On the Monday after the grizzly attack on Tara Carpenter, Vince Schneider had done exactly what his mother Leslie had asked, which was to stay home.
When the news first broke out, Vince had very much tried to hide it, especially when the rumours of the assailant was wearing a ghostface mask.
Out of anything, he knew she'd never want to hear that perhaps that was involved again.
But the attacks came on the radio, and so did the rumours, and immediately Vince could see the look on his mother's face, it was the same one she made all those years ago when he was younger, back when the last murders happened, and just like then, she had forbidden Vince from going out and made sure he locked the doors and windows at night, which he followed.
Now that the weekend was over, Vince went out in his car and took off for a bit.
"Just gonna check around" he had told his mum when she asked.
"Make sure you come back," She had said.
"Of course Mum, Love you."
He drove along the streets of Woodsboro, which seemed less busy than it normally did. As he's turning around one of the roundabouts his eyes fixated on the school, his school, at least it used to be.
Woodsboro High School was packed with news reporters and the vans talking to their cameras, some of them even interviewing students, all of whom were scattered around the place in groups.
The police were also there as Vince found himself parking his car nearby and stepping out.
His eyes scanned the area and found itself on one police car, and he felt himself shuddered a bit in annoyance as he saw Sherrif Hicks talking to one of her officers.
Sheriff Hicks, she had given him the irritates when he was younger, and she still did.
He leaned back against his car for a bit, thinking. He remembered how it was just like this when the 2011 murders had happened, he had only been 12 when they had happened, and the frenzy was very much the same.
Guess some things just never change in this town, he thought bittersweetly. He takes another look at the school grounds when he suddenly sees them.
A group of teens were staring right in his direction. Tara's friends, Amber Freeman, Wes Hicks, the two Martin-Meeks Mindy and Chad and Liv McKenzie.
He had worked with Tara and Liv during the summer at the Video Store, that was how he knew Tara in the first place. And every so often, their friends would stop by, and it was there he had gotten on the wrong foot with Chad.
They all seemed to be talking to each other, but with how far away Vince was, it couldn't be anything good, not if it was him.
A sudden thought comes to Vince's head and he chuckles to himself, before calling out,
"Heyz takes a picture, it will last longer!"
They definitely heard it because Vince saw Chad stand up, muttering to himself and started to head in his direction, only to be held back by Liv. Vince laughed even harder at this reaction, at least to him, Chad was like a bull, and to him messing with him was the only real enjoyment he was getting from this town.
His laughter soon subsided, as he saw Judy Hicks was watching him,, glaring at him. If he stayed any longer, she would find some way to question him, and so he quickly got back in his car and drove off.
The radio began to play the news, which Vince vaguely listened to.
"The attack on Tara Carpenter has once again shocked the neighbourhood of Woodsboro. The young teen was found by 911 battered and bleeding in her home alone later Friday evening, with many wondering if this is once the beginning of another copycat killing."
"It was in 2011 that the last murders occurred, orchestrated by Jill Roberts and her accomplice Charlie Walker, which just like now definitely shook this town to its core."
Vince remembered it all too well, it had been complete hell for him, complete hell. But it would be different now, at least now there weren't any fingers to point at him, there weren't any whispers in the hallway, or people pouring drinks at him and saying, "Murder! Murder!"
Those whispers had long gone.
Wonder what's driven them to do it this time, he thought as he drove down the road, Probably a lot of bullshit, obviously.
He started to laugh to himself at his thoughts when his eyes glanced over across the road, and over the hill, he could see the outskirts of Woodsboro cemetery.
His grandparents were buried there, and so was…
His skin began to crawl as he looked away.
What if it's my turn? He thought ominously, What if it's my turn to be targeted?
His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he tried to breathe through his nose, but it did nothing, if anything it just made his breathing more uneven.
