6. The Night He Came Home
Disclaimer: I do not own Halloween, this particular version belongs to Rob Zombie, with the original idea belonging to John Carpenter. I know it's been a while since I posted on here. I've had a lot going on, but I hope to update more, on more projects~ This chapter is going to be a bit of a long one, and so understandably it took me a while, but enjoy please.
Ava was at a loss…what was she to do now? What could she do? First thing she knew she had to do was to find her voice, Idiot. Say something. Don't just stand here! This is real!
"Hello. Hello! Ava! You there?!" Loomis's voice managed to reach her breaking her from her stupor.
She croaked, "Y-yes. I'm here…I'm..," she stammered, wanting to say that she was okay. Am I though? No. This is not okay. Ismael, remember? "I…I…Am I…," am I next? "Am I in danger," she asked in a weak whisper.
"Well, that is if he finds you. He killed two staff members….and many others…," Sam told her, and she swore his voice had quivered.
"H-how many others," she asked quietly as she started to walk out of the room, and out of the house, suddenly feeling exposed to some unfriendly force out there, and was being watched heavily. Whatever it was it wanted her out of this house and out of this town.
"All of them, Ava, all of them," he said in a weak barking voice, then listed off the names, then paused, "He left one alive I believe. A patient."
"Oh," Ava heard her voice ask as she made her way out of the house and out to the crisp Autumn air. The neighborhood still looked to be at suburban peace. She half expected it to be a warzone for some odd reason. But could one man truly wreak such havoc?
This was the same man who singlehandedly destroyed his family, directly and indirectly…
"Yes a young woman. She had been found in his room," he replied, making Ava raise her brows, and an odd fluttering twist in her chest, "Oh," she asked again.
Breathing evenly out of her nose, she kept herself in check and free from panic, "Is…how did she get there? Is she alright?"
She hadn't realized it yet but she had come to a full halt and stopped walking – a patient in Michael's room? All the rooms were locked and there was a curfew in place. Why and how, Ava could only wonder.
She heard Loomis inhale sharply, "I…we don't know we tried to interrogate her, and get some information but she was incoherent. She kept repeating how she was being hurt…and thank you. It was…bizarre. And a staff member was found outside in the hallway with his pants down. Another dead in Michael's room. It was an utter mess, I tell you," Loomis went on, "I might piece what happened as can you, Ava…"
Ava's jaw went slack and it took everything to keep it from dropping open, "Yes…I believe I can too…," she said weakly, as the feeling in her turned into a sinking one. That poor girl…
She grit her teeth, as her eyes trailed up the sidewalk in the direction of the neighborhood, and she saw an abandoned looking house surrounded by metal wire fence; she knew the house from all her exploration.
"Are you coming here," Ava asked thinly.
Loomis hummed gruffly, "I don't believe I have a choice, and he is my patient," he murmured.
"You spent 15 years with him. Worrying and caring about him was bound to happen," she muttered.
"For him," he coughed and sputtered, "I hardly could!"
Ava felt her feet move forward as she brushed past some leaves, "But you can and you have. Think about it. You've invested more time and energy in him than his own stepfather. I read his case file too, remember? I speak on some level of experience in regards to this, so I would know. You don't think Michael felt that you and Ismael were paternal to him? The first male authority figures and role models for him to look up to and the first ones to care, and not tear him down," she asked, and was answered with silence.
"Whatever he's done throughout it can't be helped, that was his upbringing…and maybe I'm not an expert on him, but you are…whether he was born this way or made, or both, it's clear what his message should be to you," Ava stated firmly, as she walked towards the dilapidated house.
Again more silence, but Ava didn't see it as a bad sign, so she continued, "And if you know him well enough, then you also know where he's going," Ava murmured.
Loomis sighed, "I'm on my way there now," he stated.
She nodded, "Good, then maybe you can reach him again, call me with an update and where to meet you later, I've got something I need to look at," she said calmly.
"I'll call, anything else," Loomis asked indignantly, and she could guess why he was angry.
Ava couldn't help but smirk at that ruefully, "Yeah, just one. After all this is over, make sure to actually hire competent employees, and do better background checks," she suggested in a dark humor.
