Chapter Text
‘Phew!’ Jess let out a loud sigh one that sounded forced and drawn out. Setting down the last and heavy large box. They just moved into their new apartment whom actually allows pets…for once. She looked over at her roommate and best friend, Bri. She was face down into their light brown ‘L’ shaped couch. Her dog, a border collie named Buddy laying on the floor below where his owner laid. Both are twenty-five years old ladies now living in an unfamiliar town, in an uncertain place they found listed on craigslist.
Jess runs a hand through her short black hair. “Bri…” she calls out to her friend as she plops down onto the other side of the couch. Buddy raises his head ears perked up but he only yawns before resting back down. Too tired from the few hours long drive to get here. All Jess got from Bri was a short muffled moan from her friend whining into the couch. Jess sighs again “You know you could have helped bring the stuff in.”.
Bri turns her head to the side facing out from the couch. “I helped carry the furniture in” she whines again clearly tired from the trip/work of moving. “Yes and what about helping with the boxes?” Jess asked leaning her head back. “BITCH!!” Bri’s outburst startled Jess too and upright pose then she relaxed back. “I drove us here” she growls turning her head to back into the couch then to face the back of the couch. Both girls sigh “let’s take a nap then” Jess suggests. “After we’ll unpack” Bri adds in they sigh once more then nodded off one after the other.
“WHORE!!!!” A very muffled voice yelled through the wall causing them both to jump awake. “THE FUCK WAS THAT?!!” Bri yelled falling off the couch as buddy yips and jumps from the couch and stands in front of the door. Jess stood up walking over to the door listening. “Sounds like….our neighbors are fighting?” She said a bit questioning making Bri growl in annoyance. “Rude! I’m going back to sleep.” Bri said walking toward her bedroom. “Oh no, you don’t!” Jess yelled grabbing Bri by her shirt collar. “We still need to unpack and eat dinner and you will be helping to unpack!” Jess said glaring at her best friend.
Sagging her shoulders Bri shuffled to the door mumbling curses under her breath. “Hate it here.” she pouted. “Quit whining you big baby. What do you want for food?” Huffing Bri crossed her arms. “Can’t we just order pizza like the lazy bitches we are?” Sighing Jess knew what she was about to say would upset her friend dearly. She put her hands on her shoulders. “Bri….dominos doesn't deliver to where we live.” Bris eyes widen. “No….that’s not true, you’re just saying that so we’ll have to go shopping! You…you promised. You said you googled it….you, you promised…” Bri went on with a hurt tone curling up onto the couch. Jess went to her getting onto her knees and rubbing at her friend’s back which was facing her.
“Ssh I know, I know but….I forgot” she whispered to Bri. Listening to her clearly not entirely real sobs. “But if we unpack and then go shopping we can laze out all tomorrow, ok?” she asked making a deal with her introvert of a pal. With that, they agreed to have pizza for dinner tomorrow night.
-Next Day-
With nearly all the boxes unpacked and the food all stocked up the day was to start up on the right hand. Bri woke around eleven in the morning with a load yawn she opened her door to the living room. Outburst Buddy, he ran to Jess who was in the kitchen making something. Walking up to her Bri went for the coffee pressing past a happy feet dancing dog. Once poured and fixed she sipped on her coffee. “Okay…now I’ll get dressed, take Buddy potty then we game” she more than less announced to whoever was listening. “So…no breakfast? Er, uh lunch?” Jess asked cutting and scooping out brownies from the hot pan. Eyeing it she cleared her throat “Mm yes breakfast before game. I’ll be back.”.
-La Time Skip-
Once back she let Buddy off the leash where he went to go eat. Jess gave her a small smile then handed her a pop-tart. “Wha?! But the brownies?” Bri whined clearly not happy with this horrible betrayal. "Brownies are for the neighbors, not a Bri" Jess said poking her in the nose. Growling Bri took an angry bite out of the pop-tart. "AHH HOT! HOT! HOT!!" she yelled jumping up and down like an infant girl. “This is some real B.S.” Bri mumbles to herself. “Whelp good luck with the neighbors” She pats Jess’s shoulder then goes to the couch to start up her Xbox.
Opening the front door Jess pauses “Wait, what? No, you’re coming with me”. A loud groan cries out along with a string of cursing. “You said we laze today…first the tease of brownies and now you forcing me to talk to people. When will you’re lying end?” Bri whines plopping back against the couch. Jess only rolls her eyes as she waits for her friend to get up and join her.
