Chapter Text
The phone rings loudly, echoing through the house. After a few seconds a hand reaches for it, bringing the receiver up to the face of Joanna Craig, a young girl, no more than sixteen.
“Hello.” Joanna said in to the phone.
A man’s voice, dark and raspy spoke. “Hello.” He replied. Joanna did not recognize it.
The man did not say anything else, confusing the young girl. “Yes?”
“Who is this?” He asked.
“Who are you trying to reach?” She answered his question with a question.
“What number is this?” He was acting like he wasn’t the one that had dialed it.
She was confused by this conversation, laughing lightly. “What number are you trying to reach?”
“I don't know.”
She looked at the caller ID. The screen read ‘UNKNOWN NUMBER’. “I think you have the wrong number.”
“Do I?”
She decided to end the conversation there. “It happens. Take it easy.” She hangs up the phone. The girl moves from the living room to the kitchen, deciding that she would start making the popcorn she wanted now. Once she arrived to her location, the phone rang again.
Joanna grabs the phone again, placing it to her ear. “Hello.”
It was the same voice from before. The dark and raspy one. “I'm sorry. I guess I dialed the wrong number.” He didn’t sound too sorry.
Joanna laughed slightly, finding it mildly amusing. “So why did you dial it again?”
“To apologize.” He replied quickly.
“You're forgiven. Bye now.” Before she could remove the phone from her ear, the voice spoke up again.
“Wait, wait, don't hang up.” He begged.
Joanna stands in front of a sliding glass door. It's pitch black outside. She turned the lock, making sure it was secure.
The girl sighed. “What?”
“I want to talk to you for a second.”
She shook her head. “They've got thousands of numbers for that. Seeya.” She hangs up once again.
The girl that moved to the cabinet, pulling out the old fashioned popcorn from the cabinet. The ones where you needed to use the oven to pop, instead of the microwave. She always thought they tasted the best.
As the popcorn sizzles in a pot on the stove. The phone began to ring again. Joanna grabbed it, placing it to her ear once again.
“Hello.”
It was the same voice that called twice now. “Why don't you want to talk to me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Who is this?” It had to be someone she knew playing a prank.
“You tell me your name, I'll tell you mine.”
Joanna shakes the popcorn, laughing lightly at the persistent man. “I don't think so.”
“What's that noise?”
Joana smiles, deciding to play along. “Popcorn.”
“You're making popcorn?” He inquired, sounding curious.
“Uh-huh.” She hummed, shaking it once again.
“I only eat popcorn at the movies.”
She left the popcorn, leaning on the counter behind her. “I'm getting ready to watch a movie.
“Really?” He asked. “What?”
“Just some scary movie.” She answered honestly.
“Do you like scary movies?” He had a slight edge to his voice. Dark and ominous.
“Uh-huh.” She nodded, like he could actually see her.
He sounded even more intrigued. “What's your favorite scary movie?” He's clearly flirting with her, she’s slightly enjoying the attention.
“I don't know.” She hasn’t seen many of them.
He laughed lowly. “You have to have a favorite.”
Joanna thinks for a second. Replaying all of the horror movies that she has seen in her life. “Uh...Halloween. You know, the one with the guy with the white mask who just sorta walks around and stalks the baby sitters.” She wanted to keep the conversation going. “What's yours?”
“Guess.” He said teasingly.
She went with the first movie she could think of. “Nightmare on Elm Street.” She began to play with the knife in its holder.
“Is that the one where the guy had knives for fingers?”
She nodded. “Yeah...Freddy Krueger.”
“Freddy-that's right.” He said, with a slight laugh. “I liked that movie. It was scary.” His voice dropped even lower with the last sentence.
“The first one was, but the rest sucked.” She replied honestly.
He paused for a beat. Then began to speak again. “So, you gotta boyfriend?”
Joanna giggles. “Why? You wanna ask me out?” He did have a nice sounding voice.
“Maybe. Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No.” She replied.
