Page was lying on her four-poster bed, using Tom's stomach as a pillow. They were listening to Loose Fuse KLTC radio. "So, if it wasn't Deputy Rye, who do you think it was?" she asked.
Tom let out a deep breath. "Why do we have to keep talking about this? It's being investigated. The murderer will be found."
Page rolled over on her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows so she could look at him. "Are YOU investigating it?"
"Yes... we all have to, it's local crime."
"So who do you think did it?"
"Why? Do you think it was ME?"
Page felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She felt very disconnected and uneasy all of a sudden. "Nooo, I just wonder who you think it is. I mean, I am. I was at the crime scene."
"Page, he could've been there for hours before we even got there. How do we know it's even related to our being there?"
"He's the nephew of the town's deputy, Tom. Who the hell would want him dead?"
Tom played w/ the comforter on the bed. "I don't know. But I'd rather not think about it anymore than I have to- it will have to be discussed and persued enough as it is while we continue the investigation." He stood up and clapped his hands together. "How about we go for a little ride?"
Page shuddered. "I'm NOT going into the woods."
Tom grinned. "No, I've got a much better idea this time."
After much protest and pleas, Page was dragged to the huge rolling knolls that were Cedar Hill Cemetery.
"Now, just wait here," Tom said, stopping the patrol car in front of the funeral parlor.
Page moaned. "The last time you said that someone was killed right outside of the car!"
Tom laughed. "Yeah, well, here the people are already long dead in the ground."
Page muttered curses in response to his vulgar idea of a joke. She watched him go to the side door of the funeral parlor where Mr. Carrison, caretaker, undertaker and owner lived. He was greeted by Strange and she didn't have to be listening to know he was making up "some B.S.'ed story about mischief in the cemetery to keep Strange from following them. The door closed after a few minutes and Tom returned to the car, chuckling. "Sucker!"
Page rolled her eyes as they began to ascend the hill toward the farthest edge of the graveyard. "Why can't we ever go out to a nice restaurant or even the movies like a NORMAL couple?"
"Aw, c'mon, Pagey, don't you like morbidity?"
"Do I LOOK morbid to you?" Page replied.
When the patrol car was out of sight to everything but tombstones and grass, Tom stopped and got out.
"Tom, I want to go."
"Aw, please, Page, we just got here!" Tom said pulling her out of the cruiser w/ him.
Page continued to whine as Tom put his arm around her and strolled away from the patrol car w/ her. "We still have plenty of daylight left this time.. at least an hour."
"Let's see a horror scene in an instant replay," Page said sarcastically.
Tom roared. "God, I love it when you talk that way." He planted a big, wet kiss on her lips.
Page reluctantly snuggled against his broad chest. "I just wish this whole David thing was over. The poor guy can't even be dead w/out causing trouble."
Tom smoothed her hair. "He's not causing any trouble now and neither is his killer, whoever he is. Do you see anyone else dying?"
Page closed her eyes. "No, and I don't want to."
Tom tipped her chin up and looked down into her dark brown eyes. "Relax, Page. You haven't been yourself lately."
Page glared at him. "Falling over the dead body of your friend does that to you."
Tom stroked her cheek w/ one finger. "I know... but I want you to be happy. I want us to have FUN again. Like we used to."
She touched his hand and closed her eyes again.
Tom began to kiss her and she kissed him back, letting herself get lost in his touch, trying to drain David's limp corpse out of her thoughts. She allowed Tom to lower her to the ground between two headstones and despite her keen queasiness of cemeteries,permitted passion to be pursued.
Raven O'Ryan knocked on the Carrison's door.
Mr. Carrison opened it and smiled. He and Strange didn't get a lot of visitors aside from the families of mourn and seeing this pretty, happy girl warmed his heart. "Hello, how can I help you?"
Raven hugged her literature book to her chest and smiled back at him. "Strange asked me for some help w/ the Hamlet homework we have in our English class."
Mr. Carrison grinned. "Aw, you must be the infamous Raven. I'm sorry though, my dear but he's not in at the moment-he went up the hill."
Raven frowned. "You mean, up the hill as in, the other side of the cemetery?"
"Yes, Officer Sheridan was here investigating some possible gang activity and seems to have been taking a long time so he went to see if he was all right."
Raven almost dropped her text book. "Oh no..."
Mr. Carrison looked at her, confused. "Is something the matter?"
Raven began to back away.
"Do you want to come inside and wait for him, dear? It's getting pretty dark out there."
