answer, barely keeping his panic in check when he discovered two cops at the door. He swallowed hard, wiping his face of sleep to plaster on a look of surprise.
"Hello," he greeted with uncertainty. "Can I help you?"
"Good morning," the tall male greeted. "We're sorry to wake you so early, but this is merely routine while we're hoping we could ask you a few questions. May we come in?"
Nick looked to the others before stepping back. "Sure."
Both deputies stepped inside, the pair nodding to the others present before the second slightly shorter man pulled out a pen and pad. Though the first man spoke. "My name is Officer Ramirez, and this is my partner Officer Johnson. We just have a few questions for you kids. Just for the record, could we have your names and where you're from?"
Logan snorted, but he caught a scolding look from Eva, causing him to concede. "Logan Williams. Springwood."
"Evangeline Daly. Also Springwood."
"Nick Barton. Same."
"And you, miss?" Ramirez asked, looking straight at Charli.
She hesitated, barely croaking out, "Charlotte Baines. Same."
"Um, we saw on the registrar's records that this room is signed to a Faye Dahl, is that correct?"
"She's my grandmother," Charli explained calmly.
"And where is she now?" he asked.
"She died in April earlier this year," she bit out.
Ramirez faltered somewhat. "I'm...sorry for your loss, ma'am. If you don't mind my asking, why did you assume her name?"
"I felt more secure signing under a different name. I can't be the only one in the state that does that," she pointed out impatiently. "I'm a little security-conscious."
"You all said you're from Springwood. Any reason you're this far out from that town?"
Eva spoke up next, "We wanted to have a weekend road trip. Y'know, just a group of friends having a good time. For the night we decided to stop here, pick up any supplies we forgot, like food and water. See, our town has been a bit tense, and our parents a bit overbearing, so we just wanted to get away for a bit."
"Tense in what way?"
"You didn't hear anything? There was a bunch of murders on Halloween!" She looked at them as though she couldn't believe they had no idea. "Some maniac in a white mask killed a bunch of kids at a rave that night!"
Charli couldn't help looking at Eva, almost as if to ask her what the hell she was doing. Both cops looked at each other with silent questions of their own. Ramirez turned back to Eva. "Do you know if they caught him?"
She shook her head. "So far there hadn't been any news of his capture. They would have announced it if they had. The thing is, we saw him too. He even attacked us. Luckily the cops showed up when they did, otherwise we probably wouldn't be here now. But there hasn't even been a whisper of the guy since. We think he ran off, so we just want to get on with our lives."
Ramirez nodded. "Do you have a description you can give us?"
"Damn right I can! He wore a white mask with dark hair, he was very tall, maybe close to six and a half to seven feet. I'm not joking, he was freakishly tall. And he wore this dirty mechanic's jumpsuit. Being Halloween, nobody would have been able to tell what he really looked like."
Charli swallowed, remaining silent. That was where Eva was wrong. Charli knew the face beneath the mask. At least Eva wasn't turning to her to make that description. Ramirez nodded again. "Thank you. Um, just a few more questions. A few locals witnessed a brief altercation between Daryl Walker, and a young man matching your description," he said, staring pointedly at Logan, "accompanied by three others."
Logan snorted again, looking away. "Asshole..."
"Logan!" Eva scolded, shaking her head. "Yes, we were at this bar, and this guy started hitting on us."
"You realize the drinking age is twenty-one minimum," Ramirez put in.
"We only ordered sodas," she replied, rolling her eyes. Just like a cop to ignore the bigger issue. "The point is, Logan here was just trying to defend us from a potential drunkard who could have been a rapist. That guy provoked him, and well, as you probably already know, they fought. We left right after the fight was broken up and came straight here. Nick was the only one who left for a little bit to head to the drugstore because Charli was feeling sick, but he came back with nothing 'cause it was closed."
"Is this true, Mr. Barton?"
"Yes, sir."
"Can we ask what this is about?" Eva finally asked. "This isn't about the bar fight, is it?"
The cops hesitated, and finally Johnson spoke, "We're not at liberty to discuss the details, but we urge you four to return home for your safety."
"Safety? Are we in danger?" Eva asked, looking genuinely bewildered. "What exactly...oh my god! Are you talking about murder?! Who?! Why?!"
