EYE-CATCHING. SENSATIONAL. MEMORABLE.

Those were the words being written at the top of a white board by editor-in-chief of Digital Minute Mitchell Strode inside a small meeting room with thirteen interns. They were also scribbled down on a new page in Fallon Kincaid's journal as she sat at a round table with the rest of her peers, waiting for their boss to turn around and speak to everyone. She stared at the words, reading them over and over until they were etched inside her brain. Although, all it really did was make her head hurt a little, but she kept staring at them, anyway. For whatever reason, they had to be important if they were written in all caps for everyone to see, and Fallon would make sure that they stuck to her.

"The words aren't gonna disappear from your journal, Fal." Fallon looked over at Jamie Ellis, her best friend, roommate, and fellow intern, who had a smirk on her face. "That's all you're gonna see if you keep staring at them long enough."

Fallon playfully rolled her eyes. "I don't see you writing anything down," she whispered back.

"That's because I got it all up here," Jamie replied quietly, pointing at her temple. "You know that cute girl with the corner office? Robin's her name, I think. I was shadowing her today. She's been really helpful."

"Oh, I'm so glad you're learning a lot here," Fallon stated, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

Jamie chuckled a little in response. "Hey, just you wait and I'll write a great article before this internship is over."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Fallon retorted jokingly.

After another moment of silence, Mr. Strode turned around and exhaled loudly, his eyes scanning from left to right at the interns watching him. "When you see these words, what do they mean to you? Do they come to mind while reading an article?" He paused, raising his eyebrows at everyone before continuing. "What catches your eye? What lines stand out to you? What makes the article sensational?" Another pause as he began to walk back and forth in the room. "These are the questions we must ask ourselves when writing a piece. You want to grab the reader's attention from the moment they see the title and keep them captivated until the very last sentence. That's what it means to be a good writer."

His words began to spin around in Fallon's mind as she was listening attentively. It was exactly what she needed to hear if she wanted to be a good writer. As much as she didn't want to brag, Fallon thought she truly had a gift with the craft, something that she discovered at a very early age, and she was certain that this was what she wanted to study in college, then eventually write as a career. Now, two years later at Blackmore University in New York City, Fallon was an intern for a well-known online magazine in the state (despite it being not as big as others) and she was determined to succeed here.

"Now, don't forget that I want all of you to write a piece that describes all of these things and the top three will be featured it in our next issue, and the best one out of those three will get a special mention right on the front page," Mr. Strode explained, pointing at the white board with his marker. "What will you come up with that's eye-catching and sensational? What's gonna make people remember your words?" He paused again for a moment, clapping his hands together. "The anniversary of those murders in that small California town is coming up. Woodmere? No...Woodsboro! Make your piece hold my attention like that cursed town has for years."

Fallon just about froze in her chair at the mention of Woodsboro. With her mom being the famous Sidney Prescott, there was a lot Fallon had heard over the years regarding the Ghostface murders, all of which none of it came from Sidney herself, as her mom immediately shut down every question Fallon had about all of it after finding her mom's self-help book, along with the series of books detailing Sidney's life and the murders (starting with Fallon's grandmother, Maureen Prescott), written by Gale Weathers. But thanks to Jamie, she read all of Gale's books and did more research on the history of the murders from the internet (though she drew the line at watching the Stab movies).

A girl just a few seats from Fallon named Holly Grant scoffed in response. "Come on. Who wants to write about murder? It's disturbing, if you ask me."

"But that's what everyone remembers," Patrick Steinbeck, the boy sitting across from Fallon, pointed out. "It's a tragedy, yeah, but no one will ever forget it. Besides, there's always something new to learn about what happened during those attacks in Woodsboro that comes up eventually." He looked over at Fallon. "Maybe Kincaid over here will find out if she decides to write an article about it. After all, the murders revolve around her mom."

"Which means it's gonna be a killer piece," Jamie spoke up, the same smirk still on her face. "Pun intended, of course."

Fallon grinned at her friend, to which Patrick leaned back in his seat, shaking his head as he didn't say a word after that.

"Fascinating," Mr. Strode muttered. "The daughter of a massacre survivor covering the same attacks her mother endured twenty-five years ago. Now that would be one hell of a piece to write." He glanced at Fallon, his eyes lighting up. "Who knows? If Miss Kincaid does write about this topic, she might surprise us all with what she'll find."

