The Douglas Murders

by Scott K. and Scott S.

Bethany was driving in her car in a deserted highway on her way home from Aspen, which is kind of funny because she only has a learner’s permit. There was Nichole sitting in the back seat. Nichole and Bethany weren’t really friends, but they both wanted to go to Aspen, so they traveled together.

"In entertainment news," the radio said. "Scream 2 has now grossed over $100 million."

"Oooh!" Bethany said. "Wasn’t Scream the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?"

Nichole answered, "I know! Actually, I didn’t see all of it, but I already know the killer was the boyfriend."

"It wasn’t the boyfriend, it was the other guy!" Bethany said.

The road was completely empty except for them.

"What are you talking about, Bethany? It was the boyfriend."

"It was the other guy!"

"The boyfriend!"

"The other guy!"

SUDDENLY Bethany’s cell phone rang. She got it out while still looking at the road.

"It better not be your parents," Nichole said. "They don’t know we went to Aspen. I hope they’re still on vacation."

"Hello?" Bethany said, answering the phone.

"Hellllllo, Bethany," a familiar voice said.

Bethany was horrified. She turned to Nichole, "The guy’s that one guy from Scream!"

"What?" Nichole asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Bethany," the guy on the phone said. "Do you want to die tonight?"

"Look," Bethany said. "I know this is some sick joke, so cut it out."

"I’ll cut your guts out."

"That’s not what I meant. Who are you?"

"Who do you think I am?"

Nichole said, "Bethany, let me talk to whoever it is on the phone."

Bethany handed Nichole the phone.

"Hello." Nichole said.

"Nichole, Nichole, Nichole," the Scream guy said. " I almost feel sorry for you, since you’ll have to die first."

"Yeah," Nichole began. "How’re you supposed to get me?"

"why do you ask that?"

"Why do you always answer a question with a question?"

"I’m inquisitive."

"Come on, who are you?"

"Guess."

"Okay, so how are you supposed to kill us? We’re in a car and there’s zero traffic on this road."

The guy laughed.

"Let me talk to him again," Bethany said.

Nichole gave her back the phone.

"Okay, you sicko," she said. "You’ve had your fun, now bye."

Bethany hung up the phone.

"Can you believe that guy? I can’t believe anyone would try to give us a prank call. He was really starting to freak me out!"

The phone rang again.

"Yes?" Bethany answered.

There was nothing but some strange whispering that she couldn’t make out.

"Hello?" Bethany said. "Hello?!"

The whispering wouldn’t stop.

"Good-bye!" Bethany hung up the phone.

"Next time the phone rings, I’m not going to pick it up! ....Nichole?"

Bethany turned to find that the seat where Nichole was sitting in was empty.

The phone rang again.

"Nichole!" Bethany picked up the phone.

"I thought you said you wouldn’t answer the phone again."

"Nichole, I know this is some sick joke of yours, so stop it."

"Stop what?"

"You’re really scaring me."

"Too bad."

Where was Nichole? Bethany thought. This was a car, for God’s sake!

"NICHOLE’S DEAD, Bethany." the voice on the phone said, "and you’re next!"

"Stop it!"

"Look in the trunk. Stop the car and look in the trunk."

"What’s in there?"

"A surprise."

Bethany hesitated a moment.

"Just do it!"

Bethany pulled the car over, turned it off, pulled out the keys and got out of the car. She went to the trunk and was about to open it when she thought it was just a joke that Nichole was playing on her, so why not surprise her by looking in the trunk through the INSIDE?

Bethany got back into the car and climbed her way to the backseat. She couldn’t wait to see what Nichole was going to do. She pulled down the seat so she could see the inside of the trunk.

Her eyes took her time to adjust. Then she gasped as she saw Nichole. She was dead. Not only dead, she was mutilated. Her head was stabbed, blood was everywhere and her intestines were sticking out of her body.