"We didn't say murder," Johnson clarified, "but...yes, there have been deaths. Daryl Walker is among the...deceased."
It went on for a few more minutes with questions about whether they had come in contact with the diner waitress or Daryl's friend, and a further description of the Halloween murderer. Eventually the cops thanked them for their cooperation and left. As soon as Eva closed the door, everyone let out weary sighs. Charli was the first to rise from bed, heading to the bathroom to freshen up. Eva was next, and as they passed one another, they didn't say a word. Logan and Nick took those few moments to put their belongings back in the car and leave the key in a drop box.
The uncomfortable silence continued for awhile, even when Nick made an attempt to lighten the mood and pass the time by suggesting various topics of discussion. His efforts were rebuffed and he settled back in his seat, twisting his mouth in a frown. Even Logan grew tired of the quietness, turning on the radio, switching between the preset stations until he grew annoyed with the lack of selection and turned on whatever CD was in the player. Naturally it was a mix CD from Eva's particular taste, the music somewhat easing the tension in her shoulders.
Time went on and since Charli felt more rested, she didn't feel the need to sleep. Sleep would be for later, she mused inwardly. At least she would have the strength to leave Freddy when it came to it. But she found herself startled when she saw a sign on the highway telling them that Columbus was not too far off. It should not have surprised her. It hadn't taken long to get to Springwood when they had moved, even with a couple of stops along the way. Anxiety settled in her chest and her stomach when thinking about her birthplace. She thought about her old classmates, including those she had considered, at great length, her friends. In the end, she somewhat resented them for being false, only tolerating her presence as though she was just a mere fly. By the time she had left the city to live in Springwood, she was already jaded by the very concept of friendship.
Comparing them to her new friends, she knew they wouldn't have gone to much length to help her that Halloween night. In fact, she knew they were the types to turn tail and run. Instead, Logan and Nick had gone to her defence, holding off Michael as long as possible before the authorities arrived. Though she never saw the cops come, she still woke up in the hospital, and Eva was even there the next morning. She really should have given them more credit, she realized. Even now as she thought of how they had done everything they could to fix the cuts on her back from Freddy. It did not change the fact that had she told them about how Michael had protected her on a couple of occasions. Eva had reacted exactly as she had feared upon the telling of his presence in Springwood Forest. Though the guys didn't know yet, having been asleep during her confession, no doubt they would react the same way. And judging how Eva was not speaking to her this morning, Charli suspected that she was angry. Eva was in the right, as Charli's pity for Michael could potentially put them in harm's way. She could also sense Eva's hurt over Charli's own lack of trust, and for that she felt somewhat ashamed.
In the distance, a familiar sight greeted Charli. A place where she and Gabby had grown up in. It was generally a nice place to live, even the people were welcoming, but Charli had mixed feelings about going there. Eventually, Eva entered the city where she and the boys were a bit curious of the sights. Even Charli felt a little nostalgic coming back for the first time since moving over four months prior.
Nick whistled. "Nice place."
"No kidding," Logan agreed. "It's...clean."
"Maybe as city standards go," Charli replied before dismissively saying, "I've seen it."
"Hey, show us where you used to live!" Nick requested eagerly.
Though she was surprised, she firmly said, "No."
"Why not?"
"It's not somewhere I wish to go." Annoyed, Charli leaned forward. "There's a couple of cheap hotels around."
The brunette helped Eva navigate her way through the city until pulling into a parking lot. Across the street was a three-story hotel. Gathering their things after getting out, they crossed over the busy street and strolled into the building. Nick offered to pay for the room this time, going up to the desk as the others waited. After ten minutes of waiting, they headed up to the third floor in the elevator and down a decently clean hall and into a room with two full-sized beds, a tube TV, and of course the essential furniture and a private bathroom. After putting her stuff in a chair, she sat on the edge of the closest bed to the door, staring off into space. The others followed suit, sitting in silence once more.
Logan leaned his head back while in a chair, closing his eyes. "So what now? Do the same thing as yesterday?"
"I think not," Eva said abruptly. "Picking fights is off the list."
