Y/n's POV:

My life had drastically changed.
Day and night were one and there wasn't difference between yesterday and today (or tomorrow).
After my first trip, I discovered new places, but the purpose was always the same. Even monsters under Entity control were a result of its sick game; or at least that was what my mates had told me.
Each of them had special skills, capable of putting the sticks in the wheels surviving us.

This was what we were in fact...Survivors. All of us kept memories of our past; sometimes, I wondered if my family had given up looking for me.

I had found a way to know what day it was and how much time had passed; when I wasn't called in the trial, I decided to spend some time in the woods and, not far from the field, I found a fairly large hollow tree.
From the outside, it looked like a refuge; the bark was intact and I marked it with a stone. I went there almost every day to draw a vertical line and, after a week, I engraved a horizontal one above the previous ones.
For the moment, only five days had passed since my arrival, but it seemed like an eternity; probably because we were forced to several trials within a "day".

Yui and Claudette were the first to approach me and I immediately established a very friendly relationship with them. The nicest ones were certainly Ace and Min; when I happened to have them as my companions, Ace never let go his sense of humor.
《Don't let this place devour you inside...do like me! I happened in this bad place, but I never lost my charm! I really believe that luck has never left me!》  He often said, even when he couldn't get away with it.

As for Min, she was a bit mean, but she was as fast as a cat when there was a need to sneak away.
Many worried about her, probably because of her stature, but I didn't think that was the problem.

I didn't talk much to Dwight; he was somewhat shy, but not for this stupid, as many believed.
Even with David, I didn't have a particular conversation, but often I realized that he was watching me secretly; who knows what was going on in his mind...

Unlike everyone else, Jake was special; he was always close to me when I needed, especially at the beginning of my stay. He had explained to me some techniques for surviving in an unknown environment and how not to frighten animals, even though the latter was difficult for me.
When, on the other hand, I found him alone, I watched him for a couple of times, while he stared at the moon with his black eyes; he always said he never thought about his father, but when I saw that melancholy expression on his face, well, how could I believe him?

Once, I talked to Nea about it, that I still didn't know anything about her and it was our first chat. I asked her if she missed her parents.
《Not really, except when I was a kid. Most of the time I spent it on the street...this fire reminds me of the time I spent with other guys to warm up...after running away from the police, of course.》

《T-the police?! What were you up to?》  I didn't think she was really a thug, even if you look.

《Nothing special...some scribbling on the walls and violation of property, even if abandoned. They never managed to catch us, in any case; when they arrived, only the fresh paint remained.》  It was a sought after, in a nutshell. I didn't believe my ears. I had to admit she was perfect for this place.

She was scratching her leg when her gray eyes focused on something; I turned around and noticed that she was looking at Jake.
《Someone here has a crush...》  She looked for my gaze again, with a slight grin on her lips.  《Sometimes he looks at you.》  She concluded.

《Who? Jake? But no! We're just good friends...he acts like an older brother sometimes, but it doesn't bother me. It reminds me of my younger brother.》  It was true that a relationship had developed with Jake, but I didn't think he really liked me.

《Since you are here, he has started to smile more. For me, he wants you.》  She said it, while stealing a cigarette from old William's package, who took it back, along with the cigarette, with a puffed air.

《Who told you to steal my stuff, brat?》  Nea replied the elder with a tongue.

《What the hell did you tell her to make it that way?》  He said as he lit a new cigarette.
In fact, my face had suddenly become hot with embarrassment.

《Ahahahaha nothing to worry about, especially at your age, old man!》  Bill understood and started laughing, followed by our voices.

These people managed to snatch me a smile and make me forget the bad things that happened to us.
Each of them gave me something new to be able to know more about them, their personality.
It was probably because of what they were; there were those who were an athlete, a teacher, a soldier, a survivalist expert or ordinary people who had faced difficult situations.

If the Entity chose people based on their peculiarities, why had it chosen someone like me? What was so special about my simple life for a supernatural being?

Another person I didn't understand was Laurie; I couldn't get in touch with her, except during trials.
The only thing I knew about her was that she lived in Haddonfield; it was a long way from my hometown, Collingswood, and although I had been to Illinois for my dad's Chicago convention, I didn't have the opportunity to go back again. We were different, but at the same time there was something that bound us, maybe because we were there together...

