Friday, February 4, 2000
11:27 pm
It felt like time had stopped, like you were witnessing everything in slow motion. You were standing in front of the killer — Roman — his masked gaze searing holes into your figure. You never saw his face, yet you knew it was him.
The way his ghostly head tilted, somewhat questioningly, sent a chill down your spine. Slowly, you lifted the keychain, dangling it between your pointer finger and thumb to reveal what gave his identity away.
In what seemed like a nanosecond, you dashed across the room, drawing Roman away from the injured Kincaid as you knew his main objective was to get to you. Running as fast as your legs could carry you, your body crashed against a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. Roman barreled after you, mongering this deep rooted fear within you as you shoved past the doors, slamming them shut behind you.
As soon as you twisted the door's lock, incessant banging ensued on the other side. You backed away, heart hammering loudly as you frantically glanced around the room. You wound up inside the study, taking in all the shelves full of books, yet there appeared to be no other exit.
When the rapid pounding abruptly ceased, nothing but silence filled your ears. Your shoulders began to shake as you brushed a distressed hand through your hair while gripping the keychain in the other. You stared down at it, gritting your teeth.
Why? Of all people, why did it have to be Roman? You wanted to kick yourself for being so stupid. But another part of you grieved for the innocence you've lost and the trust issues you've gained due to all this misfortune.
You'd give anything to turn back time and live just one more day with your friends. Sitting out by the water fountain in your school's courtyard, so carefree with no responsibilities. At seventeen, you had no clue of what was about to transpire, the darkness that would overtake your life. You missed what you had then, and you regret not cherishing it more.
The girl you once were, before all the loss and the lies and the trauma, you will never get back. She was gone forever.
With bated breath, you accumulated your nerves as you slipped the keychain inside your pocket. You've seen enough horror movies to know that the killer doesn't just give up. The thought of Roman still lurking somewhere terrified you. This mansion must've had loads of secret passageways, you wouldn't be surprised if there was one inside this very study.
Before you had the chance to look, two arms suddenly wrapped around you from behind. You tried to scream but their hand clamped over your mouth, pulling you back through a hidden door, disguised as a bookshelf.
Your flailing and muffled protests only caused their hold on you to strengthen. All you could do was scan the room with your eyes until you were forcefully tossed onto a red medieval-esque couch. You tried to stand as the lights came on, but a hand pushed you back down.
Glowering up at the person, you were greeted with the grisly sight of Roman unmasking himself.
"I gotta give it to you, Y/n." He panted, chucking the ghostface mask to the floor. "You're quite perceptive."
You stared down at the mask, jaw clenching. "Why are you doing this? Is this all some sick twisted game to you? Are you just another lunatic following in Billy Loomis' footsteps?"
Roman scoffed out a laugh as you bombarded him with the inevitable questions. When your eyes found his, he held his arms out like a God who should be revered.
"Baby, I'm the original." He proclaimed as the big red theatre curtain ascended from behind him. "This all started with me... and tonight, I'll be the one to finish it."
As your gaze flickered to the humongous projection screen that covered the entire far wall, you realized that this was Milton's secret screening room Roman spoke of earlier.
You watched as the tapes began to roll, a projection of Maureen displaying through the monitor. Your expression morphed into one of pure shock as the recording showed Maureen stepping out of a vehicle to meet Cotton Weary. You were speechless as the footage cut to the two kissing outside of an unfamiliar residence.
It was all coming together now. Roman was the man Stu had told you about, the one who apprised Billy about his father's affair by showing him the video evidence.
"It was you... you're the one who came to Billy with those recordings." You deduced, gradually rising from the couch while Roman's focus was on the projection. "But why? Why would you care about any of that? What's the motive?"
You froze when his eyes shot back to you, pinning you with a stony glare. "I searched for a mother my whole life, an actress named Rina Reynolds. And four years ago, I actually tracked her down. Knocked at her door, thinking she'd welcome me with open arms. But she had a new life and a new name: Maureen Prescott."
The screen skipped to the next scene, grainy footage of the Prescott household. The camera zoomed in toward a window, showing the family you've known since childhood, eating together at the dining room table.
"Sidney—" Your throat dried, lungs contracting at the loss of air. "You're her brother."
"Sid was the only child Maureen claimed. She shut me out in the cold forever. Her own son." Roman deadpanned. When you ran into him at the theatre two years ago, that's why he felt so familiar. His features were so similar to Sidney's, yet you had no idea that your encounter with him was all planned. None of it was real.
"She slammed the door in my face, Y/n. She said I was Rina's child and Rina was dead." Roman pivoted to face you. "Then it struck me... what a good idea."
You winced as the video cut to a new, brighter location. There you saw Maureen walking up a motel staircase, approaching a man waiting outside his room. You recognized the man as Hank Loomis, Billy's father.
"So, I watched her. I made a little home movie—a little family film." Roman said, pointing to the screen as it showed Maureen and Hank entering the room, thrilled by the adultery they were about to commit. "It seems Maureen— mom, she really got around. I mean, Cotton was one thing. Everybody knew about that. But Billy's father? That was the key."