“You never told me your name.”
Joanna smiles, twirling her hair. “Why do you want to know my name?”
“Because I want to know who I'm looking at.”
Joanna spins around like lightning, facing the glass door she had just locked. “What did you say?” His words had sent an unpleasant shiver down her spine.
“I want to now who I'm talking to.”
She shakes her head, throughly freaked out. “That's not what you said.”
“What do you think I said?” He replied quickly.
Joanna walks towards the back door clicking on the outside light. The light illuminates the large backyard. Her eyes survey the grounds, but it's empty. No one's there. It calms her nerves as she turns the light out.
This guy has freaked her out. “I have to go now.”
“Wait…” He sounded dejected. “I thought we were gonna go out?”
“Nah, I don't think so...” She went to end the call.
“Don't hang up on me.” The voice got darker, angrier.
She quickly hangs up. She checks the glass door making sure it's locked and then moves to the stove to check on the popcorn. She slides the popcorn from its place on the stove, reaching for the phone.
She already knew who it was. “Yes?”
His voice was cold. “I told you not to hang up on me.”
“What do you want?” She was tempted to call the police.
“To talk.”
She shook her head. “Dial someone else, okay?”
He laughed, mockingly. “You getting scared?”
“Bored.” She replies, then quickly hangs up. Not letting him respond.
The phone rings again. Making her jump. She grabs it. Getting sick of this cat and mouse game he was trying to play.
“Listen, asshole...”
“No! You listen to me you little bitch! If you hang up on me again, I’ll gut you like a fish. Understand?” He yelled, his voice deadly serious.
Joanna was terrified, on the verge of crying out in fear. “Is this some kind of a joke?” She was hoping it was someone from school. Playing a sick prank.
“More of a game, really… You like games? Don’t you… blondie?”
Joanna began to run frantically through the house. Locking all the doors, rushing to them as quick as her feet would let her. Once she had triple checked all the doors were locked, she went back to the phone. “I'm two seconds from calling the police.”
“They'd never make it in time.” His voice was calmer than before.
“What do you want?” Her voice was trembling.
To see what your insides look like...” He replied, his voice nothing but evil.
She hangs up the phone, about to dial 999. Then the door bell chimes, making Joanna scream and almost leap out of her skin.
“Who's there?” She called out. It chimes again as she slowly moves to it. “Who's there?” She said louder this time. No answer. As she’s about to dial for the police, the phone rings once again. She brings the phone to her ear with trembling hands, saying nothing...listening, waiting...
“You should never say "Who's there?". Don't you watch scary movies? It's a death wish.” His voice almost sounded teasing. If you could get past the darkness.
Joanna clutches the wall, nearly collapsing. She tries her damndest to hang tough. “Look, enough is enough. You had your fun now you better leave me alone or else…” She threatened, like she was the one in control.
He calls her bluff. “Or else what?”
“My boyfriend will be here any second and he'll be pissed when I tell him...” She prayed that he will be here soon.
“I thought you didn't have a boyfriend?”
“I lied!” She yelled. “I do have a boyfriend and he'll be here any second and your ass better be gone.” Her voice was trembling.
“Sure...” He sounded as if he didn’t believe her.
“I swear it. And he's big and plays football and will beat the shit out of you!” He would be here any moment…
“I'm getting scared…” Then he paused for a moment. “His name wouldn't be Jason, would it?” The man tried to contain a giggle in his voice.
Joanna’s buckles at the knees, losing it. A few tears dropping from her eyes. “How do you know his name?”
“Go to the back door and turn on the porch light.” He commanded.
Joanna, terrified, forces herself to move.. staggering to the glass doors. Her shaky hand finds the light switch...she hits it. The back yard is once again lit. However, this time it wasn’t empty. Sitting in a lawn chair in the middle of the backyard is her boyfriend... tied and gagged. He's been roughed up, but he's alive. He was looking around wide eyed, searching for the man that did this. He then locked his eyes back with Joanna, screaming something through his gag.
