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.

Still alive, or The Enemy Within, Part 8

Last Time: After Debbie's funeral Dawn confessed everything as she knows it to her brother Dean. He is looking into finding her a good psychologist.

Part 4: Regret and Remorse 1996

Chapter 25: A beheading

[Ooh, doesn’t that sound promising?]

The next morning Sela arrived. Just what I need, Dawn thought. That stuck up snobby little bitch.

“Dawn!” Her mother called. “Sela’s here!”

Great, dawn thought sarcastically. This is exactly what I need. Sela.

“Dawn!!!” her mother called again.

“Coming!”

The day went by rather slowely. School had been canceled for the rest of the week. [In honor of all the deaths, I suppose. That’s four in less than a week.] Sela was staying in the extra bedroom. The bedroom that had once belonged to a young girl. [Chloe? If so that’s kind of creepy.]

Before the Sullivans bought the house, it belonged to a family. They’re name was Phillips.

They were a strange and odd family. They acted rather odd when Dawn had met them seven years before, when they had moved to Creston, California. [They’re in Delaware. And in chapter thirteen Creston was crossed out and replaced with Harrington, so who knows where the hell they are.]

Dawn remembered an old tale about the house. When she had first moved here, the kids at school told her them. But they were just filled with gossip. Jenni had told her the real story. Before Dawn had moved there, their had been two girls. They were step-sisters. And also best friends. They’re names were Thalia and Phoebe Phillips. [I'm pretty sure this was at least partially inspired by Christopher Pike's The Immortal.]

Thalia and Phoebe were best friends until Thalia’s mother married Phoebe’s father. From the wedding on all they did was fight. One day, when they were in school Phoebe smashed Thalia’s head into a locker and busted it open. [Phoebe had to be hella strong.] Luckily Thalia survived. But she was different. And so was Phoebe. They were both extremely violent and inattentive in class. Things had gotten out of hand. [And what does this have to do with our actual story? And why would Jenni have been the expert on this. She’d only been there a year before Dawn.]

Then one night the rest of the family went out and left Thalia and Phoebe alone. Big mistake there. Jenni had once told Dawn that her and Phoebe were cousins. [Okay. That might be why.] Well Jenni was sent to the house to check on the girls. [Yes, send a seven-year-old possible murderess to check on two crazy teenagers.] And when she got there, she saw the most gruesome thing that she would ever seen.

You see, Phoebe had had Dawn’s room, and when Jenni came up, what she saw was unbelievable.

At the top of the stairs was Thalia’s body. Beheaded. The bones were stickin gout of her neck mangled and broken. The puss and the guts were all over the place. And the blood was running down the stairs like a small river. Jenni had told Dawn that, and that there used to be a small path in the back of the house that lead all the way from Jenni’s.

Well anyways, Jenni ran back there [through the river of blood and past the decapitated body.] and saw Phoebe, with Thalia’s missing head. Thalia’s eyes were wide, like she had died in shock.

And Phoebe was laughing. Phoebe said something. Something Jenni had told Dawn that she would never forget. Dawn would never forget either.

“You died in my room Thalia,” she had said to the head. “And do you want to know why you died in my room, Thalia,” she had been pulling Thalia’s Blonde hair out by the roots as she was doing this. “No? Well I’ll tell you why, Thalia. I hate you. And your whore for a mother. You know one time I went in my room, and they were having sex. [That is pretty crass…] Can you believe that? In my room. And do you want to know another thing? I’m a witch. Yes, I practice the dark arts. And I’m damn proud of it.”

By this time Thalia was nearly bald so Phoebe just threw her whole head into the fire. [What fire?]

“Now I’m going to cast a spell. I’m sure we’ll move after the untimely death of your mother. Seven years from tonight the mother of all hells with come to the person who stays in my room. Three to four months before the seven years is up the process of this hell will come to hell.” [WTF? Seriously, where did this come from? And you know, as I‘m sitting here typing this up, I’m thinking, my mother read this thing. When I was twelve I made her. And even more, I TURNED THIS IN AS AN EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT IN HISTORY. Why was I not put into therapy?]

And that was that. Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust.

Dawn had never believed that it was true. At least, she never had before. . . . . .

Chapter 26: A killing

[I wonder what’s going to happen in this chapter!]

The weekend was hell. Sela was such a bitch. She was always telling Dawn what to do. She was so snobby and bitchy all the time. Why the hell was she here again? To help out. I don’t think so. If anything, all she was doing was making life hell.

And not just for Dawn. For Dean too.

Mabey Sela was what made her dream on Saturday night. . . . [Here comes another acid trip. Oh, who am I kidding? This whole book is an acid trip.]

* * * * *

There stood the strange place where all her dreams began lately. And there stood little Dawn Sullivan. All alone.

Then she saw colors. Dark colors. Black, blue, and red. And all of them were as dark as hell. All the colors seemed to be some sort of a fog. And then there was a box.

