Hello all,
This is a story that I have wanted to tell for a while, having seen Scream 1, 4, 5 and 6 and yes it is a crossover story with Five Nights at Freddy's because I can see immense potential regarding lore connections and story ideas.
I haven't named the FNAF characters because I don't want to reveal them. . .it'll be a surprise. ;-)
If you don't like the premise then don't read, if it intrigues you then do please enjoy the ride.
Apologies if I have missed any grammar mistakes.
Predators in the Night.
Chapter One
A Call From The Grave
"What's your favouritive scary movie?"
Ghostface from Scream (1996)
The picture of Richie Kirsch lit up on Sam Carpenter's phone's screen as a call from his number appeared immediately sent a chill racing up her spine. Sam instinctively shuddered at the image of her former dead serial killer boyfriend.
Fucking bastard. . .
Sam didn't deny that she enjoyed repeatedly stabbing him in the chest. How he screamed, a hypocrite really, given that he really liked inflicting pain in spades.
"Don't answer it Sam," Tara Carpenter whispered, Sam's younger half sister. Tara sounded adamant, but her fear was evident with her shallow breath and wide brown eyes.
"Anyway, didn't you delete Richie's number after. . .everything that happened back in Woodsboro?" she asked hesitantly, briefly looking away before returning her gaze to Sam.
"I did delete his number," Sam muttered back in shock.
"Don't answer it Sam, it isn't Richie on the other end," Tara warned cautiously.
"I know it isn't Richie," Sam replied, not hiding her concern.
Her expression of confusion changed to become more unreadable. Only her brown eyes revealed her worry, with the constant ringing dial on her phone's screen keeping her in the present.
Yet, in the back of her mind though Sam could see images of that wretched house party two years ago that turned out to be a murder trap sent by Amber Freeman and Richie Kirsch.
Amber's deranged smile as she held Sidney Prescott at knifepoint whilst Richie had Sam in a chokehold, in what was formerly serial killer Stu Macher's house. All because Amber and Richie hated the most recent Stab film and wanted to give the franchise new inspiration by killing Sidney and Sam and all the other 'legacy' characters just to pin the blame on Sam because she was serial killer Billy Loomis's daughter.
It was the perfect twist Amber reckoned. Her betrayal had been devastating for Tara, but Richie's own betrayal had cut a deep mental wound into Sam.
"I just really. . .wanted to be the one to kill you," Richie had whispered coldly as he pushed the blade deep into Sam's stomach, his cold eyes lighting up with a vicious smile.
"Don't answer it Sam," Tara urged, snapping Sam out of her brief memory replay. Tara's worry was now more evident, she could tell what Sam was thinking.
When Sam narrowed her eyes, it signalled to Tara that she had made her choice.
Pressing the green answer button, Sam brought the phone receiver up to her ear, exhaling deeply, mentally clearing the memories from her mind.
"Hello, who is this exactly?" she asked firmly, but deep down Sam already knew the answer.
"Hello Samantha."
"It is nice to finally get to talk. . ."
Sam expected it, she should have, but hearing the same ominous deep male voice that dripped with sadistic glee, being coupled with destructive anger and all bounded by a sharp sophistication; it immediately set Sam's mind ablaze with memories, instantly free of her mentally ability to restraint them.
Amber Freeman and Richie Kirsch, brandishing their knives. . .
Richie speaking through his voice changer device when he revealed his betrayal as he stabbed Sam hard in the stomach with a sadistic expression that resembled a twisted sense of joy.
Instinctively tightening her hold on the phone, Sam immediately centred herself back to the present day, speaking firmly as she suppressed her inner fear and her memories.
"If you think you are being clever by using an old number from a dead man to scare me then you are gravely mistaken, the last time a murderer used this trick on me they ended up dead."
"That's quite bold of you Samantha, admitting your guilt already?" the voice asked, this time there was more sinister joy than anger.
"Honestly, an early confession is no fun, I was hoping to make this movie last much longer, remember we will need existing material for the sequel."
"I don't know who you are, but be warned, you are playing with fire, don't test me!" Sam replied, now adding anger to her tone, letting it know that she wouldn't be cowed by this literal ghost from the past.