No, no it's not that, absolutely not, I mean no one died, Tara is still alive so it's not that, it's not a copycat. It's not -
His thoughts do nothing to calm him down as he quickly pulls over a bit and stops the car. As he does, he looks at his hands which he now sees are trembling he holds them a bit, breathing in and out slowly as he tries to think rationally.
It's fine it's not a copycat, it could be anyone, it could just be some fucked up dickhead, it doesn't mean this is a copycat, no one's died.
Yet.
Vince looks around, his thoughts betraying him as he looks over at his phone, there's a new message.
It's the killer, his paranoid thoughts begin to fill his head as he reaches over and checks; its from his mum.
"Heard more about the attack on the radio, when are you getting home, can you try and call out of work?"
It's just Mum, he sighed in relief.
He began to text back;
"Will see about work, I'll be back before 7, well figure out what we're gonna do tomorrow, love you x."
Vince put the phone down on the other passenger's side, thinking.
Ok, maybe you're just overthinking this, I mean anyone could wear the ghostface mask, but that doesn't mean they're a copycat, I mean if they were they would have been successful, that doesn't mean you're gonna be a target, that doesn't mean mums in danger.
But the more he tried, the more the other side of his thoughts, the darker side came into being. Vince let out a sigh, he knew there was only one way these thoughts were going to be quelled.
He started up the car again and turned his car in the direction of the hospital.
Maybe Tara can tell me something, he thought, maybe it wasn't ghostface that attacked her.
Vince arrived 10 minutes later at the hospital.
"Hey, I'm here to see Tara Carpenter?" He asked the front deck.
"Take a seat, you can sit with the rest of the party."
"Party?"
Vince headed into the waiting room, and to his utter surprise, Chad, Mindy, Wes and Amber were sitting waiting, and all of them stared and looked at him when he entered.
This will be fun, Vince thought as he watched Chad stand up and head towards him.
"What are you doing here?" Chad asks, annoyed.
"To visit Tara like the rest of you," Vince said coldly, "Great to see you too Chad," he added rather humourlessly.
"Are you always this fun to be around?"
"Maybe, why don't you ask your dad."
Chad gritted his teeth a bit, his fists clenching slightly, "You know what, maybe you want to take this outside then, huh?"
Vince backed away slightly as Wes and Amber quickly walked up to the both of them, pushing the two of them away from each other.
"Hey, if you guys keep this up, we're all gonna get kicked out," Wes said, holding his hands out, "Do you think Tara would want that from her visitors."
"Jeez Chad, knock it off," Amber said defensively. Both boys hold their hands out in defeat.
"Alright, alight."
"Yeah, you're right."
"What were you doing the night Tara got attacked?" Mindy asked, coming over from her seat. She looked up and down at Vince's attire, his dark mullets his dark green button-up flannel, like she was studying him.
"I was at home with my mum," Vince said nervously, he didn't know why he sounded like that, of course, that's where he was, but the way Mindy was looking at him made him question himself.
"Really?" Chad laughed, "You stayed home with your mum?"
"Hey Man," Wes stepped up, gently flicking Chad's arm, "Totally a real thing to do."
"Thanks," Vince said, his voice trailing off.
"And, you didn't leave the house once?" Mindy questioned.
"Nope, there's nothing better to do in this town anyway."
"Except attacking Tara apparently."
Vince looked up at Mindy, her eyes looking g at him accusingly, he had seen that look many times during his childhood, and it creeped him out.
"Whatever," Vince backed away entirely from the group, moving towards the gift shop nearby.
It had a bunch of stuff, bouquets. Teddy bears, cards, all sorts of things. And Vince right now found they had packed his interest as he scanned around at what was available, anything that would mean he wouldn't have to talk to any of them.
He was looking at some of the bouquets they had when he spotted one that caught his eye, it a small one that had Chrysanthemums and Orchids. They look nice, Vince thought as he picken them up and went ver to the counter to pay for them.
"Seriously?" Amber said when Vince sat down in one of the chairs, "You trying to win points with Tara?"
"I'm not trying to steal your girlfriend, alright?" Vince rolled his eyes at her, "I don't see you getting her flowers."