Dawn suddenly was in the box. [I had a thing with people being trapped in boxes. And that so came from Chain Letter 2.] A box that was a grayish whit. The black, blue, and red sky was above it. But there was glass.

Glass over the box that prevented you from getting out of your eternal damnation. That was at least a simple way of putting it.

Dawn just stood there looking up at the sky for what seemed forever. A movement that she caught out of the corner of her eye got her attention. There was a small little red thing there and it was climbing on a stool.

This dream was not like the others. For it was far more weirder than the others.

[This thing is so hard to read. Curse me for writing in pencil!!!!]

Then everything disappeared. Everything except the little red thing. And she stood. Then it got light again. The little red thing was standing over a bed. And not just any bed. A girls bed. Why does that bed look familiar? Dawn thought. She knew the girl who was lying in the bed. But why was it that she couldn’t remember right now? She didn’t know. She didn’t think that she ever would know. But that little blue thing [I thought it was red.] was pouring something on the girl. Something that smelled bad. Then all of a sudden it hit her. It was showing her who was the next to die. This was all a death row. The people who die are people who were close to Dawn. The red thing was in disguise. It was either Gracie of Lauren. Dawn couldn’t tell. Not yet anyways. And then ther was the girl. The next person on death’s row. And as the little red thing set the girl on fire, it came to her. [Does someone get burned alive? Seriously?]

Chapter 27: Surprise in the locker room

That morning someone else died.
It was Clea. [Ooops. She’s already dead. My mistake.] Shari

Poor Clea Shari.

While she was asleep in her bed, apparently someone had come in, poured gasoline on her, and set her on fire. What a horrible way to go. [Did the rest of her family escape the fire?]

The funeral was to be held in three days.

The Police were starting to get frantic with worry. [Five teenage girls have been brutally murdered and they’re just now getting frantic? Did they transfer in from Oregon or something?] There was definitely a murderer on the loose, but no one--at all--had any clues of who the hell was behind them. [Except Dawn.] Dawn was no longer a suspect in this whole mess either.

School wasn’t closed today, so everyone had to go. [So they’ll close school for Chloe and Clea, but not Shari? It‘s because she‘s Jewish, isn‘t it?] It was a Tuesday. A health day. Before everyone got out of school because of the murders, Dawn had left some things in her gym locker. She knew everyone would be in health so she could sneak in and get her things. [While skipping class?] She had taken the keys from her teacher--Miss Carlotto--while she wasn’t looking.

As Dawn came in she heard a squeaking sound. It sounded like a rope. What the hell is a rope doing in the locker room? Dawn asked herself. [How the hell would a rope squeak? I ask to Dawn.]

Then, as she turned the corner, Dawn saw what was making all that noise.

It was Paula Goodrich.

Paula was hanging by her neck. Just simply going back and forth and back and forth. Her big eyes were opend wide with surprise.

“Oh, god,” Dawn whispered. Then, she ran. She just felt that she had to get out of there. [Understandable.] She ran to the showers.

But for some reason, they were all on. [And she couldn’t hear the water running over that squeaky rope.] Then she looked down at the drain in the middle of the floor. Blood was gushing into it.

Thick blood.

Fresh blood.

Then she looked right down at her feet.

Hallie’s blood!

It was Paula and Hallie Goodrich. The were sisters who lived together, so they would be sisters that died together.

Dawn ran out of there scream and yelling; “Help! Help! Two dead bodies are in the girls locker room!”

That sure got people’s attention.

The Enemy Within, Part 7

Last Time: Dawn is now a suspect in her sister's murder. Debbie's dead. And Gracie has found out that her daughter crossed dimensions and is somewhere in this world. What can possibly happen next?

Chapter 24: Day of the Dead

Dawn was sitting quietly in between Justin and Shari. Melanie was too upset to come. [I wonder if Dan came.]

“Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust,” Dawn heard the minister say.

“I can’t believe Debbie’s gone,” she heard Shari murmer.

Niether can I, she thought. Deborah Larson is dead. Debbie. My friend Debbie is dead. [She sounds more upset than she was at her own sisters funeral.]

“It’s a nice funeral,” Dawn heard someone say to Debbie’s mom. “Debbie would have liked it.”

“The things people say at funerals,” she said. [I'm pretty sure this next little passage is lifted from a Fear Street book.]

“Well I think people are just very uncomfortable at funerals so they don’t know what the hell to say.”

“Maybe you’re right. People said some really weird things to me at Chloe’s funeral.”

Chloe’s funeral.

Debbie’s funeral.

Two people dead already. [What about Savannah Delony from Chapter 13?] They say bad luck travels in threes. And if that’s true, who’s next?

* * * * *

That night Dawn found herself having another dream. In the dream she saw a girl. A girl that looked familiar, but not too familiar. She was saying something.

“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 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.” [What this was supposed to symbolically represent, I haven’t a clue. I’m just as lost as you are.]

Now what did that mean?” Dawn didn’t know. Not now anyways.