Loomis laughed sarcastically at that before wishing her luck and hanging up abruptly.
She snapped her phone shut and put it back in her bag, upon finally approaching the slanted and looming dark house. Time had not been kind to it…
Whatever evil was there had rotted it, and of course with the obvious physical decaying of the place. It might be true that sometimes a place itself could become sick if something terrible was going on there…
She lifted the metal holder and pushed the metal fence open before walking on to the property; even the ground was bare beneath her with the yellowing leaves covering the bare brown earth. Nothing grew here, just dried up thickets and bushes.
A gust of wind blew making her curl into herself and zip up her button up two more of the buttons on her jacket – she quietly swallowed the lump forming in her throat and walked up the path to the porch steps and found herself standing at the front door, ignoring the creaking of the wooden floor boards.
"Alright I gotta make a pitstop," she heard faint voices approaching behind her and turned around swiftly.
The jerking movement made more of the floorboards creak and got the attention of the approaching owner of the voice, as she almost jumped back, "Oh god!"
Ava saw it was two people, a teenage girl with an angelic looking face framed with adorable glasses, and a halo of curled dirty blond hair. And behind her was a young boy, dark haired and lanky, with dimpled cheeks.
"Hello, sorry for the scare," Ava quickly said raising a hand up in a half surrender and partly a weak wave. Clearly they were the neighbors who lived nearby, possibly siblings… Maybe this wasn't the best time to come here.
She needed to leave…for now. They needed to leave, right now if they could.
"Hi…are you from the family supposed to look at the house," the blond teenage girl asked raising her brows curiously.
"Uh…yeah, yeah I am. I'm just," Ava wracked her brain for an answer, "I'm just waiting for my boyfriend, and the folks to get here," she gave the girl her best warmest smile.
"Oh well, welcome to the neighborhood~ I'm Laurie Strode, and this is Tommy Doyle," the girl gave her a bright grin.
The dark haired woman smiled at her, "Thanks. Ava." Ava took a moment to look over them and tried to keep her smile in place.
The boy piped up, "You're not really gonna live in this place are you," he asked her narrowing his eyes, which Ava found funny, "Well why not," she asked him back.
"Yeah Tommy how come now," Laurie said as she walked past Tommy, and towards her, ignoring his protests.
"Oh woah what are you both? Insane," he demanded loudly.
Laurie opened the gate and approached her, "Well since you're here, I can just give this over to you," she said ignoring Tommy as he vehemently protested her just going onto the property like nothing.
"You can't go in there, both of you," Tommy huffed at having his advice disregarded.
The older girl just smiled faintly, and remained quiet, as Laurie smirked back at him, "Oh yes I can~" Then handed him her textbooks, before turning around to face Ava, "Here," she lifted her hand to hold her the envelope.
Ava swallowed hard but kept her smile in place, "You know what? Just put it in through the slot, I'm sure they'll be here. I just need to run some errands real quick," she excused herself quickly, ignoring the weird look she got from both Laurie and Tommy, "Thanks though," she smiled at them both, before brushing past her and the boy, feeling blood rush through her ears.
Dark eyes watched them from inside, feeling oddly gleeful. Both Ava and Boo were here~ They had made this too easy for Him. He had heard the conversation…Had she come here to wait for him?
Had Boo waited for him?
If not for the boy he would have thrown the door open and dragged them both inside in this moment. But no he couldn't.
But there was always tonight. After all he was home now, and nothing would or could stop him…
She had almost committed identity theft…and for what?
How did she end up getting dragged into this mess? Shit!
The young woman didn't hear them calling for her, or how weird she looked – she couldn't do this.
Michael shouldn't be her responsibility, and she should have never let it get this far. This was in Samuel Loomis's hands, and the hands of the police, not hers.
It all began with her father, and he wasn't even Michael's doctor…!
Now more than ever she was starting to miss her old life; she could just go to the nearest go to her car, back to the motel grab her things, go back to the Sanitorium, get the rest of her belongings, her father's possessions, and go back to Madison. Loomis would forgive her for this wouldn't he? So what if this was a breakthrough for Michael, it had nothing to do with her. She kept on walking down the street past some houses and laughing children. Again she stopped herself and glanced back over her shoulder at the house, Laurie and Tommy were already walking away and chatting about something. Ava turned her head back and crossed the street, ducking out of their view, and rested against a tree.
