Trish
Sutter had just dozed off when the phone started ringing. She had been nursing
a migraine headache ever since waking from a nightmare at 3:30 AM. She rolled
over and grabbed the headset from the base and answered it on the third ring.
“Hello.”
She sat
up and winced. The migraine hadn't let up but the caller ID had displayed
Tommy's number and she really needed to talk to him.
“Hey
sis, what's up?”
His
voice was cheerful and lifted her mood slightly. She turned and let her legs
hang off the edge of the bed. She messaged the back of her head with her free
hand.
“Not
much, just trying to get rid of nagging headache.”
“Did
I wake you up?”
“Not
really, I was laying down but not asleep. It's good.”
He
sighed.
“I'm
sorry Trish. I can call back a little later if you need to get a nap.”
She
felt bad for mentioning the headache. Tommy would be apologizing for the rest
of their conversation and it really wasn't a big deal. The headache was bad but
the nightmare had been much worse. She tried to push it out of her mind and
focus on her brother. She was looking forward to his visit.
“It's
okay, really.”
“You
sure?”
She
smiled and shook her head slowly.
“Positive.
I'm fine. Now, when should we expect you?”
There
was a long pause.
“That's
why I called you. There has been a very slight change of plans and I have to
make one stop before I get there.”
Trish
wasn't expecting that. Tommy was usually punctual to a fault. He rarely did
things off the cuff and a last minute change was totally out of character for
him. Her curiosity had been raised.
“Is
everything okay?”
“Oh
yeah. I just had an unexpected appointment pop up at the last minute. I really
need to take care of it.”
Trish
faked a gasp and chuckled.
“Wow,
Tommy Jarvis, the king of OCD, is deviating from his schedule. To what do we
owe this pleasure?”
There
was another lengthy pause before he responded.
“Yeah,
it's kind of strange. I really wouldn't bother but I need to take care of this
before I hit the road for the book signing thing.”
“Really?
It's that important? You're blowing off your favorite sister and her family?
What is it, a girl?”
Tommy
let out his own exaggerated gasp.
“Now
really, do you think I'd let some chick come in between me and family?”
The
migraine actually seemed to be letting up some. Tommy could have that affect on
her. It was true that they had drifted apart during those first few years after
their mother's death. With Tommy bouncing around between different institutions
and her trying to create a normal life for herself, well, it had taken its
toll. It had been especially rough after Tommy's experience at Camp Forest
Green. They may have changed the name and tried to bury the past but it was
still Crystal Lake
She
had really worried about him after that. Megan Garris had been good for him but
their relationship had too much going against it. Trish hadn't been very
optimistic when Tommy entered therapy that last time. She worried even more
when he and Megan called it quits. She wondered if that might be the thing to
set him off but it seemed to have the opposite effect. He had written that
first book and done all those interviews and really seemed to be over it.
Truthfully though, she didn't know that for a fact. They never discussed what
had happened back in 1984.
They
had gotten together every year since 1996 to remember their mother's death.
Tommy's upcoming visit was special because it marked the thirtieth anniversary.
Trish had a hard time believing that it had been that long ago but one look in
the mirror reminded her that she wasn't the teenage girl who went through that
hell. Her thoughts continued to trail off but she refocused and answered Tommy.
“No,
I know better than that. It must be something important though. What's up?”
Tommy
really didn't want to tell her but if he wasn't up front then she would
continue to ask until he caved in. Lying was completely out of the question as
well. He had plenty of faults but dishonesty was not one of them. He decided to
just blurt it out and see how she responded.
“I'm
meeting a guy from a television program.”
He really didn't think she would let it go at that
but he hoped she wouldn't ask too much. He knew that she was not going to like
it.
“Really?”
“Yep.”
Tommy
waited for several seconds. He was actually starting to believe that he might
not have to tell her more when she chimed back in.
“What
program is it? You're already scheduled for the big ones aren't you? Who's
trying to squeeze you in at the last minute?”
He
knew there was no need to drag it out any longer than necessary. The more he
held out the more she'd be pissed when she found out. He could feel the muscles
in his neck start to tense as he told her.
“I'm
meeting Larry Schnell. The guy from ViReal TV.”
She
fired back immediately, nearly cutting him off.
“I
know who he is. Why in the world would you agree to meet that jackass?”
“He
has been trying to get up with me for months now. He wants to talk about the
possibility of a future show.”
Trish
fought to keep her voice down.
“What
kind of show? Please tell me you're not thinking about going on that dirt bag's
show. Tommy, you're not are you?”
He
could hear a slight touch of anger in her voice but there was mostly concern.
She really didn't care if Tommy was on television promoting his book and he
knew that. However, everyone knew that what ViReal TV was. No one was foolish
enough to believe it was a legitimate news source or that it cared about
putting out the truth. Schnell and his crew usually had to pay or bribe people
to even get them on the air. Trish knew that and Tommy wondered how he could
convince her that he wasn't selling out or in trouble.
