Disclaimer:  This story is intended for entertainment only.  No infringement is intended.  Only what I have contributed (my own plot and the characters I have created) belong to me.  The already established plot and the characters of Michael Myers, Dr. Sam Loomis, Sheriff Ben Meeker, Dr. Terence Wynn, Judith Myers, and any other characters originally from the Halloween movies belong to Moustapha Akkad and any other rightful owners of the Halloween series.  

HALLOWEEN 2000
By Linda666Blair

Chapter One					
Haddonfield, Illinois
October 30, 2000
     Dr. Sam Loomis could hear the sound of the rain pounding on the 
roof as he sat at the table in his sister’s dining room.  Why did it 
always have to rain when he had something important to do?  Hopefully, 
the rain would stop before every single street was flooded.  He returned 
his attention to the evening edition of the Haddonfield Star Ledger that 
he had been leafing through a few minutes ago, but he found he was un-
able to concentrate on any of the articles.  The old doctor was en-
grossed in a problem.  He’d arrived there earlier that day, and even 
though it was now nearly seven and his sister was busy preparing dinner 
in the kitchen, Loomis still hadn’t been able to solve his problem.  He 
had spent the better part of the afternoon trying to convince his sister 
to leave Haddonfield for at least a few days and he might have succeeded  
if it hadn’t been for her husband. Loomis often wished Amanda had never 
married Carl.  As far as he was concerned, Carl wasn’t much of an 
improvement from her first husband, Gerald Clark.  Gerald had been a 
drunk and a wife beater, but despite this, Amanda had two children by 
him; a son, Steven, and a daughter, Danielle.  Amanda remained with 
Gerald despite the fact that he beat both her and their son and even 
went as far as to hit her when she was pregnant with Danielle.  Then one 
day, he left her for another woman before Danielle was even born.  When                                                                                         Danielle was born, both Loomis and Amanda decided that she would not be 
given Gerald‘s last name.  Instead, he last name would be Loomis.  Three 
years later, Amanda divorced Gerald.
     During the next seven years, Amanda had several affairs, but none 
led to marriage.  Then she met Carl Stevens.  They dated for a year and 
then married.  They lived in Smiths Grove, Illinois for the first five 
years of their marriage.  In March of 1999, Carl announced to his wife 
that they were moving to Haddonfield.  According to him, the company, 
which he worked for, had transferred him.  Amanda had not been crazy 
about moving to a place where so many bad things had happened, but she 
was afraid Carl might leave her if she opposed him.  Loomis had 
desperately tried to convince Carl that moving to Haddonfield could be a 
fatal mistake, but Carl would not listen to him.  Even though he 
couldn’t be absolutely sure, Loomis had always had a sneaking suspicion 
that Carl had purposely arranged the move.  Carl and Loomis had never 
gotten along, and the conflict between them increased even more after 
the couple had moved into their new home.  By the time last Halloween 
Eve had rolled in, Loomis was frantic.  After failing in his attempt to 
get Amanda out of Haddonfield, he decided that the only thing he could 
do was to stay at Carl and Amanda’s house until Halloween had passed.  
Carl had ordered Loomis to leave.  Loomis refused, insisting that if 
they weren’t going to leave Haddonfield, the least he could do was to 
stay there and try to keep them safe.  Halloween came and passed and 
much to Loomis’ relief, no murders took place that year, but it was now 
a year later, and the doctor would not rest until he was sure those he 
cared about were safe.  He looked down at the newspaper, but found he 
still couldn’t concentrate.  Exhaling a long sigh, he set the newspaper 
aside and loosened his tie while he began to recall the dark past of 
Haddonfield.
     It had all began on Halloween night of 1963.  Six-year-old Michael 
Myers murdered his sister, Judith Myers, with a large butcher’s knife.  
Following that incident, Michael had been committed to the Smiths Grove 
Warren County Sanitarium where he had been placed under the care of Dr. 
Loomis.