Swallowing thickly, Ava sighed, breathing in to calm herself. She turned to look over her shoulder, and back at the house again. It cast a large shadow over this town.
She looked away and closed her eyes, leaning her head back – she needed one decent night of sleep, she needed to sit down,…she needed food, because right now she couldn't think straight.
Ava decided to go to a local deli and get a sandwich, and some juice…
And she knew she couldn't leave, she told Loomis she would wait for his call and for him to get here.
It didn't even dawn on her that Ismael was really dead, and she had his number saved up in her phone, she couldn't even call him for advice…or help on this whole thing. At least he was able to reign Michael in…
Now more than ever and anything else, Ava wanted to scream right now.
Fuck this crap! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! She sunk down onto a bench and tried not to hyperventilate, burying her face into her hands.
She didn't even notice a car pull up, "Ma'am," a weathered voice called out to her, making her look up slowly and freeze.
A police cruiser, and a man in uniform, thick mustache and sunglasses greeted her, "You alright there?"
Ava stared at him blankly and nodded slowly, " Yeah just a headache," she replied, and her reaction kicked in, "Are you the police?"
He gave her a smile, "Yeah. Sheriff Leigh Brackett, Miss. And you sure? You don't look so good," he observed tilting his sunglasses down, revealing pale blue eyes.
She met his gaze and warred within herself what to do, "Just a lot on my mind that's all sir," she replied; could she tell him what was really going on?
Would he believe her? Should she just wait for Dr. Loomis to come so they could let him know together?
"You in some kind of trouble," he asked her again.
Ava stared at him and forced a smile, Not yet, she thought to herself bitterly, "I don't know yet…"
The Sheriff tried to give her a smile, "Anything I can do to help," he offered helpfully.
She gazed at him, her smile frozen on her face, "I hope so, sir…," she whispered softly. And she really did.
How bizarre and cosmic that as much as Michael needed a father figure, in this exact moment, Ava found herself wishing and wanting the same thing.
A father figure…any parental figure to help her, solve this instead of her, and herself be blind to all that's happening.
The Sheriff was giving her an odd look but hummed, "Well…if there's an emergency, call the station," he told her before revving up the engine off.
At the sound something awoke in her brain, prompting her to look him in the eyes sharply, "Wait," she said and shot to her feet quickly, and jogged over to him, "I…I have questions that…maybe you could answer for me?"
Brackett paused and looked at her thoroughly, "I can try. What would you like to know," he asked his heavy gray brows creasing together.
"I'm sorry I should start from the beginning, I'm sorry, I'm Ava," she introduced herself, and held out her hand. He lifted his own and shook hers, "Nice to meet you," he said, "So what can I help you with Miss Ava," he asked her gently.
"Do…you know the Myers house? Anything about it…maybe the family," she asked carefully.
He frowned, "Why do you wanna know about that place," he asked, his guard now up, as he eyed her suspiciously, "You're not a reporter, are you? Cause that's over now," he said looking offended at her.
"No, no I'm not. I just….I'm interested in the house, and the story behind it," Ava quickly explained.
"You the one buying the house," he asked her arching a brow, seeming to relax slightly.
Ava inhaled sharply but nodded, "Yeah, my boyfriend and I are looking to buy and it looked good but then we heard stories about it being…well, not very popular," she trailed off, "Did something happen there?"
The older man sighed as he looked at her, "Well that would be an understatement. But yeah they did. A family used to live there, man wife and three kids. Some time later husband passes away, and then a stepfather comes into the picture, not the best from what's told. Mom's desperate to keep family afloat, and works at a club, oldest daughter's the teenager of the family, the brother snaps one night, this night actually, and kills the stepfather, his older sister, and the boyfriend. He's arrested and carted off to a clinic, and that's it."
"And the third child? You said there was three kids," Ava asked slowly with a pensive look.
