Morning blossomed over Crystal Lake.

The small clearing where the Shepard house and the rental house stood was bathed in a light orange glow.

The lake shimmered in the sunlight.

Birds began perching on the branches of the trees and singing their harmonious melodies.

Everyone at the party, except for Mike and Jane, had carried on into the night without them, and eventually they all found a place to sleep. Melissa in her own room, Robin and Maddy in the guest room, Sandra and Russell in the van, and the others in various other rooms.

Maddy awoke before the rest of the tired partiers, as she had gone to bed before everyone.

As she crept down the carpeted stairs into the living room, careful not to wake anyone, she saw Eddie passed out on the couch and groaned, thinking of just what had transpired the night before.

Eddie had gotten wasted.

It had been clear to everyone else in the room that he could no longer handle what was in his cup.

He had stumbled about the room from one clump of partiers to the next, never invited to talk by any of them, but still doing it anyway, droning on about science fiction, about Derrick F.Z Simms greatest film "The Battle of the Gargantuan Throngar".

It bored everyone in the room, except for Eddie.

It seemed as if the guy could talk forever about science fiction. He was a walking stereotype, Maddy thought.

Guys like him were a dime a dozen. He oozed "nice guy". He would profess adamantly that he was respectful and kind, but then behave like a petulant child. It had been like watching someone get drunk for the first time, and having to babysit them.

The whole party had had to keep a close eye on him, in case he were to spill or break something and they collectively resented him for it.

And what was funny was Maddy thought that she would be the loser at this party.

Maddy had been extremely hesitant when Robin had asked her to "go have a good time" in the woods with a bunch of her friends from class.

Maddy and Robin had been roommates for quite some time, so Maddy had sort of trusted her when she said they were good people.

But still, it had been a big decision, but after Robin's urging, Maddy had decided to tag along, thinking that it would be good for her to meet her fellow students.

But now, after seeing Eddie's behavior, and hearing Melissa's bitchy comments, and seeing David smoking joints like they were candy, she had some doubts about her decision to go along.

Maddy hadn't known that there would be drugs.

Maddy didn't mind the weed all that much, but what would happen if those neighbors next door called the police because they were being too loud? Then, the cops would walk in and bust them all for having drugs.

David's stash was basically lying all around the house in plain sight.

And the worst part was, Robin seemed to not be bothered by it.

It was like Maddy didn't know her own roommate anymore. She had completely morphed into a different person from the second they arrived.

No…from the second that she saw David.

Robin had always been careful, and smart before. And never downright rude to Maddy.

She was now subtly avoiding Maddy like the plague, and giving her dirty looks.

It was like she became an entirely different person.

It was like she was embarrassed by Maddy.

Maddy had seen this happen a billion times before. It was hard to befriend women as it were, but it made it even harder when the other woman was ten times more conventionally attractive.

Usually, they would end up pretending they didn't even know Maddy in social situations, and only act like a friend when they wanted something from her.

With Robin, Maddy had been convinced that it would be different. That she could actually have a girlfriend who she could trust.

But not now.

Not anymore.

From the second she saw David, Maddy became nothing to her.

It was happening again.

Maddy knew she wasn't pretty. And she knew that she wasn't the thinnest girl around.

Looking back on their relationship, Maddy could see it all differently.

Every compliment could easily be twisted into something malicious.

The snide comments in the subtext of her words were becoming very clear to Maddy.

"You know, Maddy, they do make clothes for plus-size girls," she would say while they were shopping.

"Maddy, you're just a different kind of girl. Not one that men usually go after, there's nothing wrong with that," Robin had said to her one night while Maddy was complaining about her love life, or rather, her lack of one.

It was all coming back to her.

She even remembered that Robin always did use Maddy for her benefit.

It was looking like Robin only wanted Maddy around to do her favors. Last time they went out, Robin had gotten sloppy drunk and had to be taken home passed out in the back of Maddy's station wagon.

