By McPhee
Pacey Witter pulled the sides of his jacket closer together, zipping them up as he walked off the docks on a windy October morning in Capeside. His shoes crunched the brittle, decaying leaves under his feet, they're sickly yellow, death brown, and pale orange pieces scattering beneath him and being swept away by the chilly autumn breeze. His breath came out in smoky clouds as the moist warmth of it mixed with the cold air. All the houses around him were decorated with Halloween decorations. Lots of carved or painted pumpkins sat on steps and porches. Scarecrows here and there, ghosts in the trees, cardboard witches on front doors, and some with more ellaborate blacklights to go along with their displays. Pacey shook his head and laughed. What a waste of time. Trying to scare little children one night a year seemed ludicrous. Scarier truths lurked all about every day of the year. He sighed as he unlocked the door of his father's copcar and settled in behind the wheel. Some kids on bikes raced by him kicking up leaves everywhere behind them in a whirl. In the yard next to him, even the adults were frolicking about in a huge pile of freshly raked leaves. That reminded him. His father had asked him ten times already to rake up the leaves that were all over their front yard. He sighed as he started the car and pulled into the street and began driving. He hummed along to some old Guns N Roses song on the radio when suddenly he heard a loud scream. He immediately slammed on his brakes and began looking around when suddenly a shrieking blonde girl ran behind the car, being chased by some guy dressed as Michael Myers wielding one of those big kitchen knives he was famous for. The guy pulled off his mask and laughed as the girl became angry and smacked his arm. Pacey rolled his eyes. With Halloween just a few days away, that was certainly not the last scream he'd be hearing.
Meanwhile, below the docks of True Love, Jen Lindley lay bound to the bed. Her wrists were sore and raw from struggling againt the coarse, thick ropes that had them bound. Her ankles felt the same strain. A dark scarf in her mouth kept her gagged so no one could hear her screams if she could breathe enough to scream. Her head throbbed in pain and her whole body ached. Her torn shirt was nearly hanging off of her and her jeans were partially soaked with blood. She layed her head back defeated and in pain. She just stared at the ceiling in disbelief. How could someone she trusted be such a monster? How could he do this to her? She cried out in agony as sharp pains raced through her head and cried until she finally fell into a short and painful slumber. She didn't know how much longer she had before she fell into the deepest sleep of all. The kind you never wake up from.
The next day, school was just as normal as every other day. The socilizing time right before first period started was a buzz with the same gossip as always and jocks hurried to copy homework they'd forgotten to do the night before, knowing that the marking period would soon be over and not being on the eligibility list meant no games. Cheerleaders dashed back and forth down the hall to get their faces painted, as always, showing their school spirit.
Dawson Leery sighed waiting in the courtyard at the group's usual table where they met every morning before school. He smiled and gave Andie McPhee a little wave as she hurriedly approached.
"Hey Dawson!" she exclaimed.
"Hey Andie" he replied.
She forwned, looking around. "Jen's not here yet?"
Dawson shrugged. "You know she's not exactly the poster child for punctuality." he said.
"I know..." Andie started, "but last night I..."
She was interrupted by Pacey and Joey Potter who put their bookbags down and sat next to each other.
Joey scowled. "Okay,anyone else get a call from Mrs. Ryan wondering if Jen was at their house?" she asked hastily.
They all nodded. Joey looked at them with disbelief. "And she wasn't with any of you?" she asked incredulously.
Pacey spoke up.
"I figured she's been so upset lately about Henry, maybe she just took off for one night...just to be by herself for awhile or something." he reasoned.
Just then Jack walked up.
"Hey guys, sorry I'm late, I was trying to get a hold of Jen. Grams is about to file a missing person's report."
"Oh my God, and she has my Econ notebook! I'm going to fail that test in fourth period for sure." Andie frowned deeply.
Joey rolled her eyes.
"Andie, Jen is missing and your worried about a test?"
