"Halloween Redo"
I'm back and I thought of some things that needed to be pointed out and I think the only person who could get away with saying them is Hannah.
Enjoy the sarcasm…
Rated M for Mature Content
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Chapter 7: The Flash Drive
Back at the McCullers…
Several images pop up on her screen, one after the other making Paige's smile widen and her eyes turn even darker. She rubs her hands together, her mind moving at the speed of light as a plan begins to form in that wretched head of hers…
In town the following weekend…
Emily and Maya are at the Grind coffee shop talking about what they saw the previous weekend with Paige and what they plan on doing about it when in walks Hannah…
"Hey guys! What's going on?" asks Hannah in an exceptionally good mood.
"What's got you so happy?" asks Emily.
Hannah sits down with them smiling, "Oh, I don't know, maybe, no –A, and lots of Caleb."
"Well we have…"
Maya nudges Emily giving her a look not to say anything just yet.
"Yeah, you're right. It's been a quiet week," Maya jumps in.
"Well not in Ravenswood."
"Ravenswood? What do you mean?" asks Emily clearly in the dark.
"You mean you don't know?"
"No, Hannah we don't that's why we're asking," Emily says impatiently.
"Well, there's this girl who was dating another girl who gets killed. This psycho she met at some boot camp she was forced to go to started making nice with her and became obsessed to the point that he didn't want anyone else to date her. And when she got back to Ravenswood and reunited with her girlfriend that pissed him off. So he killed her."
"Oh my god, that's awful," sympathizes Maya.
"And that's not even the half of it. See, the girl starts dating this other girl about six months after her girlfriend was killed. I for one think that six months wasn't a very long mourning period when the love of your life has been killed."
"Seriously," interjects Emily.
"Yeah and so she starts getting close to this new girl and something about getting drunk and ending up on her doorstep. I guess they kissed and then the memory of her dead girlfriend was washed away and this new girl takes her place. Well she wasn't really a new girl since they dated when the other girl was at boot camp. Anyway they start connecting again and this guy who killed her girlfriend shows up in Ravenswood claiming to be the dead girl's cousin. Well this girl believes him and they start sharing stories about the dead girlfriend. But little does she know that he's just cozying up to her so he can get her alone and kill her too!"
"What? Oh my god!" Emily exclaims.
"So what happened?" Maya asks intrigued.
"He tells her that the dead girlfriend's family is getting together at this lighthouse so she goes with him to pay her respects. In the meantime her new girlfriend gets a text to meet the psycho guy somewhere or else the girl will be hurt so she does. This is where it gets good. He kidnaps the new girlfriend duct taping her mouth and her wrists and her ankles, throws her in the trunk of his car, the same car that takes him and this girl to the lighthouse. Are you with me so far?"
"Yes, yes," confirms Maya.
"Keep going," encourages Emily.
"When they get to the lighthouse, the girl falls asleep on the couch and that's when the guy puts the new girlfriend in the closet. He puts a blanket over the girl sleeping on the couch and goes upstairs. Now this is the part I don't get. He leaves the new girlfriend in the closet and the girl on the couch. The new girlfriend in the closet has her wrists duct taped in front of her, in front of her! And she doesn't think to pull the duct tape off of her mouth, knock on the closet door and say, 'hey, that guy's a psycho, let's get out of here!' Really, that never dawned on her?!"
"Wait so they didn't escape?" asks Emily confused.
"No, the psycho comes back, shows the girl a video of her girlfriend right before he kills her and then he tells her he's going to hurt someone she loves and pulls her new girlfriend out of the closet. I don't know about you but I would've been like, 'you stupid bitch, why didn't you let me know you were in there? We could've gotten away from this fucker!'"
"So what did she do?" asks Maya.
"She somehow hits him in the head, grabs his knife, leaves new girlfriend duct taped on the couch and runs up into the lighthouse. Now that's a brilliant escape route! She runs herself right into a dead end! So, psycho guy shakes it off and runs after her, again leaving new girlfriend duct taped on the couch."
"Wow, I wouldn't feel too confident that I would make it out of there if I were the new girlfriend," remarks Maya.
"So this girl and the psycho fight and then a guy friend tries to help but gets shot, I don't remember how a gun ended up in the picture but anyway, psycho goes after the girl, they struggle and the girl ends up stabbing and killing the psycho guy basically saving everyone who was there and avenging her dead girlfriend all at the same time."
"That was some story," admits Emily.
"That's not all. Would you believe that the girl is still dating the new girlfriend? I mean, I would've broken up with her the second the police got there."
"Why?" Maya asks curiously.
"Because, who the hell wants a stupid girlfriend! She had her hands duct taped in front of her! She had all day to pull that duct tape off of her mouth and warn the girl about the psycho but no, she just sits quietly in the closet! How stupid is she! There's no way in hell I would be caught dead dating that stupid idiot!"
Emily and Maya can't help but laugh at what Hannah is saying because she's being so passionate about it. And she's right, who the fuck wants a stupid girlfriend!