Now that I had a chance to meet her, I found her more and more distant. I really wanted to be her friend.

She was right in front of me that she warmed her hands near the flame, without uttering a word; I had never liked to pretend anything and I didn't see why I had to make an exception, so I told her.

《Why are you so mad at me?》

- - -

Laurie's POV:

The warmth advanced towards me giving me a sense of homesickness; the fire in my home fireplace was always lit during the winter and we were all there to enjoy it.
Many things had changed since then; I witnessed the murder of my best friends by that monster and I thought he had disappeared forever, away from Haddonfield.

Away from me.

But I was wrong; when I saw him again in this place, everything I thought had been a bad nightmare became exactly the opposite. It would never end.

I hoped to never meet him in the trial; clashing with several killers was easier for me, but it wasn't always like that. I wanted to end it forever, in order not to suffer all this anymore. But I didn't have the courage, after all, especially after meeting Y/n.

She might have thought it wasn't like that, but I had always thought Y/n to be very intelligent, since our first meeting.
Her determination not to give up was so arrogant that it reminded me exactly of me. Her eyes, green as mine, showed a great willpower that I had decided to doze off.

"Why are you so mad at me?"
I knew that question was directed at me; the truth was that I had nothing against her.

《Why do you believe this? I ignore exactly how you do Y/n, but that doesn't mean I have it in for you.》  I was convinced that ignoring her was the only thing I could do.

《If I was ignoring you, I wouldn't have spoken to you...even if you were hard on me, I would like to know what bother you.》  I looked up and met her, seriously.

《It's none of your business.》  I replied; she was just trying to be nice to me.
《You wouldn't understand, so I would like to be left alone.》She would surely give up sooner or later.

《What happened to you so bad that you don't even want to talk about it? How are you going to forget?》  I was puzzled.
She was right; hiding my worries wouldn't help me get over them.
I had never told anyone my story, other than with Quentin.
I decided to do it, but I preferred that we were alone.

《Follow me.》

- - -

Y/n's POV:

We left the camp, still staying close.
I saw Laurie stop right in front of me, with a completely different expression than before. Suddenly she burst into tears. I wasn't expecting that, to be honest.

《I want to tell you my story...》  She explained to me that her life was calm and ordinary, a bit like mine; she went to school and earned some money by babysitting the neighborhood children.
For this reason, everyone in Haddonfield knew Laurie Strode for her extraordinary availability.

《Until October 31...》  She continued; on Halloween night, while looking after a little boy named Tommy, something happened.
She couldn't longer contact one of her best friends and decided to go check it out, to finally find out her body together with others.
The killer had a name: Michael Myers.
He chased her to the home of little Tommy, with the aim of killing her, but without success; she was rescued by the killer's psychiatrist and the neighborhood police who rushed in shortly after, but the killer was gone.
The last memory she had of that horrible night was the sound of the ambulance siren, to take her to the hospital.

《But when I woke up, I found myself here and I wasn't the only one. He too...》  She didn't continue the sentence, but I understood perfectly what she meant; Michael Myers had become part of this world. I went over to hug her and give her some comfort.

I discovered a side of Laurie that I never imagined; under the armor she had built, she hid her insecurities and fears.
《I'm glad to know you don't hate me and listening to your story gave me some of your strength...》  Hearing those words, she smiled.  《...but don't be afraid to count on others, sometimes!》  I patted her on the shoulder.

《Yes, you're right, but don't forget one thing...don't believe you have the power to be able to do anything you want. I mean, that you won't always be able to save someone, without jeopardizing your safety...you have to be careful.》
Laurie had returned the same as always.

She was giving me advice, which I couldn't ignore; she was more experienced than I was, after all. The high guard was the first rule to survive, but I couldn't help being happy to have clarified with her.

We went back together; some wondered why we had moved away.
《I'm glad you made peace.》  Jake had come forward, with a serene expression, since our first meeting hadn't been one of the best.

《We never quarreled, we just needed more time to get to know each other...thanks for the thought, Jake.》  I replied with a wink.
I didn't know why, but Jake's face turned red as a pepper.

《What's wrong Jake? Have you been too close to the fire?》  Laurie added, imitating me.