Some friends can be like that. They'll be in your life..when they need help.

Robin would probably get drunk, get hurt by David and come crawling back to Maddy crying for advice.

Maddy couldn't believe that she had been duped into thinking Robin was loyal.

And now, what could she do? Start a scene? Ruin the party for Mike?

No, she thought. Time to fight fire with fire.

She had a plan hidden up her sleeve, and she just knew when the time was right, it would all plan out perfectly.

Maddy went into the kitchen, and stared in dismay at the mess that the partygoers had left behind.

Empty beer cans were littered all around the trash can. Bags of chips that had been left open to get stale were lying all over the dining table and the counters.

It reeked of weed.

God, Maddy thought. Poor Russell. It was nice of him to let him use the cabin, and this was how we are repaying him?

By trashing the house?

With that thought, she grabbed a trash bag and started walking around the kitchen, throwing trash into the bag as quickly as she could.

When it looked decent enough, she decided to make some breakfast. After all, maybe David needed to see that Maddy was a woman, not a girl.

Maddy wondered if a guy like David would even be interested in her.

Before, Maddy had gotten in way over her head with men.

The way David would glance at her was making her think he was interested, but maybe he always looked at everyone like that.

Maybe it was all in Maddy's head.

As she started wiping down the counters, and thinking about what she would make for breakfast, her thoughts drifted over to that girl…the one from next door.

The one that Nick invited.

Maddy hoped she hadn't heard Melissa's nasty comments.

The way she had just stared off into the distance, and then ran out of the house had really put a damper on the party. It unnerved everyone.

What had happened?

She also kept thinking about Mike and Jane, and how late they were to their own party. Maybe they had gotten lost.

Someone should really take one of the cars and go look for them, she thought. She began to fry some eggs on the stove, and laid out some clean bowls and boxes of cereal.

Then, she pulled a coffee maker out of a cabinet, plugged it in, and poured in some coffee grounds from the pantry.

Kate suddenly walked in, showered and changed into stylish overalls, cut off at the knees, and a bright yellow top.

Her thick black hair was still tied into a long braid.

"Good morning, you need some help?" Kate asked flatly.

"Sure!" said Maddy, as Kate began cleaning some dishes at the sink.

Maddy could see the sour expression on Kate's face and wondered what her deal was. It probably had to do with her boyfriend, Ben, Maddy thought.

She hoped that their drama wouldn't ruin the party for everyone else. After all, it was already fun the night before, even without the birthday boy.

Everyone had been in a pleasant mood.

Except for that girl from next door, Tina.

Maybe she had gotten nervous around a crowd of people and just decided to split, Maddy thought.

It had happened to Maddy herself.

She had gone into a party and didn't know a single face there. It made a knot form tight in her gut, and eventually, she felt so queasy that she could hardly stand.

Everyone passed around the joint as she tried to make conversation, passing on her turn to smoke when the joint arrived at her.

Nobody seemed all that interested in what she had to add, but Maddy knew that not every party was going to be a fun experience. At least at this party, she knew Robin.

Besides, this get together seemed like it would turn out to be a really good few days out in the great outdoors. She didn't feel the slightest bit nauseated or nervous around this bunch, so maybe this would be a party for the books.

She also wondered if she would end up in bed with a sexy guy.

Maddy had never had the greatest experiences with love. It was more that she didn't have any experience at all.

She had gone on dates with plenty of men, only for them not to return her calls.

Maybe this weekend it would be time to really get to know somebody.

Maybe someone like David.

Maddy hated to admit it to herself, but she could see what Robin saw in David. He had confidence about him, but he also acted like a jackass, but even that was endearing.

The way he had chugged that beer can and smashed it on his head last night was boyish to her, and it made him very sexy.

But from the look in Robin's eyes every time David walked into the room, Maddy knew she'd never have him before Robin did.

It was inevitable.

