The Beginning

The storm hit the town of Lima, Ohio, out of nowhere. The weather reports predicted a slight drizzle, nothing more on this quiet night. The rain comes down hard, pounding everything in its way. Thunder rumbles deep and angry as lightning illuminates the sky.

Rachel Berry watches the storm from her windowsill. She sits inside her safe quaint little bedroom, painted pink, where the storm can't touch her. As another clap of thunder hits, Rachel jumps in her small position. Ever since she was a little girl, she has hated rainstorms. They're absolutely terrifying. She hugs her stuffed teddy bear close to her chest. She knows she must seem like a child, but the small stuffed bear brings her comfort. Her boyfriend, Finn Hudson, at a carnival over the summer, won it. He won it for her. No one has ever won her anything before. Except for the time when she was a little girl when one of her two dads won her a small stuffed fish from a crane machine at a toy store. The fish is bright purple with gold stripes. It lies on top of her neatly made bed with her many pillows.

As thunder fills the silence once again, Rachel hugs the bear tighter towards her body. She closes her eyes and silently prays for the storm to leave and never come back. She doesn't understand how her friend, she thinks at least, Kurt Hummel finds them soothing. She finds them absolutely terrifying.

She looks at her cell phone to see that no one has messaged her or tried to call her tonight. She knows that she may be a diva and she knows that she can be uptight or hard on the others, but she only does it because she really wants everyone to be their best.

I honestly do love them all. I wish I could tone myself down sometimes…

It would be nice if someone texted her to wish her safety tonight. The rain has always depressed Rachel. It reminds her of a sad music video where someone cries in a car as it rains outside mourning over a lost loved one.

Rachel nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound of the doorbell alarming. Who would be outside in this storm? She looks at her clock; it is after ten at night. Who would be crazy enough to come here now?

Rachel pulls her long dark brown hair out of its ponytail and smoothes out her hot pink lounge pants and white tank top. She puts her cell phone in her pocket. She slowly walks out of her room and down the staircase as the doorbell rings once more.

"Who is it?" the young brunette diva calls.

No answer.

They probably can't hear me over the storm. Yeah…that must be it…

Rachel tries to convince herself that it is no one on the other side. There are no killers waiting to attack her. Right? Don't horror films always begin with a young girl, usually in high school, alone at home…scared?

"Hello?"

Again, no answer.

She slowly opens the chain and she tries to ignore the sound of her beating heart accelerating in speed. As she pulls open the door, it creaks open. She can't make out the person's face. She grabs her phone, as lightning strikes…and…

"Hey, can I come in? I'm really wet."

Finn Hudson, football star, or so he likes to think when in actuality he is a pretty mediocre athlete, stands outside soaking wet and shivering. He wears his typical dopey grin on his face. His dark hair is matted to his forehead.

"Of course. Come in!"

Rachel steps aside to let the man she loves into her home. Her heart begins to slow down as she lets out a sigh of relief. She was getting worked up over nothing. She smiles as she takes Finn's jacket letting it sit in the kitchen so it can dry. He takes in the silence of the house.

"Where are your dads?"

"Oh, they're at a gay and lesbian benefit tonight to raise money for homeless gay and lesbian youth!"

"Cool. Kurt was telling me about that over dinner. He was thinking of going to help out…but then the storm happened, so he stayed in instead. He wanted to have the house to himself, while Carol and Burt are on their honeymoon."

"Oh, I can't believe their married still. The wedding was so beautiful. Was it really only last week?"

"Yep! The Hummels and the Hudsons have become one family. It's like in Power Rangers!"

"What?" Sometimes Rachel really question's Finn's logic.

"You know how all the zords combine to become one awesome megazord! It is like each one of us are a zord and now as a family we are all one awesome megazord, ya know?"

"Yeah," Rachel lies. She just politely smiles and kisses her adorable dopey boyfriend. Sometimes she has to remind herself, that he is hers. She is still waiting to wake up from a dream.

If this is a dream, please don't let me wake up just yet.

"So what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were alone…and Kurt got angry at me because I ate all the cookies he made. And you know how Kurt is when he is angry…so I'd rather chance the storm. Also I missed you."

