Hi, y'all. It's JMD Nelson, and I've got a new story for y'all.
First and foremost, I'd like to thank each and every one of you who've read and reviewed my original Orphan 2: Esther's Revenge, and liked it! It means the world to me! Makes me feel like I'm doing something right!
Now, a LOT of you asked me to continue where I left off with it, with Max Coleman being kidnapped and there being a survivor found in the wreckage of the Coleman's new home.
To tell you the truth, there was a sequel, titled Orphan 3: The Glory of Love which I also wrote, with the survivor being the family matriarch Kate Coleman (Vera Farmiga), who's rescued and goes on the hunt to get her kidnapped daughter Max back and avenge her deceased son Daniel. Now, you're all probably thinking, "Why'd you take it down?" Simple reason; I took it down to rework Daniel back into the story, as a lot of people liked him and requested that I do so, so I did. Or at least, I tried to!
Sadly, upon writing this new version, my old computer crashed, so both versions of Orphan 3 are sadly forever lost. But, I will be remaking it too, eventually!
Now for tonight's story. Since there is an awesome new Orphan prequel movie out (Orphan: First Kill), I've decided to revisit my sequel story, and upon re-reading my older version of Orphan 2 (which was written back in 2009, when I was very inexperienced!), I've decided to completely redo it with my current skill and see if I could improve upon it and do things a bit differently this time around. Like I said, I was very inexperienced when I first wrote it, but I feel that I've sharpened my skills enough to do a newer, BETTER version of it. Plus, I'll be adding newer characters to this 2nd version, swapping out characters that didn't work and adding different ones in their place to make the story more competent!
Anyway, I've rambled on long enough. You're here for the horror, the danger, and the return of our beloved Esther Coleman!
All I can say is that, "It's been a while, Esther! It's good to see you again, my old friend!"
- JMD Nelson
Disclaimer: The author wishes to state for the record that all characters, song lyrics and likenesses to real people in said fanfiction work are the rightful properties of their proper copyrighted affiliates. Author takes NO ownership of ANY said copyrighted intellectual properties. Images were used without permission; however, this fan fiction was written for non-profit purposes and is not intended for sale, or re-sale.
Vera Farmiga, Gabriel Macht, Will Patton, Karel Roden, Emily Kinney, Kyle Gallner & Isabelle Fuhrman
ESTHER:
Orphan II
Written By: JMD Nelson
Based on 'Orphan' By: Warner Bros, eOne
& Dark Castle Films
Also Based on Story & Characters Created By: Alex Mace
& David Leslie Johnson
"An offended heart is the breeding ground for deception."
– John Bevere
Chapter 1:
Night at The Pond
Blackness.
Then the sound of a young girl's voice with a thick Russian accent.
"I know who I'm going to be this Halloween; I'm going to be Esther! And this time, you're all going to lose!"
The Coleman Residence
Hamden, Connecticut
November, 2009
The Coleman house sat as a giant, silent silhouette high above the numerous police cars and ambulances that sat parked in the home's driveway, their bright emergency lights dancing all about the Coleman's property. Uniformed policemen and the forensic team could be seen coming in and out the home's front entrance, as they pieced together the horrific events of that dreadful night. Yellow crime tape sealed off the entire perimeter as reporters and on-lookers watched from behind it, quietly murmuring as they traded rumors and speculations.
"Good evening, this is Leanne Garner with Channel 7 Local News," said a short reporter, her blonde hair hastily tied into a messy bun style, "Tonight we're reporting from in front of the Coleman family residence, where a violent incident has just occurred within the past half hour. Police aren't saying much yet, only that it may involve a homicide and multiple attempted murders. We hope to have more for you soon. Back to you in the studio."
Her camera guy then gave her the signal that they were no longer live. With that, Leanne sighed, lowered her mic, and glanced back at the Coleman house, before turning back to her camera man. She then snapped her fingers to get his attention, which she instantly got.
"Got a smoke, Eddie?" she asked, holding out her hand, not waiting for his answer.
"I thought you quit," her middle-aged cameraman Eddie said, adjusting his backwards cap, before digging into his coat. "Or was trying to quit."
"Sue me, I need one," Leanne said, trying unsuccessfully to hide her annoyance, her hand still outstretched. Eddie shrugged as he removed his pack of king-size light.
As he held the pack out to her, he saw that Leanne was then distracted by a very tall, slender, middle-aged African-American gentleman coming out of the Coleman residence, wearing a black overcoat, dark suit, and glasses. He was on his cell, and spoke with a deep, raspy voice. Seeing the local police captain, Leanne hurried away from Eddie, trotting up to the border of yellow crime scene tape. Eddie sighed and jogged after her, readying his camera equipment.
"Captain Thomas!" Leanne called, waving to him, "Captain Thomas! It's Leanne Garner, Channel 7! I was wondering-"
Captain Isaiah Thomas glanced at her, squinted to confirm who it was, rolled his eyes and continued with his conversation. He then ended the call, lowered his cellphone, and ducked back inside the Coleman home. Leanne held her arms up in dismay. Eddie suppressed a smirk.
