AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Welcome back faithful reader! I just want to take this time to explain to you a brief history of this story. You may discover that this story is written FAR better then stories that have come after. Well that’s because the original version was written in 2000, but just recently, at the start of 2009, I updated the writing in it. I didn’t add or remove a single scene, or changed anything at all. I only fixed up the dialogue and made the writing better. I still want it to be the exact same story, complete with its crappyness, however I wanted to still be able to read it without tearing my hair out at the bad writing. I plan on doing that for all my old original stories, so depending on when you read this, the others may or may not have been updated yet.
Now, here’s a bit of background info on the story. I’ll be doing this with all my re-writes on my older stories, explaining a brief history behind them.
I had written School Day 2 and 3 back-to-back, with the intent of School Day 3 being the final one. However, I had so many people constantly asking me about Allison: What about Allison? What happened to her character? Why did Dillon feel the need to get revenge against Jeff and Ryan but not Allison? Those were all good questions. So after a few months off, I decided to write another School Day story to answer those questions.
Much like how School Day 3 followed Jeff and Ryan at their careers and that played a big part of the setting for the third story, Allison's career plays a big part of this story – a Television News Reporter. I also made it clear to everyone that the events of this story take place alongside the events of School Day 3 I.E. this story is happening at the exact same time as the events in the previous story. I did this for one very specific reason – despite Dillon being chopped in half in School Day 3, everyone would still think it was him, but by having this take place at the exact same time as School Day 3, then everyone would understand right off the bat that the killer in this one is not Dillon this time and thus, could once again be anybody. I had also felt, that despite how much I enjoyed School Day 3, that I wanted to bring this entry back to the feel and tone of the original two School Days and felt that School Day 3 had deviated from that almost a bit too much. Also, unlike the previous School Day stories where the names were taken from friends and people I knew, almost every name in this one was made-up and are not based off any actual people with the exception of Allison (of course) and one other.
Truth be told though, in the end I just didn't like this entry very much and felt it was easily the weakest entry in the series so far and was just one sequel too many. It feels to me, that if he first three were theatrical movies, then this would be the Direct-to-Video sequel made to cash in on the success of the other three, and has no returning people except the character of Allison, which is played by a different actress. However, don't let that detract you from reading, as I've found that some people have a different opinion on it then I.
So without waiting any longer, I'd like to start: SCHOOL DAY 4: CAREER DAY
By: Jeff Long
Jordan Day walked down a long empty hallway of his News building, heavy giant camera held at his side. He had just finished returning from a field assignment and had to return the camera and its equipment back to the storage room before clocking out and heading home for the night. Of course working late-night field assignments meant he would be alone – or close to being alone – in the building with nothing but darkness around him, and despite his muscular build, he wasn't afraid of admitted that such a think gave him a serious case of the heebie-jeebies.
And that was the exact reason why he instantly stopped and held his breath when he heard footsteps echoing to him from a nearby intersecting hall – this specific night he was positive that he was alone, or at least he thought he was. So who else was in the building with him? That thought was not a pleasing one to him.
***
Leroy Adams, a young Production Assistant that had come to the News building – his place of work – with his new girlfriend so they had a private place to...spend quality time together...that was void of other people – which was the problem with his house, as he had a rather large family, all of which was home that night.
"Oh ****," Leroy swore loudly as he stopped on the spot, causing his girlfriend to stop as well.
"What is it, honey?" she asked.
"I forgot my car keys back in that office." Upon seeing his girlfriend frown, he added on, "I'll go back and get them. You just go on and meet me at the car. And don't worry about the front doors. I'll lock those when I come out."
"Ok," his girlfriend replied with a quick kiss before the two turned away from each other and headed in opposite directions.
After making his way back down the halls toward the office that he and his girlfriend had recently had sex in, Leroy heard another set of footsteps not too far away and he stopped. After distinctly hearing them, he held his breath. The last thing he wanted to do was get caught – he'd loose his job for sure. Incase he came across whoever was also still in the building, he needed to get a story down pat in his mind.
While he stayed where he was, furiously thinking up a story, the footsteps got nearer and before Leroy had time to react, someone walked around the corner and turned to look at him.
This someone was not a person he recognized though, as the person was cloaked in a pitch-black Grim Reaper costume, however the only part of him that Leroy was paying any attention to was the realistic-looking scythe held sideways in both hands. The very tip of the scythe was painted in a neon glow-in-the-dark red color.
"Oh wow," Leroy started chuckling. "You gave me quite a fright. But its a little early for Halloween, don't you think? No need to try to scare people yet."
The figure just stood there, staring at him.
