DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Halloween series or any of the characters except the ones I created specifically for this work of fiction. All characters are property of John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Moustapha Akkad etc etc. So please folk, don't be suing me.
Chapter 20: Darkness Rising
45 Lampkin Lane Haddonfield, IL October 31st 1963 11:30 PM
Police cars surrounded the Myers house, neighbors stood in crowds barely held back by the yellow police tape surrounding the yard. Several reporters stood in the Myers driveway and along the road talking to neighbors and taking statements. The neighborhood was bustling and alive in the wake of a shocking event. The normally quiet and boring neighborhood hadn't been this active since the homecoming parade had come through Orange Grove about a month earlier.
"Did you hear about it? It was her little brother! He's only six years old!" people whispered and gossiped about what had happened as the police pushed people back to keep them away from the grieving parents. Peter Myers stood outside in his front lawn with a look of utter confusion on his pale face. It was as if the man's 38-year-old brain had recessed to the days when he depended on his mother to hold his hand so he wouldn't get lost. Peter was lost now, he had the same vacant stare he got as a toddler when he had wandered away from his mother and gotten lost in the clothing store of the Russellville mall.
The man stared out across the street at the crowd of people, flashing cameras and police cars. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion for him, like he couldn't process what was happening anymore. He remembered the Halloween party he and his wife had gone to. He remembered pouring vodka into his punch and dancing to 'The Monster Mash' at the country club. Peter remembered holding his wife Audrey in his arms and looking into her eyes and seeing, well…nothing. Nothing he wanted at least. The bitter scornful look of a neurotic chain-smoking basket case whose only goal in life seemed to be to get him to put a gun to his head.
Peter and Audrey Myers had danced and smiled and laughed in front of their friends as if enjoying the party, their marriage and life in general. Unfortunately, only one of those statements was true for Peter. The party had been fun because; as his wandering eyes constantly reminded Audrey; Pam was there. Pamela Strode twirled on the dance floor with the executive manager of the town's realty agency and her husband Morgan.
The woman had an angelic body language in Peter's opinion. She was so graceful yet so careless, and she danced like a pro. Her wavy brown lochs flew in and of her face as her blue eyes casually met with Peter's from across the room. Pam had the most beautiful hair, not like Audrey's simple, conservative bob haircut which perfectly surrounded her square face. Pam's hair was alive and fancy-free. Peter could tell she was slightly drunk, as was he. The tension of his failing marriage just seemed to float away whenever Peter laid eyes on Pam. Morgan was making an ass out of himself as usual, dancing like an ape on LSD and trying to sing along to the music. His slurred words kept him from truly grasping the mood of the song.
Reality came back to slap Peter in the face as his notorious wandering eyes caught sight of his wife Audrey, leaning against a tree next to the house. Her cold eyes stared at him as she puffed on a cigarette. Peter suddenly and unhappily remembered the rest of the night. He remembered leaving the party with his cold wife and watching Pam nurse her husband while he vomited in a trashcan. He remembered the long silent drive home, Audrey avoiding eye contact with him by looking out the passenger window. She had built up a shield to keep Peter out which was fine to him, he'd rather have her shut him out than constantly yell at him and accuse him a hundred different infidelities, loan frauds, and sexual misconducts.
It had been a cold night with a bit of rain. Peter knew his children would still be up, except Laurie of course. They had put her to bed by six and she was a surprisingly heavy sleeper. Judith would most likely be in her room studying, she never went to bed until after eleven and Mikey would probably be too excited to sleep at all. Peter may have given up on his relationship with Audrey, but the kids were the most important things in his life. He loved his children dearly and couldn't stand how he and Audrey's constant late night arguments were affecting them.
Peter stood in the cold rainy yard and remembered his last few minutes of sanity. He remembered trying to break the silence with his wife as they drove home, "Damn it Audrey, would you just tell me what I did tonight to piss you off so much." Audrey had coldly turned to him and bluntly said, "Nothing. You did absolutely nothing. That's the problem Peter, you never do a damn thing." Peter had tightened his hands around the steering wheel as he said, "Oh great, here we go." Audrey had folded her arms and said, "I'm sorry if this routing is getting old for you Peter, but I'm tired of it too. Do you think I like watching you stare at every other woman in town?"
Peter had looked at his wife incredulously and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about!" Audrey had simply rolled her eyes and looked at him while she sarcastically responded, "Oh please Peter. If you're going to deny it, at least be sincere. We both know the only head you follow is the one in your pants, so don't even try to say otherwise but do me a favor would you? When you do check out every slut whose willing to spread her legs for twenty bucks, don't be so obvious about it. Subtlety is not your strongest asset."
Peter had veered around a curve angrily as he said, "This is great! What a wonderful way to spend the night, stuck in a car with my accusing wife. Audrey dear you must have the venom sacks in your mouth drained or I fear you'll choke in the night." Audrey had glared at him and then turned her head back out the window after letting out a loud and angry sigh. "What's that out there?" Peter could see their house in the distance and had seen a figure coming out the front door. "Is that? It's Michael, what the hell is he doing wandering around outside?" Audrey had looked over at Peter, her expression changing from anger to worry as she said, "Why isn't Lila watching him?"
Peter had pulled over to the curb as they arrived at their home and the two adults quickly got out of their car. Peter remembered walking up onto the lawn and seeing his six year old son still wearing that goofy clown costume and mask. What suddenly made the man's heart skip a beat was when he saw the red stains on the little boy's costume. He felt his blood turn cold as he saw the large knife in his child's tiny hand.
Peter had walked up to his middle child, the one who was always getting into trouble, always looking for adventures, and always drawing pictures. Now, he was eerily quiet and still. He didn't run and jump into his father's arms like he usually did. He didn't hug Peter and shout, "Daddy! Did you get me anything?" Little Michael just stood there looking out into the darkness.
Peter and Audrey exchanged a nervous glance before Peter said, "Michael?" He reached out and pulled the clown mask from his child's face. Audrey grew stern as she put her hands into her long coat pockets as if ready to scold her boy and say, "I've told you a hundred times not to play with sharp things, now look you've cut yourself!" But Audrey didn't speak, and Michael wasn't cut. The blood wasn't his.
Peter had felt his knees buckle and fell to them as he stared at his son, "Michael? Michael what's wrong? What happened?" Peter had grabbed his little boy's shoulders with both his strong hands and shook him harshly shouting, "Why aren't you saying anything!?" Audrey had suddenly gasped and said, "Laurie!" She quickly looked up at their front door and began running towards it. Audrey ran into the house and Peter could hear her high heels hitting the floor as she ran up the stairs. Peter looked at his son and noticed he was still holding the knife, "Give that to me son." Peter reached over to grab the knife and was about to take it when he heard Audrey's blood curdling scream.
It was at this point in Peter Myers' life that events began to slow down as his brain systematically overloaded and shut down. Peter had dropped the clown mask as he'd stood up and began running towards his front door. He'd entered the house and heard the quiet ticking of the clock as he started running up the stairs. Time had slowed down in Peter's mind as he reached the top of the stairs. He could hear little Laurie crying now, having been awoken by her mother's screams.
Peter raced past Laurie's room and into Judith's. Where the hell had his supposedly independent and responsible daughter gone? She'd only agreed to baby-sit for Laurie because she knew the child would be asleep before sundown. She'd firmly protested sitting for Michael however as she knew all too well how rambunctious he could get, especially after consuming large quantities of sugar.
Peter and Audrey had agreed to let Judith watch Laurie while they were at the party and turned to their neighbor Mrs. Blankenship to watch their son. So why was Michael home instead of across the street at Lila's house? And why wasn't Judith home studying like she said she would be. Peter had momentarily assumed that her seventeen-year-old daughter had snuck out to be with her boyfriend.
All of Peter's notions were abruptly dismissed however as he entered Judith's room. What lie before Peter Myers' eyes would haunt him until the day he died, not to mention the rest of the town. Peter felt his stomach contract and nearly implode, his hands began to shake and he felt as if he might vomit. Lying not ten feet away from him was his eldest daughter. The apple of his eye, the girl he knew would become an intelligent and strong woman.
Judith; who Peter had been so proud of despite the ugly rumors about her promiscuity; was sprawled out on the floor wearing nothing but her white flowered panties, stabbed like a carved animal and looking up with her blank dead eyes at her father.
Peter had brought his hand up to his mouth to keep from throwing up as the color drained from his face. It looked as if someone had poured a bucket of red paint over Judith, as she and the floor beneath her were stained deep crimson with blood. There must have been eight puncture wounds penetrating her chest, stomach, back and breasts.
Audrey had collapsed next to her daughter's dresser and was holding onto Judith's recently used hairbrush with trembling hands. A look of appalled horror was frozen on Audrey's wife as tears glistened under her reddened eyes. Peter walked up to his daughter's body with an almost dazed look on his face. Everything from the past night, week, month, everything started to bleed out from Peter's head as he knelt down and brought his right hand up to Judith's face. He sniffled back several tears as he brushed several strands of his daughter's long blonde hair out of her pale face. Peter had let the tears fall from his eyes freely as he placed his hand over Judith's stare and moved her cold eyelids over her glassy eyes.
Audrey had tried to shout out, tried to say something, but all that would come out was a hoarse croak as she leaned her head back onto the wall and started sobbing. Peter had felt a chill go up his spine. He had looked up past his daughter's body and saw the bedroom window. He stood up and walked around Judith as Audrey reached for the girls discarded sweater. Audrey quietly gathered the sweater and spread it over Judith's naked chest to cover her bloody breasts.
Peter approached the window and pulled the curtain back. He looked out with a look of pure terror as he saw his six-year-old son looking up at him from down in the front yard. Peter felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as he looked into Michael's eyes, those dark and empty eyes. The eyes not of an innocent child, but of a soulless killer. Remorseless, totally unsympathetic and utterly black…like the Devil's.
Now, nearly forty five minutes later; only a half hour to midnight; Peter stood out in his front yard staring at the crowd of neighbors eager to find out what had happened. A man came up behind Peter and put a hand on his shoulder, "Excuse me sir…we uh, we need you to identify the body for the records…" Peter looked at the officer and then back at his wife who took another puff of her cigarette, her auburn bobbed hair blowing in the October wind.
Peter looked at the front entrance as two paramedics walked out with a body bag on a stretcher. One of the paramedics unzipped the bag to reveal Judith's pale face. Peter mustered up all of his strength and quickly glanced down at his daughter, "Yeah…that's her." The officer began asking another question but Peter only heard static as he turned and walked away.
Peter walked out onto the lawn, past his wife who turned away, past a policeman questioning Lila Blankenship who looked utterly clueless, but who kept glancing to the left. Peter turned and followed her gaze and saw one of the police squad cars still emitting red and blue light. Tonight, an event had taken place that would make the Myers' name synonymous with death. Tonight, something had started a chain of events which would lead the very house Peter stood in front of to become the town spook house. His own son would become a local Boo Radley…he'd become a boogieman for future generations of children to fear.
Peter felt numb inside as he stared at Michael who was sitting in the back. Michael didn't move, he didn't shout out pleas of innocence, he didn't even cry. He just sat there staring ahead as if transfixed. An officer approached Peter and he felt a tiny hand touch his face. He turned and saw Laurie reaching out for her daddy. The officer handed the little two-year-old girl to Peter who scooped her up into his arms and tightly embraced her. Laurie yawned and blinked several times before nestling her head onto Peter's shoulder and went back to sleep.
