"I can't freakin believe it!!!" Xander Harris yelled as he stood at the bus stop with a duffel in his hand and his two best friends beside him. His parents were sending him to summer camp to get him out of there hair. Sure he was only sixteen but his parents knew the owneers so of course he was hired. He knew he'd never see any of the money however. His parents would see to that.
"It won't be that bad Xander." Willow Rosenberg said as she patted her friend on the back. in truth she was going to miss him. But, to her he would be safe. Away from the vampires and demons that roamed the hellmouth.
"Yeah. Besides at least you'll be away from the vamps." Buffy put in as she hugged her friend. Xander didn't smile as he hugged her and Willow up to him.
"I'll miss ya both. Bunches." Willow and Buffy giggled as the bus slowed and stopped. Finally Xander stepped out of the circle and moved toward the bus.
"Bye girls." Xander stepped on the bus and moved to his seat. He waved to the girls as the bus began to move.
"Great. Just great." Xander murmered to himself as the bus pulled from Sunnydale. Next stop.... Camp Crystal Lake.
Xander stepped off the bus with several other kids his age. He had met and talked to a couple along the way. Trevor and Micha. They seemed alright. Xander dropped his duffel on the ground as the head counsler of the camp began his welcoming speech.
"Welcome to camp Crystal Lake. I'm Megan Jarvis the head counsler for this outting. Now. We have alot of work to do but I recommend you take the next couple of days to unwind. Have fun. Swim, Fish, Hike. Whatever you do to relax."
'Fight vampires.' Xander whispered to himself.
"The room list is on the bulletin board by the main cabin. Find your bunk, unpack. Then i'll give everyone a tour of the camp. Meet back here in half an hour." Xander picked up his bag and followed the other counsulers to the board to find his cabin number.
"Yo Xand! Your bunkin with me and Trev. Get your shit and lets go." Xander chuckled at Micha then followed him to there cabin. He was the only one to notice how the bushes seemed to move as they walked by. But this not being Sunnyhell he gave it little thought. To bad.
It didn't take Xander long to get to know the other counslers. Trevor and Micha first. Followed by Tosha, Ginger, and Tim. And of course the head counsler herself Megan. Xander watched her carefully as she swam through the crystal clear water of the lake. He figured her to be in her early to mid thirties. Extremly attractive. But, that wasn't what he was looking at. There was something in her past that seemed to always be on her back. Never letting her go. He had not seen her give a real smile since he had been there. Two days to be exact. Something was bothering her. He was sure of it. And being himself he wanted to help.
"Stop starin man before you drool on your shirt." Xander chuckled and shook his head before looking up at his newest friend Micha. Micha was a tall young man about two years Xander's senior. He was african- american in decent and was proud of it. He also had his eyes on Tosha. A light skinned young woman who could be on 'Baywatch'. Xander chuckled at the thought as Micha sat beside him.
"She's a little old for you isn't she bro?" Xander chuckled and smacked Micha on the back of the head.
"I wasn't staring at her because she's hot. And she is. I was thinking. Pervert." Xander said with a grin on his face that was matched by Micha's.
"Yeah. She is hot. What else did you say?" They both laughed neither noticing Megan walking up to them. Finally they noticed when she cleared her throat. She smiled at both the young men before speaking.
"Why aren't you guys swimming? The water feels great." Xander knew why he wasn't swimming. Micha spoke first.
"I can't swim. Never learned." Megan nodded then looked at Xander expectantly.
"Just don't feel like it." Xander answered trying to smile. Megan frowned at him playfully and tilted her head.
"Nah. Not a good excuse. Get up and get in the water." She said it playfully and Xander stood up grudingly.
"I really don't want to." Xander answered. Megan walked up to him slowly smiling the entire time. She grabbed the bottom of his shirt and began to pull it over his head. Any thought Xander had of stopping her was forgotten and by the time he realized what was happening his shirt was on the ground. He saw Micha and Megan looking at his scarred chest and back. That is why he didn't want to swim.
"What happened man?" Micha asked as he stood and looked at Xander closer. Xander shrugged before answering.
