(Okay, I am sooooooo sorry that it's taken me this long to upload the next chapter. My laptop decided to go on the fritz and I'm having to borrow my parent's computer to type this up. But I hope to have my laptop back by the end of the month and I am equally as hopeful to havve another chapter up soon as well. I hope you enjoy this!)
Chapter Three
The Plan
"Dreams have only one owner at a time. That's why dreamers are lonely." ~ Erma Bombeck
"Valerie, help me out here. Is it Idaho or Udaho?" Isabelle asked with a wrinkled brow.
Valerie scoffed. "Idaho."
Isabelle snickered. "That's right."
"Really, Izzy? I can't believe you forgot the sta-." Valerie broke off when understanding dawned on her. "Izzy!" she gasped, swiping at her. "You're not right!" But she was smiling.
Isabelle and Bianca giggled as Isabelle deflected Valerie's swipe. "You're too much fun to tease, Val."
"You know, I'm rethinking letting you have that ice cream I've got in the mini-fridge," Valerie said.
"Oh gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!" Isabelle begged, making grabby hands.
"Fiiiine."
Valerie crossed the room and opened the mini refrigerator and took out three small cartons of ice cream. Isabelle took her vanilla bean ice cream and lifted the lid, taking a small scoop.
"Oh that's good," she moaned. "Ugh, I should have broken up with Marv weeks ago."
"Why didn't you?" Bianca asked, digging in to her sugar-free ice cream.
Isabelle shrugged her shoulders, looking at her carton with interest. "Dunno. I guess I like thought he was going through a phase. You know the kind I mean. The kind where you just don't know what you're going to do with your life now that you're in college and so you kinda just float along until it hits you. But Marv never got out of it."
She looked up at her friends. "But I do know where I'm going. And Marv can just stick it!" Her carton of ice cream was held up like it was a prized jewel. "To the new men in my life! To Ben and Jerry!"
Bianca and Valerie followed Isabelle's example. "To Ben and Jerry!" The cups clunked together in a toast and giggles erupted.
"Sooo," Bianca began, "Valerie; me and Isabelle were talking earlier about our kind of dream man."
"Uh-oh. Please tell me this isn't going where I think it's going."
"And it got us wondering what kind of guys you like."
"I, uh, I don' really-."
"Oh come on! Share!" Bianca goaded.
Valerie knew they wouldn't leave her alone until she did. "Well, I know it sounds cliché but I really like a guy with a sense of humor. Someone who's kind...patient...a leader, you know? Someone who I can trust to take care of me and the family we'll have."
"What about physical traits?" Bianca asked.
"Um-."
"Good with his hands," Isabelle said. Valerie blushed a deep shade of red as her friends burst into giggles. "I'm teasing, Val. I love you!" She blew her a kiss. "Mwaah!"
"Okay, okay. Valerie, go ahead," Bianca encouraged, still grinning.
Valerie fidgeted on the bed, thinking. "Well... I do like tall guys."
"Almost every guy is tall compared to you, shortie," Isabelle teased.
Valerie smiled and nodded. She stood at five feet and three inches, whereas Bianca's long legs made her 5'7 and Isabelle was 5'9.
Valerie continued. "I don't like buff guys. I'm not into all the muscles. It kinda intimidates me cause I keep thinking how easily they could crush me."
"Yeah," Bianca sighed, dreamily. "Exactly."
"Well we know what you like," Isabelle laughed. "So what do you like, Val?"
"Skinny. No, that's not quite right. Not scrawny skinny but-."
"Lean?" Isabelle offered.
"Yeah. A little lean and skinny."
"Eye color?" Bianca prodded.
"Green or blue."
"Hair color?"
"I lean towards blond or red heads. Especially when it's kinda curly."
"Straight or crooked teeth?"
What kind of a question is that? I don't care what the guy looks like to be honest. I focus more on the personality than looks anyway."
"Little Miss Perfect," Bianca muttered with a grin.
"It's not all about looks, Bee."
"They sure do help though. As for the question; I'd have to have a guy with straight teeth or it's no deal."
"You obsess over teeth too much," Isabelle told her.
