Title : What's left

Rating : T

Disclaimer : I do not own Halloween, Michael Myers, Laurie Strode, Jamie Lloyd, Dr Loomis and any character appearing in this story.

Fire was howling in the cold moonless night. It was licking the walls, devouring the wooden house like an old branch in a chimney.

Inside, there was a tall, large man with a white mask becoming black at the contact of the fire, a dirty blue suit covered with brown stains that looked like dried blood and a large butcher knife.

Unfortunately, the monster wasn't alone in the burning house.

A screaming nine years old little girl was also trapped here, abandoned by the old fool who set fire to the building.

Outside, the culprit, an old doctor with a cane, a long beige jacket and a white beard, along with a blond-haired woman who was crying and screaming her daughter's name.

But the kid was doomed, and had no way to escape. If she survived to the fire she would be killed by the evil man with her, and if she survived to him the flames would be her death.

"Jamie !" Her mother's screams were faint to Jamie's ears because of the cracking fire. Her throat was sore and she felt so tired. She curled up on the floor and closed her eyes just for a moment, "just for a nap", she thought, "and when I wake up everything will be alright". Laurie, the woman out of the house, was helpless. She wanted to run into the house, snatch Jamie and throw her out, but she knew if her brother caught her she would die along with her daughter.

When she heard a loud "crack", she jumped in surprise and sobbed uncontrollably, terrified by what she might see. But the old man with her walked toward the source of the noise. He saw a large hole in a wall of the house, then he lowered his glare and spotted him.

His patient for years was standing in the dark. His burnt mask gave him some kind of dramatic look that could send shivers down your spine. He was calm and cold as always. No emotion. No sign of life in this body. Loomis cursed him in his head. He wanted him to finally burn in Hell, but somehow he knew pure evil didn't have its place in there. He was the devil in person, known as Michael Myers, the Boogeyman, evil on two legs, etc. Something told Loomis he would never get rid of him, or he would die before Myers. Why had he failed to drag Michael out of this ? What did he miss ? He wondered if things could have happened differently. If he could have helped Michael. He wasn't sure. But it infuriated him not to understand. The boy he had met years ago already wasn't human anymore. But he tried to treat him like a human. It didn't work. Nothing he tried did work. He had given up on Michael. And now he was in front of him, and he was probably waiting the best moment to kill him. Loomis wasn't scared anymore. He knew the monster too well to doubt of his actions. He was persuaded he would die tonight. He was waiting, like Michael. Waiting for each other to make the first move.

Laurie was watching, terrified, but she saw something was wrong. "Michael...?! What have y-you...?" She had seen Jamie's tiny body in his arms. "Y-You bastard...! Bastard...!" Michael took a step toward his little sister. She didn't move. She would face the killer of her daughter.

But something was still wrong. Loomis knew Michael didn't usually abandon a body, but the way he was carrying little Jamie like a baby, carefully, almost afraid to hurt her (what was he thinking ? He had already hurt her, she was dead !) was confusing. Did he know she was dead ? Did he realize he had killed her ? Obviously not really.

Michael was now a few feet away from Laurie. She was trying not to show how scared she was, but she was crying. "Give her to me." Michael tilted his head, which infuriated his sister. "Give her to me, you monster !" He took one final step and gently placed little Jamie in his sister's arms. Laurie collapsed on the ground, holding her daughter tight, not paying attention to Michael who watched her with jealousy in his eyes.

That's when Jamie moved. She raised her hand to stroke her mother's hair. "Mommy...?" Laurie's heart skipped a beat. Loomis' too. They weren't paying attention to Michael anymore. The little Jamie was alive. She held onto her mother tighter. "Mommy ?" Finally the blond-haired woman hugged her daughter tightly in her arms, crying loudly. Loomis glanced at Michael. He was still here, he had just taken a few steps back, threatening to disappear in the shadows. The doctor didn't know if walking toward him would be wise. Michael was still unpredictable. He could easily change his mind and snap everyone's neck in a few seconds. He looked at Jamie again, and said : "We should call an ambulance."

Laurie yelled : "AND IT'S YOU WHO SAYS IT ? YOU DIDN'T CARE MUCH ABOUT JAMIE'S LIFE WHEN YOU SET FIRE TO THE HOUSE AND SHE WAS STILL INSIDE !" Michael growled deeply in his throat.

Jamie gasped and cried : "Uncle !"

Something in Laurie's mind hated the way she called the boogeyman "uncle", but when she looked at said uncle, her brain stopped working for a moment. Michael had collapsed and Loomis caught him. The doctor didn't realize how much danger he was in until he had a weakened Myers In his arms. He whispered : "Michael. Do you hear me ?"

