Welcome to Crystal Lake (ENG)

Chapter 14 - Drunk

Midnight had just passed, Friday the 13th, June, the day of his birthday, had just begun and the first victims had already been murdered. Jason would probably have been busy for the rest of the night, hoping that the teens missing from the hotel would show up shortly after his return there. Before of that he had to make a quick stop at his house, he had some muffins to keep safe. They would have been his reward once the job was done.

Arrived at the run-down cottage that had been his home for all his life, he went to the kitchen, making some space on the table to rest on it the bag and his new ax, throwing the remains of several meals on the ground. There was always time to clean, but that was certainly not the right time.

The big man reopened the plastic bag, taking the letter, on which it had been written with a black marker "For Jason" and a little under "Happy Birthday". He pulled out the sheet of paper inside, starting to read. This time the message was a little longer, the marks left by the pen formed lines of capital letters, clear and in order.

"Hello Jason.

We have not yet been introduced properly. I know you but you probably don't know much about me. My name is Jasmine and I am your new neighbor, together with my parents. My father is a doctor and he was needed here, so we moved in. As you will see, we are a quiet family and I hope that we will be able to live together peacefully.

If the news about you are true, this is your day. I hope we will become friends, or at least good neighbors, so it seemed nice to give you a birthday present. I know you like bladed weapons and I hope you like sweets too.

I admit it, the last time we met you surprised me quite a bit ...

Ok you scared me a lot, it wasn't just surprise.

The next time we see each other maybe we'll try to keep both our calm, how does it sounds?

Meanwhile, I wish you a happy birthday.

See you soon.

Jasmine"

The signature was in italics, an elegant but well legible calligraphy. Jason really liked the block letters, he had always found it easier and faster. The girl knew how to earn points with him, there was no doubt about it. He decided that he would give her a chance, let her live with her family for at least a little while, driven by just curiosity. He wasn't very convinced by this friendship thing, he didn't trust it. He had never had friends, only his mother, and perhaps it was better that way. If you are alone there is no one who can hurt you. He had tried, years before, to make friends and it had ended horibly, so he had given up.

He went to put the note together with the other, pausing for a moment to look at the necklace with the mask. He put it in his pocket, returned to take the ax, removing it from the cover and tying the ribbon around the handle. It was his first gift in decades, he wanted to show it off. He turned the heavy weapon in his hands as if it was very light, then testing its sharpness and skills on an unfortunate chair, already run down, reducing it to a pile of wood good only for the fire. Satisfied, he started to leave the house again, then pausing for a moment at the door. When he finally came out he was swallowing the last bite of one of the muffins, lowering the mask back into place. They were really as good as they seemed.

With unusual cheerfulness, which he did not show, he headed quickly and confidently towards what would be another place of massacre in the area in the morning. Generally he did not go to the city, he tended to stay in his forest. But if necessary, he would get to the other end of the world, and then return to his home once the work was done.