Raven accelerated her pace and broke into a run. "He could kill him!"
Page shivered and Tom covered her bare arm w/ his. "Cold?"
She nodded. Tom sat up and helped her find her clothing in the darkness. He looked up at the sky which was just as dark as the silent cemetery around them. "It is getting pretty dark. We should go now."
Page stood and wrapped her arms around herself. "Can you come over still?"
"Sure," Tom agreed cheerfully. "We can watch Scary Movie and I Know What You Did Last Summer and all those."
"Perfect," Page shivered.
They walked towards the cruiser when the sound of a branch snapping stopped them dead in their tracks. "What was that?" Page demanded.
Tom fumbled for the mini maglight on his belt. Switching it on, he let the small beam of light illuminate the tall overhanging evergreens and granite upright tombstones. "I can't see anything, I'm going to go get a bigger flashlight."
"Tom, let's just leave."
"No, it'll be ok, c'mon," he said pulling her towards the car.
"No!" she asserted. "We are NOT going through this again! If someone is out here w/ us we need to get away from here."
"How do you know it's someone? It could be an animal."
"I don't care if it's a sloth, I wanna get out of here!"
Tom chuckled and hugged her w/ one arm. "Fine, babe, we'll go watch slasher flicks in the comfort of our own home."
They heard another noise. This time it sounded like conversation. Stopping a second time they both turned in the direction of the voices and strained their ears.
"Yeah well now there's dirt on both of them, haha." The first voice said.
"And there's going to be dirt on you too, asshole. Six feet of it!" the second voice snarled.
"Huh?" the first voice asked, w/ discernible confusion.
There was a muffled struggling noise and then silence.
Tom pulled Page w/ him towards the car and hurried to get to his flashlight. He ran towards the direction of the noise w/ the light and cried, "Hey, who's there?" Not a moment later he let out a short groan and dropped to the ground. Page screamed.
"TOOOOM!" She heard footsteps running back towards the direction the
conversation had come from and she hurried towards Tom. He was still breathing but obviously unconscious. Curiosity began to override her fear and she picked up Tom's police flashlight and beamed it towards the sound of the fleeing footsteps. She saw another lifeless mound lying on top of one of the graves. Another beam of the flashlight caught a black-clad silhouette fleeing up and over the side of the hill in what appeared to be a full length cape. Momentarily forgetting the perpetrator she quickly went toward the second fallen figure. She shined the flashlight on it. His face was covered in blood, his shirt soaked in it. Page began to whimper as she used her own sweater to wipe the blood from his face to reveal the identity. Short, sandy blonde hair, blue eyes staring back at her.
Page screamed. "BARRYYYYYY! NOOOOOOO!" She scrawled away from him quickly, struggling to catch her breath and then sprang to her feet and ran towards the patrol cruiser.
Throwing the driver side door open she picked up the radio microphone she clicked the button on the side several times in a panic. "Hello? Hello?"
"This is Officer Cantwell," a female voice replied, "I read you 411, what is your emergency?"
"Hello?" Page choked out, "This is Page Bookman! I'm at the top of the Cedar Hill Cemetery-someone's here-he just killed my friend Barry and tried to kill Officer Sheridan. Please help-"
The radio was cut off. Page clicked the button again. "Hello? Hello!" She sat back in the seat to inspect the microphone. She held up the useless mike w/ it's clipped cord. "Shit!" She heard the passenger door open and before she could blink it shut again. As she struggled to calm herself she heard the squeaking noise of something touching the front windshield.
"No, please... just leave me alone!"
The squeaking went on for what seemed eternity and then-silence.
Page picked up the flashlight shakily and shined it on the windshield. There in dripping red letters were the words,
"I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IF I WERE YOU!"
Page screamed again and jumped to lock the door. She kicked the lock of the passenger door w/ her foot. "GO AWAY!"
There was a rattling of keys and the rear door behind her was unlocked and opened. Page shined the flashlight in the backseat and screamed again. The person in the black cape! The face wasn't visible in the depths of the dark hood but she could easily make out the glint of a scythe blade.
"What do you want?" Page cried.
The person in the Death get up pointed a finger at her.
Page made a muffled response that sounded something like, "Nuuh!" and fumbled w/ the lock on her door.
"Death" hit the grating between them w/ its scythe and Page screamed as she fell through the door. Once outside, she pulled herself to her feet and began to run just as the Death lookalike began to come after her again.
"Page!" a voice called running towards her.
Page recognized her. "Raven! Turn around-he's coming after me!"