He nodded once.

"I need to take off your mask." Michael froze. "You need to breathe properly. I have to take it off. You're suffocating." The younger man turned his head, which obviously meant "Whatever. I can't die". Loomis sighed. "I know you can't die but I need to talk to you and you won't be useful if you're passed out. And I'm not sure it will do any good to your brain."

As Michael kept refusing, Jamie got up and walked to him, kneeling on the dirty ground. "Uncle ?" He turned his head toward Jamie as her mother was watching, half terrified, half fascinated. Jamie was terrified too, but she did her best not to show it, as her tiny fingers gripped her uncle's mask and pulled it off, slowly, afraid to hurt him or cause him any discomfort. Loomis was absolutely amazed.

Michael had never accepted to be touched, especially not his face, and getting him to take off his mask was already hard enough, but taking it off instead of him was something he always considered impossible. Jamie smiled faintly as she finally saw her uncle's face. He wasn't ugly, far from it. He had dark brown hair just like Jamie, a little nose like hers and the same black eyes. He was breathing slowly, his face covered in black ashes. Jamie didn't find him scary anymore without his mask, she murmured : "You're... Just like me..." Loomis and Laurie heard it all. The doctor shivered. This girl didn't realize what she was saying. The man who was "just like her" was evil and could kill her with one finger. And instead of being scared she was fascinated. What a little fool... "Uncle Michael...? Why did you... Save me...?" There were sobs in Jamie's angelic voice. So she truly did believe her uncle had saved her life...? Michael remained silent. Loomis then spoke. "Is it why you carried Jamie out of here, Michael ? You wanted to save her...?"

The unmasked man nodded, looking puzzled by the situation. He wasn't understanding. He did good, didn't he ? When he wanted to see his baby sister all grown up he wanted to be good too, but he had failed... She was scared of him now and he knew it was his fault. What else could he do ? He was trying so hard to be good for his family but he could only scare them... It was tiring. And when he was tired of trying when he obviously couldn't succeed he killed. He hated to see people flinch away when they saw him. He hated the way they didn't even try to understand what he was trying to tell them. He hated that they always assumed, because he was uncomfortable, he was clumsy, not used to relations to others at all, that he wanted a bloodbath. It wasn't true... It wasn't... He couldn't tell them... Anger had stolen everything he had. His family, his voice, his sanity. Even when he tried to do good he ended up being punished. Something was controlling him and he was scared of it. Scared of himself. But little Jamie... Little Jamie wasn't scared of him anymore, was she ? He had shown her he was good to her, he had saved her, he loved her. She was good to him. She didn't call him names. She didn't try to hurt him and escape. Michael couldn't die but injuries never hurt less. He had never felt like this, but he knew if anyone took Jamie away from him he would kill all the people that tried to stop him to get her back.

"Uncle...?" He blinked. He had forgotten where he was. He got lost in his thoughts. "Why are you crying...?" What was she...? He then felt them. Tears. Hot, salty tears, rolling down his cold cheeks. When was the last time he cried ? He didn't remember. It was so new to him, and scary...

"Michael...?" Laurie had kneeled next to him. She was still scared, he felt it, but something was changing in her. She didn't hate him anymore, she was confused and puzzled. "Who are you, Michael ?" she thought. Jamie whimpered : "Mommy I feel weird..." before her mother had time to do anything, the little girl fainted. Laurie looked at Loomis as she was holding her daughter : "Call an ambulance." That's when Michael passed out too, and doctor Loomis had to get away from him. Michael was hyperventilating and twitching, having what seemed to be a really bad seizure, or a horrible nightmare. Laurie was scared. She was scared of Michael but it wasn't a reason not to be concerned. Loomis was worried too. He'd never seen Michael like this. For a moment he thought he was dying. Jamie whimpered softly, and Michael made the same soft cries of fear. Laurie whispered : "Doctor... Let me hold him... Please..." He accepted without a protest and laid Michael next to his niece, both of their heads resting on Laurie's lap. Immediatly, without waking up, Jamie shifted closer to her uncle and wrapped her tiny arms around him. And Michael actually calmed down.

"Wh-What just happened...?, Laurie asked with tears in her eyes.
- I've never seen that before... But there seems to be a strong bound between them... I believe... I believe that, as long as the girl is with him, she must have a way to soothe him...
- What do you mean...?
- Michael must be... Clinging to what's left of his family... Which means you... And the girl...
- He's been trying to kill me. He doesn't want me, he wants Jamie.
- If he really meant to kill you he would've done it when you were still a baby.
- This is nonsense... Doctor you always told me there was no humanity left in Michael...
- I was wrong... I failed to see it... But deep in his soul, there must be something left..."

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