     On October 30, 1978, Michael Myers escaped from the sanitarium and 
returned to Haddonfield.  The next day, he went on a murdering rampage 
trying to kill a young girl name Laurie Strode.  It turned out the young 
girl was actually Michael’s sister.  She had been adopted by the Strode 
family two years after Michael was committed following the death of her 
parents in a car crash.  Loomis had taken immediate action following 
Michael’s escape from the Smiths Grove Sanitarium.  He had gone to 
Haddonfield in search of Michael, and with his help, Laurie managed to 
escape with her life.  The terror on that Halloween night ended with a 
fire at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital in which both Loomis and Myers 
nearly burned to death.  Myers was then taken to Richmond Federal 
Sanitarium, a maximum security facility, where he remained in a coma for 
the next ten years.
     On October 30, 1988, while being transported back to Smith Grove, 
Michael Myers came out of the coma and escaped, leaving the ambulance 
crew dead.  Again, he returned to Haddonfield and the following day went 
on another murdering rampage.  This time he was after his niece, Jamie 
Lloyd, Laurie’s daughter.  Once again, Loomis went to Haddonfield and 
tried to stop Michael, but he failed.
     A year later, on Halloween, the murders started up again.  This 
time Loomis managed to trap Michael, and he was placed in a jail cell at 
the Haddonfield Police Department awaiting being sent to a maximum 
security institution where he would remain for the rest of his days.            
But a mysterious man in black appeared, gunned down the entire police 
force with a machine gun, and freed Michael from his cell.
     Haddonfield was quiet for the next six years, and the townspeople 
began to believe the reign of terror was finally over, and they could 
have a small Halloween celebration.  They ended up paying dearly for it.  
Loomis had discovered the identity of the mysterious man in black on 
this night.  Even now, Loomis still found it hard to believe that it had 
been his old friend and assistant, Dr. Terence Wynn.
     And now, another five years had passed since the last massacre in 
Haddonfield, and Dr. Loomis was well aware that a long period of silence 
didn’t necessarily mean that the danger had passed.  He had a feeling 
that something dreadful was about to happen, and that this time it would 
involve his own family in some way.  The fact that Michael had suddenly 
vanished and had not returned to Haddonfield only meant that he was 
waiting, biding his time, giving the people of Haddonfield years to 
believe they were safe before he decided to pay them another visit.
     With every passing moment, Loomis grew more and more worried.   
He knew he had to do something.  But what?  So engrossed was he in his 
problem that he had been unaware of his brother-in-law’s frequent trips 
past him to the kitchen for another beer.  He hadn’t even heard when his 
sister came into the room an announced that dinner would be served 
shortly.  It wasn’t until she came up behind him, cleared her throat, 
and rested a hand on his shoulder that he finally became aware of her 
presence.  “Sam, do you really think he’s going to return this year?” 
she asked.
     He looked up at her.  Even though, she was his little sister, her 
face seemed to lined, her hair too gray and the bun she wore it in too 
severe.  Only her pink polyester dress gave a hint of the wild steak 
she’d once had.  Now her face was as gentle as her voice, and it held 
hints of nervousness.
     He rested his hand on hers.  “I pray he doesn’t, but I have this 
awful feeling that he will.”  As he spoke the words to her, he could see   
the tension building in her face.  He watched her as she started to 
leave the room and decided he had better try convincing her to leave 
once more.  “Amanda,” he called after her.  She walked back over to him 
and Loomis continued.  “Amanda, I’m concerned about you living here,” he 
said.  “I still think you should leave this town for at least a few
days, and I also think you should take Danielle with you.  You’ll both 
be in terrible danger if he should return.”
     Loomis was so preoccupied in the conversation with his sister that 
he hadn’t noticed that Amanda’s husband  had come into the room and was 
now standing a few feet away from them listening to every word they 
said.  
     “I already told you she’s not going anywhere,” Carl said.
     Loomis looked up at Carl.  His face and the bald scalp beneath his 
receding hairline was bright red, a sure sign that he’d had too much to 
drink and that his temper was rising as it too often did when he was in 
that state.  Loomis might have dismissed the temper but he had seen how 
Carl treated his sister.  It amazed him that she would stay with such a 
man, but it was her choice.  She’d told him often enough and he had to 
accept it even though he didn’t want to.