Robin always got the guys. They flocked in droves to her crimson hair, her freckles, her emerald green eyes and her sensual demeanor.

Maddy had nothing that boys could flock to, she thought miserably.

She was flat-chested, short and plump.

Maybe she did have to lower her standards, as Robin had told her.

Maybe for a guy like Eddie, but my God, was he a dweeb! She thought.

He had totally botched his attempt to impress anyone last night. At this point, everyone just wished he would leave, but he was Mike's old roommate.

After a few more minutes went by, Robin walked in and poured herself a bowl of cereal, humming sleepily to herself and wearing a nightshirt and pajama pants.

Ben came in shortly after, and sat at a barstool.

Maddy noticed the awkward silence, and looked up from her eggs that she was frying.

"Uhh, so, some surprise party that turned out to be, huh?" Maddy said.

"Oh, you know Michael…" said Robin with a sly grin. "He probably got pulled over for drunk driving and had to spend the night in jail,"

"The guy can smell a party from 100 miles away," said Ben. "He'll be here,"

Then, Ben leaned across the kitchen island closer to Kate.

"Now, where's my coffee," he said seductively.

Kate glared at him.

"Where would you like it?" she snapped, and dropped what she was doing. The dishes clattered in the sink and she stormed out of the kitchen and thumped up the stairs, as Ben held his head in his hands.

Maddy and Robin exchanged glances.

Melissa came past Kate, and walked into the kitchen, changed into a new designer outfit; She was still wearing her pearl necklace.

"Has anyone seen Nick?" she asked.

"Oh, I saw him when I was coming downstairs. He's going next door to visit Marilyn Munster," joked Robin.

Melissa frowned and left without saying a word.

Tina was wide awake at dawn.

In her dreams, she saw it all happen again.

The beams of the pier snapping…her father crying out in terror, in bewilderment at what was happening to him.

And then, the silence afterwards that had haunted her for so long.

This time, it wasn't the dream that had awakened her, however.

It was a knock at their back door.

Tina lay in bed, listening to see if it had woken Dr. Crews or her mother. Nothing happened.

There wasn't so much as a creak in the upstairs hallway.

So, she instinctively sprung out of bed as quiet as a mouse, threw on some nice clothes, and ran downstairs to the door.

It was Nick. Leaning against the doorframe.

Dressed in a black shirt with a denim jacket and jeans.

Freshly showered and smelling of aftershave.

He was ruggedly handsome this morning and Tina couldn't stop staring.

"Hi," he said, his eyes meeting hers.

"Hi," she replied back, stepping out onto the porch and quietly closing the door. She glanced nervously up at the bedroom windows to see if any lights had been turned on, but she didn't see anything.

"You up for a walk? Down by the lake?" Nick asked.

Tina nodded, and the two walked side-by-side down the short path towards the lake.

After walking in silence for several minutes, Nick picked up rocks and started skipping them across the smooth surface of the lake.

Tina leaned against a tree and watched him, tying her sweatshirt around her waist.

As she studied him, she thought back to last night.

"Your friends must think I'm a complete joke,"

Tina's words finally broke the silence.

"Yeah?" Nick replied. "Who cares what they think? They're not my friends. I came up for my cousin Michael, but he's not here yet,"

He threw another smooth, flat rock across the surface, skipping it three or four times.

"So where are you from?" he asked.

"Where are you from?"

"Ok, we're doing great here aren't we… fine…I grew up in Pittsburgh, I used to hang out with a really bad crowd, my dad kicked me out and now, I go to night school. Your turn," Nick said.

Tina stared out at the placid lake, reminiscing..

"We used to come out here all the time, we used to live out here until my dad got killed in the lake…" her voice trailed off and she wistfully glared at the dock where her father had fallen in, never to be seen again.

Nick turned to her, an 'Oh Shit' look on his face.

"I don't like it here," Tina suddenly said, and started to walk back towards her house.

