Disclaimer: I do not own Jerry Dandridge or Billy Cole. They are the property of their creators of the movie "Fright Night". As far as I know, Gull Bluffs Oregon and Glory Oregon do not exist. If any town by that name exists, it is pure coincidence. Please do not sue me.
Rating: It is PG-13..due to language and some adult content with talks of death, examination of dead bodies…ect. No worse then what you can watch on network television.
Warning: If you are looking for smut, PWP, or gratuitous violence…this is NOT the story for you. There is also no uber angst, cutting, suicidal thoughts, Goths, punks, chicks named Alluria, chicks with waist-length raven hair and violet eyes, or random Japanese people. If you like those things, this story is NOT for you. This story is set in 1984, therefore Playstations, Avril Lavigne, and Orlando Bloom will not be appearing. Michael Jackson rocked and Madonna was "like a virgin" rather then a leathery Kabbalah-drone. Punky Brewster and Saturday morning cartoons ruled the televisions and MTV actually played music videos. If this sounds foreign to you, turn back now. I don't want anyone whining about how there should be a Goth-vampire with a Japanese name who cuts herself to Evanescence.
Gull Bluffs, Oregon 1984
The day had been sunny, a nice change from the usual overcast skies. The football field was abuzz with activity. Football players sprinted back and forth, the girl's field hockey practice heated up when Kristy Neilson "accidentally" knocked Lisa Springer's head in with the ball, and the cheerleaders screamed as their meticulously practiced pyramid toppled. Falling from the middle layer, Jessie Fitzsimmons rolled onto the grass with a rather large scowl on her face. Janet Forester, the captain, yelled at the group of girls before offering Jessie a hand to help her stand back up.
"Ok guys, that's enough with the stupid pyramid today." The tall blonde shouted after futility was realized. "Hit the showers!" there were sighs of relief.
Jessie rolled her eyes and ran into the locker room, rubbed her pained shoulder, and pulled off her sweatshirt before she even reached the bench of her locker row. She frowned at Nancy Carlson, her squad-mate and best friend. "Janet thinks we can pull that pyramid at tomorrow night's game?"
Nancy tossed Jessie a feigned smile and stood up into cheer stance. "Of course she does!" She harped with mock enthusiasm. "We are the best!" she hopped excitedly.
"Silly." Jessie laughed and tossed a bunch up sock at Nancy.
The locker room began steaming with the hot showers. Jessie and Nancy joined the other girls, the shower teeming with gossip and giggling.
A rather buxom redhead named Eunice McCarthy turned towards all the girls, her eyes wide as they usually get whenever she had juicy tidbits of information.
"Did you hear? Someone actually rented Keystone Manor." Eunice's pale skin seemed to turn greenish as if she hated uttering the name of the house. The shower grew quiet, uncomfortable, eyes averted. Nancy laughed as she rubbed shampoo into her hair.
"Good luck getting all that bird shit cleaned up." She was referring to all the seagulls that had claimed the large stone house as their domain. The quieted shower erupted into a huge roar of laughter, Eunice's face returning to normal pigmentation.
Nancy turned her attention back to Jessie. "So…hey, did Greg ask you to Homecoming yet?"
Jessie shook her head. "Nope. I don't think he will."
"Oh please! He's crazy about you."
"If he's so crazy about me then why hasn't he asked me out yet?"
"Maybe he's been too busy. He is captain of the soccer team you know." Nancy put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "And if worse comes to worse by Prom time, I'll cut my hair, slap on a tux, and take you myself." She flashed a toothy grin and Jessie couldn't help but smile.
"What would I do without you Nancy?" Jessie jested.
"Die of absolute boredom." the girl replied dryly as they finished up and went to get dressed.
