Trickster

Soft rain pattered the roof, disrupting the peace while two brown eyes stared out the window with growing apprehension.  Jacob would be coming over after work, and he promised that he wouldn't be late this time, the liar.  They were supposed to be having movie night together since last week's plans had been horribly pushed back by her boyfriend deciding that he'd be better off by canceling, but he promised that he'd be here at exactly 8 o'clock this time. There had to be a viable reason for why he was two minutes late, right? It was raining, so traffic could have become extremely nasty out there.

Searching for her phone, Lauren backtracked to the coffee table, snatching it up with further irritation.  She proceeded to call Jacob, wanting to tell him off for not holding up to his end of the bargain like he had promised her. "Jacob, you better pick up or I swear-."

"What's up?"

"Don't you what's up me. Where the hell are you? You said that you would actually be here on time." Letting out a sigh, Lauren sunk back onto the plush couch in her living room. What was he doing out there? Her Mom wouldn't be at work forever, and they had to at least finish one of the movies that they agreed on watching last week.

"Lauren, I'm almost there. I'll pulling into the neighborhood right now. Don't worry."

Muttering a goodbye to her boyfriend, she hung up and groaned at the ceiling at how much of a dork he could be. Jacob worked at the old movie rental, giving him access to all of the best movies.  It made up for him being a hopeless romantic; he was just another stupid teenage boy that just wanted to mess around in life.  Lauren couldn't help but love him for what he was though.  Her love for him could be stretched here and there, and Jacob didn't quite grasp the concept of enough being enough sometimes.  He needed to really get his shit together, or she feared that their relationship may not last forever.

Two bright headlights flashed through the dim living room, signaling her boyfriend's arrival.  Lauren listened to the old pickup working its way up the front drive; she constantly told him that the car needed to go.  The repairs would cost more than the entire vehicle.  Even she could tell!  Smirking to herself, she stood from the couch and made her way to the window, sliding her phone into the pocket of her sweatpants.  A small smile appeared when she spotted Jacob slipping out of the car and into the rain.

The sound of the doorbell came next; Lauren couldn't help but be smug and check how long he was late just to tease him about it. He deserved it for keeping her waiting after all. Where was his manners? Pausing just behind the front door, she opened it slowly and poked her head out, staring at his disgruntled expression. "Wonderful weather we are having? Don't you know it's not polite to keep a lady waiting?"

"I'm sorry about that. Everyone wanted to Drive down Emerson tonight, and of course, a little rain is the perfect excuse for driving slower than my grandmother could walk. I'm here now though, and that's what matters. Here's the movies if you'll let me in," Jacob explained, gesturing to the small stack of DVDs in his arms. "I made sure to get all of the latest and maybe a little horror if you're interested in that," he added, smiling when she stepped out of the way for him to come in. Slipping off his shoes, Jacob left his sneakers by the door and followed her further into the house.

"I'll take those," Lauren closed the door behind her, locking it up tight before turning her gaze to the rentals. "Are you sure that you brought the best? What do you know about what makes a good movie?" Leading him into the kitchen, she sat the movies down on the kitchen counter, surveying each one for a few moments. "Scream, Jacob? Really?" she asked, huffing and giving him a long stare.

"What? It's a classic horror movie, and it's actually pretty funny," he protested, sitting down on the kitchen counter. "That is Scream 2 to be exact, Lauren. I thought you liked the first one?"  Raising one of his eyebrows, he watched her give him a disproving look. "To each his own I suppose. You're really missing out on a great movie."

Lauren crossed her arms, sighing since he just never gave up. "Maybe some other time Jacob. How about Looper? That seems interesting."

"I don't care. Whatever you want to watch is fine by me."

Lauren dropped her arms to her sides and was thankful for him being reasonable with her. "You get the popcorn, and I will go get the drinks.  We just restocked the mini fridge, so do you have any requests?" she asked, backing up to the door that led down to the basement. Jacob was already rooting through her pantry in search of snacks, finding the popcorn box instantly.

"Coke sounds amazing right now," he said, turning his back to put the popcorn bag into the microwave.  

