《A Ride to Nowhere》 All Aboard! When the alarm woke Jeannie up that morning she was a lot less grumpy about it than usual. She got up, made her bed, tidied the room a bit, and went for a quick shower. Her mom had already gone to work, but she had prepared some breakfast beforehand. Jeannie hurriedly devoured the meal and got dressed in her regular clothing. Every one of her shirts proudly and prominently displayed her favorite Hero in a variety of different poses. Skull Knight. His dull white armor looked amazing no matter what the lighting or background. His mask, or rather helmet struck the perfect balance between creepy and cool. The day she''d get his autograph, and she swore to all that is holy that that day was coming, she could finally die happy. With a hum on her lips, she danced out the door. The reason for her excitement was threefold. Not only was tomorrow her 15th birthday, but aside from that it was also her favourite day of the year. Yes, tomorrow was Halloween. And her best friend Hanna Dancer had promised her a special surprise for today. She couldn''t wait. ------------------------------- "What is it with you and Skull Knight?" Lindsay said as she flew over the school gate. "Skull Knight sucks." The Abraham Dancer School for the Gifted was an ordinary school by all accounts, except for one small detail. All of the students, as well as the teachers, were Empowered. Not counting Mages, people with extraordinary abilities made up about 30% of the population, so seeing a huge number of them together at once, apart from Hero teams, was a rare sight. Jeannie both loved and hated it here. Loved, because all her friends went here too; Hated because....well, she always felt a bit out of place, seeing her classmates and the other students. It''s not that she lacked a Power, hers was just......not that remarkable. "Oh yeah, says the Daylighter simp." she rebutted as she followed below her friend. "What''s wrong with Daylighter? Everybody loves Daylighter." The older girl floated carefully back on the ground. "That''s just it though. He''s sooo boring. Boy Scouts don''t do it for me. He''s a cutie, but I like my Heroes cool, you know?" "I guess. But Skull Knight isn''t even the leader of his team. Why aren''t you fangirling over Carfaxes or whatever his name is?" Jeannie looked at the flier with a raised eyebrow, who shrugged in response. "Abraxas.....is great too. But just not as great." She took a deep breath. "All together though, Creature Feature beats whichever team Daylighter is gonna put together any day of the week. "Said no one ever." Lindsay laughed as they entered the schoolhouse. ------------------------- The only saving grace of Friday''s first periods was that she could finally talk to Hanna. Or more so let Hannah talk to her. Hanna''s family owned the school, and they also lived on the premises. Near the back of the property stood a little mansion that housed the whole of the Dancer clan, meaning there wasn''t really an opportunity to go to school together. "Okay class, let us all go to page 16." Miss Breacher sat in her chair, lazily filing her nails, as Jeannie''s stylus softly rose up from its holder and tapped her to the correct spot on the screen built into her table. She was not the only student this was happening to. Miss Breacher had incredible control over a pretty wide-reaching area without even having to look. It certainly made things easier, but the more streamlined the process to get to the learning material, the more time they had to actually learn. And that was incredibly boring. Luckily, Hanna could help. "I bet you''re curious about my gift. It''s pretty amazing, I think. ~" Her voice rang loudly in Jeannie''s ear, almost too loud, but no one but her seemed to take notice. Hanna hadn''t even needed to open her mouth. Her particular talent was the ability to project her thoughts into other people''s heads. It could be annoying at times, but when the alternative was history lessons, it was a godsend. Jeannie looked at her and nodded lightly, careful to not arouse too much suspicion. "I''ll tell you about it during recess. First, though, you won''t believe what happened yesterday at home. Mom was pruning her feathers when...." --------------------------------- "A Ride to Nowhere?" She read aloud from the ticket Hanna had given her. "Yeah! Cool, right?" The girl was grinning from ear to ear, holding her own ticket up. "What is it?" Jeannie was a tad confused. With all the hype this gift had had, she couldn''t help but feel a bit disappointed. "Really? I thought for sure a horror geek like you would know all about this." Lindsay stood with them, a crumpled ticket sticking out of her pocket too. "I''m not surprised. Seems to be a pretty underground thing." Hanna pulled out her phone and showed Jeannie a website. It looked pretty shoddily made. The purple background and red text gave it a nice, spooky vibe though. "From what my dad told me, this a yearly Halloween event thing. They come to a random place in the country and offer up a top-of-the-line Horror experience." "Then how come I have never heard of it?" Jeannie asked. She was always on the lookout for events like these. Not that she ever found one in her area. "That''s the cool thing. They never announce where they are going to be. And not only that, they only start selling tickets, in person, a week before Halloween. You''d have to randomly stumble onto a ticket seller and be knowledgeable or curious enough to either get what these tickets are for or buy them blindly. And luckily for you, dear Jeannie, my dad did." Jeannie resisted the urge to ask if her dad was the knowledgeable or curious kind and instead focused on something else. "So he bought these tickets for me?" Hanna nodded. "Yeah.....I mean, kinda. Well, technically, he bought them for me specifically so I could give one to you as a birthday present. So he sort of bought them for you?" "Then why''d he buy three?" Suddenly, an image flashed into Jeannie''s mind. It was of her, Hanna, and Lindsay. The three of them lay on the ground in the street, stomachs slit open, entrails pouring out. She took a step back on wobbly knees. Hanna noticed her friend''s distress, turned to the fourth person in their little group, and flicked the giggling girl''s nose. "Oww!" The girl bore a great resemblance to Hanna, which was to be expected since she was her twin. Like many Empowered twins, their abilities were complimentary. While Hanna could project words into other people''s minds, her sister projected images. A devastatingly effective combo when working together, however, they rarely did. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Stop tormenting Jeannie." Hanna turned back to her friend. "The third one was originally meant for her, but Anna here is too much of a chickenshit wuss, so she kindly donated her spot to Lin here." Lindsay dipped into an exaggerated curtsy. "For which I shall be forever grateful, Milady." Anna rolled her eyes and pushed Lindsay''s shoulder. "You shut up. Anyway, I just showed you what''s gonna happen. No way am I going to go take a ride on Halloween evening with a bunch of strangers past 8PM. I like being alive. It''s a lot of fun." Hanna shrugged in response. "See? Chickenshit wuss. Just ignore her. This is going to be awesome." Jeannie pulled up the website on her own phone. Join our spooktacular team for the joyride of joyrides! Spooks and scares galore await you, as you take the Ride To Nowhere! Don''t be afraid to be a little afraid. We promise you one thing and believe us when we say it: This will be a Halloween you''ll never forget. She smiled. "You''re right. This is going to be awesome." --------------------------------------- "Dad, hurry up!" Jeannie whined as she rushed out of the car. Her father exited the vehicle with a sigh. "Calm down, kiddo. We''re already late. A minute more won''t kill you." Not even bothering to dignify that with a response she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the old train station. "I still don''t know about this..." He mumbled. Usually, the place was locked down, but today the doors stood wide open. A plastic skeleton in a butler outfit was positioned so that it pointed