Horror Movie Executioner

They looked at me as if I were a ghost. Silence hung in the air, it seemed that it could be touched.

Sydney, with her big, frightened eyes, looked at me with bewilderment, as if I had grown out of the ground.

Randy, the guy with the phone, stopped gigling and frowned, studying me from head to toe.

Billy, Sydney's boyfriend, crossed his arms over his chest, looking obviously unfriendly. Only Tatum kept looking at me with some kind of mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

- Um... hello everyone - I squeezed out, trying not to give away my excitement. I... this... well, how to say... I was just walking by and decided to ask for directions.

I hope it sounded convincing.

(No)

Actually, I had no idea what to say. My legend was improvisation, raw and unsightly. I was waiting for me to be bombarded with questions now, and I don't think I could answer them.

Who the fuck are you? - Billy asked, his voice was rude and distrustful. He took a step forward as if he was ready to attack.

- I haven't seen you here before.

- I... well... I just came here to my aunt - I tried to speak as casually as possible.

- I'm just looking for the way to her house. Got lost. Apparently, I turned the wrong way.

It was complete nonsense, but strangely enough, it seemed to make them relax a little.

To her aunt? - Tatum asked again, raising one eyebrow.

- And where did you come from?

I tried not to blink and not to make sudden movements. It was necessary to be as convincing as possible.

- From... from the neighboring state, - I answered. We moved recently. And no matter how I get used to it yet.

Eh, and I was told that I can't lie.

I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to portray innocence. Maybe it will work? They will stop looking at me as an alien.

I see - said Sydney, her voice was quiet and cautious.

- Well, if you get lost, maybe you need help? Maybe we can tell you the way?

- Yes, it would be great - I replied, feeling a little relief.

- I just wanted to ask how to get to the street... well... how is it there... to the street... Does Oak Street seem?

I lied again, but this time I lied more confidently. Looks like I started to get into the role.

Oak Street? - Randy asked, frowning.

- It's far from here. Do you really want to go there?

- Yes - I answered. Aunt said her house was there. I just need to get there, and that's it.

All right, Tatum intervened, shrugging her shoulders. Maybe we should just take it to the main road. There's nothing to do anyway.

It would be very kind of you," I replied, trying not to show my joy.

At that moment, I realized that the first step had been taken. I was in the plot of the movie. But at the same time, I knew, I could already change it, but I didn't know which way.

Billy continued to look at me in disbelief, but the others seemed to have already accepted me. I was invited to sit on the couch while they were looking for a map.

By the way, what's your name? - Sidney asked, smiling a little.

I thought for a second. What's my name? Mark.

I had to say my real name, but I don't know why, I had a feeling that I shouldn't. That it can be dangerous.

My name is... Eric - I said, trying to sound as natural as possible.

- Eric Miller.

I created a new legend for myself. A new personality. New name. All for one purpose. Survive and save them all.

Eric Miller, so Tatum stretched out, looking at me with a smile.

- Well, nice to meet you, Eric. I'm Tatum, this is Sydney, this is Randy, and this is Billy. She waved her hand, imagining each of them.

I nodded, trying to smile as friendly as possible.

- Nice to meet you - I said. In fact, I knew their names, their characters, their habits. I remembered everything. But I shouldn't have shown it.

I sat down on the couch next to Sidney, trying to hold on at ease. Inside me, as always, a hurricane of contradictory feelings rated. Fear, tension and caution.

Randy, meanwhile, was messing with the map, trying to find Oak Street.

- There's one Oak Street here, but it's not very close," he said, scratching the back of his head.

- You'll have to go through quite a lot.

I'm not in a hurry," I answered. The main thing is to get to your aunt.

Okay, good," Randy said and folded the card.

- We'll see you off then.

That's great," said Billy, who was still looking at me suspiciously.

- The sooner we get rid of it, the better.

I tried not to pay attention to its sharpness. I understood that Billy didn't trust me, and that he might be right. I was a stranger in this world. An uninvited guest. But I didn't come here of my own free will. I had a task. I had a plan.

At least I thought so.

Maybe we'll go then? - Tatum offered, getting up from the couch.

- Otherwise it will still be dark.

We all left the house, and I noticed that the sun had already begun to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and red. The city looked like in a movie, everything was somehow unnatural.

We talked on the way, or rather, we tried to talk. Randy and Tatum argued about horror movies, Billy silently walked next to Sidney, and I tried not to attract attention.

I tried to observe them, analyze their behavior. Which of them could be a maniac? Randy, with his love for horror movies, or Billy, with his aggressiveness? Even Tatum, with her cheeky look and mockery, didn't seem harmless to me. I couldn't trust anyone.