Pressing her back into the door, she watched him press the buttons to make their tasty snack before remembering her task.  In all honesty, she hated to come down into the basement since it wasn't completely finished, and it probably never would be. The steps were still wood and creaked whenever weight was placed on them. Her hand moved to the light switch on the wall, flipping it upward.  A few bulbs flickered to life and cast an eerie glow on all of the old furniture stored down here.  Stopping at the bottom of the steps to glance around, she made a quick mental note that no ghosts were lurking about.

Slowly, she made a beeline for the fridge, peering inside at all of the frozen treats and drinks that arrayed the shelves.  She braved the dark almost every night to find a yummy midnight snack, becoming a ritual for her. Shifting a strand of brown hair behind her ear as it fell down, she picked up the bottle of Coke and settled with old fashioned lemonade for herself.  Walking back to the staircase, she hated how the electrical outlet had been on the opposite side of the room all together, making her stay in here longer than necessary.

Suddenly, the drinks dropped from her hands, feeling the energy drain from her body.  Her knees gave, and a tall lamp came crashing down beside her as she fell, knocking over more clutter that made its home in the basement. A loud scream left her lips, echoing throughout the room. "Lauren?"  Hurried footsteps moved to the door upstairs, crashing down the wooden steps. "Lauren!"

"Lauren!  Are you okay?  Tell me what's wrong.  Did you fall?" Jacob asked hurriedly with worried eyes, searching her for a source of the pain.  Her arms were wrapped around her body, and she was shaking uncontrollably.  "I can help you. Just tell me what happened. Did you trip?" He shifted around her body to her legs, touching the left one to see if it was broken or not.  What if she had broken her ankle or maybe even her wrist? What was he going to do? He'd have to take her straight to the hospital! Jacob's blue eyes widened when she screamed again, making him worry more. She was in so much pain!  What was he going to do? "Lauren…please," Jacob moved closer to see her face. "Look at me.  I can help, but you have to tell me what hurts!"

"Everything!" Lauren shrieked, curling up and pressing her face into the concrete floor. "J-Jacob, help me. Please, do something to make it stop!"

"I'll…I'll take you to the hospital. It will be okay," he whispered, trying to convince himself and her that everything would be just fine. His heart lurched into his throat when a sickening snap came from his girlfriend's body, making him back away with a frightened expression. Her cry of agony was louder, lasting for what seemed to be a life time. What was he supposed to do? "I'll be right back. I'll go get my car started!" Jacob retreated up the stairs, dashing through the door.

Lauren stood since she only had a short amount of time to complete her mission.  She slipped a piece of Prank Plastic out of her jacket sleeve, dropping it behind a few boxes. Dashing to an old wardrobe, she opened it up and pulled out a dark furry costume; Lauren fumbled to find the bottom half and step inside. Doing a little dance to pull it up, she found the zipper and pushed her arms through the sleeves while zipping herself into the disguise. The last part that would complete her transformation was the ugly and large werewolf mask with his long snout filled with yellowed and jagged teeth.  Using furry and clawed paws to adjust the mask properly, she opened the wardrobe further to look at the full body mirror that was on the inside, telling herself that she may manage to pull this off yet.  A small tape recorder was waiting as well, and she picked it up, feeling eager to continue what she had started.  Sneaking over to the bottom of the steps, she switched the light off and retreated to where she was laying.

Jacob immediately ran outside after sliding his shoes back on, flinging the front door open.  The rain had began to pound down, bouncing off the pavement in a frenzy while thunder rumbled above.  Going straight to his car, he unlocked it and hopped inside, trying to shove his keys into the ignition frantically; the light of the full moon was the only thing that allowed him to see what he was doing. "Come one, come on! I can't leave her down there!" he screamed at the steering wheel.  He felt the keys slide in, getting back out and slamming the car door behind him.  Her screams were the first thing that he heard once he crossed the threshold. What am I going to do? Oh my God, please be okay Lauren!

Lauren screamed, listening to Jacob upstairs. A clawed finger shifted to the recorder when she heard him coming closer to the hallway that would lead to the basement. Crying out in pain one last time, she listened to him as creaking began at the top of the steps; Lauren pretended to sob, shifting to her knees to tip a stack of dusty books off of a box. She returned to her previous position, burying her head into the ground, wrapping her arms around her body once more.

"Shit! Did the power go out?" Jacob came down the steps, slowing at the bottom when he heard a loud growling sound. "Lauren?" he asked, wondering if there was a light switch. There had to be! He wouldn't be able to find her in the dark! "Lauren, hold on. I'll be right there. I promise!"