inside. "Nice." she whispered as she practically dragged her father inside. Not that far inside she could see a group of kids standing near one of the stairs that led up to a departure platform. One of them, a girl dressed as a fairy, separated from the group and ran up to the two late-comers. After a few steps, she rose up from the flood and flew the rest of the way. "Lindsay!" Jeannie yelled with a wave. As soon as she was in reach the girl set herself down again. "Mr. Sydney, you have to hurry. The parents are having a pre-tour talk with the organizers right now. I don''t think you want to miss this." He nervously adjusted his glasses. "Hey there, Lindsay. And you''re right. I don''t. I assume it''s on the platform?" She nodded. "Yeah, but they''ve already been up there for ten or so minutes, so I don''t know how much longer you''ll have." "Thanks, I''ll get right to it." He quickly looked at his daughter before he ran toward the stairs. "See you in a bit, honey. Go and mingle with the others." The two waited until he climbed up two steps at a time before they made their way over to join the rest. "So, a fairy, huh?" "It fits, doesn''t it? And let me guess, you are the mighty Skull Knight?" Jeannie took out her plastic spike mace and struck a pose. ''The one and only. Prepare for your doom, evildoer! It won''t come as quick as you''d like." "Wow. How fresh and original." "We''ll, at least I''m not dressed as a villain, like..." They were interrupted by another figure as they finally reached the other kids. The girl was dressed in what looked a bit like a stage Magician outfit, top hat and all, with the addition of a half-mask, covering the left side of her face. "You see, Lindsay? Jeannie hath come wearing a Skull Knight costume. T''is just like the cards foretold. Ohoho, it seems Fate is smiling upon me as usual." Jeannie sighed. "Shut up, Hanna, I come as Skull Knight every year. And the Odd Gentleman doesn''t talk like that." The Villain crossed her arms and huffed. "You don''t know that. His victims say he talks weird. Maybe he does." Before the ribbing could escalate further she shook her head and led the two into the group. "Anyway, let''s introduce you. Guys, this is Jeannie. As you can see we did not exaggerate her Skull Knight fetish." "It''s not a fetish! I just think he''s cool!" "Sure you do. Anyway, these are the other lucky folks whose parents managed to snatch a ticket." A boy in a yellow suit and white cape stepped forward holding out his glowing left hand. "I''m Jamie. Isn''t my Daylighter costume awesome? I can turn the lights on and off at will!" He demonstrated as they shook hands. "Uhm, yeah, Awesome. Right." "Out of the way, whelp." a female voice grunted as Jamie was effortlessly pushed out of the way. The girl behind him was easily twice as tall as he was. Did she kneel down before? Jeannie''s pondering was answered as she slowly shrunk back to the size of a teen girl. "Hey, I''m Kim." She held up her hand for a high five. Jeannie obliged. "Amazonia, eh? Didn''t think we''d have two Villains among us." "Well," Hanna interjected. "Villains are just a lot more fun than Heroes." "Preach it, Sister." Kim agreed and Jeannie rolled her eyes. She looked at one of the two remaining kids, both boys. His costume was very....angular, and mechanical. Despite that, he wore a baseball cap and an X-Men T-shirt. "And who are you supposed to be?" He looked at her with a mechanical whirr that freaked her out a little. "INPUT NAME: MATTHEW. DESIGNATION: HUMAN TEENAGER; UNREMARKABLE." His voice was heavily filtered and had an uncanny quality to it. "Nice to meet you?...." "LIKEWISE." The boy next to him sighed and stepped forward. He was dressed as Doctor Mephisto, a popular horror movie killer. Doctor''s Orders 9 released recently too, so it was topical enough. "Hi, I''m Greg. That''s my brother Matt. He, uhm......he is going as a human child who is definitely not a robot." He scratched his head and looked away. "STATEMENT: TRUE." "Sooooo, Jeannie started. "He is actually going as a robot who pretends to be a human child who is definitely not a robot?" "Essentially." "STATEMENT: FALSE." "So do any of you know what this event actually is?" Greg shook his head. "Not a clue, but it sounds exciting." "Yeah!" Kim yelled, bumping her fists together. She had grown a bit again. "I''m ready to get my adrenaline pumping! Amazonia needs her thrills!" Jeannie wanted to say something but just at that moment, the parents came walking down the steps. Every child was pulled aside by their guardian, and she was no different. "Okay, sweetie. I had a really nice talk with the organizers. They were very friendly, very understanding, and they answered all of our questions and concerns." "Great. So what''s going on?" "As soon as we''re done here you''ll go up there. You board the train. They showed us the route, it makes a full circle. In two hours you''ll be back here at the station. Your mother and I will be waiting to pick you up. Does that sound good?" She nodded. "Good. I''ll be on my way then. Have fun, honey," "I will, Dad." she said as he turned and left. Before leaving the station for good he turned around one last time, waved, and was gone. One by one the other adults said their goodbyes and went on their way. "Come on, losers!" Kim shouted and ran up the stairs, shortly followed by Hanna who grabbed Jeannie''s hand to pull her along. "Destiny awaits!" The platform was abandoned, except for a single man standing next to a derelict-looking train. On first glance it seemed like it consisted of more rust than metal, and a luminescent bright light from within bathed the nighttime station in an eerie red glow. The man was an older gentleman, in his early-to-late forties Jeannie guessed, who wore a nicely tailored red-and-black suit. Cartoony skulls littered his tie and his hands were clad in what looked like soft, satin gloves. He bowed deeply when he saw the first kids come up the stairs, but he waited until everyone was present before he spoke. "Welcome, one and all, to the ride of your lifetime. You will not regret coming here today, I promise you that. My name is unimportant, but you may call me the Guide because that is what I am. Your Guide to Nowhere. Before we embark on this terrifying journey I have heard that we have a birthday girl amongst us today." It took Jeannie a second to raise her hand. "Aaah, the little Skull Knight, is it? Terrific taste in Heroes. He''s my favorite too, you know?" The Guide held out his hand and Jeannie took it only to immediately pull it back as soon as he got a grip, leaving her gauntlet behind in his grasp. "What the fuck?!" came the conspicuously non-robotic voice from Matt, while both Hanna and Lindsay laughed. The Guide himself seemed plenty amused as well. "Now that''s a neat trick. I like you more by the second." When the gauntlet was pulled off her, it revealed what was inside. And that was a thin, white skeletal bone hand. The Power Jeannie was born with was one of invisibility. Partial invisibility. Whenever she wanted she could make her body disappear from view entirely. Everything but her skeleton. According to her mother, she was born while that Power was fully active, which led to quite a bit of panic in the delivery room. It wasn''t very useful in day-to-day life, but in moments like these, she wouldn''t trade it for the world. "Now that we''ve all had our fun, let us begin the perilous journey Nowhere." The Guide said as he gave the piece of her costume he was holding back to her. As if on cue the train doors opened behind him, fog spilling out onto the platform. "Enter. If you dare." He was the first to step in. The others hesitated for a bit. "Oh god, all of you are such pansies." Kim groaned, ran up to the open door, and jumped in. "I think I''m just going to go in normally." Greg said, followed by a "STATEMENT: SAME." and both brothers went inside. "Let''s go." Hanna whispered to both her friends and took the lead. Lindsay flew in after her. Jeannie took a deep breath. "Alright." she whispered. "Let''s hope the website didn''t lie." And with that, she stepped inside. A Light In The Dark Jeannie had had a few different ideas of how the train