Chapter Text
"Just for the record, I don't think you're the killer." Richie said, following after Romeo and Sam with Adrian behind him.
"Thanks?" Sam said with a question, watching as Romeo walked away while still wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Chad walked out of the door soon after and chased after Romeo.
"I just meant--"
"I'm just gonna take a drive. Can you Uber back to the hotel?" Sam said.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, I just--" Richie said.
"It's fine. I'm fine." Sam said, getting inside the car. "Make sure you keep the hotel room door locked." She starts the car and pulls out as Richie shouts after her.
"That's not reassuring!" Richie shouted, jumping when he heard a voice behind him, turning around and looking at Adrian.
"It never is." Adrian said.
"Are you not going after him?" Richie asked, looking at Adrian with the eyes Adrian is familiar with.
"Chad's got it." Adrian said, walking back inside the house.
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Romeo glared his eyes at the tree in front of him, hands on his hips. He gritted his teeth, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. He took out his phone and looked at the message they had sent to him, telling him what to do with Wes and his mother.
What he wasn't expecting was for Chad to follow him into the forest, wrapping his arms around Romeo who jumped in his arms, caging Romeo's arms with his arms.
"Chad... now's not the time." Romeo said, wriggling his body and Chad let his arms fall down to his sides, looking at Romeo with a guilty expression.
"Why? Are you going to kill someone?" Chad asked, watching Romeo type something on his phone before placing it in his back pocket.
Romeo stayed quiet, but looked up to look at him.
"Romeo talk to me..." Chad said, attempting to move closer to Romeo but stopped when Romeo moved back. "Rome..."
"You can't-- you shouldn't trust me..." Romeo said, looking over Chad's shoulder to see if someone had followed Chad and found no one.
"I don't believe you wanted to do this." Chad said, about to move closer to Romeo but stopped himself. "They're threatening to kill someone in your life aren't they? Just tell them."
Romeo shakes his head, walking back to the tree he was glaring before and takes the backpack leaning against the tree, walking back to Chad who looked at him nervously.
"Rome?" Chad asked, looking at Romeo then the backpack, then back to Romeo again.
Romeo unzips the bag and takes out the Ghostface mask, ignoring Chad's hitched breath at the sight of the mask, and takes the robes out of the backpack and everything else before throwing the backpack behind the tree.
"Romeo, don't put it on, you can still stop this." Chad begged, unshed tears in his eyes as he looked at his friend. "Whatever he's threatening you with, we could help you." He said, heartbeat getting louder each second as Romeo slipped on the robes without a word.
"Rome!" Chad exclaimed, getting Romeo's full attention as he slipped on the gloves, face blank of any emotions. "Answer me, please..."
"How can you stop them from killing me?" Romeo asked, taking the Ghostface mask off of the ground.
"We'll try." Chad said, pleading that Romeo wouldn't do this. Not his friend.
"Chad I want you to act like this never happened, don't tell anybody, not even your sister..." Romeo said, eyes void of any emotions, but it tells everything Chad needed to know. "And don't tell my... my dad..."
"Rome..." Chad said, a small whimper coming out his lips. "Please..."
"I can't..." Romeo said.
"Why not!?" Chad exclaimed. Romeo tries to shush him so they won't gain anyone's attention, but Chad slaps his hands away. "Why not..."
"I loved it..." Romeo lied right through his teeth, watching sadly as Chad flinched back. "I loved the feelings of their blood on my hands." He added when that didn't work. He remembers exactly what they had said to him when they called him.
Lie if you need to.
"No you don't..." Chad said, but he's still backing away from Romeo.
"Yes I do." Romeo said, putting on the Ghostface mask, co*cking his head to the side. "Yes, I do."
Chad ran and never looked back, tears running down his face. He stopped and looked back, expecting to see Romeo but found nothing.
It's just him in the forest.
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The sun, still a half hour from setting. Judy sips a glass of wine as she talks on her phone. Not in uniform anymore, but a yoga pants and a comfy sweatshirt. At ease.
"And extra soy. Thank you. I'll be there in ten minutes." Judy said.
A chime precedes a woman's voice from a nearby ADT panel.
"Fault, front door..."
"Hey, Tiger." Judy calls out. She moves into the living room to find a sweaty and out of breath Wes, fresh from a run.
"Hey, Mom." Wes said.
"Are you being safe?" Judy asked.
Wes produces a can of pepper spray and a taser. "To the point that all my friends mock me, yes. What's for dinner?"
"Sushi. I was just leaving to pick it up." Judy said.
"You don't want to Postmates it?" Wes said.
"It's always smooshy when it gets here, I know how you hate that. Go take a shower, I'll be back soon. And remember: 7-2-5-8." Judy said.
"7-2-5-8." Wes repeated.
Judy kisses him on the cheek. He pretends to be embarrassed, but walks away smiling. Judy heads out the front door.
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Wes strips down and turns on the shower. He puts his cell phone by the sink and steps inside, closing the sliding door.
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Judy pulls out of the driveway onto her residential street. Nothing feels ominous. Still light out.