Amber stared at Vince for a second, contemplating something as she suddenly got up and headed straight for the gift shop, to the bouquets.
"Hey, we don't need to turn this into a competition or anything," Wes said earnestly, looking at the others.
"I wasn't, I'm just trying to be a good… co-worker."
Vince was about to say friend, but even he knew that wasn't the right word. Sure he and Tara had chatted a few times, maybe he often joked to her about some of the movies, but that was it.
A couple of minutes later, Amber came prancing back with a bouquet of Wolfsbane and red spider lilies, a smirk on her face as she passed Vince.
"You happy now?" Vince said as Amber sat down next to Wes and Mindy. Amber said nothing, and just shot him a glare. Vince rolled his eyes as they waited.
Sure enough after about 10 minutes, one of the nurses came up.
"She's ready to see you."
The nurse led them down the hospital corridors and held the door open as they all came in, Amber went first followed by the others, leaving Vince the last one in.
Tara looked awful, that was the first thing Vince noticed when he first saw her, being hugged gently by Amber and Mindy. She had all these tubes connected to the machines. Next to her bedstand, Amber had put her flowers into a vase as Wes and Chad were checking up on her.
"How was the surgery?"
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine, I'm ok."
Tara then noticed Vince standing by the door, awkwardly holding his bouquet.
"Vince?"
He almost jumped at his name, looking at the others like they would give him something to say.
"Yeah, I heard about what happened," Vince said, scratching the back of his neck as he slowly approached Tara's side, "Glad you're doing OK."
Vince gently gives his bouquet to Tara who looks at it and then smiles.
"Thanks."
She then passes the bouquet to Amber to out with her flowers and Vince relaxes slightly. Though from the corner of his eyes, he could see Amber scrunching it up a bit as she put them with hers.
Vince leaned against the wall as the other began to talk more about Tara's surgeries. He didn't say much and just watched them talk, it felt odd, at the very least. Like he was an outsider, well he was, but even more so.
"So has your-" Wes began to ask when a phone started to ring next to Tara.
Everyone became suddenly their eyes fixated on Tara's phone, who looked slightly anxious as she picked it up and checked.
"It's my mum."
"You sure it's actually her?" Vince spoke up, the others stared at him. In any other situation, this question would have been stupid and oblivious, but now after what had happened on Friday, it didn't seem so.
Tara looked back down her phone,
"No, it's definitely my mum" she said surely, she then tapped something on her phone and brought it up to her ear, giving the others a sheepish look that everyone seemed to understand as they all briefly headed out the door and waited outside. They could hear Tara talking, but they couldn't make up what the conversation was.
It wasn't until another 10 minutes that Tara called them back in.
"So what happened?" Wes asked, "Whens is your mum coming?"
"She's still in at her conference in London, she won't be able to get here till next week," Tara said, putting the phone down, she looked down at the bandages on her arm and hand, as Amber gently caressed it.
"What about your dad?" Vince asked.
"Not in the picture," Tara said bluntly, the others gave Vince a look like he should have known this as he leaned a bit more against the wall, thinking of some other reply.
"So no family is coming? Seriously?"
"No, Sam coming," Wes spoke up, "I called her on Saturday, and she's definitely gonna be here.
Sam? Vince thought that sounds familiar. He remembered someone named Aam back in high school, but they couldn't be the same, right?
"You think she will?" Tara asked, a bit of doubtfulness in her voice. Amber leaned in closer a bit, rubbing her arm slightly.
"I mean maybe, like she barely calls during the holidays, so who knows."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Vince asked, a bit miffed by Amber's words.
"I'm just saying, we shouldn't get Tara's hopes up, I mean we're all here now to support her, that's all that matters," Amber said, her tone sounded genuine, but her eyes landed on Vince, and they were cold, almost like she was trying to burn him with eyes.
Vince said nothing, just stared off at the window nearby.