Watching her boyfriend's dark figure step away from the steps, he was fumbling for a the light switch and would find it within moments. She pressed her finger on the tape recorder again, letting it play the vicious snarls that would mimic a werewolf. Lauren grinned beneath the large mask when even she could see him freeze with his hand inches away from turning the lights back on. He must have realized that her screams finally ceased and that a dog hadn't been down here earlier.

"Lauren?" he asked uncertainly. What was making that growling noise? Something couldn't have gotten down here! Did Lauren recently adopt a dog without telling him about it? Why had she stopped screaming? Jacob couldn't even hear her anymore! Finding the light switch finally, he flicked it on, staring at what he saw with a stunned expression.

She tilted her head to the side as the lights turned on, flickering here and there because most of them required a change. Jacob was just staring as if he couldn't put the pieces of the puzzle together; she was doing it! Pushing herself to her knees, she pushed the recorder button again, pretending to be the one that was making all of the growling sounds.

Her boyfriend backed away, moving up onto the first few steps. "Lauren?" he called out. She had to be in here somewhere, hiding from this large beast.  Fear was nearly hidden beneath his expression with panic beginning to take hold. Many unanswered questions were buzzing through his head at that exact moment, wanting to know where his girlfriend was and what this behemoth was doing in her basement! Unless…this was her! Standing statue still, he tried to talk himself out of such a ridiculous thought because that was utterly impossible! A dark blur appeared out of the corner of his eye when the monster charged him, roaring with wild anger. Nearly tripping up the stairs, Jacob shot up them since his life depended on being faster than the creature behind him.

Lauren lunged at Jacob and might have caught him if the costume wasn't so difficult to maneuver in.  Stopping at the bottom of the steps to see Jacob literally scramble towards the exit, she quickly began to pursue him, grinning when she realized how stupid he could be. Jacob ran right back down the hall instead of wasting time on securing the basement door. She actually wondered if he thought that she was still trapped down there, writhing in pain, but Lauren didn't care because she was receiving the desired reaction from him.
Did he think that he could reach his car before she beat him there?  Taking a shortcut through the dining room, she shifted to a crouch and blocked off the exit through the front door, causing Jacob to stop in his tracks and rethink.

Hearing him curse, he dashed back down the hall and stopped for a few moments to find a way out of her house. Jacob entered a bedroom and slammed the door shout behind him, clicking the lock shut. Lauren stopped outside the room, banging on the door like the monster was trying to get in. In fact, she knew exactly how to unlock this room, and he wouldn't know the difference. Jacob wouldn't go for slipping out a window since most of their windows were hard to open, so if he resorted to breaking one, she would get the heat for all of this.  His reaction would be more than worth it though.

As she pressed the button down and growled at him further, she stood on her tip toes to find the key that was just above the door, pulling it off the top with amusement. Fitting the key into the lock, she could hear Jacob trying to get a window open on the other side for an escape. By the time she opened the door, the wind was blowing the curtains with a delicate ease, shaking her head since her boyfriend mustered the strength to jerk one of this windows open when her and her Mom's combined muscle wouldn't even make it budge.

She knew what she had to do now; he'd go straight to his car and try to drive off! Lauren ran out of the guest bedroom, taking the quickest way back to the front door. The window would have put him behind the house, so he'd have to round it to get to the driveway. Standing on the porch, his red truck was still in the drive with rain coming down with the outside world being illuminated by the full moon. Her original intentions had to make him believe that she somehow had become a werewolf, but all she wanted was to get the most that she could from this little prank.

Seeing a figure run around from behind a tree, she stared at Jacob's figure, knowing that he could see her standing beside his truck, waiting for him. He wouldn't be able to escape until she's had enough; this prank took a lot of planning on part. Lauren would see it through to the end.

What surprised her was that he ran straight back into the house, leaping over the garden and climbing onto the porch, but this time, he slammed the door shut. She could bet that he locked it, so she had several options of getting back in. The back door was always an option, or she could search for the spare key under the potted plant to the front. Lauren had a sneaking suspicion that he had forgotten to shut the window that he just escaped from. It would be the last thing on her mind, and if it were her, she would have gone back into the basement to see if she could find him. Jogging back around, the rain was pounding into the costume, soaking into the fur and making it more uncomfortable to move in, but she could suck it up for a few more minutes at the most. As predicted, the window was still wide open, beckoning her to enter through it.

