Terrible Tales of Horror: The Diabolical One

What happened to Any Way the Wind Blows? Well, unfortunately I seem to have misplaced it somewhere. Oh. Darn. But never fear, I don’t believe it’s truly lost, merely it’s somewhere I haven’t thought to look yet. But until I find it I’ll skip ahead and post some mercifully shorter tales featuring bad writing at it’s best.

Today we have The Diabolical One, a heartwarming tale of demonic possession and self-sacrifice, started way way back in 1997. I didn’t get very far with this one, I only wrote the same scene three different times, but I do have nice detailed summary of how the story was supposed to go.

My initial notes:

The Diabolical One

Characters: Laura Carsen, Molly Carsen, Scott Mathews, Kevin Elsworth, Shannon Williams. The Diabolical One: Laura Carsen

Laura: 13 years old. Shoulder length blond hair. Curelean [I sure was fond of that color] blue eyes.

Molly: 15 years old. Short brown hair that went down to her chin. Hazel eyes.

Scott: 15 years old. Brown hair. Light green eyes.

Kevin: 16 years old. Chin length dirty blond hair. Blue eyes.

Shannon: 15 years old. Long red hair that goes down to the small of her back. And brillian jade green eyes.

Laura is out to destroy the entire human race. Laura and Molly are sisters. Scott is Molly’s boyfriend. Laura likes Scott. Shannon is Molly’s best friend. Kevin hangs out with them. Laura is a vamparic creature, but not really, she’s not really a vampire. She feeds off human flesh, not blood. [So she’s a zombie? I wrote a zombie story? Awesome!] She is a demon and is not to be trusted.

First Draft:

Prologue

Laura Carsen made her way down the winding, twisting path made of stone that went several miles down below the serface, in silence.

It felt like a dream to sweet Laura. Everythign looked fuzzy, as if she were dreaming. But she supposed it was just the lack of oxygen.

“Why did I agree to this,” Sweet Laura [What’s with all this Sweet Laura crap?] murmered into the wind, pushing a strand of her shoulder-length platinum blond hair out of her porceline face. I wish Molly and Shannon were here, she found herself thinking.

“And Scott,” she added out loud. Especially Scott. Scot was bad. Not like all the other losers she knew. Laura could see what Molly saw in him.

Laura was a beautiful girl with as sweet personality, [She can't be that sweet if she likes her sister's boyfriend because he's "bad."] like her nickname said. Sweet Laura. Scot thad given her the nickname. Scott Anthony Mathews, her older sister’s boyfriend.

He’s only two years older than me, Laura thought. Sweet Laura herself was 13.

Why am I doing this? Why am I going into a freeky old cave which no one’s been in for twenty years, if that story is even true.

The counseler of their cabin--Carol--told them--Genine, Cater [Got that name out of an SVH book], Melanie--a story the night before.

It was about a girl named Crystal who went down to the caves 19 years earlier on a dare. No one knew what happened. The girls who were waiting at the top of the path into the cave said they didn’t here a scream, she just disappeared, into thin air, they said.

But now it was Sweet Laura’s turn. Sweet, sweet Laura, who made her way to the bottom of the path where vines reached down from the opening, as if they were waiting for the next poor unsuspecting child to walk in and become nothingness.

Well their not gonna get me.

Laura grabbed on fiercely to a section of the vines and pulled it down. “There.”

Laura walked in with her hands on her hips. “What a dump,” she murmered.

There was a rather large hold in the middle of the ground. Bones and skeletons all over the place. Bloodstains on the ground. [And she’s not running back the way she came? Moron! You deserve all the bad things that happen to you.]

Laura jerked her head up. What was that? She thought she saw something move in the corner. Carefully, she walked over, wary not to step in anything she’d regret. “Is anybody there? Genine? Is that you?”

Laura. Sweet Laura.

Her last thought in her moment of sanity. No. It can’t be. . .

* * * * *

Part One

Chapter One

Four Weeks Later

Shannon Williams and Molly Carsen sat in the Carsen’s driveway waiting for Molly’s mother to come back with Laura.

“So why’s Sweet Laura coming back from camp early?” Shannon asked.

Molly shrugged. “I don’t know. Mom said something about her being sick and not participating in activities, or some shit like that.”

“Sweet.”

Molly layed back and hit her head on the pavement. “Ow!”

“Well you should’ve been more gentle.” She patted the driveway. “this ain’t a mattress, you know.” [I think I liked Laura better.]

“I know. I hate being such a clutz. It’s just that Molly’s such a clutzy name.”

“I like it.”

“You would. Why can’t I have a pretty name like yours, or Laura’s.” [Well I guess you can tell how I felt about the name Molly.]

“What’s so good about Shannon? It’s normal. I know six other Shannon’s, I only know one Molly.” [The only Molly I’ve ever known was a ferret.]

“Yeah, but all the Shannon’s you know are pretty, you’re pretty. I’m just a plain jane.”

It was true, after all.

Molly had short, thick medium brown hair she wore down to her chin, dark ollive skin and almond shaped brown eyes, a complete opposite of Laura’s looks. Molly was also very short, being 15 and five foot two.

Shannon was five foot six, with long cherry red hair that went down to the middle of her back that went nicely with her catlike emerald green eyes.

Shannon looked at Molly strangely and layed down too.

“that cloud over there looks like. . . .” Molly trailed off giggling.

Shannon looked over. “I don’t see anything but a puffy white cloud.”

"Of course you wouldn’t see it, Shannon. You’re still a virgin.” [Burn.]

* * * * *

Scott Mathews sat in the passenger seat while his cousin, Kevin Elsworth drove.

“I know this girl who would be perfect for you. Now before you say anything, Kevy, I wnt you to know she’s very nice, and very beautiful, and I know you two will get along great.” [Scott already sounds like a douche.]

“If she’s so wonderful, why aren’t you with her?”

“I got’s me my Molly,” he shrugged. [Are they supposed to be southern hicks or something? Let‘s go with it. Southern zombies!!! w00t!] “And besides, Shannon’s still mad at me for nearly running her over when I was driving my Dad’s truck.”

“She she has a name, Shannon. Do I have anything in common with Shannon?”

“Yeah Molly says since you’re a Pisces, and she’s a Scorpio, you two like the water, and we live by a lake, if you know what I mean?” [I hope Kevy does, cause I sure don’t.]

“Well, no. Your parents died three months ago, hers di9ed three yeas ago. Both in plain crashes.”
[End of draft one. Not too terrible. The beginning was okay minus the Sweet Laura crap. Let’s see what came next.]

Second Draft:

Prologue - July

Laura Carsen walked down the curving vine covered walkway to the Diabolical One’s lair with care. She didn’t want to be the next sacrifice to the demon. She didn’t’ deserve that. No one deserved that. Except maybe Molly. It was her sister’s fault that Laura was there. [Thank God I dropped the Sweet Laura. But for some reason Laura now seems to hate Molly. *shrug*]

Why did I agree to this?, Laura thought. Two weeks before, Janeen Nelson had gone down to The Diabolical One’s [TM] lair. When she had come back, she was different. Evil almost. But she died before they could know what had happened to her down in the lair. And now Laura was praying to God that she would never find out.

I’m only 13, she thought. I don’t need this.

Holding a glowing torch in her hand she quietly moved downward till she saw some strange markings on the wall.

“What the hell?” Laura muttered.

They were of some kind of beast. He had claws for hands, horns for ears. He was large and hair and had some kind of blackish vapor around him.

[Something like this guy.]


“Weird.” Forgetting the drawing, Laura continued. Several minutes later, Laura made her way to an opening in the wall. Stepping inside, Laura looked around. Raising the torch, Laura screamed.

Inside the opening was a horror beyond belief. Laura with her white blond hair pulled up in a ponytail so tight, her big cerelean blue eyes raging wide with terror, Laura dropped the torch.

Hush, hush, sweet, sweet, Laura. [The sweet reared it’s ugly head after all.]

* * * * *

Chapter One - August

“So when’s Laura getting here,” Shannon Williams asked her best friend Molly Carsen.

“Today. Sometime.” Molly shrugged.

Shannon layed back on the asphault and sighed. She’d be getting her liscense in a few months, and she couldn’t wait. No more of her father [Guess she’s not an orphan anymore?] driving with her, telling her to do this, and to do that. Goodbye drivers permit.

“Shannon,” Molly started in a pitiful voice. “Do you think your father loves you?”

Oh no, Shannon thought. Molly was playing the “nobody loves me” game. “Why do you ask, Moll?”

“Simple. My parents love Laura more then they love me.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Why do I think that? Gee, I don’t know, Shannon,” Molly said sarcastically. “But it couldn’t possibly be my loosk could it?” she said with an emphases on the word possibly. [Can Molly be anymore melodramatic? I’m beginning to think this was the first draft.]