might look from the inside, but this was not one of them. Whereas from the outside it appeared like a barely functional, glorified museum piece, the interior was astoundingly pristine. The chairs looked incredibly comfortable, and, like in all modern trains, little unfoldable touchscreens were built into the armrests. The color palette was exactly her style, too¡ªdark purples and reds everywhere. "Woah." Jamie said as he climbed in behind her. "I know, right?" As soon as he had fully entered the doors closed behind him. "Let the Ride To Nowhere begin." As if responding to the Guide''s words, the train slowly began to set itself into motion. "Please, follow me." He said, walking deeper into the car. "So, how do you like your birthday present so far?" Hanna whispered as they walked. "So far it''s great. I hope it picks up soon, though." Jeannie replied. "I have a question for you, children. Do any of you believe in the supernatural?" The Guide asked. "What, you mean ghosts and stuff like that?" Kim grunted. "Oh yes. Ghosts, Vampires, otherworldly creatures or phenomena." "I do. It''s more fun that way." Kim replied. "Me, not really...." Greg mumbled. "I mean, yeah, it IS fun to think about, but...." "My dad said all those things are just misunderstood sightings of people with Powers or Mages fooling around." Jamie threw in. The Guide laughed. "What a wonderful answer! It makes sense. It is good that we have a little Skull Knight here because the members of Creature Feature are a good example. Spektral has all the characteristics of a ghost, but is she one? No, I would say not." He stopped walking. In front of him was spot with a peculiar seating arrangement. Instead of chairs, there stood what looked more like a purple-cushioned bench, arranged in a half-circle around a large table. Something was lying on top of the table, but it was hidden by a red cloth. "Please, sit down." While the teens did so he continued. "Believe it or not, there was a time before even Powers and Magic existed. Where those things were thought of as extraordinary and otherworldly. Should we assume then that just because other strange incidents and entities have not been proven to exist beyond the shadow of a doubt, that they don''t?" With a flourish, he removed the cloth from the table. Jeannie wasn''t sure what she was looking at for a moment. She had expected some kind of spooky prop or something, but instead in front of them lay a bunch of random junk. A broken pair of sunglasses, a postcard of some kind, a very nice looking golden lighter, a blueish, whiteish marble, and an old-fashioned pen. "What are these things?" Hanna asked. The Guide sat down himself before he answered. "These are objects that I myself have gathered over the last year. Each of them has a story, one you wouldn''t have come across in your day-to-day life. Some of them were harder to acquire than others, but all are equally.....meaningful." Jeannie could''ve sworn she saw...something in his eyes for a second. She wasn''t sure what. The others didn''t seem to have noticed anything. She shook her head lightly. Probably just the ambiance getting to her. "You there, Daylighter." The Guide pointed at a surprised Jamie. "Uhm, yes?" "Tell me, which of these objects speaks to you? Which one do you want to know more about?" He hesitated for a second, looking the table over again carefully. Eventually he pointed at the lighter. "This one looks cool." The Guide chuckled. "Indeed it does. A good choice you made there. A beautiful work of art. Though not everyone can appreciate it." He took the implement in question and pulled it in the very middle of the table. "Now, kids, let me tell you a story...." -------------- A Light In The Dark ---------------------- "Okay....here we go. My name is Alexandra Temny. This is day 1 of the great cabin scopeout. So far, nothing interesting has happened, but then again, I basically just set everything up. Let''s hope this isn''t just a giant waste of time." Alexandra turned the camera off with a sigh and pulled her wool blanket tighter. She couldn''t stand the cold. To be honest, she wasn''t a big fan of the great outdoors in general. A campground with huts, and a grill, and curated activities to enjoy? That''s great. Amazing even. Just sitting around in a bush in the middle of nowhere sleeping in a rickety tent? Less so. But she had no choice here. Well, she did, but not really. Her family had always been small. Her father, her older brother, and Alexandra herself. Her dad had been a good guy, but a tad naive. That''s what eventually led to his death. She.....didn''t like to think about it. So that left Andrew, her bro. While she and their father were regular, normal people, Andrew was not. He had been born with a little something extra. A Power. It wasn''t strong or particularly useful, but he used it now and then to pull off some pretty neat party tricks. If his shadow touched another shadow, he could interact with it as if it was the real thing. That was all well and good, but there was one problem. A major one. Ever since the Shadowwall Incident in Germany, darkness-based Powers had been under strict scrutiny in pretty much all of the Western world. Here in the U.S., that meant saying goodbye to your family, friends, and freedoms and being stuffed into a "Special School" to "help nurture your potential". But what they were, in reality, were little more than research and training compounds that made doubly, triply, and quadruply sure you were not in any way, shape, or form a threat. If you were lucky, that meant getting released at age 21 (if you came there as a child. As an adult? Try your mid-to-late thirties), with the legal obligation to check in once a year to confirm you hadn''t gone rogue. If you were unlucky then that meant a transfer to a high-security containment facility for people with potentially dangerous uncontrollable Powers. And if you were both strong in ability and obedience you may earn a spot in the prestigious government-funded Superhero Team Umbra-Lux. What a prize. Of course, there were not enough examples to fill out an appropriately sized team for the budget, so they hired regular Empowered as well. What a joke this whole thing was. Only she didn''t find it funny. Neither of these options sounded particularly good, so their dad had opted to hide Andrew''s Power from the authorities. She had been very grateful to him for that, even if it did mean that they had to move around a ton. She and Andrew had been inseparable all their lives. Maybe it was the fact that she was the only other person roughly his age who knew his secret, or maybe they just happened to have compatible personalities. Maybe he was just a naturally protective older brother. Instincts and such. But regardless of the reason, she had never felt more safe and secure than in the presence of her big bro. He had taken time out of his day to help her study despite her terrible grades, read her bedtime stories every night when she was little, built a treehouse in one of their gardens by himself as a surprise while she was away at summer camp, used all of his hard-earned summer job money to snatch her VIP tickets to her favorite band, play the wingman to help her get the attention of whatever boy she was currently crushing on.....whenever she wanted or needed anything he would drop whatever he was doing and be there for her. And in turn, she did the same for him. They had very few friends. And those they had they never kept for long. But at least they had each other. When their dad passed they naturally took an apartment together. He had just turned 18, so there were few complications. The absence of their father reinforced their codependency even more. There was hardly a time when they weren''t together anymore. At first. It began two years later. Alexandra had gone to the same summer camp every year since she was 10 years old. After the loss, she skipped out for the first time. But this year was her final chance. Aside from the staff, adults weren''t allowed at camp, and she was 17 now. She thought about it for a long time. It was Andrew who tipped the scales in the end. "You should go. This has been a part of your life forever. Go and