《Hahahahahahahahaha!》  The laughter of others was heard a mile away, especially those of Nea and Ace. Jake didn't reply; his eyes looked elsewhere as he carried a hand through his hair. I couldn't help smiling.

That moment of joy didn't last long.
When we least expected it, here the fog appeared, as if to remind everyone why we were there.

- - -

Laurie's POV:

This time, it was Haddonfield.
I was on Lampkin Lane, the street overlooked by the old Myers family's home.
All this wasn't true, of course; it was only a small part, chosen by the Entity for the trial.
Seeing the flashing lights of the sheriff's car made me remember Annie, her daughter, who also fell victim to that crazy killer.

I saw Claudette in the distance, silently approaching a generator, which was behind a fence. I caught up with her.
We got to a good point with the repair, until my sixth sense put me on alert; the killer was still far away and we had enough time to finish the first one.

- - -

Y/n's POV:

It was a neighborhood. It was the first time I was here and it was quite interesting; there were several houses that could be advantageous for a hiding place. In order not to expose myself too much, I decided to enter one of those by going through the back; there was some ruined furniture scattered around.
I went up the stairs and found it; a generator next to the window. I lowered myself and started working on it; although it was better in the team, I had learned to turn it on by myself, even though it took longer.
I didn't know who was chasing us and it was strange that no one had been caught yet; we were dealing with a silent killer, I thought.
To keep the situation under control outside the house, I looked out the window and when I did, I was shocked...he was there, staring at me.
I hid myself.

《Damn, he saw me!》  I tried to get out on the other side by jumping off a balcony.
I threw myself behind some bushes and, without making a sound, kept an eye on him; he wore a blue overalls, similar to those worn by mechanics, and a white mask without expression.
He was looking for me; he had scoured the whole building, but to no avail; until the sudden sound of a completed generator distracted him from the search. I stood up after I had seen him go away.
Unfortunately, I hadn't looked where I put my foot that I stumbled and fell miserably to the ground.
I hoped he hadn't heard me; in doubt, I started running to reach the street, but as soon as I turned the corner of the house I saw him, motionless.

I tried to go back, but it was useless; his step was longer than mine and with his free hand he grabbed my jacket.
He did nothing but look at me, though in his other hand he carried a threatening kitchen knife, strangely clean.
He placed me on his broad shoulders; I struggled to free myself, but his grip was really tight. The hook was within walking distance of him, but he completely ignored it.

Maybe, he hadn't noticed that.

He changed direction and entered another house, which had a small Jack lantern on the front porch. There was even a letter box, engraved with the surname "Myers".

I punched several times in the back and kicked, but he didn't want to let go of me. Was he taking me to the basement?

By now, I had gotten used to ending up in that damned place!

He did nothing of what I thought and went up the stairs.
He entered an empty, windowless room; on the floor, there was only a thin mattress and made me fall on it.

I finally understood why Laurie was afraid of him; this man was completely crazy, and he couldn't understand what was going on in his head; unlike some killers, he remained a human being, but that didn't mean he was the least dangerous. I couldn't afford any distraction.
The tip of the knife slowly approached my neck and I was forced to lie down, to move away, until it touched the skin. I felt a slight sting, which became increasingly intense. If he continued, he would certainly cut my throat.
To try and stop him, I did something I had never done against a killer.

《Michael!》  I called his name and suddenly stopped; I didn't even know why I did it.
I knew he was the Michael Myers that Laurie had told me about.
He stood motionless for a while; he had pulled the knife away from me, but that didn't make me feel more comfortable.
Behind the mask, his eyes seemed only a shadow and stared at me intensely.

What did he want from me?

- - -

You made a light movement, to try to get out of that strange situation. You tried to stand up, but the killer pushed you down again and, this time, followed you. Your faces were a few centimeters apart; he placed his knee between your legs to keep them from running away again.
You didn't know what to think; he hadn't tried to hang you on a sacrificial hook or kill you with his own hands. You couldn't believe he had good intentions...
At that moment, you felt your shirt torn.