Shannon knew that Molly’s looks weren’t on the gorgeous side, and that Molly thought her parents were disappointed that she was no beauty. Not like Laura.

Laura was perfect. Her beautifully silk like blond hair. Her eyes were that beautiful cerelean blue that was seldom ever found except in babies. She was an honor roll student, and was very popular in Jr. High. And when she went into High school the next year, Shannon suspected she would be equally liked.

But Molly was the opposite. She had muddy brown hair that had no shine. Her eyes were a dull brown. Her skin was fair, unlike Laura’s tanned, and she almost always had a sunburn. Molly’s hair was cropped short, unlike Laura’s long, silky, locks. It was truly sad.

“But I wouldn’t expect you to understand, Shannon. You’ve never had that problem. Your parents love you. You’re gorgeous. You’re an only child. You’re so damn lucky it makes me sick.” [Shut the fuck up Molly. No wonder your parents don’t like you.]

By now, Shannon had learned to deal with molly bys imply agreeing with her. “Yes. You’re absolutely right.” But she couldn’t say Molly was completely wrong. Shannon didn’t consider herself “gorgeous.” [Most pretty girls don’t. Thus ends our first draft which was masquerading as the second. I feel misled. That was horrible. On to the next.]

Third Draft:

Chapter 1 - A Sweet Summer’s Night [This title would later be reused on one of the Dear Sister rewrite’s. I’m just so original!]

Laura Carpenter [No longer Carsen, I see.] crept silently down the narrowing stone walkway. It was only a dare, nothing should happen to her. It was a sweet summer night, the kind that penetrates into the soul. But never was there a souless existed it could penetrate into itself in the way of the twisted shadows that crept upon Laura’s back. [What. The. Hell. Was I drunk when I wrote this?]

“Laura,” it said. “Sweet sad Laura. Won’t you come and join me, darling? Will ya, honey? Please?” Laura heard it, yes she did. But for a long time afterwards, she pretended it never existed. Much like It pretended to Laura that she had ventured down into the unknown abyss.

“Laura,” It cooed.

“No! Stay away from me!” she screamed. It heard her, yes It did. But could a creature that never was to anybody but itself hear anything at all?

Laura ran, she ran as fast as her long legs could take her. Out of the cave. Out of the woods. Into her cabin and grabbed her notebook. Laura suddenly knew. She was just like Coryleen. But no. she couldn’t be.

Laura stood up. Why should she be afraid of a mystery? She had always loved to be involved in a conspiracy.

[And that’s where I left off. That one was kind of interesting. And now for the detailed summary I wrote in eighth grade.]

The Diabolical One

Main Characters; Shannon Williams, molly Carsen, Laura Carsen, Scott Mathews, Kevin Elsworth.

It beings in the summer before school starts at the summer camp Laura’s at. The girls in her bunk are telling ghost stories. Two of the girls are talking about the Evil One’s Lair, which is in a cave in the woods. Their saying how they found it but didn’t go in. Laura’s telling them their cowards, and they dare her to go in. she does, and when she doesn’t come out after a hwile, they get scared and run away. Laura has fallen into the Evil One’s Lair and It comes inside her and posesses her. Not a piece of it, but all of it. Laura does come back, but she’s not the same Laura who went into the Lair.

Meanwhile in the town, Scott come to town. Kevin [I got Kevin and Scott mixed up when I wrote this. They were just that unmemorable.] decides to set him up with his girlfriend Molly’s best friend Shannon. He thinks they have a lot in common. Scott’s parents died three months earlier in a plane crash and Shannon’s died the same way there years earlier. [Because sharing your grief over your parents death is the healthiest foundation for a relationship.] They go on a double date and Scott and Shannon hit it off. Scott is 16. Kevin, Molly and Shannon are 15. Laura is 13. Scott has dirty blond hair he wears down to his chin, and grey eyes. [By complete coincidence, my first boyfriend ended up looking exactly how I pictured Scott.] Kevin has short brown hair and brown eyes. Molly and Laura do not look anything alike. Laura has long honey blond hair and bright blues eyes. There is something in Shannon’s facial features that is similar. [You know where this is going. If you don’t, you haven’t been paying enough attention. If it’s not completely convoluted, I probably plagiarized it.] One night after they start dating, Shannon and Scott go skinny dipping in the lake and wind up making love under a tree on the shore.

When Laura comes back, she obviously not the same girl who left. Molly and her parents are worried about her and take her to the doctor. He finds nothing wrong with her [Demonic possession doesn’t show up on CT scans, btw.] They take her home. One by one, skinless bodies of people are turning up, and Molly notices that Laura disappears every night. So she decides to follow her. Laura meets her best friend and some boy Molly’s never seen before, but looks to be around Laura’s age. She continues to follow them and sees that they are the killers. Upset about what she’s seen, [mostly about them eating the flesh off the bodies, I’m assuming.] Molly runs to Scott and Kevin’s. By this time, half the people in town had left. Molly’s parents want to leave. Kevin and Scott take her home and Molly’s parents are packing up. They heard about her latest murder and they’re yelling at her for being out of the house that late at night and where’s Laura. Molly convinces them to go to West Virginia [they are southern!] without her and that her and Laura would go with them when Molly found Laura. Molly begs them to go and they eventually relent and go. [What kind of parents would leave? Really?]

The trio then goes over to Shannons and get her out of there [Who does she live with anyway? Her parents are dead.] and they go to an abandoned hotel to the top floor and lock all the doors and they make it so the elevaters break down and lock the emergency stairway. They talk about what Molly saw and the two boys say kill her. Molly screams no and Shannon says it sounds like Laura’s possessed [as opposed to just being a zombie.] Scott and Kevin start making jokes about the exorcist. [You can always count on teenage boys to truly be themselves amidst desperation and tragedy.] Shannon’s saying it probably happened at the camp since she was sent home early. They decide they need to go there and investigate. Since Scott’s 16, he has his liscense and can drive. They drive out there and find Genine, one of the girls who dared Laura. After yelling at her for a while, she breaks down and tells them what happened.

They go down there and find skeletons. They go back--it’s been a two day journey--and find the town a ghost town. They go back to the hotel and they decide they have to kill Laura. They go out and break into a gun shop against the girls protests and steal two shotguns, and go back to the hotel. They decide they will hunt for Laura the next day.

Molly sneaks out that night and tries to find Laura. She thinks he can somehow talk to her sister and get Laura to fight the demon inside here. Molly makes a noise as she leaves which wakes up Shanon, who doesn’t go investigate until the noise stops--she’d always been a light sleeper--thinks about what Molly said about Laura having a doctors appointment. One with her aunt, who was a doctor. She wonders if her aunt found anything wrong with Laura, so she breaks into the hospital. Once in, she looks out the window and sees Laura’s best friend chasing some guy doesn’t the street. She suddenly thinks of vampires and owners if Laura is some sort of one, and goes down to the morgue. She takes the droors out and put a little crucifix on each of the skinless ones. She then goes to her aunts computer and looks up Laura Carsen. Her aunt had said Laura was quiet and withdrawn, unusually pale considering that she’d spent a whole month at camp. But the most interesting part was her blood type; AB-. Molly’s blood type was O+. Shannon double checks. Then checks Molly and Laura’s parents blood types; A- and B-. she then checks her own parents; A+, O+. Shannon’s own was AB-. Shannon and Molly were born on the same day in the same hospital. Both delivered by the same doctor. She then realizes that her and Molly were switched at birth. [I was real into this plot contrivance.] But before she went to the hospital, she went to her favorite new age store to look up demonic possession. She found the certain think about Laura and they were sort of vampire. But they didn’t rise from the dead after their skin had been torn off and eaten. They have to drive the spirit into a sibling of the possessed one and kill that person to close the door to their soul. Anyway, someone had to die.

Meanwhile Molly does find Laura, but Laura attacks her and tries to eat her. Kevin wakes up and sees that Molly’s gone, wakes up Scott and Shannon’s gone. They get their shotguns and go look for the girls. Kevin sees Molly and Laura and shoots at Laura, which doesn’t hit her, and she runs away. They go over to Molly and help her up. Laura had taken a bite out of her arm and Kevin takes his shirt off and ties it around her arm and they go look for Shannon. They find her coming from the hospital a little dazed. They ask her what she was doing. And then start yelling at her for going wherever she did by herself. Then she says she knows how to save Laura and Molly asks her how. She tells her and Kevin says no Let’s kill the bitch. Molly ain’t dying for her. And Shannon agrees. Then Molly says she wouldn’t mind dying for Laura. And Shannon tells her it wouldn’t do any good. Molly asks why and Shannon says because Molly’s not Laura’s sister. And then explains about the blood types and that her and Molly were switched at birth. If anybody was ogi9nt o save Laura, it would have to be Shannon. Scott says hell no, but Shannon looks over to the horizon and the sunrise. Afterwards they go back to the hotel. Each have nightmares and Shannon wakes up and leaves. She thinks she doesn’t have as much to live for as Laura. The people she had grown up with as her parents were dead. The woman she had grown up with as her aunt was dead. Even though she loved Scott, she knew she could never live peacefully knowing she had the power to save Laura. [So she’s going to martyr herself.] She finds Laura bout the time Kevin, Scott and Molly wake up and go look for her.