make your last ride the best one yet. If you lose something that is important to you, you need to make sure to give it a proper farewell, you know?" And so she went. And it was perfect. Just like her brother had advised she made sure that this stay was going to be the definitive one. One last hurrah, to top everything off. And it worked. She was beaming from ear to ear when she finally returned to their small, shabby apartment. But that good mood didn''t last long. During her absence, Andrew had....changed. It was subtle at first. Where before they would spend most evenings watching movies or playing games together, now he would return from work at later and later hours, and increasingly when he did finally come home he would make some sort of excuse why he couldn''t hang out with her. That was fine. She was a bit miffed, but she didn''t want to force him to spend time if he was tired or had taken work home.. But it didn''t stop there. Bit by bit it seemed like he was distancing himself, avoiding her whenever he could. And she would''ve been fine with even that if he''d just come out and talked to her about it. One "Hey sis, I think I need some time for myself.", or hell, even a "Leave me alone you clingy bitch, and stop suffocating me!" would''ve been all it took. At least she''d know where she stood. Know why he was pushing her away. But he never approached her. Or was rude about it, even. Just excuse after excuse. It made her feel sick. She confronted him eventually. After he hadn''t shown up to her 18th birthday party. Well, it was hardly a party, but they''d planned for it all year. A full-day event, starting with a movie in the morning and spending the rest in an Amusement Park, fast passes on hand, ready to have fun. When he didn''t show up for the movie she was bummed, but still afraid that he thought her too pushy or clingy. But when she arrived at the Park and couldn''t find him anywhere in the parking lot or in line she grew worried. Did something happen to him? An accident? Did the feds find out about them? And when she found him at home in his room, listening to music with his windows shut all that worry rapidly transformed into hurt, then anger. She kept her composure at first. Asked him where he was this morning. Why he was here. When he asked if there was somewhere else he was supposed to be she exploded. She screamed at him. In retrospect, it wasn''t something she was very proud of, but she was so mad. Not even that he didn''t want to spend her birthday with her (that would''ve mostly made her sad, she thought), but that he forgot. He apologized, of course. Said he''d make it up to her somehow, but enough was enough. She needed to know. So she let it all out. His recent behavior, the long absences and excuses, her fear of them drifting apart. He listened patiently as she was rambling and when she was done he just stared at her for a while. She was busy wiping the tears from her eyes when he started to explain. If it could be called an explanation. He said that while she was away, he had made friends. Likeminded people. People like him. They met often and these meetings were long and taxing so he was a bit preoccupied lately. He didn''t apologize, though she only registered that much later. She tried asking follow-up questions. Who were these friends? How did they meet? Where did these meet-ups take place? But he dismissed all of them. You don''t know them. I don''t remember. It doesn''t matter. Alexandra knew that she wouldn''t get anything else out of her brother, so she said a quick goodbye and turned to leave. She needed time to process this information. Come to terms with it. And the funny thing is, she probably would have. If given enough time she would''ve learned to accept it. Her brother had made new friends. He didn''t need her as much anymore. It would''ve taken a while, and the process would''ve been by no means easy and clean, but it would''ve happened. But then he stopped her. He called out her name and stood up. "They really are amazing, sis. They have helped me so much. Look." Curious and confused she faced him as he pulled up the blinds to let light inside. He then did something she had seen him do a thousand times. By reaching out he lined the shadow of his arm up with the shadow of one of his controllers and picked it up. As the shadow was lifted, the object that was casting it rose up into the air as well. She was getting a tad annoyed as he put it down again. This was par for the course for him. She was about to make a snide remark when her jaw dropped. The controller was floating again, but Andrew''s arms were crossed around his chest. Instead, it was his shadow. His shadow itself had moved to repeat the actions of its caster, even though he was standing still, not moving a muscle. But that wasn''t what shocked her the most. Well.....it was part of it, sure. But the main thing was...the shadow, it..........it didn''t even look like Andrew anymore. Andrew was a shirt and jeans kinda guy. Always had been. And his hair was short and kept neat and clean whenever possible. The shadow meanwhile....she wasn''t entirely sure, but it seemed like it wearing some sort of robe or cloak. Something with long, wide sleeves at least. And its mane was shoulder length at the bare minimum, wild and unkempt. "Isn''t it beautiful?" She barely registered his voice, still focused on the shadow. It was still holding the controller up but began gently setting it down. Then it turned its head and she could''ve sworn despite it having no visible eyes that it was staring directly at her. That was her cue to leave. After that day he redoubled his efforts to distance himself. His absences grew from just a few hours, to half a day, an entire day, and then two or three in a row. A few weeks later she got a call from his boss, asking when her brother was going to pick up the stuff he left in his locker. Apparently, he had been fired weeks ago because he stopped showing up to his shifts. The news was shocking to Alexandra. Not because it seemed out of character for this new version of her brother, no. But because he still brought home money every month. In fact, he had access to significantly more cash than before. Her allowance had doubled and for the first time, they had been able to afford the good, expensive food instead of the cheap off-brand stuff. Shortly after their talk, he had even hired an Installer to replace the blinds in his room with rolling shutters. When she asked him about the sudden influx of money he mumbled something about a promotion, but now she knew that that couldn''t be true. She didn''t tell him about it. Instead, she went and picked up his stuff herself and stored it in a box in her room. Now was her best chance. If he knew she was aware he was unemployed, he would be more cautious to cover his tracks, she was sure. This way she had a bit more leeway. She would find out what was up with her brother if it was the last thing she did. But she never got the chance. The very next day he went out to "work" in the morning, and never came back. She had used his absence to thoroughly search his room, figuring she had at least until the evening and at most a few days, but when he failed to return for seven in a row she began to worry. There had been nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary that she could find, so that was a bust too. With every day that passed she grew more and more nervous. She called the precious few acquaintances they shared but none of them had seen him in a while. She could go to the police but the risk of exposing his Power was too great. There wasn''t even a guarantee he was in danger or anything. She couldn''t bring herself to do it. So she waited. It was a month into his disappearance when she found it again. She had dropped her phone and it slid under her bed where she had stashed the box of Andrew''s work stuff. She had only picked it up to avoid his boss calling again and letting it slip to Andrew that he already told her about his firing. She didn''t pay much attention to its contents at the time, being more concerned with the person himself. But now...now was a different story. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. There wasn''t much to unpack. A thermos bottle, coffee pads, a few cups, the usual. She was ready to write it off as a bust when her eyes caught the postcard. A postcard being among her brother''s belongings was strange for multiple reasons, first among them was that no one used them anymore. At first glance, there was nothing extraordinary about the thing. The picture on the front side was a photo of a goofy-looking pirate fellow, holding up a treasure map with a big toothy grin. Written in golden letters at the top was the charming phrase "BEWARE OF ME BOOTY". A bit bland and obvious, but she could see the humor. The backside of the card was a bit more interesting. In the top right corner, someone had written something in cursive. It was a bit difficult to puzzle out at first, but after staring at it for a few minutes she managed to discern its meaning. To my dear friend Andrew; If you ever feel lonely, don''t worry. I''m with you in the dark. Alexandra frowned. So this must''ve been sent by one of her brother''s new friends. Whoever he was, he had atrocious handwriting. Her eyes moved down to the larger body of text in the middle. Unlike the barely comprehensible scrawl above, this had clearly been printed onto the card. It seemed to be.....a poem of some sort. She had never been one for poetry, but if it could help her make sense of things then she had to bite the bullet. With a sigh, she began to read. There was a man called Shady Shim. The whole wide world resented him. T''was not because of things he said, or did, or ''cause he''s just plain bad. "He''s evil!" all his peers would bark, "Evil ''cause he courts the Dark!" Poor old Shim cried in dismay, "Can''t help it! I was born this way!" But no one cared for what he said, so, scared and lonely, old Shim fled. His road was rough, bereft of sense, but there he made his first two friends. Near the boats, down at the docks. The first named Umbra. Closeby, Nox. He felt it then, that inner spark. All three of them were loved by Dark! They told him of a place so nice, for folks like them t''was paradise. The way inside, so he was shown, he''d find beneath an amber stone. They parted ways. "I''ll see you soon." On his lips, a jaunty tune. Within the stone, as they foretold, he found a cabin, gray and old. He marched right in, free and unbound. Then made his way below the ground. That''s where he stayed, lantern in hand, waiting for his Promised Land. And when the light began to dim, a whole new world awaited him. She didn''t know what to make of it at first. A quick search for Shady Shim yielded no relevant results. She was about to give up and go back over the poem when she added "Dark" to the search terms and refreshed on a whim. She still got nothing for "Shady Shim" specifically, but a few articles piqued her interest. They all covered the same topic. In the period between the Shadowwall Incident and the so-called "Lightray Laws" that brought about the status quo Darkness Empowered people like her brother had to deal with, there was a time when discrimination against them surged to a new high. Many children were bullied, and many adults let go and/or shunned. A lot happened. But the main event that these articles covered was the disappearances. Country-wide, about 3000 people with darkness, or darkness-adjacent Powers just up and vanished over a period of 5 years. That may not sound like a whole lot, but considering only about 8000 registered people with those kinds of abilities existed, it was a massive chunk. One of the more well-known cases, though all of them were pretty obscure, was that of a 52-year-old man named Maxwell Jin Shim. What his Power was exactly was not mentioned in any of the articles, only that he had one. Being somewhat of a loner even beforehand, the treatment he recieved after the incident caused him to leave Chicago, his home city. It was unclear when or where he vanished, but someone resembling his description was last seen by a hiker near Yellowstone National Park. That general area was where a few of the missing people''s trails ended. Some of the articles concluded that this was likely nothing more than a coincidence, others were sure something fishy was going on behind the scenes back then. One even tied it into an already existing conspiracy Alexandra had never heard of. She grabbed the card again and scanned the poem. The way inside, so he was shown, he''d find beneath an amber stone. It couldn''t be....could it? She turned the card over and pulled up a map of Yellowstone Park. It looked....oddly familiar. Carefully, she turned over the postcard. Her eyes rapidly switched between the screen and the treasure map the pirate was holding up. There was no mistaking it. The printed one was a touch cruder, but they were depicting the same place. A cold shiver ran down her back. What in the world did her brother get himself into?......... What did she? It took her a week to finally make up her mind. Whenever she thought logically about it she had the urge to just let it go. Go to the cops. Share what she found with them, and let them handle it. But no matter how tempted she was, the one thing she refused to give up was her brother. She needed him. And right now, he needed her. Getting to Yellowstone was easy. She had saved up a small fortune (by their standards) to surprise Andrew on his next birthday. She hadn''t been sure what to buy him yet, but she had planned to start fishing for a few good suggestions after she returned from camp. That turned out to be a bust. But it didn''t matter. Now that money was going to be put to good use elsewhere. The spot where the X had been on the treasure map was far enough away that she had to plan ahead. Food supplies for a day, a few tools, a utility knife, things like that. The shopping tour was quick and easy, and with that she had everything she needed to move on. She did not feel all that nervous when she called in sick, or got on the train, or even when she left the bus. It wasn''t until she was an hour into the hike when the doubts came. What the fuck was she even doing here? This was insane. Did she actually believe she''d find anything when she reached the spot? All of this was probably nothing more than a coincidence, and she was the fool trying to connect dots that never existed. . It was hard to argue against herself. This WAS crazy. But she couldn''t stop now. Instead of trying to confront her doubts, she figured the best method to deal with it was to block them out entirely. So she soldiered on, focusing entirely on making progress by any means necessary. Now that she wasn''t freaking herself out non-stop, Alexandra was actually able to enjoy her surroundings. The air was clear and the smell of nature had a nice, soothing effect on her. There were no people anywhere in sight, and the relative quiet around her gave her piece. She was enjoying herself so much that she almost walked past the cabin. Her jaw dropped when she saw it. Not because it was strange or horrifying, or defied her expectations. No, it was because the thing looked exactly like she imagined it would. An old, dirty cabin, with broken windows and a missing door. The walls of the structure had a greyish tint to them. Just like in the poem. She just stood there for a few minutes, taking it all in. She had followed some vague hints on a postcard she found into a gigantic park hours away from where she lived....and she actually found something. Slowly, she crept into the abandoned building, careful not to make too much noise. She didn''t think anyone else was there, but why take the risk? The place was barren. No furniture of any kind was left. The only things littering the floor were shards and the occasional bug. In the poem, Shady Shim went underground, so she searched for a way down. It didn''t take her long to find it. A small staircase led to an old, rusty metal door below. It took her a while to gather the courage to go in, but just as she made the first step she heard a noise. Footsteps. Someone was here. As quickly and quietly as she could she maneuvered to the broken-down bathroom across from the basement. She climbed into the tub to keep out of view and pressed her hand to her mouth