Joanna’s hand moves to the lock on the door. Every instinct telling her to run and help him.
The voice on the line quickly spoke. “I wouldn't do that if I were you.” He threats.
Joanna began to search the backyard, her eyes scanning the green lawn and the trees in the back.
“Can you see me?” He began to speak again. “Because I can see you…”
“Please don't hurt him.” She pleaded, staring at her boyfriend’s tied up form.
“That all depends on you.”
She was letting herself cry now. Realizing everything happening was very real. “Why are you doing this?”
“I wanna play a game.”
“No...” She pleads.
“Then he dies. Right now.” His voice was dripping with venom.
“No!” She quickly yells, staring in to the eyes of her boyfriend. He was trying to unrestrain himself, while yelling something through his gag. She couldn’t make any of the words out though. “What kind of game?” She doesn’t want him hurt.
“Turn off the light.” The voice commanded.
Her hand goes to the switch, trembling with fear... Jason continues to tug, begging her with his eyes to not turn off the light. He disappears in the darkness. Joanna moves away from the glass, back toward the living room, unbelieving, and horrified.
“Here's how we play. I ask a question. If you get it right, Steve lives. If you get it wrong… he dies.”
Joanna crouches down behind the tv, unsuccessfully hiding from the intruder. “Please don't do this...” She tries pleading again for their lives.
“Come on. It'll be fun.” His voice was teasing, childish even. “It's an easy category. Movie trivia.”
“…please.” She chokes back a sob.
He ignores her. “Warm up question.”
“Don't do this. I can't…” She pleads again, tears streaming down her face.
“Name the killer in Halloween.”
His words weren’t even fully processing in her ears. “No...”
“Come on. It's you favorite scary movie, remember? He had a white mask, he stalked the baby-sitters…”
Joanna goes silent...a nervous wreck...she can barely speak much less think. The girl has officially reached hysteria, petrified beyond all reality.
“Steve's counting on you.” The voice states.
“Michael...Michael Myers.” She whispered, remembering.
“Yes!” He yells in excitement. Almost like he was happy that she had gotten it right. “Now for the real question…”
“That was a real question!” She yelled. “Just leave us alone!” She screamed.
“Then answer the question. Same category.” He states. “Name the killer in Friday the 13th.”
A mad smile purses Joanna’s lips. She knows this. She leaps up, through tears, screaming... “Jason! Jason!”
A slight pause is held. She thinks she had managed to beat the voice.
“I'm sorry. That's the wrong answer.” He didn’t sound sorry at all.
She shook her head, looking towards the glass doors. “No it's not. It was Jason.”
“Afraid not.” He replied.
She was getting angrier. She knew her answer was right. “It was Jason. I saw that godamned movie twenty times. It was Jason.”
The voice turned snarkier. “Then you should know Jason's mother Mrs.Vorhees was the original killer. Jason didn't show up until the sequel.”
Joanna is stupefied. “You tricked me...” She whispers.
“Lucky, for you there's a bonus round. But poor Jason...I'm afraid...he's out.”
This implication sends Joanna running to the glass doors. She flips on the porch lights to see Jason. His eyes wide, sitting in the lawn chair his belly gaping open a mass of blood and ripped flesh. His insides lay on the ground between his feet...steam rising. He had tears still streaming down his face, but the boy was gone.
Joanna lets put a piercing scream collapsing on the floor. Nearly passing out at the sight.
“Final question.” He whispers.
“..leave me alone… please” She was wishing this was a nightmare. That she will soon wake up, and be back in her bed. Jason alive and well, coming over to watch a movie.
He ignores her plea. “What door am I at?”
She looks between the doors in her house. “What?”
“There are two doors to your house.“ He explains. “A front door and a back one. If you answer correctly… you live.” He promised.
