October 31st, 1978. Present day.

"Remind me why the hell we're doing this again?" Laurie almost whined from the back seat of Paul's dented Camaro.

"Oh come on," Annie playfully slapped her best friend's arm from the front seat. "It's Doom Tunnel Laurie, everyone wants to say they've been there."

"I hate the dark," Laurie whined again, though this time it sounded half hearted. It was as if she knew she had no choice and to accept what was about to happen.

"You'll have a headlamp on," Paul chimed in. "You'll be able to see us, we'll be able to see you. Plus we all have to stick together in a group, remember?"

"I don't know why we had to do this on Halloween night though," Laurie said feebly. At this, Paul, Annie and Lynda laughed. Lynda was sitting next to Laurie.

"Don't tell me your superstitious Laurie? Lynda gave her friend a look.

"No," Laurie insisted. "I just think…"

"It makes it scarier!" Lynda exclaimed happily, grabbing her friend's hand. "Come on Laurie, you'll love it when we get in there, I guarantee you!"

Laurie seriously doubted this, but decided now was not the time to push the issue. The news came on the car's radio then and Paul turned up the volume.

"Residents of Haddonfield are once again warned by the Haddonfield PD to be extremely careful tonight, the chief has told everyone to 'stay inside and lock your doors.' This comes after a patient from Smith's Grove, the State's psychiatric hospital escaped earlier today. Police and his doctor firmly believe this man is on his way to Haddonfield, but haven't given their reasons for believing this. He is described as very tall, wearing a Smith's Grove uniform and possibly a pale white mask. People are warned not to approach this male if they see him, under any circumstances, but to call the Haddonfield PD immediately."

"Fuck me," Annie whistled. "Who do you reckon this guy is?"

"I don't think I want to know," Lynda said with a shudder. "He sounds dangerous. The police wouldn't be warning us like that without good reason."

"Well we don't have to worry," Paul grinned. "We're miles from Haddonfield right now."

"What I want to know," Lynda said thoughtfully, leaning against the window. "Is why they're so sure he's on route to Haddonfield. He could be going anywhere, why Haddonfield in particular?"

Because it is Michael Myers, Laurie thought but didn't share this with them. Who else would escape specifically to return to Haddonfield? He had lived in that town until the age of 6, there was nothing to stop him coming back. He'd lived there until he…

She clamped down on this train of thought, certainly not wanting to get aboard it. No. There was absolutely no way Michael Myers would escape, he was one of the highest security patients there! He didn't stand a chance. So why were the hairs standing up on the back of her neck? Why did she feel so cold suddenly, as if the temperature had just plummeted? Well it had, her internal one.

She desperately tried to reassure herself again and again, almost like a chant. 'It's not Michael Myers, it's not Michael Myers.' But it didn't do her much good.

She was relieved when Paul finally turned the radio off. "We're almost there," he announced. Laurie sighed to herself. There was something about going into a dark cave and the fact… someone had escaped Smith's Grove which didn't sit well with her. She mentally shook herself. Come on Laurie! What, you think Michael Myers wants to tour Doom Tunnel? 'The Shape NOT Michael MYERS! She shouted at herself again. She was being ridiculous and what was more she knew it.

Before long, they were drawing up in a huge parking lot in front of a just as massive sign which read welcome to Doom Tunnel!

Laurie felt herself shiver again. The picture of the caving system just on the sign looked menacing enough, God knew how the real thing would look once she was inside it. With a sigh, she got out of the car behind the others.

The group walked into what looked like an entrance, with pictures of skeletons and skulls on the walls. Lynda glanced at them. To her they looked like the cheesy things one sees in a cheap haunted house or something. But then, she reminded herself. Someone had died down here, or so legend had it.

"Hello everyone," said a cheerful male voice. The four of them turned to see a tall man wearing a high visibility jacket with DOOM TUNNEL written across his chest in huge blood red letters. It was then Lynda realised they weren't alone. Three others stood behind the man.

"OK!" The man clapped his hands as if to get their attention. It seemed like a pointless gesture as they were all looking at him anyway. "Listen up ladies and gents, my name is Duncan Shaw. I will be your instructor and guide for today's tour of the Doom Tunnels. First of all, I'm going to give you all a name tag. You will each be given a high vis jacket like this one," he tapped his own. "Where you will pin it. You will also be equipped with a helmet containing a powerful headlamp and in each jacket's pocket is an emergency survival whistle. What I think we should do first as we'll be almost working together as a team, is introduce ourselves. So like I said, I'm Duncan. You are Sir?"

To Paul, it felt like they were back at school doing a roll call, but he supposed he also understood it. They were about to go down into the pitch black after all. Eight strangers deep underground, it would be nice to know who they were.

"I'm Jason," a short, thin man said to Duncan's left.

"Katie," said a slightly taller woman wearing flared trousers and a bright pink T-shirt bearing the words if I can do it, so can you. It looked stupid to him, but he was no expert on women's clothing of course.

"Andy," a serious face man said from behind Jason. Laurie, Lynda, Annie and Paul followed suit.

"Ok!" Duncan said when they'd all given their names. So what we're going to do first is go into the little café, you all get a free drink on your ticket and we have a little briefing before we go down."

There were the expected groans, but Duncan raised his hand to silence them. "Listen you guys, I'm in charge here. These are my caves; I work in them and there are rules you must follow. You'll have this briefing, or won't go down. Your decision."