"Bad luck. Among other things." Micha only nodded. Megan on the other hand was still looking at Xander's well chisled but also well scarred chest. Micha saw that a talk was coming so began to walk toward the cabins.
"I'll see ya later Xand! And man, don't hide your scars. Sometimes there the only thing that helps you know your alive." Xander ws shocked at his friends words. They were the exact thing he told Willow when she asked why he looked at them so much.
"Wanna go for a walk?" Megan asked after Micha had dissappeared into the forest. Xander sighed before nodding.
"Sure." Xander left his shirt on the ground as he and Megan began to walk down the trail. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Megan begins to talk.
"What happened?" Megan asked with a caring touch in her voice. For a second Xander actually thought of telling her. But that was only for a second.
"I'll make you a deal. You tell me what happened to you and I'll tell you everything thats happened to me. Deal?" Megan bit her lower lip as she thought of her own life story. Finally she nodded.
"Deal. Meet me at my cabin tonight. WE will talk." She said the we with vigor to tell Xander there was no backing out.
"Good. But you probably won't believe me. Hell you might even think i'm nuts." Megan highly doubted that. After seeing Jason Voorhees nothing was impossible.
"We'll see. See you tonight Xand." Megan walked back toward the cabins leaving Xander in the middle of the trail. After a second Xander began looking around. All his time on the Hellmouth had taught him to trust his feelings. And he had a feeling that there was something much worse than vampires. And he had an even worse feeling that he was going to meet it.
After he agreed to meet with Megan later that night Xander walked aimlessly around the lake. He had five hours before sundown. That was alot of time to kill. Xander's head shot up as he heard a scream coming from close to the cabins. Maybe it was just his way but he ran toward it as fast as he could. His legs pumping, his arms moving. He found the girl screaming quickly....Ginger. He also saw why she was screaming. A man in a hockey mask with a machete was stalking his way toward her. With a burst of adrenalin Xander flying tackled the man to the ground then jumped back and picked up the machete as the man writed on the ground holding his chest.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Growled Tim as he pulled the hockey mask off his face and glared at Xander. Xander sighed and threw the machete making it stab into a tree.
"Whats wrong with me?! Maybe its the dick in the mask." Xander was pissed. Everyone knew the stories of Jason Voorhees. And unlike most people... Xander believed it was possible. After all if Vampires existed so could Jason. Tim stood silently fuming as the rest of the camp came into the clearing.
"You don't want to mess with me Xander." Xander laughed at Tims threat.
"Please. I've fought things that could kill you with a pinky. Just shut up and get out of my face." Tim turned and angrily stomped away. No one followed him as Xander walked over and picked the mask up off the ground.
"Dumbass." Xander muttered as he threw the mask as hard as he could into the woods. Xander turned and walked through the group seemingly not noticing there stares. Micha looked at everyone before following Xander toward the lake.
"Hey Xand! Wait up man!" Micha yelled as he ran to caught up to Xander. Xander slowed down but didn't stop. Micha slapped him on the back as he fell into step beside him.
"Don't let the jerk get to ya man." Xander nodded as he looked at the clear waters of the lake.
"There it is." Xander said as his eyes settled on the other side of the lake.
"What is it?" Micha asked trying to see what Xander was looking at.
"Camp Blood." Micha looked at Xander for a second before turning back to the lake.
"You mean all those stories were true? Can you prove it?" Micha asked as he took a step toward the lake. Xander's eyes never left the lake as he answered.
"Can you prove they didn't?" Micha turned and looked at Xander for a second not answering. Finally Xander sighed and turned around.
"Lets go back to the camp. I think its time to eat." Micha sighed and with one look back across the lake turned to follow Xander.
"I hope the stories aren't true." He said to himself not noticing the figure watching from across the lake. The white hockey mask seeming to stand out among the green trees.
Tim stomped his way through the tree as he thought of Xander.
"The little bastard thinks he can do that to me?! I'll show him pain.... I'll" He let the sentence run off as he noticed Jason Voorhees standing in front of him. Tim laughed.
"What is this? Trying to scare me. Well it won't work. Jason was nothing but a pussy." Tim stood there for a few seconds before sighing and turning back around.