Joanna can see both front and back doors. She deliberates...with her last bit of strength she tries to strategize. Eyeing both, the front door and the back door. Trying to decide between the two. “Don't make me...I can't...I won't.” She pleads for a final time.
“Your call.” The man said simply.
Joanna looks around her...she looks down the hall to the front door then turns back to the glass doors. After a few quiet moments a lawn chair come flying through it. Glass spraying everywhere.
This incites Joanna to start running. She bolts to the kitchen, quickly grabbing a knife as a shadow moves quickly through the shattered doorframe.
She ducks behind the counter, praying the figure did not see her. She can hear the figure move from the foyer, all the way to the front door. Searching for her. Joanna quickly moves to the window, silently opening the hatch, and lifts it open. She lifts herself up and puts her legs through the window. While holding the knife in one hand, and the phone in the other.
Joanna manages ro ease out the window, but not before fumbling, dropping the knife back in the house. She starts to reach for it. But could hear glass crinkling once again. Instead she takes off...
“I can hear you. I know you're here.” The voice says on the line.
Joanna hangs up the phone. Dialing 999 as she eases along a narrow path between a tall fence and the side of the house going for the front yard. She must pass the three curtainless windows before being able to reach it. As a he gets to the first one she peeks in…
The figure has pulled open the foyer closet, still searching for her. He still thinks she’s in the house. Which was a good sign. Joanna creeps along, to the next window, she looks in... the figure is completely on the other side of the room moving toward the hall that leads to other parts of the house. She made the mistake of glancing over at her boyfriend… or what was left of him. Whimpering at the sight.
She needed to keep going. She moves further along the house...squeezing by hedges to
third final window...she peeks in to the figure… staring right back at her.
His face was covered with a ghostly white mask, inches from her...his eyes piercing through. Soulless. Joanna screams bloody murder as his hand crashes through the glass window, grabbing hold of her neck. She beats at him trying to free herself her nails dig into his arm. She wrenches from side to side until finally breaking free as the hands disappear back inside the house...
Joanna sails around the corner of the house eyeing the main road. Headlights could be seen in the distance, coming down the road towards the house. She recognizes them instantly. The girl rushes towards her parents car, the girl waving madly, and screaming for their attention.
Before Joanna could get there however, the masked figures comes out from nowhere, slashing her in the side. The wound was deep, making her stumble back. The figure moves on raising their arm up high as Joanna is struck, across the chest. She looks down to see her shirt blossoming red...a look of bewilderment as she drops to one knee.
The knife rises again sinking down in to her flesh. She could still see her parents in the distance… they were so close…
A couple emerge from the parked car. They move to the front door completely unaware of what's happening to their daughter, only a few feet from them.
The couple enter the house, looking for the sight of their daughter or her boyfriend… but the house is in shambles. Glass strewn across the floor, a lawn chair in the window. Mrs. Craig begins to panic calling out for her daughter.
They both searched the house to no anvil. Mrs, Craig stumbling upon Jason Lannisters body. She let out a piercing scream, alerting her husband who ran over to her location. He quickly grabbed his wife, handing her his phone.
“Drive down to the Mackenzie's. Call the police. I will stay here and look for her. Okay?”
His wife nodded, rushing towards the front door. As soon as she opened it… she let out another piercing scream. Mr. Craig rushing over to where his wife was. As he got to the door, he found his wife on the floor, retching and sobbing.
His eyes move from his wife to beyond a tree in the front yard...his stomach fails him...his dinner rises...as he bares witness to the single, most horrifying sight he'll ever see…
That of his only daughter as she hangs from a big oak tree, strung up...very much dead...her stomach ripped open.
A young girl of seventeen, sits, her face glued to the laptop screen in front of her. She's comfortable in a plain, white nightgown. Her hands are at work, typing feverishly, when suddenly a loud crashing noise behind her startles her.
She turns abruptly, eyeing her open window across the room. Alicent slowly walks towards it, sticking her head out the window. After not seeing anything or anyone she pulls back, until a figure pops out from no where, making her scream in terror.