As the dream continued the figure of the girl changed. She was no longer the girl Dawn had recognized. She was Debbie Larson. In the flesh.

“Dawn,” she murmered.

“Debbie!”

“Yes. It’s me. I need to talk to you.”

“To me? About what?”

“About my killer.” [What else?]

“You’re killer?”

“Yes. Dawn, do you know where your mother is?”

“Yes. She’s in the master bedroom with my father.”

“No no no no no,” Debbie shook her head. “Better yet do you know who your mother is?”

“Yes, I do. It’s Joan Sullivan.”

“No Dawn, or should I [say] Julie.” [I think Julie’s just as slow as her mom, too.]

Dawn’s eyes went wide. “How do you know about that, Debbie?”

“I’m dead, Dawn. I know all.” she paused and looked down at Dawn. “Do you know what that poem ment?”

“What 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 policeman heard the noise, ran right over, and shot the dead boys. If you don’t believe that my lie is true, then ask the blind man, he saw it too.”

“But what does it mean?” [Wouldn’t we all like to know?]

“That’s for me to know, and for you to find out.”

“But--”

Debbie cut her off. “Someone’s being murdered right this second, so expect a visit from the police.”

“But Debbie--”

“Shut up Dawn. Your cousin sela is coming to stay with you. Is that correct?”

“Yes, but--”

“How well do you know her Dawn?”

“Not real well, but--”

“Just think about what I’ve just told you. And think about Sela, and how well you know her.” [Doesn’t that fall under the category of what you just told her?]

Dawn made her way over to the corner. The blood looked fresh. Smelled fresh too. And then it hit her. It’s the body of the person who’s getting killed. I have got to figure out who it is. As she turned the corner the stench of rotted meat filled her nostrils. The closer she got to the body, the worse the stench got. And when she finally saw it. . . . . .

* * * * *

Dawn woke up screaming. She quickly stopped and got her phone on the other side of the room. Then her parents, and Dean walked in.

“Is something the matter honey,” her mother said. [One of your daughter’s was killed, and a friend of your other daughters was killed. Of course there’s something wrong!]

“There’s got to be Mom. She starts screaming blood murder two a.m and you think even for a moment that nothing’s wrong!” Dean said. Everyone just stared at him. “What?” [I hope he ends up dead, too.]

“Nice choice of words, Dean.” [You think she would be more horrified or something, considering her daughter died in a “bloody murder.”]

“Yeah,” Dawn agreed.

Jus then Liegh starded crying. “I’ll go tend to Liegh,” said her mother. And Joan Sullivan left.

Then Dawn dialed 268-1764 [I wonder who’s reversed phone number this was…] Someone picked up on the first ring. It was Shana Mallone. [Remember Clea Mallone? She was oh-so tactful at Chloe’s funeral.]

“Hello,” Shana said.

“Hi Shana, is Clea there?”

“I don’t know where she is. Why don’t you talk to my Devon. He might know where Clea is.” Dawn heard Shana call to her brother. And she herd the phone being exchanged to Devon. I pray to God she’s not dead.

“Hello,” he said. His voice sounded raspy and strained. As if he had been crying!

“Hi, do you know where Clea is?” she asked casually, just as if she didn’t know what was coming.

“Look, Dawn,” he paused as if he were gaining the strength to tell her what she didn’t already know. “Clea’s dead.”

“What?” Dawn said surprised. Even though she has known that this was coming, it still surprised her to hear the words being spoken out loud. Then she hung up, and looked up to see that her father Jake had gone. [What a caring dad.] Only Dean remained.

He walked over and sad next to her on the bed. “Is something bothering you Dawn?” He asked, concerned. [Do you mean besides the death of your sister and her friends?]

“Yes.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Yes.”

“Well go ahead. I’m listening.”

“I’d just like to warn you. My story is a little far-fetched. And I don’t think that you’ll believe very much of it.”

“Try me.” [I wonder if he’s a weird dimension transporting evil spirit too.]

“Well. . . . . . There’s so much to tell. I don’t know where to being.”

“Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

“But it’ll take all night.”

“So, I’ve got all night.”

“Well first of all, for you to even partly understand you have to deal with one little fact.”

“And what’s that Delta.”

“I’m not your sister.”

“What are you talking about? Of course you’re my sister. We’re fraternal twins.”

“Yes I know. You and Dawn are fraternal twins. But you and I aren’t.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You’ll understand in due time. My real name is Julie Marie Deck. I was born in the year 1897. I am the only daughter of Frank and Gracie Deck. [Awww. It wasn’t asexual reproduction after all.] And my mother--Gracie--had a best friend named Lauren Sanders. I always called her Aunt Lauren.”

“Okay.” [You’re effing nuts…]

“Well one day my mother went out with Aunt Lauren for some reason, and I got bored, so I followed them. I heard then arguing about something in the rose garden. It was something about me I think. I can’t remember. It happened ninety-seven years ago. Well, there was this thing--this gateway. It was just there. I can’t explaine it. [Which is probably why I never tried to give it a real description.] It was greyish-whitish, and blackish. It was so weird. It looked like the inside of a twister. Know what I mean?”

