The Outsider (Derp Crew Horror)

Chapter 3 - Fearless? If Only...

Friday, July 8, 2005: 

(A/N: All rights reserved to the creators of the Blair Witch Project.)

The credits of the movie rolled on the screen of the miniature TV in GaLm's room. When we were kids, we would have almost weekly sleepovers at each other's houses during the summer, and this week we were all over at his. I looked over at Smarty, who was bundled up under his blanket and buried his face in the pillow.

"You... you okay there, Smarty?" I asked, patting him on the back with a chuckle.

"Yeah..." he responded, his voice muffled in the pillow. "I think I am."

On Tom's insistence, we thought it was a good idea for all of us to watch the Blair Witch Project. Granted, we were all twelve at the time and we all thought we were "fearless". In reality, none of us could handle scary stuff. Well, as I got older I was okay with it, but back then it was a different story.

"Okay, let's do this!" GaLm shouted victoriously as Tom put the tape in the VCR (A/N: I think I just dated myself with that line... oops) and I grabbed the bowl of popcorn. "This is gonna be the best night ever!"

In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found. 

"Those brave, foolish souls," I heard Smarty whisper, as I let out a chuckle. I knew this movie was going to be scary, but with Smarty making me laugh at the beginning it ruined the mood. The rest of the movie passed, and as it ended up getting scarier with every scene I watched him ball up under his blanket out of the corner of my eye.

Finally, 82 minutes later, the end credits rolled across the screen. Tom's jaw dropped, GaLm was pretty straight face, but Smarty was a ball of mess beside me.

"Make it stop," he whimpered.

"You... you okay there, Smarty?"

"Yeah... I think I am."

"That... was awesome!" GaLm finally spoke up. Tom was still speechless.

"Wait... what time is it?" he finally asked.

"Uh, almost midnight," GaLm answered.

"Well, guess who's not sleeping tonight." We laughed, except for Smarty, of course. He was finally coming out from under the blanket, and I could still see the fear on his face.

We stayed up for another hour playing games, trying to forget about the movie enough so we could sleep later. Once we were all under our covers, I was able to close my eyes, but I couldn't get comfortable because of the shuttering I felt beside me.

"Smarty?" I asked as I turned over. Tom and GaLm were right beside him, and both were already fast asleep.

"S-steven," he whispered. "I hear something... o-outside." He pointed to the window, where I could see the shadow of the outside tree. From the way the shading hit the window, making it look like a hand in its shadow, I could understand why he was so scared. The wind had picked up outside, and now the branch was hitting the window.

"See? It's just a branch, John. Nothing more." I tried my best to calm down my best friend who was for some reason afraid of a tree branch. "Okay, turn over to face me so you don't have to look at it. That'll help." He did as I suggested, and I could feel his slow, warm breath in my face.

"Thanks, Steven," he responded.

"No problem, Johnny Boy." I ruffled his hair and he let out a little chuckle. He finally closed his eyes and I did the same, and all was well... until a couple hours later.