Chapter One: On That Night

???, (POV)

"You were only twelve when you first saw her. She had her head down when she first entered the classroom. Chestnut color hair and brown eyes, but you couldn't unsee the sadness on her face. Then you heard her name for the first time, "Lauren", I said with my lips curving upwards into a smile, looking at his miserable face.

"You thought to yourself that you might like her, but it wasn't that easy, now was it, Edward?" I asked. But he only stayed silent and with his eyes down on the table.

"Your eyes always went towards her, always peeking at her. You couldn't help but notice that none of the other children in your class had approached her. She was all alone in your class, so you wanted to be the first. Having those brown eyes stare at you and hearing that fragile voice. It was nice. It made you feel so special," I said, expecting a reaction, but he stayed quiet and stared at the table.

"It was understandable that you were curious. Soon, you learned so much about Lauren. Like where her house was, or that she visited the same church as your family, where you first met her father. But you also learned that her mother had passed away, making you want to care for her," I said, and he continued to stay silent.

After all, I had said. Edward kept up his composure. It was frankly starting to frustrate me to put up with this childish weed.

I tapped my hands on the table. "How long will you stay silent for!?" I said, but he didn't reply. "Do you wish to forget about her that desperately!?" I said, and in the blackness, my voice echoed.

But still no reaction. I sighed with growing frustration in the pits of my stomach. I pushed back into my chair and sat down, hunching forward on the table and resting my elbows on the surface, crossing my fingers.

"I know, Edward. You had to wipe her away from your memory because that's just who you are, but. That is not why we are here, remember. Let's start with what happened to your dear Lauren on that night," I said.

There was a moment of silence just before he looked up and stared into my face. I understood his circumstances for his decision, but I couldn't care less.

Edward Foster, (POV)

It was the end of a school day on Friday, and my classmates had formed groups to decide on plans for this Saturday with each other. A few people I got along with chose to party at a friend's house whose parents were out of town. It was a nice idea, but I wasn't interested. Hence I quickly turned them down and left the classroom because I had my plans for the weekend.

I left behind the howling classrooms and pushed through the crowded hall, escaping from this claustrophobic mess into the school grounds. Immediately looking around for her.

And there she was, just in time, coming out of the west side. Wearing blue denim shorts with a black shirt with a purple butterfly embroidered on it, tucked inside, she quickly noticed me and smiled.

Lauren's chestnut color hair flowed in the wind, which she quickly tried pulling out of her face as we both started moving. We both gave each other a glance and met on the sidewalk and waited until we were out of the school zone.

The sun was peeking out from behind the clouds while the birds were chirping on the trees. coming to a fence, we finally stopped.

She looked at me with a smile. "Oh, hello, Mr. Edward," Lauren said, bowing while trying to hold back her giggles, doing her best to keep her composure.

This wasn't our routine by any means, she just did whatever she wanted, so I always went along with it. "Miss Lauren, what a coincidence. It's good to meet you here," I said, bowing my head down with my arm going across my chest. Pulling my head up, a wide smile across her face met me. We continued to walk while bumping our shoulders with each other.

The sun was quiet, hiding behind the clouds. The wind blew against our faces, and the tree shook, dropping their leaves on us.

"Can't wait, huh? I asked Lauren, and she narrowed her eyes at me and kept up a smile, "Of course, I can't."

"Oh well, I am starting to become concerned for your mental health," I said while rolling my eyes at her.

"Well yeah haven't you seen the trailer? Sinister got me all excited and it's the most gruesome one yet", she said while exuding enthusiasm. Honestly, I couldn't match her taste for movies since it was mostly horror.

Every day after school, we would always go through the same route. It was the best since our houses were in the general direction. Although mine was a bit further than hers, not that it was a problem.

Lauren suddenly stopped and looked at me with a forced frown. "Oh wait. Don't tell me you're scared" She said in a soft tone as if speaking to a child.

"Excuse me," I said all surprised. "I am the one driving us there, So you better watch it", I said back, but it was useless.

"Don't worry I'll protect you Eddy, from the scary monster," Lauren said, rubbing the back of my head. I sighed while she just enjoyed herself.