“No, not really. But keep going.”

“Well, after they went through, I followed them. When I got to the other side, they weren’t there. I had no idea where I was so I just wandered around for two years. It’s a miracle that I survived, really it is. One day this childless couple found me and took care of me. I guess I forgot what had happened to me, so I forgot my name. [Never mind the fact that you were, you know, two!]

“They named me Roberta. Called me Bobbie for short. I got married when I was twenty-three. We had no children. I died when I was sixty-one. In the year 1958. But you see, you can only truly be dead if you die in your own dimension. You see, Chloe and Debbie [Never mind Clea…] are truly dead because they died here in their own dimension.”

“So you can’t die?”

“Yes I can. But not by a mortal. No, it has to be a being--like me--to kill another being--like Gracie or Lauren. [Ummm…no? Gracie and Lauren have been trying to kill each other for ninety-seven years and it hasn’t worked yet.]

“As my travel through the century went on, I realized on little fact.”

“And what’s that Delta?”

“Anyone in the world could be like me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well you see. There’s another dimension every two feet. [How does she know all this? She wasn’t in purgatory when the dude in charge of all this explained all this crap to Gracie and Lauren. And she doesn’t seem intelligent enough to figure it all out on her own.] And if you really think about it--that’s one hell of a lot of dimensions. So that means that if a gateway could open up in a world that was as significant as mine [So are all the other dimensions insignificant?], a lot, more could open up in a different dimensions. Get it Dean?” [Fuck no.]

“I think so. [He’s taking this way way too well. Or maybe he’s just humoring her.] But where are Gracie and Lauren now?”

“Gracie’s in Jenni’s body.”

Deans eyes went weide. “Jenni’s body?” He said surprised at the idea that sweet innocent little Jenni could possibly have a monster like Gracie in her. [I think he wants to bone Jenni.]

“What about Lauren?”

“I don’t know. I have tried tracking her down. [When?] But I just haven’t been able to.”

“Wow,” Dean muttered. “That was on hell of a story.” [Was this my sideways compliment to myself for coming up with this convoluted piece of crap?]

“Yes, I know Dean, but you must realize that that wasn’t just a story. That was the god damn truth. I didn’t make it up. I told you exactly how it all happened.”

“It’s just that it’s strange.”

“I agree completely. My life is Indeed a strange one.” [Indeed.]

And as she said that she couldn’t bear to overlook the strange feeling that had suddenly crept over her. Did she know what that feeling was? No. But it would come to her. It would come to her. It would come to her. In her darkest moment of despair.

The Enemy Within, Part 6

So Dawn met her crazy murdering friend in the middle of the night and guess what? Someone died. Yeah, her sister. She goes to the funeral and attempts to find a deep meaning akin to the recent tragedy in her live in the words of a bad poem from a 90's MTV cartoon. He friend Debbie's also murdered and she's taken in for custody. Will the cop let her go? Is Gracie really the killer? And why is Jenni still herself while Gracie's inhabiting her body when Que Ellen wasn't at all?

Chapter 21: Lauren’s Triumph

I can’t believe how beautifully my play worked, Lauren thought. Now little Julie is behind bars. [Now how on earth can she know that Dawn’s Julie?] And her own mother framed her. Gracie is gonna love this. [Somehow I doubt that.] But first I have to find her. Now where the hell do the Millers live.

Lauren walked around for a while until she found a phone booth. Now let’s see, Miller. Miletello, Milcs, Milaci, Millar, uh-huh. Miller. Only one? Gee, I thought that name was more used that than. Let’s see, the number’s 707-4764 [Which must’ve been someone’s actual number backwards, because the 467 beginning was extremely common around here when I was a kid.] She dialed the number. It wrang six times.

“Hello.”

“Hi Jenni.”

“Who is this?”

“An old friend of the murderers. Let me talk to Gracie.”

“Hello Lauren. What the hell do you want?”

“I just wanted to let you know a little something about a little girl.”

“that’s nice Lauren. But really, I have stuff to do. [Stuff as in kill more innocent people because you‘re a bitter old hag?] So if you don’t mind--” Lauren cut her off.

“A little something about a little girl by the name of Julie Marie Deck.”

“Lauren, what about Julie?”

“Bye Gracie.”

“But Lauren!”

Lauren hung up. This is so fun. Well time to go leave sighns around Gracie about Julie. One day she’ll thank me. I know she will. She has to. There’s no way she can’t.

* * * * *

Dawn slouched low in her seat at the County Jail. What are they going to do to me? She thought. A police detective who went by the name of Adams was investigating her case. Dawn had to admit to herself that she was developing a crush on him. [Well, I think it’s safe to say she’s over Dan now.]

“Now Ms. Sullivan.”

“Dawn please.”

“Okay Dawn. Do you understand that Watkins screwed up the order that you were just supposed to be brought in for questioning. Not to be arrested.” [What? That‘s such a dues ex machina!]

