Disclaimer: I don't own The Ring, and the song Don't Fear the Reaper belongs to Blue Oyster Cult.
A.N: Hey, it's me again! Surprisingly, I'm not dead… and neither is this story, so please R&R!
Chapter Four: "Don't Fear the Reaper"
"Oh God, is he ok?!"
"How did he get here?"
"I thought the rooms were supposed to be locked."
Noah slowly opened his eyes. Four orderlies stood above him looking very perplexed. Glancing around, he found himself lying on the floor of the hallway he had wondered down the night before. But, the painting of the bloody tree was gone. "When will this end?" he thought. "Every day I wake up with a hangover and no idea where the hell I am. It's almost like being back at college…" As he sat up, he noticed a strange mark around his wrist. It looked almost like a burn, in the shape of a child's hand print.
"Out of the way, out of the way" came Dr. Scott's voice as he pushed past the orderlies. "Noah! You know you're not supposed to leave your room at night. How did you get out?"
"I-I don't know." Noah stammered. Dr. Scott muttered something under his breath before reaching down, grabbing Noah by the wrist, and pulling him up off the floor. It was at that moment, something strange happened. An image flashed through Noah's mind. It looked like a room in Eola's basement. A large man was on top of a struggling, dark haired, woman.
"Shut up! Just shut up!" the man snarled. There was a strange clicking sound, and someone murmuring "Twenty eight, six, forty two, twelve" It didn't take Noah long to recognize the voice and the woman. It was Dr. Scott and-
"Anna Morgan" Noah uttered the words almost inaudibly, but they were not lost on Dr. Scott, who whipped around and stared at him in surprise.
"What did you do?!" Noah hissed.
"Please escort Mr. Clay back to his room." Dr. Scott told the orderlies in a somewhat irritated tone. He then began to walk away, disappearing down the hall.
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"What happened? How did I do that?" Noah wondered as he sat on his bed. The very idea of mind reading seemed ridiculous to him, but there was nothing else he could think of to explain it. "It's like I just …reached in and saw it. Hmmm… I wonder…" He decided to try something. He made his way to the common room once again and scanned the room for a potential 'test subject.' Noah picked out a dark haired, young, woman in a ratty bathrobe, who was sitting alone in a corner. He placed his hand on her shoulder and cleared his mind.
Reach.
He saw the image of a red haired girl scream in terror and rot away just as Beth had. Then he saw the all too familiar face of Samara Morgan. Noah quickly pulled his hand away as the young woman turned around. She looked about sixteen with dark, brown, lonely eyes.
"You've seen her too" she said softly, staring up at Noah. Just then, a nurse peered in through the door.
"Becca" she called. "Becca, your parents are here to see you."
Sullenly, Becca turned and followed the nurse out of the room.
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Peaking around the coroner of the hall adjacent to the waiting room, Noah eyed a door, not too far from the front desk, labeled: Basement: Archives. He knew that if he was going to find answers, he'd have to get into the record room. Unfortunately, he'd also have to get past the orderlies and security guards who stood in his way. Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded behind him.
"So, we meet again, Mr. Bush."
Noah turned to see Lyle, the man who had flung mashed potatoes at him a few days earlier. "Oh no! Not you again!"
"You don't fool me, Mr. Bush. Ah know you're the Antichrist."
"What?! I'm not the- ugh, never mind. I don't have time for this." Talking to Lyle was pointless. Most of the staff just ignored his rants.
"If you ain't the Antichrist, then who is?"
"Uh…Kato Kaelin?"
Lyle's eyes widened. He gasped. "Wait a minute! Of course, why didn't ah think of that?!"
Noah got an idea. "Yeah" he said, pointing to one of the orderlies. "Kato Kaelin, and he's standing right over there." Lyle charged into the room and pounced on the young hospital worker. The poor employee didn't even see it coming. "Ah! Get it off! Get it off!" he screamed.
"Come on, Kato!" Lyle taunted. "Show me whatcha got! What's a matta?! You need to call your buddy O.J.?! Huh?! Huh?!"
As the other orderlies and security guards worked to subdue the crazed patient, Noah snuck past the chaos, unnoticed, and slipped through the basement door. He crept down the stairs and into the record room, praying no one else was in there. He walked along the long rows of file cabinets and decided to look over Anna Morgan's file again to see if there was something he'd missed. But, finding nothing, he moved on to Samara Morgan's file, and Dr. Scott's, and eventually to the record of the few malpractice complaints Eola had received over the years. Still, there was nothing to explain what he had seen. Unsure of what to do next, Noah leaned against a tarp-covered wall, pondering his next move. Suddenly, the tarp came loose, sending Noah crashing to the floor. He cursed under his breath and pulled himself up. It was then that he noticed a row of lockers that had been hidden under the tarp.