Bethany felt sick. How did this happen? Someone must’ve been waiting in the trunk, stabbed through the seat and get Nichole, and, when Bethany was still on the phone, pushed down the seat and pulled Nichole’s lifeless corpse into the trunk.

But where was the killer now?

Bethany looked around. There were suitcases, and this black blanket that the used to wrap around stuff that they couldn’t fit in the suitcases.

Wait a minute, Bethany thought, we never wrapped anything in a black blanket...

SUDDENLY the blanket seemed to come to life, but it was really the killer, dressed in a black costume with a white mask, looking just like the one in the movie Scream.

Bethany screamed as the killer got out a knife. She opened the door and was about to run out when she felt the knife stab into her back.

She still managed to get out of the car, but she felt another stab. Everything was fuzzy and unclear. She couldn’t feel anything anymore. She looked at the killer, with his bloodstained knife raised.

She didn’t feel or care as the knife dug through her throat and her chest.

And she knew nothing more...

Sabrina felt sick as she walked toward Douglas Middle School. Two of her friends were murdered. She couldn’t believe it. She was still handling it better than she thought she would. She wasn’t even crying.

As she approached the school, a bunch of reporters swarmed around her, asking her lots of questions she didn’t want to answer. "No comment," she told them.

Most of them left her alone, but one kept following her around.

"How does it feel to have two friends that were brutally butchered?" she asked.

"No comment."

"Sabrina, share with us, please!"

Sabrina punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground. Then she walked inside.

That probably wasn’t normal behavior, she thought.

It was an unusually quiet day at school. Nothing much happened. One time she almost had to throw up, but she didn’t. She was glad when it was all over. She got on her bus, but no one was on it.

Must be the wrong bus, Sabrina thought.

She was about to leave when she heard a phone ringing. It was a cellular phone in the back seat. She picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?"

A voice that sounded eerily like the killer’s in Scream answered back, "Hello? Who’s this?"

"Someone," Sabrina said. "Who’re you trying to call?"

"Believe it or not," the guy on the other line started. "I want to talk to you."

Sabrina laughed. "No, Really, who’re you trying to call?"

"You don’t sound too good. Feeling OK?"

"Not really," Sabrina told him. "Look, there’s no one on this bus, so I’m afraid the person you’re trying to call isn’t here."

"That’s not true. I’m talking to the person I want to talk to."

"Sorry, but I gotta go."

"IF YOU HANG UP ON ME, YOU’LL DIE JUST LIKE NICHOLE AND BETHANY!"

Who the heck was this freak? "WHO ARE YOU.. WHERE ARE YOU CALLING FROM?"

"Right here," said the guy, but his voice wasn’t coming from the phone.

Sabrina turned around to see the killer charging toward her from the middle of the bus.

She felt the adrenaline flow through her body as she ran out the emergency exit, screaming at the top of her lungs. Before she knew it, it seemed like dozens of people have surrounded her, asking her what had happened. She told them every detail, but they all looked at her like she was crazy.

Some police officers checked inside the bus and found nothing.

"What about the cellular phone that I found in there?" Sabrina asked.

One of the police guys said, "There was no phone in there."

Sabrina couldn’t believe this! Everyone was acting like they didn’t believe her. But she was telling the truth! ...she thought. Her memory seemed a little cloudy, maybe she was just imagining it all.

NO, she thought, that was real. The killer of Bethany and Nichole was now after her.

The next day, Sabrina was once again hounded by reporters. She managed to escape them and saw the news reporter she punched the other day. She walked over to her.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," the reporter said back.

"Look... what’s your name, Constance?"

"Yes, Constance Spano."

"Yeah, well, anyway, I just wanted to say I’m really, REALLY sorry about what I did yesterday. I was just under a lot of stress and I didn’t want to be asked a lot of questions."

"It’s OK, it’s part of my job to be hurt by people. But do you think you can give me an interview later?"

"I don’t know, I’ll think about it."