The officer looked over at Michael and then back to Peter, "He'll spend the night at the hospital where he'll be on guard until morning when he'd arraigned. Most likely he'll be sent to Smith's Grove Warren County Sanitarium…in the children's unit of course. We'll take care of him.
The words were of little comfort to Peter as he stared at his son. Michael turned his head and stared out at them. Peter couldn't speak as he watched the child. He tightened his grip on Laurie when he realized it was her who Michael was staring at. Peter felt his stomach knot as his son burned a hole in the car's window with his glare. Laurie had fallen asleep and was quietly breathing as Peter held her. One thought went through Peter Myers' mind as the squad car took off, 'You're not getting her too.'
Smith's Grove Sanitarium October 31st 2004 11:40 PM
"Lindsay, we have to move NOW!" Thom had already turned around and was yanking Lindsay's arm. Lindsay stood frozen in blind terror as she watched the menacing figure approach them. Lindsay nearly dropped the flashlight as her hands trembled. She looked back down at Mark, floating face first in the water, blood turning the water around him red. Michael was nearly on top of her; he raised his knife preparing to strike. Thom shouted, "Lindsay!" and tugged on her arm again. She snapped out of it and jumped back just as Michael brought the knife down. He missed her by mere inches.
Michael reached his other hand up out of the water, he was clutching Mark's rifle. He quickly swung the barrel end of the rifle and smashed the handle into the side of Thom's head. Thom flew to the left right side of the sewer tunnel and hit Lindsay along the way. Lindsay heard a loud crack as Thom hit the tunnel wall. Michael tossed the rifle to the side as Lindsay rushed to Thom's side, "Jesus get up!" Thom opened his eyes and painfully looked up at Lindsay who was holding the flashlight up with a shaky hand and pointing at the menace in front of them.
Thom shook his head and clutched his jaw, his lip was bleeding. Thom snarled at Michael and lunged forward. He punched Michael in the face, "Die you fucker!" Thom's angry shouts echoed in the dim tunnel. Thom laid out an assault of punches and blows on Michael's face chest and stomach. Michael simply stood there like a statue, staring at Thom as if completely un-phased by the attacks.
Thom slowed down and quickly reached down for the rifle before backing up and looking at Michael with an almost 'I dare you' expression. He aimed the rifle at Michael and said, "Give us a head start eh fuck face?" He pulled the trigger and shot Michael square in the chest. Michael stepped back and brought his free hand up to his chest. Blood began filling the crevasses between the shapes' fingers. Michael looked down at his wound and then brought his head back up to look at the two terrified people. Michael started walking forward completely disregarding his bleeding bullet wound; after all, it wasn't the first one he'd received tonight.
Thom's eye twitched and he let out a nervous laugh as Michael walked towards him and Lindsay. Lindsay backed up in fear and tripped over her own jelly legs. She fell on her butt and looked up at Michael from the murky water. Lindsay let out a yelp as her knee bumped into Mark's body. Thom backed up and started to speak to Lindsay, "We need to start running right about now." Thom turned and harshly yanked Lindsay to her feet as the shape came towards them like a robot programmed to kill.
Thom and Lindsay began running back through the tunnel they had just come from. Thom looked behind him as he pulled Lindsay along. Michael pushed Mark's body aside and began pursuing them. He was right behind them and moving fast. "Don't look back!" Thom shouted to Lindsay as she tried to keep up.
Michael was only feet behind Lindsay as they waded through the waist high water. Lindsay suddenly screamed and fell behind as Michael grabbed her by her ankle and yanked her back. Thom turned and saw Michael pulling Lindsay back, "No! Let her go!" Michael looked up at Thom who stared at the shape with pleading eyes. Michael tilted his head back and forth before raising his knife into the air. Thom had to think quickly, he couldn't waist any more bullets until he knew he could get a clean shot. Lindsay screamed and thrashed around as the pressure around her ankle tightened. She heard the bones in her leg cracking and started to cry.
Thom quickly dived under the water and Lindsay shouted, "Thom!" Thom was under water searching the ground with his hands trying to find something, anything to use as a weapon. He felt a large heavy object and grabbed it before coming back up to the surface. Thom looked at his hand and saw he had found a large brick that had been dislodged from the tunnel wall. He pulled his arm back, prayed his aim was good, and hurled the brick at Michael.
A loud crack echoed through the tunnel as both Michael and Lindsay were thrown backwards. Thom ran over to Lindsay worried that he'd hit her, "Lindsay! Are you ok?" Lindsay got up and quickly stumbled back into the water, "Shit my ankle, I think it's broken." Thom knelt down and helped her out of the water. She reached up and wrapped her left arm around his neck and he picked her up off the ground. Once balanced, Thom wrapped an arm around Lindsay's waist to steady her.
Lindsay looked down behind her and saw Michael on his back; blood running from a gash in his mask. Thom poked Michael with the rifle. The shape didn't move as he sank beneath the water like a stone. Thom grabbed Lindsay by the hand as he said, "I didn't buy us much time, we'd better get going." Lindsay nodded and said, "Thanks." They began moving further into the tunnel from which they'd come from.
Thom turned to Lindsay, "Here, take the rifle and give me the flashlight." Lindsay handed it over and clutched the rifle for security as they pushed through the cold water. Thom aimed the flashlight ahead of them, "We're going to end up back in the crossroads. There were three tunnels, maybe we could choose another one." Lindsay replied, "No, we can't risk it. We might just get more lost. We have to find another way and soon, I can't go on much further." Thom was silent a moment and the only noise in the tunnel was the loud splashing of water.
Lindsay broke the silence, "Thom? I uh, Mark…" She trailed of and Thom quickly replied, "I know." Lindsay put her hand on his shoulder and said, "I know he was a good friend of yours." Thom looked at her and she saw the sadness in his eyes. Lindsay leaned in and brushed away some of his stray bangs which had been in his eyes. Thom quickly turned away and said, "The only thing we can do is get out of here and find Stephen and John. We'll have to go back to the beginning."
Lindsay let out a painful cry as she stepped onto her bad foot, "Please, we can't go that far. I wont make it." Thom looked at her and helped her keep steady. He pulled her closer to him with his arm and felt her body, it was quite cold. Thom noticed that she was shivering. He realized he was shivering too; they needed to get out of the water before they got hypothermia.
Thom realized something and looked at Lindsay while she limped forward, "Wait a minute, the manhole! There was a manhole just past the crossroads. That ladder that Mark…he tried to show us another way out. It's our best shot." Lindsay winced in pain and said, "Ok, but let's hurry. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to walk."
Back in the murky tunnel, the sheriff of Haddonfield was floating face first in sewage when he suddenly woke up. He flung his head up out of the water and violently began sputtering and gasping for air. He felt a sharp pain in his arm but his shoulder was completely numb. Mark was blind in the pitch-black tunnel save for the white spots dancing in front of him from the blood loss.
It took every ounce of his strength for Mark to roll over onto his back. He coughed again and felt a slight tinge of blood in his mouth. As Mark slipped in and out of consciousness, he began to realize what had happened. Although his memories were fragmented and slightly hazy, Mark remembered who his attacker was. Myers, he had stabbed him and left him to die, luckily the knife had missed his heart and lungs and only penetrated muscle. Mark tried to move his arm, he tried to tighten his fist but neither would move.
Mark felt water dripping on his face from the pipes above him. He strained to see something, anything, but it was too dark. All he could hear were the dripping water streams and his own shallow breathing. Sheriff Grayson knew it was only a matter of time before his wounds succumbed to infection. He needed to get out of this filthy water. He may not have been mortally wounded, but the stab wounds in his shoulder were deep and he was losing blood, not to mention the bacteria in the water were freely entering the angry openings.
Mark tried to sit up but the straining on his arm and chest was too painful. He slowly reached out his right arm; the uninjured of the pair; and tried to get a hold of the tunnel wall, or a pipe, anything to give him leverage so he could attempt to stand up. All he could feel was the cold damp air around him. Mark was too far away from the tunnel's sides; there was nothing for him to grab a hold of. He did feel his body slowly moving forward though, towards the tunnel from which Michael had emerged. He closed his eyes and tried to reserve his strength by taking long calming breaths.
Mark could feel the tunnel's current from what he assumed was sewage draining out into the lake. As Mark floated through the tunnel, he thought about his wife Grace and their daughter. He prayed they were all right and that he'd see them again. Mark also said a silent prayer for Thom and Lindsay. He hoped they hadn't met up with Myers though he doubted that. Mark hoped that Thom and Lindsay got out of here ok and that Thom found his son.
Unfortunately at this point in time, there was nothing he could really do to help his friend. All Mark could do was hope that the current swept him into an open tunnel. If he reserved his strength enough until then, he may just have enough to climb out of the water when he reached a tunnel exit.
While Mark was holding on for dear life, Thom and Lindsay were trying to escape the sewer. Thom had begun to move faster as his adrenaline; and his fueled desire to find his son; gave him a boost of energy. He knew there was only a little ways more before they got to the tunnel with the bars leading up to that manhole. All he needed to do was push the cover open and they'd be free.
Lindsay was having trouble keeping up with Thom, her ankle was cracked and swollen and hurt like hell to move on. Thom had been helping her along but she'd loosened herself from his grip. She could walk on her own; at least, she thought she could. Michael had really crushed his hand around her ankle; it felt like it would shatter into pieces if she stepped on it wrong.
On top of that, Lindsay was exhausted; between the fiasco at Ridgemont and driving back into town, then all the commotion at Thom's house. Lindsay had already exerted so much energy earlier in the night when she and Stephen had to escape from the ambulance, and then she had carried the child until she herself was ready to pass out. She'd been shocked into unconsciousness with a tazer and imprisoned, and now she had been traveling for what seemed like forever in these wretched tunnels.
Lindsay had seen what Michael was capable of back when she was a child but tonight was different. Tonight she had witnessed his wrath on a more visceral level. She had met his past victims in person and seen how he'd ruined their lives. John, Kara, Sara, Dan, they'd all met Myers and survived, but, they were all different because of it. She was different.
Tonight; on the night of Samhain; Lindsay had watched in horror as Michael killed the three paramedics in her ambulance as well as their driver and all four occupants of the other ambulance. Lindsay had seen what Michael had done to Mark; in her mind he was dead. Her and Thom's only hope was to find that manhole and get the hell out of there. Lindsay glanced behind her; she saw nothing but the blackness…it was eerily fitting. After everything she had seen tonight, this felt almost calm.
"Lindsay! Unless your plans include meeting a gruesome demise, I suggest we try and hurry." Thom looked back at her and she grew stern, "I am not a child Thom! You don't have to talk to me like one." She trudged forward and quickly winced. She bit her tongue to avoid crying out in pain, she was not about to let Thom know how much pain she was in. She'd be fine as soon as they got out, got Stephen and John, and got to the nearest hospital. 'Wait a minute,' she thought, 'this whole place is a god damn hospital!' There must have been close to a thousand patients here at this facility.
"We're here, Linz, look." Thom pointed upwards as the two of them emerged from the claustrophobic tunnel. They had arrived back in the canyon they were in earlier. Sure enough, the rusty ladder bars led straight up past a sealed ledge and beyond that, a manhole in the ceiling. Lindsay's eyes traveled the ceiling and it's surrounding pipes. What she hadn't noticed earlier in their haste was a large drainpipe jutting out from the wall near the ladder. It was a huge pipe with a rusted handle near it.