"That asshole—"
"That asshole got what he had coming to him. Let it go," she said, exasperated. She turned to Charli then, a slight chill in her expectant gaze. "Well, you know the ins and outs of Columbus. What do you suggest we do?"
Charli had not missed the subtly biting tone, keeping her voice even, "I've got a couple of ideas. I want a shower though."
She reached into her bag to grab a fresh set of clothes before going into the bathroom and closing the door. Despite how quiet she was shutting it, the boys tensed as though the door had been slammed. What the hell was going on with the girls this morning? They looked at one another, then directed quizzical glances at Eva. Ignoring them, she too started rummaging through her own bag with an idea of having a shower. As she waited for Charli to come out, the goth teen turned on the TV, watching in silence. Logan simply drummed his fingers anxiously on the arms of his chair. He gave Nick a sideways glance, but the boy shook his head. Logan being the tactless type, he ignored Nick's warning, sending a hard gaze at Eva.
"You're still mad at me," he said matter-of-fact.
Eva slowly turned to Logan, her face impassive. "It's got nothing to do with you. But yes, I'll say I'm still mad at you."
"Just not right now," he realized. "Did you two have some kind of fight? You two are acting...cold to one another this morning."
"Just drop it," she snapped, eyes gluing themselves to the TV screen again.
He sighed, getting comfortable in the chair. "Fine, don't tell me."
Nick remained silent, staring between the two. Shaking his head, he then looked at the bathroom door. Meanwhile, Charli stood under a weak spray, allowing her soaked hair to dangle in front of her face. She sighed, closing her eyes as she pressed her forehead against the tiled wall. Though her body was rested, her mind felt...stretched. She wondered how long Freddy would need her before he finally decided she was of no use to him anymore. Regardless of the hot water, she shivered, thinking back to the couple of times she had been marred by Freddy's wrath. She looked at the scars on her arm, frowning at the slight pinkness, reminding her how fresh they were.
The water was turned off and she stepped out of the tub, wrapping a towel around herself. She stood before a mirror, wiping away the built up moisture. Staring into the droplet covered reflection, she turned her back towards it, looking over her shoulder to see the surprisingly well healed marks down her back. Though it was more fresh than the old wounds on her arm, it was far more along. The others had done well in fixing up her back, regardless of being untrained in surgical practices. Charli sighed again, wiping herself off before putting on clean clothes; a pair of denim capris, a white beater and a lavender hoodie.
The teen stepped out, avoiding eye contact with Eva, who merely slipped into the bathroom. Everyone took their turns in the shower, and before long, they all went out to the car. They rode off to a different part of the city with Charli navigating again until they found a series of plazas with plenty of shopping to be had and activities surrounding the area, including a small festival. The place was considerably crowded and Charli briefly regretted her decision, not very comfortable in crowds in general, and the fact that Freddy may end up being greedy that night if he knew how many faces she was looking at right now.
The others found themselves fascinated. A few fancy cars were on display and Logan was mesmerized by this year's models, letting out an impressed whistle. Otherwise, all of them were drawn to the culture. Charli had gone to this place before a few times, and it never failed to amaze her, though she had mostly come here when bigger events were taking place. In Springwood, all Charli could recall happening there was a carnival on the outskirts of the town. The others caught how her eyes glazed over as she reminisced on those precious memories, remembering when Faye had taken her out many times for fun and games.
"Charli?" She looked up at Nick. "You okay?"
"Yeah," she said softly. "Just remembering a piece of the past."
"So...what now?" he asked.
"Well, I'm starving," Eva put in quickly. "I badly want a burger."
"I could eat a burger," Logan agreed.
"There any places that sell lunch items this early?" Nick enquired.
Charli led them to a food court, and sure enough, they found plenty of options before them. She urged them to go on without her, not bothering to inform them that her appetite had yet to reappear. Though they seemed uncertain, she reassured them and walked off, intending to get her chores over with. The second she reminded herself of this, she felt more of her mild hunger slip away to nothing. All she had felt like doing was throwing up. She ventured to a park area, sitting on the edge of a fountain, joggers and bicyclists passing her by. She studied faces, trying to decide who people wouldn't miss. Christ, who the hell was she to decide? Charli closed her eyes, wanting to shut out everything. The sight of colour and movement, the sounds of chatter and rhythms, the smell of food and nature. Just shut it all out...