Sabrina then walked in school.

Scott S. couldn’t believe this. Sabrina made up some wacko story of her getting stalked and now everyone is all paying attention to her and nobody else. There was only one thing to do. He’ll send himself dead flowers and death threats to make it seem like he’s getting stalked, too.

This was going to be great.

Scott K. felt uncomfortable. Bethany and Nichole get murdered, and now everyone was asking him for personal advice or some junk.

Dwayne walked up to him and said, "Scott, can I talk to you about the dead people?"

Scott K. reluctantly said, "Sure."

Dwayne said, "You see, you know I always hated Bethany, right?"

"Right..."

"Well, now that she’s dead and all, I’ve been feeling guilty about it. I mean, I feel bad about her, but I don’t feel THAT bad, and that makes me feel bad all over again!"

"Dwayne, look. You’re feeling bad because you don’t feel bad enough. But the truth is that you ARE a nice person, or you wouldn’t be feeling bad at all. Get it?"

"Sort of... you know, it really makes you think."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Look, I gotta go, thanks."

"Yeah."

As Dwayne left, Scott K. thought about all the people that came up to him saying, "It really makes you think." He was getting sick of it. And to top it all off, it was mimicking a situation off an episode of Daria.

Andrew was bored to death. He was in ATO after school and he was all alone, typing in Mr. Lane’s room. It would take him forever to finish his project.

The phone rang. Andrew called for Mr. Lane, but he was nowhere to be found, so he decided to answer the phone.

"Pizza Hut," he said.

"Very funny," said the voice on the other end, which sounded eerily like the guy’s in Scream.

"Mr. Lane’s not here," Andrew said.

"I know that. Besides, I didn’t want him, I want YOU."

"Whatever, you don’t even know who I am."

"Your name is Andrew."

"Lucky guess."

"You know, I AM lucky. I’m like a leprechaun. If you find me, you’ll get a special prize!"

"So where are you?"

"I’m at the door to the room."

Andrew looked at the closed door.

"No you’re not."

"Just check."

"Fine."

Andrew dropped the phone and walked toward the door. He opened it.

SUDDENLY, Mr. Lane walked into the room.

"Aren’t you supposed to be working?" Mr. Lane asked.

"There’s someone freaky on the phone!" Andrew said.

"It’s probably just Mr. Burns."

"Yeah, probably..."

"Now get back to work. I have to go to the office."

Mr. Lane went away again, leaving Andrew all alone.

The phone rang again. Andrew didn’t answer it. After a couple of minutes, the phone stopped ringing.

Finally, he was done with his work. He was about to leave the room when the emergency exit opened behind him. He looked back but no one was there. He shrugged and started walking down the hall. ALL OF A SUDDEN he felt a knife stab into his back. Before he could even scream, the knife went into his throat, making his voice go away.

Andrew turned around and punched the killer, who was dressed in a Scream costume, in the face.

The hallway was deserted. Andrew ran as fast as he could into the math room and closed the door. There was no lock. He barricaded it with desks.

Andrew felt blood soak his shirt. He felt tremendous pain. He had trouble breathing.

"Here’s your prize!" the killer said behind him. The killer jabbed the knife into Andrew’s head. Blood spewed out of his mouth. Right before Andrew died, he realized the killer came in through a vent or something.

Outside of the school, Sabrina was walking with Trenton and Dwayne.

"You know, Trent," Sabrina began. "You made me see the light, or whatever. From now on, I’m just going to accept Nichole and... and... see, I don’t even remember her name! I’m just going to be the same bouncy Sabrina I always was. In fact, let’s go see I Know What You Did Last Summer. "

"You two go ahead," Dwayne said, "I don’t like horror movies."

"Why not?" Trenton asked.

"It’s a dumbass white movie, about some dumbass white girls, getting their dumb white asses cut the fuck up."

Little did they know that someone was watching them and knew what they did last summer, no wait, no he didn’t, never mind.