The others chatted with Tara for a bit longer before sure enough, the door opened and everyone turned their heads to look.
Vince felt himself almost do a double take when he saw her, for he hadn't seen her since his high school years.
Sam Carpenter came into the room and Vince immediately felt like an idiot for not realizing it.
Sam Carpenter, Tara Carpenter, the fuck didn't I realise.
She looked different when she did back then, back then her hair was shorter, much shorter and she always seemed to be wearing ripped jeans and a tank top.
And now here she was, her hair long enough that she could put in a bun, dressed in a green jacket and a white t-shirt. The only times he ever saw her other than school was waiting at the police station for her mum to pick her up, he would be there doing the same. From the small bit, he remembered talking to her, it had to do with drugs or alcohol, and it changed each time.
And now here she was, I guess leaving this town does things for you. Vince feels his face heat up a bit, but just a bit though.
Sam looks over at the others, at Chad, Mindy, Wes and Amber, and then to Vince and their eyes make contact, he thinks for sure they would squint. Abit, maybe trying to remember who this boy was, and while it did, it immediately went away and came that warmth that she had for the others before she went over to Tara's side.
As she did, a guy followed behind Sam, shuffling a bit awkwardly. He was Farley tall, with curly brown hair and a bit of a bushy beard. He gave a sort of goofy smile as he entered to the others, and for whatever reason Vince felt himself scoot away as he did.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Sam asks Tara gently, crouching to her level as she puts her hand on her shoulder. A smile began to creep on Tara's face.
"You came?"
"Of course, Wes called me," Sam said, she then looked over to the guy who came with her, "This is my boyfriend Richie."
She stands up as Richie takes her place squatting next to Tara as Sam goes over to the others, hugging Mindy and Chad.
"It's very nice to meet you, and I hope I'm not intruding."
Tara smiles as she finishes hugging Wes, as she finds herself looking at Vince.
"Vince, hi."
His name sounds very odd in her mouth, at least to him at least as his eyes glance to the others, who are staring right at him.
"Hey… hey, how've you been?" Vince struggles with his words as the two of them shake hands, he smiles a bit while doing so, hoping that it's enough to hide how nervous he is.
"Yeah, great."
"Hmmm., they let go as Vince rubs his hands on his pants and Sam nods.
She then gestured to the others.
"These are the twins, Chad, Mindy and Wes, I used to babysit them."
"Which is totally how I like to be introduced," Wes jokes and most of them are smiling, even Vince.
Amber however doesn't, as Sam and her lock eyes with each other.
"And, Amber, hey."
Amber gives her a strained smile which Vince recognises all too well.
"Hi," is all she says.
"Umm, Hi, I'm Richie," Richie says nervously to Amber.
"Hi," Is all Amber says.
"Where's Mum?" Sam asks and the others quickly explain what has happened. And by the end of it, Amber looked over at Tara.
"Look, Tara's pretty tired so I think we should let her get some rest."
Everyone nodded, as they all began to make their way towards the door, including Sam.
"No you Sam," Tara's voice was weak as Sam turned around, "I want you to stay."
Sam nodded and went back to her.
"We'll go," Wes said, and everyone agreed, heading towards the door.
"It was nice seeing you," Sam says to Vince. The others stopped for a moment and looked at him, who clearly didn't expect anyone still wanted to say anything.
But he smiled.
"Yeah, you too."
As he leaves, he gets a ping from his phone and he opens it.
It's from his mum.
"Hey, where are you? How much longer are you gonna be?"
Vince began to reply.
"At the hospital, seeing Tara. Gonna see about getting time off work, will let you know. Love you."
And hit send.
And now it's time to leave, he thought and made his way out.
As he does, he can see Chad and the others muttering to each other, watching him go. He rolled his eyes at them before flipping the 4 of them.
Fuck those losers, he thought bitterly and made his way to his car and got in. He could have sworn he had heard an audible gasp from Chad, but other than that none of them said anything.