It was hard, trying to block out the sound of mommy and daddy arguing, even while Gabby sang to herself outside in the backyard, swinging on the tree swing. Daddy was mad at Charli for leaving, having left a note. Neither parent had found the short letter until both had gotten home which was after school had ended for the weekend. Both tried to reach Charli's cellphone, but her sister had turned it off. Gabby wasn't sad though. She knew her elder sister would be back tomorrow. Until then, she just had to have faith.
Gabrielle hummed to herself, having ceased the use of words altogether. Things had calmed down a little in the house in the last few minutes. The wind blew, as if to push her lightly on the swing, but when she heard a rustling in the bushes not far away, she looked around with her bright blue eyes, a lighter blue than the sky itself. At first, she thought it was the wind, but curiosity got the better of her and she jumped off the wooden plank, trotting fearlessly towards the sound. Maybe it was a cat? A bunny? Squirrel? She rounded the corner of the shed and she had just caught a glimpse of a shadow disappearing around another corner. It was too big to be any animal she had ever seen. Undaunted by the elusiveness, Gabby kept going, and when she rounded that corner, she pouted to find nothing there. She turned around and gasped as a child would when suddenly surprised.
The O of her mouth turned into a crescent smile as she was greeted by the sight of Mr. Bubbles, her new friend from the schoolyard. "It's you!" Despite her sister's warning of the stranger, Gabby had completely forgotten about it as though she had never heard it. "I wondered when I would see you again," she commented, almost accusingly as though she was reprimanding the giant for not visiting.
Michael had lurked in the yard over the past week, watching Charli, studying her family, especially the youngest of the household. Her surprisingly happy greeting amused him, and he lowered to his knees. Even on his knees, the man still towered over the girl with her reaching the height of his chest. She mirrored his movements, sitting on her legs, scuffing her pant legs with dirt.
"Are you still sick?" He pondered over his answer then shook his head slightly, earning him a smile. "That's good. My sister isn't so good though. She gets more and more sick every day."
This much he knew already. Contending with a dream phantom on a nightly basis was likely to have that effect on one's health. He had the scars to vouch for that. While watching the teenager, he noted the gradual decline in her health. He didn't think her skin could grow anymore pale. Circles darkened around her eyes, her already thin body showing more bones than he cared to see. He knew death in many forms, and the longer she was forced to neglect her health, he knew she would undoubtedly die. Not only had she avoided sleep as much as possible, she didn't even eat. Any time she tried, she had developed a routine of throwing up afterwards. He knew the psychological reasons behind it, and it made him angry.
He hadn't noticed that he was squeezing his fists until Gabby asked, "Are you okay?" He forced himself to relax, his tensed shoulders dropping some. He looked at her through the eye holes of his mask and she stood up again. "I'll be right back." She left him alone, and for some reason, he felt compelled to remain in his spot. Moments later, Gabby returned and handed him a cookie. It was just an—Oreo, was it?—cookie. "Mommy said I could only have two because it's almost lunchtime. You can have this one," she offered.
Uncertain, he took the cookie. When did he last have one? He thought back to the time he had been just a child, a boy of six, younger even. His mother had baked fresh cookies, his father sitting at the table reading a newspaper on local news, his sister snatching a couple before leaving in a hurry to be with her boyfriend before school. He'd gotten some in his lunch for school, and had a couple as a snack after breakfast. He had looked in on his little baby sister, giving her a brotherly kiss before catching the school bus. Michael gazed regretfully at the treat, afterwards looking at the girl as she nibbled on her own. She looked every bit as innocent as the infant sister he had once harboured great affection for.
"Gabrielle! Lunch is ready!" the lady of the house called out. "Gabrielle?"
Instinctively, Michael leaned further from view as Gabby looked over her shoulder. "Coming mommy!" She turned to Michael with a whisper, "I gotta go inside. Bye bye!" She stood and gave an enthusiastic wave, scrambling out into her mother's view.
"Gabrielle, what were you doing back there? You're supposed to play where one of us can see you."
"I was talking to my friend!"
Claire frowned. "Friend?"