Thom noticed the pipe as well and said, "What is it for?" Lindsay was breathing raggedly as she spoke, "Flood valves. It's, it's a drainpipe to let the water in the upper levels drain into the tunnels. It basically flushes the rainwater out of the streets, through the tunnels and out into the lake. They're for emergencies, in case the building's flooding." Lindsay was exhausted, she needed to rest and soon. She could feel the constant running taking its toll on her.
Without a moment's hesitation, Thom stuck the flashlight in his mouth and walked over to the ledge below the ladder bars. He used his upper arm strength to climb up onto the ledge and then reached out for the handlebars. He grabbed one and tugged on it to make sure it was sturdy, it was. Thom then lifted his foot and placed it up on the bar and pulled himself onto the ladder. He started climbing slowly as not to break any bars.
Lindsay looked around and then started limping towards the ledge. She tossed the rifle up over the ledge and then reached up and felt her hands go over the top of the ledge. She started using her upper arm strength to try and pull herself up. She was too tired however and found it very difficult to climb up. She called up to Thom, "Be careful, some of those bars are almost completely rusted through." Thom looked back at her and muffled a reply. He clenched the flashlight in his teeth as he continued to climb.
As Lindsay continued to try and climb up onto the ledge, she failed to notice a dark shape materializing in the darkness of the tunnel entrance. Michael slowly stepped forward out of the black void. His breathing was deep and steady. The gash on his head had only slowed him down. Thom looked up and saw the manhole, it was getting closer. Thom got overly anxious and reached an arm up to push the manhole cover up of its base. His other hand made up for his weight shift by pulling harder on the bar. Unfortunately this was a slightly more corroded bar and it began cracking under the exertion forced on it.
Thom was so close, "Just a little further…almost there…" Just as he was about to touch the cover, the bar he was hanging on to broke of the sewer wall. Thom felt his body falling backwards. His legs still on the bar beneath him, he felt himself losing his balance. Thom shot an arm out just as he began to fall. His hand tightly wrapped around another bar and he found himself hanging of the edge of the ladder.
Lindsay had nearly hoisted herself up onto the ledge when she heard Thom's startled cry. She looked up and saw him begin to fall then catch himself. She gave a sigh of relief and pulled her good leg up onto the ledge. She was getting ready to pull herself the rest of the way up when Thom cried out. Thom had glanced down at Lindsay just to check on her when he saw Michael coming up behind her. In an effort to call out and warn her, Thom spat the flashlight out of his mouth, "Lindsay! Watch out, he's right behind you!"
Lindsay went pale and quickly looked behind her just as Michael lunged forward and grabbed her already cracked ankle. He violently yanked her back and she was nearly pulled right off the ledge. Lindsay screamed as her fingernails were ground into the brick ledge. Michael lifted his other arm up and prepared to plunge his knife into Lindsay when she used her free leg to kick him in the face. Lindsay tried to climb further up onto the ledge and grab the rifle. Michael rammed his knife down at her thigh but missed and pinned his knife through her long coat and into the brick ledge.
Lindsay was pinned to the ledge by her damp overcoat. She started to pull it off as Michael tried to yank his knife out of the ledge. Lindsay looked up at Thom who looked about ready to jump off the ladder and tackle Michael. She cried out. "No! The drainpipe! Turn it on!" Thom glanced to his left and saw the rusty handle wheel. It hadn't been turned in years. Thom reached forward with his left arm and felt the ladder creak. He quickly climbed up several steps and tried again. He was still out of reach, "Shit!" He cursed as he reached forward as far as his arm would let him. He crawled forward and leaned so far off the ladder that only his right hand and right leg were holding him on.
Lindsay struggled to get out of her overcoat as Michael continued to crush her ankle in his hand. She finally pulled herself up onto the ledge and tore her overcoat free from the knife just as Michael freed his weapon from the ledge. Thom finally reached the wheel and began twisting it with his free hand. He felt the rusty handle fragments dig and cut into his hand as he turned it. Thom and Lindsay heard a low grumbling; the entire cavern began to creak slightly. Michael was preparing to stab Lindsay again when he too heard the loud rumbling. Michael looked up at the drainpipe just as it exploded into a stream of water that jetted at him with the force of a hundred trucks.
Lindsay felt a sudden pull as the water swept out of the pipe and into the cavern. The current of sewer water raced through the abandoned tunnels. Michael grabbed onto the ledge to keep from being swept away. Lindsay used every ounce of strength she had and finally pulled herself up onto the ledge. She grabbed the rifle and ran up to the bars. She looked up to Thom and called out, "Hurry! He's coming!" Thom could barely hear her pleas under the loud thunder of the crashing floodwater. Lindsay started climbing upwards. She stuck the rifle under her arm and climbed up the rusty bars. Thom began climbing back up the ladder. The added weight of a second person took its toll on the ladder however and it began to shake and break free form the wall.
Michael had climbed up onto the ledge and grabbed a hold of the first ladder bar. He pulled on it with an inhuman strength and it broke right off the wall. Lindsay was about half way up the ladder and Thom was two bars away from the top when it happened. The shaking became too great and the ladder began splitting away from the sewer wall. Thom tightened his grip around the top bar and shouted in surprise, "Brace yourself!" He watched in horror as the top several bars broke from the wall and the entire top portion of the ladder began slightly swaying backwards ready to collapse at any moment.
Thom felt a burst of adrenaline and quickly heaved all his muscle up into the ceiling. He crushed himself up against the manhole cover and began pushing. He felt the cover begin to pop off its base. Thom broke out in a sweat as he screamed in pain. He pushed as hard as he could almost tearing all the muscles in his back and shoulders. The manhole cover finally broke free and popped off its base. Thom was free! He climbed up out of the manhole and pushed his arms up and on to the firm ground around him.
Thom felt a sudden jerk as the ladder gave way under his feet. He heard a shrill scream and looked down beneath. There he saw Lindsay fearfully looking up at him as the ladder fell backwards. His aerial view saw the ladder falling towards the water below with Lindsay still hanging on. She thrust the rifle up into the air and clutched both hands on the bar above her. Thom caught the rifle and threw it up and onto the surface floor. Michael was on the ledge ready to slaughter whom ever fell at him. Thom hoisted his arms up to brace himself then called to Lindsay, "Reach for my legs!"
Lindsay felt a wave of vertigo sweep over her trembling body as she looked down and saw the ground far below. She was trapped on the top half of a ladder which had already dislodged itself from the wall. She was hanging over the ground like a worm on a hook and the shark was below her ready to feed.
Lindsay reached her arm upwards towards Thom's legs but they were too far away. She only had one chance; it was now or never, "God give me strength." Lindsay leapt upwards as hard as she could. In a massive leap of courage, Lindsay reached her arms forward and grabbed Thom's legs. Thom didn't need another moment's notice; he pulled himself up out of the manhole and helped Lindsay climb out as well.
Just as this happened, the ladder broke the rest of the way and came crashing towards Michael. Michael was still looking up at Thom and Lindsay far above him as he stepped out of the crashing ladder's path. He may have avoided being crushed by the falling metal, but as it crashed, it tore the ledge to rubble. The ledge Michael was standing on collapsed and he fell right into the path of the drainpipe's tyrannical shower.
The blast of water hit Michael like a bus and he was pushed into the water like a rag doll being sprayed with a fire hose. Michael may have been an unstoppable killer, a force of nature if you will, but even he could not withstand the mighty force of a flood. Michael was swept away into the flooding tunnels along with hundreds of drowning rats.
Lindsay felt Thom straining to pull her out of the manhole. He yanked her back ad they fell up and out onto the ground. Thom fell hard on his back and Lindsay collapsed right on top of him. Thom's eyes widened as she fell on top of him. Lindsay passed out from exhaustion before she could even realize how awkward their position was. Lindsay fell limp in Thom's arms and the two of them just lie there on the ground breathing hard. Both exhausted, but both relieved to still be alive…even if only one of them was still conscious.
Stephen Lloyd felt his world begin to break at the seams. He had already watched his once happy care-free childhood begin to slip away from him as the ugly truth carved it's way into his life. But now, at this moment, the child literally felt his life crumbling around him. That…thing next to the mean man was his mommy? That wasn't true…it couldn't be.
"You're LYING!!!" Stephen screamed in anger as tears began pouring down his face. His lips quivered as he began crying. His tiny hands trembled with rage as he struggled to break free from his confines. Dr. Wynn lifted an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. He released Jamie's skull from his grasp and walked over to Stephen. Terrence squatted down and rested his hands on his knees. He looked up into Stephen's fuming eyes and said matter-of-factly, "Son, you really shouldn't be calling me the liar. I'm not the one who kept such an important secret from you. And what a secret it is. Your own parents…lying to you from the day you were born."
John shouted out to Stephen, "Don't listen to him Stephen. He's an evil man! Don't trust a thing he says." Wynn stood up and reached his hand into his coat pocket. He pulled out a small remote control and aimed it above the row of corpses. He pushed a button and a large projector screen came rolling down. A cult member from the large group walked into the back of the room and flicked a switch on a control panel. The lights went out only to cast the room in a reddish orange glow from the flickering candles. Wynn pushed another button on the remote and the screen lit up.
John and Stephen where bathed in the blue glare of the movie theatre sized screen hanging above the slaughtered Myers clan. Terrence looked at John and then at Stephen. The wicked man smiled and said, "We keep all of our patients under twenty-four hour watch. Our cell monitors record everything that happens." Wynn pushed play and the screen came to life.
John struggled in his chair as he watched through what must have been a security camera. The bottom right side of the screen read '#11651 10/31/04' Stephen held his breath in shock as they watched. It was Lindsay, struggling to break free from several ropes binding her down. She looked around the room in fear as she realized where she was. John and Stephen grimaced as they watched her thrashing to break free.
Dr. Wynn pushed a button on the remote and the image changed to a new recording. Now the label was 'surveillance 11781 10/29/04' John's eyes widened in anxiety when he saw his beloved fiancée Molly appear on the screen. From the positioning of the camera, John knew they were watching from inside a vehicle of some sort. Rain was pouring outside the vehicle which looked to be driving slowly past an airport entrance.
Thom tightened his fists in anger and fear as the camera focused and slowly zoomed in on Molly who was smiling to herself as she stood out front. She was talking on a cell phone. The camera picked up on the conversation and John felt tears in his eyes as he heard molly speak, "I'm kind of stuck at the airport and it's raining so could you please call me back? I'm going to call a cab and get a room at the nearest hotel ok? Call me soon! I love you" The screen echoed Molly's words and Stephen looked at John with sympathy in his eyes. This must have been John's girlfriend, he thought, John and Daddy had never managed to find her.
The screen showed Molly looking out into the street before turning and walking back into the airport. John closed his eyes and prayed harder than he'd ever prayed, 'get on a plane please god let her get on another plane. She gave up and went home…just let her be home right now' John opened his eyes and watched as Wynn fast-forwarded. The screen showed the vehicle interior, the airport outside the van window sped up as the van appeared to drive around to the back of the airport. Wynn continued to fast forward until the screen showed Molly walk out of the back end of the terminal.