"I know he heard me!" Leanne grunted, glancing around for confirmation from everyone present, but no one paid her any mind.
Leanne shook her head and then turned to Eddie who wasn't paying attention to her, as he was busy looking through his camera lens, which was pointed in the direction of the Coleman house. Leanne glanced down at the camera and followed it until she saw an ambulance with 2 people sitting in it, with a few medics looking them over, and asking questions.
One was a lovely, slender woman in her early 40's with long, layered brown hair, bright blue eyes and covered by a thick thermal blanket. It was Kate Coleman, the mother and wife of the Coleman family. The other was a small young girl, maybe about 5 or 6, with long, curly blonde hair and blue eyes, also wrapped in a blanket. It was Max Coleman, the family's youngest daughter. Max held her mother's hand, a vacant look on her face. Kate had her arm around her young daughter, as she talked with the medical team.
"What in God's name happened here, Eddie?" Leanne asked, staring at Kate and Max.
Elsewhere…
A black sedan drove silently through the night, where a fairly built, clean shaven young man, 37, with short blonde hair and dark brown eyes sat in the driver's seat. He wore a long black coat over a navy-blue suit, white dress shirt and black dress shoes.
Wild Strawberries' "I Don't Want To Think About It" quietly played on his car's stereo as he drummed his thumbs on the wheel.
"You rendered me unconscious… you cut my innocent face… I'm not really bitter, then again, I'm not amused… I just wanna kick you till you cry, I loved, I really loved you, I-I-I-I… I don't wanna think about it… I-I-I-I… I don't wanna think about it…"
He then pulled up to the Coleman home, got out and quickly began to make his way up the driveway towards the dark home. He eyed Leanne Garner and her cameraman standing behind the crime scene tape, with a patrolman standing guard to make sure that she didn't cross it, as she had a habit to do so on more than one occasion.
"Woman's a goddamn parasite," the detective muttered to himself.
The detective shook his head and approached a female detective, who was standing near the home's front entrance, reading the notes on her notepad. The man knew her as Detective Jennifer Goodwin, homicide, like him.
Goodwin was a short, slender woman with light brown wavy hair tied into a high-up ponytail, creamy white skin, with bright blue eyes. She had delicate facial features, and wore a light brown blazer, a white dress-shirt, black slacks, and black Italian boots. She glanced up in his direction, smiled and came over to him, lifting the crime tape up for him to pass under. The detective ducked under it, and entered the crime scene.
"Thanks Jenny, good to see ya," he said, heading inside.
"Didn't think you were going to show up tonight, Keegan," Goodwin teased, following him.
"Fashionably late, I guess," Det. Tim Keegan replied, as Goodwin followed after him into the Coleman home, "I was nearly home, but when duty calls, duty calls."
"Well, I'm glad you're here," Goodwin said, as they entered the living room area, "Because we've got quite a bloody mess in here. One dead, two alive, with one badly injured and another still missing. I'll get to that part in a moment."
Keegan and Goodwin spotted their superior Captain Thomas, standing by the living room staircase which led to the 2nd floor, talking with a forensic specialist. They were both looking down at a male body in his late 30's, which now lay sprawled out on the floor below them, stab wounds all over his chest and neck area, blood messily splattered all over him and pooling under him. Captain Thomas looked up as the 2 detectives approached him.
"Hey Keegan," Captain Thomas said with a nod, "Glad you made it."
"Hey, Boss" Keegan said, quickly shaking hands with his superior, then staring down at the body. Goodwin stared down at the body too. She then re-checked her notes.
"Name's John Coleman, graphic designer and architect," Goodwin read out, "He actually designed the very house we're standing in. He was 38, married to Katherine Coleman, father of 2. Well, 3. Hmmm…"
Captain Thomas glanced over at her, as Goodwin shuffled her notes.
"Is it 2 or 3, Goodwin?" He gruffly asked. Goodwin shrugged.
"It's 3," Goodwin said, reading through her notes, "The Colemans just adopted a kid a while back from Saint Mariana's Home For Girls. The kid is a young Russian girl named Esther Allbright. She was actually the one who killed Mr. Coleman here, and then tried to kill Mrs. Coleman and her youngest daughter Max. Apparently, the kid Esther had her neck broken by Mrs. Coleman, and then sank into the frozen pond out back. Retrieval team's going to cut through the ice and drag it for the kid's body."
Keegan stood, shaking his head. "Christ." He then glanced down at John's body. "Poor guy."
"Oh, that's not all," Goodwin continued, glancing up at them both, "Hang onto your fucking hats for this part, gentlemen; Mrs. Coleman said that their adopted daughter's not really a kid at all, but a fully grown escaped mental patient from Estonia. Leena Klammer, aged 33."
Keegan and Captain Thomas both stared at her and then frowned at each other.
"How the hell does something like that even happen?" Keegan asked, dumbfounded.
"We're looking into it right now," Goodwin said, "But I think it'll be a good while before we finally get the whole story pieced together."
Outside…
Kate Coleman sat in the back of an ambulance outside, holding her little daughter Max. Her eyes seemed empty as she stared off into space, her cheeks still wet from her tears. She sat on a gurney, covered by a thick thermal blanket. Max Coleman sat beside Kate, clinging onto her mother, looking as if she'd never let go.