Tara was closely following Sam as she slowly walked forward, clinging to Sam's free arm, whether she did it deliberately or by simple instinct, but Sam secretly relished the close comfort it brought her right now.
The voice's reply was what she expected, it never liked any open pushback to its ability to verbally intimidate.
"It won't be me who gets burned Samantha, but you; you fucking bitch and your sultry whore of a sister, for your crimes and your debt is long overdue!"
The anger was raw, untamed, and destructive, no doubt the owner was probably wishing that they had Sam's neck between its hands right now.
"Crimes?" Sam inquired, her confusion was genuine, but she kept the firmness in her voice.
Briefly glancing to her right revealed Tara's worry, her wide brown eyes was tracking San's phone, listening in on the conversation. Tara couldn't hear the exact words being spoken, but the tone was clear enough to her.
"Sam, hang up, you don't need to listen to it," she said, but spoken with much more urgency, more like a plea if anything else.
"What are my crimes exactly?" Sam asked again, only for the Voice (that's what she decided to call it) to instantly reply with more rage.
"You know what you did Samantha, think back, you just admitted to it earlier, fucking murder, you just fucking said it!"
"I am no-"
"YOU KNOW WHO REALLY ARE BTICH, AS DO I!"
The sudden blast of sound forced Sam to temporarily remove the phone receiver from her ear and Tara visibly winced before quickly glancing around.
Maybe the killer was closer than they thought. Past experience had shown the sisters that anyone could be the killer. The old saying of keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer rang true; but in reality, their enemies literally came to them, getting almost close enough to dig their knives in.
"Anyhow, we are getting too far ahead of ourselves," the Voice remarked, its anger having suddenly dispersed, but not gone, never gone.
"Listen Samantha, despite the sheer gravity of your crimes, I want to let you know, because I am feeling a little bit gracio-"
"That's utter bullshit!" Sam snarled down the line, now she let her anger show itself, she wasn't a fool.
"Get out of my head Samantha, you know me too well!" the Voice chuckled, not hiding their enjoyment. Tara openly shuddered at the laughter despite her best attempts to hide it, although Sam kept her composure.
"Still Samantha," the Voice spoke, restraining their laughter, but retaining their usual smugness and ominous edge.
"Given the full severity of your crimes; I want to let you know that before your end; be prepared to lose everyone you care about first along the way."
"Good luck asshole, a similar plan didn't work out so well for your last incarnations!" Sam seethed, gripping the phone tightly as she felt her inner rage surge.
"If you fail you try again, through constant repetition comes results, I always come back Samantha, you won't see me coming bitch!" the Voice replied, with open aggression, but it was marred with a ruthless determination, no, a bloodthirsty commitment.
"But your whore sister Tara might, if she fucking pays attention!"
Then the call abruptly ended, with Sam looking at her phone in shock, before quickly shoving it into her trouser pocket.
The Voice's words struck Sam, momentarily confusing her before the meaning became painfully obvious and she cursed herself for not instantly picking it up.
"Shit!"
"Did they just say my name Sam?" Tara asked fearfully, tightening her grip on Sam's free hand, as she glanced about in every direction at once.
Just not the one that really counted. . .but Sam did.
There was a sudden flash of sliver from off to Tara's right, as Ghostface burst right out of the nearby brushes lining the sidewalk, brandishing a large sharp hunting knife.
Shock turned into panic and panic morphed into fear all in the instant of a second.
"TARA!" Sam yelled frantically.
Tara turned in the direction of the noise, coming directly face to face with Ghostface.
The young woman's face went pale white. Seeing those blank eyes and mouth in a face that was permanently stuck in the expression of a ghostly howl.
Images and voices rapidly flashed before her mind's eye, all intermingled with eachother, save for one.
Amber Freeman. . .who had held Tara at knifepoint whilst declaring her deranged intentions to her, with Amber's angered and yet gleeful look piercing Tara's shock wide eyes.