Vince drove to the road parked in the workers-only carport of the Video store and went in, he knew he had a shift later that day, and was hopeful that maybe Mark, his manager would be kind enough to give him time off.
"Sorry, can't give it to you Vince," Mark said when he asked, as he was restocking some DVDs back on the shelves.
"Why not? I'll do double my shifts if you give me time off."
"In case you haven't noticed, we're pretty short-staffed, and Tara can't work for obvious reasons."
"Well, what about Liv?"
"She's already told me that she can't work Mondays and Fridays. Look, we really need you to step it up, here Vince."
"In case you haven't noticed, there's a killer on the loose, and I don't especially want to be finishing up at work and getting stabbed."
"Hey, no one's been murdered, and there's also cameras out front so we'd see if anything would happen to you."
Vine let out an excavated sigh, as he tried to think of what he was going to say.
"Look, my mum has been really worried sick since the attacks, and I just don't want her to worry about what's gonna happen to me. Please, I will do whatever shifts you want me to do from now on, but she's been through enough worrying in her lifetime, please."
Mike let out a sigh.
"Look, I know there's a lot of paranoia during this time, especially with your… family history, but I really need you to work tonight. I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Vince wanted to punch Mike in the face, "I'll let my mum know."
"Great, thanks very much."
And Mike went back to stacking DVDs.
Vince got on his phone and messaged his mum.
"Mike's a dickhead and says I have to work tonight, be back around 9."
By the time Vince had finished his shift, he already felt like getting a drink, which was where he found himself stumbling into the bar.
I'll just get a drink or two, he thought as he walked up to the bar. He pulled out his phone again and began to massage his mum when his eyes lingered a bit from the bar, and he felt his stomach turn slightly
Shit.
Standing by the pool table were Chad, Mindy, Wes, Liv and Amber, all of whom had drinks in their hands. Aren't they too young to be drinking?
"What are you doing here?" Chad says, leaning against the pool table.
"Getting a drink, you know what I'm legally allowed to do," The bartender then gives Vince his can of beer and Vince takes a quick sip of it.
"That, or you're prying your next victim" Mindy says, holding her pool stick and Vince rolls his eyes as he stands up from his seat.
"The same could be said about you, you know. I mean, where were you on Friday night?"
Mindy doesn't seem that fazed by Vince's question as she's quick to respond.
"At home with Mum, watching a movie."
"A scary movie?"
Mindy stared at Vince, seemingly thinking of something, and then she gave a small smile.
"Hmmm."
What's she thinking of?
Vince then took another swig of his beer.
"You know, I wouldn't be here if Liv had just gone for her shift," Vince mutters under his breath.
Liv heard him.
"Hey, in case you forgot, someone attacked Tara, I don't wanna be getting off late in case I'm next."
"That's exactly why I didn't want to take it!"
"Hey, If you're done yelling, can your party keep it down," said the bartender.
"Sorry," Vince said sarcastically, "I don't sit at the kid's table."
"How do you know Sam?" Wes asks.
"We went to school around the same time, around the same grade I think."
"So, you were friends with Sam?"
"No, I said I knew of, Sam Carpenter, that doesn't mean I knew her."
"What the fuck that's supposed to mean?" Chad says.
"None of your business jackals, Jesus's do you always walk like you have a stick up your ass."
Chad's face grew red as he charged over and shoved Vince hard. Vince falls back a hit, but if anything, it doesn't make him angry, as he finds himself smiling as she shoves Chad back.
"You wanna go?" Chad spouts as he shoves him again.
Vince says nothing but chuckles as he shoves Chad again.
By this point, everyone in the bar is watching them as Wes goes over to them
"Come on guys you're gonna get my mum called on you if you don't stop."
"Fuck off Wes" Vince laughs as he elbows into Chad's chest, making him fall back.
Now it was getting serious.
"Hey, if you keep this up, you're both out, all of you!" The bartender yells from over the counter. Vince ignored him.