Raven held up her own flashlight and saw the scythe and the scythe's owner in hot pursuit of Page. She grabbed Page by the arm and they both screamed as they ran down the hill towards the funeral parlor.
Page through a glance behind them to see how close the chase was to discover in shock that no one was following them anymore. She pointed it out to Raven and they slowed to a jog as they neared the lights of the funeral parlor. Raven screamed as she stumbled right into Tom Sheridan. She backed away and threw the flashlight at his head. "HELP!" she screamed, "SOMEBODY HELP US!"
Page grabbed at her and urged her to stop. "Raven! It wasn't Tom! He got knocked out while we were up there! It wasn't him!"
"Officer Sheridan!" a voice called from behind them.
Tom rubbed his head and groaned and looked in the direction of the voice w/ the girls.
Strange was coming their way.
"Murderer!" Page screamed, clinging to Tom's uniform shirt.
Raven looked from Tom to Page to Strange. "Wait a minute-you think Strange did this?"
"Barry is dead, Raven!" Page cried. "He's back up there on that hill. Kally said they got into a fight and Strange is the only person here besides us, what makes you think he wouldn't do it?"
Raven looked at the ground and mumbled, "he went to go check on Officer Sheridan. That's what his dad said."
"Yeah he checked on us all right-he almost got us killed!"
"Hold it!" Tom said, "Now let's try to stay calm. We're not accusing any one of murder until we find good cause."
Before anyone could argue further two patrol cars wailed into the parking lot of the funeral home, sirens flashing. Officer Cantwell and Deputy Rye questioned the four standerby's and were pointed in the direction of the murder scene. Barry's body was located and taken away and Strange, Tom, Raven and Page were taken to the police station for further questioning.
Page was beside herself in shock and Raven was upset as well.
"Poor Strange," Raven said when they were outside again and Tom was driving them home.
"Poor Strange?" Page cried. "That guy has killer written all over him!"
Raven shot her an angry look. "How do you know it was him, Page? There's no proof. Of course he was going to be there. He LIVES on the freaking cemetery grounds! And you're one to talk because you two shouldn't have been there in the first place."
Page's mouth hung open, aghast. How could she be so blind? And so cruel? Two of Page's closest friends had just died and all Raven could do was defend that weirdo undertaker's son.
Page sat back in her seat and sulked.
Tom let out a deep breath. "Why do we have to keep talking about this? It's being investigated. The murderer will be found."
Page rolled over on her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows so she could look at him. "Are YOU investigating it?"
"Yes... we all have to, it's local crime."
"So who do you think did it?"
"Why? Do you think it was ME?"
Page felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She felt very disconnected and uneasy all of a sudden. "Nooo, I just wonder who you think it is. I mean, I am. I was at the crime scene."
"Page, he could've been there for hours before we even got there. How do we know it's even related to our being there?"
"He's the nephew of the town's deputy, Tom. Who the hell would want him dead?"
Tom played w/ the comforter on the bed. "I don't know. But I'd rather not think about it anymore than I have to- it will have to be discussed and persued enough as it is while we continue the investigation." He stood up and clapped his hands together. "How about we go for a little ride?"
Page shuddered. "I'm NOT going into the woods."
Tom grinned. "No, I've got a much better idea this time."
After much protest and pleas, Page was dragged to the huge rolling knolls that were Cedar Hill Cemetery.
"Now, just wait here," Tom said, stopping the patrol car in front of the funeral parlor.
Page moaned. "The last time you said that someone was killed right outside of the car!"
Tom laughed. "Yeah, well, here the people are already long dead in the ground."
Page muttered curses in response to his vulgar idea of a joke. She watched him go to the side door of the funeral parlor where Mr. Carrison, caretaker, undertaker and owner lived. He was greeted by Strange and she didn't have to be listening to know he was making up "some B.S.'ed story about mischief in the cemetery to keep Strange from following them. The door closed after a few minutes and Tom returned to the car, chuckling. "Sucker!"
Page rolled her eyes as they began to ascend the hill toward the farthest edge of the graveyard. "Why can't we ever go out to a nice restaurant or even the movies like a NORMAL couple?"
"Aw, c'mon, Pagey, don't you like morbidity?"
"Do I LOOK morbid to you?" Page replied.
When the patrol car was out of sight to everything but tombstones and grass, Tom stopped and got out.
"Tom, I want to go."
"Aw, please, Page, we just got here!" Tom said pulling her out of the cruiser w/ him.