“Yes.”

“That’s good. Now where exactly were you when Chloe Sullivan--your sister [Because she needs to be reminded]--was murdered?”

“I’m not a suspect, am I?”

“No. Just answer the question.”

“I was about a quarter mile down the lake talking to my best friend Jenni.”

“What’s the girls full name?”

“Jennifer Miller.” she paused waiting for him to ask her another question.

“Can she verify this fact?”

“I’m not sure.” [Yes Dawn, tell him all about the other person living inside her and her how she conveniently has blackouts when people die. Why don’t you tell him she was drunk or something. That‘s way more believable.]

“What do you mean you’re not sure?”

“It’s just things.”

“What kinds of things.”

“She has blackouts.”

“Blackouts?”

“Yeah, and I’m pretty sure she had one that night.” [Isn’t that a convenient alibi.]

“Alright.”

“Am I a suspect?” [You are now.]

“Well, you were the last one to see her alive.”

“But you just said that I wasn’t.”

“And you just asked.” [What does that mean?]

“But why would I kill her? She was my sister. I loved her. And Debbie was my friend.”

“I never said you were a suspect Dawn. If your friend Ms. Miller can verify this fact, no. But if not, yes. You may leave now. Have a good day.” [Don’t offer to give her a ride home. Or call her mom.]

She got up to leave. How can I have a good time when I’m a suspect in my friends and my very own sisters murder. I can never have a good day again. I have to find Gracie. Then I’ll see what’s really going on. And she’ll see who I really am. [Does this mean Dawn's known the entire time??]

Chapter 22: 1899

Julie Deck slipped passed the watchful eye of her babysitter with flying colors as she made herself outside to find her mother.

Julie found them a little while later in the gardens. They were talking. Talking about some sort of gateway. She watched them talk and argue for a little while longer. Then they were gone. Julie couldn’t see them anymore, for they had gone through the gateway. This strang swirling gateway. It wasn’t like any other kind of gateway that she had ever seen. It was far different. It didn’t open and close, it was just swirling around in endless circles. [Finally, something resembling a description!]

Where did Mommy and Aunt Lauren go, Julie thought. I want my mommy back. The gateway took her. But it’s not going to keep her. I’ll fight it if I have to. Then Julie kicked at it. [It’s almost cute.] But instead of getting her mother back, she went through it. Into the dimension of eternal hell and damnation. . . . .

* * * * *

She woke up with a thump, for the gateway had chewed her up for several minutes then spit her out into a land that was unlike her own.

For two years Julie wandered around aimlessly. It was by far a miracle that she had survived. But when she was four, a couple who were in their late twenties found her an took care of her. For they had no children of their own, they were more than happy to give her a home. She called them her parents and had completely forgotten what happened those first four years of her life by the time she was twenty-six, when she got married to Jimmy Snyder. Her “parents” never knew her real name so they called her Roberta. Bobbi for short.

Bobbi and Jimmy didn’t have any kids.

For the remainder of her natural life she had a good time. After Jimmy died, she was so upset, that she killed herself. [She’s a lot like her mother, don’t you think?]

After that, she wandered around for a while, and started to remember who she was and as the centuries wore on, she started to enter peoples bodies, like her mother, and her mother’s best friend.

Then, in 1981, she entered the body of Joan Sullivan, who was pregnant with twins. A boy and a girl. And when Joan had the twins, Little Julie was born into one of the bodies.

Chapter 23: Julie

What the hell did Lauren mean, Gracie thought. Dawn isn’t’ who I think. It doesn’t make any sense. So for a while I thought she was Luaren. But if that is Lauren on the phone, and Dawn is being questioned at the police department. . . . .

Who on earth could Dawn possibly be. Jenni’s brother was out. Her parents at work. So Gracie had the old, Victorian mansion all to herself. And as she sat on the bed, thinking, she didn’t hear someone creeping up behind her. Ever so slowly someone made her way to Gracie.

Who the hell could Dawn be? she kept asking herself that question over and over, but she just couldn’t come up with a decent answer that made any sense to her. Then a reaspy voice spoke up behind her.

“Hello.”

Gracie turned around. It was Sela [Like Say-lah] Sullivan. Dawn’s cousin. “What are you doing here Sela?” Gracie asked.

“I can’t believe you. You’ve known me all these years and you still don’t recognize me. Well I recognize you.” She paused and took a deep breath. “You’ve always been slow at these things. Haven’t you Gracie? Remember in Italy. In the year 1945 [I thought she was going to plant clues… I love the continuity in this thing.]

“Lauren,” Gracie gasped. “It’s you.” [Duh.]

“Yup.”

“What are you doing here? What are you doing in Sela’s body?”

“I’m here on buiseness. And it was available.” She took a seat at Jenni’s desk. “But let’s get down to buisiness.”

“What kind of buisiness?”

“I’m here to bring you news Gracie.”

“What kind of news Lauren?”

“News about your daughter.”