The sheriff looked like had caught himself as he stared at her, "I don't know. I wasn't the one working the job at the time, somebody else was. Probably handled it," he answered rather quickly, "Must have been handled by the state and adopted out," he shrugged, "Not my area," he added.
Ava nodded slowly, feeling like there was more, but couldn't quite place her finger on it, "Okay thank you," she murmured.
He nodded and stared at her for a moment, "If you know what's good for you…you'll buy somewhere else," he advised her before he revved up the engine and drove off in a hurry before she could get a word out.
She continued to gaze at the spot he had been in pensively – what had he meant by that? And why did it feel like he was hiding something? Ava knew he was hiding something, but she didn't know what, but gathered he knew more about the Myers murders than what he claimed. But now Ava realized there was another clue here in her lap; Michael didn't just break out because he was pissed off, which he was, without a doubt. He broke out because he was trying to find something, better yet someone. The third sibling. It was a girl wasn't it? Wracking her brain she tried to remember who it was. Michael had a photograph of them didn't he? It had been in his room, on the wall. What was the name? She realized she never asked…
Her phone rang interrupting her thoughts again, and she fumbled to answer it, "Hello?"
"Ava it's me," Loomis's voice replied to her, "I just made it to Haddonfield, where are you?"
Looking around, Ava gazed at the street signs, "I'm in the neighborhood. Where are you headed? I'll meet you there."
"I'm heading to the cemetery. I have a hunch, and I might know why he's come back," he told her urgently.
"What a coincidence. I was just getting to the same conclusion," she murmured looking around at the houses, eying the decorations, "I'll meet you there."
"Be careful Ava please. And if you run into him, call me, and keep him in place," he instructed her, before hanging up.
She stared at the phone, "As if I could," she muttered to herself.
Lowering her phone, she closed her eyes, stuffing it back into her bag – to the local cemetery then…
Thank God it was a small town otherwise she would have a harder time finding it. And she didn't, it was surprisingly easy to find. It had looked old, but prized like every historic place in an old small town; old engraved gray tombstones, lined up and marked in straight rows underneath trees with golds and greens, some orange and brown leaves for shrouds, blown by wind creating a great bloom. Ava realized that this was only the calm before the storm, and the darkest enshrouded night. She wanted nothing more than to pretend that this wasn't happening, and this was all some dream, or a Halloween joke. The young woman almost hadn't noticed or heard that she was no longer alone.
A car had pulled up, and she could have almost kissed him once she saw Loomis climbing out of the car, "Dr. Loomis!" She hollered at him.
He looked her way, looking just as relieved, "Oh thank God Ava, you're already here. I didn't keep you waiting did I. My phone died after the call," he explained.
Ava shook her head, "No it's a small town, it didn't take me long to get here," she explained.
The older man nodded, "Oh good then. You got a phone right?" He asked her quickly. To which she nodded in response.
"Great, remind me to borrow it after this," he said, as a second man joined them from the car, "Those things cause brain cancer," the stranger said simply, then gestured for him to follow after him.
They did and the man continued, "You know I remember this mess just like it happened yesterday," he admitted, "It's tragic. Poor woman," he shook his head, "I guess she couldn't stand the stress of being labeled 'Satan's Mother'," he explained sadly.
Ava realized they were talking about Michael's mother, Deborah Myers. The man went on about his disbelief, that a 10 year old could do that, "There was a doctor involved too. I think he wrote a book or something."
She stopped at that and stared Loomis, who was still wearing his shades. So…he profited off of Michael then…
Clenching and unclenching her jaw, Ava glowered at him, as she followed along, swallowing back the bile she wanted to spit at him.
Loomis said something low asking him what he thought, to which he replied it was a masterpiece.
"I bet it was," Ava said sharply.
"Are we close," Loomis asked quickly not wanting to linger on the subject for much longer.
"Yes, yes, it's right here," he said directing them over to the slot as they passed more rows and plots of tombstones.
Ava tore her burning gaze away from Loomis and to the slot and the smell was what hit her first, before the sight that greeted him.
Just like that the bile had come back and she swallowed it back, as she could hear the caretaker swear and shout at the mess, cursing teenagers or whoever had the gall to do this. It was a crucified and mutilated dog tied to two sticks bound together, and that was all Ava could describe it as, other than a barbaric pagan altar and sacrifice. Michael Myers had come home, this they both now knew.