As Lauren's house was first, we soon reached a very green block. Many of her neighbors had grassy lawns. Some with white fences and some with their sprinklers going off. There were other kids as well, walking somewhere around us. While a bustling school bus rushed past us, dropping children at their house.

"Just so you know, I had to say no to party at Brook's house", I quickly said to the ungrateful one.

"Or maybe, they forgot to invite you," She said with a stern face. "Haha, very funny," I replied in a mocking tone and rolled my eyes.

We turned around the corner, reaching the path to her home. Her house was close to the school, and for this, I considered Mr. Taylor a genius.

"They might not have minded me disappearing since I am a nerd after all," I said. "But, you are my nerd, so it's fine," she said, giving me a small punch on the arm. "You only say that because I helped you get good grades," I replied.

"Exactly right my love, who wouldn't want you," she said with a smile and I sighed.

"So, I will come and pick you up at ten," I said with the hope that I would see her again. And then we stopped a few houses away from hers. "Sure," she said, meeting my eyes patiently.

Lauren was about the same height as me, maybe a few centimeters smaller. With our eyes meeting, I took a step closer to her while reflexively looking around. There were other people around us, but none paid attention to us.

As I turned around to face her, she tilted her head forwards. Meeting her lips with mine, giving each other a quick kiss goodbye.

We pulled back, both of us slightly embarrassed. "Well, goodbye, I guess," I said as she just smiled back at me without looking me in the eyes.

???, (POV)

My stomach tugged against my throat, causing me to leap up from my chair. Both of my hands shot towards him and tightly grabbed the collar of his trench coat, lifting and bringing him an inch away from my face.

"You fucking bastard, what do you think you are doing! Do you think I'm here to see your bullshit!", I yelled but still no reaction. I scuffed, throwing him back in his place. It was starting to feel like I was talking to a dead man

I sighed and quickly settled my composure. I promptly picked up my chair off its back. Just now, I had snapped, which was highly unlike me. But it's something about this obsession with pointless memories that disgusted me, but I was unable to remember why or that I too had forgotten.

I sat down and took a deep breath again. "You act like a drug addict and a fool, always going back and forth. But now you are in no position to dream about this", I said, clenching my teeth. "That whore was the cause of all your problems, whether you like it or not," I said, and he looked up at me.

I almost flinched out of surprise; anger and malcontent wrapped across his face as if I had struck his ego.

"What's with that look, are you perhaps angry at me? You? Who is mindlessly hanging onto memories of her? Why not remember what happened on that lonesome night!" I said, my voice rising again in the emptiness of the space.

Edward Foster, (POV)

I tugged popcorn stuck in between my teeth and ignored the taste of the discounted fountain drink stuck in the back of my tongue.

Watching a horror scene of a family getting strangled on a tree or another being cooked inside a chained-up car was still fresh in my mind. Not to mention the unforgettable feeling of something moving inside a picture when it should be still. But in the end, I guess it was all good if she enjoyed it.

I shook my head, trying to forget the horror that I had witnessed tonight. While Lauren got inside the car and sat beside me, sadistically enjoyed the horrified expression on my face from the beginning of the movie, till now.

Suddenly, while still. I heard a faint slight buzz in my head. Not like a fly, but rather an electric.

Giggling, she gently placed her hand on my cheek, "Edward, love do you want me to buy you a night light". She asked with a wide smile, finding my pain hilarious.

I turned to her. "Thanks to you I already have one," I said, looking at her with a stern expression and starting the car without looking.

She instantly broke into a grin while I sighed and looked ahead. While I drove the car out of the parking lot. We got out on the illuminated streets and soon on the highway. It was a late night, the breeze was cold and refreshing and the moon was high with the sky cloudless.

"I can't believe it, I spent twelve pounds on nightmares," I needlessly complained once more. "Hmm did you hate it that much?" Lauren asked with a frown.

"Not our time together, just the movie, although. now I can say I have something far better to look at," I said without breaking eye contact.

She immediately pushed my head back, clenching her teeth. "Oh shut up".

I laughed, quickly glancing at the clear road, then back at her. "Come on, Don't look away, I am sorry", I said in a high pitch.

She sighed and turned her head towards me just before pausing. Her gaze became stuck on something on the road, and quickly, her eyes widen in panic. "Look out!" she yelled, and my head snapped back on the road.