Nick ran to catch up with her, gently spinning her around, and tried to look into her eyes, but she stared out at the lake again.

His eyes followed her gaze to the old refurbished dock.

"Is that where he…?"

Tina nodded.

Her eyes began to mist over.

"I think it was my fault…I know it was my fault," she said, her voice breaking. "Look, you're a really nice guy who's getting his life together. You don't want to mess around with me,"

Nick started to reply, but she cut him off.

"Just listen for a minute," she interjected. "I saw my dad get killed when I was a kid and it really messed up my head,"

"So, you're okay now? Right?"

"You know that guy in there with us? He's my doctor. He brought me here from the mental hospital,"

Suddenly, a sharp noise cut through their conversation like a dozen blades. It was a twig snapping.

Nick jerked his head around in the direction of the jarring sound. Tina's eyes filled with fright as they glanced around.

Then, more footsteps.

Someone was definitely slinking around down just a few feet down the hill from Tina and Nick by a rotted tree. Nick ran over to the spot where they had heard the sound, but there was nothing there.

He returned to Tina, and smiled wryly.

"I saw it…uh..it was a big pink elephant,"

Then, he started to laugh and Tina fought the instinct to smile, but one broke through anyway.

He leaned closer to her, and Tina found herself distracted by his alluring eyes.

"You know, with my luck you're going to turn out to be another delusion,"

Her words were nearly cut off as he suddenly kissed her softly.

And for once in her life, Tina felt that things would be okay.

Nothing could ruin the moment, as they stared out at the wilderness.

As they started to kiss again, another twig snapped.

But again, there was nobody there.

But Tina could have sworn she saw a flash of color dash in between two trees.

But then again, her mind always played tricks on her. She didn't know what was real and what wasn't real. Not anymore.

She couldn't even trust herself to believe Nick was real, even though he was standing right in front of her.

Surely, it had just been a wild animal roaming about.

But Tina still remembered the man from the lake.

The one who she had revived.

Several questions now plagued her:

Who was he? And where was he now?

As Tina and Nick said goodbye and parted ways, Tina felt the exuberance of a child in a candy store.

She still could feel his lips pressed against hers. For once, she felt like there was someone who could help.

Nick seemed to actually care about her problems, to actually care about her and not just his own self interest like Dr. Crews.

At first, Tina had put up walls around herself.

It was so much easier to live that way.

If she didn't let anyone in, they wouldn't have to see just how messed up she was.

But Nick seemed to be able to penetrate her walls with one single glance.

Finally, she had someone to take her away from her life.

Even if he was just a random boy next door, Tina didn't know who else to turn to. Her mother and her doctor both just thought she was crazy.

But she wasn't thinking about any of that anymore. All she could think about was Nick.

What luck to have decided to come back to Crystal Lake at just the right time, she thought.

As she came into the kitchen from the covered porch, she saw Mrs. Shepard at the kitchen, pouring tea, and gave her a peck on the cheek.

Mrs. Shepard was astonished seeing her daughter in such a vibrant mood.

"Well, what was that for?" she said.

"Mm, nothing," Tina said, shrugging and smiling for the first time in days.

Her smile faded as Dr. Crews walked into the room.

Tina knew what he wanted from the look on his face.

It was time for another session with the doctor.

The sun made its way across the sky as the day went on, and eventually the sky turned a deep shade of indigo as seven o' clock neared.

Tina had another fruitless and rigorous session with Dr. Crews, and she kept thinking about something the entire time. It was nagging at her. She remembered the vision of the boy being killed with a spike.

All the blood still flashed into her mind.

What troubled her is that Nick said they were still waiting for his cousin, and the boy that Tina envisioned getting killed looked awfully like Nick.

What if she could see things that were going to happen, or, worse, what had already happened?

Tina was starting to fear that whoever that man in the lake was had killed Nick's cousin.

Only problem was, Tina didn't know if what she was seeing was just a delusion, or something connected to reality.

