Ms. Henry was the local author in Gatetown. She was always writing mystery novel for the people to enjoy. Everyone loved her.

Murder mysteries were her favourite to write.

Whenever she needed inspiration, she would lock herself in her house and write for hours on end. Everyone knew never to bother her in those days. Each time she would come back with an exciting new murder or mystery.

And her fame would increase.

Her biggest fan  was Lauren. Lauren was an aspiring author who adored Ms. Henry so much, she was at her house almost every day of the week. As soon as the schoolbell rang, she would run as fast as she could to the woman's homestead. She would ring the doorbell, waiting to be let in, so the of them could begin the usual writing lesson.

Sometimes Jackson would go with her.

Jackson was her boyfriend. He wasn't very tell, or brave, or very anything really. He was an average person with one exception. He was the nicest boy you'd ever meet.

So they would walk to the woman's house together, sometimes he would join them, other times he was busy.

Then one night she wasn't there.

When Lauren had knocked on the door, it fell over, like it had been ripped off it's hinges.

Jackson was with her.

"Laurie?" He gazed in the house. "Are you going in?""

It was like a bomb had gone off. Tables were flipped, chairs lay broken and battered everywhere, cupboard doors were torn off their hinges, and worst of all, there were deep cuts in the walls and ground.

An ax had been used.

Lauren was frozen. She was scared. It was only the night before this that they had to cut the lesson short because, "I need fresh inspiration!". They had said no lessons for the next day.

Laurie had forgotten.

All of a sudden, Jackson was holding her hand. "Do you want to go in?

Lauren nodded.

"But first," Jackson pulled out his phone and turned it on, "we have to record this. For evidence."

Jackson's father was a police officer. He knew a thing or two about criminal minds.

Laurie went in first. Her every step creaked under the old floor boards.

There was glass cup on the splintering table. It was picked up by Jackson. A slight green tinge filled his face.

"What is it?"

"I- I think it's blood."

He gently put the cup back on the table. It snapped, shattering, sending wooden shards in different directions and spilling the crimson liquid.

Jackson's shoes were covered. He didn't like it.

"Let's keep going," Lauren suggested. The next room was the parlor, where they would sit and talk about plot and characters.

Lauren screamed.

Jackson made a motion like he was going to hurl, but he didn't.

Suspended by thick, rough ropes, was the disfigured and bloody form of Ms. Henry's angora rabbit. It's right leg was torn of by a beast and it's fur was matted and red.

It's eyes were not in their proper place, like it had been squeezed to death.

The living room was treated the same as before, only there was more red.

Lots more red.

Lauren didn't want to see any more. Neither did Jackson. He sent the video to his father and both slowly began to back out of the room.

"Oh, Lauren!" a voice called from behind them. They jumped and spun around.

It was Ms. Henry, only not Ms. Henry.

She wore her favourite butter yellow sundress. It was stained and torn, revealing a deep cut in her side. It flowed freely, and she didn't seem to care. Her legs and feet were bare, and her skin was nearly all coated in red. Her brown hair was cut short so viciously, and knots, blood and something else filled her hair.

Her eyes were red. Pure red. Nothing else.

She took a step forward. Lauren shrieked. 

"I thought we had agreed no lessons today?" she took another step and Jackson grabbed Lauren's hand. "And you brought that Jackson boy, too! Oh Lauren..."

Despite her appearance, her voice was as sweet as honey.

Lauren barely had time to scream before thick ropes snapped around her body, crushing her lungs and silencing her cries. They tightened all around her, and she fell to the floor. Then the ropes lifted her up on the same level of the once fluffly angora rabbit.

She was about to suffer the same fate.

She watched in painful horror as her boyfriend backed up against the far wall, Ms. Henry stepping ever closer. "Aw, come here Jackson. You came for a lesson, and I want to teach you! I-" she was cut off by the boy's quick movements. He dived behind her and made a dash for the door. She made no move to stop him.

The dog did.

It lunged for his upper right arm and tore off his flesh. Jackson screamed.

He lay on the floor, blood pouring down his body and Ms. Henry and the dog standing over him, watching his every movements

The dog spoke.

"Where is he?!!" It threatened the boy with it's large fangs.

Jackson glared at it, gritting his teeth.

The dog gave the bloody author a dead look. "If I don't get what I want, neither will you."

Lauren was almost dead. Her entire body was asleep. She couldn't breath, there was no blood flowing, and slowly she began to drift out of consciousness. 

Bang! Bang, bang!

She knew no more.

-----

Jackson sat on the paramedic's table, his arm sweltering. The dog had escaped, running over the hills and away to whatever safe-haven it had found.

Ms. Henry was dead.

Three bullets through the chest with his father's rifle. Definitely dead.

Lauren was still unconscious, and he couldn't look at her. Her wounds were disgusting. 

He couldn't help but wonder though, who it was the dog spoke of. He was definitely trying to find someone he was supposed to know. Who? He hoped it wandered onto Jeremy Gilmer's property, and that it would be dead by morning.

Little did he know, the dog was already dead.

It had been dead long ago.

~~~~~~~~~~

Don't shout! I have excuses!

I was actually really nervous about posting this chapter, because this is not how I wanted it to be. In the original, there was a secret basement and everything, but it kind of evolved into this.

I guess I was just scared to post it on Hallowe'en, that's all.

Or maybe I was lazy. ;-)

See you next October! ;-]

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Enjoy!

~LaterGaters!~