John looked up at the movie screen with a childlike fear in his eyes. His nose was wet and hit eyes were glistening with tears. Wynn pushed play again and the tape resumed. The camera moves slightly as movement happened inside the van. The sound of a car door opening filled the room. Molly was in the distance standing in the rain looking down at her California blouse. She started walking off across the parking lot when she tripped over her heals. John felt the tears falling freely as he watched Molly stand back up. She continued walking until she looked at the van. It almost appeared as if she were looking right at the screen, right at John.
John watched in anguish as Molly started walking towards the camera, looking around as she did so. John sniffed and began choking out pleas, "C'mon Molly, turn back. Get away, don't come any closer. Damn it Molly!" Molly was now at the van window looking inside the vehicle. Molly's face lit up the movie screen as she peered around inside the van, "Ok Molly, too tired to play around, you need sleep and lots of it." Molly back up and peered off screen. She started walking away from the van when she tripped again. Molly was no longer in view except for her hand bracing herself along the window sill.
All John could hear was Molly say, "Fuck it." There was a pause and then suddenly a loud scream. John shouted out at the screen as he heard his lover's cries, "God! Molly!!" John struggled to see what the hell was happening but the way the camera was positioned inside the van only allowed him to see what was happening right outside the van window.
John's heart was pounding inside his chest as he saw Molly coming back into view. She was struggling to stand up. She began limping away in pain and turned back to look at the van. She was staring in horror at something off screen. Molly screamed, "Oh my god!" Molly turned away and started limping back towards the airport. John cried out in fear when he saw her bloody foot. "Get away Molly! Don't turn back!" John stopped breathing as Molly turned back and looked around in fear.
The camera which must have been filming from the backseat stared at the woman as she ran back towards the van. Molly ran right off screen but the sound still caught her movements. Her hard breathing got louder as she came around to the other side of the van. The vehicle moved slightly as she leaned up against it, right behind the camera. John cried out in utter fear and sadness. All anybody could hear was the sound of molly's fearful breathing as she seemed to just…wait. Footsteps could be heard and suddenly the Shape came into view as he walked around the front of the passenger window, right past the camera. John screamed, "NOOO!"
Stephen and John watched in terror as the Shape walked past the window and out of view again. The camera moved slightly as movement stirred the van. Molly had climbed into the van and half of her body could be seen on the left side of the movie screen. Her ragged breathing was the only sound filling the cult ceremonial room. All the cultists were deathly quiet and Dr. Wynn didn't make a sound. The movie screen glowed as Molly began struggling to move the gear shift. Only half of her was showing still and John struggled to make out what was happening. His heart broke as he heard her start to cry.
John and Stephen were both leaning forward peering at the screen trying to see what was going on. They both jumped in their seats suddenly when a loud crash echoed through the room. Molly's terrified screams resonated as she was pulled off screen. The sound of the van door slamming shut was followed by a loud crack. Then another, both accompanied by Molly's anguished cries.
A third crash shook the van. The camera picked up and fragments of glass as the window shattered inwards. John was trembling and crying as blonde curls went flying, barely touching the left hand side of the screen, Molly's face could partially be seen on the lower left hand side of the screen. John was crying out loud as he heard Molly's last words, "Nooo"
Terrence paused the tape and the blurred paused image of Molly's face peeking out form the side of the screen stayed frozen in place. John's head fell downwards as he began to sob to himself. Terrence spoke out, "I thought we should stop there as well…it gets a little messy from then on out." John lost himself in his own sobs. He could barely breath, his cries filled his throat.
Dr. Wynn pushed another button on the remote and the image changed. John looked up at the screen and stopped crying. He watched in curiosity as a girl was in view on the screen. Like Lindsay, this girl was also in a cell although she wasn't tied down like an animal. No, this girl was roaming freely about; rather restlessly at that; in her cell. John read the label at the bottom right of the screen and gasped. It said 'Lloyd #737 05/17/90' John looked back at the girl, she was no older than ten or eleven. She bashed her head up against a wall and began crying, "Let me out! Please! Dr. Loomis where are you!" The girl looked up at the screen with tear stained eyes, "Somebody…please help me."
John realized who the girl was and spoke, "Jamie…" Dr. Wynn looked at John and smiled. John looked over at Stephen who was watching screen. He had no idea that the girl on the screen was his mother. Stephen read the caption however and turned pale. John knew that Stephen had figured it out. The little boy looked at the girl on the screen, and then at the corpse below. Stephen's lips quivered as a tear ran down his left cheek.
The image on the screen changed. Now, the caption read 'Lloyd #859 12/18/92. Jamie was a little older, maybe twelve or thirteen. Her hair was still long but her eyes, the girls eyes had changed. Jamie's eyes had grown more…maddened. She stared at the floor of her cell with a delusional expression on her face. Suddenly, Jamie started laughing, "Hahaha! They're all gonna die! Hahaha!" Jamie wrapped her fingers around her long black hair as she laughed. Drool began falling from her lips as she shouted, "HAHAHA! He's gonna kill all of them!" She began pulling on her hair. Her laughter growing increasingly more maniacal. She ripped two clumps of hair right from her scalp. John winced at the gruesome sight.
The image changed again, now the caption read 'Lloyd 16662 01/15/95. Jamie was sitting quietly on her bed huddled in a ball. Her vacant stare not focused on anything, she was just zoning out. She twirled a loch of hair and amused herself when the door to her cell opened. Jamie sat up surprised and her expression changed to horror and anger. Three doctors entered her room along with a nurse with blonde hair. The doctors grabbed Jamie by the arms as she kicked and screamed, "No! Please don't do this! Let me go!" They held her down while the nurse approached her. She took out a needle and injected something into Jamie's arm. Jamie's words became slurred, "Please don't let them do this to me…" Jamie fell unconscious and the doctors carried her out of the cell.
John looked at Dr. Wynn and shouted angrily, "What he fuck did you do to her!" Dr. Wynn smiled at John and pointed to the screen and said, "This." The screen changed to another date 'Lloyd 17136 07/11/95' Jamie was sitting on her bed rocking back and forth. Her hair was cut short now most likely to keep her from pulling it out. She was talking quietly to herself, trying not to cry as she rubbed her hands over the large bulge in her stomach, "I'm sorry mommy. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry Rachel…please forgive me." The pregnant girl sighed and looked at her stomach.
Jamie smiled and then looked up at the screen and lifted her middle finger, "You're not going to win." She lifted her hands and balled them into fists. Jamie brought her fists down hard on her stomach and let out a painful cry as she punched herself in the stomach. She punched herself again and again. Jamie was trying to kill the baby inside her to prevent it from succumbing to the same fate as her and everyone else in her family. Jamie turned to her bed and ripped her hand into her mattress. She pulled out a spring and tried to bend it into a spear. She aimed and was about to stab herself in the stomach when two doctors came in and struggled to stop her. One of them punched her in the face to knock her out. The other guard said, "We'll have to put her in a straight jacket again."
The image changed one last time to a new caption which read 'Lloyd 17759 10/30/95.' Jamie was sitting on the floor of her cell looking at the floor. She was talking to her stomach, "I wont let them get you. Mary will help us, she has to. We wont let him get us ok?" Suddenly she arched her back and began screaming, "Oh god! Not yet! No, please wait until we get out! Ahh!" Jamie clutched her abdomen as the contractions started. The door opened and a group of doctors entered with a stretcher. Jamie looked up at their masked faces and pleaded, "No! Please, just let me go and I wont tell anybody. No! Don't take my baby!" She screamed again as another contraction started. The doctors lifted her up onto the stretcher and strapped her in. She screamed in agony as they wheeled her out of the room.
Dr. Wynn stopped the tape and looked at John, "And you wanted to know…" Wynn pointed at Jamie's corpse and said, "Now you know." Dr. Wynn turned and looked at Stephen. The child was sniffling back tears. Wynn put the remote back in his pocket, "That was nine years ago as of midnight last night. Happy birthday Stephen." Stephen began kicking and screaming, "It's not true! It's not true!"
A security guard suddenly walked up to Dr. Wynn, "Sir, Dr. Wallace and Thom Doyle are on the ground floor, they're right next to C wing of the patient ward." Dr. Wynn lifted an eyebrow, "What about Michael." The security guard coughed and muttered. Wynn grew frustrated, "Well spit it out man!" The guard leaned in and said, "That's the other thing sir. We detected a change in the water pressure and well, the whole sewer's been flooded. We can't locate Myers or the Sheriff."
Dr. Wynn glared and looked at the guard, "Well find him! And don't let Dr. Wallace or Doyle escape the building. I want them both dead!" The guard turned and ran off in a hurry as Wynn looked at his brethren. The bowed and began chanting in Latin. Wynn smiled and looked back at John. John was staring out into empty space with the most sorrowful look on his face. John was utterly broken. Watching his lover die had shattered his mind and spirit. All that was left inside him was emptiness. A hole that could only be filled with vengeance.
While John and Stephen sat in shock and sorrow, Thom was desperately fighting to save his son. "Lindsay! C'mon we have to keep moving!" Thom had managed to stand up and was tugging on Lindsay's right arm. Dr. Wallace groaned and opened her eyes. The fatigued battered woman stood up and leaned on her good leg. Thom clutched the rifle and looked around their surroundings. They were in some kind of loading dock.
Lindsay groggily looked around, she noticed the open manhole behind her and gasped. Thom looked and gently put his hand on her shoulder, "It's ok, he's gone. Washed away like a rat." Lindsay smiled wearily and said, "When will this night end…" Thom brought his hand up under her chin and lifted her lowered eyes up to meet his, "Hey, you did good…" Lindsay blushed and stared into Thom's deep eyes.
Lindsay snapped back to reality and looked around, "We're in the loading docks. This is where patients get dropped off or picked up for transfer. We're so close to the central offices!" Lindsay, thinking she had gained her second wind began running towards the exit. Thom watched as she stepped on her bad leg; cursed out loud; and fell onto her knees. He walked over to her and helped her up, "We need to get to the basement again. I know Wynn's cult is down there, that's where they were before." Lindsay rummaged through her damp coat pockets and pulled out a dripping key card. She ran it through the door's slot and it clicked.
Lindsay turned to Thom and said, "Um, I think you should know…" Thom cocked his head and lifted and eyebrow, "What?" Lindsay blinked and said, "We're going to have to go through one of the patient wards. It's not like the one I was in. That one looked as if it had been abandoned for years…" Thom sighed and held the rifle steady, "Well let's go." Lindsay turned back and opened the door.
As Thom followed, he thought about his past. What he hadn't mentioned to Lindsay; what she already knew from her background check on him; was that Thom had spent several years in a mental hospital shortly after the horrifying events of 1978. He had been committed by his parents after suffering from severe post traumatic stress. Thom had never told anyone this, not even Kara. He knew seeing those patients; hearing those screams and babblings; was going to be difficult but Thom was determined to find Stephen. He'd walk through the gates of hell for his son.
Thom and Lindsay traveled deeper into the recesses of Smith's Grove, completely unaware of the macabre nightmare that awaited them. All the while, John and Stephen grew closer and closer to the moment of truth, to be killed; sacrificed by a group of delusional people led by a maniacal self proclaimed messiah. What none of them could have realized was that back in Haddonfield; in the shattered confines of Thom's own home; Kara was become more and more vulnerable to the evil growing inside her son.
TBC
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Only a few more to go and you wont believe what I have in store for these folks! Keep those awesome reviews coming, I love em! Even the criticisms are welcome, I like to get input!