"I'm going back to camp. Who knows maybe you can think of something a little better next time." Tim began walking toward the camp. He never saw the blade of the machete coming as it went through the back of his neck.
Xander walked toward Megan's cabin as darkness fell over Crystal Lake. He didn't know what to expect as he knocked on her door. Was he going to share his story then she was going to laugh and tell him he was nuts? Was he going to tell her everything or just the basics? His musing was cut short as Megan opened the door and motioned him in.
"So.... You go first." Megan said as she and Xander sat down on her bed. Xander seemed in thought before he started to tell his story.
"Most of the scars are from my parents. My father started drinking when I was five by the time I was six verbal abuse just wasn't enough." Megan found herself feeling sorry for Xander. But the bigger emotion in her heart was anger. 'How could anyone do that to there child?' she thought as Xander told the story of his parents.
"This is where it gets unbelieveable. Do you believe in the supernatural?" Megan nodded as she thought of her own demon.
"Good. Then maybe you won't have me locked up after you hear this. See, it all started when a new girl, Buffy Summers, started at my school. She's what you call the vampire slayer......." Xander told his story long into the night. He told her about his possession. He told her everything not leaving anything out. And Xander was suprised. Not so much that he told her everything. He was suprised that she actually listened.
Xander sat watching Megan carefully. He had told her his story and she had believed him. Or he thought she had. Now he sat patiently waiting for hers. He knew something bad had happened to her or someone she knew in the past.
"It started in May of 1988. I was a camp counsler at Camp Forrest Green. Or. Camp Crystal Lake. It started like any other summer. The kids came to the camp and we taught them things. There were four of us at the camp. Only I survived." Megan seemed to swallow a lump in her throat and licked her lips before continueing.
"Jason Voorhees. The Jason Voorhees came back. he killed my friends.... My father." Megan's eyes seemed to shimmer with unshed tears as she talked. Xander sat beside her and put a comforting arm on her shoulder. He wanted to tell her to stop. Tell her she didn't have to say anything. And she didn't. But she needed to. She had kept this bottled inside for to long.
"My husband well. Future husband Tommy Jarvis was able to drown Jason in the lake. Somehow Jason escaped. After hearing about all the murders that had been taking place Tommy came to check it out. He never came home..." Megan seemed to be staring through the wall as she pictured a distant memory. Xander closed his eyes in sympathy for the woman beside him. He wanted to say he was sorry. But it wasn't enough. Finally he settled for squeezing her shoulder to show he was still there.
"The sheriff found Tommy's body in the middle of the lake. A hockey mask in his hand. They said he probably killed the man dressed as Jason. Its hard to believe what the police will miss." Xander only nodded in agreement thinking of all the things that happened in his home town. All the murders and disappearances the police chalked up to... Well. Animals or runaways.
"This happened four years ago. Everything has been quiet since then but I know he's still here. He'll never leave. When I heard they were opening the camp I decided to try and help. So... Here I am." Xander held Megan close as she cried before talking.
"Your not alone. I'll help all I can. I mean I'm not slayer hell i'm just a normal guy but I'll do all I can. I promise." The two soon fell into a comfortable silence followed by sleep.
The old Ford Escort wagon flew down the dirt road at speeds of fifty- five miles an hour. They were late. They being the young couple in the front seats.
"So. You think we'll have fun this weekend?" The woman (Janice) asked the driver a tall young man named Tom.
"You think both of you could shut up and let me sleep." A female voice (Ashley) from the back seat yelled without sitting up.
"Aren't you a grouch." Janice said with a slight smile on her face. A huff was the only reply. Tom sighed as he pulled the car over to the side of the road.
"Let's just camp here tonight. Tomorrow we'll find the camp and get to work." The two passengers agreed.
Xander awoke to a strange noise outside the cabin. He slowly pulled out of Megan's arms and moved toward the door. Megan stirred for a second before falling silent. Xander looked down at her and smiled slightly before moving toward the door and looking out the two front windows of the cabins. He didn't see anything so he moved back toward the bed. As he walked he heard the noise again. Turning slowly he moved toward the door and slowly opened it to see.... Micha.