“Hey...it's just me.” Rhaenyra hushed, climbing through the window.
“Rhaenyra?” She hissed. “What the...”
Her girlfriend of two years gives her a childish smile. “I'm sorry. Don't hate me.”
She looked back towards her bedroom door. “What are you doing here?”
Rhaenyra ignores her question, eyeing her girlfriends form. “You sleep in that?”
Alicent rolls her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself. She suddenly feels self conscious in the nightgown. “My fathers in the other room.”
“I'll only stay a sec.” She promises.
Suddenly the bedroom door bursts open. The doorknob catches on the open closet door behind it jamming it, holding it in place.
“What's going on in there?” Otto Hightower asks, trying to force the door open.
Alicent quickly goes to the door. Seeing a look of concern on her fathers face.
“Are you okay?” He asked. “I heard screaming.”
Alicent pretended not to know what he was talking about. “No you didn't.”
“No?” He raised a brow, looking in to her room with her now open door. Nothing looked out of place. “Oh, well...I'm heading to bed. My flight leaves first thing in the morning.” He did a once over of her room again. “Now the expo runs all weekend so I won't be back til Sunday. There's cash on the table and I'll be staying at the Lannister Inn…
“..out at the airport.” Alicent finished for him.
He smiled. “So call if you need me.”
“Of course.” She smiled back.
He gives the bedroom a quick once over, once again. “I could have swore I heard screaming.”
Alicent distracts him, giving him a peck on the cheek. “Goodnight. Have a good trip.”
“Sleep tight, dear.” He closed the door.
Rhaenyra lifted the stuffed dragon she had won for her over the bed. Using it as a puppet. “Close call.” She said in a high pitched voice.
Alicent tried to contain her smile, but couldn’t. “What are you doing here?” She questioned.
Rhaenyra takes a flying leap and lands on the bed. “It just occurred to me that I've never snuck through your bedroom window.”
Alicent rolled her eyes. “Now that it's out of your system.” She gestured towards the window again.
“And I was home, bored… thinking of you.” Her eyes lingered on Alicent.
“How sweet.” She replied.
The Targaryen smiled once again. “I… I feel like you have been distant lately, and I just… I don’t know.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “You know I love you, right?”
The Hightower sighed, laying on the bed with her girlfriend. “I know. And I’m sorry.” She has been a little distant. Ever since her mother had died last year. Rhaenyra was always there for her… but sometimes she just needed to be alone. “I love you too.” She whispered, kissing her lips.
It was soft and passionate, but then turned hungry. The Targaryen moved herself on top of her, grinding her hips in between the Hightowers legs. Alicent moaned in to her mouth, but did not stop her advances. Rhaenyra decided to be brave, placing her hand on the unclothed skin of her thigh. She slowly started to move it up… till Alicent grabbed it.
“Alright, time for you to go.” She gently pushes her girlfriend off of her.
Rhaenyra was panting lightly. “See what you do to me.”
Alicent looked towards the door. “You know what my father will do to you?”
Rhaenyra chuckles. “I'm going...I'm going.” She moves to the window, quickly climbing through it.
“I appreciate the romantic gesture.” She gives her a kiss goodnight. Sweet and simple.
Rhaenyra was about to leave, but stopped her self. “Hey… I don’t want you to think I’m rushing you or anything. I am more than content with kissing.”
Alicent smiles lightly kissing her again through the open window. Rhaenyra has been so patient with her these past two years. “Would you settle for a PG-13 relationship?”
Rhaenyra was confused. “What's that?”
Alicent, feeling bold, pulls her nightgown gown down for a split second...flashing her left breast. Rhaenyra’s mouth drops open in surprise. Their eyes meet and they share a smile.
“Go.” Alicent shoos.
Rhaenyra laughs. “I’m going, minx.”
Alicent watched as her girlfriend climbed down, and walked towards her parked car. Watching as the Targaryen disappeared in to the night.