It was impossible, she thought. The man that had sprung up from the bottom of the lake was definitely real.

Or was he?

She had no idea at this point.

All she knew was that she had to find Nick again, and see if his cousin was safe, otherwise she would never stop thinking about it.

When Dr. Crews or her mother weren't paying any attention to her, Tina grabbed her jacket and went out of the house, walking through the wooded area towards the rental house.

She smelled the distinct smell of a grill. Smoke started to appear, drifting away into the sky.

Maddy, Kate, and Sandra were frying burgers for dinner for the group. Sandra watched Tina as she approached, drinking a can of beer.

Ben and Russell were throwing a football back and forth.

"So, Kate, what's with you and Ben?" Sandra asked as Tina walked by.

Kate scoffed.

"He blew me off last weekend to hang out with Eddie, God knows why. He lied to me,"

Tina tuned out their conversation, and strolled past, not making eye contact.

She sauntered in through the open back door, where David and Eddie were sitting at the kitchen table, rolling sloppy joints.

Melissa and Robin were standing in the kitchen, holding cocktails, day drinking and conversing casually.

"Has anyone seen Nick?" Tina asked, interrupting Robin and Melissa's discussion.

Melissa's eyes cut sharply to Tina. She held out a bowl of spinach dip.

"Oh, he's around…Dip?"

Her words seethed with passive aggression.

Her eyes were narrowed.

Tina turned to leave, as Melissa smiled. Her mission was accomplished.

As she went through the door, Maddy suddenly appeared, having heard Melissa's tone.

As Melissa walked back into the living room, Maddy pulled Tina aside and closed the door.

"She's like that with everyone, except boys," whispered Maddy. "Want a Coke?"

Maddy walked to the kitchen island and reached inside a cooler, handing it to Tina.

"Help yourself,"

David suddenly looked up from his joint, holding up a bag full to the brim with marijuana.

"It's cocktail hour," he declared, a hazy look in his eye. He was already stoned out of his mind.

Maddy caught him glancing at her, and she leaned close to Robin.

"Robin, did you see the way that David just looked at me?"

Maddy's eyes lit up with excitement.

Robin tightened her lips, and tried not to laugh, but it was evident from the way she was pursing her lips that she was holding back a very bitchy cackle.

Robin glanced at David, who was now sealing the ends of another joint with his mouth. Then, she turned to Maddy.

"Oh, get real, Maddy. You're not his type. You need a little touch-up work first,"

Robin looked her up-and-down.

Maddy's jaw dropped.

"Thanks!" she exclaimed.

"The Colombian Express is heading out. All aboard!"

It was David, standing up at the table and walking into the living room. Eddie followed him, a cannabis-induced grin on his face.

Melissa pulled Eddie aside suddenly and whispered to him.

Robin was staring at David, watching him leave. She kept watching his ass flex in his jeans, the way that his messy, dark hair was uncombed made her want to drop her pants right there for him.

He's so sexy, Robin thought. What the hell?

"I'm gonna do it," she said, grinning from ear-to ear.

"Robin, you don't smoke!" cried Maddy in disbelief.

"I do now!" said Robin, hurrying into the living room. Maddy ran after her.

"No, you can't! Robin!"

Robin turned to her.

"You and I made a deal. We were going to come here and have a good time, right? Well, I'm going to stick to the deal,"

Maddy was speechless.

"You in?"

Maddy still didn't say a word. Tina stood by awkwardly.

"Okay!" Robin said and followed David up the stairs.

Maddy grabbed Tina by the sleeve and they went into the living room.

"Look, I really need to talk to Nick," Tina said.

"Don't worry. He'll show," Maddy reassured her.

"Hey, Tina!"

Melissa's snarky voice rang out.

Tina jerked her head towards her.

Eddie was wearing his jacket like a straitjacket, a devious grin on his face. Melissa held up her hands, gesturing to the jacket.

"Is this what they wear at the mental hospital?"

