• • October 1, 2016 • •

THE REDHEAD SPLASHED her face with water in the school bathroom. She really needed that refreshment. Out of her entire friend group that was currently participating in the senior lock-in at school, she was the most tired.

It was currently a few minutes past 2 AM and the event would last only a few more hours. The eighteen-year-old, Lilly, let out a sigh and looked at herself in the mirror.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang. Lilly took it out of her pocket and saw that it was from her boyfriend, Gavin. She answered the phone and put it to her ear.

"What's up, babe?"

Seconds later, a voice replied on the other end. It didn't sound like Gavin as their tone had more texture and a touch breathier.

"Hello, Lilly."

"Gavin?"

"Gavin can't come to the phone right now. I'd leave a message but he's currently sitting around doing some business."

"Come on. Are you pranking me? Ashton, is this you? He put you up to this?"

"Oh, Ashton. Your babe's buddy boy who follows him around like a puppy dog. Wouldn't be surprised if the two jerk each other off."

Lilly was caught off guard by the response, knowing that neither Gavin nor Ashton would say that even as a joke. She turned around and leaned on the sink.

"Who the hell is this?"

"A friend. Or I once thought I was. But some things turn out to be disappointing."

"I don't know—"

"Speaking of disappointments...do you remember Stab 7? Critics panned it. Wasn't as good as people thought it'd be."

"I haven't seen it."

"You're a liar. You told me once. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Liar."

"Okay, this isn't funny anymore. Who is—?"

"Listen here, bitch. I ask the questions from now on and you'll answer them if you want to see your meathead of a boyfriend again."

Lilly was taken aback by the threat. It started to feel very real and quickly realized it wasn't a joke. She swallowed and kept quiet.

"You understand then? Good. So, Lilly...what is your favorite scary movie?"

"I—I don't watch that many..."

"Oh, come on. Everybody has seen at least one. What's the first one that pops into your head?"

There was a beat. "Uh...Hills Have Eyes."

"Whoa. That's a classic. Remake or original?"

"My—My mom showed me the remake."

"Ah. That's good too. More gore. Way more disturbing to appeal to new audiences. Tell me...did it appeal to you?"

"...no."

"Surprised. Not even a little?"

"No."

"It's the risk of making a remake. Chance it doesn't draw the eyes they want. Same goes with Stab right now...it's been six years since the last movie and it's been radio silence on whether they'd make another. I guess there isn't...any material for them to use."

"Okay..."

"Been thinking...I should help them out."

Lilly didn't seem to catch what he said. "What?"

The man on the other end decided to move on.

"Well, Lilly, I appreciate your willingness to answer my question. I think you should be able to see your babe now."

"Uh...o—okay?"

"Check the stalls."

The young girl arched a brow and looked toward the restroom stalls. In the one at the end, she saw a set of feet.

"Shocked you didn't bother checking them when coming in. It's the middle of the night, you're alone, barely any chaperones, something bad could've happened."

Lilly slowly made her way toward the stall, her phone still at her ear.

"Is—is that you?"

"I guess you'll just have to see for yourself."

The man hung up. Lilly looked in the corner of a room, seeing a broom. She picked it up and eased her way toward the stall, ready to confront the caller.

She quickly opened it but was shocked to see what was in front of her. On the toilet seat was a dead Gavin with several knife wounds in his chest. Lilly backed away and let out a scream.

Lilly bolted to one of the doors. She opened it but was immediately met with Ghostface, sporting his dark robes and white mask. He had his Buck 120 hunting knife in hand.

He immediately slashed at her and cut Lilly's arm. She quickly turned around and ran to the other exit, the killer still behind her. Lilly ended up opening one of the stalls and hitting Ghostface, causing him to stumble back with a grunt.

The redhead ran out of the restroom and down the hall. She went to the classroom where a couple of her friends were and went inside, wanting to warn them.

"Guys! There—"

She immediately stopped in her tracks upon seeing Yara and Malik. The dead girl sat against the wall, blood coming out of her stomach, while the boy's crimson-stained face laid against the desk.

Lilly let out another yell and backed out of the room. She looked to her right, seeing Ghostface across the hall staring directly at her.

He wiped away the blood from his knife and started walking toward her. She continued running and made it to one of the offices. Lilly banged on the door and was going to open it, but saw a body through the window. It was one of the teachers who was chaperoning that night.

Lilly wailed and kept running. She soon went to the gym where most of the senior class was and tried opening the doors. It was locked.

Through the windows, she can see the students hanging around and chatting amidst the loud music blaring in the gym. She pounded at the doors but none of the kids could hear.

"Help! Open the door!"

Ghostface was closing in on her. Lilly decided to keep running down the hall and to the cafeteria. A few of her friend group were there last time she saw them and hoped that's who she'd see.

Lilly ran in but was met with another grisly sight. Trent, Vivian, and Erin were dead as well. The teenage boy's body was by the door and had his throat slit while the two girls laid on their stomachs, having been stabbed multiple times in the back.

The girl was about to lose her voice with all the screaming. Lilly quickly ran through the cafeteria and out the other door. She made it into the film classroom just to hide but suddenly ran into someone.

"Oh! Shit!" Ashton exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Lilly?"

"Ash!" She panted, but couldn't get any more words out.