     “Carl,” Amanda said as she walked over to her husband.  “My brother 
is only concerned about me.  He means well.  At this point, I’m 
beginning to consider leaving Haddonfield.  I’m scared.  My brother 
still believes Michael Myers may return.”
     “Woman, I’m gonna tell you this and you’d better listen.  You leave 
this house, don’t bother coming back.”
     “That’s enough, Carl,” Loomis said as he stood up.
     Carl looked over at Loomis.  “Mind your own goddamn business, you 
nut.  I wasn’t talking to you.  I’m talking to my wife.”
     “Who also happens to be my sister,” Loomis said feeling he needed 
to remind him of this.
     “Loomis, I’m in no mood to have another repeat of last year.”
     “Carl, don’t you understand that she could be in danger if she 
stays here.  As long as she remains here there’s the chance that 
something terrible could happen to her.  And she’s not the only one who 
will be in danger if he returns.  You’ll be in danger yourself Carl, and 
so will Danielle.”
    “Then take Danielle back to Smiths Grove with you.  I don’t care if 
you take her.  She’s not my daughter.  But you’re not taking my wife 
too.  And that’s final.  Now as master of this house, I demand that you 
leave at once.”
     “I will not.  If you insist on keeping my sister here, I have no 
choice but to stay here until the danger has passed.”
     “What danger?” Carl asked infuriated as he slammed his fist down on 
the oak dining room table.
     “Michael Myers might return.”
     “Loomis, you sound like a broken record.  You said the same exact 
thing last year and nothing happened.  What makes you so sure he’s going 
to come back this year?”
     “Well, I can’t be absolutely sure, but I just have this awful 
feeling that something dreadful is going to happen.”
     Carl glared at Loomis.  “I believe you’ve overstayed your welcome.”
     “Carl please,” Amanda said.  “Let my brother stay tonight and 
tomorrow.  I promise he’ll leave after Halloween is over.”
     “I don’t want him in this house.”
     “Please Carl,” Amanda begged.  Her pale blue eyes filled with tears 
that she quickly wiped away with her hand.
     Carl said nothing.  He stormed out of the room and went to the 
living room where he poured himself a tall glass of Jack Daniels.
     Loomis sat back down and looked at his sister.  He wondered why she 
always seemed to get involved with these men that made her life 
miserable.  It had been this way ever since he could remember.  Why 
couldn’t she find someone suitable?  Why did she always have to get 
involved with wife beaters, alcoholics, dysfunctional men, or ones who 
possessed all three traits.  Her first husband, Gerald, had been all 
three.  Loomis was relieved that Carl at least wasn’t a wife beater as 
far as he knew.  Yet he couldn’t be absolutely sure even though he had
asked Amanda on several occasions and she had denied it.  As for Carl 
being an alcoholic, it seemed that ninety-five percent of the time, Carl 
had a drink in his hand, and Loomis often worried that one day Carl 
might in a drunken rage physically hurt her if he hadn’t already done 
so.  As far as Carl being dysfunctional, Loomis was certain on this one 
too.  Who in their right mind would decide to buy a house in 
Haddonfield?  It wasn’t the job transfer alone.  Carl had decided to 
live in this town.  He had mentioned that he would be retiring in a few 
years and Smiths Grove was getting more and more like a large city every 
day.  But Loomis couldn’t understand why Carl had decided to move here.  
There were plenty of other small towns in the state that didn’t have the 
dark past that Haddonfield did.  Why did Carl have to insist on moving 
here?
     Loomis watched Amanda leave the room, and as he sat alone, he heard 
the sound of the old grandfather clock in the living room chime the hour 
of seven.
                *       *       *       *       *       *       
     Upstairs, Danielle Loomis stood in front of the mirror in her 
bedroom brushing her long raven hair which hung down over the black 
velvet dress she had decided to wear tonight.  The phone rang and she 
picked up the receiver.
     “Hello,” she said.
     “Hi Danielle,” a young man’s voice replied.
     “Hi Henry,” she said, voice flat with disappointment.
     “I haven’t seen you in several weeks.”
     “Yeah, well, I’ve been busy.”
     “Too busy for me?”
     “Henry, what do you what?”
     “I thought that maybe you’d like to go to a movie with me tonight.”