Suddenly, I felt a tingling in my wrist. System. I looked at it and saw new data.

*******

Available tasks:

Help the main characters solve the identity of a maniac in a mask (300 points)

Save Sidney Prescott (200 points)

New task:

Find a maniac before the next attack (500 points)

********

My eyes widened. The system understood that I was not just looking for a way. She understood that I was trying to figure out the killer. And she seems to have decided to help me. Or vice versa, complicate the task for me.

Until the next attack. It meant that the maniac was already somewhere nearby. That he's watching us.

And that soon he will strike again.

Guys, wait! - I said, stopping abruptly.

- It seems to me that... that something is wrong.

Everyone stopped, looking at me with bewilderment.

What is it? - Sidney asked. Fright flashed in her eyes again.

I... I feel that someone is watching us," I said, trying to sound as serious as possible.

- I don't know who it is, but I'm sure we're not alone

My words hung in the air like lead weights. I expected at least a drop of anxiety, but instead I saw surprised, and then mocking looks.

Is someone watching us? - Randy asked, raising an eyebrow ironically.

- Is this some kind of joke, Eric? Maybe you watch too many horror movies?

Tatum snorted, rolling her eyes. Come on, Randy," she said, trying to hide her laugh.

- Maybe it's just a squirrel rustling in the bushes? Or a shadow from a tree? Well, someone can't really follow us.

Billy grinned. Well, yes, of course. Maybe it's ghosts from the movie you watched? - he pointed his finger at me, obviously mocking.

Sydney was silent, looking at me with doubt. It seemed that she didn't believe my words either, but, unlike others, she at least tried to understand.

I'm serious," I said, trying to bring my alarm to them.

- I feel danger. I know something is wrong.

Okay, okay, calm down, Van Helsing," Randy said, patting me on the shoulder.

- We're here in Woodsboro, not in a horror movie. No need to dramatize.

I realized that my attempts were useless. They didn't believe me. They thought I was a weirdo, and it was quite predictable.

Okay, go as you want," I said, throwing my hands up as a sign of defeat. I just warned you.

They shrugged their shoulders and continued on their way, laughing and talking. I was woven from behind, feeling alienated and powerless. I knew that I had to act, that I had to convince them, but I didn't know how.

The sun has almost disappeared behind the horizon, and the shadows have become longer and thicker. The tension in the air became almost tangible. And then, my eyes fell on something. A dark figure flashing on the edge of the street. A shadow that moved too fast to be a shadow.

I froze, feeling everything inside me getting cold.

Guys! - I shouted, but it was too late.

A figure in a black cloak and a white mask jumped out of the darkness, and then there was a scream. Randy's scream.

Everything happened too fast. A blint - and Randy fell to the ground, choking on blood. The others froze in horror, not understanding what was going on. The mask turned towards me for a moment, as if mocking me, and disappeared into the dark.

I ran up to Randy, but it was too late. His eyes were empty and his body lifeless. The system immediately reacted.

The task "Find a maniac before the next attack" FAILED!

The task "To help the main characters solve the identity of a maniac in a mask" is not active.

Available tasks: Save Sidney Prescott (200 points)

My heart was pounding like a rabid one. I failed the first serious task.

The rest were numbed with horror, unable to say a word. Sydney looked at Randy's dead body, her eyes were full of tears. Billy tried to calm her down, but his hands were shaking. Tatum stood as if dug in, unable to move.

What... what was that? - Sydney whispered, looking at me with horror. What the hell is this?

It's him - I answered feeling, anger boils inside. This is the one who followed us. It's a maniac.

I realized that I have no choice. I couldn't stay next to them. The maniac was dangerous, and he obviously wanted to kill them all. And if I stay by my side, I'll be just a burden to them.

I have to leave, I said. I... I don't want you to get hurt.

Where are you going? - Tatum asked, coming out of her stupor. You won't leave us here, will you?

I... I don't know - I answered. - I just need to leave.

I turned around and ran without looking back. I left them there, on the road, in the middle of a unfolding nightmare. I knew it was a cowardly act, but I couldn't do otherwise.

I ran for a long time until I fell from fatigue. I was alone. The night has already completely descended on the city, and I was a homeless stranger in a strange world. I couldn't go back home, I don't even have a fucking place to go.

I couldn't think about anything except how I failed my first task.

I leaned my back against the wall of some building, looking at the dark sky. And then, as always, a system appeared in front of me, not allowing me to plunge into despair.

The task "To help the main characters solve the identity of a maniac in a mask" is available.

I realized that even if I failed one task, everything was not lost. I can't lose hope. I needed to find a way to stop this maniac. I had to survive.