“What about Julie?”

Lauren said nothing. [These two are really getting on my nerves.]

Gracie was getting pissed off at her now. She stood up and walked up to Lauren. “Lauren, what do you mean? what about Julie? What does my daughter have to do with this?” She grabbed Lauren by the shoulders. “Tell me,” Gracie screamed in her face.

“Fine.” She shoved gracie off of her. “Have you ever wondered whatever happened to your precious Julie!”

“Yes! Of course! Why wouldn’t I?” [Because you're a horrible mother who went travelng into a different dimension and partied for three days in the 1800's without even sparing a thought to her?]

“Would you believe me if I said that she saw us cross over? Would you believe me if I told you that she crossed over too!” And just like that, she was gone. Like petals in the wind. [Honestly, I didn’t even know who V.C. Andrews was yet.] And there was little Gracie Ann Deck. All alone. With no one. No one to talk to her. To be with her. She was all alone. There was nothing let of her. Nothing left at all. She thought about what Lauren had said. “What would you say if I told you that she saw us cross over. What if I told you that she crossed over too.” Lauren’s voice echoed in her mind.

My Julie, Gracie thought. My little Julie is here in this horrible world. But where is she? Who is she?

The Enemy Within, Part 5

Previously, on The Enemy Within: We're into the 1990's now, and with it comes our newest bitchy protagonist, Dawn Sullivan, who doesn't like to do homework. Well her buddy Jenni is having memory blackouts and think she might've killed their classmate Savannah Delony whom no one seems to give a rat's ass about, along with a bunch of small children when she was six. Jenni storms up to Dawn in the cafeteria and reveals she's actually the fiendish Gracie! Oh my! Now Gracie wants to meet Dawn alone in the middle of the night at a secluded location. Dawn intelligently agrees. I wonder what's going to happen next...

Chapter 17: A Night of Death

Dawn was walking down to the lake that night with her sister Chloe. [Pronounced like it rhymes with go.] “I still don’t know why you insisted on coming Chloe,” Dawn said.

“Because, if I can’t come, I’ll tell mom and Dad that you snuck out after curfew.”

“And your supposed to be the sister that I like.”

“Oh come on Delta Dawn. Relax. Live a little. Hang ten.” [You know this kids got to die, right?]

“Will you shut up.”

“When you tell my why you’re here, I might consider shutting up.”

“Is that so, Chloe.”

“Yeah it’s so, Delta Dawn.”

“Why do you always call me Delta Dawn.” [It seems like everyone in your family calls you Delta Dawn.]

“It fits.”

“Well, if you really want to know why I’m here, it’s because I’m meeting Jenni here.”

“What does she want.”

“I don’t know. [To kill you.] She’s been acting really weird lately. So I just want to find out what’s wrong with her and get this damn thing over with.” [What a caring friend.]

“Sounds ethical.”

“Since when are you so ethical.”

“Since when do you sware at me.”

“Since you’re getting me pissed off more often.”

“Well thanks for the vote of conf--” Dawn broke her off.

“We’re here, so shut up. Alright.”

“Yeah whatever.”

“Go play by the swings or something. I’m pretty sure Jenni doesn’t want you to here this.”

“Yes sis,” Chloe said saluting Dawn as if she were a military sargant. [I’m kind of starting to like her.] Then she went off to play.

“Jenni,” Dawn called. “Jenni, are you here. Jenni!”

“Hello Dawn,” a raspy voice said behind her a few minutes later.

Dawn jump, startled, and then turned around. “I’m not Jenni. My name is Gracie. Gracie Deck.”

“Uh-huh?” Dawn said quistionally. “Is that a fact.”

“Yes it is. And I’ve been trying to figure out who you are.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Like I said earlier,” she paused and sat on a rock. Dawn did the same. [They must have some big rocks at this lake] “I’ve always had my suspicions about you, and now I want to know if they’re true. So tell me, Dawn, have you always felt different from everyone else?”

“Yeah, duh. I think you would know that.”

“Mabey, mabey not. You never know what’s goin on in other people’s eyes, Because you can’t see through them. [How profound.] Are you getting any of this?”

“I don’t follow.”

“Well here’s another example Dawn. Have you ever wanted something that seems unlikely for you to get, but you get it anyway?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you ever have dreams that you’re someone else?”

“Who doesn’t.”

“No, not like that. Someone real.” [Anyone remember the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie?]

“Mabey I do Jenni, mabey I don’t.”

“The name is Gracie.”

“That’s nice. I’m going home.” She got up and turned to leave.

“Oh, and Dawn,” she stopped and turned around. “One more thing.” Then Gracie got up and walked over to Dawn. “Take this.” She reached into her pocket and got out an ivory handled knife, and held it out to Dawn. “For your own protection Delta Dawn.” And with that she left. [What? Why did she give her a knife? To give her a fighting chance for when Gracie eventually will try to kill her?]