"Mr. Bubbles! He's shy, so he won't come out."
Thinking it was just one of her daughter's imaginary friends, she sighed. "Well, come inside and wash up."
"Okay..."
Claire stood out of her way as the child walked through the door, taking a glance at the shed. She looked to Gabby as she stepped onto a footstool to wash her hands and took this moment to walk out the door, the woman hugging herself from the cool breeze. Hardened grass rustled under her flat shoes, making their way to the shed. Slowly, she went to peer behind the shack with caution, letting out a breath of small relief when she saw nothing was there. It really was just one of Gabby's imaginary games. After the attack on her elder daughter, and of course the murder of that couple over a week ago, the woman found herself...anxious. Sighing again, she headed back to the house, closing the door behind her.
It was incredibly exhilarating, this regained strength! It had been so long since Freddy had felt this kind of power in him. But it was only three kills thus far. Perhaps if one went too long without a delicacy, you'd forget the taste. Now that he was reminded of the taste, he also recalled the addiction that went with it. Sitting in his half-rotted chair, he drummed fingers among the arms, deciding what to do. He was anxious for his next meal. Once Charlotte brought his little piggies to slaughter, he didn't think he'd be able to wait another week. This arrangement he had with her was only a temporary solution. There had to be a better option than weekend outings.
No, he had to get at the root of his main concern, being the town's water and food supply. It didn't take too long for him to figure out how he would remedy the issue, now that he had the means. When he fed on a few more souls tonight, he had some new tasks for Charlotte. As soon as the fear begins to spread over Springwood like in the old days, he would no longer have a use for her. Except...
Thoughts ventured back to that thing, Michael. Unlike those before him, Michael proved to be a thorn in Freddy's side, much like Faye's husband was. The nightmare demon snarled to himself. It had been years since he thought of that man. It was unfortunate that he too was dead now. Freddy would have loved to give Noel Baines a good scare or two before taking his life for himself. He supposed Michael would be a good replacement. After all, he could only imagine how much stronger he'd become once he killed that bastard for good. Once he was dead, Freddy would go after Michael's wardens next. The dream demon grinned, knowing all too well who they were. Being what he is, he was afforded a great deal of power and knowledge. They were foolish to think they'd be able to control him.
That gave him a terribly good idea all of sudden.
"Charli? Is that you?"
Charli opened her eyes upon hearing a voice she had not heard in months. Looking up, she caught the gaze of a teen girl her own age, with a slight tan, long dark blonde hair with highlights, and blue eyes. She recognized the girl with utmost surprise, and something in her withered with dread.
"Rachel?" the brunette breathed out.
Rachel smiled, and before Charli could stop it, the blonde reached over and pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh my god, it is you! It's been so long!" She put her at arm's length to look her over. "How have you been? You never call or anything!"
Charli gave her a wry smile, biting back any comment on the matter. "I'm...surviving." It was the most honest answer she could give her old friend. "It's been difficult to say the least."
Understanding, Rachel gave her a sad smile. "Yeah. Losing a loved one sucks, but I doubt your grandmother would want you to mope over her forever." Charli couldn't resist rolling her eyes, and Rachel laughed. "God, it's been so long since I've seen you do that! It's been ages! Yeah, I know, no shit, Sherlock." Oddly, Charli couldn't help a small smile at that. Rachel sat down next to her then. "So, what are you doing back in Columbus? You here with your family for a quick visit?"
"No," Charli began, hesitating on the next part of her sentence, "I'm with some new friends from Springwood."
"Cool, where are they?"
Just as the brunette was about to answer, Eva and the others returned with food in hand, and Charli noted the way Eva stiffened up, her stark blue eyes sharpening upon seeing the stranger. The guys were curious more than anything, but Nick had also noticed Eva's change, and quickly stepped forward.
"Hey, Charli. I know you said you weren't hungry, but I got a burger for you to eat later, in case you get hungry."
She blinked in surprise, then smiled softly. "Oh, you didn't have to do that, but thank you." Another twinge of guilt ate at her. Awkwardly, she stared between her old friend and her new friends. "Um, guys, this is Rachel. We went to school together when I used to live here." One by one, she introduced the blonde to the rest of the group. Logan acted aloof, Nick was typically friendly, but Eva acted in a very unlike-Eva manner. Instead of being assertive as what was the norm, she was quiet, and cold.