Fallon gave him an awkward smile. Little did the chief-in-editor and the very annoying Patrick sitting across from her know that Fallon had already decided to write her piece on the Woodsboro attacks. Sure, it was a bit cliché that she would write a piece on something that, in a way, hit close to home. But it was something she wanted to do, even if her parents--especially her mother--weren't too crazy about the idea. She was sure it would be one hell of a conversation at dinner tonight.

After Mr. Strode dismissed the interns for the day, Fallon was one of the first people to stand up and leave the room, followed by Jamie. The two were going at their normal pace when Holly came strolling by them.

"You're not actually going to write a piece about those murders, are you?" she inquired, sounding and looking concerned.

Fallon shrugged her shoulders in response. "Why not?"

"Because the daughter of a final girl writing about the anniversary of some killings that her mom was involved in is a bit obvious," Patrick spoke up from behind.

"And yet you're the one who brought up the idea of her writing it," Jamie retorted.

"Well, it's not like she's gonna actually write it." He glanced over at Fallon. "Are you?"

Fallon pursed her lips, growing annoyed at the boy. "Like Mr. Strode said, it'd be one hell of a piece to write." She then formed a smirk across her face. "And it's gonna be one hell of a piece to read once I'm done with it."

Patrick rolled his eyes in response, not saying another word as he walked ahead, much to Fallon and Jamie's satisfaction.

"I can't wait to see the look on his face when your article is featured in the next issue," Jamie stated, grinning toward her friend.

Fallon chuckled. "Yeah, let's just hope Mr. Strode thinks it's good enough for the magazine."

"It will be. You're one of the best writers out of all the interns here."

"You're starting to sound like my parents." Both of them thought she had something special when it came to her writing and supported her choice to pursue it, despite the fact that it almost worried her mother that she'd turn out like Gale Weathers (though Fallon assured her many times that she wouldn't).

"Hey, don't make it sound like a bad thing." Jamie paused as the girls exited the building and stepped onto the busy New York sidewalk. "Speaking of your parents, have you told them yet?"

Fallon glanced at her friend, scoffing. "I told my mom. How do you think that went?" She had been hesitant to tell her parents about the article and going to Woodsboro, knowing how they'd react to it. So when she finally said something about it to her mom during a walk through Central Park recently, it only ended in the two arguing back and forth over the subject, and Fallon hadn't heard from her mom since.

"You do realize we leave in two days to go to Woodsboro, right, Fal?"

"Yes, which is why I'm going to talk to them more about it tonight." Though she tried to sound confident in her response, Fallon had a hard time feeling it.

"Well, I know it's a family dinner, but if you want me to come for moral support--"

"I'll be fine," the brunette assured her. "I think I need to do this alone." Because no one could deal with the wrath of Sidney Prescott Kincaid like Fallon could.

*******

The anxiety Fallon had felt when watching the original Nightmare on Elm Street for the first time seemed to be nothing compared to making her way to the Kincaid house that evening.

With the music loud and a tight grip on the steering wheel, Fallon did her best to remain calm. Fortunately, the traffic was pretty heavy, so she had time to think about how she would go about bringing up the subject of the article and Woodsboro again. But no matter what she came up with, it all sounded terrible the more she went over the words in her head.

She had seen this play out in movies before, knowing the outcome would stay the same, and it wouldn't be a good one for either side.

Fallon drove through the neighborhood her parents resided in, glancing at the familiar houses she used to see all the time before moving out for college. While Fallon liked being in the city, she also enjoyed the simple community that she called home pretty much all her life. She remembered waving at her neighbors if they were outside when she went by, missing their friendly faces when she noticed that no one was outside this evening. The front porch light was on by the time she made it to her childhood home, with both her parents' cars in the driveway. Taking a deep breath, Fallon turned off the car and stepped out, locking it while making her way up the steps and to the door, using her key to let herself in.

"Hello?" she called out as she entered the house, shutting the door behind her. "Mom? Dad?" Fallon took a few more steps in the foyer, looking at the top of the stairs and down the hall to find no one. She then turned her attention to the closed double doors on her right, which she knew was her dad's study, knocking a couple of times. Though all she got in response from the other side was the sound of faint giggles, to which Fallon rolled her eyes and pulled the doors open, finding her two younger sisters, Emma and Katie, standing there.