“Trust
me Trish, it's not what it sounds like.”
Once
again, she cut him off before he could continue.
“What
is it then? You know how much of a slime ball that guy is. Don't you remember
how he hounded me for years, trying to get me to come on and dish out dirt on
you.”
“I
remember but that's not....”
“What
is it then? Tommy, you know how this guy is. He'd set up cameras right there on
Mom's grave and rehash everything that's happened if we let him.”
“I
know. You have to trust me on this. It won't be like that.”
“How
do you know? I mean, what would even posses you to agree to this? You have
never tried to exploit what happened. Why is this different?”
He
understood where she was coming from. He knew she wasn't angry. She felt
betrayed and he understood exactly why she felt that was. Schnell was a low
life and Tommy never gave them the time of day. On the surface that's exactly
what it looked like. He knew that he has to convince Trish that it was going to
be okay.
“Let
me explain, okay?”
He
gave her a moment.
“Okay,
but I have to tell you that this has got me freaked out. This isn't you.”
He
sighed and nodded.
“I
know. Just listen, okay?”
“Okay.”
Tommy
cleared his throat and began.
“Schnell
has been calling and e-mailing for months now. I have ignored him every single
time. I haven't even bothered to listen or read most of them. I know who he is
and I know that he could care less about us or anyone who was affected by
Jason.”
He
paused. He rarely spoke that name, especially not to Trish, and just hearing it
come from his own mouth actually unnerved him a bit.
“I
never planned to answer him but his last message said that if I didn't at least
call him back then he would pursue other avenues.”
“Other
avenues, what does that mean?”
“He
was going to hone in on you. That's what it means. He knew the only way I'd
call him was if he threatened to start up with you again.”
Like
that, Trish's migraine was back in full force.
“What
does he want?”
“He's
planning some sort of retrospective about Crystal
Lake
“Anniversary?
You mean of Mom's death?”
“Yeah,
but not just that. This year makes thirty-five years since Pamela Voorhees
killed all those counselors at the original camp. It's been thirty years since
all the other murders. Think about it Trish, Mom wasn't the only one who died
that weekend. You remember all those kids next door. And to top it off, it's
been twenty years since all that stuff at Forest Green. Schnell knows that it's
going to be a big deal and he wants to make sure he is the one with the story.”
“Then
let him do it without you.”
Tommy
understood her frustration but he wasn't sure that she completely understood
his motivation.
“Look
Trish, I didn't agree to do any show. All I did was agree to meet him so that
he would stay away from you. If I don't show up you can bet that he and his
crew will be camped outside of your house day and night. He will not let this
go. Trust me.”
Trish
sat there on the bed with the phone up to her ear. She knew what Tommy was
trying to do but she had a bad feeling about it. She had only seen a few
episodes of ViReal TV over the years but she knew they were the absolute worst
kind of tabloid television out there. Those trashy tabloid papers sold at the
grocery check out line were more legitimate. Schnell had been sued so many
times that he actually kept a running count of the lawsuits on his website. The
disgusting thing was that he usually won them or got them tossed out. There was
nothing too sacred to exploit when it came to him. Trish knew that and it
scared her. She and Tommy had gone through so much and were finally at peace.
There would be no end to what Schnell would dig up and throw at them.
“It's
not you that I don't trust. I know you wouldn't do anything that you thought
would jeopardize us. I know that you are doing this because you think Schnell
will back off. But what happens when he doesn't get what he wants from you?
What do you think he'll do when you're on the road? Do you really believe that
he's going to leave me alone? You yourself said that this will be the story of
the year. It doesn't matter what you tell him. You know he's going to come for
me too.”
“No.
He won't.”
“How
can you be so sure?”
Tommy
thought long and hard about his next words. He wanted to assure her that she
was going to be safe but he didn't want her to take it the wrong way and start
to worry.
“I
am going to convince him that it will be in his best interest to stay away from
you?”
“How
do you plan to do that?”
“I'm
not sure yet. I thought I would start by sitting down and talking to him about
what happened. I can tell him that he won't get anything more by contacting to you.
I'll tell him that we spoke and agreed that I would be the official
spokesperson for the Jarvis family. Anything he needs will have to come from
me. If I give him something then maybe he'll go off somewhere else looking for
the rest. We're not the only two survivors.”
Without
hesitation Trish responded.
“What
about Megan?”
Tommy
sat silently while he pondered his sister's question.
“I've
thought about that. She's most certainly on his list. I had planned on calling
her after I talked with you so I'm not exactly sure how she's going to respond.
I do care but you're family and family comes first.”
Trish's
headache was at full strength again.
“Look
Tommy, I do trust you. I know you won't do anything to hurt us but I just don't
trust that guy. He'll do anything to get he wants. You know that. I really
don't believe he'll leave me alone either but I'm going to trust you. You meet
with him and then tell me what happens. Let me know if I should start looking
for a van outside.”
