She watches movies like this without even flinching, but she’s playing into his macho ego, acting like she can’t handle it. Especially when he starts to whisper things that will give me nightmares. I’ve heard him ask her to ditch me at least twice so they can have ‘alone time’. I know what ‘alone time’ means. Ick. I can’t even think about it, though. That’s my sister. Thank god she doesn’t seem to be into that idea.
He went all out on soda and snacks even after the giant milkshake, so my complaints go unvoiced as I chow down on the junk food. We’re finally watching Scream, and like any other teenage boy, I can’t wait for the gore and sex scenes—although it’s weird my sister is watching with a guy just behind me. If I start to hear them kiss, I’m going to hide out in the lobby until the movie is over. Just disgusting.
We come out of the movie theater back into the lobby and I’m enthralled. I’m hyped up from all the sugar and I can’t stop talking about how gory it was, watching the killer slash all those teenagers and torment their friends. It was so cool. It was the best movie I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to come see it again.
“Please, Sis, can we come see it again? Please, please, please?” I beg.
She laughs. “Maybe if you get good grades.”
We get back into his car, ready to go home. It’s late, and I have school tomorrow and she has work in the morning. My belly is so full of sugar and popcorn, I’m sure that I’m going to be amped up all night or puke after stuffing my face full of coke and Twizzlers. I’ll never admit that I was freaked out, but a couple of the jump scenes had me wanting to cover my eyes, and it might take me a while to fall asleep, sugared-up or not.
Instead of taking the right turn to take us into our neighborhood, he keeps driving, acting like it’s no big deal.
“Brad, you missed the turn,” Raven tells him. “I should’ve pointed it out sooner. You can turn just up here and still get us to our house.” She’s still smiling, his hand on her thigh. He doesn’t even acknowledge her though, just keeps driving.
“It’s this one. Slow down, you’re going to… miss it.” She says as the street goes by. “You’re going to have to turn around now.” He passes the next turn as if she hadn’t said anything twice.
“Where are we going?” she asks as the hill slowly slopes up and the neighborhood gets more and more deserted.
“I just want to show you something special. It’s a scenic view. I’ll get you home soon.” He smiles at her, but she doesn’t really smile back. I can feel her tension, and it’s raising the hair on my arms. Something is off. It just doesn’t feel right.
“Hey man, I have school in the morning,” I pipe up, hoping my insistence will get him to turn around, but he keeps driving up the hill.
“That’s okay, kiddo. I said I’ll get you home soon.” He looks in the review mirror, and for a second, I think he’s glaring at me. After acting all nice the whole night, why would he be mad now?
“Brad, we have Jason with us, and I don’t really want to go to that make-out point.” She sounds irritated like they have already discussed this. That must be what he was saying in her ear all night when she was politely shooting down the shots he was taking.
He keeps driving again like nothing is wrong. But it clearly is. Once we get up the top of the hill, it feels completely isolating. No neighborhood, no cars. Just a parking lot meant for hikers on one side while the other is covered with densely packed trees. It’s a full moon out, and it shines off the snow, making it bright, even for being well into the night. Instead of parking to look out over the city, he parks closer to the trees, and I’m instantly pissed off.
“She doesn’t want to be here with you! Take us home.” I’m on the verge of yelling now. I knew I didn’t trust this guy Brad for a reason.
“Just five minutes, Raven. Have little Jason take a walk, and then I’ll take you two home. I paid for the date, and this is how I want to end it. It just seems fair since you dragged him along.”
“Seriously? You agreed when I told you I planned to bring him, and second, no one asked you to pay for everything. You went over the top even when I told you not to. Take us home, or we are walking home.”
“You won’t,” he sneers. It’s cold as hell outside, but I’m pissed, and he just tested my sister. One for sure thing I know about her is she will absolutely hold you to what you say. If you tell her she won’t do something, she will one hundred percent of the time do precisely that. She’s always been that way. She got my dad’s stubbornness, and he raised her not to take shit from anyone.
She opens her door and I scramble out to follow her. We’ve climbed up here before when we were kids and our dad dragged us out on family adventures, so we know the way back to our house. I start to jog to catch up to her when Brad yells out behind me, closer than I thought he would be. I didn’t even hear him get out of the car. Walking in the dark after a long scary movie has me freaking out. I pick up my steps to get up close to my sister. No way am I staying behind with Brad.
We get a few steps, and I’m almost catching up to Raven when he yells out from right behind me. I turn to face him and gasp when I see that he’s holding a huge knife. The blade glints in the reflection of the snow.
“Holy shit,” I whisper.
“You should’ve stayed the fuck home,” he glowers.
“Jason, run!” Raven yells. I stumble forward as quick as I can and try to catch up with Raven, but I’m so short and my legs aren’t long. Brad is way faster than me and he’s bearing down on me too quickly, about to stab me.
How ironic after we just spent the last two hours watching a movie about a killer with a knife. He’s messing with us, right? People just don’t go after others with a knife. This has to be a joke.
Right?
I’m running as fast as I can. My lungs are burning and my feet are freezing. I’m trying not to trip over in the snow but it’s hard to move when it’s piled up all around.
“Raven!” I yell. She reaches her hand back to me and takes my hand in hers. She yanks me forward—just as Brad’s knife comes swinging down at me. If I had been there a split second later, I’d have ended up just like those teenagers in the movie.
I’m freaking out now and tears are spilling down my face. Raven is crying too and we’re darting toward the woods, trying to find any place to hide from this crazed psycho chasing after us. We cross into the trees and start turning wildly, going left and right, trying any way we can to throw him off our trail. But our footprints are so obvious in the snow that I already know it can’t work.
Raven is holding my hand tightly as we run through the tall trees. All the leaves fell a long time ago and all I can see are the empty branches looking like giant claws in the moonlight, casting jagged shadows all over the place.
I’m already a crying mess. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I should never have come. I ruined this. I’m sorry,” I’m blabbering.
She hushes me. “It’s not your fault,” she whispers.
“I love you, Sis.”
“I love you too. Stay with me. Don’t let go.”