Paul felt his respect for Duncan rise a little. The guy may seem strict, but he clearly took their safety very seriously. Everyone looked round at each other, before nods were exchanged.

"Good," Duncan said simply. "This way please everyone." They entered the café and Duncan asked for their tickets. Once he was satisfied, he told everyone to get their free drink by showing the ticket to the woman behind the counter, then to join him at the centre table. Once they all had done so, he looked around at them all again. It was only then Lynda noticed how piercing, almost cold his eyes were.

It was clear this table was used specifically for these briefings, as it was by far the biggest and set back from the rest where the other customers sat, presumably ones who'd already been inside Doom Tunnel.

"Ok listen up!" Duncan began. "First of all. These caves are huge, it's very easy indeed to get lost in them. So after we're done…" he picked up a harness from under the table. "This attaches to your jackets and ropes are clipped into it from the entrance, enabling you to find your way back. But at all times, you must only go where I tell you. Questions?"

"Why?" Andy asked. He looked like he wanted to punch someone. Annie inwardly groaned. A man who thinks he's invincible, just what we need down there.

"Because son," Duncan leant towards Andrew, looking him straight in the eyes. "If you wander off course and lose the rest of the group, we'll never find you again. Those caves are enormous and if you somehow lose your safety line, you're as good as dead."

There was silence as everyone took this in. Duncan continued. "You will also be fitted with a helmet," he raised one up to show them. "Which contains a headlamp. This must be kept turned on at all times. Do not turn it off unless we are all together and I tell you to do so."

Again, silent nods. It seemed that everyone with possibly the exception of Andy, had come to realise this guy commanded respect and was damn good at his job.

"Finally, you will have a whistle which sounds like this." He raised a plastic survival whistle which looked just like the ones found on life jackets and blew it. The sound was deafening, and all other customers looked over at them.

"Jesus!" Jason exclaimed. "They can probably hear that in fucking Europe!"

"Better that than not at all," Duncan said. "But bear in mind down there, it will echo. So keep blowing until you hear rescue approaching you."

This is serious shit, Paul thought, impressed despite himself at Duncan's meticulous and careful safety preparations. This guy means business and really cares about his client's safety. No wonder there's never been a record of any accidents down there, that's why the reviews are so good. Fair play to you man.

"Questions?" Duncan asked again.

"Does anyone have like a radio or something to call rescue if necessary?" Katie asked. Without a word, Duncan produced an expensive looking two way radio from his pocket. Katie blushed.

"I will be doing a role call every so often," Duncan said, "to check you are all with me especially if I can't see your headlamps. I say again do not turn them off unless I say so." Once again there were dutiful nods around the table. Duncan looked at each of them in turn, before he nodded back.

"Ok. Everyone ready? Let's get going."

Once again the group nodded and they all stood up and followed him out of the café. The first place they entered was the Doom Tunnel gift shop, and Annie gasped. There was so much merchandise for sale she didn't know where to look first. Keyrings, mugs, ties, pens, t-shirts, hats, gloves, bottle openers, scarves, hoodies, even the survival whistles, all emblazoned with the Doom Tunnel logo. A picture of the caves below the letters D.T.

"Get your gifts first," Duncan said. "We come out a different exit and there's a place you can leave them and collect them afterwards so you're not carrying them down."

Lynda was thankful she'd saved up some money for this. It might look like cheap rubbish on first view, but actually it was expensive stuff, and of course the D.T logo proved where it had come from. They spent a few minutes buying things, Katie even bought her own survival whistle. After just a brief hesitation, Annie, Lynda and Laurie also did the same. Just in case.

"Right, we ready? Duncan asked, to further nods of confirmation.

He showed the group into a small room, where their gifts and valuables could be left securely until they returned. The 4 girls however put their own survival whistles in their pockets.

Next, they were fitted up with their high vis jackets, harnesses and helmets. Paul was impressed. The helmets too looked expensive, the headlamps were indeed powerful. If you Shon it directly in someone's eyes they could easily be blinded.

"There's also a little microphone and speaker in it," Duncan said, gesturing to the little speaker on top of the helmet. "These are not toys to be played around with, you only use it if you need help. Test it now please?"

They all turned on their headlamps and spoke into their microphones, which amplified their voices to pretty loud volume. Duncan explained however that a whistle would carry further than a voice, so that was their second option and the best one to use first.

Christ! Laurie thought. Microphones, safety whistles, helmets, harnesses? How big are these damn caves?

Next Duncan led them to a small room near the first entrance, where they were finally attached to their safety lines. Huge hooks were nailed into the ground here, to which the ropes were secured. The idea was if someone was lost, they could follow the rope back to the entrance. Or if their headlamp's battery ran out and they were in the dark.

"How long do these lamp batteries last?" Paul asked Duncan.

"They're changed after every two tours," the instructor replied. "The batteries themselves have an eight hour battery life. We're down there for three maximum." Paul nodded. They were safe then, there was no way the lamps would run out of battery on them. Or at least, that was the theory.

"OK!" Duncan clapped his hands to get their attention. Immediately all eyes were on him. "Are we ready to go down?"

No, Laurie thought. I'll never be ready to do this crazy shit. But she just nodded with the rest of them and followed their instructor outside and towards a set of steep stone steps, which appeared to be carved into the rock itself. Come to think of it, they probably were.

"Like a school teacher ain't he?" Jason murmured behind Paul. "Never mind a tour guide."

"Better safe than sorry," Paul murmured back. "Just cares about our safety, nothing wrong with that. These caves are indeed enormous."