     “Oh Henry, I’m sorry but I’ve already made plans.”
     “Danielle, what is up with you?  For the past few weeks I’ve heard 
the same excuse over and over again.”
     “Well, if you had any fucking intelligence, you would have probably 
figured it out that I don’t want anything more to do with you, you 
dumbass!”
     She hung up the phone and looked herself over in the mirror once 
again while she straightened out her bangs.
     The phone rang again.  She looked at it and hesitated for a few 
minutes before she picked up the receiver.
     “Hello,” she said     
     “Danielle,” Henry said.
     “Stop calling me!  I already told you I’m busy!”
     She slammed down the receiver.  Why couldn’t he just leave her 
alone?  Wasn’t it obvious to him that she no longer wanted anything to 
do with him?  She had never really wanted anything to do with him 
anyway.  It had been her mother and her uncle who had pushed for a 
relationship between them.  She had met him eight months ago when she 
was competing in the Miss Teen Illinois Pageant.  Henry had been one of 
the judges and he had taken an immediate interest in her.  It turned out 
that Henry was the son of one of the wealthiest families in the state.  
Amanda and Loomis had really liked Henry from the first time they had 
met him.  According to them, Henry had everything that was worthwhile.  
He was a college student earning a lawyer’s degree, his family had 
money, and he had a good personality.  They told Danielle they only 
wanted the best for her.  After all, she had quite a bit going for her 
already.  She had won the Miss Teen Haddonfield Pageant and now she had 
also won the Miss Teen Illinois Pageant.  So at the insistence of her 
mother and uncle, Danielle began to date Henry.  For the most part, she 
found Henry to be a terrible bore.  Certainly not the one she would one 
day want to spend the rest of her life with so she never let herself get
too involved with him.  Whenever he asked her for sex, she would simply                                                             
tell him she wasn’t ready to get that deep with him.  The truth was that 
as the months passed, she found herself getting more and more bored with 
Henry.  She had managed to tolerate dating him up until a few weeks ago.  
Everything had changed.  She had met someone and she had felt something 
so strong with him that she had ended up having sex with him the first 
night she met him.  There was just one thing.  She hadn’t yet told her 
uncle about her new boyfriend, and she knew he wouldn’t be pleased at 
all.
     Amanda had begun to set the table for dinner, and now the inviting 
smell of the pot roast she had prepared filled the air.  Loomis knew it 
was probably useless to keep trying to convince her to leave, but he 
decided to try one last time regardless.  After all it was his sister’s 
life and his niece’s which he was most concerned with right now.
     “Amanda, I still think you and everyone else in this house should 
leave Haddonfield.  If he returns, no one in this house will be safe.”  
Loomis had been careful in his choice of words because he didn’t want 
Amanda to catch on to his lack of concern for Carl.
     “In the first place, Carl would never leave this house.  He doesn’t 
believe you.  And he’s already forbidden me to leave.”
     “You see how you let yourself be controlled by him?” Loomis said 
annoyed.  Now more than ever, he wished she would divorce him.
     “Sam, I’m not going to go against my husband’s wishes.  I can’t.  
Please understand.  Just do what you must to protect us.  And look on 
the bright side, at least we don’t have to worry about Steven because 
he’s off at college in Chicago.”
     Loomis almost didn’t know how to respond to the latter.  Yes, it 
was nice to know that his nephew whom he was very fond of was safe, but                                                       
the ones that needed protection were his sister and niece.
     “Alright, Steven’s safe, but that still doesn’t guarantee your and 
Danielle’s safety.”
     “Sam, are you sure this Michael Myers is still alive?”
     “Amanda, I tried to kill him so many times and I failed.”
     Amanda left the room without saying a word.
     A moment later, Danielle came in and sat down next to him.
     “Good evening, Uncle,” she said cheerfully.
     “You sound really happy this evening.”
     “Oh I am,” she replied.
     The phone rang and Danielle jumped up off her chair.  “I’ll get 
it.”  She rushed over to the phone which was on a table in the living 
room.  “Hello?...Hi,” she said sounding overjoyed.  “I’ve been waiting 
for you to call...Of course I’ll see you at eight...Hey, I love 
you...Bye.” She hung up the phone and returned to the dining room and 
sat back down next to her uncle.