Max then looked up at her mother, reaching up and wiping off her mother's wet cheeks with her thumb. Startled, Kate involuntarily jumped, before glancing down at Max. Kate then gave her daughter a warm, reassuring smile. She held her hands up and her fingers began to dance about as she signed a response to Max, who was a deaf-mute and only spoke and responded in sign language. Kate talked softly as she signed to Max.
"It's okay sweetie, she's gone," Kate said softly, "She's gone and she'll never hurt anyone else ever again!"
Max held up her hands and began to sign a response.
'Daddy's gone, too.'
Kate stifled a sob at this, and Max immediately covered her mouth in regret. Max quickly signed her a 'Sorry' before lowering her gaze. Kate's eyes closed as she tried to keep her breathing normal. She then opened them again as she felt Max tug slightly on her. Kate glanced down at her as Max signed another message to her, this one with a little more warmth.
'It's okay, Mommy. Daddy and Jessica are together now.'
Jessica was Kate and John's unborn daughter who died in the womb before Kate could give birth to her. She actually would've been Max's younger sister if she'd been born. Kate stared down at Max for a few moments, before she smiled.
"Yes, Max," Kate said, hugging her, "That's right! Together and safe in Heaven."
Max hugged her back as they sat there, waiting for departure. Kate then looked up to see the medics from the other ambulance wheeling out a white blanketed stretcher. It was John's body. Kate felt her heart break once more when she remembered finding John's body earlier that night. She had been so close to saving him, before he was so coldly murdered by Esther.
Max's sudden horrified sobs and moans startled Kate out of her pained thoughts. Kate looked down at Max, who jumped down from the back of the ambulance and took off towards the medics wheeling John's body away.
"Max, NO!" Kate shouted, bolting up after her and limp-jogging after her.
Max reached the medics before her mother, and pushed through them, with the medical team all being startled in surprise. Max reached under the sheet and grabbed her father's hand, clinging to it as she sobbed aloud. One of the medics tried to move her away from John's body.
"Hey, you can't be here, kid!" he barked, grabbing for her, "Go on!"
"Hey, don't touch her!" Kate barked back as she pushed through the medics.
"Let them through," came a stern voice from behind the medical team. Everyone turned to see Keegan come walking over, showing his badge. He was followed closely by Goodwin. Kate pulled away from a few of the medics who were trying to restrain her, and put a hand on Max's shoulder. Keegan held the medical team at bay, as they protested his intervention.
"Let's try to have some compassion here, people," Keegan said to everyone within earshot. A murmuring fell over the medical team, followed by silence.
Keegan then glanced down at Max, who was hanging onto John's hand as she wept. Keegan sighed and then knelt down beside the young child, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. Max slowly looked at him, her eyes shiny and full of tears. Keegan smiled kindly at her and nodded.
"You're a brave little girl, Max," Keegan said. Max stared at him and then glanced up at Kate, who signed to her what Keegan was saying. "You protected your mom, and you both worked together to come out of this thing. You're braver than most adults I know."
Max's eyes lowered and signed a response while still holding John's hand. Keegan stared at her, then looked up at Kate for a translation.
"She said that she couldn't save her daddy," Kate said, lowering her eyes as well. She sighed, closed her eyes, and fought back her own tears. She then signed a response to Max as she spoke aloud. "No Max, this one's on me."
Max shook her head at her, before looking at Keegan, who smiled at her once more.
"It's no one but Esther's fault, Max," Keegan said, his eyes hiding his own sadness of her situation, "She was evil, but she's gone now. And she isn't going to hurt anyone else ever again."
Max nodded slowly in agreement.
"Look, do you and your mom wanna get out of here and go someplace safe and out of the cold?" Keegan asked, "You, your mom and your big brother need to be together right now."
Max glanced up at Kate, who signed her a translation. Max bit her lip, hesitated for a few moments and then slowly nodded. Keegan nodded and smiled. He then lightly squeezed her shoulder and patted it. He then glanced up at Kate and nodded.
"Thank you, Detective," Kate said, grabbing Max's hand.
"No problem, Mrs. Coleman," Keegan responded.
"Let's get ya both back into the ambulance," Goodwin said. Keegan glanced over at her, and she gave him a thumbs up and a nod. Keegan smiled back and nodded to her.
Max turned to look at John's hand, which she still held. She then rubbed her cheek against it and then let go of it. She then sniffled and took her mom's hand as Keegan and Goodwin then escorted them back to their ambulance.
Kate was then helped back onto her stretcher by the EMTs, covered up and secured into the back. Max sat beside her, wrapped up in her thermal blanket. Kate held her hand as the doors were swung shut. She then glanced out of the back window as the vehicle began moving.
Keegan and Goodwin watched their departure, seeing Max wave at them. Both detectives smiled warmly and waved back to her. They watched as the ambulance became smaller and smaller on the horizon as it sped off to the hospital, until it rounded the corner at the end of the street and vanished from view.
Keegan and Goodwin then turned and headed back to the crime scene together.