"Nice to meet you all." Rachel turned to Charli. "Are you in Columbus long?"
Her brows furrowed. "We're here overnight, then we head back in the morning. Why?"
Rachel smiled. "Well, I'm having a small party. The old gang will be there. They'll be psyched to see you again! You and your friends from Springwood should stop by."
The path lay before Charli, bare and welcoming, leading her downward into a hell that no one could possibly fathom. Daryl was one thing, but even if she resented her old friends, she wouldn't put them in harm's way. That was beyond petty, it was murder. She wasn't going to give Rachel and the others to Freddy, just as much as she wasn't willing to hand over Eva and the gang.
"I can't," she said finally, turning her head away. "We have...other plans."
Disappointed, Rachel said, "Oh. That's too bad. Maybe next time." Her shoulders slumped, but she perked up again, reaching into her purse, pulling out a tissue and pen, writing on the frail paper. "If you change your mind, this is my address now, and when the party is happening. I'd really love it if you came, Charli."
She took the offered napkin, staring at it, willing it to burst into flames or something. "We'll see."
Rachel smiled and stood up. "I've got to go. Still have some shopping to do before tonight. I hope to see you there." She looked at the others. "It was nice meeting you all. Don't hesitate to come over. Maybe one of you can convince her otherwise."
Bidding farewell, Charli stared after her. It was quiet for a few moments, aside from the community noise. Logan was the first to speak, casually saying, "We should go."
Bewildered by his suggestion, Eva turned to him, "What? Why?! I don't know about you guys, but I'm not in the mood to party. Drink? Most definitely, but after that shit with Myers during Halloween, just the idea of a party makes me ill."
"Calm down, woman. I know what we're here for. And an opportunity just fell in our laps," he reasoned. "A party means people, which means Krueger will get to do his sick thing tonight and we can go home in the morning."
Charli spoke up, rather coldly, "It's real sick to think of this whole thing as an opportunity. This whole thing is making me sick. I may not think much of my old friends, but I'm not about to feed them to Freddy either. I'd have to be pretty angry and depraved to do such a thing. I'm only doing this so Freddy doesn't go after any of you or my sister. If none of you weren't part of the equation, I wouldn't care." She dropped her face in her hands, murmuring miserably, "I'm so tired. I'd rather he just kill me."
Sheepishly, Logan looked away from Charli. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I know how fucked up all of this is. It's just I care about you guys more than anyone, and after seeing what that fucker did to you...I just don't want him hurting you anymore. It was hard enough the first couple of times."
She raised her head to look at the supposed bad-boy. If he felt that strongly about her well-being, she could only imagine how it magnified for Eva. The girl in question was also looking at Logan as though he were a stranger, as if unable to believe that he had admitted as much. The raven-head turned to Charli then and knelt in front of her. Eva was at a loss. She wanted to be angry at Charli, but after hearing the exchange from both sides, she let go of her anger towards both of them, shelving the issues for the time being. Right now, Charli was her biggest concern.
She raised her hands, placing them on the brunette's face, confusing Charli. "I'm with you every step of the way, but don't hide anything from me anymore," she whispered. "I can't understand every little thing that goes on in your head unless you tell me. Unlike you, I don't have ESP. I just want to help you get through this. After all, it's my fault this started happening to you at all."
Charli frowned, shaking her head. "I don't blame you for anything. I blame Freddy."
Logan blinked, perplexed by the girls' quiet understanding that was completely lost on him. He looked to Nick. "What's with them?" Nick shook his head and shrugged. Logan only scoffed, crossing his arms. "Women."
After another moment of conversing, the girls stood up and turned to the guys. "We'll go to the party," Eva announced, surprising Nick and Logan. "There's a possibility that we can find a couple of candidates that Charli doesn't know. Maybe they'll be assholes. We can only hope. If not, then tough shit for Freddy. He got three last night."
"Want me to get into a fight again?" Logan teased. "Might lure those assholes out."
Eva rolled her eyes. "Doesn't that make you the asshole?"