He obviously added in that last part to please Rachel, but she is honestly just happy that he is there right now. It feels fantastic to finally not be alone anymore.

"I brought a movie over. It's in my jacket!"

"I put it in the kitchen."

Finn walks out of the living room, as Rachel takes a seat on the couch, which can seat two people only. He returns to the living room, and sits down besides her, kicking off his grimy sneakers molded with mud. He holds up a DVD, Scream.

"Finn, I hate horror films."

"Oh…"

Rachel shakes her head at his forgetfulness. He seems to forget an awful lot. She brings her knees up to her chin, wrapping her slender arms around them.

"We can watch it if you want…"

Finn smiles at her and Rachel's heart turns to goo. It's only two hours…she can deal…she hopes. It's only a movie after all. The moment the movie began, Rachel was already shrieking in fear, cowering behind Finn.

"I don't get how anyone could do that to sweet Drew Barrymore! She is so cute and adorable."

Finn obviously isn't listening to her as he is too into the movie cheering for the next victim to get it. By the end of the movie, Rachel is close to tears as she holds onto Finn's arm with a death grip. The moment the ending credits appear, Rachel sighs, thanking God that it is over, finally over!

"Did you like it?"

Rachel gives him an awkward smile, "…um, sure…"

"Awesome! I love the movie."

"Can I pick the movie next time?"

"Is it going to be one of your happy musicals?"

She smiles at him, "Possibly."

"Then, no." After seeing Rachel's angered face, he quickly takes it back. "I'm only kidding! Of course we can."

Finn really doesn't want to, but he doesn't want to hear Rachel ream him out either. Sometimes he doesn't know which is worse: Rachel or Kurt. Rachel lets out a yawn.

"Tired?"

"Yeah," she answers sleepily.

"Here you can sleep if you want."

With out even waiting for a response, Rachel falls fast asleep on Finn's shoulder. He smiles down at her sleeping form. She looks so small and delicate asleep. It's amazing how awake she can be such a diva.

Rachel awakes on the couch alone. The light is still on, but Finn is gone. The storm has died down outside, turning into a small drizzle. The clock on the wall reads that it is after 2 a.m.

"Finn?" she calls out, sitting up.

When he doesn't answer, she pulls herself up and walks into the kitchen to see that his jacket is still there. She rules out the fact that he may have gone home. She walks up to her bedroom to find it empty. She looks at her closet…

"Finn, if you're trying to scare me, it isn't going to work."

She is met by silence, "okay maybe a little bit…" She adds that under her breathe, grateful that no one can hear her.

She slowly trudges towards the closet and tears the door opening, screaming, "Loser!"

She is surprised to find no one there, "I guess you're the loser, Rachel Berry."

She walks out of her bedroom, but jumps at the sound of the phone ringing. She walks back into her bedroom and grabs the landline on her table by her bed.

"Hello. Berry residence."

Who would call here so late?

"Hello." The voice is deep and it sends shivers down Rachel's spine.

"Who is this?"

"Who is this?" the man over the phone quickly imitates. His voice sends shivers down Rachel's spine, but then she realizes that the voice is familiar and so is this speech. A smile breaks out across her face.

"Finn, you asshole! Joke is over. Now where are you hiding? And how are you getting your voice to do that?"

"This isn't Finn."

"Yeah right," she scoffs into the phone. If Finn really wants to play this game, then she may as well play along.

"So if this isn't Finn, then who is it?"

"Guess."

"Umm, is it Sam?"

"Nope. Wrong. Try again."

"Okay, how about Puck?"

"Wrong again."

"Okay Finn, I'm hanging up now. It's too late, well early to play this childish game. Good night!"

She starts to pull the phone away, "If you hang up on me, I'll cut you open until you beg for me to kill you!"

Rachel's eyes grow wide in fear as she looks down at the phone in disgust. The voice over the phone lets out a sinister laugh.

"Do you wanna play a game with me, Rachel?"

"Who is this?"

"That's not part of the game."

"What is the game?"

"I'm going to ask a question and if you guess right he lives."

He. Oh my God…Finn!

"Where is he?" Rachel demands.

"Come downstairs and looks outside the back door."