"We had to show them that this wasn't some bullshit, cash-in, run-of-the-mill sequel. Because our movie has fucking stakes; that is just what I told Sidney fucking Prescott!" Amber had yelled, her demented fuelled joy being on full display.
Tara could see the same sadistic joy in the hollow eyes of this Ghostface and the driven determination to kill.
The mental pause felt like it had lasted for two minutes, but it was only several seconds; when Sam swiftly pulled Tara back by the shoulders, just barely missing Ghostface's downward knife swing.
Ghostface adjusted to the move, quickly sidestepped to the left and swing their knife again, this time from the side and now aimed directly for Sam.
The knife just caught Sam on her left arm, piercing the skin and drawing a small amount of blood. Sam hissed at the painful sensation racing up her arm, but she shoved the pain off.
Tara protectively shoved Sam aside and kicked at Ghostface, aiming for their knife arm.
Tara's left foot sharply connected and delivered a hard amount of force against it, it was enough to knock Ghostface backwards, but only slightly, with them withdrawing their knife arm back to their side.
Tara intended to follow up her attack, but Ghostface was already back on the offensive and with their knife free hand delivered a heavy punch to Tara's jaw.
The impact knocked Tara back for six, but by a sheer miracle it didn't break her jaw. Although it did result in her falling hard to the pavement, hitting the heavy cold slab with a heavy thud that caused agonised pain to ripple up the whole of her back.
She groaned in agony as the pain repeatedly flared throughout her body. Yet she soon felt an even worse sensation. . .fear.
Ghostface loomed over her, gazing down with an unreadable expression because of the fixed face mask; but one could easily deduce the sadistic adrenaline burning behind those blank eyes.
Raising their knife for the killing blow, Ghostface seem to gleam under the dim streetlights with their black robes, black gloved hands and a white ghost mask that had been forever burned into Tara's memory.
"GET THE FUCK OFF HER!"
Suddenly Ghostface was shoved to the side by an enraged Sam, effectively rugby tackling them to the ground with a sizable bodily thud.
Despite the swiftness of her action and the force it produced, Ghostface didn't lose their knife and they quickly recovered, delivering a sharp kick to Sam's chest, she felt the blow travel through her ribs and was knocked backwards, but she managed to steady herself in time, swiftly getting to her feet, exhaling as she felt her adrenaline spike.
Ghostface leapt back up and swiped again at Sam, yet she dodged the knife this time. Ghostface moved to stab again, always keep in step with Sam's movements, as she sidestepped and jumped back. Her eyes always on Ghostface's knife as it danced through the air with every strike, always striking too close for home.
"Tara, get up and run, I'll be right behind you!" Sam said through intense breath, as she avoided another stab swing from Ghostface.
Tara doubted her half sister's words, scrambling to her feet and ignoring the pain emitting from her back, not to mention her bruised jaw.
"I am not leaving you Sam!" Tara insisted, although it was more of a hiss in response to the ache that flared from her sore back muscles.
Ghostface quickly withdrew their knife arm, returning it to their side and their gaze now seemed to be one of curiosity, like they were studying the Carpenter sisters.
For a moment there was a tense pause, Sam reached out without looking and grabbed Tara's hand. The latter gripped it tightly in response, but both sisters could feel the tremble that raced through them as Ghostface continued to stare them down, switching its empty eyes to Sam alone.
Sam took a cautious step backwards, her eyes on Ghostface's knife that was nearly hidden in the folds of their black robes.
Then Ghostface turned their gaze from Sam to Tara, tilting their head and seeming to lean forward in their posture; before suddenly turning back to Sam and leaping towards her, knife arm raised.
The swiftness of Ghostface's movement caught Sam too quickly for her to respond, as Ghostface's body mass impacted her, knocking her backwards and onto the ground.
Only Sam wasn't the target this time. . .
Using their newly gained momentum Ghostface appeared to jump off Sam and go straight for Tara, slashing downwards.
Tara quickly jumped backwards, having had more time to register what was going on. Unfortunately, Ghostface's knife caught her in the stomach, cutting through both her clothes and skin, the blade craved a small thin line on her stomach's right side.
Blood immediately started oozing from the newly made wound and Tara cursed under her breath, forcing herself to ignore the pain.