It was already listed odd at everyone, Chad, his friends, Mike, and the attack. If landing a hit on Chad meant he would finally get some release, then it was worth it.
And then he saw him.
He was sitting at the bar, alone by himself drinking from a bottle and it was the sight of seeing him there sitting at the bar, watching him that had made Vince freeze for a moment.
Dewey Riley by this point had stood up from his seat and the whole of the bar fell into silence as it did, say for Turn to Hate by Orville Peck playing on the speakers:
"Tell me you can't wait Don't leave, don't cry, You're just another boy caught in the rye, Don't say goodbye, Head full of nothing and I'm wondering why."
Vince immediately feels himself let go of Chad and gently pushes him away as his eyes don't leave Dewies. Any anger he had in his just left him. It wasn't because of fear or anything, no, it was much more than that. So much more.
"Whatever," He mutters as he takes his drink and heads outside, he could hear the others talking, but he didn't care. He'd never care.
About half an hour later, Vince was taking a piss outside the bar, right in front of where his car had been parked. He had finished his drink a while ago and was currently relishing in his release.
Once I'm done pissing, I'll head home, Maybe I can try and convince Mike to give me time off. If not I'm fucing quitting.
He was just beginning to zip up his fly when the lights from his truck suddenly come on. He feels the sudden light on him and turns around, holding his hand over his face to block the glare.
And then the radio began to play:
"Like a bird of doom, As it shifts and cracks, Where secrets lie in the border fires, in the humming wires, Hey man, you know you're never coming back."
Fucking Chad, that dickhead's dead.
He then puts his hand into his pocket and pulls out his switchblade as he slowly approaches the car, his eyes keep shooting around him as his grip tightens around the blade as he makes his way to the driver's side window and looks inside.
There's no one there, or any signs that anyone has taken anything from inside. He's about to turn the radio off and just get in his phone goes off.
Still holding his switchblade, Vine pulled out his phone.
"Unknown Number."
Don't answer it, Just go home.
Yes, that would be the smart decision, just go home, and go and watch a movie with your Mum, then go to bed and have a good sleep and can worry about Work later.
But the alcohol was starting to kick in, and he didn't really seem to consider the risks in answer.
He tapped accept call.
"Hello?"
"Hello Vince."
Of fucking course.
"You know, breaking into my car is gonna end up you up in a jail cell Chad."
"Whose to say that I'm Chad though."
Vince blinked.
"Because you and Amber are the only ones dumb enough to think you can get away with this."
"Maybe, but aren't you a bit stupid to be answering a phone call from someone you dont know who's on the other line."
Vince's eyebrows furrowed for a second.
"Yeah, some dipshit who thinks it's funny to go into my car and watch me so you can shank me
"Hmm, isn't that the exact situation you're in right now, Vince."
Vince looked around a bit, there was no one around and right now some sense that he might be in danger.
"Alright, if you're not Chad then who are you?"
"Whose to say, Really, But I made sure to pay a visit to you're… friend on Friday."
Vince gulped as he tried to keep his voice calm
"Are you the one who attacked Tara?"
"Perhaps, But who knows, you may not get to live to find out."
Vince's fingers began to tremble on his phone, as held out his switchblade out around him looking frantically, There has to be someone here, right?
"Y-you know, I'm pretty sure a bunch of others like you who use that voice don't ever really end up by the end."
"Oh? Wouldn't you know Vince? Looks like you already know which movie you're in."
Vince wanted to laugh, but all he could think of was what his Mum was doing right now. She would be right home, watching a romcom or an action movie, that's what he should be doing now. Instead, he was talking on the phone with someone who may or may not have tried to kill Tara.
And he was alone.
Oh god, he was alone.
"What do you want?" Vince asked angrily, as he looked around once again, the radio still blaring:
"He's a ghost, he's a god, he's a man, he's a guru, They're whispering his name across this disappearing land, But hidden in his coat is a red right hand."
"Something tells me you already know the answer to that, after all, isn't this situation what you've been waiting for you're whole life?"