"Who would do sick shit like this," the caretaker demanded angrily.
Loomis had turned to walk away morosely, reaching for Ava's hand to pull her after him.
"Where are you two going," he demanded.
Dr. Loomis turned his head to face him and looked back at the plot, "I think I know who's grave that is," he murmured.
It had been exactly as she was thinking, but the only words Ava could bring herself to say were, "If that was the trick, I'd rather take the treat," she muttered, remembering it was Halloween, it would soon be time for the trick or treating to start…
It was late and he watched the car pull up just in the driveway of his house, and two teenagers came out.
Immediately, Judith came to mind…and someone like her was friends with Boo. Disgusting, and tainted…
Someone who would only hurt her. His mother indirectly hurt them, poisoned Judith and now these parasites were poisoning his little sister…
And now they were polluting his home!
He had decided how to dispatch of them immediately, first this one and then the next one who called herself Boo's friend. He would get Boo, and then Ava…
Now the plan had been hatched and knew exactly what to do – the boyfriend looked easy, and the girl…Lynda should be even easier to take out.
The boyfriend hadn't even seen him coming, didn't even see the knife that nailed him to the wall.
He stepped back to observe him…funny he even kind of looked like Judith's boyfriend.
Luring Lynda had been even easier, the sheet to drape over himself helped, and putting on the glasses, as part of the disguise helped.
She wanted her beer, he brought it, and made her come to him – predictably she was annoyed and turned her back to him. Big mistake to do with him.
He was right, she had been easier to take care of.
Michael felt at home with his mask on, and knew the Shape with him hungered for more, and he was determined to collect his victims and be done for this night.
She waited for Dr. Loomis outside of the store; he decided to shop for a gun, this she knew for a fact, and Ava found herself wondering if a weapon could work on him? Her light eyes stared at the street watching a group of kids walking past another, all dressed in their costumes, candy bags in hand, all unaware of what had come here. Ava wanted to believe it was just a man, escaped from the hospital, but it wasn't just that was it? On the way here, whatever irritation the news of Loomis's book caused was forgotten by the ritual animal sacrifice she saw at the cemetery. It was more than just a man wasn't it? What had Loomis called him? Evil? Suddenly Ava felt like she was on a collision course and she couldn't prevent the crash from happening. It was all a doomed endeavor. From what she heard, there was already a toll of dead bodies, left behind by him, and there was going to be more.
The sound of the door opening and hurried shuffling was behind her, along with some mumbled curses.
"Did you get what you need," Ava asked flatly without looking at him.
"Yeah I just he hadn't taken so fucking long," Loomis grumbled under his breath, "I had no idea there was a differences in guns. It's all the damn same to me. You're pulling the trigger."
"Depending on if you wanna kill it," Ava stated then turned her head to look at him over her shoulder.
He looked grave, ashen and tired, and a ripple of regret went through him, or so Ava thought.
She turned to face him, eying him like a hawk as she drew closer to him, pulling away from the cool brick wall she was resting her back against.
"Are you…planning on killing him," Ava asked quietly.
Loomis breathed in then out heavily, "I'm hoping…it won't come to that…"
Ava swallowed thickly at that, and nodded solemnly – somehow Michael, despite his silence, had gotten under her skin, "Me too…," she admitted, then turned to look back at the neighborhood.
The night air grew colder, and the wind rustled about them again, as she stared not necessarily at the dim lights, decorations, trick or treaters or even the houses, but just staring into the dark void, that reminded her of the glittering dark orbs shining through the eyeholes of Michael's mask.
"A lot more people are going to die aren't they," she heard herself ask quietly, voicing her thoughts. And probably his own as well.
Loomis glanced at her then ahead, "Yes…I'm afraid so."
She hummed quietly, and lifted her eyes up to the night sky, for a moment at a loss for words, except for this, "It's a beautiful night," she lamented softly.
The older man turned his head sharply at her, and caught the sullen look on her face and understood now and nodded, "Yes…yes it is," he said ruefully.
And it was about to be ruined, since this was the night He came home…