Title: Hollow-een
Author: Bent137
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: When the Gilmores host a Halloween party, some friends show up to watch movies and engage in some tricks. But when the newer horror flicks turn out to bark worse than they bite, they decide to entertain themselves with real ghost stories.
Author's Notes: Halloween- Gilmore Girls style. Loosely based on the Dawson's Creek episode "Four Scary Stories." The first and last chapters are the longest; the others are fairly short; sorry, that's just the way it's gonna be. Each chapter, except the first and the last, are about a different character. Muchos gracias to Gracie for being my beta.
Spoilers: Will reference characters and events not found in Season One or Season Two.
Lane's Cemetery Stalker
Jess stood in the doorway, having just returned from answering the door. "Your scary story is about a vegetable that 'ran away,' so to speak?" Jess asked skeptically.
"Yeah, pretty much," Jackson said.
"You're sure it's not supposed to be a funny story?" Lorelai questioned.
"Look, it was frightening, okay?" Jackson protested.
"Well, maybe it was more of a fear for his sanity," Rory suggested.
Jackson sighed and rolled his eyes when Lorelai nodded in agreement, "Next!"
"I'll go," Lane said. "Mine takes place when I was young, about five or six I guess..."
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A young Lane is sitting in the backseat of a car. It's very dark out, the only light is from a bright full moon. The ground is covered in fall leaves and the chilled air smells of snow as it frosts the windows. Voices we can't quite hear clearly are talking in the front seat as the car goes down the road. Lane sniffles and rubs her hand across the end of her red nose in an attempt to warm it up. She sighs and rubs her hands together as she looks out the window. They're driving by fields, small wooded areas, and the occasional farm.
The houses begin appearing less sporadically as they drive into a small village. Suddenly the houses give way to a cemetery. A figure is standing inside the shadows of the cemetery, looking at a headstone. Lane blinks and looks into the cemetery again. Now the figure is looking towards the street. It appears to be a teenage girl, who is looking right at Lane. A shiver runs down Lane's spine as she faces forward, attempting to push the figure out of her mind. It doesn't work however, and after a moment she steals a glance behind her. The figure is now standing in the street behind the car, between the circular orange glow of the street lights.
Some time has elapsed and now Lane is looking out the window again. The car passes all the familiar places; Miss Patty's, which is closed; Doose's Market, which is also closed; and Luke's diner, where a considerably younger Luke is putting chairs up on the tables. The car pulls into the driveway to Lane's house, which does not yet have a sign in front of it advertising it as an antiques store.
Lane follows her parents inside and hangs her coat on a coat tree. The downstairs isn't at all cluttered as it would be in later years. Lane goes up the stairs and into her room where she gets out her pajamas. She takes them into the bathroom and shuts the door. Moments later Mrs. Kim walks up to the door and opens it. Inside Lane is in her pajamas brushing her teeth. Mrs. Kim nods and says, "Get to bed," then begins to walk away.
"Yes Mama," Lane responds, then rinses her mouth out and flushes the toilet before walking back to her room. She climbs into her bed and closes her eyes, it's now 10:42 pm. What seems like a moment later she wakes up. The clock reads 12:33 am. For a reason unbeknownst to her she gets up and looks out the window. The figure from the cemetery is in the back yard.
Lane runs to her parents' room and knocks on the door. "Mama, Papa!" she calls. "There's someone in the backyard."
The door snaps open and her mother appears, asking, "What are you saying?"
"There is someone in the backyard, I saw them from my window."
Lane's father rushes past them and down the stairs. Lane's mother follows him asking, "Do you want me to call the police?"
Lane runs back to her room and looks out the window again. The figure is gone. Lane furrows her brows at this. Her father comes back inside downstairs. "They must have left already," he tells her mother as Lane slips into her bed. "Let's go back to bed," her father says while climbing the stairs." Lane feigns sleep as they arrive upstairs.