to suppress the scream building up in her throat due to the legions of disturbed spiders and bugs that were crawling all over her shoes and legs. The footsteps grew louder. There were at least two people. They didn''t talk, and from her hiding place, she couldn''t see what they looked like. The stairs creaked loudly as the two descended, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing again. Then, silence. Alexandra managed to stay still for another few minutes before she rushed out of the house and swiped the creepy crawlies off her clothes with a squeal. Once she calmed down she turned back to the cabin. Alone again. At least she had confirmation that something was going on here. Someone used this cabin for some unknown reason. And she would find out. If it was the last thing she did. So, what next? She had to keep investigating, but with people currently in the basement that plan was...less than ideal. Bust, even. So she had to wait. The problem was that she had no idea how long any of this would take. For all she knew these people, whoever they were, actually lived there. What to do? Suddenly, she got an idea. It wasn''t great, but.... it was an idea at least. With determination in her step, she scouted out the foliage surrounding the cabin. Half an hour into the search she found the perfect spot. The trees were packed a bit tighter together, making it almost impossible to look behind them from the outside, but with a conveniently shaped split branch that would allow her to keep an eye on the front door if she stood on her toes. A good place to camp out for a while. But first, she had to procure some more supplies. Before she left she fished the camera she brought out of her pack and placed it in the middle of the split branch. It was small enough to be easily overlooked and fully charged to boot. Satisfied, she made sure no one else was around before she left for civilization. Thoughts raced through her head on the entire way back. Were the people that she heard Andrew''s "friends"? Was he in the cabin?...... Was he one of them? Did she hide from her brother without realizing? It was difficult to concentrate, but she managed somehow. Her big shopping spree left her with just enough to go back home once everything was settled. She had a tent, a pillow, a thick wool blanket for the cold, canned food and enough soda to last her a week, some toilet paper, a zippo lighter both for illumination and to heat up some of those cans (She had seen that in a show once and was eager to try it out), a portable charger with plenty of batteries to keep it fed, and lastly....a bigger knife. Not that she intended to use it, but....it never hurt to be prepared. When she reached the cabin again, almost half a day later, she was excited to see her camera right where she left it, undisturbed. She decided to keep it there for a bit longer while she figured out how to built the tent in her small little hiding spot. It took her much longer than she was comfortable with, but eventually, the job was done. More or less. The first thing she did once she was done was check the footage. Nothing. No one came in, and no one came out. Well then. She grabbed the charger but then reconsidered. What if something happened to her? Or what if things became dangerous enough that she needed to bounce? Either way, having some sort of proof would be nothing but beneficial. With a self-assuring nod, she pointed the camera at herself and began filming again. "Okay....here we go. My name is Alexandra Temny. This is day 1 of the great cabin scopeout. So far, nothing interesting..." ------------------------------ "Alex here. I slept really badl....oh, uhm, Day 2. Anyway, I forgot how much sleeping in a tent sucks. Should''ve bought some more pillows or something, but you know, Hindsight and 20 and shit. I just woke up. I left this thing on overnight, and uhm, just got through watching it all. Fast forward of course. I''d shoot myself if I had to rewatch all of that at normal speed. Kaboom, haha. Anyway, uuuh, oh yean! Stuff actually happened this time! I mean, it''s not all that exciting, but still.....So check this, yesterday at like 11PM three people went into the cabin. Three! No one came out. Further supports my theory that the, uhm, the thing, the basement is kinda like a living space, of sorts? Does that make sense? That''s what I think, anyway....I couldn''t really make them out because it was dark as fuck, but I think they might''ve been all wearing the same clothes? It seemed very similar to me, at least, I dunno. That was basically it.., gonna charge this sucker now while I take over lookout duty. Gonna update again tonight.Bye." --------------------- ".....You know, this canned stuff isn''t as bad as I thought it''d be. It was a bit bleh...Day 6, btw....bleh at first, but I could get used to this. I re-watched my last four updates, and Jesus do I look like shit. That''s what camping does to you, kids who are probably watching this on a shock site after I''ve been brutally murdered. Don''t believe your parents. They lie. Anyway.....I think I''ve found a pattern. So far, if we''re counting the two clowns I hid from, which I do, then 16 people have entered over the last 5 days and just 6 have left. Most of them come or go either, uhm, like very very early in the morning or late at night. But four of them have come in the afternoon too. All of these bozos were sporting, I''d say, pretty casual clothes. The early birds and night owls however seem to still be wearing the same outfit, which I can''t describe to you because I can barely tell people are there at all in the night footage. But none of that matters. The important thing is that no one enters or leaves the thing during the early...uhm...oh, daylight hours, that was it. Like from 9ish to 12ish. AM. Sooooooo, it''s, I think, uuuuuuhm, 8 or so? I''m gonna wait a bit, then go in. If you who is currently watching this found this camera, then I guess I''m.....you know....a-and you would really do me a solid if you could bring this thing to, like, the police or something. The authorities. If you''re curious what this is about, I told my entire fucking life story in....I wanna say update 4? 5? I dunno. Just watch''em all, I don''t care. If the one watching this is myself in the future, then let me just say I''m really glad you''re not dead. You are incredibly pretty and charming, and it''s a crime that you haven''t managed to snag a lasting boyfriend yet. See you later, hopefully. Kisses." ----------------- With a deep breath, Alexandra stepped into the cabin. She had no idea if this "pattern" she found was anything but a coincidence, but she had to do something before her supplies ran out. The wind was blowing heavier than usual today, creating an entirely new and unsettling soundscape while she went to investigate. Just her luck. First the bathtub bugs, now this. She shuddered at the memory. Never again! It wasn''t long until she arrived at the staircase. With slow steps, she descended and grabbed the handle of the metal door. It was unlocked. Of course, it was. Hesitantly she pulled it open, revealing the pitch-black void beyond. Great. Usually, she''d use her phone to light the way, but that had died three days ago and she found the camera a more important beneficiary of the portable charger. But that''s why she had prepared. The lighter lit up with a click, illuminating a far wider area than she expected. In movies and video games, the dumb things barely let you see the main character but here she got a good view already. It seemed to be a regular old basement. When she stretched her arm out as far as she could she was just able to see the back wall. It wasn''t that big a space. ....But then, where were the people? Even if the cabin had been entirely empty when she first showed up, which didn''t sound all that likely to her, she had proof on film that more people went in than came out.......So where were they? Her first thought was that there was probably a way deeper down inside. It was the only thing that made sense....... Well then. Time to find out. With hesitant steps she entered the cold, dark room, moving her lighter around to make sure she could see everything. It