He shrugged. "Whatever. I already knew that I was a bastard." He looked at Charli. "Hey." She stared back. "No more talk about you wanting to die or whatever. We're not going to let that happen. If you're willing to go so far to protect us, isn't it only right for us to try and protect you?"
At this, she half-smiled. "Hard to argue against such sound logic." She sobered immediately. "If I somehow inadvertently pull you in..."
"Then you won't be alone," Nick put in firmly. "It's that simple. Just like on Halloween when Myers tried to get you, we won't leave you behind." The others gave her resolute expressions.
Whether she was alone or not, Charli was frighteningly aware of how little it would matter, having seen his power firsthand. Freddy was not a dream demon to fuck with unless you held the right cards, and Charli only held one.
Ages. It had been ages since he had last been here, since his failure. Since that dreadful Halloween so many years ago. The cane clacked loudly upon the linoleum as a balding and greying man limped his way to the offices of this facility, his beige trench swaying from the swift movement. He'd been called out of the blue, out of his quiet retirement. It's been eight years since he last saw his medical superior. Eight years since that thing disappeared after finishing what it set out to do. That poor girl...
Reaching his destination, he rapped loudly upon a door, hearing a voice invite him inside. He stepped through the opened door, setting his blue eyes on the man behind the desk. He looked up and smiled. "Dr. Samuel Loomis. How many years has it been since we saw each other? Come in, come in! Take a seat."
Loomis closed the door behind him, sitting down. "Wynn," he acknowledged. "I must confess that I was surprised to receive your call after all these years. And to call me down here of all places."
Wynn smiled again. "Well, I called you down here for a couple of reasons. One, I was hoping you'd come out of retirement and start working here again."
Loomis let out a weary sigh, his shoulders slumped. "I retired for a reason. I'm content where I am. I don't wish to practise medicine anymore." After his failure with one patient, he didn't have it in him to continue anymore. "You know what happened, Wynn. I just can't."
Loomis' colleague frowned a little, but sighed. "Well, I thought I would, at the very least, try to convince you. You're good, Sam. It's hard finding doctors of your calibre." Loomis nearly half-laughed at that, but kept quiet. "Now, the other matter I wanted to discuss with you, I've been seeing reports of an incident that occurred recently in a small town in Ohio, called Springwood. I was hoping you'd go and...check things out, as it were."
Suspicious and anxious, Sam asked, "Why? What could be so important that you would call me down here, and send me off to some small town? I already told you that I'm happily retired and I have no intention of continuing my license."
"There was a mass killing at a remote party on Halloween," said Wynn, pausing long enough to let that sink in. "Many witness reports described the suspect in...familiar detail." He watched as a realization hit Loomis. "We think it's him, Sam. We think it was Michael."
The old man's grip on his cane tightened, and he muttered out distractedly, "That can't be. There's no reason for Michael to go there. Surely it was some kind of copycat."
"That's why we're puzzled. I was hoping you'd go to Springwood, speak with the police, and perhaps work with them—as a consultant only—to determine if it's him or not. As you are the leading expert on Michael Myers, being his former doctor, surely you can at least check things out."
Sam had heard enough, struggling to quickly stand, and swiftly head for the door. "I won't have any part of this. My days as Michael's doctor are long gone, and I want nothing more than to leave that past behind me."
Before he could leave, Wynn spoke up once more, "There was a report stating that a handful of teenagers fended him off when he attacked. If it really is Michael Myers, you and I both know he won't stop after one failed attempt."
Loomis stood still at the door, gripping the handle tightly. That was just like Wynn to somehow drag him back. He knew Sam wouldn't leave those children to their doom. Defeated, he asked without turning around, "What are their names?"
A/N: So, it's been awhile. So sorry. It took me a long time to get back in the mood for writing. Any future updates will not be quick, and for that I'm sorry. I'm working at a new job too, which isn't as bad as working at a factory. I was stressed for a long time and it's difficult for me to get in the right mindset for each chapter I write. I had this chapter half-done for a long time, but it was getting the other half done that proved difficult. Plus it took rewatching all the Halloween and Friday the 13 movies to get me in the mood and reread previous chapters. Anyway, until next chapter, hope you enjoyed. Feel free to leave a review.