Roman stalked over to the bar and slouched against one of the wooden stools. You watched with glossy eyes as he twirled the hunting knife between his fingers.
"Your boyfriend didn't like seeing his daddy in my film too much. He didn't like it at all." He stated, leisurely. "But once I supplied the motivation, all the kid needed was a few pointers."
You let out a haggard breath, glancing back at the screen.
"Have a partner to sell out in case you get caught, find someone to frame." Roman listed, and your eyes widened as you made the connection.
"Stu?" You mumbled.
"That's right." He nodded. "It was like Billy was making a movie."
You began to feel as if something heavy was weighing down on your chest. Your knees grew weak with despair as you leaned against the arm of the couch to hold yourself up. "This is all because of you?"
"I'm a director, Y/n." Roman smiled. "I direct."
Your fingers curled around the couch, nails clawing at its soft cushioning. Anger brewed deep within you as you stared at the man responsible for ruining your life. His goal may have been to extract revenge against Maureen, but he royally screwed everyone else around her.
"I had no idea that they were gonna make a film of their own." He spoke as if he were simply entertained by your revultion. "What a film it turned out to be, huh?"
"I mean, introducing Sidney, the victim. Sidney, the survivor— though, I was surprised when Billy had actually finished her off." Roman declared while standing from the barstool. You tried backing away as he approached you with heavy strides, but he quickly snatched your arm, yanking you back. "But then I realized, Sidney was never the star of his movie. It was you, Y/n. You became the final girl."
Roman stared down at you, raising his hand to caress your cheek. You flinched as his thumb gently swept over the scar beneath your eye. "Isn't that right, Billy?"
You were utterly blindsided as Billy emerged from behind the big screen, casting a giant shadow over the projection. Shockingly enough, he wasn't alone. In his grasp was a muffled and tied Neil Prescott.
"Billy, wh– what're you doing?" You stammered as Roman held you in front of him, forcing you to face the two.
Billy gave a single head shake as if couldn't explain now. You could only watch as he slowly approached you with his knife to Neil's throat.
"What is this?!" You exclaimed, looking over your shoulder at Roman as you fought against his firm grip.
"You see, Y/n, I'd planned for you to take the fall for all of this. The loss of all your closest friends, the pressure of having Sidney's death on your hands caused you to finally just snap!" Roman unveiled as Billy tossed Neil to the floor in front of you. "Until I found out you were just like me... abandoned and replaced."
Your vision panned to Neil as he appeared dazed and confused. This wasn't the first time he's been beaten and gagged by Billy, however, the reason for this remained unknown to both him and you.
You looked back up at the monitor when it began to show footage of Maureen exiting your Woodsboro home. She kissed your father on the lips before heading down the porch to her car. You had already known of the affair but that didn't mean it hurt any less by seeing it up close.
"During my research, I discovered that Maureen wasn't the only parent of Sidney's who had been deceitful," Roman stated as he released you. Your brows furrowed as he moved in front of Neil, squatting down beside him.
Pointing his knife at the man, Roman held the most devious glint in his eye as he made the biggest reveal, "Say hello to your dear old dad."
His words felt like a punch to the gut as your legs wobbled. You would've crashed to your knees if it weren't for Billy. He was by your side in a flash, holding you steady with an arm around your waist. He whispered what seemed to be genuine apologies in your ear, but you couldn't respond. All you could do was stare into Neil's blue eyes; the emotion displayed in them showed he was just as oblivious as you were.
"It even shocked me. I mean, it was like your parents swapped fucking partners for the day!" Roman voiced as he ripped the tape from Neil's mouth.
"I-I didn't know," Neil uttered, shaking his head frantically. "Y/n, I didn't—"
"Oh, well..." Roman interrupted, grabbing Neil's shoulder as he pressed the knife to his throat. "It doesn't matter now."
"No!" You let out a scream as Roman swiped the blade across his flesh, ripping into the nerves. You covered your mouth as blood sprayed from the wound, Neil's expression full of agony as his body dropped to the floor.
Tugging out of Billy's grasp, you fell down next to Neil, holding onto his arms as he grew limp. The worst part was, you never even had the opportunity to speak with him about any of it. Neither of you knew.
Angry tears clouded your vision as you glared up at Roman, "You got your fucking revenge! What more could you possibly want?"
"It's not about what I want, Y/n." Roman said while standing to his full height, towering over you. "It's about what you want."
"What?"
Without skipping a beat, Roman pulled out a hidden gun from his cloak, training it on Billy's figure.
"Justice!" He declared before firing three shots. Your eyes widened as Billy's body doubled backward against the couch.
"You motherfucker!" You didn't hesitate to pounce on Roman, knocking the gun from his hand as you both collided to the floor.
The room grew dark as the lights abruptly shut off as if the power had been short-circuited. However, you were too focused on battling for the knife in Roman's hand to even notice.