"What the hell do you want?" Xander asked as he looked out the door and around the cabins.
"I was wondering where you were man. Now that I know i'm gonna head back to the cabin. Seya tomorrow bro." Xander shook his head as he closed the door. Micha reminded him of Jesse. They looked nothing alike but the humor was there. Xander shook his head nad turned back to the bed to see Megan smiling at him.
"Already making good friends huh?" Xander looked at her with a smile.
"I'm lucky that way. Come on. Lets get back to sleep. I wanna learn to shoot a bow tomorrow."
"Are you sure it's safe to camp out here?" Ashley asked as she laid her sleeping bag on the ground. Tom shrugged while smiling.
"Why not? Afraid Jason's gonna get ya?" Tom laughed as Ashley raised her middle finger and climbed into her sleeping bag. Janice walked up to Tom and kissed him wrapping her arms around him.
"Lets go for a walk." She said in a sexy voice. Tom didn't even answer her he just began walking. Ashley rolled her eyes as the two disappeared into the darkness. Then she closed her eyes.
The kissing had turned into more as Tom and Janice leaned against a large tree. Janices' shirt had been discarded and her bra was being moved quickly. The two were so wrapped up in there hormones niether noticed the figure walk up to them and turn its' head sideways as if to be in thought. Then all they felt was pain as the machete blade entered Toms' back and went through Janices' chest impaling both of them to the large tree. Two down. One to go.
Ashley heard a loud scream and moved from her sleeping bag.
"Tom! Janice! This isn't funny!" She yelled into the darkened trees around her getting no answer she began walking to the trees before stopping and rolling her eyes.
"Fine. Don't answer me. I'm taking the car and getting a motel room!" Ashley turned to walk back to the car only to bump into man and fall to the ground. She looked at the white hockey mask in fear and began to crawl backwards. Jason just watched her with a void and dark eye. Ashley's breathing had accelerated. Her adrenelin level had shot through the roof. She stood and turned quickly running into the woods. Jason took slow and steady steps after her. She was as good as dead.
She ran through the tree as fast as possible. Her long blonde hair flew behind her like a flag catching on branches and being ripped from her scalp. She didn't notice. She was to afraid. After she thought she lost Jason she leaned against a tree to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes she saw the mask. Then. She saw the gleam of metal in the moonlight. Then. She saw nothing.
A new day had dawned on Camp Crystal Lake. And there were four warm bodies that had just turned cold.
Xander awoke as the sun came up. It was a habit he couldn't break, a habit created by waking up early to dodge your father's drunken ramblings and fist. He shook his head and focused on the body next to him. They were both fully clothed but somehow he felt closer to her than almost anyone before. He made the decision then. A decision that he would never regret no matter how the ordeal ended. He was going to help her.
"Morning." Megan murmered into her pillow as she slowly awoke to face a new day.
"Morning." Xander said with a slight smile on his lips that seemed to travel through his voice. Megan rolled on her back to look at the young man and a smile formed on her face as well.
"Start of a brand new day. Ready to teach me to shoot a Bow and Arrow?" Xander stated and asked with the smile growing wider as he looked at Megan.
"Give me five more minutes."
Xander stood in the main cabin with the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" Asked a distinguishly british voice.
"G-Man! Look I need a favor." Xander said as he looked around the room to make sure he was alone.
"Is something wrong Xander? Do you need help?" Giles asked with urgency. 'Things must be slow in SunnyD.' Xander thought to himself.
"No. Calm down Giles I just need you to do some research." Xander said with a humorus filled voice.
"Very well, what do you need Xander?" Giles asked once again in his normal speech.
"I need to ask you about body possession. But not by a demon. I was wondering if it was possible for a soul to return to its body after death? Ya know, instead of going to the otherside?" The phone was silent for a few second before Giles cleared his throat.
"Truthfully Xander, I do not know. My educated guess would be yes but I am not for sure." Xander sighed and closed his eyse.
"Could you look for me G-Man? I'll call back tonight." Giles said he would and Xander shut off the cordless phone.
"That was a dead end." Xander said to himself. Then grimaced at his words. 'Lets hope not." Xander thought to himself as he exited the cabin. He had to shoot a bow and arrow today.
