Alright, I was planning on continuing from where we left off, but considering Microsoft is being a Class A douche, we'll do another random drabble.

This one is dedicated to TeamEtharahRules, whose birthday is on the ninth of July. I decided to this early, since I'm going to Georgia for the rest of the week and have absolutely no idea when I'll have time to plan.

But I promise you, this chapter will be long. It's something we never really resolved in the past, and I want to let you guys know that I never forgot about it. See if you can guess what I'm talking about ;)


"Only three more hours," you remind yourself as you wipe down the tables. Your aunt had gotten you a job at her town's diner, because your aunt was pretty much the only person who went there besides tourists and the occasional teenager.

So your boss had picked you to do the late shift. This really put a damper in your day, because usually you got home from work around six, which was when you would sit down at home and just have a nice family dinner with your aunt and brother. Now you wouldn't be home until at least midnight.

The bell of the front door jingles, indicating you have another customer. That is odd…you never received customers this late. Maybe this is your lucky day.

The man takes his place at the counter, which you quickly run behind. "May I help you?" you ask quietly. You are pretty shy normally, and you are always a bit tedious when helping customers. But after living there for a couple of years, the people got a feel for what you were like.

"Could I have some coffee?" asks the man. You scrunch up your face.

"You could, but I wouldn't recommend it. They've been using the same coffee they bought in 1985." The man chuckles. You notice that he's a bit on the older side, what with his scruffy salt and pepper stubble.

"Then some pie, please." You nod and smile, approving of his choice.

"Apple, peach, or blackberry?" You question. He shrugs.

"Uh…apple," he says. You cut a slice of the apple pie and hand him the plate, along with a fork.

"Whipped cream?" He shakes his head as he starts eating. "Wonderful; we're all out. I'm just supposed to laugh." The man smiles at you.

"What's your name?" he asks. You point to your name tag. "(Name). That's nice."

"It was my grandmother's name," you say nonchalantly. "So, who're you and what brings you to this old place?"

"I'm a reporter," he says. "I'm tracking a story." You nod.

"The disappearing males? Yeah, like five people have come through here, asking about it."

"And what have you told them?" You shrug.

"I don't really know anything," you say loudly, so your boss can hear you in the back. He doesn't really like you talking on the job. "But I do know some of the local folklore." Your voice is low.

"And what would that be?"

"Legends say that there was this group of guys, right? They would rape girls all the time and stuff. Well, one time they raped the wrong girl. She was a witch, at least, that's what people say. They beat her so badly that she died on the outskirts of town. Legend says that her last words were like a satanic curse; she said that she would come back and kill each and every one of them and their offspring."

"So what happened to the guys?" You shrug, wiping down the counter.

"All of them are dead. One committed suicide, two died of cholera, and the other two just…disappeared." You pause. "But of course this happened like fifty years ago. And there's no evidence that she killed any of their offspring either; mostly because those guys got around so much."

"Interesting," the man says. You nod.

"This town might be boring as hell, but it's got some history." The man nods, placing a twenty on the counter. "Pie's only ten, sir."

"Keep the change," he says. You smile at him. "And here's my card, in case that ghost shows up." He hands you a small, rectangular card with his name printed on it: Mitch Anderson."

"Nice to meet you, Mitch!" you call as he exit's the diner.


"You're just now walking home?" asks Ben, your boyfriend, as you speak to him on the phone.

"Well yeah. I told you I had the late shift tonight."

"But that's like…scary. Maybe I should come and give you a ride."

"No, my aunt would freak if you gave me a ride home."

"Fine. Just stay on the phone with me until you get home, alright? Don't hang up."

"Okay, you big worry wart." A bang comes from the alley beside you.

"What was that?"

"Probably a cat or something…"

"(Name), step away from it now."

"I'll be fine; I promise."

"That's like promising you won't get murdered. Where are you? I'm picking you up."

"Would you hush! I am trying to listen." There is silence and then another bang. You reach into your purse and pull out the pepper spray. Your brain is telling you to run away as fast as you can, but there's something that's pulling you to investigate.

"Hello?" you call out. Your brain scolds you for doing that. The girl who does that always gets murdered in the horror movies.