Then Dawn started walking down to the playground where she left Chloe. “Hey, Chloe. Where are you you crazy bitch?” she called. “Chloe, Chloe.” Dawn was starting to get worried. Where was her sister.

Mabey she fell into the lake, Dawn thought. Dawn made her way down to the lake, and then saw the most terrifying thing she had ever seen in her entire life. She started to scream.

Chapter 18: “Not Chloe”

“No! No! Not my sister! Not Chloe! She can’t be dead! She just can’t!” Then Dawn started to cry. She couldn’t stop. No matter how she tried, she just couldn’t stop crying. [Did anybody NOT see that coming?]

“Oh my got,” an old man said. [Where the hell did he come from?] Then he faced Dawn. “What’s going on here, honey? What happened? Who’s that?” [I don’t know about you, but those wouldn’t be the first words to come out of my mouth after seeing the body of a dead thirteen-year-old. And how did she die anyway? Was she drowned in the lake? Was she stabbed as my characters are so fond of doing when there’s no cliffs to be pushed off of? It would be kind of cool if she was stabbed with the very same knife Gracie gave Dawn, though Gracie must’ve killed her really quick to do it in the time Dawn and Chloe were separated, and without Chloe making a sound.]

“My sister,” she said between sobs. “Chloe. She didn’t do anything wrong. Why did this--” she couldn’t finish her sentence.

“What’s going on here Al?” Dawn heard another guy say. [What? Two old guys out on a moonlit stroll in the middle of the night. Maybe they’re the real killers.]

“Call the cops. A girls been murdered. This is her sister.”

“Right away.” He left. [Notice how they don’t even think to check for a pulse or anything, let alone CPR.]

“It’s going to be Okay. What’s your name Honey?”

“It’s Dawn. Dawn Sullivan.”

“Come into the house Dawn.” [What house? They’re in the middle of a park.]

“Alright.”

* * * * *

The next day at school was a mad house. [What? What about her family’s reaction. I’m sure that was worth reading. Why is she even going to school the day after her sister’s death? Don’t people tend to stay home for a few days, and you know, MOURN?] Everyone was asking her about all the gory details about Chloe’s body. And Jenni was even more upset than Dawn. She was crying consistently. Dawn ran up to her. “Jenni, what’s wrong?” [Because your sister’s death shouldn’t bother her at all…]

“I don’t remember where I was last night. I think--” But Dawn cut her off.

“You didn’t do anything wrong Jenni.”

“How would you know?”

“Because you were with me.”

“I was,” she said questionally.

“Yeah. You and me were talking before Chloe. . . .” She didn’t finish her sentence. It would mak this strange situation real. And Dawn didn’t want that. Not at all. [Repression is the best way to deal with tragedy.]

* * * * *

This is great, Gracie thought. This is just so great. I’ve got all those fucking ass holes fooled. They think that I’m sweet sappy pathetic little Jennifer Louise Miller. Hah. May they all burn in hell for just thinking that. Especially little ol’ Delta Dawn Sullivan. She is just so pathetic. But god knows who she is. She could be Lauren for all I know. But she is one of us. She has to be. She practically admitted it. She get’s thing when she wants it, And she has dreams that she’s other people. [Well that just proves it.] But who does she dreams she is? Is there a slight possibility that whoever she was was born into that body? And forgot who or what she was? God knows, Gracie thought. Only god could know, because, she didn’t.

Chapter 19: Death is but a door

[Time is but a window, I’ll be back. Ghostbusters 2, anyone?]

The funeral was held two days later. School had been closed for the accasion. [Isn’t that nice of the school board?] Chloe was a well-liked fun-to-be-with kind of girl. A lot of people were going to miss her. Especially Dawn. Dawn looked around to see how many of her friends were there. She saw almost all of Chloe’s friends, but how many of her own? Melanie Smith, Debbie Larsen, Shari Lapinski, Justine MacNicols, Jenni Miller of course, Clea Mallone, Shannon Park, Paula and Hallie Goodrich, and Nancy Nite. [It’s been a few chapters since we mentioned her other friends and I needed to remind the reader who they were, especially since some of them had yet to be introduced. On an interesting note they were all actually based on friends I had at the time. I was Dawn, of course. Jenni was Amanda, Debbie was Stephanie, Melanie was Brittany, Paula and Hallie were Paige and Aimee (Rachel and Elizabeth from The Day of Rebecca), Clea was Tiffany, and I can’t recall who the rest were.]

A lot of her friends had come. That was nice of them. The service went on and on, and Jenni kept crying more and more. You’d think she was Chloe’s best friend. Apparently she still though she had killed Chloe. But she couldn’t have. She was with Dawn at the time.

Then Clea walked up to her. “Hi Dawn,” she said. “How’s it going.” [In the middle of the service?]

“Okay I guess.”

“She was killed so brutally. So much blood. So much gore. [Clea’s such a tactful little peach. But at least now we have a clue how she died. I‘m going with my knife hypothesis.] And you were the one to find her. If you ask me, that was the bravest thing anyone could ever go through,” she said.