"Nice shot." Megan said with a smile that had not left her face the entire day. Xander only shrugged he still hadn't hit the bull's eye but he had gotten in the ten range.
"No one is going to confuse me with Robin Hood thats for sure." Xander stated with a smile and a slight wink as he sat the bow down.
"It should be good enough for me to teach the kids though." Megan nodded and rolled her eyes.
"You never give yourself enough credit Xander." Megan said this through a smile but the words carried a meaningful tone. Xander's smile widened and he put an arm over Megans' shoulders.
"I don't need to. Friends like you do it for me." If it was possible Megans' smile grew wider.
Giles sat with his shoulders hunched over and his eyes locked on the old tome he was reading. He rubbed his eyes and again began to concentrate on the worlds written in ancient summarian. Finally he seemed to brighten.
"This is... This is very bad."
Xander sat at the edge of the dock with his feet hanging over into the water. Micha walked to the end of hte dock and sat beside him.
"So... What happened last night man?" Micha asked with a smile and a glint in his eyes. Xander sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Nothing man. We slept." Micha looked at him for a second before nodding that he believed him. sort of. Micha decided to let it go.
"Tosha and I are going to camp blood. Wanna come?" Xander looked at Micha for a second. He knew there was no way he could talk the young man out of the trip. He was to intrested in Tosha. Finally Xander sighed.
"Nah. You and Tosh have fun." Micha nodded as he stood.
"Later bro." As Micha walked back down the dock toward Tosha Xander stood and began to follow them. He wasn't going to let Micha out of his sight. As he walked by one of the cabins he picked up a small hatchet.
"Just incase." He said to himself. Just incase.
Sheriff Harvey stood over the body of Ashley Farrington. He shook his head at the carnage.
"Looks like we have ourselves another copycat." He stated as he watched two body bags loaded into an ambulance. Deputy Loonie stood leaning against a tree. A sick look on his face.
"We should go to the camp. Warn everyone." The deputy said between the gulps he was using to keep his food in his stomach. The sheriff nodded as if unfazed by the blood and gore splattered around him.
"Sure. After lunch." The sheriff smiled as he heard Deputy Loonie lose his breakfast.
The coverall clothed body moved slowly and purposefully through the forrest. The machete in his right hand moved with his body in an forward and backward swing. He was a machine. A pure, uncut killing machine. Jason Voorhees is more than a force of evil. It is evil. No one at Camp Crystal Lake knew what they were getting into. No one knew that the ultimate force of evil on earth was coming.
Xander walked between the trees slowly, keeping his friends in sight as he carefully avoiding the dry leaves and twigs. He didn't want to frighten his friends, or draw attention to himself. He noticed the people moving toward him long before they came into view. He held the small hatchet at his leg as he looked around the forest with slitted eyes.
"Whose there?" He asked as he walked stealthyly into a small open area. When no one answered Xander looked at the retreating figures of his friends and began to walk after them. Until he hear the one word that was always in the movies.
"Freeze." Xander dropped the hatchet as one word came from his mouth.
"Shit."
Xander sat infront of a large table his hands cuffed in front of him sat on the table top. He had been here for about thirty minutes and been questioned by at least three different officers. Now it was the sheriffs turn.
"What were you doing in the woods son?" Sheriff Harvey asked as he paced the other side of the room.
"My friend Micha asked me to go, I declined but changed my mind. I went looking for him." The Sheriff nodded. This fit with what the other two youths had said.
"What about the hatchet?"
"I was thinking about snakes Sheriff. I'm not used to being in the woods all the time and a few things make me nervous." The sheriff nodded at Xanders words. It all made sense, but something was nagging at the back of his mind. Plus, he was being pushed by his deputies to find the killer of the three tourist soon.
"I have nothing to hold you on kid. But I do have to ask one more question. Did you stay with anyone last night? Someone who would know your whereabouts between ten and midnight?" Xander nodded quickly wanting to end this interrogation as soon as possible.
"Megan Jarvis. I talked to her last night around ten." Xander said with as little emotion in his voice as possible. The Sheriff nodded and began to leave the room.