Her and Laura have a battle of wills in a house where Shannon had found some cleaning chemicals and is going to drink them. She has her mind made up. Scott, Kevin, and Molly find Laura and Shannon fighting and try to break them apart. When the change occurs and Shannon breaks out of Scott’s grasp and runs into the house where she drinks the poison and kills herself. Outside Laura collapses and starts crying. Scott runs in after Shannon and gets the just in time to catch her as she falls into her arms, Dead. [So dramatic.] They are like vampires as when the original dies, they go back to normal as well. Scott sits in the kitchen holding Shannon, until Kevin, Molly, and Laura come inside. They bury her under the tree where she and Scott made love and they engrave her name, birth and death, and a little sentiment and have e little funeral. It ends with Kevin with her arm around Molly with her arms around Laura and Scott a little to the side, they walk into the East.

[I can totally see this as a zombie movie. It’s got sex, zombies, and melodrama melodrama melodrama! Let’s leave off with a snapshot from Kevin (formerly Scott) and Molly’s wedding.]

Terrible Tales of Horror: Any Way the Wind Blows Part 3

Chapter Three - Fifth Grade

[Moving right along...]

The day that Elsie MacNicols walked intyo my life was a day that I'll never forget.

"Class, we have a new student today. Her name is Elsie MacNicols," My teacher, Ms. Crenshaw [Ms. Crenshaw was a teacher at my elementary school whom I was never a student of.], told us. Then she went over to the black board and wrote:

WELCOME ELSY MCNICHOLES.

Then Elsie walked in and I read her mind. I don't know why I read her mind that moment, I just did. [Since when have you been able to read minds? What the hell is this girl?]

The old bat doesn't even know how to spell my name, Elsie thought. I almost instantly felt sorry for her. So I raised my hand.

"Yes, Ms. Coffield," said Ms. Crenshaw.

"Are you sure that that's how you spell Elsie's name? It just doesn't look right?"

"It is the right spelling. Right Elsie."

"Actually, it is the wrong spelling. In Elsie, it's not spelled with a y, it's ie. And in McNicholes, ther is an a in between the M and C, and there is no h or e." Then Elsie sat down in the only empy seat avalable. Next to me. On the next page you'll see how the classroom was set up. The town was small, so there were only 20 people in the class.

[Actually you won't be seeing the crappy class diagram because my scanner is still not hooked up but it only serves to show you that Kell Bell's in the back corner between Elsie and that dreamy sexpot Kyle *swoon* with her friends Sarah and Jimmy sitting in front of them.]

That was the way we were set up. I had to sit next to Kyle. He was an ass hole. But a cute ass hole.

"OK, class," ms. Crenshaw said. "We're going to play question."

We all groaned except Elsie. We all hated this damn game. Ms. Crenshaw would ask a question, and whoever answered it would get to sk another question.

"Alright class, today is December 7, 1977, on this day, 26 year ago, what happened.

Kyle quickly raised his hand.

"Yes, Kyle."

"It was the bombing of Pearl Harbor." [Gee, I wonder what I was learning about in school... This is what I used my spotty education for.]

"That'is correct. What is your question."

"Is Kelly Coffield a virgin?"

The whole class abrupted (?) in laughter as the color drained from my face. How dare that no class peice of shit say that about me. I looked around the classroom and saw that Sarah, Laura, and Elsie were not laughing, my loyal friend and sister. And Elsie was new. How would she know what was going on.

[Thoughts going through Elsie's head: I wonder who else's virginity is in question. *bats eyes at Kyle*]

Then Xena raised her hand, the Bitch. [With a capitol B!] "I know the answer."

"Yes, Xena," Kyle said smugly.

"No. The answer is now."

[And Ms. Crenshaw's just letting this happen....]

"And why do you say that, Xena?"

"Because," she said flipping her long blond hair behind her shoulders. "There is no way in hell that kelly Coffield, of the slutty, sleazy, no good Coffield family, could be a virgin. Sluttiness is in the whore's genes." [Don't you just love kid logic. I remember my best friend when I was a kid telling me that the guy I was crushing on had sex with his mother...Just because. Except we couldn't say sex without giggling so we had 100 euphenisms for it.] She smiled smugly as half the class clapped for her.

"Well said, Xena," Kyle said. "That was well said."

I looked over at Ms. Crenshaw, she had her head in her hands. [I have my had in my hands. I'm the one who actually wrote this crap.] The woman had finally given up on this class."

And then Xena stood up and said "but the real question is, who did she do?"

The class with the exception of Sarah, Laura, and Elsie started laughing again, then Mara Suchlensky stood up. "I bet it was Kyle Bradly," Mara said.

Then Kyle stood up. "Now I would not do Trailor Trash (TM) like that," he said pointing to me. [She's sure being complacent among all these accusations for a girl who bit and drank the blood of a girl who took her crappy ring.]

Then my sweet little sister , stood up. "My sister is not Trailor Trash (TM)," she said, and put her hands on her hips.

"Class," Ms. Crenshaw yelled. "Hush up!"

They all just kept talking so i di the usual and got out. Sarah followed for the first time. [Ah, so the atrocity of a class is a common occurence, I guess?]

"I don't understand how the can constantly make fun of you like that, Kell Bell."

I looked over at her. "I don't understand how we're still friends." [Neither can I. Kelly's a total bitch to her.]

She looked over at me. "I understand."

"How?" I asked.

"We understand each other."

"I may understand you, but do you understand me?"

Sarah looked at me questionally. "OK, so maybe I don't understand you." I laughed. "But I still understand you better than everybody else."

"that's true."

"why don't you flaunt your beauty?" [An odd question for a ten-year-old.]

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Kelly, you're gorgeous, why not show the world that you're not Trailor Trash (TM)."

"I don't know." I looked at her. and I saw my friends poorly conceled jelousy. "Why, are you jelouse?" I said.

She started laughing nervously. "I'm not jelous. Why would I be jelous of you!" She started laughing at it. Laughing like a maniac. I thought she was gonna go nuts.

I looked back over at the school. "Sarah shut up," I said.

"Why," she had shut up, but she still had that curious face on her face. [If only Stephanie Meyer could write like this...]

"What do you think about the new girl Sarah."

"Well, Kell Bell," she said as we walked up to me. "I heard from my mother that hr father and Angela Goode's mother, are getting married and moving next door to Jimmy."

"Good, God," I mumbled. The Goodes living right next door to one of my dearest friends. How revolting. [Methinks she hangs around the Fear's too much.]

"You should not use thy Lords name in vain, Kelly."

"Since when are you Ms. I don't Use they Lords name in Vain, Sarah?"

"I don't know. My mother told me that."

"Youre mother tells you a lot of thing, doesn't she, Sarah?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know much."

[It's funny to reread over this, as I haven't in thirteen years. But Kella and Sarah's relationship is pretty much the same even in the latest version. They constantly insult each other and Sarah's jealous that Kella's prettier than her. :P]

"Maybe, maybe not. All's I know is that you're smarter than me."

"You got that right."

"Well, you could be a little more modest than that."

I think I was enjoying our screwed up little conversation. "Sarah," I said. "One day you'll get your wish." I don't know why I said it, but I knew it was true. One day Sarah would get her wish. Because I would make it come true. I always did. And I knew that one day Sarah would not doubt my powers.\

It was kind of scrwed up what her biggest fear was. Me. Yes, her biggest fear was her own best friend.

I think that it was maybe inevitabel. I wasn't afraid of anything. And my only weakness was my humanity. It subjected me to human emotions. and I became one person's number one victom.

[This is a bunch of seemingly pointless meandering but it was supposed to show Kelly and Sarah's master-servant sort of relationship as the base of events of later books that were never written. Later on Sarah sort of comes into her own and marries Kratine and becomes Kelly's worst enemy.]

Sarah and I walked to the lake. We often went to the lake. It was clear and if you stare at it you could see forever. At least in the middle. [The lake is full of hallucinogens which is why everyone in Shadyside is insane.]