     Amanda came in.  “Danielle, dinner will be ready shortly,” she 
said.
     “Oh Mom, I don’t think I’ll have time.  That was my date who just 
called.  He’ll be here shortly,” she said.
     “You’re going out tonight?” Loomis asked her.
     She stood and twirled happily in front of him.  “Can’t you tell?” 
she asked.
     He avoided the compliment she’d expected.  “Please don’t go,” he 
said instead.  “There could be danger out there.”
     She laughed.  “I should have guessed.  That’s why you’re here.  
You’re going to stay with us until after Halloween just like you did 
last year,” she said as she sat back down.
     “Yes,” he replied, his voice calm, and his gaze steadily fixed on 
his teenage niece as he continued to speak to her, as he prepared to 
make an effort to convince her that she shouldn’t be going out tonight.                                                                                            
     “Danielle, you really shouldn’t go out tonight.”
     “Oh Uncle, I’ll be perfectly safe,” she said confidently.
     “Danielle,” Amanda said.  “Maybe you should listen to your uncle.  
He may be right.”
     “Mom, it’s not like I’m gonna be alone.”
     “I just don’t want anything to happen to you, Danielle.”
     “Nothing is going to happen to me, Mom.”
     “I hope not,” Amanda said nervously.  She started to leave the 
room, but just before she reached the kitchen, she turned back to face 
her daughter.  “I hope you’re not going to stay out til four in the 
morning like you did last night.”
     “Thanks a lot Mom,” Danielle said in a discontented voice.
     Loomis watched as Amanda left the room and then looked at his niece 
who seemed apparently annoyed that her mother had given away her secret.  
Loomis wondered why Amanda had never been able to properly discipline 
her daughter.  Ever since he could remember, it had always been this 
way.  She had always relied on him to do the job, and when he wasn’t 
around, Danielle apparently did whatever she pleased.  But it was 
getting out of hand.  A sixteen-year-old had no business staying out til 
four in the morning.  He had to do something to put an end to this kind 
of behavior.  It wouldn’t be easy though, because she was a rebellious 
girl.  If he could just get her out of Haddonfield for a few days, he 
would be more at ease.  After all, she was the one who insisted on going 
out at night.  At least Amanda was willing to stay indoors.
     “Danielle, I have an idea,” Sam Loomis said.  “How would you like 
to go spend a few days with your brother in Chicago?”
     “Oh, Uncle, I don’t want to go there.  All my friends are here.”                                                                                                                                                             
     Loomis decided he would just go along with her for the moment.   
Perhaps he could find out what she was up to.  He would start by                                                                                       
asking her some questions and observing carefully how she responded.  
     “By the way, who’s picking you up tonight?”
     “Oh, just a friend.”
     “Anyone I know?”
     “Maybe,” she said trying to suppress a giggle.
     She was up to something.  There was no doubt in his mind.  “What’s 
so funny?” he asked.
     “Nothing,” she replied trying to sound casual.
     “Danielle, I get the feeling you’re hiding something from me.”
     “What could I be hiding from you?”
     “I don’t know, but I’ll find out eventually.”
     “I’m sure you will.”
     “Your mother tells me you have a new boyfriend, but she hasn’t met 
him yet.”
     “Yes,” she replied in a dreamy voice.
     “Well, what happened with Henry?”
     She frowned.  “Oh that stupid jerk.  I’m through with him.”
     “Danielle, that’s not very nice.”
     “I don’t care.  Henry Martin is such a loser.  And he has no 
personality at all.  He’s a real drag to be around.  He’s such a bore.”
     “Henry is a fine young man, and I really wish you wouldn’t talk 
that way about him.”
     “I can’t help the way I feel.  I never chose him.  You and Mother 
did that.”
     “Your mother and I only wanted the best for you.”
     “Well, I don’t need you or mother to plan my future for me,” she 
said sharply.  “I know what I want and it’s not Henry.  In fact I 
already have what I want.”
     “I assume you’re referring to your new love interest,” Loomis said 
making an effort to remain calm despite his niece’s rudeness.
     “Oh yes, he’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a man.”