"Fuck you."
"Tell me Vince, How did your mother sleep in that house after what happened?"
Vince felt his skin grow cold.
"What?"
"Oh, I think you know, Vince Macher."
Vince felt his breath stand still as he just stood their, his hand still holding the phone, trembling, his switchblade at his side as his eyes began to feel glassy.
That name, he hadn't been called that in at least a decade.
How could he?
Vince is still frozen in place when he hears the sudden sound of footsteps approaching, he looks at the rear mirror and sees a dark figure, wearing that mask, the ghostface mask charging at him.
And he has a knife.
Oh god, it's finally happening.
Everything seemed so slow at first as he charged at him as he quickly ducked, pushing himself away from the car. He feels a sharp, grazing pain on his right arm that stings as he falls, making him drop the switchblade in shock. He grabs his arm tightly, seeing a large slash across his arm, ripping his sleeve and now blood was coming out of it. He heard a grunt as he turned his head and saw that thee figure, The killer , as crouched on the ground right in front of the rear mirror. Did he knock himself charging at me?
The figure slowly started to get up again, and Vince felt himself drag himself as fast he could away from him. He had to get up, he thought, as he clung to his bleeding arm. But the pain kept coming is sharp jabs as he moved his arm.
As Vince crawled away, the killer quickly began to run at him, fling himself back up as he charged at Vince, putting their foot on Vince's leg, and holding him in place. Vince let out a yell at the pain as he tried to scoot away, to struggle against him as the killer raised their knife and plunged it into his side.
Vince yelled out at the pain, his legs kicking around as he struggled.
Am I dying? Fuck please no, Please.
He didn't want to die, he could feel some blood beginning to trickle down his nose as the killed made another slice at his arm. Vince screamed out, now two slashes adorned his arm which was now bleeding profusely.
Help me, He could feel his heart beating out of his chest as he looked at the killer who moved their body closer to Vince.
Fuck, this is not how I'm dying.
Adrenaline was running through his veins as Vince shot the foot that wasn't pinned right into the killer's face. The killer recoiled, backing away slightly.
Fuck, the mask didn't come off.
But that thought went away as Vince went again, this time kicking his foot against their stomach, making them back away and fall flat on their back. He hears them breathing heavily as Vince finally finds some strength in him to pull himself up, and he tries to start running. But his leg, the one that was pinned against the killer was stinging a bit, enough that it hurt a bit to move it, so he sort of staggered quickly, and he finally found his voice again.
"Dewey! Help! Please, someone!"
He gets further and further away from the car, as the radio's music drifts away also:
"He's a ghost, he's a god, he's a man, he's a guru, You're one microscopic cog in his catastrophic plan, Designed and directed by his red right hand."
Vince doesn't dare look back as he finds himself approaching the bar door, where he can already see people inside. He's still yelling at them as he finally reaches inside.
Everyone immediately turns their heads when he enters, and quite quickly they all come towards him.
"Jesus, what happened?" The bartender asked. Vince by this point is just hyperventilating, tears streaming down his eyes as he points back to the outside.
"Killer… attacked me… near my car."
"Shit…, someone calls the police, and the ambulance."
"He's… still there…" Vince says, and some of the men give each other a look, as they move past Vince and head outside.
Vince is ushered by the bartender to a seat as he goes out back to get a first aid kit, as some of the others staw with him. Vince looks around at the people starting at him, and notices that Dewey is not one of them.
"Where's Dewey?" He asked, his voice hoarse.
"He left about 15 minutes ago, do you want me to call him?"
The image of the killer, the ghostface mask enters his mind, He can't drag him into that again.
"No, it's fine."
The men who went outside come shortly back.
"There's no one there, must have made a run for it."
Vince felt his skin grow cold again as the bartender began to wrap a bandage on his arm. And all the while he cannot stop thinking about what the caller, what the killer had said.
He had been dreading a day like this would come, that his legacy would finally come for him. And after 25 years, it had finally come back to haunt him.