Chapter One - Killings
"Now I see something red."
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Laura Crane was sitting in a bar, waiting for her date to show up. She looks off to her right, seeing a guy walking her way, she waves her hand with a smile. "Hi."
The guy doesn't acknowledge her, just takes a corner, causing her to place her hand to her mouth and clear her throat. Her phones vibrates, so she picks it up to look at it, she sees that it's her date texting her. Laura reads his texts, which vary from 'hi' to 'I'm lost'. Laura chuckles, sending two laughing emojis back, she picks up her shot glass and down the drink, placing the glass on the counter again. Laura's date texts again, asking if he can call her. "Um..." Laura hums, moving her hair out of her face before sending a thumbs up emoji. "Okay."
"Another shot?" The lady behind the bar asks.
"Yeah, sure." Laura nods, watching as she pours another shot.
Laura's phone rings, her date calling her. She answers and puts the phone to her ear. She clears her throat before talking. "Hi. Hi, Reggie."
"Laura, hi." Reggie chuckles.
"Hello."
"Um, so nice to phone-meet you in this incredibly embarrassing way."
"Oh, you know, no-no problem. It's fine."
"Uh, this is what I get for picking a trendy place with no sign out front, huh?"
Laura chuckles. "Yeah, why do they do that here?"
"I don't know. I've only been in the city for a few months."
"Me, too! No way!"
"Oh, wow."
"Yeah. Well, um, it's a very cool restaurant."
"Is it on Hudson?"
"Yes."
"Am I on Hudson?"
"I don't know."
"I am not on Hudson. Shit." Reggie curses. "Uh, I am now walking towards Hudson."
Laura nods even though he can't see her. "Okay."
"I am so, so sorry. This is not the first impression I wanted to make on a college professor."
"Oh, pfft. Associate Professor, and it's just Film Studies, so.."
"Oh..."
"You're safe."
"Film Studies? That's..." Reggie chuckles. "Cool."
"You say that but try teaching a class on 20th-century slashers to a heap of hungover nineteen-year-olds."
"Slashers, huh?" Reggie questions, then goes on to try to imitate Ghostface. "What's your favorite scary movie?"
"Um, not that one." Laura answered, both of them laughing.
"So why slashers?"
"Uh, well, I just, you know, I think it's interesting. You can really examine the culture of the moment by looking at the tropes of the time. Like, um, the masked killer, the final girl, the different rules: don't split up. Don't have sex."
They both chuckle at that. "Don't answer the phone."
"Exactly, exactly, exactly. It's all cliché. But out of those clichés comes an opportunity for outsider art. A voice for the voiceless, you might say."
"Hmm." Reggie hums.
"Jesus Christ." Laura whispers, pressing her fingers against her forehead.
"Yeah, I'm more of a rom-com guy, to be honest. Okay, I think I'm on Hudson."
"Okay."
"Um... What color is the outside of the restaurant?"
"I-I think it's red."
"I don't see anything red."
"I, um- I could be wrong. Um, let me just, um. Let me go have a little look-see." Laura grabbed her purse, standing up.
"Thank you."
Laura walked outside, looking up at the building. "Alright, um... Yep, it's definitely red."
"Yeah, I'm not seeing anything red here."
Laura looked around. "Sure you're on Hudson?"
"Um... Oh, crap, I'm still a block over. Oh, it looks like there's an alley I can cut through. Is the restaurant near an alley?"
"Um..." Laura looked, turning and looking across the street, where she saw an alley. "Yes! Yes. There is an alley."
"Oh, perfect. Okay, I'm coming down the alley."
Laura walked so she was standing in front of the alley on the other side of the road, but she didn't see anyone. "I don't see you."
"Wait. Really? Are you sure?"
"Uh..." Laura made her way across the street. "Let me just..."
"Uh, there are some dumpsters about halfway down."
Laura made it to the other side, seeing the dumpsters. "I see them, but I don't see you."
"Yeah, I don't see you, either. This is creepy, right?"
"Uh, a little bit."
"20th-centuray slashers, huh?"
"Yeah. Are you sure you're walking towards Hudson?"
"I'm sure. Oh, wait. I think I see you! Can you wave?"
Laura moved her hair out of her face before waving, starting to walk down the alley as she did so. "Can you see me?"
"Uh, the person I'm looking at isn't waving. They're just staring at me."
Laura stopped waving. "Are you sure?"
"Okay, this is weird. Um... Now they're moving towards me."
"Are you okay?"
"Oh, shit. He's following me."
Laura continued walking down the alley, looking around. "Uh, I don't-I don't see anybody."
"Holy shit! He's after me!"
"Where are you?"
"He's got a knife!"
"What?"
"He's got a knife!" Reggie repeated. Laura picked up her pace. "And that's not the worst part. The worst part it..." He trailed before Ghostface's voice started talking. "You teach a class about slashers, and you still walked into a dark alley. Alone."
Laura stopped walking, looking around. "Okay, that's not funny."
Ghostface chuckles. "No. It's not."
A woman screaming caused Laura to jumped and pull her phone away from her ear, she looked to her left, only for it be a few people having fun. She exhaled, but once she turned around, she got stabbed, Ghostface backed her into a wall as she screamed.
He continued to stab her, blood soon pouring out of her mouth as she continued to scream in pain. Ghostface stabbed her repeatedly until she was on the ground, gasping heavily as she looked up at him.
"Now I see something red." Ghostface said before slashing her throat, blood splashing on his mask. Ghostface breathed heavily as he looked at the now dead professor, he kneeled down, still looking at her before taking off his mask. He looked around, standing up and walking away, he stuffed the costume into his bag and walked down the street.
"Yeah, no I wouldn't have done that." Tara said as she walked down the street, McKenna behind her.
"Oh, hey, Tara!" Jason called out, Tara and McKenna stopped, turning to look at him.
"Jason. Are you and Greg gonna come to the OKB party?" Tara asked.
"Well, if he finishes his Spanish project in time, yes, we will." Jason responded, McKenna narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't say anything. "Is your sister coming?"
"No, Sam wouldn't be caught dead at a frat party." Tara stated.
"Yeah, and I wouldn't either. But here I am." McKenna muttered.
"There's a first time for everything." Jason said.
Tara and McKenna started walking down the sidewalk again. "Not tonight, though." Tara replied.
"Can't convince her?" Jason called.
"No. That's not my problem, that's yours." Tara called back.
"Save me a drink!"
"Alright, I'll see you."
🎭🔪
The first chapter is done! Wow, I'm excited to write this, it's gonna be so fun with so many twists and turns and sadness and happiness and all this fun shit! Anyways, I guess I don't have much else to say, so I guess that it, onto the next chapter!