They were Melissa's words.

Tina realized everything now.

It had been Melissa spying on her and Nick by the lake.

Eddie and Melissa roared with laughter.

Tina's hands and face suddenly felt hot.

Everything was burning.

The veins began to bulge out of her throat.

Her hands clenched around the Coke.

The room suddenly hushed as Melissa's necklace suddenly stretched out, as if being tugged by some unseen force. Then it broke.

Out of nowhere.

And seemingly, by nothing.

Scattering pearls all over the hardwood floor.

Everyone was astonished.

Tina, once again, handed her drink to Maddy and ran out the front door into the quickly nearing night.

As Melissa began to scurry around on all fours collecting her pearls, Nick came barreling downstairs after Tina but he was too late.

She slammed the door closed in his face.

"Wait!" he cried.

But she was gone.

"I hate this place!" Tina proclaimed, as she paced Dr. Crews office nervously.

Mrs. Shepard watched her daughter with sad eyes, sitting in a chair.

"Mom, he's making me do things I don't want to do! And I'm seeing things!"

She was clearly at her wits end.

She paced back and forth from Dr. Crews desk back to her mother's chair wildly, tears running down her cheeks, her eyes puffy and bloodshot.

"I..I…I could have killed somebody! How could I have done that?"

"Because, Tina," Dr. Crews started another long-winded explanation littered with medical jargon. "When you get in a highly aroused state, you're capable of almost anything. It just proves my point,"

He went on.

"I mean, you made the matchbook move, you broke the pearls…"

"Alright," Tina said. Her voice cracked like a terrified little girl's.

Mrs. Shepard uncomfortably shifted positions, painfully having to watch her daughter suffer, but not wanting to impede on a doctor's treatment.

"If you can believe that I did those things, then why can't you believe that I saw someone get killed?"

"We do believe you, Tina," said Dr. Crews. "Your psychokinesis and your delusions, they're all tied together,"

Tina began to grow furious. Her face became the color of blood.

"No, you're not listening to me! You haven't heard a single word I've said!" Tina cried.

She ran across the room to her mother.

"Please, can we get out of here, I don't want to stay here anymore!"

"Go back where, Tina?" Dr. Crews' voice raised several decibels. "Look at me! Back to the hospital? We are starting to make some progress because you are here,"

As Mrs. Shepard tried to console her sobbing child, Tina cried out.

"Mom, please!"

The eighteen year old was behaving like a child throwing a temper tantrum in the aisle at the grocery store, but none of them knew that her behavior was for a very good reason.

"Alright, we'll go back tomorrow!" Mrs. Shepard finally gave in. The stress of seeing her eighteen year old daughter reduced to a blubbering mass of tears was too much.

"We can't just leave now," Dr. Crews said, standing up at his desk.

"It's just not working!" said Amanda.

Dr. Crews raised his voice even louder. It boomed in the old house.

"Do you really want to throw this all away?!" he shouted. "We are at a very critical point right now!"

Tina suddenly began to convulse. Everything was burning again. She opened her mouth wide to scream, but no sound came out. Just a dry whisper.

"Do you want your daughter to spend the rest of her life in a hospital??!" Dr. Crews bellowed.

"Look what you're doing to her!" came Mrs. Shepard's frightened voice.

Tina was beet red in the face, and trembling all over. Tremors were ravaging her from out of nowhere.

She hugged herself to try and make it stop, but it wouldn't.

Her entire body was locked, in the throes of rippling waves of energy that seemed to come up from the bottom of her soul.

And then, the microwave on the counter rose up from the table.

It was now levitating in the air, suspended by nothing. Amanda's jaw opened wide. The microwave flew across the room like a soccer ball.

Straight at Dr. Crews.

He ducked and it smashed into the wall behind him.

With that, Tina ran from the room leaving them both in utter shock.

She clambered down the stairs two at a time, and raced through the house and out to the covered porch.

