Just Like Heaven

Day 1

Hi there. I know it's been a while. I wanted to preface this novel with a few things:

This is not going to follow the plot of any scream movies. It will remain a horror novel, but there is no love interest. This is a reader-insert without the joys of romance.

There will be intense themes—Gore, violence, cursing, etc. Nothing sexual, though; that's not my thing. This won't be a happy book at all. Apologies in advance.

I'm still determining how long and often it will be updated, but I will finish it. Just bear with me here; I'm a working college student. 

Thanks for being patient; I know this has been a long-anticipated chapter. Just know this differs from the rest of the books in the series. 

Enjoy, thank you for reading.

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Green hues dampened the scene before me. A neglected cabin stood decrepit. Its sopping exterior was enough to make me gag.

My ex-boyfriend brought me back to the place that came out of a Christmas storybook three years ago. I could barely recognize this building, but Stu dripped with excitement.

Stu mirrored the building in front of me, his appearance nearly unrecognizable. His eyes were familiar but sinister. He dyed his hair blonde for the sake of the disguise, pairing sunglasses anytime in public. But the healed, cavernous scar tissue from being electrocuted was his natural mask. The scar tissue was prominent on the left side of his face. The areas around his eyes and mouth were tight against the skin, with red freckled scars around each corner of his face. His left eye was pale; the pupil was significantly smaller than the other.

Every time I meet his gaze, I'm left stunned. It's no surprise why the search has stagnated. From a distance, he's different.

The situation hit me like a truck when he stole me away from the auditorium. I was right the entire fucking time. When I thought I saw him, I was right. My mind worked against me in my dreams, but around my old college town? I need to trust myself better. Randy needed to trust me.

Back in Georgia, I was knocked out by Stu, trying to drag me to the car. I put up as much of a fight as I could. Some sense hit me when he pushed me in. I wanted to run away with anyone but him. He got the better of me, but I'm unsure how long I was out. We were halfway across the country by the time I woke up.

For the sake of it all, I remained silent. I was processing everything. The car, a shitty beige Toyota Corolla, reeked of sweat and fast food. I wasn't allowed to leave the car either. Stu limited the gas station stops to walking me to the women's bathroom. Otherwise, he would get food for us.

Stu told me he wandered the country in the first year of his disappearance. He stole a car from his parents when he had a chance to slip away from the police. Eventually, he needed help. Somewhere along the line, Stu returned to Woodsboro to meet his parents. His description of them made it seem like they had no choice, but he expressed gratitude for them.

The car ride from Windsor University was tragically longer than I expected. We passed the state lines through pure idiocracy. Time is mush, and I barely have the strength to figure out what to do with myself.

The guilt I felt for my mother jerked through my veins as he dragged me by the wrist. I didn't fight him. From the looks of where we are, I can't help but succumb.

He told me that today was Friday. I believe him.

While I stare out the only window in the room, I realize where exactly I am. Knowing right now won't be essential, but I think about it anyway.

Mount Hood. The cabin is near the mountain base, outside of Elk Meadow. These details have struck me since I did a brief Google search after moving to Windsor. It irked me how Stu was able to disappear. This place was the first place I could think of.

I was half right. After Stu visited his parents, he skirted up to this cabin. The same one he stole me back to as a winter getaway. The shack was conveniently tucked away for no one to see—a long road curved around to the corner where we were. The woods were a shelter from society. The path was easy to miss, and a gate prevented onlookers from taking a peek.

"Do you like it?" Stu grinned from the doorway.

Stu's voice was lower now, too. It snapped me out of my daze.

I wanted to scream or just fucking burst into flames, but all that came out was:

"Just like how I remembered...." I feigned sweetness with a smile to accompany it.

The man I used to know gleamed with joy. "Awesome..." He said. "I'm going to get us some dinner. What do you want?"

"A salad," I said. "And uh fruits... I like to snack."

"I remember your favorite – blueberries, raspberries, all the berries – No oranges," Stu said. "I'll be back! Don't go anywhere."

"Right," I muttered.

I didn't move an inch until I heard the car roll away. Silence blanketed the cabin, and I shot from the bed to the living room. Dust layered the living room. Stu locked the front door. Fuck! I ran to the back door of the kitchen. That was closed, too. I pounded on each entry I could and screamed for help. Then it hit me. There are windows.

A long breath hit my lungs before running through the living room. I pushed my legs to their limit and leaped off the ground. Glass scratched my arms and face. The grass could have cushioned my fall, but I'm pretty sure a piece of glass stabbed my waist. I tried pushing myself up with my forearms but let out a howl. Shooting pains went through my torso, so I collapsed, unable to open my eyes.

I laid still for a moment and tried squeezing the pain away, but I couldn't move. The sound of a car door shutting hit my eardrums.

"Shit," I gasped.

"What the hell is this, (Y/N)?!" Stu roared. "I said don't go anywhere!"

"Fuck you!" I hissed through my teeth. "This is your fault!"

"How is it my fault? I told you to stay put-" He yanked me up by my arm and dragged me past the lawn back into the cabin- "YOU decided to throw yourself through a window."

This fucking idiot.

I landed on the cold wooden floors and watched Stu beelined for a door I didn't recognize. It was in the corner of the living room. It's easy to overlook. Stu pulled me across the room to the open door when he unlocked it.

Like a scene from a horror movie, a set of creaky stairs led to a basement. What kind of a cabin has a fucking basement?

This is when Stu lifted me into his arms and carefully tread the stairs. We reached the bottom, where he threw me onto a flat mattress on the ground. I wailed in pain, feeling the shard of glass deepen within my flesh.

"I'm serious now, (Y/N)," Stu growled. "Don't you fucking move an inch."

As a courtesy to me, Stu flipped on the one light switch available before exiting. The door shut, and I heard several locks. I let out a shriek, my voice hurting almost instantly.

The scene in front of me was horrifying.

Skulls hung from the ceiling, and Stu planted rib cages on the walls. Some bits of hair were tasseled amongst the hanging bones, and blood splattered the floor. Everyday items were scattered, implying it was a regular basement before Stu arrived, but this was horrible.

All I could do was scream.