"Sheriff?", At Xanders voice the Sheriff turned and looked at him. ,"Is there something we should know about?" The Sheriff seemed in thought at first but then shook his head in the negative.
"Not at the moment. Ms. Jarvis is waiting for you in the lobby, I'll have you out of here in five minutes." Xander nodded as the Sheriff closed the door. Then he sighed.
"Cops are the same everywhere." He said to the empty room.
Xander sat on the passenger side of the beat up truck as Megan drove toward camp.
"I've been doing this crap for over a year and this is the first time I've been arrested.", Xander seemed in thought for a second before adding, "I don't like being thought of as what I've been against." Megan nodded in almost understanding. She could see the idea of being thought of as something you hate. She had just never experienced it.
"I can see your point. At least they didn't hold you overnight." Xander didn't say anything as they drove toward camp Crystal Lake
Rupert Giles pushed his old and ragged out car as fast as it would go down the highway. He needed to reach Xander as quickly as possible to warn the young man. He was just over half way there when his car sputtered to a stop.
"Bloody Hell!!" The watcher screamed as he looked around the darkness. Reaching into the backseat of his car he pulled his favorite Rapier wrapped in canvas and began the trek to the nearest town, A little over eleven miles away.
Micah sat at the end of the dock with his feet hanging into the water. He didn't notice Xander walk to his side until Xander took a seat.
"I was arrested." Micah laughed as Xander said the sentence with a dull voice and straight face.
"Yeah. Hope Bubba wasn't to rough with ya." Xander shook his head and looked at his friend warily before moving away from him to the edge of the dock.
"There was no Bubba Mic. And I really don't wanna know why you thought there was." Micha laughed and looked across the lake.
"We never made it to camp Blood."
"Maybe that's a good thing. If there wasn't anything wrong the cops wouldn't have been out there." Xander said as he stood and turned to walk toward the cabins.
"Or maybe there just being cops and acting like dicks!" Micha yelled over his shoulder. Xander didn't answer.
Giles walked into the local cafe long just as they were closing.
"Um. Excuse me." He said to a young woman as she locked the door.
"Do you know anyway I can rent a vehicle tonight?" The look the woman gave him was answer enough.
Xander stood looking out the large bay window in the main cabin. He didn't know why but he had a feeling things were about to go downhill.
"What are you thinking about?" Megan asked as she came to stand beside him and look at the calm waters of Crystal Lake. The moon in the sky seemed to reflect off the water in a wide range bringing light to the entire camp.
"Thinking about why the cops were at Camp Blood." The two stood silently for a moment before Megan turned to him with a questioning look.
"Something is wrong. I don't know what yet, but it must've been bad for the cops to show up here." Megan nodded not sure of what to think.
"I'm going there." Megan looked at him with wide and fearful eyes.
"NO!"
"Yes. Just think of it as a recon mission. I'm not going to fight IT if I see IT." Megan didn't take comfort from this.
"Why go out at all then?" She asked with worry. Xander turned and smiled at her slightly.
"To see if IT's getting close to the camp. I wanna see if it has a pattern." Megan didn't seem to understand but she stood straight quickly.
"Then I'm going to." Xander smiled again and chuckled.
"I need you to stay here. I've got a friend coming here that most likly knows how to stop Jason." Megan looked down in understanding. She didn't like the idea but she knew it was the best they had. Xander lifted her head with a smile.
"Hey I've been doing this for awhile now. I can handle it." As Xander said the words he didn't know who he was trying to convince. Her or himself.
Giles walked down the road with the large duffel in his left hand. He had to reach Xander before something bad happened. Or before the boy did something idiotically heroic and got himself killed. Giles looked over his shoulder as a large Semi-truck came to a stop beside him and the passenger side door opened.
"Where ya headin?" The man in the farmers hat asked as Giles walked up to the door.
"Crystal Lake." The man nodded and smiled.
"It's on my way. Hop in." Giles sat his duffel on his lap as he sat down and shut the door.
"Thank you sir." Giles said as the large truck began to move toward Camp Crystal Lake.
Jason walked through the woods toward the lake and the lights on the other side. Trespassers where there. This was his domain. They would all die.