"Twenty eight, six, forty two, twelve"
"Of course!" he thought. It all made sense now. He grabbed the pad-lock on the first locker and tried the combination. Nothing happened. He tried the second one. "Twenty eight, six, forty two, twelve"
It opened with a satisfying 'click.' Inside the locker, a small, antiquated surveillance camera and a tape cartridge rested on the top shelf and an old monitor and a tangle of wires on the bottom. Being what Rachel described as a 'video geek', it didn't take Noah long to assemble ancient equipment. Afterward, he inserted the tape into the camera, pressed play, and watched the scene unfold on the monitor.
True to Noah's vision, Dr. Scott sat on top of a struggling Anna Morgan, trying to force her lips against his.
"Get off me!" she cried."
"Shut up! Just shut up!" Dr. Scott barked. They grappled for a few minutes. Dr. Scott smacked Anna and then tried to move in closer, until she kneed him in the stomach and pulled herself free. She dashed out of the room, leaving Dr. Scott alone. Just then, Noah heard a door slam at the top of the stairs.
"Shit!" he hissed. Someone was coming. He quickly took the tape out of the camera, stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans, and then shoved the rest of the equipment back into the locker. He heard the sound of foot steps coming closer. Deciding that he didn't have enough time to put the tarp back up, Noah searched franticly for a place to hide. He ran down the aisle way of cabinets and turned the corner only to run smack into Dr. Brennan.
"Oh! Uh, hey, Doc" Noah said, trying to sound casual. "What's happening?"
The doctor, however, did not seem amused.
"What are you doing down here, Noah?" he demanded.
"Um, well, you see-"
"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to call security."
"No, no, Wait! You have to take a look at this first." Noah took the tape out of his pocket and handed it to Dr. Brennan.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Something that'll make your boss a bit more generous with those release forms"
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"God, I can't believe it!" said Rachel as she climbed into the driver's seat and closed the door. "A doctor attacks one of his patients and no one says anything!"
"I know" replied Noah. "What I don't get is, why Anna never spoke up about it."
"Maybe she was too afraid to, or even if she did say something, maybe no one believed her."
After Noah's discovery of the surveillance tape, Dr. Scott was immediately fired from Eola Psychiatric. Dr. Brennan, who had been elected Eola's new president, was more than willing to sign the papers authorizing Noah's release.
Rachel started the car and pulled out of the hospital parking lot.
"Noah?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"How did you know?"
"About what?"
"About Dr. Scott, Anna, the tape…"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"Well… he was thinking about it and…I saw it."
"You read his mind?"
"Yeah, Wait. How'd you know?"
"I think Becca can do it too. I went to visit her a while back. She knew exactly how many days I had left, without me telling her."
"Really?" Noah looked down toward the floor, somewhat anxiously. Rachel decided to change the subject.
"Wanna get some lunch?" she offered, and turned into the parking lot of a Mc Donald's.
"I thought you hated fast food."
"I do. But, last time I saw you, you said you'd do anything for a Big Mac. I can't imagine why, though."
"Aw, come on, Rach" Noah teased playfully. "How can you hate Mc. Donald's?"
"Are you kidding? The grease alone is enough to kill you."
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Later on, Rachel and Noah sat in the car, finishing their lunch.
"Do you think it's over?" Rachel asked quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean."
"Oh, right, that. I doubt it."
"Why?"
Noah pealed back the sleeve of his jacket, revealing the mark on his arm. He told Rachel everything he had seen in the hallway that night. He described the ghost-like, little, blonde, girl and the blood-red tree on the wall.
"The tree from Shelter Mountain Inn…" Rachel mused.
"Exactly. That's why I think we should go back there for a few days. Maybe there's something we missed."
Rachel's eyes widened. "What?! Are you crazy?!"
"Fresh out of the loony bin" Noah replied with a small smile.
"I'm serious." Rachel said. "It's a bad idea."
"Come on! How bad could it be? If we don't find anything we can go home."
Rachel sighed. "Oh, alright" she said. "But, just for a few days." As she started the car up again, the radio came on. The sound of some very familiar guitar chords filled the air.
