Chapter 1
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October 27th
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It was only four days until Halloween. Turner Classic Movies was showing all of the old Universal horror films this week. Tonight, with her parents out for the night, Mary planned to order pizza and watch the original Dracula with Bela Lugosi. But this night, she would get an unexpected call, one she would never forget, for the rest of her life. She answered it instinctively, didn't bother checking caller ID.
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Mary: Hello?
Caller: Is this Sydney?
Mary: There's noone here by that name.
Caller: I'm sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number.
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The caller hung up, didn't even bother leaving his name. At least Mary was pretty sure it was a man. Then there was a knock on the door. Maybe it was the darkness, or the mysterious caller, but Mary got a little nervous. She looked out the window, it was the pizza delivery boy. Mary opened the door, with the locks still in place. She handed him a twenty and asked him to leave the pizza outside. The delivery boy understood, in this day in age many were hesitant to open their doors to any stranger, and Mary was more polite about this than others. After he left Mary got the pizza and began eating it. The phone rang again, this time she checked, no name or number appeared. Mary let it go to voicemail, and listened to his message.
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Caller: Hey Sydney, I'm calling the number you gave me last night, but they say you're not in.
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Mary decided to answer and let him know again.
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Mary: Sir, there's noone named Sydney at this address.
Caller: Sorry to bother you, I guess she gave me a fake number. Guess I should take the hint.
Mary: I'm sorry to hear that.
Caller: Not your fault, you sound nice. What's your name?
Mary: I'm not really comfortable giving out that information over the phone.
Caller: Fair enough, Mary.
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Mary was suddenly very frightened. Who was this guy, why was he harrassing her?
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Mary: How do you know my name?
Caller: I know more than that. I know you're 16, your father's a cop, but your parents aren't here.
Mary: Here?
Caller: Maybe I'm the pizza delivery boy, maybe I'm just watching.
Mary: Hang up now or I'm calling the police.
Caller: They'll never make it in time.
Mary: For another cop's daughter they'll be here in five minutes.
Caller: Do you have any idea what I can do to you in five minutes?
Mary: What do you want?
Caller: To play a little game. You're watching a scary movie, you like scary movies?
Mary: Some of them.
Caller: I ask you one trivia question. You get it right, I walk away. You don't, then I have some fun. Unless you want to let someone else to take your place.
Mary: What do you mean?
Caller: Jill, your girlfriend.
Mary: How do you know about Jill?
Caller: The question you should ask is, how do I know about you. The answer is, I have ways of making her talk. She didn't want anyone to know about the two of you, afraid of her religious parents, or what your parents would say. But like I said, I have ways of making her talk.
Mary: Don't you touch her!
Caller: That's quite a lot of concern for someone who broke up with you, who never wanted anyone to know how much you cared for her. If this were a horror movie, a lesbian would probably be the first to die. That doesn't bode well for you, does it?
Mary: This isn't a horror movie.
Caller: But it's based on reality. You can't deny that gay women are targeted for violence more than heterosexual women.
Mary: So you're a homophobe?
Caller: Really just a psychopath. But, getting back to my game, I'm going to ask you a horror trivia question. You choose who's life is on the line, your or Jill's. You get it wrong, who am I going to kill?
Mary: Don't hurt Jill.
Caller: You really willing to risk your own life instead of her's?
Mary: Yes.
Caller: Very well. In the first "Friday the 13th" movie, who was the killer?
Mary: Jason.
Caller: Very good.
Mary: So that's it, you're not going to hurt me or Jill?
Caller: I'm a psychopath of my word.