“Well, I guess you won’t get the second plate of peanut butter brownies I made for you.” She said nonchalantly. She was right about to leave only to be shoved out of the way by her friend. “You better not be lying to me.” She mumbles as they leave. “I promise I’m not. Now should we start with the people across from us or the ones down the hall?” Jess asked looking at both doors. “Just pick one! I want my damn brownies!” rolling her eyes Jess walks over to the door across from them reading the number 203 on the door. “Well, here we go.”
-Knock, Knock, Knock-
Hearing nothing she turns to Bri. “Maybe they aren't ho-” “SON OF A WHORE!!!!” a voice yelled through the door causing them both to jump. They leaned in closer to hear an argument. “Fuck-just-your-mother fucking ass-now!” was all they could make out before the door creaked open. In the door stood more like towered in the doorway was…Jason…as in Jason Voorhees, the killer from Friday the 13th series. The tip of his nose area of his mask and above are blocked by the door frame. His outfit is clean minus the dried blood stains and the wore/withered marks on his clearly well-used mask.
The two girls looked up with wide eyes. Blinking a couple times before looking to each other then back to him. “Wo sick cosplay, bro” Bri grinned and inspected what she can see of his outfit. Jess nodded agreeing with Bri. “Hello. Nice to meet you we are your new neighbors from across the way” she greets holding the brownies out to him. “…uh” is all they got out of him before he shuts the door on them.
“Well…that was-” Jess started to say “rude” Bri finished. As they go to step away they hear mumbling from the other side followed by shuffling than the door swings open again. This time in the doorway stood, Freddy Krueger. He was much shorter than the man before him. Leaning in the door frame he made it clear he was looking over the two girls bodies.
“Oh, man awesome cosplay! That must have taken hours.” Jess said stepping closer to ‘Freddy’ to get a better look. He was a few inches taller than her so she stood on her tippy toes. “Damn that detail is amazing!” she said in amazement. ‘Freddy’ gave her an odd look before taking a step back. “Uh, Jess I think you are making him uncomfortable…” Bri said watching her friend pushing boundaries...again. Snapping out of it she backed up and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I get carried away with things like this. Anyway were your neighbors and brought over brownies!” she said with a smile holding them toward ‘Freddy’. He eyed them suspiciously and looked them over again. “If they are poisoned that won’t kill me,” he said glaring.
Bri and Jess looked at each other. “Uh well, I can promise you this time they are not. Someone here.” she gestured to Bri. “wasn’t near them. The last time she tried to make sweets she misread baking powder for bleach.” Jess laughed. “No casualties though.” Bri turned red and smacked her arm. “I was cooking without my glasses it’s not my fault I lost them!” she defended. “They were on top of your head the whole time.” She said rubbing her shoulder. “and I told you that I’m not mentally qualified to cook for other living beings” Bri defends herself.
Bri calmed herself “Anyways if you don’t mind me asking how did you make your make up er special effects look so real?”. He blinked at her in dumb found-ness looking over to Jess in a way that asked her to explain what her friend was talking about. Jess smiled “Yeah it must have taken forever. Did you do it yourself or did ‘Jason’ help?” she asked causing ‘Freddy’ to gap at them like they were either very stupid or that sheltered. “Fuck me! You do know I’m really real right?” he almost yelled Jess tilted her head. “Of course you’re real….or I ate Bri’s cooking…again” She trailed off noticing ‘Jason’ watching in the background.
“Die-hard” Bri whispered leaning into Jess so she can make it even more obvious. ‘Freddy’ facepalmed with his clawed hand looking down and slowing shaking his head. “I’m a mother fucking dream demon, dammit!” he growled looking back up to them. Leaning back into the door frame he waves a hand gesturing ‘Jason’ to come over to them. ‘Jason’ gets up and walks/lumbering over to them standing next to his shorter roommate. The only way they know he was listening is his mask covered head tilted more downward to them.
“Go on mate tell them. We be the real deal killers.” ‘Freddy’ smirks patting the back of his non-clawed hand on ‘Jason’s’ chest…more like the top of his abs. ‘Jason’ reaches up with his huge gloved hand and grips onto the top of the door frame. Bending down he moves his face lower so they can now see his mask’s eye holes. One of his eyes can be seen through one of the dark holes. He doesn’t say anything just stares, studying them for a moment. “Can we uh-” Bri starts to ask only to get cut off by a random voice screaming “SELFIE!!” then hushing from the door next door to the guy’s apartment.
