Author's note: A lot of this chapter is a review of Ripper Day in the movie. So, I again do no own the script for the movie or the characters. I only own my added characters :) So in the first chapter Bug is going to a party. That's normal. Well read and figure out what else happens. I won't spoil it for you. I hope you enjoy it. I hope it gets scary and suspencful for you! :) As always tell me what you think,

*Ray-Ray

"Here goes nothing." Bug said as he walked onto the sight of the party. Everyone from school seemed to be there.

"Hey Bug!" It was Hayley. Bug sighed.

"Hey," he said. She walked up to him. She was wearing a short black skirt and a shimmery purple top. She looked good, Bug had to admit it.

"I didn't know you were coming." She said smiling. "I am glad you did. Do you want to dance?"

Is she this bouncy all the time? Bug wondered. She pulled him farther into the crowd without waiting for an answer.

Bug looked around feeling completely uncomfortable. There were so many people; he was beginning to feel nauseous. He didn't want to upset the girl though, so he danced with her. She swayed her hips with the rhythm and pulled herself close, pressing against him. Bug felt completely clueless. The most contact he had had from a girl had been a kiss on the cheek. Remembering that was painful. Finally the song ended and Hayley pulled him away from the crowd.

"You don't look so good." She said still smiling.

"It is really hot in here." He said.

Just then he spotted Seth, who was dancing with a shorter blonde girl. He waved to him and then walked over to where Bug and Hayley were standing.

"Hey Adam, you decided to come." He punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Yeah, whose party is it anyway?" He asked. Both Hayley and Seth laughed.

"I don't know man, another friend invited me." Seth said. Hayley said the same thing. This got bug to join in their laughter.

"So Bug, do you want to get some fresh air?" Hayley asked.

"I'll let you go," Seth said winking as he walked back to the short blonde girl who had resorted to dancing with a friend.

Bug and Hayley walked outside and stood on the porch.

"So, your birthday is coming." Hayley said. He winced; he had been trying to forget his birthday completely.

"Yeah," He said rubbing the back of his neck. His head was beginning to hurt. He hopped it wasn't a migraine; he hadn't had once in almost a year, if they were to return Bug didn't know what to expect.

"Are you going to do anything?" She asked. Bug knew she was only being polite. She had to know that is wasn't the best day for anyone in Riverview.

"No," he answered honestly.

"Oh," Hayley said quieter now. "I guess it wouldn't be much fun to celebrate your birthday, I mean considering all that has happened." She looked to the ground.

"Yeah," Bug replied shortly.

"What was it like?" Hayley asked suddenly. "I mean it had to be scary as hell." Bug only nodded.

"You have no idea." He was remembering how frightened he was when he realized that Alex, his best friend, was host to the Ripper's soul. He feared for his own life, but for Alex's as well. He knew that to get rid of the Ripper meant get rid of Alex.

Bug had some difficulty holding his self together.

"Bug, are you okay?" Hayley asked, touching his arm gently.

"Huh yeah, I'm fine." He said. He looked at her and attempted to smile.

"You were miles away. What were you thinking about?" She asked. Bug sighed; he guessed it wouldn't hurt to tell her. He walked over to the porch swing off to the right and sat down.

"I was thinking about what happened last year on my birthday." He said softly. "It started at midnight. Everyone was down at the sight. The cops called off the celebration, so to say, before we could 'kill' the Ripper. It was something we did every year.

"That night a friend of mine, Jay was found at the river bank later in the day. The Ripper had killed him as he was walking home. The killings proceeded; Penelope next, then Brandon and Brittany, then Jerome. I watched Jerome die in my room. I couldn't find Alex, who had been with me only moments ago.

"I had left to get him some water when I heard someone at the door. It was Paterson; he came to take me in as the Ripper, because my Aunt was on the floor unconscious. We thought my Aunt was dead, but she wasn't. She got lucky; she had lost a lot of blood and was in the hospital for a long time. Oh, how wrong he was." Bug was remembering how the Ripper had snuck up on the two of them and disarmed Paterson and then killed him. He looked at Hayley; her expression was apprehensive so Bug continued.

"After he had killed Paterson he came after me. My sister came back to help me but it was a futile attempt; we hid in the closet hoping that he would leave. Of course he didn't, I thought that was the end, but the Ripper heard something upstairs. He hurried up, leaving my sister and me alone. I told her to go to the neighbors and call the police. She had been so brave. I didn't think she would have come back in the house period because she had been angry before she left. Nonetheless, I was grateful that she did come back.

"Then I followed the Ripper. When I reached my room where Alex had been moments before, it was empty. I looked around and say that the window was open and there was blood leading to the closet. That is when I found Jerome. He wasn't dead yet. He told me how much of a hero I was. Then I lost him. I stood there helplessly looking at one of my closest friends, dead on my floor.

"I was startled when Alex climbed through my window. He looked at Jerome and was just as scared as I was. But I had realized something. Every time the Ripper would appear, Alex would disappear. But it didn't make any sense. We had tested each other; he wouldn't be able to kill me. In the letter I had gotten from Penelope earlier that day, she said there was a chance that the Ripper's soul was within one of the six and he had chosen now to attack the seven of us."

Bug looked at Hayley again, now her eyes were wide with anticipation and fear.