Richard was in detention. He hated it. The only reason he was in here was because he had a skateboard.

"Skateboarding is not a crime!" he had said.

"Skateboarding on school grounds is," the stupid lunch lady said back.

For some reason he was alone in detention. There wasn’t even a teacher or anything. He decided to just go home. He was about to go when the intercom went on in the room.

The voice said, "Hey there, Richard!"

What the heck? Richard thought. "Who is this?" he asked.

"Guess."

"Uhhhh... Mr. Lane?"

"Guess again."

This was kind of cool, but Richard wanted to get out of here before a teacher or someone else came. "Look, I don’t have time for this, I gotta go."

"Not so fast, we’re gonna play a little game. It’s called, where do you think I am?"

Weird how this guy sounded just like the killer in Scream. "Why don’t you just tell me where you are?"

"Right behind you." the killer said, who somehow was right behind him.

Richard laughed. "Is that you, Mr. Lane?"

The killer, who was dressed in the Scream costume, shook his head no.

"Fine, whatever, I have to go."

The killer shook his head no again and took out a knife. He charged toward Richard.

Richard ran as fast as he could out the room. The killer was in hot pursuit. Richard ran into the office, but no one was there. The killer was still behind him.

Richard tripped on something, and the killer dived on him. They struggled for a while, but the killer finally got his knife into Richard’s chest. The killer took it out and prepared to stab again, but Richard kicked the killer away.

The killer got up again. Richard threw a chair, but he missed. The killer sliced him. Again. And again. And again. Richard was dead.

Sabrina was at the movie theater. Trent for some reason wasn’t there...

It was in the middle of the movie when she had to go to the bathroom. She went into one of the stalls, and she was breathless when she found Richard’s bloody corpse in there, and on the wall, in blood, was written, "Skateboarding is a crime."

Outside, at the snack bar, two employees were standing there doing nothing in particular.

"So, Jake," the employee named Laura said. "What exactly do you like in women?"

"Well," Jake said, "It’s a combination of everything, I guess..."

They both looked into each other’s eyes for a long time.

Meanwhile, back in the bathroom, Sabrina was still staring in horror at the bloody corpse in the stall. She was about to run out, but she heard a toilet flush at the other end of the room. Scott K. walked out of one of the stalls. Sabrina screamed. Scott K. screamed.

"S-Scott!" Sabrina said. "H-He’ dead!! Oh my God! H-he...."

"It’s OK!" Scott said. "It’s just a movie!"

"NO," Sabrina said, pointing toward the stall.

"Wait a minute!" Scott said. "This is the girl’s bathroom?!"

Sabrina still pointed to the stall. Scott finally walked over there to see what was in there. He gasped.

"Richard!" Scott yelled.

Sabrina was staring at the wall.

"Whoever did this..." Scott started.

Suddenly, his voice seemed to change into the killer’s.

"...is very mad."

Sabrina turned around to see Scott (K) with a voice distortion box.

"We all go a little mad some times..."

Sabrina was in shock. No way Scott was the killer!

"S-Scott? Are you feeling OK?" Sabrina asked. "You’re acting kind of... weird..."

"DON’T YOU GET IT?" Scott yelled. He got out the knife. "How much more obvious does it have to get? I AM THE KILLER."

Sabrina was in a world of disbelief. "Why?"

"I live in a cruel and uncaring world. I’m dilusional, "where’s God?", etc. Completely suicidal. One day I snap, ‘I’d like to kill myself, but teen suicides are out this year and homicide is a much healthier theropudic expression’. How’s that for a motive?"

Sabrina still didn’t understand. She didn’t care anymore. She had to find a way out of here.

"You know, Sabrina. You and everyone else just goes around not paying any attention to me. I like attention! It’s like, me, OK? You’re good at being blonde and stuff and I’m good at.... uh.... well, never mind about that now. And the ONLY way I ever got noticed was when Nichole and Bethany died. They were all crying and stuff and saying ‘It really makes you think’. Two people die and now I’m popular because I’m the misery dude."