Ghostface landed on their feet without issue and stabbed at Tara again, but this time she managed to dodge the swing before it could hit her.
"Nice move fucker!" Tara hissed, unable to lose the fear in her voice as Ghostface kept pace with her.
Sam, who had by now recovered from Ghostface's leap attack, got up and swung her left foot round, sharply connecting it with Ghostface's right knee from behind as she intended.
Ghostface grunted in pain, but their voice was too muffled to make any sense of their identity. They staggered forward, falling onto one knee whilst trying to turn round to face Sam.
Sam continued to press her advantage by kicking Ghostface hard in their newly exposed right side and they fell to the ground, amidst trying to stab back at Sam.
Tara swiftly sidestepped Ghostface to rejoin Sam, who once more grabbed her hand, gripping it firmly.
"Run!" she whispered urgently, just as Ghostface rapidly picked themselves up off the ground, with their knife out and ready.
Wasting no time, Sam and Tara sprinted as fast as they could, putting as much distance between themselves and Ghostface. They crossed various streets that were unfortunately all denuded of people.
Ghostface however was already gaining on them by the time they had crossed their second street, seeming to have no sense of exhaustion as they surged after the sisters. The whooshing sound that Ghostface's black robes made grew steadily louder with each passing second.
"Look!" Sam cried, stemming her heavy breathing for a second to speak.
"A store, with lights, people!"
Indeed, she was right, for a short distance ahead of them lay a convenience store with its yellow lights and screened entrance.
Tara instantly got the message, as Sam pulled her along. Having longer legs allowed Sam to pull ahead. Yet she kept a firm grip on her sister's hand, fingers interlocked so tightly that if Tara looked down, she wouldn't be surprised to see them having gone pale white. Tara hissed at the agony she felt emitting from her lower stomach. It was hard to ignore the pain as she ran with her abdominal muscles screaming at her to stop, but she knew it would be a death sentence if she did.
The footfalls of Ghostface rose in their intensity, like a predator in the wild bounding after its prey, begging for the moment when it could sink its teeth deep in its flesh.
Sam dared a glance back and wished she hadn't for Ghostface was almost on top of them, particularly just five steps behind. Their knife hand was itching to get a stab deep into the sisters' backs.
Sam could feel the aura of bloodlust that emitted through the facemask, not to mention the malice.
Gripping Tara's hand to the point where it probably hurt her, Sam pulled her further forward, to be more alongside her rather than behind.
The store's lights looked to be a dim yellow, yet right now they seemed so bright. Where there were lights, there were nearly always people. . .safety.
Sam slammed herself against the store's door, barging right through as it opened with relative ease, dragging Tara with her. The latter sister slammed the door shut behind her, not that it would do much good if Ghostface did indeed decide to enter. Yet she tore down a nearby sunglass stand across the door. If Ghostface did attempt entry, then they should be slowed down enough to buy time.
There were people though, good, Ghostface didn't like crowds. They were all standing in a queue before the checkout, laden with their evening shopping. The store owner was a hefty middle aged balding man, it was more than likely he had a gun for defence.
"EXCUSE ME, SORRY!" Sam cried, pushing the shoppers aside as she rushed through the queue with Tara equally forcing people out of the way, much to their collective and outspoken annoyance.
Upon reaching the checkout desk, the instant need for safety coupled with the spike from fear induced adrenaline had the sisters rushing out their words all at once.
"THERE'S A KILLER RIGHT OUT THERE!" Sam screamed at the top of her lungs, as she pointed frantically towards the store's entrance.
"CALL THE POLICE NOW!" Tara yelled, slamming her hands down on the counter.
"DO YOU HAVE A GU-"
BANG!
THUD!"
The sudden noise of Ghostface bursting through the door and leaping over the sunglass stand and landing on the floor caught everyone's attention.
Ghostface upon balancing themselves quickly glanced around at the gathered crowd, seeming to take their new situation into consideration.
Tara instinctively gripped Sam's hand tightly, both sisters' eyes were locked on Ghostface as it swiftly turned its attention in their direction, staring at their terrified faces.