It was nice there, and I liked it. Me and Sarah were sitting on the short dock. No one knew why it was there. They never went sailing ont he lake anymore, although they used to. [We all remember that lovely incident when five people drowned on a bright sunny day.] I was sitting there staring at the trees, when something changed, and I saw Fat Freddy.



[A poison apple for whoever guesses what book that was stolen from.]

Again. I had seen him before. In my dreams. he had told me that he could make my wishes come true.

But he had to give. me some credit. I was smarter than that. I knew that nothing's free. and that nobody got something for nothing. It was sort of like the kids at school. Especially the three of them--Kyle, Xena, and Mara--boy what I would give to see them dead. I had truly grown to hate them. but now matter how much they teased and tormented me, I'd still have my self-respect. I didnt' beg anybody for help, I was just fine on my own. [You hear voices and see beings other people can't. You're fine...]

But Fat Freddy was an arrogant, self-center guy. he thought he was better than the god who created him. he was stupid, in my book.

He had no respect for anybody. Fat Freddy reminded me of Kyle. Kyle was an ass hole just like Xena and Mara. But Xena and Mara only acted tough to me because they were terrified. Of what, I'm not sure.

But Kyle was a different story. He was not afraid of me. And ofr that alone, he had my respect. I know it seems kind of stupid, but me, and Kyle are a bit alike. We're both smart, fail on purpose, [then you're not very smart] although he was human, he was a very divine human being. I didn't know exactly what he was, but i knew he was something special. Something having to do with me, althought not in his conscious mind.

He held my interest. And I think I even had a little crush on him. But off the subject of Kyle alone, and back to the three of them. Kyle was intriguing. Xena and mara were wimps. They made me sick. but oneday i would get back at them. I knew I would.

I slowly turned to look at my friend. I knew at that instant what she wanted. Beauty. She wanted to be beautiful. Like me. "I know, Sarah," I said.

And she just looked at me.

[Fifth grade? That's what I get for naming chapters before I write them. Is it so wrong that part of me really wants to rewrite this story? Next time: Chapter Four - Scavenger Hunt. Guess which book that's stolen from? ;P]

Terrible Tales of Horror: Any Way the Wind Blows... Part 2, because plagerism is fun!

Last time on Any Way the Wind Blows, we learned our heroine Kelly’s dad ditched her family when she was four, her mom has killed people and it’s possible Kelly has too, and her young looking geriatric aunt gave her an evil ring from Mars, which is causing her to hear a strange man‘s voice in her head. What can possibly happen next?

Chapter Two--Innocent

[*snort* Hardly.]

About the time I started writing in a diary. When I got home that night my mother surprised me by telling me Aunt Laurella had stopped by and dropped of an old book.

It was brown on the outside, and was made out of leather. My name was inscribed on the inside cover. And that made me happy. The pages had all faded to a dull yellow and I could tell that it was old. And that was OK with me because I liked old things.


I wrote in it about my crushes, my hopes, my fears, and all my dates with boys. [You’re fricken SEVEN!] It was a very private.

Also, the day after I got back from meeting Aunt Laurella, something happened to me.

It was recess, and I was sitting in the grass showing my ring to my best friend, Sarah.

Sarah Beth Fear [Told you this was a Fear Street fanfic.] wasn’t exactly rich, but she wasn’t all that poor, either. Sarah wasn’t exactly pretty. She wasn’t ugly either. [This story isn’t great. It’s not good either.] Sarah had long light blond hair, and dark brown eyes that never showed any emotion what-so-ever.

Sarah was seven--like me--and we were in the same class. Her family lived right next door to mine.

Sarah’s father was in the car selling business. He took old cars and restored them like new. Her mother on the other hand worked for a modeling agency. She wasn’t a model herself--she had tried to be but was too short--she was vice president off the agency. Julie Fear was pretty famous. [Because other models FEAR her. Yeah. I said it.]

Sarah’s family owned the south half of the town practically. The Fear’s owned Fear Street, The Simon Fear Mansion [Why haven’t they torn it down?], The Fear Street Woods, Fear Lake, Fear Island, and The Fear Street Cemetery. [Can city cemeteries be privately owned?] They owned a lot. Hell, they even owned our house.

For I lived at 97 Fear Street. [Next door to 99, the house of evil.] But they didn’t charge us any rent because Julie and my father had grown up together, and she and my mother were quite close. [I wish I had friends like that. ^_^]

Well anyways, Sarah and I wre sitting on the grass looking at the ring, when Xena Anderson [Who is actually still in the current day version of this story, and she’s still a bitch.] and her fan club--Mara Zuchensky, and Emily Morris--walked up and grabbed it out of my hand.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Xena?” I asked.

She held it up to her pale face with her left hand. “I thought you had better taste for jewelry than this, it ain’t even real silver.”

I jumped to my feet. “Give it back,” I demanded holding out my right hand.

“Oh, it’s sentimental value to you,” Xena said very melodramatically. “Why, Kelly, I didn’t believe that feelings existed to The Ice Princess.” She raised her right hand up to the small of her neck as she said this.

That’s also another thing about me, along with ’The Ice Princess,’ I had about half a dozen more stupid nicknames; Kelly K, Hold ‘em, Thrill ‘em, Kiss ‘em, Kill ‘em Coffield [Oh Lord did I actually take this from the song from Batman Forever?], The Megabtich, Kell Bell, Whore around Coffield [Well, from the sounds of her dates she kind of earned this one.], and Kell.

Xena was standing there so strongly, and confidently. Her long light blond hair flowing gently in the breeze. Her clear jade green eyes staring directly into my demonic once. So cruelly, as if challenging me to do something if I dared. But then something just went off.

I grabbed her pale skinny neck, pushed her down and banged her head into the ground. That stunned her. Then I grabbed the arm where she was holding my silver ring. I raised her wrist up to my mouth and bit her as hard as I could on her vain. [Is her ¾ demonic nature actually vamparic?]

The pale, blonde, and beautiful, Xena Anderson who I hated so that moment screamed all her bloody hearts content and dropped the ring. [Mission accomplished, or Nimnu kanryou as Heero would say.] Then Mara and Emily started screaming too, while as Sarah just stared. [She’s thinking about what a freak her best friend is.]

I picked up the ring and walked off licking the blood on my lips. I didn’t know why I licked the blood, I just did. But all too soon I heard Him again. [No, not God.]

“Very good, Kelika.”

I stopped. “Who are you?” I asked.

“I might as well introduce myself,” He said. “I am Kratine, of the ancient past.” [Those who get this win a picture of an apple!]


Quickly, before ‘Kratine,’ or whoever he was noticed, I turned back to see what was going on back at the playground. Xena was crying hysterically, and our second grade teacher was trying to get her to shut up. I saw all the kids in my class, along with other second grade classes were gathering around to watch. Among them I saw my sister, Laura, and her own best friend, Angela Goode. [I had to work one in somewhere.] But she wasn’t all that good. [Haha! Bad joke!] In my life, I did a lot to Angela. A lot of stuff that hurt her. Now that I think of it, I’m not sorry for any of it. [Since I never made it that far, I’ll go ahead and explain. Later when they’re in their twenties Kelly steels Angela’s husband.] And I just kept walking till I got home.

I was surprised to see my mother home. I wasn’t quite sure what she did for a living, but I knew it paid handsomely. But why we didn’t live in a better nationhood [Or pay their generous friends something], I found out alter in my life. [I don’t think she actually ever did.]

“Mother,” I said as I walked into the dining room. “What are you doing home?”

Mother was staring into the mirror right beside it on the wall. “Just thinking, Kelika.”

“About what?” I asked. I looked at my mothers reflection in the mirror. Her long blond hair was scraggly and unwashed. Her bangs hung in her face, and I saw tears in her cerelean blue eyes. I had never seem her cry before.

“My parent,” she said. Mother sighed and put her head in her hands. “I am weak,” she said forlornly.

“Why?”

“Because I’m crying.” She rose her head out of her hands and a wry smile crossed her beautiful pale face. “About my parents.” She looked at me. “Crying is a weakness, Kelika. Don’t ever do it. Especially not in front of anybody.” [Because repression is so healthy.] She turned away from me and looked back into the mirror.

“Mother,” I said.

“Yes, Kelika.”

“Things have been going on with me.”

“What kind of things?”

“Well, there’s this lizard, and--”

She cut me off. “Lizard? I think you’ve been spending too much time by yourself.”

“Yeah, maybe,” I looked up at her. “I know it sound crazy, but he’s really there. He made me do something today. He made me bite Xena Anderson’s wrist.”

She was just staring at me then, as if she was trying to project a part of herself into me. “Did this ‘Lizard,’ have a name, Kelika?”