My God! she thought frantically. I'm going to hurt someone!

She needed to get out of that house as fast as possible, and away from everything. She could picture herself, wandering the roads of Crystal Lake aimlessly.

All of her motivation to figure out what was going on was gone now. She had seen too much.

As she flung open the screen door, feeling the rush of night air on her face, Nick appeared.

"Whoa, whoa, where are you going?" he said, holding her in place and his eyes widening with concern seeing how distressed she seemed to be.

Tears stained her cheeks.

"Oh, Nick, I wanna get out of here,"

"Melissa was a bitch," Nick said.

"No, forget Melissa!" Tina exclaimed. "There's something really wrong here, I know it, but nobody believes me,"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did your cousin Michael ever show up?" Tina asked. Her eyes searched him desperately for an answer.

Nick hesitated.

"No, he didn't," he said with a sigh. "But, Tina…"

"What does he look like?" Tina interrupted him impatiently.

"Tina, I don't see what this has to do with anything!"

"Can you tell me what he looks like?! Do you have a picture or something?"

Nick felt the back of his jeans.

"Yeah, yeah actually I do,"

He unfolded a leather wallet.

Tina gasped with fright.

She stared into Nick's eyes, shaking her head, not wanting to believe it but it was right in front of her.

The young sandy-haired boy in the photo was the boy that she had seen in her vision.

"Oh, God," she uttered, feeling lightheaded.

"What?" Nick asked.

"I…I think he's dead, Nick,"

Before Nick could say a word, which he wouldn't have because he was utterly dumbfounded by Tina's claim, Mrs. Shepard walked out onto the porch and put her hands softly on Tina's arm.

"Pack your bags, honey, we're gonna leave in the morning," she said.

And with that, Tina and Mrs. Shepard went back into the house, leaving a speechless and confused Nick standing there, wondering what the hell was going on.

He couldn't stop thinking about her and what she had said the entire walk back to the rental house.

Nighttime had fully come now, shrouding the lakeshore in blackness..

It had dawned slowly over the small lakeside clearing, gradually getting darker until finally, it was the dead of night, and the only lights that penetrated out into the inky void were the lights from the two houses perched on the shore.

Leaves rustled. Could have been the wind.

Could have.

Nighttime in Crystal Lake could do that to a person.

Make you think you saw something move out of the corner of your eye. Make you scared of your own shadow.

Especially if you had heard the stories.

The ones about killers that lurk in the darkness.

Russell and Sandra hadn't heard them. That was probably why they were strolling down to the lake. Alone. Wrapped up in each other's arms, oblivious to anyone and everything.

If they were more alert and not so tuned in to one another, they may have been able to hear soft footfalls over the leaf litter. If only.

The ax from the woodpile was also missing.

They didn't notice.

"So, uh, when did you first fall in love with me?" Russell asked.

His voice was grating to the presence lurking just several yards away.

The presence that had been quiet and as stealthy as a mouse.

"When I saw the enormous size of your big…beautiful…wallet," she said, laughing. "It was just this huge bulge in your pants calling my name…Sandra, Sandra, take me now…"

Russell shoved his hands in his pocket and sighed.

It had always been like this for him. Girls were never interested in his personality, or his looks before, but they also had never been so open about it.

Surely, she had meant it as a joke, he thought.

But from her nervous laughter, he was beginning to think otherwise. But what could he do?

Any drama between the two of them would ruin everyone's mood, and Michael wasn't even here yet.

Sometimes, the way she laughed grated his nerves.

Sometimes, he would picture himself with a totally different woman when he was in bed with Sandra.

But if it had worked for his parents, maybe it would work out for him as well, and she'd eventually fall in love with him.

That's what had happened with his folks.

His dad had been the one with the solid job. He was a real estate guru, making six figures a year, and owned several country clubs. Russell's mother had flocked to him, and apparently, it was love at first sight.