For a moment, there was a tense pause where seconds felt like minutes and Sam could hear her own heartbeat pounding away in her ears. Ghostface continued to stare at her and Tara, their hunter knife almost hidden in the folds of their black robes.
Ghostface didn't like to work in the open and much to their distain they were probably judging if they should continue or walk away.
They never liked cro-
Suddenly, Ghostface stride forward and stabbed one of the shoppers, a middle aged man in right the neck, before swiftly turning their attention on the next shopper, an elderly lady, a firm stab through her throat. Both shoppers went down, gurgling blood out of their mouths as they hit the floor. The remaining shoppers immediately dropped their baggage and madly ran for the safety that the entrance held, throwing the sunglass stand aside.
In the instant of a second the store owner reached under their desk, grabbed a shotgun, and brought it up. Yet in that time Ghostface rapidly closed the distance and slammed right into the store owner before they could get a single shot off.
With their knife always at the ready, Ghostface shoved the blade right into the storeowner's chest repeatedly and then one in the neck for good measure, drawing forth an immense amount of blood. Grabbing the dying storeowner's shotgun out of their hands, Ghostface spun round to face the Carpenter Sisters, their finger on the trigger.
The latter pair had immediately taken to running off further into the store once Ghostface had started their killing spree.
Swiftly stabbing the storeowner in the head to finish them off and remove a needless distraction, Ghostface left the counter. They positioned themselves where the queue had once been, it being the closest approach to the store's entrance. They let the surviving shoppers flee, they weren't targets, just obstacles who had wisely decided to remove themselves.
Walking slowly forward Ghostface scanned the various aisles, not that there were too many, it being a rather small store. Good, less places for those bitches to hide from the retribution that they deserved.
Putting their customary knife away in a belt hidden beneath their robes, Ghostface cradled the shotgun with both gloved hands, ready to fire at the first sign of movement.
Given that the storeowner had a gun, the backdoor they reasoned would be locked to avoid unwanted entry; the man had the keys on his person. Keys that Ghostface had also pocketed, to deny their use to the sisters.
The entrance was the only exit available, if the sisters wanted to get out alive they would have to go through Ghostface.
Let them try. . .
Trying to lessen the sound of her breathing Sam made herself as still as it was humanly possible whilst hiding behind the furthest aisle from Ghostface, it happened to be the freezer aisle and the cold was easily felt from the opposing coolers that were situation opposite her and Tara.
Tara was also attempting to do the same, but admittedly she was having less success. Her whimpers threatening to break into sobs as she covered her mouth.
"Fuck, why couldn't we have just left all of this shit behind in Woodsboro, why did it have to fucking follow us here?" Sam mentally cursed, whilst equally begging for an answer that she knew she wouldn't receive. The flare of pain that was erupting from her shoulder wound came back stronger with each pulse. Sam had been able to ignore whilst she was running, but now whilst she had room to breathe and think, the pain was coming back as an unwanted distraction.
She felt a nudge against her right shoulder, looking over at Tara.
"Sam," Tara whispered urgently, succeeding in keeping her voice low, but her fear was all present in her wide eyes. The younger woman silently groaned, exhaling as quietly as she could, no doubt her back pain had also returned and having the physical sensation of being pressed up against a cooler in the frozen food aisle wasn't helping matters all too much.
Yet Tara managed to shakily utter out.
"We need to get out, there's an exit, it was directly opposite the entrance."
"Yeah, but what are the chances that it is locked," Sam replied worryingly, whispering back through her intense breathing. Dam, she only seemed able to keep her breathing under control when it was through her nose.
"True," Tara muttered, before remarking tearfully under her breath.
"Why did this shit have to follow us from Woodsboro?"
"It is our fucking curse unfortunately!" Sam answered back in a low voice, but her anger was clear whilst trying to keep her panic at bay. She quickly glanced around to try and listen in on Ghostface's footsteps.
The sooner she knew where Ghostface was, the easier it would be to avoid them altogether and escape.
"I just hope that the second Ghostface doesn't turn up soon," Sam whispered, becoming both concerned and frustrated that she couldn't pinpoint Ghostface's location.