“Yeah, can we get a selfie?” Jess asks after they all taken a moment to look at the closed door who seemingly just yelled at them. ‘Jason’ simply nodded him still just watching them. “What? NO!” ’Freddy’ screeches out him waving his hands back and forth then tries to push ‘Jason’ back into the apartment. ‘Jason’ simply stepped back making ‘Freddy’ nearly fall forward onto the ground. He pops up hat on crooked clears his throat and proceeds to shut the door on the girl yet again.
Jess looked at Bri. "too into character I think." She sighs in disappointment at not getting a picture. Bri sighed and patted her shoulder in comfort. "Yeah well at least we tried, now let’s go home." she said trying to grab one of the brownies only for Jess to smack her hand away. "No these are not for you. you won’t even like them they have caramel in them." Bri hisses at the brownies. " you’re a monster! trying to get me to eat that!" she makes a gagging face. Jess sighs and walks to the other neighbor’s door.
"Let’s try this again." she said knocking onto door 202. They hear a small yelp followed by an even louder scream. They look at each other. "why is everyone acting like no one has ever knocked on their door before?" Jess asked quietly. Bri shrugs. "A bunch of freaks if you ask me" Bri said stretching. Jess smacks Bri’s shoulder at her remark. The door opens to reveal...'Ghost-face' peeking his head out. "Uuuh h-hi there were your new neighbors and we thought we would introduce ourselves…I made brownies." Jess said smiling. 'Ghost-face' looked them over and opened his door all the way, moving aside to invite them in.
They blink at this. Jess takes one step forward fully okay with going into a stranger’s home. With an eyebrow twitch and a swift movement Bri yanks Jess back to her and slams the door. “NICE TO MEET YOU!” Bri shouts grabbing Jess by her shoulders from behind and pushing her away. Guiding her down the hall and around a corner. Before fully disappearing behind the corner Bri swears she spotted a single eye watching them from the cracked open door of apartment 203 it seemed to shot suddenly once ‘spotted’.
Jess pouts at being pushed around. "That was rude, Bri." huffing Bri pinches Jess' s nose. "You were going into a strangers apartment. He didn't even say anything, the creep!" rubbing her nose Jess walked down a short hallway towards the end where a set of stairs were leading into darkness. "we're these always here?" Jess asked. Bri simply shrugs her shoulders as an answer even if Jess could or couldn’t see this. A single light lit the stairs leaving darkness at the bottom. Taking a step down then paused as that one light flickered before staying on again. “Hm” Bri hummed in thought. Turning some to look back at Jess “we uh we can go back home instead.” She suggests.
Jess glares "If we don't find a nice person to give these brownies too, I swear all the food I make will have caramel in it.". Bri shudders and gags at the thought "fine!" she looks at the stairs and back to Jess "you first”. Rolling her eyes Jess walks down the dark rickety stairs. Bri follows shining her flashlight from her phone. Once at the bottom they see a dark hallway right out of ‘The Shining’, twins and all.
“Remember when I said I wouldn’t ever hit a kid in my life?” Bri asked not breaking eye contact with the creepy little girls. “Were you promptly followed up with saying you don’t even want to have kids.” Jess stated watching them as well. “Well, some kids are about to get-” Bri started but got cut off as Jess greets them and gives them each a brownie with a friendly smile. The skip off after thanking her. Jess looks over at Bri cooking her head to the side “What?”.
Bri huffs in annoyance "You are far too trusting". Shrugging her shoulders Jess walks farther into the hall heading to the only apartment door on the floor. Number 27 was like every other door they encountered along the way but had a weird feeling coming from it. "Third times the charm I guess." Jess mutters as she knocks. The door slowly creaks opens after the last knock reveling nothing but darkness. "Whelp we tried" Bri grabs Jess by the upper arm and tries to lead them away.
Jess takes a step following Bri when suddenly came a tall slender man out of the darkness. His eyes gleamed at them and he had an odd unsettling smile. “Hello-o-oo” He greeted drawing out the o in the word for a minute. “Uh, h-hi we’re your new neighbors from upstairs” Jess spoke his eyes seemingly drilling into her soul. He looked from them then to the brownies. “My name is Robert, Robert Gray and it is so lovely to meet you both” he nearly sings taking the plate with the now cold brownies from them.
Looking back up to them his smile getting bigger he tosses the dish behind him without a care. It disappearing into the darkness of his home. “Thank you” he nods his head towards the girls. They simply nod back and with that, he shuts the door on them. “Robert Gray. As in from It?” Jess whispers to Bri they still haven’t left from the front of his door. “P-Pennywise?” Bri stutters out before turning and briskly going up the stairs and back to their apartment looking to hide away from the evil clown.