“Yes,” I replied softly. “Kratine.”

She stared at me and her face when pale. Then she smacked me right across my face. “Never mention him to me, again,” she said through clenched teeth. Then she stood up and started to walk back to her room when she turned around to look at me. “Never!” she screamed.

I just sat there till the others got home.

“You wouldn’t know cool if it bit you on the ass,” I heard my brother Michael yelling from the front hall.

“I would so,” my sister Laura replied.

“You shouldn’t swear, Michael,” my sister Megan said that too him. Boy was she ever a goody-goody.

Jus then Jennifer came running in. “Guess what, Kelly?” [You’d think they’d be asking her what happened in school]

“What,” I said with no emotion.

“I’m getting skipped to the fourth grade.” She looked so happy. Her curly black pigtails bopping u and down.

“What” I was surprised. I knew Jen-Jen was smart, but I never guess that she would be skipped a grade.

“Well at least I actually have friends, Jennifer. I don’t go around acting like I’m better than God,” Michael said.

“Well you act like you’re better than shit.” [???]

“I am better than shit.”

“No you are not.” [This is the girl whose getting skipped a grade.]

“I am too.” [I grow weary of the siblings. They added nothing to the story, anyway. I don’t even know why they’re there. Or why so many. In later versions I got rid of Michael and Laura.]

This never ending battle between Michael and Jennifer was getting old and tiresome. “Will you both shut the hell up,” I said. They were both quiet and turned to look at me. “Jen-Jen, Michael is better than shit.” I said looking at her. Then I turned to look at Michael. “Michael, Jennifer does not think she’s better than shit. [I think you meant God, Kell.] Ok.” They didn’t answer. And Laura spoke.

“Why did you do it, Kell Bell?” she asked me, ger green eyes penetrating into mine.

“Huh? Do what?” Megan asked, her cerelean blue eyes wide with envy that Laura knew something she didn’t.

“Yeah, what did you do, Kelly?” Michael asked. “I heard rumors that you were a vampire, an tried to drink The Anderson Bitch’s blood.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Laura said. Sweet Laura. Always sticking up for me. Would she ever stop? [They were intended to have the Elizabeth-Jessica kind of relationship. Gag.]

“First of all, what did Kelly do?” Jen-Jen now had control of the group that was trying to figure out what I did, and I wasn’t even a part of it, when mother came out of her room. No one got to answer Jennifer’s question.

“What the hell are you kids doing home so early?” she said to the other four. But not to me. She knew why I came home. And no one answered her ridiculous question. “I’m going out of town for a little while. “It was then I noticed her suitcases behind her. Mother took out something from her pocket. “Here,” she said. It ws five bills of money. The first one to Jen-Jen. The second to Laura. The third to Megan. The fourth to Michael. And the last to me. I tooka look at it and was surprised to see a one hundred dollar bill.

“What’s this for?” I asked.

“I’ll be back in two weeks.” She went to get her bags when Jen-Jen stopped her. “What do you want, Jennifer?”

“I just wanted to tell you that I’m getting skipped to the fourth grade.”

“That’s great, Jen. Bye.” And she left. [I think Suzy pwns at bad parenting. And in case it wasn’t mentioned, Michael is the oldest at ten, Jennifer’s eight, the twins are seven, and Megan’s five.]

“I think she just wants to get away from us,” Megan said. “She doesn’t love us anymore.”

“I don’t think she ever did,” Michael chirped in.

“You’re such a downer, Michael,” Laura sad to him.

“No he’s not, he’s sexist,” Jen-Jen said.

“Will you all shut up. I’m getting really sick of your fighting.”

“Kelika,” Laura said sweetly. She was one of the few precious people whom I allowed to call me by my real name. I didn’t even look u at her as she said my name. I just got up and left the room.

After my mother got back, [What? Nothing about the two weeks she was gone? Nothing about how they didn’t have anything to eat and spent their money on the crap they didn’t get from their mother? Nothing at all?] she started making me see a psychiatrist. His name was Dr. Nesbit. He was old and had white hair. Dr. Nesbit fit the description of what most people think that a psychiatrist looks like. Child patients often have a choice to do something constructive when we were talking to the guy. [Not that I know from experience.] I myself was painting a picture.

“What do you think your problem is, Kelika.” [He fails as a psychiatrist.]

I wlake over to him confidently. “First thing’s first, ass hole. Don’t you ever call me Kelika again. I don’t like you, and I should hope you don’t like me. So I’ll call you Dr. Nesbit, and you sure as hell have better not call me Kelika.”

“Well then what would you like me to call you?”

“Kelly.”

“Alright Kelly. What do you think your problem is?”

“I ain’t got no problem.” I walked back over to the painting stand, and started painting a picture.

A little while later, Dr. Ass Hole--as I’d like to call him--came over to look at my painting.”

“Tha’s a very interesting painting, Kelly,” he said nervously. I could tell he was afraid of me. It was one of my powers. I could sense fear. I allways thought it was funny. Half the people I knew’s number one fear was me. Even Sarah and Kyle. I’ve explained Sarah, but not Kyle. My dear Kyle. He was my worst enemy for half my life, but not all of it.

“What is it, Kelly?”

He was looking at it to see if it had hidden meaning. If it was a metaphore. I often spoke in metaphores, but his was not one of those times. [I think I was confused about what a metaphor was.]

What Dr. Ass hole was looking at, a blond girl laying I a coffind, a man with black hair, and another woman with blond, staring down at the dead girl, it wasn’t exactly a metaphore, but it wasn’t necessarily far from the truth as well. Those two people staring down at the dead girl actually came to her funeral, 20 years into the future that is. [This is foreshadowing.]

“It’s me,” I said.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s me.”

“Kelly, you don’t have blond hair, you have black.”

“I’m going to dye it in the future.”

“Well who are the other two?”

“The guys my husband.”

“And the other?”

I shrugged.

After that I went home and never went back. [Well wasn’t that…pointless…]

My life went on somewhat normally for the next three years. Till I reached age 10. Fifth grade.

Kratine stopped speaking to me shortly after my visit with Dr. Ass Hole. He pretended to leave, and I believed it for a while.

When I was ten I met someone very vital in my life. She almost stole my votes for Miss Shadyside. Nearly stole my boyfriend. Tried to drive me insane.

She may have done a lot of horrible things to me, but I did worse to her, and a lot of other people.

Let’s just say that I don’t like to be ignored.

Terrible Tales of Horror: The Enemy Within, The FINAL Nightmare

Chapter 32: Slipping Away

[A Stabbing Westward song. If you don’t know who Stabbing Westward is, look them up on iTunes right now. They are the soundtrack to everything I wrote in seventh grade.]

The next day found Dawn Sullivan in her room packing. I’ve got to get out of here. I’ve got to leave, before everything gets even more out of control.

As she was packing her things, she felt a chill rising up her spine. She quickly spun around to find her dearest friend Jenni behind her. She rais her hand to the small of her neck. “Jenni, you scared me half to death.”

Jenni seemed to speak like a robot. “Dawn.”

“What.”

“I know who you are.”

Dawn looked at her questionally. “Whatever Jenni.

“No really Dawn. I know who you are. You may not realize it, but I’m--”

She was cut off by Sela walking into the room. Sela cleared her thoat and looked from Dawn to Jenni. Sela was always a perceptive girl, and Dawn kind of figured that she had a pretty good idea of what Jenni was about to tell Dawn. “Jenni, don’t you have something you should be doing right now Sela?” [huh?]

“Yes, of course Sela.” And she was gone. [Since when does Gracie back away from Lauren?]

Then Sela looked at Dawn. Dawn wanted to tear her dark green eyes away from Sela’s blue ones, [Didn’t Dawn have blue eyes?] but she couldn’t. She didn’t know why, but she felt like Sela was reading her mind. [I think Lauren spent the last fifty years becoming a witch with mind controlling powers.]

Suddenly Sela dropped her gaze. “As you wish it Julie.” Sela turned around, but then quickly turned back around, walked quickly up to Dawn, grabbed her wrist and squeezed tight. “But I’d unpack my things if I were you. There’s no way in hell that you’re leaving this cabin.” And then, she was really gone. She left so quickly, it was almost as if she had dissinigrated in the air.

Dawn looked at her wrist, it was red.

Bright red.

If there was one thing she knew about Sela, it was that Sela was not human. But what was she? [I can squeeze my own wrist hard enough to make it red. Does that mean I’m not human, too?]

Chapter 33: To hell and Back

Gracie was sitting by the lake with her feet dangling in the water. It was a thing she did when she was worried. There was something Lauren was not telling her, and it had her scared to death.