Judy eyes everyone she sees on the streets and sidewalks. Everyone's a potential suspect. News Vans, Camera Crews and Reporters draw onlookers. Woodsboro's back in the spotlight.
Her phone rings. She doesn't recognize the number on the display and answers anyway via her car's Bluetooth system.
"Sheriff Hicks." Judy said.
"Hello, Sheriff Judy." Ghostface said.
Judy tenses. "Who is this?"
"I think you know. I'm a fan of scary movies. And knives. What's your favorite scary movie?" Ghostface asked.
"I prefer animated films and musicals. Why are you doing this?" Judy said, picking up her phone and beginning to text her Deputy.
"I'll tell you all about it. I'm calling to turn myself in." Ghostface said.
"I think that's a great idea." Judy said.
"We'll sit down at the station and I'll tell you about the two people I've killed." Ghostface said making Judy frowns.
"You've only killed one person." Judy said.
"But by time I see you, I'll have gutted your baby boy." Ghostface said.
Judy pulls a screeching U-turn in traffic and flips on her cherries and sirens. She ends the call and dials Wes, racing full speed back towards the house.
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Wes soaps himself up in the shower, oblivious. By the sink, Wes's cell phone vibrates impotently.
From the background the door security system can be heard talking, but Wes doesn't.
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"Come on! Pick up, Wes!" Judy exclaimed.
Wes's phone goes to voicemail.
"f*ck!" Judy exclaimed, dialing 911.
"911, what is your--"
"This is Sheriff Hicks, I need units to converge on my house ASAP--" Judy said, a call waiting on Judy's line. Desperate, she clicks the other call.
"Can't get him on the phone, can you? He must be busy." Ghostface said.
"How do I know you're anywhere near him?" Judy said.
"Ever since the movie Psycho?" Ghostface asked.
Judy's foot smashes the accelerator. Horns blaring as she swerves in and out of traffic. "Please... please don't hurt my boy."
"Why not?"
"Because... I love him very much. He's a good kid and he never hurt anyone." Judy said, crying now.
"That's not enough." Ghostface said.
"Please... I'll do anything..." Judy begged.
"You're not going to make it in time, Sheriff Judy." Ghostface said.
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Wes washes the shampoo out of his hair, grabbing the conditioner.
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Judy's cruiser tears down the street towards her house. She drives up the curb, and over her lawn, barely putting the car in park before flying out of the driver's seat.
"WES!" Judy screamed, sprinting up the steps to the front door. "WES, I'M COMING!" She screamed, when Ghostface suddenly leaps out of the bushes and stabs her in the chest repeatedly.
Judy falls down the stone steps into her front lawn. Ghostface straddles her, stabbing her in the chest. She pulls off his mask, revealing Romeo from under the mask, recognition in her eyes before the light goes out of them.
Romeo stood up, taking the mask out of Judy's grasp and putting it on again, co*cking his head to the side.
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Wes turns off the water, stepping out of the shower. He puts on the towel and checks his phone, seeing the missed call from his mom. He presses the screen, calling her back. Ringing. Nothing.
He frowns. Weird. Must not have been important.
"Fault, back door..."
Wes co*cks his head. Opens the bathroom door and calls out. "I'll be down in a sec!" He continues to towel off, then.
"Fault, master bedroom window..."
Wes, very confused, slides on a bathrobe. "Mom?"
No response. Wes ventures out of the bathroom and walks downstairs, one agonizing step at a time. He passes the front door, now closed.
He cautiously approaches his mother's bedroom. The door's open. He looks inside and sees that the window is open.
"Mom...?" Wes said.
"Fault, kitchen second window..."
Wes went through the living room and into the kitchen, grabbing his pepper spray as he goes. The kitchen window's drapes flap in the breeze.
"The f*ck...?" Wes muttered.
He's about to pass through the kitchen door when.
"Fault, front door..."
Wes takes a breath and moves back into the living room. Every muscle in his body is tense. He creeps towards the now slightly ajar front door.
He reaches for the knob-- catches a glimpse of movement in a mirror on the opposite wall-- and ducks as Ghostface bursts from a closet behind him.
Barely missing getting stuck by the blade, Wes drops the pepper spray as he braces himself against the wall.
"f*ck!" Wes exclaimed.
Ghostface lunges at Wes, but he rolls away. Not such an easy target. Wes hurls a decorative plate at Ghostface. It shatters on his skull, slowing him down.
Wes darts into Judy's den and slams the door, braces it with an officer chair. Wes kneels, pulls up the chair mat, revealing a floor safe. m
"7-2-5-8, 7-2-5-8..." Wes mutters and enters the combo, it opens. Inside is Judy's back-up weapon. Wes grabs it when Ghostface bursts through the floor of the ceiling window, making glass fly everywhere.
Ghostface pins Wes to the wall and they struggle for the gun. Ghostface slowly forces the barrel under Wes's chin.
"No, no, no, no--" Wes muttered.
Ghostface pulls the trigger and Wes's head snaps back and slides down the wall. He looked down at Wes, chest going up and down, breathing heavily.