Jessie and Nancy chattered as they rode their bikes from the school through their small, pretty, town. Gull Bluff was the stereotypical coastal town perched high on a peninsula overlooking the north Pacific Ocean. The town enjoyed a bit of tourism from visitors who came to stand on the cliff boardwalks and watch the Orca migrations. Scopes lined the boardwalk railings allowing people to get a closer look at the whales and even the occasional Great White shark hunt the seals that called the coastal rock islands home.
There was a Main Street in Gull Bluffs like something out of a book or movie. Main Street was the commerce and social hub of the town with a grocery store, three restaurants, cinema, and ice-cream shop complete with gaming arcade, and a slew of various shops. There was one church that overlooked the park and public square. It shared that space with the town hall, bank, firehouse and the traditional gazebo. A pretty, white gazebo that sat smack in the center of the town, occupied in the summers by barbershop quartets and small bands. The two girls rode their bikes up Main Street where people closed up their shops. All but the restaurants, ice-cream shop, and movie theater which enjoyed a boisterous nightlife. Whatever storefront businesses that seemed lacking were made up for by people running home-based businesses. Jessie waved to her mother who closed her antique shop for the day.
"Race you home mom!" the girl yelled over to the older woman. Jessie's mom smiled and shook her head before getting into her car. More kids shot past the car nearly slamming the door on the poor woman. There were a lot of kids in Gull Bluffs. People never left. They went off to college, received their degrees, and always returned. They married, raised their children, and almost always died in Gull Bluffs; after which, they got buried in the one cemetery.
Nancy peddled her bike faster and wheeled it down Whitecap Drive. Jessie frowned for that was not the way home. She knew where Nancy was headed and did not relish that idea.
"Nancy! Come on, let's just go home!" she yelled from behind.
The other teen just looked back and raised her eyebrows. Jessie felt a knot forming in her stomach but continued to follow her crazy friend. Like all small towns, Gull Bluffs had its share of secrets and history. Keystone Manor was one of those histories riddled with secrets. At the end of Whitecap Drive, a rusted iron gate separated its master from the town. Ivy covered the gate and fencing so overgrown that one would have to move it out of the way in order to spy into the property. Nancy and Jessie stopped their bikes at the front of the gate and just stood there, gaping for all the world like stunned squirrels. The sound of seagulls was ever present since they called the old house home. The eerie glow of the setting sun was enough to make Jessie shake.
"I vote we go home now." She stated firmly and got back onto her bike. She waited for Nancy who reluctantly followed suit onto her trusty Schwinn.
"You are such a coward." Nancy muttered and Jessie shrugged.
"Maybe so but I also don't like staring at peoples' homes. It's rude." and they both rode off home.
Later that evening as Jessie headed to bed, her father sat in his chair by a lamp going over his work. Jessie tiptoed past the man but realized too late that that plan had been pointless. He was waiting for her.
"Jesse. Come here please." the man's voice was deep and serious. Cliff Fitzsimmons was rarely unserious for as the high school principle, he couldn't afford to be laid back and light.
Jessie's shoulders slumped as she neared her father's chair. "Yes dad?"
Cliff looked at his middle daughter. "Mrs. Grovewood tells me that you are coming dangerously close to losing your C minus in History. You know what happens if your grades drop below a C average, you are off cheerleading."
"I know dad. I'll bounce back after mid-terms. I always do."
Cliff examined Jessie's face. "Confidence is a fine quality but don't let it become overconfidence." With that he was done and looked back at his paper work.
Jessie nodded and went up to her bedroom. As she dressed for bed, she looked at the pictures adorning her mirror. Her friends, her squad, and the soccer team with a big, pink, marker, heart drawn around the upper torso of a handsome, smiling, blonde boy. Jessie sat cross-legged on her bed, clutching a pillow.
"When are you gonna ask me to the dance Greg? After the next ice age?" Jessie sighed and flipped off the lamp, attempting to sleep.
When the town shut down that night, the only sign of life was Lorna Nixon leaving Toby's Roadhouse with a handsome man who drove a nice jeep towards Keystone Manor.