It took her a try or two, but she managed to get inside, wishing the costume wasn't so much bigger than she was. Sneaking out into the hall, she looked both ways and wondered where Jacob could have gone. Where could he be?  Jacob might have outsmarted her; she wasn't willing to give up quite yet. He might be trying to hide in the house and wait for an opportunity to reach his truck. Lauren thought about where she should go first, debating on trusting her gut with this. She didn't want to completely believe that her boyfriend would have abandoned her down there if it hadn't been her in the costume unless she succeeded in persuading him that this was her - decisions, decisions.

She crept out of the guest room for the second time and made her way to the basement entrance, listening for any movement down there. Trying to be light on her feet, she went down one teeny step at a time, using the rail to prevent her entire weight from sinking onto the creaky wood. "Lauren," she heard, listening to a desperate whisper. Jacob sounded like he was frightened and probably even more so when he couldn't find her down here.  He would have known that she had been incapable of walking after he left her to start his truck.

Lauren dropped to the bottom of the steps, pressing the button on the recorder to announce her presence to him. This was it. A cascade of things tumbling to the ground came next, letting her know that he was effectively surprised of her reappearance. Looking around the side of the staircase, she ran towards him after seeing that he was too shocked to consider picking up any of the old furniture as a weapon; Lauren wasn't going to get herself hurt over this.  Jacob just ran the opposite way, trying to weave in and out of the junk and make it to the staircase before she could catch him from behind.

She just went back the other way, knowing there was too much clutter for him to beat her to the punch, and she wasn't in track at school for nothing! Jacob nearly ran into her and fell to the ground when he tried to go back the other way, knocking more things off the boxes. Several things like old photo albums actually landed on him, disorientating him further. Her boyfriend's frantic attempts to get up and escape the sea of old junk only knocked more things over and obstructing his path of freedom.

Taking her chance, she tackled him from behind since he was obviously off balanced; they both fell to the ground in a crash of more musty articles.

"Get off me! Don't kill me!" he screamed in a voice that she didn't think her boyfriend was capable of making. "Please! L-Lauren-."

She wasn't sure if she had made him think that this was her or if he was just screaming from fright, trying to plead with a mindless monster. Her laugh betrayed her, standing up and picking her way out of the mess that they had both made and knowing that she would have to clean it up or her mother would have her head on a silver platter. "Are you okay, Jacob? You look a little paler than usual," she observed, snickering. Watching his expression, she removed the werewolf mask, placing it on the floor. Lauren didn't have the power to hold in the giggles anymore, and his face was regaining its color as it began to turn three shades red.

Jacob's mouth open and closed like a fish that couldn't breathe, making her laugh even harder at his speechlessness. "It's me you fool," she urged, reaching for the zipper that kept her in the costume.  As she unzipped it, Lauren stepped out of the furry suit with a triumph over her boyfriend, pleased with how the night went for both of them.

"How…how did you? Your arm…you were in pain," he mumbled, protesting that he had been duped by her in such an embarrassing way.

"I used Prank Plastic. My teacher used it once to give us a little scare. All you have to do is hide it and crack the plastic when the time is right.  It sounds exactly like breaking bone doesn't it? I almost had a heart attack when my Chemistry teacher was trying to crack his neck."

Jacob didn't say anything else, trying to run the only situation through his head several times from different angles to figure out where he went wrong. "How were you growling like that then? It sounded so real!"

"Did you really think that I was a werewolf?  I used a tape recorder," she explained and picked up the horrid costume.  She would fold it up tomorrow and return it to the Halloween store where her friend worked, allowing her to borrow the werewolf costume in the first place.  Then, she would be able to retell her tale then and explain how she got Jacob back from a couple weeks ago; he deserved this.  Lauren scooped up the mask and glanced back to him, taking in his expression, and it seems like he thought she was an actual monster. This was just too good.

"Jacob, you know what you did. You thought it would be cute to dress up as Ghost Face the minute we finished Scream and scare the shit out of me!"

"That was different,"

"No, it wasn't. You had the exact same knife and everything!" Lauren grumbled while leading him toward the stairs. "Are you still interested in that horror movie by the way?"