The story went, that they were at an auction, that was auctioning off members of the country club to be paired with a handsome young bachelor, which turned out to be Russell's father.

His mother had admittedly gone and rigged the auction to be in her favor so that she would get Russell's father, and she had said that she had been in it for the money.

But after the auction, his mother and father started chatting and hit it off. The auction had been a bit of a joke at first, but Russell's father meant business when he took his mother on a weekend cruise after the auction.

That's where they really fell in love, dancing all night on the ship's ballroom to snazzy renditions of Frank Sinatra tunes.

Maybe what happened with his folks would happen for Russell out at Crystal Lake.

After all, being alone out in the woods would be a great way to really get to know each other and for Sandra to see past his money.

Maybe Russell's mother had been in it for the money just a little bit. But eventually that fades away, and real love can happen. True connection.

That's what Russell wanted tonight. Real connection.

But now, standing on the lakeshore quietly with Sandra, not knowing what to say, he began to give up on that notion.

This week was supposed to be about having fun.

How could they even be alone together if Jane had invited everyone and their mother? It was a full house, but he figured that taking Sandra down to the lake would be a perfect way to escape the noise.

As they walked, Russell thought back to the first time they met.

He had seen her, laughing and talking with his parents, putting on such a good impression that Russell's dad had called her "a girl to take home to Mom".

And Sandra was that. She knew how to talk to all kinds of people. With his parents, she was polite and well-mannered.

But with him, and her friends, she was crass and funny.

She could even be daring at times.

Like now.

Sandra suddenly grinned mischievously at him.

"Come on!" she cried and ran into the shallow part of the lake, splashing and giggling with glee.

"You coming?"

"What are you doing?" said Russell stiffly.

Sandra giggled and started taking off her shoes and socks, as well as everything else.

"Come on!" she cried. "You chicken!"

And just like that, Sandra was stark naked.

"You're crazy!" Russell called from the shore.

She dove into the water, as Russell shrugged and grinned.

"You wanna go for a little swim?" she called.

She dove under, as Russell took off his shoes and sat down under a tree, unbuttoning his shirt.

"You need a formal invitation?" she called to him seductively. "Russell, party for two, right this way please!"

Crack.

Russell didn't notice the telltale sign that someone was coming up from behind the tree.

Someone heavy and gigantic in size.

Sandra ducked down underneath the lake's glossy smooth surface.

Russell was mesmerized by the sight of her female beauty, hurriedly fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, not paying attention to the monstrous shadow that bathed him in darkness.

Then, out of his peripheral vision, he saw him and jerked his head towards the figure.

His eyes widened.

He stammered in fright, crab walking backwards.

It was the huge, stinking form of the hockey-masked assassin himself.

"No…no," Russell whimpered, crawling backwards through the leaves but hardly getting anywhere.

His hand was slammed against a tree root, scraping it as he struggled to get to his feet.

In one huge step, Jason was on top of him.

Too late. Russell was down for the count.

He didn't even register the ax in Jason Voorhees's right hand. But he saw it now. It gleamed.

It soared through the air.

The blade of the ax cut off Russell's panicked scream.

"Russell, come on!" Sandra cried out as she finally came up for air.

She squinted towards the shore and then screamed.

Russell was dead.

Lying on his back.

His face was split in half clean down the middle.

A pool of blood formed in the sand underneath him.

"Russell!! Russell!!" Sandra shrieked, absolutely hysterical.

Nobody was around. The houses were all quiet.

She thrashed around in disoriented terror in the murky water.

His killer was gone.

It seemed like several minutes went by, as she frantically tried to make it back to the shore, but she wasn't making much ground. She couldn't touch anymore.

She kicked hard, trying to find the sandy bottom of the lake when suddenly she felt something in the water with her.

A grimy hand pulled her down into the abyss as she let out one last bone-chilling scream.

It was choked off as water filled her throat.

And then, the lake was still.

The woods of Crystal Lake were quiet once again.