Lizz
Chapter 20: Darkness Rising
45 Lampkin Lane Haddonfield, IL October 31st 1963 11:30 PM
Police cars surrounded the Myers house, neighbors stood in crowds barely held back by the yellow police tape surrounding the yard. Several reporters stood in the Myers driveway and along the road talking to neighbors and taking statements. The neighborhood was bustling and alive in the wake of a shocking event. The normally quiet and boring neighborhood hadn't been this active since the homecoming parade had come through Orange Grove about a month earlier.
"Did you hear about it? It was her little brother! He's only six years old!" people whispered and gossiped about what had happened as the police pushed people back to keep them away from the grieving parents. Peter Myers stood outside in his front lawn with a look of utter confusion on his pale face. It was as if the man's 38-year-old brain had recessed to the days when he depended on his mother to hold his hand so he wouldn't get lost. Peter was lost now, he had the same vacant stare he got as a toddler when he had wandered away from his mother and gotten lost in the clothing store of the Russellville mall.
The man stared out across the street at the crowd of people, flashing cameras and police cars. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion for him, like he couldn't process what was happening anymore. He remembered the Halloween party he and his wife had gone to. He remembered pouring vodka into his punch and dancing to 'The Monster Mash' at the country club. Peter remembered holding his wife Audrey in his arms and looking into her eyes and seeing, well…nothing. Nothing he wanted at least. The bitter scornful look of a neurotic chain-smoking basket case whose only goal in life seemed to be to get him to put a gun to his head.
Peter and Audrey Myers had danced and smiled and laughed in front of their friends as if enjoying the party, their marriage and life in general. Unfortunately, only one of those statements was true for Peter. The party had been fun because; as his wandering eyes constantly reminded Audrey; Pam was there. Pamela Strode twirled on the dance floor with the executive manager of the town's realty agency and her husband Morgan.
The woman had an angelic body language in Peter's opinion. She was so graceful yet so careless, and she danced like a pro. Her wavy brown lochs flew in and of her face as her blue eyes casually met with Peter's from across the room. Pam had the most beautiful hair, not like Audrey's simple, conservative bob haircut which perfectly surrounded her square face. Pam's hair was alive and fancy-free. Peter could tell she was slightly drunk, as was he. The tension of his failing marriage just seemed to float away whenever Peter laid eyes on Pam. Morgan was making an ass out of himself as usual, dancing like an ape on LSD and trying to sing along to the music. His slurred words kept him from truly grasping the mood of the song.
Reality came back to slap Peter in the face as his notorious wandering eyes caught sight of his wife Audrey, leaning against a tree next to the house. Her cold eyes stared at him as she puffed on a cigarette. Peter suddenly and unhappily remembered the rest of the night. He remembered leaving the party with his cold wife and watching Pam nurse her husband while he vomited in a trashcan. He remembered the long silent drive home, Audrey avoiding eye contact with him by looking out the passenger window. She had built up a shield to keep Peter out which was fine to him, he'd rather have her shut him out than constantly yell at him and accuse him a hundred different infidelities, loan frauds, and sexual misconducts.
It had been a cold night with a bit of rain. Peter knew his children would still be up, except Laurie of course. They had put her to bed by six and she was a surprisingly heavy sleeper. Judith would most likely be in her room studying, she never went to bed until after eleven and Mikey would probably be too excited to sleep at all. Peter may have given up on his relationship with Audrey, but the kids were the most important things in his life. He loved his children dearly and couldn't stand how he and Audrey's constant late night arguments were affecting them.
Peter stood in the cold rainy yard and remembered his last few minutes of sanity. He remembered trying to break the silence with his wife as they drove home, "Damn it Audrey, would you just tell me what I did tonight to piss you off so much." Audrey had coldly turned to him and bluntly said, "Nothing. You did absolutely nothing. That's the problem Peter, you never do a damn thing." Peter had tightened his hands around the steering wheel as he said, "Oh great, here we go." Audrey had folded her arms and said, "I'm sorry if this routing is getting old for you Peter, but I'm tired of it too. Do you think I like watching you stare at every other woman in town?"
Peter had looked at his wife incredulously and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about!" Audrey had simply rolled her eyes and looked at him while she sarcastically responded, "Oh please Peter. If you're going to deny it, at least be sincere. We both know the only head you follow is the one in your pants, so don't even try to say otherwise but do me a favor would you? When you do check out every slut whose willing to spread her legs for twenty bucks, don't be so obvious about it. Subtlety is not your strongest asset."
Peter had veered around a curve angrily as he said, "This is great! What a wonderful way to spend the night, stuck in a car with my accusing wife. Audrey dear you must have the venom sacks in your mouth drained or I fear you'll choke in the night." Audrey had glared at him and then turned her head back out the window after letting out a loud and angry sigh. "What's that out there?" Peter could see their house in the distance and had seen a figure coming out the front door. "Is that? It's Michael, what the hell is he doing wandering around outside?" Audrey had looked over at Peter, her expression changing from anger to worry as she said, "Why isn't Lila watching him?"
Peter had pulled over to the curb as they arrived at their home and the two adults quickly got out of their car. Peter remembered walking up onto the lawn and seeing his six year old son still wearing that goofy clown costume and mask. What suddenly made the man's heart skip a beat was when he saw the red stains on the little boy's costume. He felt his blood turn cold as he saw the large knife in his child's tiny hand.
Peter had walked up to his middle child, the one who was always getting into trouble, always looking for adventures, and always drawing pictures. Now, he was eerily quiet and still. He didn't run and jump into his father's arms like he usually did. He didn't hug Peter and shout, "Daddy! Did you get me anything?" Little Michael just stood there looking out into the darkness.
Peter and Audrey exchanged a nervous glance before Peter said, "Michael?" He reached out and pulled the clown mask from his child's face. Audrey grew stern as she put her hands into her long coat pockets as if ready to scold her boy and say, "I've told you a hundred times not to play with sharp things, now look you've cut yourself!" But Audrey didn't speak, and Michael wasn't cut. The blood wasn't his.
Peter had felt his knees buckle and fell to them as he stared at his son, "Michael? Michael what's wrong? What happened?" Peter had grabbed his little boy's shoulders with both his strong hands and shook him harshly shouting, "Why aren't you saying anything!?" Audrey had suddenly gasped and said, "Laurie!" She quickly looked up at their front door and began running towards it. Audrey ran into the house and Peter could hear her high heels hitting the floor as she ran up the stairs. Peter looked at his son and noticed he was still holding the knife, "Give that to me son." Peter reached over to grab the knife and was about to take it when he heard Audrey's blood curdling scream.
It was at this point in Peter Myers' life that events began to slow down as his brain systematically overloaded and shut down. Peter had dropped the clown mask as he'd stood up and began running towards his front door. He'd entered the house and heard the quiet ticking of the clock as he started running up the stairs. Time had slowed down in Peter's mind as he reached the top of the stairs. He could hear little Laurie crying now, having been awoken by her mother's screams.
Peter raced past Laurie's room and into Judith's. Where the hell had his supposedly independent and responsible daughter gone? She'd only agreed to baby-sit for Laurie because she knew the child would be asleep before sundown. She'd firmly protested sitting for Michael however as she knew all too well how rambunctious he could get, especially after consuming large quantities of sugar.
Peter and Audrey had agreed to let Judith watch Laurie while they were at the party and turned to their neighbor Mrs. Blankenship to watch their son. So why was Michael home instead of across the street at Lila's house? And why wasn't Judith home studying like she said she would be. Peter had momentarily assumed that her seventeen-year-old daughter had snuck out to be with her boyfriend.
All of Peter's notions were abruptly dismissed however as he entered Judith's room. What lie before Peter Myers' eyes would haunt him until the day he died, not to mention the rest of the town. Peter felt his stomach contract and nearly implode, his hands began to shake and he felt as if he might vomit. Lying not ten feet away from him was his eldest daughter. The apple of his eye, the girl he knew would become an intelligent and strong woman.
Judith; who Peter had been so proud of despite the ugly rumors about her promiscuity; was sprawled out on the floor wearing nothing but her white flowered panties, stabbed like a carved animal and looking up with her blank dead eyes at her father.
Peter had brought his hand up to his mouth to keep from throwing up as the color drained from his face. It looked as if someone had poured a bucket of red paint over Judith, as she and the floor beneath her were stained deep crimson with blood. There must have been eight puncture wounds penetrating her chest, stomach, back and breasts.
Audrey had collapsed next to her daughter's dresser and was holding onto Judith's recently used hairbrush with trembling hands. A look of appalled horror was frozen on Audrey's wife as tears glistened under her reddened eyes. Peter walked up to his daughter's body with an almost dazed look on his face. Everything from the past night, week, month, everything started to bleed out from Peter's head as he knelt down and brought his right hand up to Judith's face. He sniffled back several tears as he brushed several strands of his daughter's long blonde hair out of her pale face. Peter had let the tears fall from his eyes freely as he placed his hand over Judith's stare and moved her cold eyelids over her glassy eyes.
Audrey had tried to shout out, tried to say something, but all that would come out was a hoarse croak as she leaned her head back onto the wall and started sobbing. Peter had felt a chill go up his spine. He had looked up past his daughter's body and saw the bedroom window. He stood up and walked around Judith as Audrey reached for the girls discarded sweater. Audrey quietly gathered the sweater and spread it over Judith's naked chest to cover her bloody breasts.
Peter approached the window and pulled the curtain back. He looked out with a look of pure terror as he saw his six-year-old son looking up at him from down in the front yard. Peter felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as he looked into Michael's eyes, those dark and empty eyes. The eyes not of an innocent child, but of a soulless killer. Remorseless, totally unsympathetic and utterly black…like the Devil's.
Now, nearly forty five minutes later; only a half hour to midnight; Peter stood out in his front yard staring at the crowd of neighbors eager to find out what had happened. A man came up behind Peter and put a hand on his shoulder, "Excuse me sir…we uh, we need you to identify the body for the records…" Peter looked at the officer and then back at his wife who took another puff of her cigarette, her auburn bobbed hair blowing in the October wind.
Peter looked at the front entrance as two paramedics walked out with a body bag on a stretcher. One of the paramedics unzipped the bag to reveal Judith's pale face. Peter mustered up all of his strength and quickly glanced down at his daughter, "Yeah…that's her." The officer began asking another question but Peter only heard static as he turned and walked away.
Peter walked out onto the lawn, past his wife who turned away, past a policeman questioning Lila Blankenship who looked utterly clueless, but who kept glancing to the left. Peter turned and followed her gaze and saw one of the police squad cars still emitting red and blue light. Tonight, an event had taken place that would make the Myers' name synonymous with death. Tonight, something had started a chain of events which would lead the very house Peter stood in front of to become the town spook house. His own son would become a local Boo Radley…he'd become a boogieman for future generations of children to fear.
Peter felt numb inside as he stared at Michael who was sitting in the back. Michael didn't move, he didn't shout out pleas of innocence, he didn't even cry. He just sat there staring ahead as if transfixed. An officer approached Peter and he felt a tiny hand touch his face. He turned and saw Laurie reaching out for her daddy. The officer handed the little two-year-old girl to Peter who scooped her up into his arms and tightly embraced her. Laurie yawned and blinked several times before nestling her head onto Peter's shoulder and went back to sleep.