"Okay, last question, Val. Out of all the traits you listed, which one do you feel is the most important to you?"
Valerie thought about it, which made her think about that. That referring to her biggest problem. If she ever managed to get a guy's attention then she'd need him to be - .
"Patience. I think patience would be the most important quality trait to me."
Bianca pulled a face. "Really? Why?"
Valerie bit her lip. "I'm skittish around boys."
"Duh; coulda figured that out myself."
"I'm not afraid of males, per say. I'm skittish about being in a relationship with a guy because I'm..." How could she word this? "Uneasy about... certain kinds of intimacy."
Both of Bianca's perfectly sculpted eyebrows rose. "Sex? You're scared of sex!"
"That's why I want someone who'll be really patient because who knows how long it would take me to -."
"You're scared of sex?"
Isabelle frowned. "You're really stuck on that, arn't you? Yes. She's afraid of sexual intimacy. Got it? So stop looking at her like she just grew two extra heads."
"I just don't understand why-." Bianca gave a horrified gasp. "Were you raped?"
Valerie quickly shook her head. "No, I wasn't."
"Then what the he-?"
"I don't know myself. I guess I'm terrified that I won't be any good and I won't satisfy the guy I end up marrying. What if, what if I don't make him happy?"
"Oh you'll make him happy, honey." Bianca promised with a sly grin. "It's always the shy ones who are the best in bed."
Valerie's face turned beat red and she looked away as her friend's laughed. She sought a distraction and found it on the shelf holding her DVDs.
"How about a movie, huh? Who wants a movie? A nice, rated G, Disney movie!"
Bianca and Isabelle's laughter grew at the embarrassed tone in Valerie's voice. "You're adorable, Valerie," Isabelle chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye. She got up and inspected Valerie's DVDs. "How about Beauty and the Beast?"
"Yes," Valerie agreed.
Bianca shrugged. "Fine by me."
"Popcorn anyone?" Valerie asked. Isabelle raised her hand and 'ooh, ooh, ooh'ed' like a little kid. They piled blankets and pillows on the floor and set up Valerie's laptop to rest on a little stool on the floor with them.
When they were mid-way through the movie, Bianca pursed her lips as she stared at the screen of Valerie's laptop. "I seriously don't understand how Belle falls in love with that hairy beast. I mean, look at him."
Valerie nudged Bianca with her elbow. "She falls in love with his personality and heart, Bee, not his looks. Some people are able to see past a person's physical appearance and fall in love with what's on the inside."
"Well Belle lucked out that there's a smoking hot, rich, prince underneath all that fur." Bianca pointed at the animated couple. "And another thing; not only is this a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome but this is also bestiality!"
Isabelle rolled her brown eyes and shoved a handful of popcorn into Bianca's mouth. "Ssh! Stuff your face and shut your mouth. You're ruining the magic of Disney." Questioning Disney magic was something you just did not do in Isabelle's book.
Bianca spat out the popcorn. "Bleh! Don't put that in my mouth! Do you have any idea how much of that stuff ends up getting stuck between your teeth?"
Valerie didn't react to their bickering. She was deep in thought about the disappearance of the articles. It didn't sit right with her. Is she could just get her hands on the original newspapers. But how?
It was nearly mid-night when Bianca said 'good-night' and left for her dorm room on the first floor. Isabelle was just about to go to bed when Valerie stopped her.
"Hey, Izzy, can I talk to you for a minute?"
Isabelle let out a long yawn. "Can it wait until our morning jog tomorrow? I'm beat, Val."
Valerie considered it a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. It can wait." She'll need to be wide awake to listen anyway, she thought.
Isabelle went to her dorm and Valerie cleaned up what was left of any mess they'd made. She changed into a pair of clean pajamas, made sure her alarm clock was set to go off at seven, then crawled into bed and fell asleep.
"-write us off the page!
Marconi plays the the mambo; listen to the radio
Don't you remember?
We built this city on rock and roll!"
Valerie groaned and her hand sought out her alarm's off button. Seven came sooner than she thought. The song cut off when Valerie pressed the button and stumbled out of bed. Her running clothes were already set out waiting for her. She was dressed by the time Isabelle poked her head in and gave Valerie a dazzling smile.
