EPOV

October 28th, 2020.

"Well, it seems like we lost the call. Could it be a resented spirit?" Jasper joked. "While our experts work in recovering the call, I'll entertain you with a story. We all know, that when you get a pet, you find a friend that will be there for you unconditionally. Whether is a dog, a cat, a fish, or a horse, they'll love you forever." He stopped to take a sip of his water. "This is a story of a boy and his dog."

While Jasper entertained the audience, Emmett and Seth worked to recover the last call. The woman was about to finish her tale and now we would never know how it was supposed to end.

"Don't pout Lalo, it doesn't look good on you." Alice teased me. I still don't know how she manages to know what we are doing. Bella says she's a bit of a psychic and sometimes I believe her.

"But now, we won't know the end of her story," I told her and she smiled.

"The man leaves the traitor witch and runs back to his wife," she said nodding. "Trust me, I know." Now she was tapping her head. I told you, psychic.

It was funny how everyone seemed to fit, like pieces of a puzzle. After Rosalie Hale, sorry, McCarty made the effort to find out the truth and let us reconcile with our friends, we found that everyone had a place for him or her in this show. Jasper is great behind the mic, and the public loves him. Emmett, Seth, and Stephan are excellent dealing with the technical side and production. Rose, Bella, and Alice were excellent dealing with the social media and Carlisle was training Rose to deal with the advertising companies. All in all, I was so glad when Rachel backed up and let us run the show. She said it didn't matter because it was only a few hours every year.

"So you could imagine how taken aback I was when the call was over." Seth finally got in touch with the woman, and she was happily chatting with him, waiting for her chance to finish the story.

Alice elbowed me, making me realize I wasn't hearing Jasper and his sad story.

"They say the dog is still roaming there at the bridge. The dog protects any innocent that walks by from harm. In case you are wondering, there's a remainder in the bridge: a stuffed dog under a handwritten sign that says 'Beware of the dog'."

Emmett clapped and I followed, Alice was whistling and catcalling.

"Now, Miss Georgina Balmori will continue with her story. Welcome back Georgina,"

While the woman continued with her story, Alice stood up, making a few papers fall. One of them was a picture, one I didn't remember that was taken. It was the four of us, back in the 70s. Bella would blush and threaten to kill whoever took it, as she now hates those bellbottom pants.

I took it and sat back. And remember the night we met...

December 21st, 1973.

"I tell you, the best 'Enter the dragon' is the best picture ever" I was arguing with Jasper, who couldn't understand how someone could be better than James Bond.

"No man, 'Live and let die'. James Motherfucking Bond is the best."

"But it is Bruce Lee doing karate!" I even faked a few kicks to show Jasper the awesomeness that was Bruce Lee, God rest his soul.

"Meh. Anyway, I don't think any of our films will win."

That was true. Mr. Black announced that for the station's New Year party, he would show the film with more votes. The other contenders were 'The Exorcist', which we loved but we weren't certain to watch again so soon, and 'The sting'.

"Hey, guys!" That annoying voice again. When Jasper started dating Victoria she brought her best friend Lauren to the mix, in hopes to get Lauren and me together. Nah-ah. It never happened though Lauren still has hopes. "Are you going to the Christmas party?"

"We are still undecided. We'll see." Jasper lied. After all the mess with Victoria, he was skittish, if not fully avoiding Lauren. He had the inkling that sometimes Lauren shared his whereabouts to Victoria leading to some disturbing notes he found on his desk.

Lauren was disappointed, but she wasn't a quitter. "Perhaps if you knew about certain after-party at my apartment..." She tried to make her invitation sound sexy and enticing, but for the life of me, I never felt an ounce of attraction for the woman and her choice of friends didn't help.

I shrugged my shoulders, I didn't want to be rude. "Sorry Lauren, we sort of have a previous commitment. We'll see."

We saw her march crestfallen.

"You need to find a girlfriend to fend Lauren away." Jasper offered his not so wise advice.

"I need a girlfriend? Why don't you go and find a girlfriend?" I pushed his shoulder. "I'm happy the way I am. Maybe if we leave the party early we can go to that bar by the apartment. It's always full of eager girls, I mean, it's been two months since my last, you know."

"He, he, he. One week." Jasper boasted. "I found a blonde at the bakery. She needed some sugar for her cookies." He wriggled his brows pointing to his crotch.

xxx

That night at the party, Lauren was tipsy, and somehow that made her feel encouraged to follow me in hopes to get me to hook up with I avoided her.

We found some security in numbers. Jasper and I were sharing our best jokes, our nastiest stories, just to keep a group of guests around us. Carlisle was teasing me and calling me a coward. He was adamant I needed to be more firm with Lauren. Esme and Carmen, on the other hand, weren't subtle about their distaste for the poor girl and made it clear since the beginning that Lauren was wasting her time. If only she would listen...

That's when it happened.

Jasper was in the middle of a dirty joke about midgets. I was sipping my scotch when the lobby doors opened. Two women walked inside and I swear my heart stopped. I never saw anything like the beauty that was coming in. Long shiny dark hair, swirling around those flawless long legs. A porcelain skin with the deepest dark eyes and those pouty full lips. She left me breathless... literally. I was choking on my scotch.

Once I was able to breathe again, I walked to her. Don't ask me what song the band was playing or who tried to stop me to get my attention. I had tunnel vision, I was only seeing her.

"Good evening ladies," I greeted politely "welcome to the Christmas party."

"Ladies" Jasper was at my side. "Is there something we can help you with?"