Page continued to whine as Tom put his arm around her and strolled away from the patrol car w/ her. "We still have plenty of daylight left this time.. at least an hour."
"Let's see a horror scene in an instant replay," Page said sarcastically.
Tom roared. "God, I love it when you talk that way." He planted a big, wet kiss on her lips.
Page reluctantly snuggled against his broad chest. "I just wish this whole David thing was over. The poor guy can't even be dead w/out causing trouble."
Tom smoothed her hair. "He's not causing any trouble now and neither is his killer, whoever he is. Do you see anyone else dying?"
Page closed her eyes. "No, and I don't want to."
Tom tipped her chin up and looked down into her dark brown eyes. "Relax, Page. You haven't been yourself lately."
Page glared at him. "Falling over the dead body of your friend does that to you."
Tom stroked her cheek w/ one finger. "I know... but I want you to be happy. I want us to have FUN again. Like we used to."
She touched his hand and closed her eyes again.
Tom began to kiss her and she kissed him back, letting herself get lost in his touch, trying to drain David's limp corpse out of her thoughts. She allowed Tom to lower her to the ground between two headstones and despite her keen queasiness of cemeteries,permitted passion to be pursued.
Raven O'Ryan knocked on the Carrison's door.
Mr. Carrison opened it and smiled. He and Strange didn't get a lot of visitors aside from the families of mourn and seeing this pretty, happy girl warmed his heart. "Hello, how can I help you?"
Raven hugged her literature book to her chest and smiled back at him. "Strange asked me for some help w/ the Hamlet homework we have in our English class."
Mr. Carrison grinned. "Aw, you must be the infamous Raven. I'm sorry though, my dear but he's not in at the moment-he went up the hill."
Raven frowned. "You mean, up the hill as in, the other side of the cemetery?"
"Yes, Officer Sheridan was here investigating some possible gang activity and seems to have been taking a long time so he went to see if he was all right."
Raven almost dropped her text book. "Oh no..."
Mr. Carrison looked at her, confused. "Is something the matter?"
Raven began to back away.
"Do you want to come inside and wait for him, dear? It's getting pretty dark out there."
Raven accelerated her pace and broke into a run. "He could kill him!"
Page shivered and Tom covered her bare arm w/ his. "Cold?"
She nodded. Tom sat up and helped her find her clothing in the darkness. He looked up at the sky which was just as dark as the silent cemetery around them. "It is getting pretty dark. We should go now."
Page stood and wrapped her arms around herself. "Can you come over still?"
"Sure," Tom agreed cheerfully. "We can watch Scary Movie and I Know What You Did Last Summer and all those."
"Perfect," Page shivered.
They walked towards the cruiser when the sound of a branch snapping stopped them dead in their tracks. "What was that?" Page demanded.
Tom fumbled for the mini maglight on his belt. Switching it on, he let the small beam of light illuminate the tall overhanging evergreens and granite upright tombstones. "I can't see anything, I'm going to go get a bigger flashlight."
"Tom, let's just leave."
"No, it'll be ok, c'mon," he said pulling her towards the car.
"No!" she asserted. "We are NOT going through this again! If someone is out here w/ us we need to get away from here."
"How do you know it's someone? It could be an animal."
"I don't care if it's a sloth, I wanna get out of here!"
Tom chuckled and hugged her w/ one arm. "Fine, babe, we'll go watch slasher flicks in the comfort of our own home."
They heard another noise. This time it sounded like conversation. Stopping a second time they both turned in the direction of the voices and strained their ears.
"Yeah well now there's dirt on both of them, haha." The first voice said.
"And there's going to be dirt on you too, asshole. Six feet of it!" the second voice snarled.
"Huh?" the first voice asked, w/ discernible confusion.
There was a muffled struggling noise and then silence.
Tom pulled Page w/ him towards the car and hurried to get to his flashlight. He ran towards the direction of the noise w/ the light and cried, "Hey, who's there?" Not a moment later he let out a short groan and dropped to the ground. Page screamed.
"TOOOOM!" She heard footsteps running back towards the direction the
conversation had come from and she hurried towards Tom. He was still breathing but obviously unconscious. Curiosity began to override her fear and she picked up Tom's police flashlight and beamed it towards the sound of the fleeing footsteps. She saw another lifeless mound lying on top of one of the graves. Another beam of the flashlight caught a black-clad silhouette fleeing up and over the side of the hill in what appeared to be a full length cape. Momentarily forgetting the perpetrator she quickly went toward the second fallen figure. She shined the flashlight on it. His face was covered in blood, his shirt soaked in it. Page began to whimper as she used her own sweater to wipe the blood from his face to reveal the identity. Short, sandy blonde hair, blue eyes staring back at her.