Andie gave her a guilty look. "I'm sorry but I just can't help but think she's fine."
Jack started to say something but the bell rang.
"Alright look" Dawson said as they began walking towards the big school building. "If Jen doesn't turn up by eight tonight, we'll go looking for her."
They all mumbled their agreements and hurried on to class.
Later that day at about five in the evening, Jen still lay sore and now completely numb. As aching as her whole body was, it still tensed as she heard the clunk of footsteps. She panicked. They were coming closer.
'Oh God' she thought. She bit hard into the scarf, desperately trying to scream but ended up just hurting her jaw and rubbing her dry, cracked lips raw. She quieted as the room was filled with absolute silence. It was too dark for her to see. Where was he, godammit? Did he leave? Had he only wanted to scare her? What in the world?
Then suddenly she felt a rouch, calloused hand on her cheek.
She jerked her head away, repulsed by the touch of the maniac that kept her captive like a butterfly in a small glass jar. Just knowing he was in the same room was enough to make her vomit. She was sickened by him and his twisted game...his twisted game of murder.
"Now now Jennifer. Be an angel. Be my sweet little angel." he cooed at her.
'Oh God' she thought. She was really going to throw up now. She felt the walls of her stomach begin to jerk and her throat tighten. Her mouth had a putrid taste. She felt the gag roughly yanked fom her mouth, hurting her teeth. She gasped in cold air and began coughing, choking, trying to breathe in more then her lungs could take. She tried to speak but found she couldn't even whisper. She could only bite her lip until it bled and the copper taste filled her mouth, fighting down the acidy taste rising up from her stomach as he gently stroked her hair, pulling it out of her face and humming to her. She could only hope he would go soon, or she would be gone...gone for good.
At about seven thirty, they had all assembled at Dawson's house. The search party was ready to go with flashlights, heavy jackets, Mr. Witter's gun and Gail's cell phone. Joey held some rope, explaining they may need it if Jen fell down a hole somewhere. It was decided Andie should hold the cell phone and Dawson would carry a knife while Pacey held the gun and Jack had the first aid kit.
Andie paced around nervously.
"I'm so scared you guys. It is almost Halloween and this is really creepy and there are some really crazy people out there." she said nervously.
They all looked at her.
She glared.
"Not that kind of crazy". she said meanly. They laughed.
Nervous laughter. full of tension.
"Yeah and who knows McPhee, maybe we'll find Jen, butchered in some grave yard and the next thing we know, your strung up in some tree like Drew Barrymore in Scream." he joked.
Andie threw her flashlight at him. "Not funny Pacey! This is so serious." she said sharply.
Dawson broke up the quarrel.
"Okay guys, we better get moving. Think of us as the Scooby Gang." he laughed rather dorkily.
"Joey's definitely Velma" Pacey cracked.
"Yeah and your a shoe in for Shaggy." she retorted.
"Ooooohhhh Ice Queen! Touche!" he mocked.
"Who am I?" Andie piped up.
"Daphne" Dawson said.
Jack looked at them boredly. "Alright you guys, can we forget the cartoon network and go find Jen?"
They all shuffled quietly out the door amidst whispered arguments over who was Scooby what.
Nearly two hours later, they had found no sign of her.
They decided to check the cemetery and then go home.
"How Buffy the vampire slayer is this?" Andie asked as they hopped the locked cemetery fence and began searching.
"Okay, the best thing to do is to split up" said Jack.
"Right" Dawson said. "Joey, check the crypts, Pacey, search the perimeter, Jack check out the old caretaker's house, I'll check the outlyling trees circling this place and Andie, you've got the phone so you stay here and keep watch for us. Call 911 for any reason."
Andie nodded scaredly and the others began to walk off to their assigned posts. It wasn't even fifteen minutes later when the quiet darkness was shattered by Joey's shrill, piercing screams.
The other came running and stared in horror at what they saw.
Andie was dangling from a tree.