"It really makes you think."

"Very funny."

Sabrina said, "But you’re not miserable! In fact, you’re always excessively chipper."

"You mean it?" Scott said, "Really?"

Sabrina nodded.

"It almost makes me feel sorry I have to kill you...!!"

Scott raised his knife, about to kill Sabrina. She had to act fast. "Isn’t Richard supposed to be dead?"

Scott turned around to look, and Sabrina ran out the door. She jumped and ducked under the snack bar.

She kneeled down behind the snack bar for a moment. She didn’t hear any foot prints or anything, but the sounds of the movie in the other room were kind of loud...

SUDDENLY, a hand grabbed her shoulder.

Sabrina turned around to see two people who were working there making out. They were both staring at her.

"You’ve got to help me!" she said. "You see..."

Scott grabbed her throat. She managed to pull his hand away and bite it. Then she ran out of the snack bar and into the big room where the movie was being played. Scott right behind her.

"HELP!! SOMEONE!!"

For some reason people didn’t seem to jump out and try to help her. They were just staring. She even heard someone say, "Cool publicity stunt!"

Scott jumped on her. She felt hopeless as he raised the knife, about to stab her.

She heard a gunshot, and Scott was hit. Blood was dripping out of his chest, but he got up and walked in front of the screen, facing the audience.

He suddenly whispered something. It was a very fast and quiet whisper, and no one could make out what he was saying. Scott dropped to the floor.

It was over.

Sabrina felt suddenly relieved. It was over...

She turned to see who had shot Scott. It was Trent.

Sabrina laughed, "I thought you would never show up."

Trent said, "Sorry I’m late."

The audience was in shock. Up until now they didn’t realize that it was real.

"Let’s watch the rest of the movie," Trent said.

"Naaah, once you actually live through it, what’s the point of actually watching a movie about it?"

"I’ll go call the cops," Trent said.

Trent went out of the room, while Sabrina sat down. Actually, she was interested in watching the rest of the movie, but she just wanted to get out of there.

Later, when the police arrived, she overheard one of them saying two of the employees were found killed behind the snack bar. Strange, she didn’t remember the two being murdered...

The next day Sabrina felt great. She was still a little sad because of everyone dying, but she’d get over it. It was even cooler because they got new lockers, ones so big you could stand inside of them. Sabrina’s was right beside Scott S.’s. She noticed the lock was broken. You didn’t have to enter the combination to open it. She’d get it fixed later. It was time to go to lunch. She and everyone else went down to the cafeteria.

Everyone but Scott S., that is. He was forced to clean up all by himself in science, so he was all alone in the hallway. He got his locker open. He put his stuff in it.

He heard a strange whispering. It was coming from Sabrina’s locker. Scott didn’t want to open it, so he just put his ear up to the locker so he could make out what the whispering was saying.

It said, "You’re going to die."

Inside the locker, the killer, dressed in the Scream costume, stabbed the knife through the locker door and into Scott’s head.

Scott felt a very sharp pain in the side of his head. Blood flowed out of his ears, nose, and mouth. He collapsed.

The killer opened the door and took the body and stuffed it into Sabrina’s locker. The killer closed the door.

Later, in Study Hall, Sabrina and Trent and Dwayne were listening to the radio. The person on the radio said, "This just in. It appears that someone has escaped from the local asylum and could be capable of killing. Officials aren’t saying who exactly escape, just saying that this is a very dangerous situation..."

"Wow," Sabrina said. "Just after one mass killing spree stops, here comes another one! By the way, has anyone seen Scott? I found a worksheet with his name on it, but I couldn’t find him so I didn’t give it back to him."

Trent and Dwayne shrugged and shook their heads no.