What was going on? Everything was going so perfect till someone’s mind started wondering. [You call killing innocent children and teenagers perfect? God I hope she comes to a bad end.] Gracie was not sure who that person was, her senses were still not as keen as Lauren’s. [Does that mean these weird alien body hopping spirits get psychic powers, too?]

At least now Lauren was being civil towards her.

Gracie raise her eyes from the water to the sun. What the hell? It was red. Deep dark blood red. The sun. The whole sky. It was covered in that deep dark red. [Do you think this has anything to do with that crazy prophecy even crazier Phoebe made as she pulled the hair from her dead step-sister’s decapitated head?]

Then she heard voices behind her laughing. She turned around shocked to see a deep cracked desert. What’s going on?

She started to run. She kept running and running until she came to a scene. It was a strange scene. One she had never seen before, she was sure of that. But why did it seem so familiar?

“Lauren!” she yelled out to the bottomless pits of this hell hole. And then--as if to answer her--the ground started moving and shakin violently.

Earthquake!

Then the ground split open in two. Gracie ever-so-slowly started to lose her balance and slip in.

And when she fell, she fell forever and never hit the bottom, and never would. [Stolen from Christopher Pike, again.]

* * * * *

Lauren looked down at Gracie, dreaming about going to hell. Lauren knew she could make the dream end right that moment if she wanted. But now, she wanted to see Gracie squirm. [Guess she didn’t change that much.] As Lauren herself had done many times over the years.

Lauren looke up at the sun. She loved staring at it. When she was alive in Scottland years earlier, she was always one of those people who could stare and stare at the sun, and not even flinch. [So she was always a little cooky.]

But Lauren knew things. Things she wasn’t supposed to know. She knew what would happen when they went through the gateway. She had known for the last ninety-seven years that little Julie had followed her and Gracie had followed them. Lauren knew that Gracie’s love for her daughter was greater than words could say. [What’ve you been smoking? Gracie was a terrible mother.] Since her husband Frank had died before Julie was even born, Gracie had been very careful with Julie. Trying to make sure she didn’t lose her like she lost Frank. Doesn’t look like she did too well, she often thought.

Maybe she was wrong to think that, or maybe she was right. Either way anyway the wind blows, life is like a black rose. [Oh my God! I used that in this story! This was kind of my motto at the time. I think I even signed yearbooks with this saying. It was also the tagline for, you guessed it, Any Way the Wind Blows. I even wrote a poem based on it.]

Lauren knew one other thing as well. Justin’s, Gracie’s, and even hers; time on Earth is almost over. She knew that it would be over in the next few days, that’s why she arranged it, even thought it was Jenni’s parents sopposed idea. Lauren knew mind control all right. [Thanks for clarifying.]

And Lauren kenw that each and every day Dawn, or Julie, was getting closer to solving the riddles in her dreams. But if Dawn solved them too soon, it could be dangerous. [Didn’t Dawn already figure out that she’s Julie and Gracie’s her mom like fifteen chapters ago?]

Just like Gracie was getting closer to the truth. But that wasn’t dangerous. Not to Gracie at least. Especially on this side.

Lauren sat down and snapped her fingers. Automatically, Graced woke up and stared at Lauren.

“Do you understand Gracie?”

“Yes, Lauren.” [I wish I did!]

Lauren looked into her eyes to make sure that she was sincere. And she truly was.

“Come one, Gracie, it’s time.”

“Time for what?”

“You know, Gracie, you know better than anybody.”

Gracie looked down at the ground trying to figure out what Lauren meant. And Lauren felt pity for her for some reason.

A long time ago Gracie burried the answer deep within herself. And now she was trying to bring it back up above the surface.

“Come on anyways. It’s time to confront Julie.”

“Julie.”

Chapter 34: Get it Julie

Dawn was pacing back and forth across her room trying to figure out the poems. Both of them that were told to her in her dream. [Not again…]

And the day came
That the risk
To remain closed in a bud
Became more difficult
Than the risk it took
To blossom.

One bright day on a sunny night two dead bous stood up to fight back to back. They faced each other, pulled out their swords, and shot each other. The deaf policeman heard the noise, ran right over and shot the dead boys. If you don’t believe my lie is true, then ask the blind man, he saw it too.

These two poems keep running throught her head again and again.

And then, it clicked.

The two dead boys were Gracie and Lauren. [Oh wow, it did have some meaning to the story! Although…stupid.]

The blind man, and the deaf policeman, were both her, Julie Louise Deck.

And it was true, she had heard and sene them, but pretended that she hadn’t, so in a way, she was deaf and blind.

And about that other one, that was true as well, she was afraid of what would happen if she were to tell someone exactly who and what she is or was.

She knew. She finally got the picture.

Finally.

Lauren was going to be pissed.

Chapter 35: The Joining

The four spirits of the passed [possessed?] were gathered together in the cabin that night.

That fateful night of all nights. Everything was changing. And changing fast. None of them except he intriguing Lauren Sanders, knew the hell they were pointed for. And noen of the others cared. And they always wondered why.

* * * * *

That night was full of excitement, wrath, envy, and intrigue. [I was really milking this story for all it was worth…]

Dawn was sitting by the fire with Jenni. The real Jenni. Dawn could tell. And as for Nicholas [Justin] and Sela, well, Dawn couldn’t give less of a damn about them.

“How are you doing Jenni?”

“Fine,” Jenni looked at Dawn. “I haven’t bee in here in a while. Have I killed anybody else?” [I feel kind of bad for Jenni, actually.]

“Don’t ask me that kind of question.”

“But I need to know. Tell me Dawn!”

“You don’t want to know the answer.” [Dawn, you’re a bitch. You know damn well she didn’t kill anyone. There’s no one else there to kill.]

“Oh no.”

Then Sela and Nicholas walked in. “Dawn, say goodbye to Jenni.”

“Sela, what are you talking about?” Jenni asked.

“I think I know,” Dawn said looking at Jenni. “Goodbye Jenni.”

“But. . . .” Her faint whimper carried across the room a slight chill. And Dawn knew she would never see the real Jenni again.

“Goodbye,” she whispered.

Then Gracie transformed before them. It was truly fascinating to watch it before her very own eyes.

“Hello Gracie, Julie, Justin, we’re finally one big happy family.” Sela took a seat on the couch.

“What the hell are you talking about, Sela?”

Sela smiled at Dawn’s remark. “Gee Julie, you’re about as perceptive as your mother.” [I’m starting to like Lauren.]

“Leave her out of this Lauren. This is between you and me. It has nothing to do with Julie or Justin.” The two women rose to their feet. [Catfight!]

“Mother,” Dawn murmered.

“What?” Gracie said sending a questioning look at Julie.

“Look, the four of us are together, that’s what counts.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Gracie asked. [Yes, please elaborate.]

“Auntie Lauren.” Dawn looked up at her mother and her half-aunt. [Completely pointless plot twist!]

Gracie and Lauren were half sisters. They had known that for years, and that’s one of the things that made their fight so illusive.

“We’re all together.” She looked at Dawn. “Julie,” then she looked at Gracie. “Meet your mother.”

Dawn just stared at her. “I know,” she said pitifully. [Yeah, I wouldn’t be so thrilled with Gracie being my mother, either.] But then Lauren broke Gracie’s concentration when she screamed. “Lauren,” Gracie said now looking at her dear old friend.

But it was the strangest thing, just as Gracie and Justin went to see what was wrong with Lauren, they felt the strange sensation of death as well. And as Dawn stared at them amused, she notice something, their original souls were separating from the bodies they possessed. Justin from Nicholas, Gracie from Jenni, and Lauren from Sela. It was the most amazing thing she had ever witnessed. Then something started to disturb her. [Started to?] If they were all beings from other worlds, why wasn’t it happening to her? [Good point!]

Then as quickly as the process had begun, it was over. Little Julie looked at Gracie and Lauren in their original form, Gracie with her brown hair and blue eyes, and Lauren with her blond hair and blue eyes.

They seemed to be frozen in time though, they looked like there were over two-hundred years before. [Umm…ninety-seven.] Then--oddly enough--they started to kill each other. [Who would've guessed they'd ever try to do that?] Just tried to break them apart while Dawn just sat crouched down in the corning, staring, with seemingly vacant eyes.

“Momma, Auntie Lauren,” she jumped up. “Have you no sense at all?”

And as she said that, and they stopped, they all felt an uncomfortable cold around them.

“What’s going on?” Lauren said.

“I don’t know. You’re the one who seems to know everything that’s going on,” Gracie said to Lauren sarcastically.

Then, to all of they’re surprises, the gateway appeared. [This is so badly written, yet I’m finding this part so hard to snark at… :(]

“Oh my God,” Dawn muttered.

“It’s back,” Lauren said.