The officer looked over at Michael and then back to Peter, "He'll spend the night at the hospital where he'll be on guard until morning when he'd arraigned. Most likely he'll be sent to Smith's Grove Warren County Sanitarium…in the children's unit of course. We'll take care of him.
The words were of little comfort to Peter as he stared at his son. Michael turned his head and stared out at them. Peter couldn't speak as he watched the child. He tightened his grip on Laurie when he realized it was her who Michael was staring at. Peter felt his stomach knot as his son burned a hole in the car's window with his glare. Laurie had fallen asleep and was quietly breathing as Peter held her. One thought went through Peter Myers' mind as the squad car took off, 'You're not getting her too.'
Smith's Grove Sanitarium October 31st 2004 11:40 PM
"Lindsay, we have to move NOW!" Thom had already turned around and was yanking Lindsay's arm. Lindsay stood frozen in blind terror as she watched the menacing figure approach them. Lindsay nearly dropped the flashlight as her hands trembled. She looked back down at Mark, floating face first in the water, blood turning the water around him red. Michael was nearly on top of her; he raised his knife preparing to strike. Thom shouted, "Lindsay!" and tugged on her arm again. She snapped out of it and jumped back just as Michael brought the knife down. He missed her by mere inches.
Michael reached his other hand up out of the water, he was clutching Mark's rifle. He quickly swung the barrel end of the rifle and smashed the handle into the side of Thom's head. Thom flew to the left right side of the sewer tunnel and hit Lindsay along the way. Lindsay heard a loud crack as Thom hit the tunnel wall. Michael tossed the rifle to the side as Lindsay rushed to Thom's side, "Jesus get up!" Thom opened his eyes and painfully looked up at Lindsay who was holding the flashlight up with a shaky hand and pointing at the menace in front of them.
Thom shook his head and clutched his jaw, his lip was bleeding. Thom snarled at Michael and lunged forward. He punched Michael in the face, "Die you fucker!" Thom's angry shouts echoed in the dim tunnel. Thom laid out an assault of punches and blows on Michael's face chest and stomach. Michael simply stood there like a statue, staring at Thom as if completely un-phased by the attacks.
Thom slowed down and quickly reached down for the rifle before backing up and looking at Michael with an almost 'I dare you' expression. He aimed the rifle at Michael and said, "Give us a head start eh fuck face?" He pulled the trigger and shot Michael square in the chest. Michael stepped back and brought his free hand up to his chest. Blood began filling the crevasses between the shapes' fingers. Michael looked down at his wound and then brought his head back up to look at the two terrified people. Michael started walking forward completely disregarding his bleeding bullet wound; after all, it wasn't the first one he'd received tonight.
Thom's eye twitched and he let out a nervous laugh as Michael walked towards him and Lindsay. Lindsay backed up in fear and tripped over her own jelly legs. She fell on her butt and looked up at Michael from the murky water. Lindsay let out a yelp as her knee bumped into Mark's body. Thom backed up and started to speak to Lindsay, "We need to start running right about now." Thom turned and harshly yanked Lindsay to her feet as the shape came towards them like a robot programmed to kill.
Thom and Lindsay began running back through the tunnel they had just come from. Thom looked behind him as he pulled Lindsay along. Michael pushed Mark's body aside and began pursuing them. He was right behind them and moving fast. "Don't look back!" Thom shouted to Lindsay as she tried to keep up.
Michael was only feet behind Lindsay as they waded through the waist high water. Lindsay suddenly screamed and fell behind as Michael grabbed her by her ankle and yanked her back. Thom turned and saw Michael pulling Lindsay back, "No! Let her go!" Michael looked up at Thom who stared at the shape with pleading eyes. Michael tilted his head back and forth before raising his knife into the air. Thom had to think quickly, he couldn't waist any more bullets until he knew he could get a clean shot. Lindsay screamed and thrashed around as the pressure around her ankle tightened. She heard the bones in her leg cracking and started to cry.
Thom quickly dived under the water and Lindsay shouted, "Thom!" Thom was under water searching the ground with his hands trying to find something, anything to use as a weapon. He felt a large heavy object and grabbed it before coming back up to the surface. Thom looked at his hand and saw he had found a large brick that had been dislodged from the tunnel wall. He pulled his arm back, prayed his aim was good, and hurled the brick at Michael.
A loud crack echoed through the tunnel as both Michael and Lindsay were thrown backwards. Thom ran over to Lindsay worried that he'd hit her, "Lindsay! Are you ok?" Lindsay got up and quickly stumbled back into the water, "Shit my ankle, I think it's broken." Thom knelt down and helped her out of the water. She reached up and wrapped her left arm around his neck and he picked her up off the ground. Once balanced, Thom wrapped an arm around Lindsay's waist to steady her.
Lindsay looked down behind her and saw Michael on his back; blood running from a gash in his mask. Thom poked Michael with the rifle. The shape didn't move as he sank beneath the water like a stone. Thom grabbed Lindsay by the hand as he said, "I didn't buy us much time, we'd better get going." Lindsay nodded and said, "Thanks." They began moving further into the tunnel from which they'd come from.
Thom turned to Lindsay, "Here, take the rifle and give me the flashlight." Lindsay handed it over and clutched the rifle for security as they pushed through the cold water. Thom aimed the flashlight ahead of them, "We're going to end up back in the crossroads. There were three tunnels, maybe we could choose another one." Lindsay replied, "No, we can't risk it. We might just get more lost. We have to find another way and soon, I can't go on much further." Thom was silent a moment and the only noise in the tunnel was the loud splashing of water.
Lindsay broke the silence, "Thom? I uh, Mark…" She trailed of and Thom quickly replied, "I know." Lindsay put her hand on his shoulder and said, "I know he was a good friend of yours." Thom looked at her and she saw the sadness in his eyes. Lindsay leaned in and brushed away some of his stray bangs which had been in his eyes. Thom quickly turned away and said, "The only thing we can do is get out of here and find Stephen and John. We'll have to go back to the beginning."
Lindsay let out a painful cry as she stepped onto her bad foot, "Please, we can't go that far. I wont make it." Thom looked at her and helped her keep steady. He pulled her closer to him with his arm and felt her body, it was quite cold. Thom noticed that she was shivering. He realized he was shivering too; they needed to get out of the water before they got hypothermia.
Thom realized something and looked at Lindsay while she limped forward, "Wait a minute, the manhole! There was a manhole just past the crossroads. That ladder that Mark…he tried to show us another way out. It's our best shot." Lindsay winced in pain and said, "Ok, but let's hurry. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to walk."
Back in the murky tunnel, the sheriff of Haddonfield was floating face first in sewage when he suddenly woke up. He flung his head up out of the water and violently began sputtering and gasping for air. He felt a sharp pain in his arm but his shoulder was completely numb. Mark was blind in the pitch-black tunnel save for the white spots dancing in front of him from the blood loss.
It took every ounce of his strength for Mark to roll over onto his back. He coughed again and felt a slight tinge of blood in his mouth. As Mark slipped in and out of consciousness, he began to realize what had happened. Although his memories were fragmented and slightly hazy, Mark remembered who his attacker was. Myers, he had stabbed him and left him to die, luckily the knife had missed his heart and lungs and only penetrated muscle. Mark tried to move his arm, he tried to tighten his fist but neither would move.
Mark felt water dripping on his face from the pipes above him. He strained to see something, anything, but it was too dark. All he could hear were the dripping water streams and his own shallow breathing. Sheriff Grayson knew it was only a matter of time before his wounds succumbed to infection. He needed to get out of this filthy water. He may not have been mortally wounded, but the stab wounds in his shoulder were deep and he was losing blood, not to mention the bacteria in the water were freely entering the angry openings.
Mark tried to sit up but the straining on his arm and chest was too painful. He slowly reached out his right arm; the uninjured of the pair; and tried to get a hold of the tunnel wall, or a pipe, anything to give him leverage so he could attempt to stand up. All he could feel was the cold damp air around him. Mark was too far away from the tunnel's sides; there was nothing for him to grab a hold of. He did feel his body slowly moving forward though, towards the tunnel from which Michael had emerged. He closed his eyes and tried to reserve his strength by taking long calming breaths.
Mark could feel the tunnel's current from what he assumed was sewage draining out into the lake. As Mark floated through the tunnel, he thought about his wife Grace and their daughter. He prayed they were all right and that he'd see them again. Mark also said a silent prayer for Thom and Lindsay. He hoped they hadn't met up with Myers though he doubted that. Mark hoped that Thom and Lindsay got out of here ok and that Thom found his son.
Unfortunately at this point in time, there was nothing he could really do to help his friend. All Mark could do was hope that the current swept him into an open tunnel. If he reserved his strength enough until then, he may just have enough to climb out of the water when he reached a tunnel exit.
While Mark was holding on for dear life, Thom and Lindsay were trying to escape the sewer. Thom had begun to move faster as his adrenaline; and his fueled desire to find his son; gave him a boost of energy. He knew there was only a little ways more before they got to the tunnel with the bars leading up to that manhole. All he needed to do was push the cover open and they'd be free.
Lindsay was having trouble keeping up with Thom, her ankle was cracked and swollen and hurt like hell to move on. Thom had been helping her along but she'd loosened herself from his grip. She could walk on her own; at least, she thought she could. Michael had really crushed his hand around her ankle; it felt like it would shatter into pieces if she stepped on it wrong.
On top of that, Lindsay was exhausted; between the fiasco at Ridgemont and driving back into town, then all the commotion at Thom's house. Lindsay had already exerted so much energy earlier in the night when she and Stephen had to escape from the ambulance, and then she had carried the child until she herself was ready to pass out. She'd been shocked into unconsciousness with a tazer and imprisoned, and now she had been traveling for what seemed like forever in these wretched tunnels.
Lindsay had seen what Michael was capable of back when she was a child but tonight was different. Tonight she had witnessed his wrath on a more visceral level. She had met his past victims in person and seen how he'd ruined their lives. John, Kara, Sara, Dan, they'd all met Myers and survived, but, they were all different because of it. She was different.
Tonight; on the night of Samhain; Lindsay had watched in horror as Michael killed the three paramedics in her ambulance as well as their driver and all four occupants of the other ambulance. Lindsay had seen what Michael had done to Mark; in her mind he was dead. Her and Thom's only hope was to find that manhole and get the hell out of there. Lindsay glanced behind her; she saw nothing but the blackness…it was eerily fitting. After everything she had seen tonight, this felt almost calm.
"Lindsay! Unless your plans include meeting a gruesome demise, I suggest we try and hurry." Thom looked back at her and she grew stern, "I am not a child Thom! You don't have to talk to me like one." She trudged forward and quickly winced. She bit her tongue to avoid crying out in pain, she was not about to let Thom know how much pain she was in. She'd be fine as soon as they got out, got Stephen and John, and got to the nearest hospital. 'Wait a minute,' she thought, 'this whole place is a god damn hospital!' There must have been close to a thousand patients here at this facility.
"We're here, Linz, look." Thom pointed upwards as the two of them emerged from the claustrophobic tunnel. They had arrived back in the canyon they were in earlier. Sure enough, the rusty ladder bars led straight up past a sealed ledge and beyond that, a manhole in the ceiling. Lindsay's eyes traveled the ceiling and it's surrounding pipes. What she hadn't noticed earlier in their haste was a large drainpipe jutting out from the wall near the ladder. It was a huge pipe with a rusted handle near it.
