"I can't believe your mother let you over," Tina commented to Glen as he dialled the phone, I watched distractedly as I curled up in front of the fire.
"Right, well, she didn't exactly..." Nancy shrugged.
"We have this cousin who lives near the airport," Glen informed her, "and it is okay for us to stay with him, right? So I found this sound effects CD at Liquorice Pizza and..." He stopped and flipped the switch of the CD player, "Hello, Mom?" he pressed play, "Yeah out here in Barry's, Cassie's with me."
A Jet engine sounded from the CD and Glen moved closer to make it louder, "Huh? Yeah, noisy as usual." He laughed, "She's upset obviously," I looked up and shook my head, "She says she's okay though. Yeah, Aunt Eunice is looking after her and says hello." Another Jet screamed on the tape. "Right, right... I'll call you in the morning. Right! Huh? Yeah sure, I huh?..."
He handed the phone to me and I moved closer to the noises, "Hello?" I asked loudly as the Jet screamed again, "I'm fine Mom... I'm obviously upset over it, he was my best friend. I just... I need a distraction and Barry's good with those." The CD went silent and I shot Glen a look. A car engine boomed making me jump and glare.
"What's that?" Mom demanded.
"Some stupid boys are drag racing outside," I replied after a pause. I winced at the sound of screeching breaks and a horrible crash before screaming. "Mom I've gotta go, I think there's been an accident I should phone the ambulance." With that I hung up just in time for the cassette to sound with machine guns and hand grenades.
"You're an ass," I pointed at Glen as he grinned; I let out a small giggle as Tina hugged me.
"You are an amazing liar," she complemented me; "I'll call you as my excuse from now on." I flipped the CD player off and hooked my iPod up to the speakers before playing some Michael Jackson. We all relaxed and I moved back to the fire to curl up again.
"Nice to have a fire," Nancy commented as Tina closed the drapes.
"Turn it up a little," Tina told me making me lean closer and turn the valve slightly, the fire climbed higher over the artificial coal and the others moved closer.
"Maybe we should call Rod and Quentin, have them come over?" Nancy suggested, "They might be jealous."
"Ack," I muttered.
"Rod and I are done," Tina commented making me look at her. "You didn't know?"
"When the hell did you get together in the first place?" I chuckled making her grin.
"Doesn't matter," she shrugged, "He's a maniac, we're done."
"He should join the Marines or something," Glen suggested, "They could make something of him. Like a hand grenade." I chuckled slightly.
"You feeling better?" Nancy asked curiously making me glance at her, I grimaced and nodded a little. "And you've forgotten your nightmare." She looked at Tina.
"All day long I've been seeing that guy's face," she replied, "and hearing those f..."
"Fingernails," I finished before looking at her, her eyes widened and Nancy gave us a shocked look too.
"That's amazing," Nancy muttered, "I had a dream last night, about this guy in a dirty red and green sweater." I looked at her and bit at my lip, "He walked into the room I was in, right, right through the wall, like it was smoke or something, and he just stared at me... sort of obscenely. Then he walked out through the wall on the other side. Like he'd just come to check on me."
"What about the fingernails?" Tina questioned.
"He scraped his fingernails along things... actually they were more like..." Nancy paused.
"Knives," I finished for her. "Like he's made them himself. And they make a noise..." the girls looked at me fearfully, knowing exactly what I was talking about. "Scrrreech," I imitated.
"We dreamed about the same creep," Tina commented as I looked at my burnt hand.
"That's impossible," Glen countered making the other two look at him.
"Dean dreamt about him too," I retaliated, "That's why he was so tired, he didn't want to sleep." SCREECH! My head snapped around at the faint sound, I stood up quick and Glen was right beside me.
"What?" Tina asked, scared.
"Nothing..." Glen started.
"There's someone out there..." I replied honestly. A distinct scraping sounds rang out, metal fingernails against the house. My jaw clenched and I gulped slightly. Turning my head I picked up one of the fire pokers and headed to the door, Glen stopped me.
"I'll go," he muttered to me before taking the poker off of me and heading out. "I'm gonna punch your ugly lights out, whoever you are!" He yelled as I stood by the door.
There was no answer but a bush rustled to the side and he spun around and came back inside as if he hadn't heard it. "Just a stupid cat," he commented.
"Then bring back its damn tail," I shoved him back out of the house making him edge towards the bush. SCREECH! He stopped and I slowly walked up to him.
"I don't have a cat," Tina commented and I gulped slightly before taking the poker from Glen and moving forward. As I approached a large figure emerged and darted past me, taking Glen down to the floor, another grabbed me from behind making me let out a yelp.
"And it is number thirty-six, Rod Lane, bringing Lantz down just three yards from the goal with a brilliant tackle," Rod commented as I scowled pulling from the grip of the guy behind me. "And the fans go wild!"
"You're a jackass," I snapped at him before turning to Quentin, "And so are you!"
"You okay?" he asked cautiously, his dirty blond hair falling into his eyes. I shrugged honestly and he gave me a sad smile before draping his arm around my shoulders and leading me back towards the house.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" Tina demanded as we reached her and Nancy.
"Well I came to make up with you," Rod replied with a smirk. "Your ma home?"
"Of course," Tina nodded, "Why're you here Quentin?"
"Checking on baby girl here," he replied as he pulled me closer to him. I smiled and leant my head on his shoulder.
"What's that?" Nancy asked, glancing at Quen's hand. I looked to see a hand rake which he scraped across the wall of the house. SCREECH! I shuddered slightly and burrowed closer to him.