Rachel races out of the room and down the stairs, her bare feet stomping across the hard wooden floor. She runs back into the living room and turns on the light outside. She gasps to find a bloody Finn tied to a lawn chair…but no one else is outside.

"What are you doing?"

"Here is the game! I was inspired by the movie you watched with your little boyfriend tonight…so we're going to play a game of our own, Rachel."

Hearing him say her name causes such distaste in the pit of her stomach. Hearing him befoul her name like that, it makes her want to vomit.

"Please…don't hurt him," Rachel cries out. The tears come out hard. She can hear the killer let out a sinister laugh, mocking her fear and her sobs.

"Come on Rachel. It's a simple game. The question is do you like scary movies?"

"Stop quoting that damn movie! You were watching us, and now you're quoting the damn movie! Stop it! Stop it, please…" she pleads.

Why are you doing this to me?

"Rachel, who are the killers in Scream?"

"What?"

"That is your first question. Name the killers of Scream!"

"Umm…"

What were their damn names? Think, Rachel, think!

"Billy and Stu!"

"Correct! Now for round one! That was only a practice. To continue with the Scream theme, name the first victim!"

"Drew Barrymore," Rachel screams, almost excitedly.

"Wrong!"

"No! I just saw the fucking movie. Drew died first. I even commented it to Finn. She died about ten minutes into the film," she continues to argue.

"Sorry Rachel, but you didn't pay close enough attention. Drew was the SECOND victim. Her boyfriend, Steven, is killed first. Sorry, Rachel."

"No! You tricked me…" Rachel begins to sound like a young child the more she talks on the phone with the mysterious person.

She hears a muffled scream from outside and she looks back out the door to see that Finn has been gutted…

"Oh my god…"

Rachel feels the need to vomit but she holds it down.

"Stop this…please!"

"One more question Rachel. This is the final round and if you get it, you win."

"Please…no more…"

Rachel's tears sting her eyes as they continue to cascade down her tan face.

"Why did I choose you?"

"What?"

"The final question is why did I choose you, Rachel?"

"I don't know…please just leave me alone. I'll call the cops!"

"If you do, I'll break through the fucking door and gut you like your boyfriend here! He put up no fight. I just took him while you both were asleep. When he is asleep he is hard to wake up…"

"Fuck you!"

Rachel hangs up, hoping she isn't doing the wrong thing and instantly dials three numbers that could save her life: 9-1-1.

"Hello, 911, what is your emergency?"

"Please, he killed my boyfriend and now he is going to kill me," she cries into the phone. Before the woman on the other line can even respond, the glass door shatters as Rachel screams.

Whoever killed Finn, through another lawn chair at the glass French doors.

"Ma'am?"

Rachel drops the phone and starts to run. She runs into the kitchen and looks around to see no one. She pulls a large knife out of a drawer and she backs away towards the corner of the kitchen. She checks around before backing into another door. She slowly pulls it open and backs into a small dark closet. She hears footsteps in the kitchen as she holds the knife out in protection.

Please don't find me…please…

Rachel prays to see the next morning…and the footsteps stop. Rachel wants to cry out for joy, but the door is torn open and standing before Rachel is someone in an all black costume wearing the mask from Scream, a demented white ghost mask, but this one is stained with blood, the blood of her boyfriend she just watched die.

"Please."

The killer pulls her out of the closet, throwing her against a kitchen counter. She drops the knife. It slides across the floor. The killer eyes it and kicks it away so she can't get to it. Rachel goes to run, but soon she meets the hard floor as the killer is too fast for her. She grimaces in pain as she feels every bone ache within her small body. The killer turns her around so she is on her back and she stares up in fear as the killer straddles her, one leg on each side.

"Please don't kill me," she pleads.

The killer tilts their head, as if mocking her, laughing at her pain and lifts the knife high into the air and brings it down towards her chest in one swift motion. Blood spills out of the wound as Rachel screams out in unbearable pain. The killer continues to stab, the grated metal pulling at her skin so each time it hurts more and more.

But soon Rachel's world begins to turn black. When she doesn't move anymore, the killer stands above her, wiping the knife along their long black costume and takes in their handiwork. Proud.

But what is the answer to the killer's final question? Why did he choose Rachel? For every massacre needs a beginning.