“I think we should go through it,” Justin said. “And get out of this hell hole.”

“Yeah,” Gracie and Lauren said in unison [I spelled it right!] and looked at each other.

“Well let’s go.” And Justin went through.

“Julie, let’s go,” Gracie said to her daughter.

“No momma. This is my world,” she looked around the cabin. “I don’t belong in your world Momma. You go.”

“No Julie not without you. You’re my baby. My little girl.”

“Momma, I can’t go.” [You ditched me to go partying with Lauren in another dimension. You guys spent the next century trying to kill each other. You killed most of my friends. You killed my little sister. Like HELL I’d go anywhere with you, bitch!]

“But Julie.”

“Let’ her stay, Gracie,” Lauren said from behind them.

“She’s right Momma, go.”

“No. I’m not leaving without you Julie.”

“Momma, you have to, you can’t stay here.”

Lauren tugged at Gracie’s hand. “Let’s go. Before it closes up.”

“I’ll never forget you Julie.”

“I wont’ either Julie.”

“Goodbye Momma. Goodbye Auntie Lauren.” And then they were gone too. [Umm…that was a little anti-climactic.]
Chapter 36: Scottland

“Well this sure seems like de’ja vu, now doesn’t it Gracie?” Lauren asked.

“Yeah.”

* * * * *

When they were at the place where Gracie’s house had been ninety-seven years before, they stopped. Shocked. Absolutely nothing about the house had changed.

“What do you think happened, Lauren?”

“I don’t know, Gracie, I just don’t.”

The two old friends and half-sisters joined hands and went into the big, beautiful house.

Then Gracie’s long-lost husband, Frank Deck, ran up to them and picked Gracie up. “Gracie, Gracie, Gracie, wehre on Earth have you been. I was worried about you.” He looked at Lauren. “Well hello there, Lauren. How are you?” [Why is he alive now?]

“Fine, what year is it?”

“It’s 1899, what else did you expect?’

Lauren smiled and looked at Gracie, who was staring up at Frank, smiling.

“How’s Julie?” Lauren suddenly asked. She didn’t know why, she just had to know.

Frank looked at her strangely. “Julie died while Gracie was giving birth to her. Right Grcie.”

“Of course Frank.” [What was that bit she said about never forgetting Julie?]

* * *

Gracie never remembered what truly happened. It was as if nothing that ever was, ever is. But Lauren knew. Lauren always knew. As did Julie. But Julie was no longer her. She never existed before 1982. Not like Gracie, or Lauren, or even Justin perhaps. But nothing was ever as it seemed. Not even for poor Dawn. [Does this make any sense at all?]

Epilogue

Jennifer Miller awoke to Sela Sullivan shaking her awake.

“Sela, what do you want?”

“What’s going on.” Jenni looked at her, she was scared. Truly scared.

Jenni got up and looked around. The last thing she remembered was talking to Dawn. Dawn had said goobye to her. Why though. Why did she say goodbye.

Jenni looked over on the table and something caught her attention. “What’s that?” she muttered.

She walked over and on her way there she almost tripped on the body of a handsome boy. Who’s he? she thought. Oh well. [Yeah, there’s a strange guy in your parent’s cabin and Dawn’s missing. That’s EXACTLY what I’d think.]

She went to the table and saw a knife. Jenni picked it up and held it tight. It felt good to hold. It had an ivory handle. [The knife that killed Chloe! Very smart Jenni!]

Then a note on the table caught her eye. She quickly picked it up.

That’s Dawn’s handwriting, she thought. Quickly, she read it:

Dear Jenni, Bye the time you read this I will be long gone. Don’t ask me why I’m leaving, I just have to make a new life for myself. You have always been my closest and dearest friend, and I will miss you a lot. I have good news for you, you did not kill anyone, someone else did. Please say goodbye to Melanie, Justine, and my family for me. Thank you Jenni. Sincerely yours, Dawn Sullivan. P.S.: You wont’ be having any more blackouts Jenni. Goodbye dawn, she thought. Goodbye.

THE END.

[That’s it? Really? What a crap ending! We don’t know what happened to Dawn, or Justin. Did Gracie feel any kind of remorse whatsoever for killing all those people? And why did Dawn run away? Didn’t she have any idea how much worse she would make it for her family and for Jenni?]

As the end credits roll I imagine Journey’s Any Way You Want It blaring in your ears and the following appearing on your screen.

Martha and William died in the influenza outbreak of 1901. Their parents were very sad.

Justine had to take a lot of therapy. It’s still not helping.

Melanie became a lawyer, then a judge and got her own show on Fox.

The two old men who live in the house by the park delight in terrifying their grandchildren with the horrific tale of finding Chloe Sullivan’s mutilated corpse in the lake.

Jonathon was relieved of his position as head of the Evil Bodiless Spirit Guild when a couple of pot heads wandered into the dimension and he lost his temper and beat them with his mallet. Even though they’re spirits and it doesn’t hurt, the board found his behavior very unprofessional.

Dan never got over the loss of Debbie. In high school he found comfort in the arms of his young, attractive male shop teacher. Eventually they were found out and have since made their rounds on the talk show scene.

Phoebe is still committed in an insane asylum. She spends her days chanting to herself, “I killed Thalia! I killed Thalia! Thatlia’s dead! Thalia’s dead!”

Officer Adams was written up on arresting a minor without informing the parents. Eventually he was fired and now lives in his mother’s basement, watching his DVD boxed sets of Family Guy over and over and over and over and…

The real Sela and Nicholas hooked up at the cabin and eventually married. Initially they had trouble having children but though invitro had a set of nine-tuplets and are having their own reality TV-show debut this fall on TLC.

The Sullivan and Miller families cashed in on their daughters' tragic tales by selling the book and movie rights to the highest bidder. The movie was a huge success and made Creston--or is it Harrington--the most visited tourist attraction in Delaware--or is it California?

Dean Sullivan played himself in the movie, catapulting himself to stardom. He’s very excited to be playing Aro in New Moon.

After Jenni, Sela, and Nicholas returned without Dawn, Jenni was taken into custody and spent the next ten years in a mental hospital muttering “One bright day on a sunny night…” You know the one. In 2006 she was finally released into her parents custody. They still live in the house with Phoebe killed Thalia. And they still make her sleep in the room where the murder took place.

Justin got stuck in a wormhole on his way back to his own dimension where his soul was torn to itty bitty shreds.

Frank caught influenza during the 1901 outbreak. After his death Gracie--what else?--killed herself.

Lauren found her mind control powers to be very lucrative and became the emperor of Scotland in her dimension.

Dawn eventually found out that running away isn’t such a good idea when you’re a 14-year-old girl with no clue how the world works. She was forced into prostitution and had a bout with drug addiction. Eventually she decided to come home to her parents but was furious when she discovered they’d sold the book and movie rights to her story. She went to the publishers to tell them the TRUE tale but after hearing it they laughed in her face. Later that day she got a call from Weekly World News offering her a position as a journalist. She took the job.

Terrible Tales of Horror: The Enemy Within, Part 9

Is it almost over???

Chapter 28: Welcome to Hell

Dawn was sitting with Jenni in the living room at Jenni’s house.

“Things have gotten really out of hand,” Jenni said. [And how many people are dead now?] “Do you think Gracie killed them Dawn?”

“Not Chloe. Gracie couldn’t have killed Chloe. There’s no way possible. I was talking to her while Chloe was being murdered.” [She’s pretty nonchalant about the whole thing considering her sister JUST died a few days ago.]

“Yeah. But what bout the other four.” [Don’t you mean five? Poor Savannah. Nobody remembers her.]

“I don’t know Jen. I wish I did know. But I don’t.”

“Hey Dawn,” Jenni said after a few moments of silence.”

“What?”

“I was wondering, do you think you could come with me to my parents cabin up north. My parents said I could go there because of all the murders lately. But I really don’t feel like going alone.” [Yes. Go to a secluded cabin in the woods with a girl who’s body is being inhabited by your mother in another life who’s on a psychotic rampage to kill innocent people. Sounds like fun!]

“I’d like to, but Sela’s at my house, and my parents wouldn’t let me go if I didn’t bring her with me.”

“Sure, she could come. You know what they say, the more the merrier.”

“It’ll be a blast.” [How can she possibly think it will be any fun? Seriously.]

It’ll be a blast. It was just a simple everyday phrase. Dawn knew that. Jenni knew that. AS did Gracie and Lauren.

But that one phrase, “It’ll be a blast.” Dawn had though that this was gonna be fun! But she had no way of knowing of the hell that lay before her.

Chapter 29: Justin’s back. . . And looking for Lauren

That night Dawn was having another dream. [Oh God no!!! No more!!! No more!!!] Or rather, another nightmare.