"Go on Bug, I want to hear the rest of the story." She scooted closer to him and clutched his arm. This made Bug a little uncomfortable, but he said nothing.

"Okay," he said after a moment's hesitation. "I explained my theory to Alex, and provoked him. Soon the Ripper took over his mind. He tried to bribe me, said that if I let him go, he and I would be known as heroes. We would pin the blame on Jerome. Jerome was blind, it was a crazy accusation. I refused and then he attacked me. I reached for the large knife that was in the house, I had brought it with me before so that I could be safe. It was also how Alex and I tested each other fifteen minutes before. We struggled with each other for some moments, and then I got the upper hand. I thrust the knife into his stomach. That was when the real Alex returned.

"He looked at me and said, 'I'd thought he'd never leave.' And he then asked, 'Where is the biggest knife in the kitchen?' I told him it was where it needed to be." Bug stopped talking and looked down at the floor. His head was still bothering him; he prayed silently that it wasn't a migraine.

"Just like that, my friend was gone. He fell to the floor lifeless. His blood was all over my hands. I couldn't make myself move. I stood there until the police finally arrived. Then it was over."

They sat there in silence for a few moments. Hayley was clinging to his arm tight now, partly from her own fear, but she was also trying to comfort Bug.

"I'm sorry Bug," she whispered.

"It's okay, it had to be done. Alex knew that. He forgave me." He said confidently. "Do you want to go back inside; it's getting pretty chilly out here." He asked standing up.

"Yeah," Hayley said, and she followed him back inside.

What Bug didn't know was that Leah was standing on the side of the house smoking a cigarette listening to the whole story. She found a new respect for her younger brother. He had been so brave in what had to be the scariest thing a person could ever face. He had had the courage to kill his best friend. She crept back into the house and rejoined the party.

"So, what happened?" Seth asked and Hayley went to dance with her friends.

"What do you mean?" Bug replied, generally confused.

"Come one, you know what I mean. Did you get anything from her?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively. Bug scoffed.

"No, man she isn't like that. Besides that isn't what I am interested in right now. I am still surprised every girl in school doesn't think I'm a freak."

"Dude, you are a hero." Seth said slapping his back. "So what did happen when you two went outside?"

"I don't feel like a hero, and nothing Seth," Bug said once more. "We just sat on the porch swing and talked." He shrugged his shoulders. Seth didn't seem satisfied with that answer but said nothing because another girl was walking up to them now.

"Hey Seth, hey Bug," She said smiling. Her long dark hair fell over her face ever so slightly, hiding a pair of sparkling brown eyes.

"Hello Maria." Bug said politely. He noticed Seth looking Maria up and down, checking her out.

"How are you Bug?" She asked.

"I'm fine," He replied, "what about you?" The girl shrugged.

"Good as always I guess." She replied. "Hey Fang," She said as Leah approached from behind.

"Hey," She smiled. "Bug, I think we should be getting home, the party is dying down anyway." Bug nodded and said goodbye to Seth and Maria.

Leah and Bug walked out to the car in silence. Off in the distance he thought he heard a rustling in the woods. He looked, but saw nothing. As Bug stepped into the car, he swore that he saw a blurred figure scurrying into the woods.

"You looked spooked Adam." She said softly as they drove down the road.

"I thought I saw something in the woods." He said honestly. His sister gripped his shoulder.

"What would be in there?" She asked. "The Ripper is dead; you killed him a year ago. Don't worry about it." She smiled reassuringly.

Bug felt more comfortable knowing that his sister was confident in her belief. When they arrived home, Aunt May was asleep. They crept upstairs quietly and went to sleep. For hours Bug lay awake wondering about what he saw in the woods.

It was probably an animal. He rationalized with himself. Soon he fell asleep and was tossing and turning uncomfortably.

He was standing in his room in his old house. The window was wide open and there was blood on his hands.

"It isn't over Condor." Bug turned around to see Alex standing in the doorway, his shaggy hair ruffled as if he had just been in a fight. Behind him were Jerome, Brandon, Brittany, Penelope and Jay. They all nodded in agreement to what Alex had said.

"What… what do you mean it isn't over?" He asked. He took a step towards them. He missed them so much; he even missed Brandon, who had been a total ass to him.

"You know what he means Bug." Penelope said. She walked up to him and kissed his cheek. "You are so brave." She said before rejoining the others.

"I don't understand. Tell me what is going on." He pleaded, feeling scared. Jerome walked up to him and held his hand out; there was something he was holding. Bug extended his own arm, and took the object. When he saw what it was he almost dropped it.

The Ripper's knife, it was clean and shiny as if it was brand new. He flicked it open and the word vengeance was engraved on each side of the curved blade, just as it had been before. Bug looked up to his friends to ask them more questions, but they were gone. A loud whistling sound came from the window, he turned to face it but saw nothing.

From behind him he felt someone creep up on him. Before he could spin around to see who it was, a large grubby hand stained with blood covered his mouth and pulled him out of the room.

Bug screamed. He was back in his room, under the covers of his warm bed. Bug turned on the lamp in his room and looked around him. His window was shut, his hands were clean, and there was no Ripper knife. He ran his fingers through his sweat soaked hair and tried to slow his breathing.

It was only a dream. He thought to himself. Relief washed over him and he slowly fell back asleep.