"I bet you're wondering why I'm here," Leroy nervously chuckled again. "Well you see, I was asked by..." He paused as the figure raised the scythe up high in the air. "Hey now, I think you've already scared me enough for one night. How about..."
Leroy never got to finish as the scythe blade swung down in the blink of an eye, ripping open a deep gash down his chest, leaving a blood stain on the scythe which made part of the blood overtop of the neon glowing red tip, glow as well.
Staggering back with a shout of pain, Leroy turned around and started running away down the hall. Grim Reaper turned the scythe so it was sideways in both hands again and pursued his victim at a very quick walking pace.
Leroy ran around a corner and further down the hall until he came to an opened door that led to the main Newsroom. He slammed the door behind himself, sweating profusely as he locked it.
Knowing there was no other way out of the room and that there was a very good chance that he would not live the night, he quickly made his way to one of the cameras pointing at the News Desk and started flipping switches, turning it on and making it able to film better in the dark.
All of a sudden he heard the loud sound of wood splintering and glanced up from behind the camera and looked over, seeing the scythe blade retracted through the now-broken door. A gloved hand reached through the broken area and felt around for the lock, which it then unlocked and Grim Reaper opened the door and walked in.
Leroy ran out from behind the camera and up in front of the News desk, but put a hand on it and leaned against it as he looked down at his chest and started feeling a bit woozy from blood loss.
When he looked back up, Grim Reaper was standing directly in front of him. Leroy reached up and quickly whipped back the killer's hood, but before he could say another for the running camera, as the camera was only filming the killer's back, the killer viciously slashed his scythe across Leroy's face.
***
Jordan was at the main doors, about to leave, when he stopped to examine them. They were unlocked and that was very strange as he distinctly remembered locking them. He looked back down the dark hall behind him, but saw no one.
Weird, he thought.
Maybe I didn't lock it. He made a mental note to be more careful in the future. If his boss, for whatever reason, ever came in late at night and found the door unlocked and Jordan in the building, he'd be in so much trouble.
"Wait!" a female voice called out as Jordan opened the door to step out into the cool night breeze. He whipped around and Julie Oliver, the News Reporter he was on-location with earlier that evening, jogged out of the darkness of the hall toward him.
"You're still here?" he asked her.
"Yeah, I had to finish some paperwork from earlier that got put on the back burner when we got that call," Julie answered. "So, care to give a girl a ride home?"
Jordan laughed. "Come on, Julie. My car may be a piece of ****, but its working enough to at least get you home."
"Thanks, you're a life-saver," Julie thanked her cameraman. "I put my car in the garage today and they were still working on it when they closed so I can't pick it up until the morning."
The two continued chatting as they left the building and made their way to Jordan's car.
***
The following day, a brand-new silver Dodge Viper quickly pulled into the packed parking lot of the News Building and silently but quickly came to a stop in an empty parking spot. The engine turned off and the door opened, and Allison Luk, much older then she had been in School Day 2, got out and made her way up the path and into the building.
The inside of the News building was bustling with activity and Allison weaved through it all, coffee-in-hand, like a professional skater, fluidly gliding her body around to avoid all the commotion and moving bodies.
"Allison!"
Allison looked around the busy activity for the person that called her name and her eyes landed on Veronica, the freckled-faced Weather Girl and Allison's best friend. "Ronnie!" Allison happily greeted her friend back.
Veronica reached Allison and the tow hugged tightly. "How's your alone time going?" Veronica asked. "Good to be away from the family for awhile?"
"Like you wouldn't believe," Allison laughed. "Who knew that when Dave took the kids to see his parents for the long weekend, it'd turned out so relaxing for me!"
The two laughed as Veronica walked with Allison down the hall.
"Have you see Leroy Adams at all today?" Veronica asked. "My boss is going ape**** cause he can't find him anywhere and he never called in or anything."
"Sorry," Allison replied. "I just got here. Did you guys try calling his house?"
"Yeah, no answer," Veronica answered.
As they continued making their way down the hall, Jordan approached them. "Hey Allison!" he greeted.
"Hey," Allison returned the greeting. Any good news today?"
"They think they may have a scoop on that kid that went missing a few days ago," Jordan replied.
"This is my stop," Allison said as she faced Veronica outside the door to the main Newsroom.
"Alright, have a good day," Veronica said as the two hugged tightly and she continued on down the hall.
Allison turned to Jordan as they entered the Newsroom. "That disappearance, its not looking good is it?"
Jordan looked grim. "Not by the new information we got today, no."
"Allison!" a rough voice shouted as Jordan and Allison departed, Jordan heading for one of the cameras. Allison turned and forced a smile as her overweight boss, Ross Neilson stormed up. "You're late!"