"Fallon!" they shouted at the same time with wide smiles on their faces.

"You two know you're not supposed to be in here," Fallon informed them, crossing her arms.

"So?" Emma retorted. "You're not the boss of us."

"Well, maybe I'm not, but Dad is, and if he finds out--"

"If Dad finds out about what?" the voice of Mark Kincaid echoed as his footsteps got louder when he came down the stairs, approaching the girls at the entrance of his study, his eyes going a bit wide at the sight of the two younger ones. "Girls, what have I told you about being in here?"

Both of them responded by scurrying out past them, going down the hall in a fit of giggles.

Mark shook his head, sighing before focusing his attention back on Fallon. "I'll deal with them later." He paused long enough to give her a warm smile and hug. "How are you, sweetheart?"

"Fine," she simply replied, feeling his tight squeeze for a moment before pulling away. "Where's Mom and Jesse?"

"In the kitchen. Dinner's almost ready." Mark paused for a moment, then let out a sigh. "Look, just a heads up, your mom's still a little upset about...you know..."

"Yeah, I figured," Fallon stated.

"Just don't bring it up with your siblings around, okay?"

"Got it. I'll try talking to Mom after dinner."

Nodding his head, Mark then led the two of them into the kitchen, where the smell of baked chicken and steamed vegetables was more noticeable as it filled the air. "Smells good in here!" he called out at his wife, who was facing the stove with a two-year-old boy attached to her leg.

Sidney turned her head and smiled at both Mark and Fallon. "You guys are right on time. I just need to finish up on the stove." She then turned toward her oldest daughter, to which her smile became awkward. "Hey, sweetie."

"Hi, Mom," Fallon replied.

As her dad was getting Emma and Katie settled into their seats at the table, Fallon got the plates and cups set up for each family member, then grabbed water and juice from the pitchers inside the fridge. While Sidney went to grab a bottle of white wine and two glasses, she and Fallon exchanged blank stares. Fallon hated the fact that her mom's cheerful mood quickly faded as soon as she saw her own daughter walk into the kitchen.

Once the Kincaid family was all seated, the three adults began to help the little ones get their plates full of food and glass filled with water or juice. Fallon then did the same for herself, trying to not get so nauseous over the subject of the article and going to Woodsboro. She saw the way everyone was beginning to talk and laugh at one another, the atmosphere being as lively as ever.

Fuck, this family dinner really isn't going to end well.

"Fallon?"

The girl snapped out of her thoughts and faced her mom, eyebrows raised. "What?"

"I asked you how school was going."

"Oh." She picked up the glass of water and was about to take a sip. "It's going pretty well."

"That's good to hear," Sidney stated as she poured some wine into her glass. "And your internship?"

Fallon froze, her body starting to tense up. "Same as before."

Sidney raised her eyebrows in response. "Is that it? Nothing new with the article you're writing?"

She bit her lip, using her fork to move around the vegetables on her plate. "No, nothing's changed."

"I see." The woman nodded her head, lifting up her glass to take a sip.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fallon spoke up, raising her eyebrows.

Noticing the tension, Mark cleared his throat, reaching over the table to get more salad. "Okay, how about we discuss something else?"

"I think you and I both know what it means, Fallon," Sidney replied, ignoring her husband.

Fallon dropped her fork and leaned back in the chair, her annoyance growing. "You know, I thought you'd be more supportive."

"Oh, sure, I'm thrilled that your first major article is going to be about the one thing that me and the rest of the world can't seem to bury even after all these years," her mom retorted sarcastically.

"This could be in the next issue of The New York Times!"

"Fallon, this is the Digital Minute we're talking about. It's not going that far."

The brunette scoffed, shaking her head. "Thanks for the support, Mom."

Mark glanced at his wife and oldest daughter with eyebrows raised. "Maybe you two should take this out of--"

"I wish I never even told you about the article."

"And I wish you wouldn't write it."

"What the hell am I supposed to write about, then?"

"Language!" Emma shouted.

"Anything but my past would be great."

"You're overreacting."

"And you're sounding a lot like Gale Weathers."

Fallon's eyes went wide. "You take that back."

"No, I won't, because right now you're acting just like her and it's pissing me off."