《W-what the hell are you doing?! Stay away from me!》  But your screams weren't enough and, with a sharp blow, he cut your bra in two.
Incredulous, you tried to cover yourself using the jacket you still had on, as you struggled with your arms and legs.
It was all in vain; you couldn't drive him away. Michael grabbed you by the shoulders to immobilize you.
You could clearly hear the killer's breathing, which came from the mask.
A shiver ran down your spine.
You was frightened and embarrassed at the same time; your body was exposed in front of a mad criminal.
One of the hands grasped one of your breasts abruptly and your eyes widened in horror.

《D-don't touch me! No!》  You groaned from the pain caused by the too strong grip; in the meantime, the other hand slid along one side, until it reached the jeans. You had started punching his huge chest until you realized that the knife was on the ground near you. Michael was busy smelling your skin to take care of the rest. In fact, there were sounds from three other generators.
Nobody had noticed the situation in which you were.

Maybe it was better that way. You didn't want your companions to see you in that state; you had to take care of it alone.

After moving your hand out of the killer's reach, you approached it to grab the weapon he carried. You squeezed the handle and hurled it towards him.
It hit him on the abdomen tearing the fabric of the suit. There wasn't complaint from him.
Michael raised his head and turned it to see his own knife, still in his side; he grabbed your wrist and squeezed it tightly. You were forced to leave the object while yoh felt yourself losing strength.

The tip of the knife had become dirty with his blood.

People had tried to kill him numerous times, in his previous life, always passing him smoothly.
In that world, he had the opportunity to show who Michael Myers really was, a merciless and impossible murderer.
An action like that which the girl, who had been lying under him, couldn't go unpunished; for some strange reason, he didn't react. He didn't want to kill you.
He had never touched anyone like that and began to have a strange feeling inside him.

You had become his obsession and nobody would be able to take you away from him, including the Entity.

Haddonfield's exit gates were ready to open. There wasn't time left to do what he wanted with you; he decided to let you go.
But before that, he took the knife back and started tracing the cuts on his victim's belly.
Finally, he left.

- - -

Y/n's POV:

He was gone. Leaving me there, lying on that dirty mattress and almost without clothes. The wounds he had left me hurt every time I tried to move. The shirt was all torn and it was impossible to use it, so I decided to cover myself with the jacket.

I stared at the buttons; in this way, I also hid the cuts that were beginning to bleed, although they weren't so deep.
I was struggling to walk; I was still trembling like a leaf, without being cold. I couldn't think of anything else but what had just happened.
I had gone out into the street and looked around; I walked for a while, until I met Claudette with Laurie.

《Y/n! Luckily you're okay!》  Laurie had run to me to take me in her arms.

The image of Michael's hands on me came back to my mind.

《The exit's behind here. We were waiting for you...where were you?》  She asked me.

《I was...》  I didn't have the courage to tell the truth. I didn't want to worry them.
I didn't want to remember that shit.

《The killer hasn't shown up...has he been chasing you all this time? You managed to escape, thank goodness...it's better to go now. We don't know if he has anything in mind.》  Claudette added; I didn't answer.

What he did to me was more than enough and I didn't understand why he let me go.
I reached the exit where we also met Nancy; she was a few years younger than me, but she had more keen observation spirit than the others.

《Let's go.》  She said and left first, followed by Claudette immediately after.
Laurie was waiting for me; she seemed worried, but asked me nothing.
At that moment, I saw his eyes fill with terror; behind me, outside the door, Michael Myers was spying on us.

She pulled me out of that place by taking me by the arm; I turned my head to see everything smaller as we walked away, except him.

I still felt his body against mine.

We woke up in the field.
The rest of them seemed happy to hear that we had all escaped from the death.

《Who was the killer, this time?》  Asked curious Min.

《The Shape.》  Laurie replied.

Fortunately, my clothes were back as they were; the shirt was no longer torn and I imagined that the wounds underneath had also healed.
Even though it was all gone, I felt the need to approach the fire.
I felt like a block of ice that couldn't thaw.

After a while, I went to the forest.
I needed to be alone in my thoughts. I had to try to forget what happened, as if it had never happened.

Moreover, such a thing would never happen again...
The only purpose of the killers was to hunt us to increase the Entity's power...

Why did I still feel pain, despite it was all over?

I raised my shirt to find that they hadn't disappeared; they were there and had taken their places on my skin.

It wasn't over yet.