"Oooh!" Noah exclaimed. "I love this song!" He reached down, turned up the volume, and then began drumming his fingers on the dashboard as he mouthed the words.
"All our times have come.
Here but now they're gone.
Seasons don't fear the reaper,
Nor do the wind, the sun, or the rain. We can be like they are.
Come on, baby. Don't fear the reaper.
Baby, take my hand. Don't fear the reaper.
We'll be able to fly. Don't fear the reaper.
Baby, I'm your man..."
Rachel laughed, both at Noah's antics and the irony of the lyrics. "Maybe this trip won't bee so bad after all." She thought. As much as she hated the idea of going back to Shelter Mountain, she was glad that Noah was with her.
"Valentine is done.
Here but now they're gone.
Romeo and Juliet
Are together in eternity.
40,000 men and women everyday...like Romeo and Juliet
40,000 men and women everyday...redefine happiness
Another 40,000 coming everyday. We can be like they are
Come on, baby. Don't fear the reaper
Baby, take my hand. Don't fear the reaper
We'll be able to fly. Don't fear the reaper
Baby, I'm your man..."
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It was almost sun-down by the time Rachel and Noah reached Shelter Mountain Inn. They rented a cabin and settled in for the night. Rachel sat on the small porch admiring the view. A sliver mist rolled off the lake and the ferns, the moss, and the trees all shone a brilliant green in the muted, fading sunlight. It seemed hard to believe that such a beautiful place could conceal such a dark past. Rachel decided to go in and check on Noah. She found him sitting on the couch, watching one of the few, static-filled TV stations that Shelter Mountain received.
"What are you watching?" Rachel asked as she sat down next to Noah. On the screen, there was a large man in a cowboy hat, who was holding a Bible in his right hand. "Now, The Lord can always see us," the man shouted in a thick, southern, accent. "No matter what we do!"
Rachel smirked. "Oh, God! Not the Televangelist Channel!"
"None of the other stations are working." Noah said glumly.
"My grandmother watched this all the time, used to really freak me out as a kid."
"No shit. My dad watched it non-stop when he went through his 'You-must-go-back-to-Jesus-or-go-to-Hell' phase."
Suddenly, a woman appeared on the screen. Her eyes were wide and she was wearing way too much make-up. In shrill voice, she screamed "Praaaaaaaaaise The Lord!"
Rachel and Noah flinched, somewhat startled, then they began to laugh hysterically.
"Damn," said Noah. "Of all the things I've seen these past few weeks, that has got to be the scariest!" He switched off the TV. Rachel moved closer to Noah, who affectionately wove his arms around her. She smiled and closed her eyes. Just then, Noah let go abruptly. He got off the couch and backed away from her.
"Noah?" Rachel asked. "What is it?"
Noah just stared at her. The expression on his face was a mixture of shock and disgust.
"You knew!" he said bitterly.
Rachel rose slowly. "What are you talking about?"
"That night when you told me to show Beth the tape…You knew it wasn't over."
"I had to do it! You were running out of time! What was I supposed to do?!"
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Because, I know you! You would've self-righteously, just thrown your life away like some sort of God damn martyr!"
"I'm just not willing to fuck somebody else over just to save my own-"
"Exactly! I knew that would happen! Don't you get it? I didn't have a choice!"
"It wasn't your choice to make, Rachel!"
"It was either you or her! I did what I had to do."
"Even if it meant she was gonna die?!"
"But, it also meant that you wouldn't!"
"Oh, right! That's the important thing!" Noah snapped. "Sure, I'm alive, a little fucked up in the head, maybe, but still-"
"I didn't know that would happen! I never wanted-"
"Well, then, what did you want?!"
"YOU, NOAH!" Rachel nearly choked on the words. Tears ran down her cheaks freely now. She ran across the room and threw herself down on the edge of the bed. She buried her face in her hands as a small sob escaped her throat. "I just wanted you" she whispered.
Noah was quite taken aback by this. He stood there for a few seconds, pondering what Rachel had just said. It was true; she had lied to him, and tricked him into taking a life. But, she did it to save his. She was willing to kill for him. With that realization, he began to feel more than slightly guilty for yelling at her. Noah crossed the room and sat down on the bed beside Rachel. She looked up at him.
"I had a dream that night, in the car" Rachel said, her voice shaking a little. "I saw what would've happened if you didn't… I saw what she would've done to you... I had to do something! I couldn't let that happen! I just-"
"Shhh" Noah said softly. He smiled and placed his hand on her cheek, brushing away a stray tear with his thumb.