There was almost always another one though. . .
"Just like goddam Amber and Richie," Tara mumbled, the realisation of being up against two Ghostfaces again raged in her near panic-stricken mind.
"Yeah, just like goddam Amber and Richie," Sam murmured agreeing, slowly inching her forward towards the top of the aisle.
Richie's ghoulish grin morphed in her mind's eye.
"Someone has to save the franchise, see, no one has made a great Stab movie since the first one!"
What a pathetic motive, Richie had charmed her, falsely loved her and more, just to lure her back to Woodsboro to be part of some fucked up dream to save the Stab franchise with his psychotic killer girlfriend.
Sam mentally shoved the memory to one side, right now, she didn't need the trip down memory lane.
If she could gain a better field of vision at the end of the frozen food aisle, then she could spot Ghostface and outmanoeuvre him. . .or her.
No matter whoever it was under that ghost mask, their voice always remained the same, male, deep, ominous and cruel.
"RING!"
The sudden hum vibration from Tara's phone made her look down in a panic. She quickly pulled it out of her trouser pocket.
Her phone screen instantly lit up to reveal a both a name and a face she never wanted to see again, but whose number she had deleted from her contact list.
Amber Freeman, former best friend. . .former girlfriend. . .murderer.
Images swiftly flashed in Tara's mind eye.
Amber in her Ghostface's costume, stabbing Tara repeatedly on her own kitchen floor, in what Tara believed was the relative safety of her locked house. Right before she broke Tara's left leg with vicious downward swing of her right foot.
Amber looming over her again, but this time in Woodsboro hospital with her knife raised above Tara with one hand. Her other hand was on Tara's own phone in a call to Sam, threatening her with how she was going to stab all of the Tara's organs, which she had deliberately missed last time if she didn't hurry up.
Then finally Amber holding Tara at gunpoint as she tied her up, gazing into the eyes of her terrified former girlfriend with a cold and yet sadistic delight that burned in her eyes. The eyes were a window to the soul and Tara saw Amber's clearly for the first time that night.
There was nothing in them but cruelty.
Quickly pulling herself back to the present, Tara wanted to decline the call, but she instinctively knew that Ghostface would just ring her again or Sam for that matter. The generated noise would attract their unwanted attention if it she allowed the call to ring out.
So, against her best wishes, Tara answered it, shakily bringing the phone receiver up to her ear.
"Hello?" she asked, she knew it was stupid to do so, but she just felt the need to confirm.
"Hello Tara," the Voice cooed from the other end, they practically purred so evident was their enjoyment. Tara felt herself shiver at the sound, it being the same vile male voice that she had heard back in Woodsboro. It spoke with both a cruel joy and ruthless determination, making Tara's skin crawl.
"It's good to speak to you again, have you been watching any good scary movies lately?"
"I've been a bit distracted as of late," Tara whispered back furiously, not holding back the anger in her voice, it helped to suppress her fear.
"I bet you have; college does often occupy one's time," the Voice replied, it almost sounded casual, but Tara could hear the venom in their words.
"Still, I bet you didn't expect to get a call from this number, practically a call from the past."
"Amber's dead," Tara answered firmly.
"I know, how unfortunate for you though," the Voice remarked sinisterly.
"Why unfortunate exactly?"
"Because I am going to gut you whole like a squealing pig when I get my hands on you bitch, you'll will be in even worse state then Amber was!" the Voice yelled vengefully down the line.
Despite being able to pick up a few words due to being right next to Tara, Sam couldn't pinpoint Ghostface's location in the store. She strained her ears to hear for anything out of the unordinary.
She just needed to hear a footfall to detect them or the sound of aisle items being knocked over. If Ghostface could hear them they would undoubtedly rush in and in doing so create noise. Despite their uncanny ability to be stealthy they couldn't maintain their silence all the time.
"Fuck you, you won't win, you didn't win last time," Tara cursed adamantly into the phone, fighting to hold back her tears. The memories of Amber, they were threatening to come back again.