Page screamed. "BARRYYYYYY! NOOOOOOO!" She scrawled away from him quickly, struggling to catch her breath and then sprang to her feet and ran towards the patrol cruiser.
Throwing the driver side door open she picked up the radio microphone she clicked the button on the side several times in a panic. "Hello? Hello?"
"This is Officer Cantwell," a female voice replied, "I read you 411, what is your emergency?"
"Hello?" Page choked out, "This is Page Bookman! I'm at the top of the Cedar Hill Cemetery-someone's here-he just killed my friend Barry and tried to kill Officer Sheridan. Please help-"
The radio was cut off. Page clicked the button again. "Hello? Hello!" She sat back in the seat to inspect the microphone. She held up the useless mike w/ it's clipped cord. "Shit!" She heard the passenger door open and before she could blink it shut again. As she struggled to calm herself she heard the squeaking noise of something touching the front windshield.
"No, please... just leave me alone!"
The squeaking went on for what seemed eternity and then-silence.
Page picked up the flashlight shakily and shined it on the windshield. There in dripping red letters were the words,
"I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IF I WERE YOU!"
Page screamed again and jumped to lock the door. She kicked the lock of the passenger door w/ her foot. "GO AWAY!"
There was a rattling of keys and the rear door behind her was unlocked and opened. Page shined the flashlight in the backseat and screamed again. The person in the black cape! The face wasn't visible in the depths of the dark hood but she could easily make out the glint of a scythe blade.
"What do you want?" Page cried.
The person in the Death get up pointed a finger at her.
Page made a muffled response that sounded something like, "Nuuh!" and fumbled w/ the lock on her door.
"Death" hit the grating between them w/ its scythe and Page screamed as she fell through the door. Once outside, she pulled herself to her feet and began to run just as the Death lookalike began to come after her again.
"Page!" a voice called running towards her.
Page recognized her. "Raven! Turn around-he's coming after me!"
Raven held up her own flashlight and saw the scythe and the scythe's owner in hot pursuit of Page. She grabbed Page by the arm and they both screamed as they ran down the hill towards the funeral parlor.
Page through a glance behind them to see how close the chase was to discover in shock that no one was following them anymore. She pointed it out to Raven and they slowed to a jog as they neared the lights of the funeral parlor. Raven screamed as she stumbled right into Tom Sheridan. She backed away and threw the flashlight at his head. "HELP!" she screamed, "SOMEBODY HELP US!"
Page grabbed at her and urged her to stop. "Raven! It wasn't Tom! He got knocked out while we were up there! It wasn't him!"
"Officer Sheridan!" a voice called from behind them.
Tom rubbed his head and groaned and looked in the direction of the voice w/ the girls.
Strange was coming their way.
"Murderer!" Page screamed, clinging to Tom's uniform shirt.
Raven looked from Tom to Page to Strange. "Wait a minute-you think Strange did this?"
"Barry is dead, Raven!" Page cried. "He's back up there on that hill. Kally said they got into a fight and Strange is the only person here besides us, what makes you think he wouldn't do it?"
Raven looked at the ground and mumbled, "he went to go check on Officer Sheridan. That's what his dad said."
"Yeah he checked on us all right-he almost got us killed!"
"Hold it!" Tom said, "Now let's try to stay calm. We're not accusing any one of murder until we find good cause."
Before anyone could argue further two patrol cars wailed into the parking lot of the funeral home, sirens flashing. Officer Cantwell and Deputy Rye questioned the four standerby's and were pointed in the direction of the murder scene. Barry's body was located and taken away and Strange, Tom, Raven and Page were taken to the police station for further questioning.
Page was beside herself in shock and Raven was upset as well.
"Poor Strange," Raven said when they were outside again and Tom was driving them home.
"Poor Strange?" Page cried. "That guy has killer written all over him!"
Raven shot her an angry look. "How do you know it was him, Page? There's no proof. Of course he was going to be there. He LIVES on the freaking cemetery grounds! And you're one to talk because you two shouldn't have been there in the first place."
Page's mouth hung open, aghast. How could she be so blind? And so cruel? Two of Page's closest friends had just died and all Raven could do was defend that weirdo undertaker's son.
Page sat back in her seat and sulked.