"Goooood mooorning!"
Valerie grunted in response. She wished she could be as chirpy in the mornings as Isabelle. She also wished she was as energetic too. Isabelle was like the human version of the Energizer Bunny!
Valerie perked up once they began to jog. Isabelle had her iPhone on speaker so they could both hear the music playing. Paramore's "Ain't it Fun?" started them off for the day. The fog soon cleared from Valerie's mind and she remembered what it was she wanted to talk to Isabelle about but she was hesitant. If Isabelle agreed, it could get her in trouble. If they were caught. But she needed someone she could trust to pull it off.
Isabelle swatted Valerie's arm. "Race you to those trees," she challenged.
"You're on!"
They took off running but Valerie could feel herself slowing. Isabelle noticed her friend beginning to tire out and shouted some wise encouraging words.
"Run, girl! Run like a serial killer is after you!"
It worked until Valerie accidentally tripped over an uneven rise in the sidewalk pavement. Isabelle jogged back to her and helped her up.
"Oh so graceful," she teased.
Valerie chuckled as she brushed herself off. "You told me to run like a serial killer was after me. Haven't you seen a horror movie before? The girl always trips and falls."
"Okay; you've got a point." Isabelle thought for a moment. "Then run like there's a herd of Justin Bieber fans stampeding behind you."
Valerie took off running, flailing her arms and shouting, "The horror!"
Isabelle laughed and hurried to catch up. "That's more like it!"
When they made it to the trees, both of their thirty minute alarms beeped at them, signaling the end of their jog. "Alright; let's hit the shower," Isabelle said.
The whole jog back to the doors, Valerie thought about her plan. She thought about it in the shower, when she was getting dressed, and as she and Isabelle walked to her car together.
"Today's parking better not be like it was on Monday," Isabelle muttered, clicking on her seat belt.
It was now or never.
"Izzy, I gotta talk to you about something."
"What is it?"
Before she could change her mind, Valerie told her everything that had happened the day before. She finished and eyed her friend, trying to determine if Isabelle shared her suspicions about the subject. Izzy was quiet a moment.
"Valerie, there's something very odd about all that."
Valerie breathed out a sigh of relief to know it wasn't just her that felt it. "Well, Izzy, here's what I really need to ask you. I need you to distract the librarian while I break into the records room and make copies of the articles."
Isabelle's eyes went wide. "What! Valerie, you can't break into an off limits room just for a paper!"
"This isn't just about that psychology paper anymore, Izzy! Someone is covering up over a dozen murders! People's death's this town has tried to sweep under the rug. How would you feel if someone killed me and then you find out my obituary was blacked out, huh? What would you do?"
The vehicle pulled into a parking space just outside of the psychology building. Instead of remarking on their good luck, Isabelle remained silent as she stared at Valerie.
"Izzy, I understand that what I'm asking you to do is risky, but this whole deal with the articles just feels so wrong and I can't let it go. I need your help."
Isabelle sighed, the air going out of her like a deflated balloon. "Well if you need me that badly," she said with a trace of a smile.
Valerie was so overjoyed she quickly unbuckled her seat belt and lunged across the space to hug Isabelle.
"You are so gonna owe me, Valerie Snider."
"No arguments."
"Okay, so what's the plan?"
"I'll tell you after class."
The plan took place after Valerie's last class ended. Isabelle met her at the library at 3:40 PM.
"This better work, Valerie. Or so help me-."
"I know, I know. You'll use all your combat skills on me."
"Dang straight."
"You ready?"
"Ready."
"Alright, my dramatic friend, work your magic."
Isabelle strode into the library and headed for the front desk. Ms Hemming was sitting at the computer and looked up at her. She smiled. "May I help you?"
"Actually, I think so. See, I'm doing a project of sorts and I need some books on a woman named, Jane Toppan."
"Let me see what we've got here." Ms. Hemming typed away on the keyboard. "We have a few books on her. Not very many though."
"I'll take all I can get."
"I'll write down the numbers so you can find them."
Ms. Hemming opened a drawer at her desk to get out a note pad. Isabelle caught sight of a key ring full of keys inside it.
