HALLOWEEN - INFERNO

Chapter Seven

Haddonfield, Illinois

October 31st, 2019

Laurie hadn't slept. No matter what she tried to do she just couldn't fall asleep. She had laid there in her warm bed looking up at the ceiling for the entire night thinking of how she could deal with the approaching threat that is Michael Myers. It was now officially Halloween and that was his day of the year to come out and play, to go trick or treating and give all those who crossed his path one good scare before he stripped them off their lives.

The sun lifted and pierced her window and Laurie sat up. She decided to move her stash of weapons upstairs into her room where they were safe, she loaded her revolver and tucked it into her pants and then grabbed her keys to her truck. Her first stop was the cemetery to check on Judith's headstone. While she was there she'd pay a visit to those dearest to her, Annie and Lynda.

She jumped out of her car when she arrived at the cemetery, she grabbed her revolver and removed it from her belt and kept it by her side incase she needed it. She hoped she would, she'd rather be forced to use it today than tonight when all the children were out. She came over the hill and scanned the open area. Not a soul could be seen. She sighed, tucked the gun away and then began walking down the hill towards the first stop. Judith.

Nothing had changed. It was still the same boring old faded away tombstone. She was buried beneath her, nothing but a rotten old corpse down there. The world above her changed and evolved and she remained the same. Just a seventeen year old girl killed by her little brother. That was it. But Laurie always wondered how a simple kitchen knife could do this much damage. She smiled and put her hand on the top of her tombstone. "Sorry, Judith". Laurie's head snapped to the side when she saw someone move behind a tree. Her eyes widened and she grabbed the gun and ran towards the tree, she didn't hesitate for a second.

She rounded the tree and aimed. But when she saw the groundskeeper standing there with a horrified look planted across her round face she lowered the weapon almost straight away and removed it from her eyesight. The groundskeeper stepped back a little and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm-I'm sorry, Ms. Strode I didn't mean to impose like that or scare you", Laurie watched her as she tried to hold back the tears that nearly seeped from her eyes. "Not everyday you have a gun pointed at you".

"I'm really sorry! I thought- I'm sorry!" Laurie commented over and over again. "I was just coming by to make sure-"

"Make sure of what?"

"That everything was in place. Kids and their pranks on Halloween right" Laurie laughed nervously then walked back. "I'm really sorry again", she turned and hurried off across the cemetery. She looked back once more at the shadow that was cast over the tombstone, the groundskeeper approached it and looked down at it and Laurie turned and hurried away. She got to the top of the hill and then looked back. The groundskeeper was gone, most likely on her way back to her shed. "Happy Halloween" she spoke to herself. She'd come by later and see Annie and Lynda. After almost killing the groundskeeper she needed to get out of there and keep on looking. Maybe she should have warned her but she couldn't risk it. She didn't want word getting out, hunting him down would be even harder then. Laurie climbed back into her truck then drove off across Haddonfield. She had to go to the Myers house and warn them. The house was rebuilt and that means that Michael would go home once again.

Laurie was preparing mentally, physically and emotionally. She can't let her emotions cloud her judgment or go back to where it all began. She needed to get a clear shot and take it. Blow that mask clean off his head and expose him to the world before blowing his head clean off and hanging his body up for the world to- Laurie pushed the thought back, she was going to kill him. That's all that matters.

Allyson decided to walk with Beth, Cameron and Paul. Beth was begging to not have to drive for just one day. Cameron spoke with Paul about football while they walked and Beth and Allyson discussed the dance. Allyson ignored the negative thoughts that were in her mind from a year ago today where she walked with Dave and Vickie.

"What're you wearing?" Allyson asked, taking a long sip of her tea from her plastic cup with the red straw that was sticking out of the top. She removed the straw from her mouth. "Is your dad still making you dress more lady like?"

"If you mean a dress that rides down past my ankles and drags behind me then yes. At least I've got old jerko to pick up the back of it" she giggled and pointed to Paul who gave her a goofy smile. "Apparently my mom would have loved it. It's long and green, but it's going to be such a drag".

Allyson had a laugh. "I'm sure you're going to be looking amazing, as always!'

"Are you doing anything tonight?" Beth asked Allyson.

She sighed and shrugged and took another sip. She licked her lips and looked back at her friends. "Probably be locked away inside tonight. We'll watch a video but that's it. You?"

"Babysitting. Again" Beth replied. "Paul will be helping me, of course" she gave Allyson a sly smile.

"Really? You've watched their kids almost everyday this week" commented Allyson. "Good money though, right?"

"Great money! Mr. Cartwright is showing investors the properties in town. And he's been taking them out overnight while they're here and Mrs. Cartwright just happens to go along" Beth explained. "I always watch Jeremy and Sophia until they get home but Mrs. Cartwright is a slash, she'll be out all night getting hammered". It was moments like this that Allyson forgot about her troubled backstory. She was laughing loudly and enjoying her morning walk to school, not a care in the world until they approached the old Myers House, now a beautiful rebuilt family home with life and colour to it.

The older gentleman who owned it with his wife was on the lawn, small axe in hand and he was chopping down a flimsy sign that had been stuck into his lawn over night. Allyson and Cameron looked at it, though cheap the mask on the stick still resembled a replica Shape mask. He chopped at it again and the group of teenagers saw the small giggling pack of children hiding behind his bins laugh.

"Enough of this Michael Myers bullshit!"

He kicked the sign down. Allyson looked at the children who ran off. The man watched them round the corner and then he sighed, cursed to himself then grabbed the stupid sign and carried it inside. On his way in he dropped the axe down by the front door. He slammed the door shut and the group moved on, Beth putting her hand on Allyson's back was a gesture that got her moving quickly.

"Those poor people. Ever since they bought that place people have been giving them hell" Paul said as he looked back at the house. "As if someone would actually buy it".

"Yeah" softly replied Cameron.

Paul chuckled. "The Boogeyman is coming for ya!" Then ran off down the street away from the house and ahead of the group. They laughed, even Cameron. Laurie or Karen hadn't spoken to them yet about the grim news. The Boogeyman lives.