Thom noticed the pipe as well and said, "What is it for?" Lindsay was breathing raggedly as she spoke, "Flood valves. It's, it's a drainpipe to let the water in the upper levels drain into the tunnels. It basically flushes the rainwater out of the streets, through the tunnels and out into the lake. They're for emergencies, in case the building's flooding." Lindsay was exhausted, she needed to rest and soon. She could feel the constant running taking its toll on her.
Without a moment's hesitation, Thom stuck the flashlight in his mouth and walked over to the ledge below the ladder bars. He used his upper arm strength to climb up onto the ledge and then reached out for the handlebars. He grabbed one and tugged on it to make sure it was sturdy, it was. Thom then lifted his foot and placed it up on the bar and pulled himself onto the ladder. He started climbing slowly as not to break any bars.
Lindsay looked around and then started limping towards the ledge. She tossed the rifle up over the ledge and then reached up and felt her hands go over the top of the ledge. She started using her upper arm strength to try and pull herself up. She was too tired however and found it very difficult to climb up. She called up to Thom, "Be careful, some of those bars are almost completely rusted through." Thom looked back at her and muffled a reply. He clenched the flashlight in his teeth as he continued to climb.
As Lindsay continued to try and climb up onto the ledge, she failed to notice a dark shape materializing in the darkness of the tunnel entrance. Michael slowly stepped forward out of the black void. His breathing was deep and steady. The gash on his head had only slowed him down. Thom looked up and saw the manhole, it was getting closer. Thom got overly anxious and reached an arm up to push the manhole cover up of its base. His other hand made up for his weight shift by pulling harder on the bar. Unfortunately this was a slightly more corroded bar and it began cracking under the exertion forced on it.
Thom was so close, "Just a little further…almost there…" Just as he was about to touch the cover, the bar he was hanging on to broke of the sewer wall. Thom felt his body falling backwards. His legs still on the bar beneath him, he felt himself losing his balance. Thom shot an arm out just as he began to fall. His hand tightly wrapped around another bar and he found himself hanging of the edge of the ladder.
Lindsay had nearly hoisted herself up onto the ledge when she heard Thom's startled cry. She looked up and saw him begin to fall then catch himself. She gave a sigh of relief and pulled her good leg up onto the ledge. She was getting ready to pull herself the rest of the way up when Thom cried out. Thom had glanced down at Lindsay just to check on her when he saw Michael coming up behind her. In an effort to call out and warn her, Thom spat the flashlight out of his mouth, "Lindsay! Watch out, he's right behind you!"
Lindsay went pale and quickly looked behind her just as Michael lunged forward and grabbed her already cracked ankle. He violently yanked her back and she was nearly pulled right off the ledge. Lindsay screamed as her fingernails were ground into the brick ledge. Michael lifted his other arm up and prepared to plunge his knife into Lindsay when she used her free leg to kick him in the face. Lindsay tried to climb further up onto the ledge and grab the rifle. Michael rammed his knife down at her thigh but missed and pinned his knife through her long coat and into the brick ledge.
Lindsay was pinned to the ledge by her damp overcoat. She started to pull it off as Michael tried to yank his knife out of the ledge. Lindsay looked up at Thom who looked about ready to jump off the ladder and tackle Michael. She cried out. "No! The drainpipe! Turn it on!" Thom glanced to his left and saw the rusty handle wheel. It hadn't been turned in years. Thom reached forward with his left arm and felt the ladder creak. He quickly climbed up several steps and tried again. He was still out of reach, "Shit!" He cursed as he reached forward as far as his arm would let him. He crawled forward and leaned so far off the ladder that only his right hand and right leg were holding him on.
Lindsay struggled to get out of her overcoat as Michael continued to crush her ankle in his hand. She finally pulled herself up onto the ledge and tore her overcoat free from the knife just as Michael freed his weapon from the ledge. Thom finally reached the wheel and began twisting it with his free hand. He felt the rusty handle fragments dig and cut into his hand as he turned it. Thom and Lindsay heard a low grumbling; the entire cavern began to creak slightly. Michael was preparing to stab Lindsay again when he too heard the loud rumbling. Michael looked up at the drainpipe just as it exploded into a stream of water that jetted at him with the force of a hundred trucks.
Lindsay felt a sudden pull as the water swept out of the pipe and into the cavern. The current of sewer water raced through the abandoned tunnels. Michael grabbed onto the ledge to keep from being swept away. Lindsay used every ounce of strength she had and finally pulled herself up onto the ledge. She grabbed the rifle and ran up to the bars. She looked up to Thom and called out, "Hurry! He's coming!" Thom could barely hear her pleas under the loud thunder of the crashing floodwater. Lindsay started climbing upwards. She stuck the rifle under her arm and climbed up the rusty bars. Thom began climbing back up the ladder. The added weight of a second person took its toll on the ladder however and it began to shake and break free form the wall.
Michael had climbed up onto the ledge and grabbed a hold of the first ladder bar. He pulled on it with an inhuman strength and it broke right off the wall. Lindsay was about half way up the ladder and Thom was two bars away from the top when it happened. The shaking became too great and the ladder began splitting away from the sewer wall. Thom tightened his grip around the top bar and shouted in surprise, "Brace yourself!" He watched in horror as the top several bars broke from the wall and the entire top portion of the ladder began slightly swaying backwards ready to collapse at any moment.
Thom felt a burst of adrenaline and quickly heaved all his muscle up into the ceiling. He crushed himself up against the manhole cover and began pushing. He felt the cover begin to pop off its base. Thom broke out in a sweat as he screamed in pain. He pushed as hard as he could almost tearing all the muscles in his back and shoulders. The manhole cover finally broke free and popped off its base. Thom was free! He climbed up out of the manhole and pushed his arms up and on to the firm ground around him.
Thom felt a sudden jerk as the ladder gave way under his feet. He heard a shrill scream and looked down beneath. There he saw Lindsay fearfully looking up at him as the ladder fell backwards. His aerial view saw the ladder falling towards the water below with Lindsay still hanging on. She thrust the rifle up into the air and clutched both hands on the bar above her. Thom caught the rifle and threw it up and onto the surface floor. Michael was on the ledge ready to slaughter whom ever fell at him. Thom hoisted his arms up to brace himself then called to Lindsay, "Reach for my legs!"
Lindsay felt a wave of vertigo sweep over her trembling body as she looked down and saw the ground far below. She was trapped on the top half of a ladder which had already dislodged itself from the wall. She was hanging over the ground like a worm on a hook and the shark was below her ready to feed.
Lindsay reached her arm upwards towards Thom's legs but they were too far away. She only had one chance; it was now or never, "God give me strength." Lindsay leapt upwards as hard as she could. In a massive leap of courage, Lindsay reached her arms forward and grabbed Thom's legs. Thom didn't need another moment's notice; he pulled himself up out of the manhole and helped Lindsay climb out as well.
Just as this happened, the ladder broke the rest of the way and came crashing towards Michael. Michael was still looking up at Thom and Lindsay far above him as he stepped out of the crashing ladder's path. He may have avoided being crushed by the falling metal, but as it crashed, it tore the ledge to rubble. The ledge Michael was standing on collapsed and he fell right into the path of the drainpipe's tyrannical shower.
The blast of water hit Michael like a bus and he was pushed into the water like a rag doll being sprayed with a fire hose. Michael may have been an unstoppable killer, a force of nature if you will, but even he could not withstand the mighty force of a flood. Michael was swept away into the flooding tunnels along with hundreds of drowning rats.
Lindsay felt Thom straining to pull her out of the manhole. He yanked her back ad they fell up and out onto the ground. Thom fell hard on his back and Lindsay collapsed right on top of him. Thom's eyes widened as she fell on top of him. Lindsay passed out from exhaustion before she could even realize how awkward their position was. Lindsay fell limp in Thom's arms and the two of them just lie there on the ground breathing hard. Both exhausted, but both relieved to still be alive…even if only one of them was still conscious.
Stephen Lloyd felt his world begin to break at the seams. He had already watched his once happy care-free childhood begin to slip away from him as the ugly truth carved it's way into his life. But now, at this moment, the child literally felt his life crumbling around him. That…thing next to the mean man was his mommy? That wasn't true…it couldn't be.
"You're LYING!!!" Stephen screamed in anger as tears began pouring down his face. His lips quivered as he began crying. His tiny hands trembled with rage as he struggled to break free from his confines. Dr. Wynn lifted an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. He released Jamie's skull from his grasp and walked over to Stephen. Terrence squatted down and rested his hands on his knees. He looked up into Stephen's fuming eyes and said matter-of-factly, "Son, you really shouldn't be calling me the liar. I'm not the one who kept such an important secret from you. And what a secret it is. Your own parents…lying to you from the day you were born."
John shouted out to Stephen, "Don't listen to him Stephen. He's an evil man! Don't trust a thing he says." Wynn stood up and reached his hand into his coat pocket. He pulled out a small remote control and aimed it above the row of corpses. He pushed a button and a large projector screen came rolling down. A cult member from the large group walked into the back of the room and flicked a switch on a control panel. The lights went out only to cast the room in a reddish orange glow from the flickering candles. Wynn pushed another button on the remote and the screen lit up.
John and Stephen where bathed in the blue glare of the movie theatre sized screen hanging above the slaughtered Myers clan. Terrence looked at John and then at Stephen. The wicked man smiled and said, "We keep all of our patients under twenty-four hour watch. Our cell monitors record everything that happens." Wynn pushed play and the screen came to life.
John struggled in his chair as he watched through what must have been a security camera. The bottom right side of the screen read '#11651 10/31/04' Stephen held his breath in shock as they watched. It was Lindsay, struggling to break free from several ropes binding her down. She looked around the room in fear as she realized where she was. John and Stephen grimaced as they watched her thrashing to break free.
Dr. Wynn pushed a button on the remote and the image changed to a new recording. Now the label was 'surveillance 11781 10/29/04' John's eyes widened in anxiety when he saw his beloved fiancée Molly appear on the screen. From the positioning of the camera, John knew they were watching from inside a vehicle of some sort. Rain was pouring outside the vehicle which looked to be driving slowly past an airport entrance.
Thom tightened his fists in anger and fear as the camera focused and slowly zoomed in on Molly who was smiling to herself as she stood out front. She was talking on a cell phone. The camera picked up on the conversation and John felt tears in his eyes as he heard molly speak, "I'm kind of stuck at the airport and it's raining so could you please call me back? I'm going to call a cab and get a room at the nearest hotel ok? Call me soon! I love you" The screen echoed Molly's words and Stephen looked at John with sympathy in his eyes. This must have been John's girlfriend, he thought, John and Daddy had never managed to find her.
The screen showed Molly looking out into the street before turning and walking back into the airport. John closed his eyes and prayed harder than he'd ever prayed, 'get on a plane please god let her get on another plane. She gave up and went home…just let her be home right now' John opened his eyes and watched as Wynn fast-forwarded. The screen showed the vehicle interior, the airport outside the van window sped up as the van appeared to drive around to the back of the airport. Wynn continued to fast forward until the screen showed Molly walk out of the back end of the terminal.