Unfortunately, Roman had the upper hand in strength, and your bodies rolled as he flipped positions, now on top of you.
"Why?!" You shouted as you shoved against his shoulder with one hand while gripping his wrist with the other.
"I needed someone to take the fall. Who better suited than the original killer himself?" Roman spoke with his knife angled above your chest. You hissed as the sharp edge pierced the first layer of skin, but you weren't about to succumb to him. "Come on, Y/n, don't make me do this. I don't want to hurt you!"
"You already have!" You screamed back, thinking back on all the mental and physical pain you've had to endure these last few years. All because of Roman's sick and twisted brain.
You feared your arms were about to give out as you continued to struggle against him. As you hoped for some sort of savior, it appeared your prayers were answered when someone whacked Roman in the head with a candle holder.
Roman rolled off you due to the impact, and you heaved, startled by the sight of Stu as he hovered over you.
"Dammit, Orth. Why do you always gotta go around attracting psychos?" Stu asked as he helped you to your feet.
"You're one to talk," You griped as Stu wiped the blood from your chest with the back of his hand. Though, you gasped when you heard Billy groan from beside the couch.
"Billy!" You rushed over to him, surprised when you didn't find any blood seeping from his bullet wounds.
"I'm alright," he winced as he lifted his shirt to reveal the bulletproof vest underneath. "Stole it from Roman. I knew he'd pull some shit like this."
You couldn't help but wrap your arms around him, relieved that he was okay. You didn't realize it until now, but the thought of him dying... you couldn't bear it.
"You guys done?" Stu asked, and you turned to see he had found the gun on the floor. "We still have this asswipe to deal with."
As you pulled away from Billy, your gaze shifted to Roman who was still recovering from the head injury Stu inflicted upon him. You and Billy both stood from the couch as Stu kicked Roman's hunting knife to the side before pointing the gun at him.
"He was right, you know." Billy muttered in your ear. "If justice is what you want... then take it."
You frowned as you glanced down at the knife in his hand, watching as he slowly placed it into yours. With fingers curling around the hilt, your gaze met Billy's in a moment of hesitance.
There was this little voice in your head telling you that Roman deserved it. The voice repeated over and over, progressively becoming louder. The encouraging, yet sinister look on Billy's face only fed your temptation.
It appeared your subconscious had already decided as you strode over to Roman, the blade tight in your palm. Lowering to your knees, you could now see how badly the blow to his head had messed him up. He was breathing heavily, staring up at you with not one hint of regret in his eyes.
"I still got to make my movie." He panted, blood oozing from his eyebrow.
His words were made to provoke you, and that is exactly what they did as you held Billy's knife between both hands.
"Happy birthday, Roman." You spat as you extended the blade back before jamming it straight through his heart. He let out a pain-filled groan as you released the hilt to dig inside your jacket pocket.
Taking out the keychain, you grabbed Roman's hand, placing it in his grasp. But you didn't let go, you continued to hold his hand until his breathing became shallow. Your body began to shake with grief upon his last dying breath. "I hope it was all worth it," you whispered as his head fell back, eyes permanently closing.
You jolted, falling back on your elbows when a loud gunshot rang out.
"Stu!" Billy shouted, lifting you up by your arms after Stu had shot Roman in the head.
"What? It was for safe measure." Stu defended, though still sounding tactless.
You spun around, sliding your arms around Billy's waist as you rested your head against his shoulder. You used the comfort of his embrace to sedate your tears, too exhausted to even think about crying.
"I'm sorry," Billy wrapped his arms around you protectively. "I had to make him think I was on his side. He would've killed you if I hadn't... you know I love you too damn much to let that happen."
You raised your head slightly, wavering for a moment as you studied his expression. You responded to his unapologetic guise by cupping his face between your palms as you leaned forward, pressing your lips to his.
Before Billy could even register the kiss, you both broke apart as harsh pounding emanated from outside the room's main entrance.
The door's hinges broke as several officers, including Kincaid and Wallace, barged into the room. You staggered back as they all held their guns up, aiming them at Billy and Stu.
"Drop your weapon!" Wallace demanded as Stu still had Roman's gun in his hand.
Your eyes doubled in size as Stu quickly tossed the gun to the ground before of couple of officers marched over to detain your boys.
It felt as if you were experiencing some sort of movie scene as everything happened so fast. Dewey, Gale, and Randy all piled into the room, bewildered as they took in the gruesome sight of both Roman and Neil's dead bodies. It came as a surprise to them to find Billy and Stu here as well, but you could hardly focus on their reactions.
The two men you loved were being handcuffed and taken away right before your very eyes, and you couldn't do a damn thing about it.
Little did you know, jail couldn't contain them for very long... especially not after figuring out what you and Billy conceived the night you made love.
• • •
A/N,
Please, I know some of yall don't want a pregnancy storyline which I understand because I dislike kids too. And that sort of plot always kills the book's vibe but there's one more chapter left so you won't have to actually sit through it. Plus, I love to torture my readers, so I apologize if you hate this lmaoo