"Uh, actually, do you think you could show me where they are? I get the codes all mixed up and can never find what I'm looking for," Isabelle lied.
"I used to be the same way, dear. Follow me."
Ms. Hemming walked towards the books and Isabelle lagged behind long enough to signal Valerie inside and motion towards the desk. Valerie ducked behind a overly-large potted plant when Ms. Hemming turned around to look at Isabelle.
"Arn't you coming?"
"My shoe was untied."
"Ah. One must always be cautious when it comes to shoe laces."
Ms. Hemming turned away and Isabelle looked directly at Valerie with a, "the things I do for you," expression on her face before following the old woman.
Their voices faded and Valerie came out of hiding. Luckily the library had yet to be completely brought into the twenty-first century and had no cameras to record her sneaking to the old woman's desk and temporarily 'borrowing' the keys. She stuffed them into her pocket and hurried to the elevator.
Outside of the records, Valerie began to flip through the key ring. By a stroke of luck, some of them were labeled with numbers corresponding to the doors. Valerie found the matching key and unlocked the door, slipping inside.
The newspapers were at the very back of the room, contained in large photo album-like books. She went to the sixties and began to get to work. She could only hope Isabelle would keep the old woman distracted long enough.
Isabelle couldn't really say how it happened but happen it did, and Ms. Hemming had decided to tell Isabelle her life story. At the moment, she was describing the decorations that were used for her high school prom back in 1967. Isabelle's acting skills were being tested by how long she could look interested in the conversation. They hadn't even gotten to the second book yet.
"Valerie, you owe me beyond words."
Valerie was finishing up with the last copy when she felt that niggling sensation again.
"Check the 1980s."
She knew she was running short on time but the niggling just wouldn't leave. It was how sparse the Eighties selection had been in the copies. And the Nineties too. That's what was bothering her.
She felt her phone vibrate in her pant's pocket. It was a text from Isabelle.
"Can't last much longer!"
There was no time to look. She'd just barely had enough time to finish copying articles from the early seventies, this would have to do. Gathering the articles, she put them inside her book bag, left the room as it had been before she entered, and locked the door behind her.
She cautiously made her way back to the front check out desk and returned the keys to the drawer. She spotted Isabelle and sent a text to her.
"All good. Fall back, soldier."
She hurried out of the library to her car and waited for Isabelle to join her. The girl was walking briskly towards the vehicle with three books tucked under her arm. She swung open the door, hopped into the passenger seat, and slumped.
"Please tell me you got everything you needed, cause I will not be doing that again."
Valerie winced, thinking about the nagging feeling she'd gotten about the other articles from the Eighties and Nineties. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I got them all."
"Good. Could you drive me to my stage combat class? It starts pretty soon."
"After what you did for me, I'd drive you to Hollywood if you asked."
"Really?"
"Don't push it."
After dropping off Isabelle, Valerie went back to her dorm and dove into the uncensored newspaper articles, starting with the first previously blacked out murder. Time went by and Valerie was vaguely aware of hearing Isabelle's dorm room door open and close when she got back from her class.
After hours of reading, Valerie had finally made the connection between all the blacked out obituaries. They were all kids between the ages of three and twelve. They had all been murdered by the same unknown man who had been dubbed, The Springwood Slasher. Within the sixties alone, Valerie counted over fifteen children had been murdered.
Who knows how many more might be in the seventies, Valerie thought.
She began to shiver and found that she couldn't stop. There was a chill in her veins. She slid off her bed and made her way to the closet. Opening it up, Valerie shuffled through her sweaters and picked out a green pullover hoodie. She put it on and went back to bed. Why was she so cold? It was nearly summer.
Newspaper articles were spread over her bed as she went through them.
"Why black out his murders?"
Little did she know that within a few hours she would discover why.
Someone was nosing around in Springwood's garbage again. It had been nearly ten years since he'd been out and about and he was raring to go! Whoever it was that was snooping was getting close. And he'd be ready to pounce the moment an opportunity appeared. It had been way too long.
(So, next chapter will have the long awaited appearance of Freddy Krueger. Is anybody excited about that? :) I hope to hear from you people about what you think of this chapter.)