John looked up at the movie screen with a childlike fear in his eyes. His nose was wet and hit eyes were glistening with tears. Wynn pushed play again and the tape resumed. The camera moves slightly as movement happened inside the van. The sound of a car door opening filled the room. Molly was in the distance standing in the rain looking down at her California blouse. She started walking off across the parking lot when she tripped over her heals. John felt the tears falling freely as he watched Molly stand back up. She continued walking until she looked at the van. It almost appeared as if she were looking right at the screen, right at John.
John watched in anguish as Molly started walking towards the camera, looking around as she did so. John sniffed and began choking out pleas, "C'mon Molly, turn back. Get away, don't come any closer. Damn it Molly!" Molly was now at the van window looking inside the vehicle. Molly's face lit up the movie screen as she peered around inside the van, "Ok Molly, too tired to play around, you need sleep and lots of it." Molly back up and peered off screen. She started walking away from the van when she tripped again. Molly was no longer in view except for her hand bracing herself along the window sill.
All John could hear was Molly say, "Fuck it." There was a pause and then suddenly a loud scream. John shouted out at the screen as he heard his lover's cries, "God! Molly!!" John struggled to see what the hell was happening but the way the camera was positioned inside the van only allowed him to see what was happening right outside the van window.
John's heart was pounding inside his chest as he saw Molly coming back into view. She was struggling to stand up. She began limping away in pain and turned back to look at the van. She was staring in horror at something off screen. Molly screamed, "Oh my god!" Molly turned away and started limping back towards the airport. John cried out in fear when he saw her bloody foot. "Get away Molly! Don't turn back!" John stopped breathing as Molly turned back and looked around in fear.
The camera which must have been filming from the backseat stared at the woman as she ran back towards the van. Molly ran right off screen but the sound still caught her movements. Her hard breathing got louder as she came around to the other side of the van. The vehicle moved slightly as she leaned up against it, right behind the camera. John cried out in utter fear and sadness. All anybody could hear was the sound of molly's fearful breathing as she seemed to just…wait. Footsteps could be heard and suddenly the Shape came into view as he walked around the front of the passenger window, right past the camera. John screamed, "NOOO!"
Stephen and John watched in terror as the Shape walked past the window and out of view again. The camera moved slightly as movement stirred the van. Molly had climbed into the van and half of her body could be seen on the left side of the movie screen. Her ragged breathing was the only sound filling the cult ceremonial room. All the cultists were deathly quiet and Dr. Wynn didn't make a sound. The movie screen glowed as Molly began struggling to move the gear shift. Only half of her was showing still and John struggled to make out what was happening. His heart broke as he heard her start to cry.
John and Stephen were both leaning forward peering at the screen trying to see what was going on. They both jumped in their seats suddenly when a loud crash echoed through the room. Molly's terrified screams resonated as she was pulled off screen. The sound of the van door slamming shut was followed by a loud crack. Then another, both accompanied by Molly's anguished cries.
A third crash shook the van. The camera picked up and fragments of glass as the window shattered inwards. John was trembling and crying as blonde curls went flying, barely touching the left hand side of the screen, Molly's face could partially be seen on the lower left hand side of the screen. John was crying out loud as he heard Molly's last words, "Nooo"
Terrence paused the tape and the blurred paused image of Molly's face peeking out form the side of the screen stayed frozen in place. John's head fell downwards as he began to sob to himself. Terrence spoke out, "I thought we should stop there as well…it gets a little messy from then on out." John lost himself in his own sobs. He could barely breath, his cries filled his throat.
Dr. Wynn pushed another button on the remote and the image changed. John looked up at the screen and stopped crying. He watched in curiosity as a girl was in view on the screen. Like Lindsay, this girl was also in a cell although she wasn't tied down like an animal. No, this girl was roaming freely about; rather restlessly at that; in her cell. John read the label at the bottom right of the screen and gasped. It said 'Lloyd #737 05/17/90' John looked back at the girl, she was no older than ten or eleven. She bashed her head up against a wall and began crying, "Let me out! Please! Dr. Loomis where are you!" The girl looked up at the screen with tear stained eyes, "Somebody…please help me."
John realized who the girl was and spoke, "Jamie…" Dr. Wynn looked at John and smiled. John looked over at Stephen who was watching screen. He had no idea that the girl on the screen was his mother. Stephen read the caption however and turned pale. John knew that Stephen had figured it out. The little boy looked at the girl on the screen, and then at the corpse below. Stephen's lips quivered as a tear ran down his left cheek.
The image on the screen changed. Now, the caption read 'Lloyd #859 12/18/92. Jamie was a little older, maybe twelve or thirteen. Her hair was still long but her eyes, the girls eyes had changed. Jamie's eyes had grown more…maddened. She stared at the floor of her cell with a delusional expression on her face. Suddenly, Jamie started laughing, "Hahaha! They're all gonna die! Hahaha!" Jamie wrapped her fingers around her long black hair as she laughed. Drool began falling from her lips as she shouted, "HAHAHA! He's gonna kill all of them!" She began pulling on her hair. Her laughter growing increasingly more maniacal. She ripped two clumps of hair right from her scalp. John winced at the gruesome sight.
The image changed again, now the caption read 'Lloyd 16662 01/15/95. Jamie was sitting quietly on her bed huddled in a ball. Her vacant stare not focused on anything, she was just zoning out. She twirled a loch of hair and amused herself when the door to her cell opened. Jamie sat up surprised and her expression changed to horror and anger. Three doctors entered her room along with a nurse with blonde hair. The doctors grabbed Jamie by the arms as she kicked and screamed, "No! Please don't do this! Let me go!" They held her down while the nurse approached her. She took out a needle and injected something into Jamie's arm. Jamie's words became slurred, "Please don't let them do this to me…" Jamie fell unconscious and the doctors carried her out of the cell.
John looked at Dr. Wynn and shouted angrily, "What he fuck did you do to her!" Dr. Wynn smiled at John and pointed to the screen and said, "This." The screen changed to another date 'Lloyd 17136 07/11/95' Jamie was sitting on her bed rocking back and forth. Her hair was cut short now most likely to keep her from pulling it out. She was talking quietly to herself, trying not to cry as she rubbed her hands over the large bulge in her stomach, "I'm sorry mommy. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry Rachel…please forgive me." The pregnant girl sighed and looked at her stomach.
Jamie smiled and then looked up at the screen and lifted her middle finger, "You're not going to win." She lifted her hands and balled them into fists. Jamie brought her fists down hard on her stomach and let out a painful cry as she punched herself in the stomach. She punched herself again and again. Jamie was trying to kill the baby inside her to prevent it from succumbing to the same fate as her and everyone else in her family. Jamie turned to her bed and ripped her hand into her mattress. She pulled out a spring and tried to bend it into a spear. She aimed and was about to stab herself in the stomach when two doctors came in and struggled to stop her. One of them punched her in the face to knock her out. The other guard said, "We'll have to put her in a straight jacket again."
The image changed one last time to a new caption which read 'Lloyd 17759 10/30/95.' Jamie was sitting on the floor of her cell looking at the floor. She was talking to her stomach, "I wont let them get you. Mary will help us, she has to. We wont let him get us ok?" Suddenly she arched her back and began screaming, "Oh god! Not yet! No, please wait until we get out! Ahh!" Jamie clutched her abdomen as the contractions started. The door opened and a group of doctors entered with a stretcher. Jamie looked up at their masked faces and pleaded, "No! Please, just let me go and I wont tell anybody. No! Don't take my baby!" She screamed again as another contraction started. The doctors lifted her up onto the stretcher and strapped her in. She screamed in agony as they wheeled her out of the room.
Dr. Wynn stopped the tape and looked at John, "And you wanted to know…" Wynn pointed at Jamie's corpse and said, "Now you know." Dr. Wynn turned and looked at Stephen. The child was sniffling back tears. Wynn put the remote back in his pocket, "That was nine years ago as of midnight last night. Happy birthday Stephen." Stephen began kicking and screaming, "It's not true! It's not true!"
A security guard suddenly walked up to Dr. Wynn, "Sir, Dr. Wallace and Thom Doyle are on the ground floor, they're right next to C wing of the patient ward." Dr. Wynn lifted an eyebrow, "What about Michael." The security guard coughed and muttered. Wynn grew frustrated, "Well spit it out man!" The guard leaned in and said, "That's the other thing sir. We detected a change in the water pressure and well, the whole sewer's been flooded. We can't locate Myers or the Sheriff."
Dr. Wynn glared and looked at the guard, "Well find him! And don't let Dr. Wallace or Doyle escape the building. I want them both dead!" The guard turned and ran off in a hurry as Wynn looked at his brethren. The bowed and began chanting in Latin. Wynn smiled and looked back at John. John was staring out into empty space with the most sorrowful look on his face. John was utterly broken. Watching his lover die had shattered his mind and spirit. All that was left inside him was emptiness. A hole that could only be filled with vengeance.
While John and Stephen sat in shock and sorrow, Thom was desperately fighting to save his son. "Lindsay! C'mon we have to keep moving!" Thom had managed to stand up and was tugging on Lindsay's right arm. Dr. Wallace groaned and opened her eyes. The fatigued battered woman stood up and leaned on her good leg. Thom clutched the rifle and looked around their surroundings. They were in some kind of loading dock.
Lindsay groggily looked around, she noticed the open manhole behind her and gasped. Thom looked and gently put his hand on her shoulder, "It's ok, he's gone. Washed away like a rat." Lindsay smiled wearily and said, "When will this night end…" Thom brought his hand up under her chin and lifted her lowered eyes up to meet his, "Hey, you did good…" Lindsay blushed and stared into Thom's deep eyes.
Lindsay snapped back to reality and looked around, "We're in the loading docks. This is where patients get dropped off or picked up for transfer. We're so close to the central offices!" Lindsay, thinking she had gained her second wind began running towards the exit. Thom watched as she stepped on her bad leg; cursed out loud; and fell onto her knees. He walked over to her and helped her up, "We need to get to the basement again. I know Wynn's cult is down there, that's where they were before." Lindsay rummaged through her damp coat pockets and pulled out a dripping key card. She ran it through the door's slot and it clicked.
Lindsay turned to Thom and said, "Um, I think you should know…" Thom cocked his head and lifted and eyebrow, "What?" Lindsay blinked and said, "We're going to have to go through one of the patient wards. It's not like the one I was in. That one looked as if it had been abandoned for years…" Thom sighed and held the rifle steady, "Well let's go." Lindsay turned back and opened the door.
As Thom followed, he thought about his past. What he hadn't mentioned to Lindsay; what she already knew from her background check on him; was that Thom had spent several years in a mental hospital shortly after the horrifying events of 1978. He had been committed by his parents after suffering from severe post traumatic stress. Thom had never told anyone this, not even Kara. He knew seeing those patients; hearing those screams and babblings; was going to be difficult but Thom was determined to find Stephen. He'd walk through the gates of hell for his son.
Thom and Lindsay traveled deeper into the recesses of Smith's Grove, completely unaware of the macabre nightmare that awaited them. All the while, John and Stephen grew closer and closer to the moment of truth, to be killed; sacrificed by a group of delusional people led by a maniacal self proclaimed messiah. What none of them could have realized was that back in Haddonfield; in the shattered confines of Thom's own home; Kara was become more and more vulnerable to the evil growing inside her son.
TBC
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Only a few more to go and you wont believe what I have in store for these folks! Keep those awesome reviews coming, I love em! Even the criticisms are welcome, I like to get input!
Lizz