Later, it was time to go home. Sabrina was about to open her locker when she REALLY had to go to the bathroom. She went and when she got out almost everyone was gone except Trent.

"What are you still doing here?" Sabrina asked.

"I REALLY had to go to the bathroom!" he said.

What a coincidence! she thought. She was about to open the locker when she saw the killer, yes, the one dressed in a Scream costume, pop out of nowhere and stab Trent in the back. He spun Trent around and slit his throat a couple of times. Trent collapsed to the floor.

Sabrina was horrified and confused. She thought it was over! She knew it was over!

The killer wiped the blood off his knife.

Sabrina ran into the science room, screaming her head off. She ran out the emergency exit. Where was everybody? She was still running, not daring to look behind her. Suddenly, she tripped and her head hit the floor. HARD.

Everything went blank.

Sabrina came to. It was dark. She couldn’t see. What happened?

Then she remembered everything. All of a sudden a spotlight came on and she realized she was in the auditorium.

She felt dizzy. She had to get out of here. She started walking toward the exit.

SUDDENLY the killer popped up in front of her and said, "Going somewhere, Sabrina?" in the Scream voice. He was holding a knife and a voice box up to his masked face.

She tried to get away, but he pushed back on stage.

"Who are you?" she asked the masked figure.

The killer pulled off his mask to reveal...

It was Trenton.

"What?" Sabrina said, confused. "It can’t be you! You were killed!"

"You’re right," Trent said. "The Trent YOU knew was killed, but I’m the real thing."

"I still don’t understand."

"You see, Sabrina. The Trent you knew was actually my twin brother, Trevor. He was really insane. They decided to put him in an insane asylum, but they accidentally got me instead. So Trevor took over my life while I spent 5 long years in solitary confinement. For most people, it would drive them crazy, but not me. I just busted out and got my revenge. It’s the most rational thing I can think of. I got Scott to help me. He was a very good find. There are only 95 acting serial killers in the country. I was so lucky to meet him on the internet."

"But," Sabrina started. "You already got your revenge. Why kill me?"

"That’s a very good point. That’s why I’m giving you a chance to save yourself, and your friend," he pointed to the corner, where Dwayne was tied up in a chair and gagged.

"First question. If you get it right, Dwayne lives. Very simple." Trent said.

"Who was the killer in Scream?"

"That is SO easy...." Sabrina began. But suddenly it was like she couldn’t remember. Then she saw a syringe on the floor next to her foot.

"You cheated!" Sabrina said. "You drugged me so I would forget the answer!"

"OK," Trent sighed. "I’ll give you a hint. It was either the boyfriend or the other guy. Your chances are pretty good, so I wouldn’t be complaining."

Sabrina tried her hardest to remember, but she just couldn’t. Then she looked at the situation she was in. ...two killers?

"It was BOTH!" Sabrina yelled.

"D’oh!" Trent said. "Alright, now it’s the final question. Are you ready? Where did I put Scott Stoy’s body?"

"I-I don’t know... the river?" Sabrina guessed.

"WRONG ANSWER!!" Trent said as he grabbed Sabrina’s throat and thrust her to the floor. Sabrina couldn’t breathe or anything. She caught a glimpse of Dwayne, who was passed out in the chair. Suddenly, she realized that everyone was dead. No one could save her.

No one.

As the knife came down, a gunshot was heard, digging a bloody hole into Trent’s chest.

Sabrina was so relieved that he was dead. But who had shot him? She turned around to find the news reporter she had punched standing there, her shaky hands holding a pistol.

"Constance?" Sabrina said. "How did you know I was here?"

" I have my sources," Constance said. "Don’t worry about it now. Let’s call the cops.

The next day, there was a memorial service for all the victims at the school. Sabrina decided that she wasn’t going to have to take 12 steps or anything. She’s just going to have to live normally.

Then she opened her locker and Scott S.’s corpse fell out of it.

Oh, well, she thought. She went back to class.

 

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