"Like I told your sister Tara, I always come back to try again, and your luck is about to run out!" the Voice replied maliciously.
"Besides you don't need to see another scary movie, why, because you are already in one!"
"I fucking bow ou-"
"You don't get to fucking bow out Tara, neither you or Samantha, not until the end!" the Voice hissed back, their aggression cutting deep.
"This film will have the proper ending it deserves!"
"The police will be here soon; you're running out time."
"More like you are Tara, the exit is locked, I've checked it myself, there is only one way out of here and you are both unarmed."
"That isn't playing fair."
"Who said anything about playing fair bitch, because you two fuckers certainly didn't!" The Voice snarled murderously.
"I will find yo-"
Tara abruptly ended as she forcibly shoved her phone back into her trouser pocket. She didn't need to hear the same vindictive shit all over again.
She hissed as she felt another flare up of pain erupt from her lower stomach. Lifting up her blood stained shirt to take a look revealed that the blood flow had stopped, it was only a small wound thankfully, but the ache wasn't going away anytime soon.
Tara pulled her shift down to cover the wound as best she could. When looking back up she found herself staring fearfully at Sam, who only held a resolute resolve as she gazed at Tara. Looking closely at her younger half sister, Sam could now see the deep purple bruise that was forming on the right side of Tara's jaw, not to mention the fear that lay deep in her eyes.
"Don't let them get to you Tara, don't give this bastard what they want," Sam cautioned reassuringly.
"I know," Tara muttered fearfully, as she wiped her eyes clear of a build up of tears that threatened to break.
Tara suddenly felt a flood of warmth as Sam immediately hugged her, wrapping her arms around her neck, taking care to avoid the younger woman's bruised back. The act did make Sam hiss softly in pain as she moved her injured left arm. The blood had stopped flowing, but the pain was still very real.
"We'll survive this, like we did last time," Sam muttered softly into Tara's right ear.
"Last time was too fucking close and you know it," Tara whispered back, her tone was shaky, but the physical presence of Sam put her at ease.
"Yeah, it was utter hell, but we still made it out alive," Sam replied determinedly.
"Alive yes Sam, but we're always just surviving, not living," Tara mumbled back.
"They always slip up, remember what Sidney told us, she has been through the same hell," Sam countered, quickly releasing Tara from the hug. The comfort was brief, but Tara felt her reassurance bounce back.
"Yeah, they always think they've thought everything out, but then the final girl finds a way to kick their ass into hell," she said, daring herself to sound confident.
"And we can do so again, so be quick and grab me a tub of ice cream," Sam urged agreeingly, turning Tara in the upward direction of the cooler that they were situated against.
Tara swiftly did as she was asked, reaching up to lift off the top of the cooler and grabbed one of the random ice cream tubs housed inside before shoving it towards Sam.
Sam took it off Tata and slowly peered round the edge of the aisle, her eyes looking in the direction, at every route available to the store' entrance.
Still no sign of Ghostface, they weren't by the counter anymore as far as Sam could see.
She could see the slouched blood stained body of the store owner on the counter's far side and the pale face of the elderly woman from earlier surrounded in a pool of her own blood.
There was no sound as well, Sam felt her nervousness form several knots in the pit of her stomach.
There was a gap between the aisle they were in and the one that ran along just a few steps ahead. Sam looked back past Tara to the opposite end of their aisle, which was situated on a corner.
If she threw the ice cream tub in that direction, the noise would instantly gain Ghostface's attention, and they would head over to investigate, even if that meant luring them dangerously close to where the sisters were hiding.
Yet, it would leave the other side of the store, the side closest to the front entrance clear for them to run down and get out.
"Here goes bloody nothing," Sam whispered under her breath as she leaned out towards the opposing aisle to angle her shot.
She threw the ice cream tub as hard as she could, the more force involved the greater the noise.
The tub hit the opposing corner aisle with a thud, the impact caused it to bounce off and hit another aisle, before falling to the floor with a final thud.
Instantly from the first aisle on the sisters' side there came the sound of something being knocked against and food items falling onto the floor.