Tommy
tried to laugh away the tension.
“I'll
do that. What if he does show up?”
In
spite of the pounding in her head and ball of nerves that had built up in her
stomach, she tried to laugh.
“If
he does show up he'll have to deal with my cop husband and his gun.”
Even
though they were only connected by a phone line, they legitimately smiled at
the same time. Tommy did not feel as anxious and Trish wasn't as upset as she
had been.
“Is
Joe's gun big enough?”
The
double entendre was obvious.
“Trust
me little brother, it's big enough.”
They
simultaneously erupted into laughter. The dark cloud lifted somewhat and Trish
felt much better, in spite of the situation. She didn't want to hang up but her
head was really starting to hurt.
“Let
me go Tommy, my head is really pounding now and I could use the nap.”
“Okay.
I'm sorry about all this. If I could do it without worrying you I would.”
“I
know. You're just looking out for me.”
“Always.
You know that. You're my big sister but I feel like it's my job to keep an eye
on you. I mean, I know you have Joe and the kids and all that but you're still
my sister. You're all I've got. I know Joe won't let anyone mess with you.”
“You
can bet on that. Schnell would have a better time dealing with Jason.”
Tommy
frowned at that. It was so unlike Trish. They never talked about it and they
never mentioned the name. Perhaps she was just trying to lighten the mood. As
if sensing his thoughts, Trish spoke back up.
“Hey,
I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry.”
Tommy
nodded to himself and responded.
“It's
okay. I know what you meant. Look, I'll let you go. You need to sleep off that
headache and I need to think about getting on the road.”
Trish
felt terrible.
“Tommy,
I am sorry. It was just a bad joke.”
“I
know, I know. I dropped a lot on you. I understand.”
“I
just want to know that I love you and I didn't mean anything by it. I don't
know what I was thinking. Maybe it's the migraine”
“Trish,
listen. It's okay. I'm fine. Now, I really do need to run. I'll call when I get
to New Jersey. Okay?”
“Yeah.”
She
almost hung the phone up but stopped.
“Tommy?”
“Yeah.”
“I
love you. Be safe.”
“Love
you too.”
The
line clicked dead and Trish sat there staring at the handset. She felt terrible
about the “Jason” comment. Truthfully, didn't know why she said in the first
place. She regretted it the moment she said. Tommy could say that it was okay
but she knew it has bothered him. It was a horrible thing to say and she wasn't
sure if she could forgive herself for saying it. The guilt only made the pain
behind her eyes worse.
Why
had she said that name? It was like an unwritten rule in their family, never
mention him or what he had done to their family. They rarely mentioned their
mother because that brought back memories of that weekend and the horror they
had experienced.
That's
what her dream had been about. Perhaps that's why she mentioned his name. It
had been thirty-five years and she hadn't gone through everything that Tommy
had been through but that didn't mean she had experienced her own person
trauma. She had been able to move past the initial events and re acclimate
herself into normal life but there had been years of therapy for her too. She
didn't talk about it and she had never even told Tommy but Joe and the kids
knew about her night terrors and the headaches that usually followed them.
Trish
may not have been as openly scarred as Tommy but that didn't mean Jason
Voorhees had stopped stalking her. He came to her in her dreams and unlike
their encounter in 1984, he didn't end up on the floor dead with a machete in
his head. In the dreams he kept coming. In the dreams she saw the terrible
things he did. The years had passed but in the dreams she could still hear Rob
screaming out from the basement. “He's killing me. Oh God, he's killing me.”
She could still hear the sound of his body being pummeled.
In
many ways the dreams were worse than the actual memories. The sounds were
louder and the shadows less dim. She could see things that had mercifully been
hidden during the actual experience. Her imagination filled in details that she
had only heard second hand and it made up other things that never even
happened. The dreams with her mother were the worst.
In
some of them Trish was able to see her mother, standing face to face with Jason
in the pouring rain. Lightning would illuminate his battered mask, her mother
would scream out in terror, and the blood soaked machete would silence her
abruptly. Those dreams were bad but the ones where she found her mother in the
tub made them almost tolerable. Trish could imagine the cold touch of her dead
skin and see her lifeless eyes rolled back into her skull. In the dreams she
tried to scream but nothing would come out. She could only sit there and cradle
her mother's dead body until it spoke, calling out her name.
Trish
shuddered and sat the phone back onto the base. She rubbed both temples gently
with the tips of her fingers. The migraine was getting stronger and she would
have to take one of the pills before too long. They helped eased the pain but
they knocked her out. As painful as the headaches were she dreaded deep sleep
even more. That's when the dreams came. She fell back onto her bed and pulled
the pillow over heard. She began to weep softly and beg God for some relief.
She dozed off after fifteen minutes and for the first time in months, the
dreams didn't come.
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