was remarkably empty. The only objects inside were three chairs, one of which she stood beside, and a large wooden table. There was simply no room for a hidden door, or even a hidden mechanism that would reveal a door. Once again, she was stumped. Suddenly, she felt a fresh breeze on her back and the next thing she knew the entire world grew dark. A gust of wind had extinguished the lighter and slammed the door with a loud bang, causing her to almost drop the little thing. A sudden, intense fear gripped her heart and she frantically reached for the chair in panic to orient herself, but all her hand touched was empty air. While one hand was busy searching for something to grip onto, the other tried to reignite her source of light, and eventually, she succeeded. Her heart was still beating a mile a minute, but being able to see calmed her down several notches. To her surprise, the chair she had been reaching for stood exactly where she had thought it was. She reached out to test it and indeed, she had no problem reaching it from where she stood. Strange. Part of her wanted to leave this creepy room as quickly as possible, but another part of her needed to know. With a flick of her finger, she killed the light. The atmosphere shifted immediately. Hurriedly she tried once again to grab the chair, but her hands, once again, met nothing but air. She knew exactly where it was supposed to be so she made a small but decisive step in that direction, and flicked the lighter on again. She had moved, obviously, but something was still wrong. She had barely moved a foot, yet somehow she found herself a good way past the chair. Her next idea came when she looked at the back wall. Once she had reached it she let everything go dark again and stretched out her hand. Nothing. No wall, nor anything else. Another shiver ran down her spine. So this was how people could just waltz in here and disappear. Once again, she was torn. Was it really worth the risk? Probably not. But she was sure she wouldn''t get a better chance. She pocketed the lighter and replaced it with the larger, sharper knife she bought. With a quiet shake of her head and plenty of internal admonishment, she started to move forward. The absolute quiet unnerved her. The only thing she was able to hear were her footsteps. They made heavy, echoing sounds despite her best efforts to stay quiet. The ground was not made of wood anymore either. The material was hard and smooth. Marble, maybe? As she was contemplating this she almost crashed into a wall. If her feet hadn''t bumped against it a second earlier she would walked face-first straight into it. She had feared for her first few minutes of blind wandering that this.....place....consisted of nothing but one giant open space. A terrifying concept. So in the end she was relieved. She placed her hand on the surface and used it to guide her steps. It was cold, but definitely not metal. A palpable feeling of dread overcame her. The deeper she went, the more intense it got. She didn''t know how long she had been wandering around in here already, but it couldn''t have been less than half an hour. What if it was a maze? A labyrinth that hopelessly traps anyone who doesn''t know how to specifically navigate it? She tried to fight these thoughts, but they seemed more and more likely the further she got. Finally, it was too much. At a frantic pace, she pulled out the lighter and flicked it on. Nothing. She tried again. Nothing. Again, again, again, again! With every futile flick of her hand her body grew colder. It was no use. She had no choice but to go on. The mood had shifted again. Where before there was some curiosity, a sense of adventure, and a burning desire to find her brother mixed in with the apprehension and fear, now only the latter two were left. She sped up, moving faster with every step, still keeping one hand on the wall. It was almost like whatever this place was could sense her panic. The architecture shifted from a straight line with the occasional turn to a bizarre zigzag at sharp and nearly impossible angles. The surface went from smooth, to rough, to porous, then back to smooth again. She was running now. Running as fast as her legs could take her. But there was no point. There was no end to this place. Eventually, she had to stop to catch her breath. That''s when she heard it. Footsteps. First one. Then another. Then another. Then many more. Her anxiety spiraled and she let go of the wall, walking backward away from the sounds. "Alex." Cold breath hit her ear from behind. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "Andrew....?" A hand laid itself on top of hers and gently took the knife from her fingers. It fell to the ground with a clang. "I''m so glad you''re here, sis. These are my friends. It''s about time I introduced them to you." Her brother was whispering these words into her ear. The idea that she was surrounded by strangers made her feel sick. "I-I''m here to t-take you home..." Quiet laughter. Not just from behind her. "I figured. But this is my home now. You''re free to stay if you like." Her heart was beating so fast it hurt. "N-no thank you. I-I-I think I''m just gonna go home alone." Laughter again. "I''m sorry, sis, but that''s not really an option for you. But don''t worry. I will take good care of you here. First, though, we have to make some......changes. Don''t be afraid. It won''t hurt a bit." She felt her brother grab her by the shoulder. Was it even still her brother? What was he about to do? She couldn''t let it happen. She had to get out of there. Pure and genuine panic overrode all of her other senses. No matter what. Her hand raced to her pocket. They had taken her knife from her. But she still had another. She grabbed the smaller utility knife and swung backward. It connected. Andrew cursed and let something fall. It sounded heavier than the knife. Almost on instinct she closed her eyes, bent down to grab it, and swung the object blindly around herself. It connected with something. And suddenly she was all alone. She didn''t notice at first. She continued to swing, in front of her, behind her, wherever she could until it became difficult to move her arm. Even then, she kept her eyes shut, crying softly and waiting for something that never came. When she eventually opened them again she was surprised to see her surroundings brightly illuminated. A look down told her why. The thing her brother let go, that she picked up....it was a flashlight. One of those heavy ones that she saw plenty of at the store but forewent in favor of the lighter. She must''ve accidentally turned it one when she hit....hit her brother. She shook her head. There was no time for sentimentality. She needed to figure out where she was. A quick shine around revealed she was no longer in the cabin. Dirty, broken down sinks, filthy stalls....some kind of abandoned public toilet? The windows had been smeared with a black substance to keep the light out. Panic hit her again. As soon as she left this place her brother and his "friends" could follow her. She couldn''t let that happen. With a yell she bashed the flashlight against the windows, shattering them and letting the bright rays flow in. That was enough, she hoped. Clutching the flashlight tight against her chest, she opened the door and stepped out into the sun. As it turned out, that old abandoned toilet stood somewhere near Miami. Biscayne National Park. She spent the next few days hitchhiking home. Her money was in her pack, which was still in Yellowstone. She had no desire to go pick it up. Halfway there one of her rides was gracious enough to buy her some snacks and a few bottles of soda. As she stashed the goods in her pockets she bumped against the lighter. She had completely forgotten about it. Curious to see if it worked again she pulled it out, but......it wasn''t the same one. . She had bought a Zippo lighter (mainly because she thought they looked cool and intended to keep it), and the one she held in her hand right now was one too, but that was where the similarities ended. The one from the store was a regular, boring silver one. This one though, was gold. An ornate pattern ran all across it, though for the life