"Oh my god, I have a feeling if I read it in the paper or saw it on the news this story would have had a different impact on me. I think I would've been more sympathetic to the girl and the duct taped new girlfriend. But Hannah's right, who the fuck wants a stupid girlfriend!" laughs Emily.
"Seriously, that was so lame," agrees Maya.
"Lucky for me I have a beautiful, sexy, intelligent girlfriend," winks Emily with a kiss.
"As do I," kisses Maya.
"Well if that's what you two are going to be doing the rest of the afternoon, then I'm out. See ya later!" Hannah bids them farewell.
"Bye Hannah and thanks for the entertaining story," giggles Emily.
"Only you could make a murder, attempted murder and a kidnapping sound hilarious!" Maya yells to her as she leaves.
"Oh my god, I can't believe she's still dating that girl after everything that happened."
"Me either. Promise me something Emily."
"What's that?"
"If you are ever duct taped in a closet with your hands in front of you, will you promise to pull the duct tape off of your mouth and call for help?"
"Yes, absolutely, yes," Emily laughs kissing her girlfriend.
"My stomach hurts after that story. I mean after the way Hannah told that story," Maya takes in a deep breath trying to calm her tummy.
"Okay, okay, we still have to talk about –A and we need to tell the girls about the body bag text and Paige meeting –A," Emily decides.
"You're right. We can't keep them in the dark. That's how this whole thing started."
"And we have to find out what Paige has," counters Emily.
"Oh Em, I don't have a good feeling about that."
"Neither do I, neither do I."
At the McCullers…
The girl from the Halloween Store, Shana, is on her way to the McCullers to visit Paige. They get along fine but Shana is concerned about Paige's obsession with Emily so she decides to see how she's doing. Paige's parents let her in telling her that Paige is in her room and to go on up so she does…
She approaches her bedroom door which is cracked open so she pushes against it slowly. She spies Paige at her desk doing something on her laptop. She walks quietly, closer and closer trying to get a better view of what she is doing. And just as she is about to peer over her shoulder, a floor board creaks startling Paige who slams her laptop shut.
"Shana, Jesus, you scared the shit out of me!"
"Sorry, you knew I was coming over and your parents let me in."
"Yeah I know but why didn't you say anything when you got to my room?"
"Because you were so focused on your laptop, I didn't want to disturb you. So, what were you doing that had your undivided attention."
"Nothing. Just looking at videos on youtube."
"Oh yeah, let me see."
Shana goes to open her laptop but Paige puts her hand on it to keep it closed.
"Let's go get a coffee or something. I could stand to get away from those youtube videos."
"Okay. Let's go."
Shana takes Paige's hand leading her out of the house with Paige peering over her shoulder knowing that the files that –A gave her are still open. Paige drives them into town while Shana decides to send a text.
"I'm just gonna text my mom and let her know I'm going out."
"Okay, we wouldn't want mom to worry now would we?" Paige smirks.
But she really isn't texting her mom, she's texting Maya.
Paige acting weird.
Consumed by a video of something on her laptop.
It's on her desk in her room still open.
Getting coffee in town.
You have about an hour to get in and get out.
I'm telling you cuz I'm worried about her.
Please make sure everything is okay.
Shana
Maya's phone buzzes and she reads the text to Emily.
"Oh my god, this is our chance to find out what –A gave her. Shana, you are a lifesaver!"
"Hey, that sounds kinda flirty to me."
"Relax, it's not like we can ever be in the same room together. Remember only one black person per scene."
"Maya. Let's just get in and get out like she said."
"Fine. You distract her parents while I snoop."
"Okay. But be careful."
"I always am…"
Emily and Maya ring the McCullers door bell. They are let in and while Emily talks their ear off about what a brilliant swimmer Paige is, Maya tells them that Paige borrowed a book from her that she desperately needs so she can study for her test. The McCullers let Maya go into her room to look without questioning it. Once inside, Maya opens the laptop…
At the Grind…
"So, seriously Paige, what were you doing on your laptop? It didn't look like youtube videos to me."
"It's just something personal. I'm sorry I lied but I'm not ready to share it with you or anyone just yet."
"Why didn't you say so? That sounds mysterious but sexy all at the same time," Shana winks flirtatiously.
"Shana, I like you. I really do but as friends. Can we please keep it on a friendship basis?"
Shana's smile turns downward as does her face, "Sure. Friends..."
At the McCullers…
Maya quickly downloads the files on the flash drive sending them to her email. She's not able to open them because Mrs. McCullers is calling for her to see if she found the book.
"Nope. I don't see it. She probably left it at school. No problem," she says as she closes the laptop and trots down the stairs.
"Everything all right?" asks Emily.
"Yep and I think we should probably go. Thanks again for letting me look."
"Anytime girls."
At the St. Germains…
Emily and Maya fly up the stairs to Maya's bedroom anxious to open her email to see what –A has on them. Maya sits at her desk with Emily looking over her shoulder. They look at each other, Emily squeezing Maya's shoulder making sure she knows whatever it is that it will be okay. They look back at the computer screen and Maya clicks open…
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To Be Continued…
What is on that flash drive?
And what will happen when Paige finds out that Emily and Maya were in her house and in her bedroom?