"I never should've brought you into this" said Rachel. "I'm so sorry."
"I'm not." Noah whispered. He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers. She threw her arms around his neck, eagerly returning the gesture. The kiss deepened as their lips opened and closed hungrily. Rachel laid back on the mattress, pulling Noah down with her. And with one hand, she reached over to the bed-side table, and switched off the light.
"Love of two is one.
Here but now they're gone.
Came the last night of sadness,
And it was clear she couldn't go on.
Then the door was open and the wind appeared.
The candles blew and then disappeared.
The curtains flew and then he appeared, saying 'Don't be afraid.'
Come on, baby. And she had no fear.
And she ran to him. Then they started to fly.
They looked backward and said goodbye. She had become like they are.
She had taken his hand. She had become like they are.
Come on, baby. Don't fear the reaper."
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Sometime in the middle of the night, Aidan awoke suddenly, and crawled out of bed. Yet, for the first time, it was not a nightmare, nor anxiety that disturbed his sleep. He was simply thirsty. He quietly crept across the guest-room floor, and into the hall. Not wanting to wake his aunt and uncle, he decided to leave the lights off. Rachel had left him at her sister Ruth's house the day before. She told him that she wouldn't be gone for too long and apologized repeatedly for leaving him again. But to Rachel's great surprise, Aidan had been very understanding. He knew that his aunt and uncle enjoyed his company, especially since losing their daughter, Aidan's cousin, Katie. He also knew very well what had happened to his father and that his parents needed some time to "sort things out" as Rachel had said. The thought made Aidan smile. Not too long ago, one of his classmates had asked him; "How come you have a mommy, but no daddy? Why don't you have both?"
This remark had upset him at the time, but now, he was amused by it. He was amused, because he knew that soon, he would have "both." Aidan entered the bathroom, took the cup off the sink, and filled it with water. As he started to take a sip, he caught a glimpse of the mirror. His eyes widened in fear. In the mirror, he saw the very thing that haunted his dreams, a thin, spectral, little girl. She stood with her long, black, hair, obscuring half her face. She was white as death and her cold, dark, eyes studied Aidan curiously for a moment. Then, she smiled, as if greeting an old friend. She beckoned to Aidan, looking at him as if to say "Come with me."
Aidan, still petrified, shook his head.
"No" he whispered.
"Why not?" she asked. "Are your mommy and daddy going to miss you?" She grinned cruelly. Aidan dropped the cup and bolted down the hall, back to his room. He slammed the door behind him, jumped onto the bed, and dove under the covers.
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Rachel sat awake, listening to the boom of thunder outside. Usually she didn't mind thunderstorms, as long as there was the sound of rain which usually put her to sleep. But, tonight had been oddly dry. She shivered. The room had become considerably colder and it weighed down on her like a lead blanket. Rachel gazed at Noah's sleeping form beside her. Just a few minutes ago, everything seemed perfect. During that brief ecstasy, she was able to forget her current predicament. All those feelings of fear, guilt, and foreboding had melted away and nothing else had existed except for Noah and herself. But, now that they had stopped, it was as if all that anxiety was rushing back to her at once. And with it came all the horrific memories of the past few weeks. One particular memory stuck in Rachel's mind, the one that disturbed her most of all. It was from the dream she had, the precognitive image of herself dashing into Noah's apartment, only to find his rotting corpse. It made her sick to think of how close she had come to losing him. But, the fact remained, if she hadn't heeded the dream and acted when she did, Noah would be lying in the ground instead of in the bed next to her. She heard a soft groan. Noah sat up, yawning.
"Whoa, Jesus, it's cold in here!" he said. Then he sheepishly added; "I guess we'd better get some clothes on."
They got dressed and climbed back into the bed. Noah looked over at Rachel. She was shivering.
"You okay?" Noah asked.
"Yeah" Rachel said. "Just a little cold"
"Come here." Noah whispered. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. It was then that Rachel decided to say it. She knew she had to, because something was telling her that if she didn't say it to him now, she may never get another chance. That, and the mental image of finding him dead, caused her to just blurt it out.
"I love you, Noah." she said softly.
Noah smiled, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you too, Rach."
Rachel closed her eyes, still shivering, but not from the cold.
The two of them slept that night, completely unaware that their passion had stirred the embers of a dire secret, which lay in the very ground beneath them, and that the sins of the past would soon be rekindled.
A.N: That's all for this chapter. I will write more when I get a chance. Creepiness ahead, I promise.