Not What It Seems by Ruralstar (R)

[versaphile.livejournal.com]

Fandom: THE DEAD ZONE
Pairing: None
Author on LJ: ruralstar
Author Website: Ruralstar's Zone
Why this must be read:

There's nothing like a good serial killer fic for Halloween. Johnny and Bruce go camping to get away from it all and stumble right into the middle of a killing spree. With the killer lurking around their tent at night, and Johnny's only clues in the form of strangely distorted visions, they have to convince the local police that they're not the killer and find the real one before the next victim dies.

Bruce gestured to the walking couple. “They saw us come out of the woods.”

“We were just taking a walk,” John suggested. “Innocent enough.”

Bruce frowned and pulled out his keys. “Get in, you’re buying me breakfast.” He slid into the driver’s seat mumbling, “Damn visions.”

John rubbed tiredly at his forehead. Normalcy was a thing of the past. He hoped for better but he had stopped praying a long time ago. His hand dropped to the door handle.

*An arc of finely crafted steel gleamed in firelight. Splashes of wet crimson and brown streaked the blade from jagged tip to wooden hilt. The knife dipped down towards the ground as the bearer turned it slowly over and over. Then it rose and flew high and straight across the clearing, burying itself in the center of the white, featureless square. *

John bit his lip to subdue a groan and leaned heavily on the roof of the car. The murder weapon was down there with the victim and the killer had taken the time to start a fire. A creature of all consuming arrogance or in his own way more of a victim than the dead woman? John was not sure which. Worse was the inescapable conclusion that this monster was watching Bruce and himself try to unravel the mystery. The thought twisted John’s already nauseous stomach into a painful clench. He coughed thickly and yanked open the door.

Bruce glanced up. “I don’t want to know, do I?”

“Not really,” John grimly replied as he buckled his seatbelt. “He knows that someone is on to him. He was here looking around.”

Not What It Seems