Her name was Crystal

“Wait a minute! …..So.. it’s true? There IS a guy out here who’s been killing people?”







Jake sounded almost gleeful, happy to hear that the villagers were telling the truth.







Crystal was looking around their trailer again, opening drawers and cupboards. She nodded, not bothering to glance back at the two brothers.







“That’s right. He’s dangerous and he doesn’t like people being on his land. So you’d better call off your plans. You’d better go away and never come back, or you’ll end up dead.”







Jake seemed to take the advice to heart. He moved to his laptop and sat down in front of it again, bringing up his email. Jedd shook his head, still chuckling as if he couldn’t believe any of this.







“Jake, c’mon. Don’t email the company. This is all still bullshit. She’s been way out here by herself for a year and she’s gone loopy. She’s heard the story somewhere and decided to try and scare us. It’s not true.”







Crystal was digging through a drawer. She stopped and looked back at Jedd with a deep frown.







“What story? What are you talking about?”









Jake stopped typing at his laptop and turned in his chair to answer her.







“The Crystal Lake murders almost twenty years ago. They say a boy drown in the lake and that his mom went apeshit over it and killed all the counselors. She blamed them for not watching him. But she ended up getting killed herself. But it turns out the kid didn’t really drown.. and he saw the whole thing. Then the entire camp was abandoned and the kid was left behind. Now whenever anyone comes near the camp they end up dead.”







Crystal felt a prickle making it’s way up her spine. Her hand went to her mouth in disbelief. Her eyes began to dampen with tears.







Jason.. his past.. if what Jake said was true.. if all of that had really happened.. her poor Jason had seen his mother get killed right in front of him. Then he was left behind, all alone. No one to comfort him.. no one to care for him... for all these many years.







She sniffled and turned to double her efforts and find what she was looking for. She needed to get out of here and find Jason as soon as possible.







“Don’t matter none,” Jedd was saying, “If there’s some psychotic asshole out there waiting to try and kill us, we’ll just shoot him. We got guns. Lady, what the hell are you looking for?”







Crystal smiled when she opened the last drawer and saw exactly what she needed. She grabbed it, then pulled out a wickedly sharp looking, large hunting knife from its sheath with a metallic hiss.







“This.”







She turned and waved the knife at them, threateningly. Jake scooted his chair back and put his hands in the air. Jedd just chuckled.







“C’mon, Kristine. Don’t be stupid. Don’t you wanna go home to your folks? …Hey!”







He jumped back and out of the way when Crystal swiped at him with the knife. She meant business and she wanted them to know it. She began backing away from them, towards the door that led outside.







“My name is Crystal, you asshole. And yes I want to go home. My home is with Jason Voorhees. I’m going now. And if I see you guys anywhere NEAR Camp Crystal Lake again… he wont have to kill you. I will.”







She turned and ripped the door to the trailer open, then fled outside.







Both Jedd and Jake went to the door and watched her retreating back until she disappeared into the trees and then was gone.







After a few minutes of stunned silence, Jake turned and went back to his laptop to finish his email. He was writing to the vacation company to tell them what a BAD idea it was to level the camp and try to build there. Before he could hit ‘send’ though, Jedd pushed the laptop lid closed.







“Forget it, Jakey. I don’t care about some crazy bitch and her murderous boyfriend. We’re starting this job, same as before. We’ll collect our pay for this, and we’re gonna get that bitch and take her to her parents and get the reward. That’s it.”









* * * *









Crystal ran for what felt like forever. Her lungs ached and her muscles were screaming at her in protest. When she could run no further she slowed and began to walk at a fast pace instead.







She didn’t know how she knew that this was the way back to the camp. She could just feel it. This was the way back to Jason and she would not stop until she reached him.







After twenty more minutes of walking quickly through the thick woods, Crystal had to slow down... and then eventually stop. She was exhausted.







She staggered into a small clearing and sat down on a large rock that had been warmed by the sun. The hour was getting late. She didn’t know how far Jedd and Jake had taken her from the camp. She probably wouldn’t get back before it got dark.







Crystal shivered at the thought of spending the night out here by herself. She pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. She rested her forehead against her knees and closed her eyes. She wanted Jason. What she wouldn’t give to have his arms around her right now…







She heard a twig snap. She looked up.







He was there. Standing there silently, his chest heaving from what must have been a run that lasted all night and day. His shirt was dark with sweat. He was there.







“Jason!!” Crystal cried, pushing off the rock and running to him. She crashed into him hard and threw her arms around his waist. His arms wrapped around her and she felt her spine popping from the force of his embrace.







He fell backwards to lay on the ground and Crystal followed him, landing on top of him. She kissed every bit of skin she could around his mask, and then when she raised it to kiss his cheeks, his nose and his mouth, he did not protest.







When her rain of kisses was finished, she buried her face in his chest and clung to him as if afraid she would be torn away from him again. He lay still, his eye closed, and his arms still wrapped tightly around her. For the first time in at least twenty four hours... he rested.







They lay together for a long time like that, resting in each others arms. Basking in the relief of their reunion. Only when darkness fell around them did Jason begin to stir. Crystal stood and pulled him up after her, then used the folds of his jacket to wrap herself up in, her cheek resting against his chest. The night was getting chilly around them and she knew they still had a long ways to go before they were home. She had a lot to tell Jason. A lot of bad things.







He wasn’t ready to go home yet though.







Crystal was confused when he picked her up and sat her back down on the rock. He took his jacket off and put it around her shoulders, then he began to stalk away in the direction she’d run from.







She realized what he intended to do.







“Jason, wait! No!” she called, jumping up and running after him. She grabbed for the hilt of the machete he’d just pulled from the sheath at his leg.







Jason stopped and gazed at the girl, tilting his head. Surely she must realize that he had to kill the two men who’d taken her. He didn’t want to just kill them either. He wanted to tear them apart by hand, bit by bit, for daring to take his Crystal away from him.





He tried to pull his weapon free from the girls grip.







“They have guns!” Crystal cried, refusing to let go of his machete, “And they know we’re out here.”







Jason stopped. Guns. Guns were bad. He couldn’t kill the men if they shot him first.







“There’s more of them coming too,” Crystal continued, “They’re planning on tearing down the camp. They said a bulldozer is coming in a few days.”







Jason was stunned by this information. He allowed the girl to steer him towards the rock, then sat when she reached and pulled down on his shoulders.







More men, guns and a bulldozer. Jason had killed a lot of people over the years, but he’d always had the element of surprise on his side. He was always on his home turf too. He was lean, fast, and deadly... but he wasn’t invincible.







“Jason.. look at me.” Crystal took his head in her hands and tilted his masked face upwards. “You’re too exhausted to take those two on now… but we still have time. We can go back to camp and prepare ourselves so that we’ll be ready for them. We’ll take them all out… then everyone will know once and for all that they should never, ever go to Camp Crystal Lake again.”







Jason thought about her plan for a moment… then stood and took her hand. Together they began the journey back to their home. Together they would defend it.







----------------------------