Both girls giggled. The brunette with the long hair blushed and turned to look at me. "We're looking for Esme Cullen or Carmen Black."

"We work with them." The petite black-haired one added.

"Oh, they must keep you hidden, those two." Jasper immediately took her hand, "otherwise I would remember such a beautiful face."

His words were followed by more giggles. Not wanting to be left behind, I took my little angel hand and kissed her knuckles.

"I am Edward Masen, and my friend is Jasper Whitlock. We also work here but our show runs in the morning. I guess that's why we had never seen you."

"I'm Bella Swan and my friend is Alice Brandon." My angel said and I swore her voice was sweet like silver bells. And that blush, Ugh! She was going to be my perdition. "We heard of you, your show."

The funky beats of Stevie Wonder's Superstition were blaring and we asked the girls to dance.

One song led to another, and then another. By midnight I was sure she owned my heart. This was the girl I would marry.

"Hmm, if you don't mind me asking. Is that blond by any chance your girlfriend or something? It's just her glare makes me feel I'm invading her territory." Bella tried to get some distance between us.

I turned to where she pointed and found an angry Lauren staring.

"Please ignore her. She has never been something more than a nuisance. I can't even call her an acquaintance." I pulled her closer while the song changed to Elton John's 'Your song' started.

I got lost in her brown eyes and whispered the lyrics into her ear.

And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

"Thank you for a wonderful night."

"Oh, my sweet Bella. I believe this is only the beginning!"

I chuckled at the memory, while Alice threw me a balled paper sheet. "Shh! It's your turn at the mic. I don't know what's going on with you. You really need Bella to keep you in line." That's when she felt the picture in my hands. "Oh, you're nostalgic. Well, I really, really hope it isn't that horrible picture when I let Esme make my hair."

That's when I laughed. Why do they hate the picture so much? Sure, those bellbottoms now seemed laughable, and Alice's ten thousand curls up-do belonged to a Maria Antoinette wig, not a young woman's hair, but mine and Jasper's long mops were outrageous too. And our polyester light blue suits were the butt of so many jokes. Still, those were the days.

"Where's Bella?" Emmett interrupted our banter. "I can't find this guys song and the commercial break it's almost over!"

The door of the booth slammed open, Bella appeared and ran to deal with the song, not before winking at me. "Which one?"

She and Emmett discussed in whispers and he left the room on a whim, while my sweet wife messed with the equipment and got the song ready.

While the funky beat of 'Superstition' serenaded us, Bella hugged me and smiled. "Does it bring some memories to you?"

If she only knew...

Bella got closer and whispered, "I bet you that Emmett it's going to faint in ten seconds."

In that moment Emmett came back with a pale Rosalie.

"No, Rose is the one who looks about to pass out."

Bella beamed. "You'll see."

Rose took some white stick from the front pocket of her hoodie, Emmett gave it a look and fell down, like a log.

"How did you know?"

"I took Rose to the bathroom, she was so nervous to take the test alone."

I turned to Bella. "Test?"

She nodded. "She's pregnant. Next time we're here there'll be a little Emmett or a petite Rose around here."

For a second I worried, the subject of a baby still bothered her from time to time. But after watching her beaming smile, I knew we would be fine.

Hi! Well, this is the end. What do you think?

I'd like to thank all of you for joining me in this journey, it was fun to share not only the story and your opinions but now I got a few films to add on my 'to watch' list.

I took a couple of days to post because there were a few more films suggestions some of you sent and I really wanted to share them with you. Here they are, the last recommendations:

The hills have eyes (1977) On the way to California, a family has the misfortune to have their car break down in an area closed to the public, and inhabited by violent savages ready to attack.

I spit on your grave (1978 & 2010 both versions) An aspiring writer is repeatedly gang-raped, humiliated, and left for dead by four men whom she systematically hunts down to seek revenge.

This one will make the males nervous if you watched it you know in which scene ;)

Wrong turn (2003 and sequels) Six people find themselves trapped in the woods of West Virginia, hunted down by cannibalistic mountain men grossly disfigured through generations of inbreeding. (Thank you Moo Moo)

The blob (1958 & 1988 ) a deadly blob from another planet which consumes everything in its path. Teenagers attempt without success to warn the townspeople, who refuse to take them seriously.

The scene with people running from the movie theatre while the blob is pouring from the doors is a classic.

Creepshow (1982) Five tales of terror are presented. The first deals with a demented old man returning from the grave to get the Father's Day cake his murdering daughter never gave him. The second is about a not-too-bright farmer discovering a meteor that turns everything into plant-life. The third is about a vengeful husband burying his wife and her lover up to their necks on the beach. The fourth is about a creature that resides in a crate under the steps of a college. The final story is about an ultra-rich businessman who gets his comeuppance from cockroaches.

A classic! (Thanks, Eve)

These are TV series:

Channel Zero (2016-) An anthology series based on popular Internet Creepypastas, including Candle Cove, The No-End House, and The Search and Rescue Woods.

I still haven't watched it, but the teeth creature from season one scares me. Come on, google it and tell me it isn't creepy. (Thanks, Eve)

In the flesh (2013 -2014) Four years after the Rising, the government starts to rehabilitate the Undead for reentry into society, including teenager Kieren Walker, who returns to his small Lancashire village to face a hostile reception, as well as his own demons.

I loved this series! A different zombie tale.

And since we're talking zombies: Z nation (2014 -) Three years after the zombie virus has gutted the United States of America a team of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood.

What can I say? It's quirky, it's gory, it's funny. And I swear, after watching season one, you'll never picture Michael Newton as a wimp again ;)