     “Danielle, you’re a bit young to know what you want.  You have 
plenty of time.  You’re not even out of high school yet.”
     “I’ve never been more sure of what I want, and I’m not too young to 
know that he’s perfect for me.”
     “I just want you to think about what I said.  By the way, what time 
are you going to be home?”
     “I don’t know.”
     “Well, I don’t want you staying out til four in the morning.  I 
want you home by ten.”
     “But Uncle,” she whined.
     “No buts about it.  Besides, you’ve got school tomorrow.  Now did 
you do your homework?”
     “Yes Uncle.”
     “Alright, then you have my permission to go out even though I’d 
rather you didn’t considering the circumstances.  And you be careful out 
there.”
     “I will, but I’m not gonna be alone.”
     “And one more thing.”
     “What now?” she asked annoyed.
     “Stay away from the Myers house.”  He felt he needed to reinforce 
this to her.  After all, he had found her roaming around the house last 
year after he had specifically told her to stay away from the place.
     “Are you a little worried I might decide to go there again?”
      “Danielle please, you must listen to me and do as I say.   
I realize that you’re curious, but curiosity is not a good thing. It can                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       lead you into trouble.  So stay away from that house.  It’s dangerous in there.”
     “Whatever you say, Uncle.”
     Carl came into the room.  He took a seat at the table and lit a 
cigar.  “Well, I see my house is always full of unwelcome guests.”
     “I’m not a guest,” Danielle said.  “I live here.”
     “Don’t you get smart with me young lady,” Carl warned.
     “Carl, you’re getting to be a real grouch in your old age,” she 
said mocking him.
     “And you’re getting to be a real smartass,” he replied sharply.
     “You’re gonna end up regretting talking to me like that,” she said, 
sounding amused.
     “Is that a threat?” he asked in a harsh tone.
     “Take it anyway you want to.”  She smiled.
     “Why you little bitch!”
     “Hey!” Loomis yelled.  “That’s my niece you’re talking to.  Watch 
your language.”
     “This is my house.”
     “That may be so, but I will not allow you to speak to my niece like 
that.”
     “Good ole Dr. Loomis to the rescue again,” Carl said in a voice 
full of ridicule.
     “Carl, you really are an idiot,” Loomis replied.
     Carl took a puff off his cigar and blew the smoke in Loomis’ face.  
“You goddamn lunatic.  How dare you speak to me like that in my own 
house.”
     “How dare you act this way.  She’s sixteen years old.  She’s only a 
kid.  Why don’t you grow up?”
     Car lights shone in the front window, and the driver honked the 
horn.
     Danielle jumped up off her chair.  “Gotta go.” 
     “Danielle,” Loomis called after her, “why don’t you ask him to come                                                                                                                            
in?  I’d like to meet him.”
     “Maybe some other time.”
     “Good point,” Carl said.  “The last thing I want right now is
another uninvited guest.”
     Danielle left the room and hurried out of the house towards the car 
that waited outside.
     Loomis heard the sound of the car zooming down the street.  The 
rain seemed to have stopped or slowed down considerably.  The pounding 
sound on the roof had ceased.
     “Well,” Carl said, “at least the little tramp is gone.”
     Loomis stared at Carl with cold fury.  “Carl, I’m going to tell  
you one more time; leave Danielle alone.  She’s like a daughter to me.”
     “Oh isn’t that sweet,” Carl said sarcastically.
     “Shut up Carl!”
     “You wanna make me shut up, you goddamn lunatic.”
     “Carl, I realize you’ve never liked me.  I don’t much like you 
either, but it would make things a lot easier if we at least tried to be 
civil toward each other.”
     Carl didn’t speak a single word through dinner.
     After dinner, Carl left the room, and Amanda began to clear the 
dishes while Loomis sat in deep thought.  It can’t happen again, he 
thought.  But how well I know that evil never dies.  Deep down I know 
Michael will probably return to terrorize this little town once again.  
And if he does return, I must stop him.  But how?  Pleading with him 
won’t help, and he can’t be killed, at least not by any method I’ve 
tried in the past.  How am I going to stop him?  I don’t think I can, 
but I have to try anyway.  