"What the hell is up with you?" He asked with a chuckle.

Lilly caught her breath but still stammered a bit. "Gavin—he—Viv and Trent—"

"Shit, relax."

"They're dead. They're all dead."

Ashton arched a brow, not believing it. He let out a chuckle and let go of her.

"Come on."

"Ash—"

"You're fucking with me, right? Gavin put you up to this? You know...he's in that Stab phase and has been pranking Malik and me."

"No...it's—"

"He got the costume and shit too?" Ashton started making his way toward the door. "I'll give it to him. On the lock-in night of all nights—"

"Ashton!" She shouted.

The young man looked back at her, now taken aback by her tone. Lilly was about to emphasize what was going on...but Ghostface suddenly appeared behind Ashton.

He was stabbed in the back and Ashton let out a pained gasp. Lilly screamed and covered her mouth at the sight. Ghostface stabbed him another time and spoke to the boy.

"Didn't live long enough to comfort the final girl."

He pulled his knife out of his back and quickly slit his throat. Ashton fell forward and on his stomach, now bleeding out. Ghostface cleaned off his knife.

He stepped up to Lilly. The girl reacted and grabbed things from the nearby desk, throwing them at the killer before running to the other door.

She made it but it was locked. Lilly kept trying but it wouldn't budge, leaving her only choice being to try to run out the door she came in.

The redhead wouldn't be able to though, as once she turned around she was met with the presence of Ghostface. They were practically face to face when he plunged his knife into her stomach. She could only let out an inaudible gasp as it entered.

He stabbed her again and again before letting her slide down the door. Lilly profusely bled from her tummy, looking down at her bloody hands from having held it.

Ghostface looked down at the girl. The small red light beneath the cloth of his mask was on, showing that his voice changer was currently activated.

"Little red is all red." He let out a chuckle. "Had to stick you in the stomach instead of the neck...didn't want to stain that pretty face of yours."

She was unresponsive as she held her bleeding wound. Lilly kept looking up at the killer and he started to take off his mask. The seventeen-year-old revealed himself and Lilly looked at him in shock.

"L/N?" She weakly spoke, which was the name her friend group referred to him by. "Wh—?"

"Surprised, Lilly?" He asked with the voice changer at his mouth, then shut it off. "Glad you were able to experience the final act."

Lilly still couldn't believe it. She'd seen him around school and even talked to him sometimes. He seemed shy and harmless...but she was dead wrong.

"For a long time...I thought you were cool. You seemed...so nice. You weren't like the rest. Then...I saw what you really were. A follower. Allowing them to keep fucking with me, and even joining in that one time. That was the final straw."

He crouched down at level with Lilly. The teenager kept speaking.

"In this story, I'm not the villain. You all are. I'm just the guy who finally had the courage to act and solve the problem. I'm the hero."

Lilly finally spoke, albeit weakly. "I'm...I'm sorry."

He simply nodded and stood back up, continuing to look down at her.

"Apology accepted." He replied, then held his knife out. "But I can't confirm they'll add that in the next installment."

With swiftness, he slashed away at Lilly, finally killing her. The teenager let out a breath as he stood in the classroom, the bodies of Ashton and Lilly nearby. Instead of cleaning the knife, he ended up dropping it.

The teenager bent down and took out the cell phone from Lilly's pocket. He didn't need to unlock it as he decided to use it to call 911. He held it up to his ear and waited for them to answer.

"911, what's your emergency."

The young man inhaled and as he leaned his head back against the wall.

"This is Dylan L/N. I'm at Woodsboro High School...and I just killed eight people."

Their car sped onto the street near the school. There were police cruisers, ambulances, and news vans in the area. Other parents were there too.

Thirty-seven-year-old Marco got out of the car, but his twelve-year-old twins, Y/N and Tony, wanted to go with him.

"Dad!" Y/N called out.

"You both stay here." He sternly replied.

"You can't leave us here alone!" Tony disagreed. "It's freakin' dark and scary!"

Marco sighed and ultimately decided to let his sons out. The three quickly made their way to the scene and hoped to see their family member. A cop had stopped them.

"My son. He's in there!" Marco told him.

"The authorities are in there."

"Wh—What happened? They messaged saying there was some lockdown because of a threat?"

"Yes, but we've gotten word that the threat has been neutralized. The suspect was apprehended."

Before he can ask any more questions, there was a murmur from the crowd as they looked on at the school's entrance. Police had a young man handcuffed, wearing his Father Death costume but without his mask.

Marco got a good look at him as they escorted him toward the cruiser, and his heart dropped upon seeing that it was Dylan. He couldn't believe his own son was donning that costume and likely committed atrocities inside the school.

Dylan spotted his father with his younger brothers by the police tape. He beamed and shouted at them.

"I did it! I did what Uncle Mickey couldn't do! I'm going to be famous, Dad! Everyone will know my name! They can follow my perspective in the next movie! I'll be a fan favorite...because I sought justice!"

The police shut him up and immediately put him into the car. Marco just stood there in shock and was utterly speechless. He could also feel the stares coming from other parents around him...

Some of them had yet to realize that their children were killed...by the son of the very man they were looking at.

Y/N glanced at his father. He wanted to ask what happened with Dylan, but he had another question in mind after hearing his tirade.

"Who's Uncle Mickey?"