There was a white figure on the road ahead of us. Without a second thought, I jolted the steering wheel to my left. Nonetheless, the figure crashed into the bumper, hitting the windshield and then landing on the road behind us.

The car came to a screeching halt towards the metal rail on the side. We both sat still for a moment to process what had happened, but before I could act, Lauren grabbed my hand. I turned to her pale face. "Edward, listen to me. Just start the car and let's just drive away. Please", Lauren suddenly pleaded with sincerity in her voice.

But I just looked at her confusedly with shock mixed in. "What? You want me to leave someone I hit with my car?" I asked with wide eyes while I grabbed the car handle.

"Just...Just please, let's go right now!" Lauren again pleaded with me. Tears started welling up in her eyes, but the absurdity of the situation was too much.

"Calm down It'll be fine", I said as I pulled the lever and opened the car door.

She grabbed onto my sleeve in a last desperate attempt to stop me. "Don't go!". Lauren yelled again, but I pushed myself out.

"Just stay inside!" I said back with growing frustration. Lauren screamed my name, but I didn't understand why she was acting like that.

I stepped on the road and looked down at who I had run over with my car, and when I saw it. My mind skipped a beat.

It was a mangled white mannequin with a twisted leg and an arm and its head to its side. Its smooth white surface reflected the moonlight and the way its body slummed down almost felt like someone was wearing it as a suit.

The first thought that came to my mind, was that maybe this was a sick prank. Someone had jokingly placed a dummy on the road to scare some unexpecting drivers.

Cruel but somewhat grounded in reality, but then it quickly started moving.

All four limbs twisted backward at the ground, like appendages of an insect. Its hip broke, allowing it to spread its legs to its side and its knees up to the sky. It picked itself up from the ground, and its head snapped toward me.

It stared at me, with a smooth white oval surface. Suddenly I heard the car door open and my head snapped towards Lauren jumping out and bolting away from the car.

At that moment, I could only stare at her. Not understanding what was happening. Why was she asking me to drive away? Did she see what it was? Or, did she know what it was?

I could have spent hours thinking about it, but then it landed on my car. With a loud crash, I immediately covered my face as the glass shard flew everywhere. In the next moment, it leaped from the top of the car towards her.

That thing was after Lauren, and she knew that. Its speed was unreal, as It reached Lauren with few leaps. Pouncing on her, like a spider catching its prey. Bashing her head down into the ground right on the gravel. Seeing her body go limp shocked me to the core.

I needed to help her, I needed a weapon quickly. I looked at my car, and the door was already cracked open because of the incaved roof. Seeing the car jack rod sticking out from behind the back seat. I ran to it and pulled it out.

While the Mannequin's hips joined back together and its knees came forward, it stood up at just under eight feet tall. It held Lauren with the back of her neck, like a kitten. I squeezed the rod tightly in my hand, while my senses screamed at me to turn around.

Screaming at the top of my lungs and silencing my fear, I sprinted forwards. It didn't care, nor bothered to move or pay attention to me, until I had stabbed the rod into its back.

I managed to do it and rather easily. The jack went straight through its body, but it seemed empty from the inside. While the Mannequin awkwardly turned around and looked down at me, with the rod sticking out of his front.

It just stared at me with its flat face, while I stared back, neither of us making a move. I was all too afraid of what would happen I looked away, but I had to and did, at Lauren.

She was out cold, bleeding from her forehead, and unmoving. And right then, I suddenly woke up to the fear and care for my own life, causing me to flinch. And so did the Mannequin, who responded by hunching slightly, enough for me to notice it.

Then suddenly, its jolted head back and shot its leg up, right into my abdomen. The ground beneath my feet disappeared as my eyes bulged outwards. I saw them getting far away from me, with Lauren still in its hand. I couldn't do anything, as I landed on the front of my car.

A loud crack entered my ear, and I wasn't sure whether it was my body that made the sound or the windscreen behind my back. My mouth was wide open, gasping for air, but I couldn't breathe. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to breathe. Soon the numbing sensation of a sudden shock started to disappear.

I started feeling pain, first in the chest, then the neck, then the back. My arms and legs went numb, and I couldn't feel or move. It took me a moment to realize that everything was becoming darker. I was losing sight of Lauren. Then all at once, everything, became dark and quiet.