Clea always knew how to say the wrong thing in the right way. Dawn always had admired her for that. [Okay?] It was one of Clea’s few good qualities. That didn’t necessarily mean that she was a bad person. She just had a lot of stuff to work on.

The service seemed to just go on and on, [I think we went over this just a few paragraphs ago] and Dawn started to feel dizzy. The strangest thing popped ito her head. It was a line from a poem she heard a long time ago;

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

[This is a poem from MTV’s The Maxx whose true meaning went completely over my twelve-year-old head.]

Wow, Dawn thought. Where did that come from? How do I know it? [I believe you mentioned it was from a poem you heard a long time ago. Just a guess.] Where the hell did it come from?

* * * * *

That night after the funeral Dawn had a dream about Chloe. . . . . .

* * * * *

What the hell. . . , Dawn thought, This is strange dream. She was at school, but everything was large. Larger than they should be. And it was all so bright. Everything was so bright but dark. She could see the bright vibrant colors. But they were dark, like pastel. [I’ve always liked bizarre dream sequences. This is the first of many to come in the future.] Things were definitely getting weird.

She saw all these other kids. They were screaming in agony. Dawn wanted to go over there, to help them, but she couldn’t. She had a certain way to go. A certain path, and she couldn’t get off that path. Then, when the path finally ended, she wasn’t Chloe’s locker. [Let me remind the reader that Chloe went to a different school.]

“Open the door,” she heard a high, shrill voice say. “Open the door. Open the door.”

But Dawn didn’t want to open the door. She knew what was behind it, but she didn’t. She knew that behind that door was something that she just did not want to see. But she opened it anyway. Dawn knew that she could not leave without doing so.

Behind the door was Chloe Sullivan, looking the way she had before that gruesome night when she was brutally murdered. “Dawn,” she said in a serious tone. “Your mother did this. Your mother killed me.”

“But Chloe, mom wouldn’t kill you, she loves you.”

“Not my mother dawn, your mother.”

“But Chloe, we’re sisters.”

“You understand, in your subconscious at least. You have forgotten it for so long. But you have to remember Dawn, who your mother really is.”

“But--”

“All will come in due time, Dawn, and remember the poem.”

“The poem?”

“Yes.” Then she started to fade off into oblivion

“Chloe! Chloe! Where did you go? I want to go to! Chloe!”

[In the margin I wrote in huge letters “Gracie killed Chloe.” I guess just in case somebody didn’t get the dream…]

* * * * *

Dawn woke up crying with her mother’s arms around her. “Dawn, it’s okay, it’s okay sweetie. It was only a bad dream, just a dream. Everything’s fine now.”

“Mom,” Dawn said.

“Yes sweetie.”

“I had a dream about Chloe.”

“I know honey.”

“No, you don’t get it. She was really there. Talking about who killed her.”

“Dawn, it was just a dream. Now go back to sleep.” And then, she left.

The poem, Dawn thought. What poem? Then she remember the poem she thought about earlier, at the funeral;

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

[Let’s start a count of how many times I repeated this. Current Count: 2]

That poem, she remembered that poem. She didn’t remember where she heard the poem, she just remembered it. Is that what she ment by the poem? When what does it mean. . . . . . .

Chapter 20: Another Death

Dawn awoke the next mourning to the sound of the phone ringing. “Will somebody get that,” she called. But no one answered, and no one did. “Fine, I’ll get it myself.”

She got out of bed and went downstairs. “Hello,” she said.

“Dawn?” It was Jenni.

“Yeah Jen.”

“Someone’s dead.”

“Huh? What do you mean Jenni?”

“I mean I don’t know where I was last night, and when I woke up, I was still dressed in the same clothes I had on last night.”

“So, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you killed somebody. [I think we’ve established that yes, it does.]

“Yeah but--” the phone went dead.

“Jenni! Jenni! Hello! Jenni!” Dawn hung up the phone. “She was just on her way out to go to Jenni’s house when the phone wrang.

“Hello,” she said into the phone.

“Dawn? Is that you?” It was Melanie, and she was crying.

“Melanie, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Debbie.”

“What happened to Debbie? Melanie didn’t aswer. “Melanie! What happened to Debbie? You have to tell me!”

“She’s. . . . . She’s. . . .” Then she broke off crying again. Melanie didn’t have to answer. Dawn knew what happened to Debbie. She was dead. And Dawn had a pretty good idea who was responsible.

“Bye Melanie.” She hung up. Then, right when she was about to leave, she heard knocking on the door. “What is it now?” she muttered under her breath. Dawn opened the door.

It was a police officer. “Yes, can I help you sir.”

“Yes. Put your hands behind your back.”

“What?”

He cuffed her. “You are under arrest for the murder of Chloe Sullivan and Deborah Larson. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorny. . . . .” [Is this legal? She is a minor.] And as he read her her rights, the only thing going through her mind was; I’m not guilty, I’m not guilty. I didn’t do anything. I’m innocent. Innocent.