"Hey, Sidney..." Mark whispered next to his wife, who kept her angry eyes on Fallon.

"At least Gale Weathers hasn't kept a stick up her ass all these years."

"Okay, that's enough!" Mark's voice got louder, causing everyone to look at him.

All of a sudden, the house phone rang, echoing throughout the kitchen, startling everyone around the table. While the Kincaid children merely jumped at the sound, Sidney let out a gasp as she began to breathe heavily, trying to compose herself.

"I'll get it." Huffing a sigh, Mark placed his napkin on the table and stood up.

Once the phone stopped ringing after Mark picked up to answer it, Sidney got up from her chair before anything else could be said. Fallon watched as her mom disappeared down the hall, hearing the footsteps go up the stairs, followed by a door slamming that caused Fallon to wince.

"Is Mommy okay?" Katie asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, she's fine," Fallon responded, turning to look at her sister. "Mom just wasn't hungry anymore."

As Katie slowly went back to eating, Mark hung up the phone and then returned to the table, his expression remaining unchanged.

The rest of dinner went by in awkward silence, only the sound of forks and knives clinking against the plates, along with chewing food and gulping down whatever each Kincaid family member had in their glass. While the little ones didn't look too bothered with what just happened (or if they were, none of them showed it), Fallon did her best not to act tense or annoyed by it, and after glancing at her father across the table, it seemed like he was doing the same.

By the time everyone finished their plates--with the exception of Sidney--Fallon took her siblings upstairs in order to get ready for baths and bedtime, where she was caught off guard to see her mom already in the hallway as the kids ran toward her. Fallon noticed the way her mom's eyes were red and puffy as the two shared an intense stare before Sidney turned around and hurried off with the little ones down the hall. Sighing, Fallon headed back downstairs and into the kitchen, finding her dad cleaning up the table, to which she went over to help him.

"Did you see your mom up there?" he asked, placing dirty dishes into the sink.

Fallon nodded. "Yeah, we didn't say much," she replied, heading over toward him with glasses in her hand. "How long do you think she'll stay mad at me?"

"Probably for as long as you're set on writing that article." Pausing, Mark took a moment to clean the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher, then glanced back at his daughter. "Which maybe it isn't such a good idea to write it on something your mother feels strongly about."

"Even if this article could get me one step ahead in my writing career? Don't you want me to make a difference in the world?"

"Yes, but this isn't the way to go about it." Mark sighed, leaning against the counter. "What happened to your mom isn't something she can just move on from, Fallon. It's her legacy, one that she's stuck with for the rest of her life and one that you might be stuck with, too, if you go out to Woodsboro and write this piece."

The brunette huffed a sigh and crossed her arms. Sure, maybe it was a bit insensitive to pick a topic that revolved around her mom's trauma. But all Fallon wanted to do was to make her mark in the world, to establish herself as a serious writer, one that people would take seriously if she wrote about something that was personal in a way. While she expected her mother to be pissed, there was also a part of Fallon that was hoping Sidney would eventually come around and let Fallon interview her for the article. It was almost terrible for her to think about, but the thought of Sidney having the long-awaited discussion over the murders with Fallon after all these years was something that could give a good leg up with the internship.

"I just want to be successful," she said.

"I know you do, Fal, but you can still do that without exploiting your mom."

Exploit. That's a bit of a stretch.

"Thanks for dinner," she stated, unfolding her arms and walking away from her dad. "I'll see you guys when I get back."

With that, Fallon picked up the pace out of the kitchen before Mark could stop her. When she got to the front door, her eyes focused back to the top of the stairs as she heard Sidney's sweet voice and her siblings laughing in response. She almost wanted to see her mom's face one more time before walking out the door, but something inside her decided against it, opening the door and exiting the house before closing it behind her. There wasn't a moment where she looked back, hurrying to get inside her car and drive away as fast as possible.

Now, she couldn't worry about anything but the article. The last thing she needed was any more distractions. She had to write this piece and it had to be perfect.

Fallon just hoped that it would all be worth it in the end.

~~~~~~~

A/N: Annnnnd chapter one is finally here!

I would like to add that Fallon is a very flawed character, as y'all could probably tell while reading this chapter. But of course as we get more into the story, she develops and grows as a character (which I am very excited for y'all to read).

Anyway, comment, vote, more to come soon!

-A