The Return

Chapter One

Lin runs down the hall, huffing and pouring gas from a gas canister along the floor. She comes to a stop and drops the canister, looking down the hall to her right. Through the vines and  hanging debris, she sees a tall, raggedy animatronic bashing a pipe open. She nods, but turns around when she hears something moving behind her. She gasps loudly when a painfully familiar face lunges at her with a knife.

Lin jolts up, sweating alot and looking around. It was her bedroom, dark but with some light seeping in through the window with the curtains closed. She wipes her forehead and climbs out of the bed, stretching some. Lin goes to the bathroom and turns on the shower. She washes herself slowly and jumps when someone knocks. "Mom, I need to use the bathroom." Samantha says from the other side of the door.

Samantha was Lins and Jacobs daughter, born three months after his death. Lin had named her Samantha Nathaniel Metzger to memorialize Jacob. She had his height, much to Lins dismay, and some of his hair color. She had Lins skin color but Jacob's blue eyes. Samantha had the usual teenager clothing style, torn jeans and black shirts and jackets.

Lin wraps herself in a towel and opens the door, Sam looking at her. "Don't you have a date with that lawyer guy?" She says and Lin nods, sighing softly. "First date I've gone on since your father died..." Lin says and Sam hugs her gently. Lin smiles slightly and kisses her temple and walks to her room, Sam goes into the bathroom. Lin gets dressed for work as a Bartender for a cheesecake factory. Lin fixes her outfit while looking in the mirror. She sighs and walks out, "I'm off to work, I'll bring you dinner." she says as she passes the bathroom, Sam thanking her. Lin goes out and gets into her '67 Chevy Impala that Jacobs family let her keep.

A few days after the funeral, Lin left Maryland and moved back to Colorado, letting Alice keep the apartment for herself. Lins family helped her raise Sam for the first few years until Sam became a teenager. Lin pulls into a parking space and sits there for a moment, taking deep breaths. She opens the glove box and pulls out a handcannon. Ten inches of  powerful stopping power, topped off with custom made FMJ rounds. Lin bought them as a just-in-case if certain things from twenty years ago rear their ugly robotic faces.

She puts it back in the glove box and clinbs out of the car and goes into the cheesecake factory. She relieves the first bartender and starts serving drinks, watching groups come and go.
One time she looks into the crowd and sees Jacob, she closes her eyes and shakes her head. Lin opens her eyes and he was gone, but jumped a little when Sam appeared infront of her. "Jesus, Sam...scared the crap out of me." She says and serves a drink to  someone. "Sorry, but I got bored at home alone." Sam says and looks over the wall of drinks and Lin smacks her shoulder. "None for you missy, you're not twenty one for another week." Lin says and Sam groans, putting her face on the counter.

Hours later, the next barista comes in and relieves Lin. "I'll be running home to change, then I'll be right back." Lin says and Sam turns to her. "I'll wait here and stake him out." She makes makeshift binoculars out of her hands, Lin giggles and gently pushes her. They smile at each other for a moment and Lin leaves. Sam immediately turns around and orders a vodka. The bartender keeps his back to her as he pours her drink, then slides it to her. She eagerly drinks it, her eagerness turns to disappointment when she finds out it was just water. "I hate you." She says and the bartender laughs.

Lin comes back, wearing a long black dress. She takes a few deep breaths, then climbs out of the car and walks inside. Sam comes up to her, having come up with a leather jacket and sunglasses. "Where did you...nevermind, where is he?" Lin asks and Sam points to him, Lin going in that direction. "Sorry about being late." She says and sits, the man shaking his head. "No problem, did you get pat down by the girl at the front door?" He asks and Lin tilts her head, then glares back at Sam who gives her a thumbs up while drinking a lemonade with her sunglasses on.

Lin and him have a great time, smiling and laughing. Sam watches from the bar and sighs happily, this being the happiest she has ever seen her mom. She looks over at a handsome man drinking some liquor. She leans over and smirks, "Yeah, I got some of that too, but with some Sierra Mist mixed in. Don't want it too strong." She says and he looks over, but then the bartender leans in. "How's your lemonade ma'am?" He says with a smirk and the other guy laughs, Sam glares at him and growls, going back to drinking her drink.

"Hey Derek? I've had a lot of fun tonight. I haven't dated someone since the father of my daughter died." She says and nervously plays with her napkin, and blushes when Derek gently grabs her hands. "I'm glad that I made you happy." He says and they both start to lean in, both blushing and closing their eyes. Sam watches from the bar, tightly clenching her glass to the point it starts to crack. Just before their lips meet, Lins phone starts ringing. She quickly grabs her purse and goes to turn it off. "God I'm so Sorry, I thought I..." she begins to say, but then sees whos calling. Lin looks at Derek, "I...I have to take this..." she says and quickly gets up, leaving before Derek could respond. Sam sets her glass down and goes to follow her, not realizing she had cut herself with the cracking glass. Lin goes into a quiet part of the cheesecake factory and takes a deep breath, taking up the call. The voice from the other end was one she had not heard in a long time. "Hey Lin,  Long time no see. We need to talk."