"What's a girl like you doing out here?" You spin around. There's a man standing behind you-an incredibly handsome one, at that. But he isn't…humanly handsome. There's something about him that's just…off.

"I was leaving," you say, making your way past him.

"Maybe I could walk you home. You never know what's going bump in the night around here."

"Cats," you say. "Stray alley cats go bump in the night. Now leave me alone." You push your cell phone to your ear. "Ben? I'm at the corner of Madison and-"

"Who's Ben?" asks the man, who is still lurking behind you. Your grip tightens on the pepper spray.

"Of Madison and Lakeridge. I'm heading into Uncle B's. Come as fast as you can." The call ends. Maybe Ben accidentally hit the DISCONNECT button, you don't know. All you do know is that you are terribly afraid right now. And that is not a good thing to be when a creepy hot stalker guy is right behind you.

You walk briskly onward and into Barney's Pub. The man who runs it, Barney, has known you since you were little, so you're sure he'll understand why you had decided to come into the pub when you are underage.

You take a seat at the bar and scan the area for Uncle Barney. He's at the far end of the bar, discussing something with one of his buddies. "Uncle Barney!" you call over the loud noise of the bar. He looks up, his eyes meeting yours.

"Kiddo, whatcha doin here?" he asks. Your eyes widen as you recant the tale of the creepy man following you. "You made the right choice, kid," he says as you finish. "No beer for you, though." You manage a small smile despite the fact that you feel the man is somewhere…watching you.

Uncle Barney hands you a bottle of water, which you chug down. You rest your head on the counter. All you had wanted to do was walk home.

"Rough night, kid?" asks Mitch as he sits down beside you. You nod vigorously.

"You have no idea. This creepy ass guy started following me on the way home."

"What'd he look like?"

"Black clothes, dark hair, and he would be really cute, too. If he wasn't a stalker." You shrug. "I just wanted to go home."

"Someone's picking you up, right?" You nod.

"My boyfriend, Ben. He should be here in a few more minutes."

"Alright, let's get a few things straight between us," says Mitch. "I lied about being a reporter. I'm a cop." He shows you his badge. "And I specialize in the weird and spooky. I need you to tell me everything."

"Well, I was walking home, then I heard a noise in the alley. Being the curious idiot I am, I decided to investigate. So I go into the alley, then all of a sudden the guy's behind me! So I started walking, he started following, then I came in here and I kinda have the feeling he's here."

"I'll make sure he doesn't touch you. Here's my number; if you see anything else weird or strange, don't hesitate to call me." You nod, taking yet another business card.

"(Name)!" calls Ben as he enters the pub. You say goodbye to Mitch and exit the pub with your boyfriend. "You really scared the shit out of me, (Name)." You look up at him, putting on your most innocent face.

"I'm sorry," you say as you lean into him. "Won't ever happen again." He kisses the top of your head.

"Good."


Fast forward three years…

You sit in your bedroom, typing away at your keyboard. Today is the day your acceptance letter should come in. At least, you hope it's an acceptance letter. You think your essay was your best one yet, but did they?

You glance out the window at the mailbox. How did you know when the mail arrived? Was the little red stick thingy supposed to be up or down? You didn't know. Should potential college students know this?

Shutting your laptop, you walked out of your room and down the stairs. The old Victorian house was empty, what with your aunt passing away and your brother moving away to live with your uncle in Arizona.

A picture of your brother at the age of three was hung on the wall as you entered the kitchen. It made your heart twinge with guilt. When you had chosen to go to college, you had given up caring for your brother. Your uncle took up those rights.

You and your uncle had never gotten along. He was an ex-conman, and you knew that you could never trust him. But your brother couldn't live by himself at fifteen. So off with your uncle he went, leaving you feel horribly guilty and alone.

But you are excited for college. Even if you are twenty-three, you feel as if this is a great opportunity for you. When you get a steady job and income, then your brother can come back and live with you. That is, if your money-grubbing uncle lets him.

You grumbled as you made yourself a sandwich. The bastard would barely let you see him. The only times you could see him were family events like Christmas and Easter; along with the occasional Skype, that was it.