"Relax," Allison waved him off as she handed her coffee to a passing Production Assistant. "We still got plenty of time."
"Yeah...well..." Ross trailed off. "You're just lucky we're starting a few minutes later then normal. Some idiot left Camera Two rolling all night, so we need to replace the tape. Once I find out who it was, his ass will be fired faster then you can blink. Those tapes are expensive."
Allison turned to walk away, but Ross called her back and she turned back around with a sigh. "You need a touch-up," Ross told her. Allison took offense to that, but didn't say anything when her boss ordered her to go to the make-up room and get the people there to 'help her out'. "And somebody find Neil!" he shouted to nobody in particular. "He's Allison's co-anchor today!"
***
Julie Oliver stood at a candy machine with a co-worker, Miranda Carpenter. The two were gossiping about people they work with while Julie tried to decide what kind of candy she wanted when the suntanned, slicked-back hair, tie-wearing co-anchor Neil Gettlemen approached with a charming smile.
"Julie!" he exclaimed opening his arms for a hug, which she ignored as she rolled here eyes. "How's my favorite Field Reporter? We just
must go out for dinner! Say tonight?"
"Forget it, Neil," Julie said in a monotone voice, turning back to look at the candy inside the machine. "I've told you already – I have a boyfriend."
"Surely one as beautiful as you shouldn't be kept to just one person," Neil continued, keeping his charming smile, despite being shut down.
"She said no, you creep," Miranda said with venom. Miranda knew exactly what Neil's intentions were from first-hand experience and vowed she would make sure nobody else at the Station would fall for the same tricks she did. "Leave her alone."
"Your loss," Neil winked and walked away.
Julie grabbed a bag of chips from the bottom of the machine and opened them. "God, I can't stand him." She complained to her friend as they made their way down the opposite end of the hall from where Neil was heading.
***
Veronica stood out behind the building in the area with multiple large satellite dishes pointed up into the sky. She looked past the metal gate at the parking lot on the other side, scanning the area.
She turned around when she felt someone tapping her shoulder and saw Derek Squires, one of the more well-known sound people at the station.
"What're you doing out here?" Derek asked, glancing up at the approaching storm clouds. "It's going to start raining cats and dogs out here pretty soon I think."
"Aren't I the one that's supposed to say that?" Veronica asked with a smile. Derek returned the smile. "The boss is loosing it because Leroy Adams never showed up for work today," Veronica finally answered.
"The P.A.?"
"Yeah. We finally got through to his house, but his mom said he never came home last night so I was sent out to see if his car was in the parking lot."
"Any luck?" Derek asked, putting his jacket around Veronica's shoulders as she shivered in the breeze.
"None. Derek, what's going on here? First some kid a couple blocks away from here goes missing and now Leroy?"
Derek had no answer, so he turned Veronica around and the two headed back inside the building.
***
Once Allison was done for the day, she made her way down the hall, having already recorded her segment for the Evening News.
"Allison! Wait!" Ross's voice shouted out to her much more kindly then earlier and she stopped as his large body attempted to jog after her. Once he caught up, Allison continued walking and he struggled to keep pace with her. "That was a great show," he complimented her.
"What do you want?" she asked, knowing better. Her boss never gave out compliments unless he was fishing for something and using the compliment as bait.
"I was thinking," he instantly went into a previously-thought out plan. "Our TO-4 Investigative Reporting show needs something for a ratings boost, we're starting to run dry. I was thinking a show that is kind of a reunion of the Wainwright High Massacres!"
Allison scoffed, but Ross went on. "No, no, hear me out. See, we start with some background info and such on both the Wainwright High School Massacre and then the MUN University Massacre, and we can do interviews with Jeff Long and Ryan Miller and of course yourself, and you three can all come together and share your experiences to the audience."
"No!" Allison suddenly shouted as she stopped right in front of the main doors and faced her boss defiantly. "It was traumatizing enough the first two times, none of us are going to want to re-live it again. We just want to get on with our lives."
"But let me finish," Ross continued as he followed Allison outside and to her car. "I've already had Jeff and Ryan tracked down – they're at a summer camp right now, but as soon as they get back to civilization I can have my people in contact with them, and we can have this off the ground within a week!"
"Leave them alone!" Allison shouted at her boss. "If you want me to say some words and do a little interview, that's fine. I'll do it to make you happy, but leave Jeff and Ryan alone."
"So you'll do it then! Excellent! I'll have some stuff for you to sign when you get back this evening."
As Ross waved to her, Allison slammed her door shut and waited until Ross disappeared back inside the building before she let a couple tears fall down the side of her face. She wiped those tears away and strengthened up as she backed her car out of the parking space and sped off.