Sam grabbed Tara firmly by the hand and pulled her up in a semi crouching run, not sticking their heads over the top of the aisle as they legged it across the gap between their respective aisles.
In a matter of seconds, they were through and under the opposing aisle. They were closer to the front entrance, but now they had to run. No doubt Ghostface had heard them and would soon be rounding the far corner behind them having discovered the real source of their distraction.
Sam and Tara instinctively looked back, ready to see the black cloaked figure of Ghostface swiftly emerge round the far corner, with shotgun or knife in hand.
They weren't there. . .
"Ok," Tara muttered worryingly to herself.
"Where is-"
"SHIT!" Sam screamed and Tara turned round, and her face immediately paled.
Ghostface had indeed emerged from around the corner, only it was the one directly in front of them, closing off their fastest route to the entrance.
Sam had nearly run into Ghostface only to skid to a halt at the last second and back away rapidly, causing Tara to bump into her before she too realised their error.
Ghostface despite seeming to be of a similar height to the sisters loomed over them with its ghost mask that radiated malice. Sam spied a small circular array of red lights located on the left side of Ghostface's neck. . .the voice modular, it was active.
"I can also create convincing distractions, it is so easy," Ghostface remarked, the deep male voice perfectly matched the one heard on the phone. It was menacing and mixed with a sadistic joy as they kicked a few bags of crisps off the lower shelves, the sound made a rustle.
"A nice try, but an overused trick, won't work on me, has happened too many times."
Ghostface maintained their speed, keeping uncomfortably close to both Sam and Tara and restricting their ability to turn around and run. Having got their prey in an ideal situation Ghostface couldn't help but sound condescending as they spoke.
"Honestly Sam and Tara I expected better from you two, don't you remember the classic rules of a horror movie, never be predictable, or else the killer will find you, as I have!"
Despite the fact that Ghostface was carrying a multi loaded shotgun in both hands, Tara and Sam couldn't help but equally feel the need to be defiant, completely ignoring Ghostface's questions. They weren't going to give Ghostface want they really wanted, cowing victims, vainly begging for mercy.
"What I did to Amber Freeman was in self fucking defence you bastard!" Tara openly snarled, but the fear was evident in her voice as was her bodily tremble. Given the height difference between the two sisters, Tara practically hid behind Sam; clinging to her by the arms as she swiftly pulled her back, whilst Ghostface quicken their pace to rapidly close the distance.
"Is this really your movie's big finale scene where the villain gets the drop on the two final girls, in a shitty convenience store of all places?" Sam asked bitterly, like Tara she too was shaking with fear all over and despite sounding firm she couldn't repress the panic in her voice.
"I thought you have preferred Woodsboro, that's where all the original murders happened, isn't this supposed to be a remake?"
"Sometimes going back to the original gets a little overdone Samantha!" Ghostface remarked aggressively.
"Amber and Richie didn't think so, killing them in the house of the original murders could be seen as an homage to what inspired their bullshit fantasy!" Sam shot back.
She noticed how Ghostface gripped the shotgun tighter as she spoke, with Tara fiercely adding.
"Did you somehow forget that they brutally murdered several of their own friends, you sick fuck!"
"CUT THE BULLSHIT BOTH OF YOU!" Ghostface roared, the tone alone was enough to momentarily silence them.
"Let's just skip the dramatics and move right onto the death scene!"
Ghostface swiftly raised their shotgun at the pair. Sam and Tara felt their eyes go wide and all the colours drain away from their faces. They didn't have enough time to scramble back towards the gap in between the aisles and run for cover; plus, in such a confined space, there was only one outcome to a shotgun blast at close range.
A fact that Ghostface took immense delight in, chuckling as they placed their gloved finger on the shotgun's trigger before saying triumphantly with sadistic glee.
"I really want to see, if I can literally kill two bitches with just one stone!"
This is set around Scream VI, but there will be twists and turns due to the unpredictable nature of Scream films, you always suspect everyone until the last moment. . .mostly.
There have been changes regarding what happened in Scream V, but there are plot/character relevant reasons for making the changes.
As to what happens next, well, that would be telling. . .
Thank you for reading and please review, I appreicate your thoughts.