Dawn was in the cemetery.

At Chloe’s grave.

There was howling sound coming from the grave.

Chloe, Dawn thought.

She quickly started to dig up Chloe’s grave. My sister’s alive, she thought. Chloe didn’t really die. That was all just a dream. When I wake up, Chloe will be there.

Whe was about to give up, when she saw the casket. It was black. [That was some pretty quick digging.]

As black as night.

Dawn unlatched the casket and opet it up. [Always a good idea.]

And there lay Jenni. What as a ghost.

She heard someone coming up behind her.

“Debbie!” she said to the image of her deceased friend.

“One bright day on a sunny night two dead boys stood up to fight back to back. They face each other, pulled out their swords, and shot each other. The deaf police man heard the noise, ran right over, and shot the dead boys. If you don’t believe my lie is true, than ask the blind man, he saw it too.” [That makes three.]

Then Debbie’s image disappeared. And replaced with her mother’s. [Gracie...or Mrs. Sullivan?]

“Mother--”

Her mother pushed her into the grave before she could finish her sentence. [Oh. Gracie.]

And then Dawn wok up.

Screaming.

* * * * *

“Are we almost there yet,” Dawn asked the driver of the car. [Is Jenni rich? Why does she have her own driver?]

“Yes Miss Sullivan. We’re almost there.

“Can you hurry it up a little,” Sela said. “My tan is fading.” [Lauren needs to die for using that joke.]

Dawn and Jenni laughed at her remark.

Dawn was in a good mood until she saw a cemetery. Then a frightening image of her dream floated into her head. She shook it away. Dawn didn’t want to think about that. It frightened her. Very much so.

When they finally got there, they went inside and had hot chocolate.

“So what have you been up to lately, Sela,” Jenni asked Sela casually. [Oh nothing, just tormenting the other person living inside you.]

“Nothing much. I’ve jusbe been going places. Doing things. Just normal boring everyday things.”

* * * * *

For me anyway, Lauren thought. This is perfect. I’ve got everybody fooled. They have no idea that I’m Sela. Well, Gracie does. [How would she know that? The last contact you had with her was hinting that her daughter was in this world.] But that’s it. I need to talk to her. Badley. She really needs to know who Dawn is. [Has Lauren had a change of heart? Maybe she couldn’t live with the guilt if Gracie unknowingly killed her own daughter?]

“We’re here,” Lauren heard the driver call from the front.

Dawn, Jenni, and Lauren stepped out of the cab. The driver got their things out of the trunk and threw it at their feet. “Enjoy,” he said. And with that, he left down the winding road. [Nice guy.]

“We’ll we’re here,” Dawn said. “We might as well get settled.”

“I agree with you completely,” Jenni said.

“Yeah, me to.” Lauren said. I hate this, she thought. I hate having to act like a perky little bitch who can’t pull he own weight, so she gets everyone else to do everything for her. I hate being Sela Sullivan. [Um, okay. She doesn’t seem to be acting particularly perky.]

After this, the body goes.

* * * * *

Later that night, Dawn, Jenni, and Sela were sitting by the fire place. I’m really having fun, Dawn thought. I just hope I can keep having a good time.

Then that poem popped into her head.

That damned poem. It just wouldn’t leave her alone. That Poem. One bright day, on a sunny night, two dead boys stood up to fight back to back. They faced each other, pulled out their swords, and shot each other. The deaf police man heard the noise, ran right over, and shot the dead boys. If you don’t believe my lie is true, then ask the blind man, he saw it too. [Four!]

“Do you believe that there are more than one dimension in this universe?” Sela asked suddenly.

That was an odd thing to say, Dawn thought. How would she know anything about that?

“Well, do you?” Sela said. She was getting impatient.

“Why do you want to know Sela?” Jenni asked.

“Because I’m curious. That’s why.”

“Why are you so curious then?” There was a slight change in Jennie’s voice, so that meant only one thing.

Gracie!

She was back. [Oh goody.]

Jus then there was a knock at the door.

It slammed open.

A drop dead georgeous guy with black hair, and brown eyes. [It’s Justin!]

Dawn looked over at Sela. She looked like she was in shock. Did she know this very handsome young stranger? Probably. The look on her face was so much more than being mesmerized by his gorgeous looks.

Gracie opened her mouth as if she was about to say something. But then closed it.

Then Sela jumped up. “I need to talk to you,” she paused at the door waiting for him to follow her. “Out there.” She pointed outside.

Then Sela left. And the stranger followed her.

* * * * *

“Justin, what are you doing her?” [Called it!]

“Well Lauren, I’ve never seen you look so good. And how did you know it was me baby?” He pulled her close to him. [Isn’t he a prince. Weird thought, but the question’s begging to be asked. How many different bodies do you think they’ve had sex with each other in?]

“I know you’re style,” she pulled away from him. “And you haven’t answered my question yet. What are you doing here?”

“I tracked you down Lauren. What’s your name now? You know. Just so I know what to call you?”

“It’s Sela. Sela Sullivan.”

“Nice.” He paused. “Who were those two broads with you?”

“They’re Gracie and her daughter Julie.”

“Gracie has a daughter?”

“Yep.” She paused. “But you have to act like you don’t know. Because Gracie only knows that I’m Sela, Julie only knows that Gracie is Jenni, and I know that Gracie’s Jenni, Julie’s Dawn, and I’m me.” [Glad we have that cleared up.]

“Wonderful.”

“Yeah. Just act like you’re my boyfriend from Oregon.” [Seriously, what was it with me and Oregon? Personally, I think I just played way too much Oregon Trail.]

“Great.”

Chapter 30: A dream

[Groan]

That night Dawn had yet another dream. Though this one was not like the others it had that familiar sence of awaiting hell.

“Dawn. . . . . Dawn. . . . .”

“Chloe? Chloe? Is that you?”

Then the wind really started to pick up. It was blowing in the direction Dawn was coming from. It started to push her back, like it didn’t want her there. But she had to go there. It was calling her. It knew her. It had always known her. Since the day she was born on that cold morning on January 2, 1745. [WTF?]

When she died for the first time it took here there. It wanted her there. Her spirit. Her life force. Even though she was long dead her life force was strong.

She remembered that when she first died she went to a place. A place that sort of reminded her of hell. She didn’t stay there long. Only for a few minutes at the most. Then she came back to this earth in a body that was not hers.

Then, to her surprise, Dawn was in a room. A room with one dim light. The light seemed to have come out of no where. For it was just there, with no end, and no beginning. [Seems I was getting a smidgent philosophical.]

Suddenly, a door appeared, with someone knocking on it. Knocking harder and harder.

“Who’s there,” she yelled.

“You know Julie, you have always known.”

And it was true. She did. And she always had.

Chapter 31: My Julie

That night Sela--better known as Lauren--and Jenni--also known as Gracie--were sitting by the fire.

“Gracie, there’s something that I think you should known.”

“What Lauren?” [When the hell did Gracie figure out Sela was Lauren? And why are they sitting together by the fire without one trying to shove the other in it? That would make this story a hell of a lot more interesting.]

“It’s about Dawn.”

“What about Dawn?”

“Dawn’s. . . . .”

“Dawn’s what?”

“Dawn’s Julie.”

“Julie?” she gasped in surprise. “My Julie. My daughter.”

“Yeah,” Lauren said plainly. [Really, what brought on this change of heart? I thought she was going to torment Gracie some more.]

“Oh my god,” Gracie began to get up. But Lauren grabbed her wrist.

“No.” She made Gracie sit back down. “You can’t let her known.”

“Why not Lauren? I already lost her once because of you. I simply refuse to lose her again.” [And what makes you think she wants anything to do with you? You killed all her friends, for God‘s sake!]

“But you can’t let her know, it would be too much for the poor girl to absorb.” [Seriously, was Lauren abducted by aliens and replaced with a pod person?]

“What do you mean?”

“I mean. . . . . . [She has no idea…] think about it, if you were her, do you think that you’d be able to deal with this. I’m not even sure she knows what she is.”

“Do you think she knows she’s an alien?” [They're all aliens!!]

“I’d say it’s possible. But I wouldn’t bet on it.”

[I wrote this over the course of four months, from December 1996 to April 1997. At this precise point I stopped writing it for two months after having slaved over it constantly. I came back to finish it without reading over previous chapters, different handwriting, more of a flair for the dramatic, and--thank you merciful God--I finally starting writing in pen and now I don’t have to deal with trying to make out smeared pencil from twelve years ago! I wrote the rest of this in one day when I stayed home “sick” from school.]

“Are you sure?”

“Damn sure.”

“My baby, my Julie.” Then Gracie collapsed into Lauren’s arms, crying.