     “Sam, what are you thinking about?” Amanda asked.
     Loomis looked up at his sister.  “I’ve got to stop him once and for 
all, I’ve got to.”
     She walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.  “You did 
all you could, Sam.”                                                                                                                          
     He shook his head.  “He’s not human, Amanda.  One time I shot him 
six times, and he just got up and walked away.”
     “Yes Sam, you’ve told me this story a hundred times.”
     “I know you’re probably having doubts about my mental state, but 
I’m telling you the truth.  I can hardly believe it myself, but it 
really happened.  I’ve got to go and look for him.”
     “But Sam, where are you going to start?”
     “At the Myers house.”
     “Sam, you’ve been going there every Halloween Eve to look for him, 
but five years have passed since you’ve seen any sign of him.  Perhaps 
he’s dead.”
     “No.  He’s waiting and when he feels it’s the right time, he’ll 
return to this little town to kill.  It doesn’t matter how long it’s 
been since he last terrorized the people here.  You know as well as I do 
that in the past there have been longer periods of silence, but he 
always comes home.”
     “What if you’re wrong?”
     “Amanda, I honestly hope I am, but I have to be sure.  I have to go 
look for him.”
     “So, if you don’t find him, does that mean we’re all safe?”
     “Perhaps, but there’s still no guarantee.  I still can’t believe 
you agreed to move to this town.”
     “I already told you why I agreed to move here.”
     “Because Carl threatened to divorce you?  Amanda, you would be 
better off without him.”
     “I don’t agree with you.  Besides, now that I’ve lived here for a 
while, I can honestly say I like it here.  Danielle likes living in 
Haddonfield, and going to Haddonfield High.  It was a good thing for her 
especially since we moved here last year.  She started attending this 
new school as a freshman, and now she’s a sophomore.  And she’s made 
friends.  I’m really pleased about the way she’s adjusted.”
     “Amanda, what do you know about her new boyfriend?” 
     “Not much.                                                                                                                                             
     “That troubles me to say the least.  You already told me you 
haven’t met him, but what I want to know is why?”
     “Oh Sam, you know how Carl is.  I would hate to have Danielle 
invite the boy over and then have Carl be rude to him.  Kids are so 
sensitive.”
     “I suppose you know she’s ended it with Henry.”
     “Yes.  Sam, and it was wrong of us to push for a relationship 
between her and Henry.”
     “We both agreed we had to do something, because she kept getting 
involved with the most unsuitable men.  She needs to be going out with 
boys her own age.  I don’t mind Henry even though he is a little bit 
older than her.  I really don’t think nineteen is that bad and he does 
come from a respectable family, but she obviously doesn’t want anything 
to do with him.”
     “It’s too bad.  I really do like Henry.”
     “Amanda, I’d better go and look for Michael before it gets too 
late.”
     “Sam, yesterday on my way to the market, I drove past the house and 
I noticed there was a For Sale sign in the yard.”
     “Yes.  I’ve known about that.  They haven’t been able to sell it.
Nobody wants to buy it despite the fact that the price they’re asking 
for it is so low, they might as well just give it away.”
     “So the last time someone lived in that house was five years ago?”
     “Yes.  Remember they were relatives of Laurie Strode.”
     “Yes, I remember.  Those poor people.  They didn’t deserve to die.”
     “No they didn’t, but their mistake was moving into that house.  
Michael must have felt they were invading his territory.”
     “Sam, I wish you wouldn’t go to that house alone.”                                                                                                                    
     “I have to.  I have no choice.”
     “Sam, please be careful.”  Her pale blue eyes showed genuine 
concern for him.
     He managed a smile.  “Don’t worry about me Amanda.”  He got up, 
left the room, walked into the living room, and grabbed his coat and 
cane from the coat rack by the front door.
     Carl was sitting on the sofa with a bottle of Jack Daniels.  “So 
you’re finally leaving.  Do me a favor and don’t come back.”
     Loomis decided to ignore Carl’s remark.  He put his coat on and 
stepped outside.  The rain had stopped, and a gentle but icy-cold breeze 
rustled the damp leaves of the trees.  He got into his tan Grand Am, and 
drove to the Myers house.