"Intense huh?" Rod asked as he glanced around the four of us. "So what's happening, an orgy or something?"
"Maybe a funeral, you dickhead," Glen snapped making Rod spin around and pull a knife out. My eyes widened and I backed off slightly as flashes off Dean's death flooded into my mind.
"Just a sleepover," Nancy replied, "Tina, Cassie and me, Glen was just leaving." I watched as Rod eyed Glen before flipping his knife closed, I let out a small sigh before curling into Quentin again.
"You see his face?" Rod grinned as he draped his arm around Tina's shoulders. "Your ma ain't home, is she?" He glanced at us, "Me and Tina got stuff to do."
"Rod..." Quentin started but he'd already got himself and Tina halfway to the living room, heading into the darker part of the house.
"We got her mother's bed," he called back, "You four got the rest."
"We should get her out of here..." Nancy started as I pulled out of Quentin's hold. Tina darted towards us looking ruffled.
"You guys are hanging around, right?" she asked panicky. "Don't leave me alone with this lunatic," she giggled but it was fake, "Please?" With that she ran off again and Nancy glanced at me, I shrugged slightly.
"So we'll guard her tonight," Glen commented, glancing at Quentin he glared slightly.
"Come on," I muttered, pulling Quentin into the house behind me, Glen was still glaring but he let it go and sighed before looking at Nancy again and muttering to her.
"Are you okay?" Quentin asked me cautiously as we headed into the living room, huddling in the chair by the fire.
"I guess," I sighed as I cuddled against him, he wrapped his arms around me and held me close. "He was my best friend..." Quentin looked at me, "One of my best friends. I've known him just as long as I've known you."
He pulled me closer again as we tried to ignore Tina and Rod's moans, "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too," I muttered quietly as I ducked my face in his neck, he pressed a kiss to the side of my head and I sighed before closing my eyes, drifting off.
I heard a slight scoff as someone walked in to the living room making me crack my eye open to see Glen glaring at the two of us. "You keep your hands of my sister," he grumbled at Quentin who chuckled slightly. "I know you're just like Rod."
"I'm nothing like Rod," Quentin countered quietly, thinking I was asleep, "And I'd never hurt your sister. She means too much to me."
Glen grumbled again before getting blankets from the cupboard, tossing one over us two before curling up on the sofa. I let myself finally drift off properly, I was safe if Quentin and Glen were with me.
I was walking through that boiler room again, and I walked cautiously through it as I bit at my bottom lip. The furnaces weren't as blazing as usual and that meant he wasn't there... that man. "Cassie...?" a very familiar voice asked painfully making me gasp slightly and run towards the voice.
There he was, skewered on a hook like in a butcher's shop, "Dean," I whimpered, my gaze trailing the slit on his throat. "Oh Dean."
"You need to get out of here," he gasped out as a tear spilled down my cheek, "He's coming back..."
"I'm not leaving you," I whimpered slightly.
"Go back to Quentin," he ordered forcefully, "I don't want you to die too."
A scream rang out and I was suddenly stood in Tina's house again, stood by the front door. I could hear Tina screaming for help but that was impossible, this was my dream, not hers. A fist suddenly hammered against the wooden door in front of me. "Open the door! Nancy!" Tina's voice screamed making me back off slightly.
"She's still awake," a frightening voice chuckled, "Nancy can't hear you."
I heard her whimper and lurched forward, throwing the door open only for her to stagger back and disappear, the burnt man smirked at me before disappearing too. The screaming suddenly sounded from the bedroom and I darted for it, throwing the door open to see Tina and the man struggling on the bed, I whimpered at the sight.
"T-tina!" Rod's voice sounded from far away.
My eyes snapped open, Rod was screaming from next door and Glen groaned from the sofa, grumbling about being polite. "Does he have to be so loud?" Quentin smirked as I shot up from him.
"You mother fucker!" Rod suddenly yelled and I turned to run, only for Glen to grab my arm, "I'll kill you for that!"
Wrenching my arm from his grip I ran for Tina's mom's room, grabbing the door to try get in. It was locked. "Rod?" I screamed as tears streamed from my eyes, "Tina!" I was joined by Nancy, Glen and Quentin all of whom were confused as hell.
There was a sudden silence and Quentin pulled me back as Glen moved to the door, "Rod, you better not hurt her..." he demanded in a cracked voice.
A sudden laughing and sobbing erupted and the sound of breaking glass, at the sound Quentin passed me to Nancy and the two boys smashed the door in. I rushed past the two only to slip and land hard on the floor, whatever I'd slipped on was sticky and wet. "Oh my god," I choked out as I caught on to what it was.
The light was flipped on and I whimpered at the sight around me. There was blood everywhere, up the walls, over the clawed ceiling, soaking the bed and pooling on the floor where I had fallen. "Oh shit..." Quentin commented as I pushed myself off the floor and walked slowly to Tina's body. She was unmistakably dead.
"I... I'm gonna call the cops..." Glen commented before running from the room, Nancy followed quickly as my gaze stayed locked on Tina. A lone tear tracked down my cheek and a hand landed on my shoulder making me jump slightly.
"Come on," Quentin muttered, leading me out of the room and out of the house where we waited for the police.
Later that night/ early in the morning, I sat huddled in the centre of my bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of me. I could hear mom and Glen talking outside my bedroom, but not all of the words sank in. "...best friend..." I heard from Glen.
"...two of them in one night..." mom's voice broke through. "...poor baby, must be traumatised." Tears tracked down my cheeks as the images raced through my mind. Dean lying in a pool of his own blood and Tina lying on the ragged bed, also in her own blood.