You glance at the business card that hangs on your fridge. Mitch Anderson, it reads in black text, with a number below it. After five years, you wonder if the number is still active. There hadn't been anything strange going on, as far as you could tell. At least nothing as strange as the creepy stalker guy. The only people you had told of your experience were Mitch and Ben. Ben was long gone now; he should be graduating medical school anytime soon. He had promised that he would come back for you, but there was no hope for that. He hadn't contacted you in four years.

A knock on the door brings you out of your reverie. You pause you sandwich making to answer it. Your friend Rose stands on your doorstep, a bright smile on her face.

"Rose?" you say. "What're you doing here?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come to a party later tonight? It's a bonfire near Mr. Oldacre's farm." You shrug.

"What time?"

"Around eleven-ish."

"Sounds a bit late for a party, doesn't it?" Rose smiles and shrugs.

"Hope to see you there!" she says before skipping away. You close the door, locking it after you.

Alright, something was going on here. Firstly, Rose was supposed to be in Cairo, because she got outsourced or something. Secondly, Rose despised Mr. Oldacre. Why would she throw a party near his farm?

"Time to get the work boots on and investigate," you say as you walk back to your sandwich.


You arrive at the area a little past eleven. It seems as if the bonfire had just started, as it is not glowing very bright. You grab your purse, which has two cans of pepper spray in easy-access compartments. 911 is on your speed dial, along with Mitch's number.

You start walking toward the small crowd that has assembled. Most of the faces are familiar; you went to high school with Kendra Thompson, and you had your first job with Willy Stokes. But the others are completely foreign. They wear black and dark make up, which contrasts with your friends' somewhat bright clothes.

You quietly slide a can of pepper spray up your sleeve and start looking for Rose. Your petite red-headed friend is easy to pick out in even the largest crowds. You easily find her, and are surprised to see her in the all-black ensemble like most of the people here.

"Hey, (Name)," she says. She doesn't sound like the usual Rose. She sounds darker…more mysterious. And not in the fun way.

You feel a tap on your shoulder. Turning around, you see your friend Jade standing behind you, a wide smile on her cute, dimply face.

"Hiya, (Name)!" she says cheerfully. Jade is one of your best friends. You love her to death. "Fancy seeing you here."

"I know," you say. "I figured it was time to get out of the house and talk to some actual people." Jade laughed.

"But some of these people are pretty weird," says Jade. Her green eyes widen behind her glasses. "I mean, seriously. All black doesn't always work." You laugh.

"Where's the music, anyway?" you ask.

"These lamos won't play anything," says Derek, another childhood friend of yours. "

"Man, that sucks," says Jade, her face flushing at the sight of him. Jade has had a huge crush on Derek since high school. Yet she refuses to do anything about it.

"I say we leave," you say quietly. Jade and Derek nod, and slowly the three of you retreat back to your car.

"Hey! Where do you think you three are going?" One of the gothic-looking kids shout.

"Run!" squeaks Jade and the three of you practically jump into your car. You turn on the engine as fast as you can and start the car. Your wheels screech against the pavement as you drive as fast as you can.

"They're following us!" yells Derek. Your eyes widen.

"They're what?!" screams Jade from the backseat. She turns around and looks out the window. "Holy hell! They're following us!" You speed up, zooming back into the safety of the town.

"Just like the old times, huh?" laughs Derek. "Uh, my house is that way…" he says as you start to calm down. You roll your eyes.

"I think we've known each other long enough that you can spend the night at my house."

The next morning, before Jade and Derek are up, you call Mitch Anderson. This definitely qualifies as weird and spooky.

"Hello?" a gruff voice answers.

"Mitch? It's me, (Name) (Last Name)."

"Uhm, Mitch has been transferred to another section, ma'am. How can I help you?"

"Are you in the same division as Mitch?"

"Yes."

"Thank goodness. Some weird things have been going on in my town. Could you come and check it out?" There was a slight pause.

"Sure. Where do you live?" You give him your address. "Alright, ma'am. We'll see you soon."

"I sure hope so," you say to yourself as the call disconnects.


RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WANT A SPINOFF WITH READER, JADE, AND DEREK!

Wow that was long. Nine freaking pages to be exact. It shall be continued in the next chapter. So, TeamEtharahRules, I guess you could say you get two birthday presents!

Spinoff? No spinoff? Let me know~!