of her, she couldn''t tell what it was supposed to be. Without thinking much she flicked the lid open and lit it up. Immediately, all the lights in the gas station went out. The clerk was yelling obscenities as he walked into the back of the store, presumably to check the fusebox. But Alexandra didn''t pay much attention to him. Her eyes were fixated on the small black flame flickering in her hand. It was mesmerizing, but not in a good way. Looking at it made her feel ill, nauseous, and so very, very cold. But still....she couldn''t pry her eyes away from it. It was her ride who pulled her out of it. He called her name, ready to move on, which got her attention and broke the trance. She flicked the obscene thing shut and the lights of the gas station sprang back to life. She didn''t know how she got this lighter or where her old one went, but one thing was for sure. She didn''t want anything to do with it. Half an hour later, mid-drive, she rolled down the window and threw it as far as she could. Good riddance. Maybe now she could finally sleep. The rest of her trip was unremarkable. She liked it that way. The first thing she did after arriving home was call the police. Not to tell them what had happened, there was no point. She was sure that even if she told the cops exactly what to do to access the dark space, it wouldn''t be there for them. And even if it was, if they had no way to hide it, the people who orchestrated all of this would be long gone. Better not to open that can of worms. No, the call was just to notify them that Andrew was missing. He wouldn''t come back. She had to accept that. Might as well make it official. The next time she saw her brother was one week later. His body was fished out of Crater Lake, in Oregon. He had his ID on him, so she was called in to identify the body. His hair had grown a bit longer, but otherwise, he looked the same. There was an injury in his leg where she had stabbed him. She asked if the cut was the cause of death, and was told no. It was a relief, in a way. The cop didn''t tell her how he actually died, but she overheard him mutter something on her way out. The word "empty". She didn''t want to know. All she wanted was to put this whole incident behind her. The loss didn''t really hit her until two days later. She was washing the dishes when it overcame her. The rest of the day was spent crying in bed. Therapy was the next logical step. It helped. A bit. She was as honest as she felt she could be. Claimed that her little adventure in Yellowstone was a recurring nightmare, just so that she could talk about it at all. She still went, but less frequently. The most tangible consequence of it all was her fear of the dark. She felt restless and anxious whenever her environment was not bright enough. Even needed a nightlight to sleep. It was embarrassing. She hated it. Things had sorted themselves over the last 5 years. She had made friends, good ones even. A few boyfriends on and off, but nothing lasting. She still missed him. Every year on his birthday she would visit his grave and then turn on one of the movies they liked to watch together and drank herself to sleep. That was the only day of the year she drank. Slippery slope and all that. Eventually, she decided it was time to move on once and for all. She and her friends took a trip to Yellowstone at her behest, a few days before Andrew''s birthday. They had fun. Goofed around a lot. She didn''t tell them why they were really there. They didn''t need to know. The cabin was still right where it stood back then. She didn''t go in. Her tent and bag were still there too, surprisingly. Including the money. The camera wasn''t though. One of her friends went in to explore. When he came back she asked him if he went in the basement. He said he searched the whole thing top to bottom but there was no such thing. She didn''t pry further. Especially after he showed her the knife he found in the tub. The trip had helped. She still visited her brother, but afterward, she went out with her friends instead of staying in drunk. It was nice. Now there was only one thing left to conquer. Her fear of the dark. That night she retired in Andrew''s old room instead of her own. His still had the shutters he had installed. She brought the desk lamp from her table and put it on the nightstand beside his bed. She was nervous but determined. The door shut, and the shutters rolled down she went to bed and browsed the net until she could barely keep her eyes open. When it was finally time she slowly closed them, reached for the lamp, and turned it off. Sleep didn''t come easy to her that night, but it came eventually. It was a good sleep. Deep and refreshing, free of the nightmares that usually plagued her when her sleeping quarters were too dark. When she woke up she felt happy. Happy and hopeful. She reached for the lamp to turn the lights back on, but all her hand touched was empty air. With Friends like these... "....This is supposed to be a true story?" Greg asked. The Guide smiled, his teeth shining brightly in the dimly lit room. "I guarantee you that all of the stories you will hear today are true. Whether or not you believe me is up to you. I can''t force you, nor do I desire to." "How did you find out about it though?" Lindsay interrogated, arms crossed. "Did you find the cameras? Or did you hear it from Alex herself?" Greg nodded along with her line of questioning. "We have our ways. That is all I will say about that." The Guide''s smile didn''t waver. "Very convenient..." Greg mumbled. "Guys, come on. Don''t be such party poopers." Kim groaned. "The real question is, if the story is real.....is that the real lighter?" She pointed at the ornate zippo on the table. Suddenly, even the more skeptical passengers seemed interested. "Oh, yes. You can take it if you want." Kim didn''t need to be told twice. She grabbed her prize with astounding speed and flicked the cap open. "But if you use it now, this portion of the ride will come to an end." Her finger stopped a hair''s breadth away from lighting it. The girl''s gaze shifted between the lighter in her hand and the Guide, seemingly deep in thought. After a minute of internal deliberation, she closed the cap and put it back on the table again. "Good choice. You don''t want to miss the other stories." a new voice rang out. The whole group turned their heads toward it and saw two new figures walking up to them. One, the one who spoke, was wrapped head to toe in mummy bindings. That must''ve been a bitch to put on, Jeannie thought. The bindings weren''t empty, either. Strange eye symbols were placed along them at regular intervals. It looked pretty interesting. The only parts of the person''s body that were visible were the left eye and mouth. The other figure, despite wearing a far more regular outfit, showed even less, ironically enough. The blue uniform and hat they were wearing were clearly at least three sizes too big for them. "Ah, kids, please give a big welcome to our two guests. This is Angel, my assistant. An absolute treasure, if I''ve ever seen one." The Guide started clapping, and after a few seconds of confusion, the group hesitantly joined in. The Mummy bowed down deep, with exaggerated flair. "And always trailing behind wherever he goes is Mr. Sinus, our conductor." The man lifted one of his incredibly thin arms. "Hey there." The voice was raspy and rough, almost like sandpaper. "Angel will join us for the remainder of the stories. But Mr. Sinus is here for something different. Is there anyone in this little cabal who has had enough of story time? If so, Mr. Sinus will be glad to escort you to the next part of the ride early." Jeannie leaned back. She had no intention of leaving for now. These tales were most likely just made up, but she had to admit that the possibility of them being true together with the evidence, flimsy evidence to be sure but still evidence, had her intrigued. "Yeah, I''m not really feeling it." Jamie said and got up. "Sorry." "Oh, no need to apologize. We are ready to accommodate all kinds." "STATEMENT: SAME. STORIES = BORING." Matt rattled off and Greg sighed. He tried to grab his brother as he got up, but the robot enthusiast was too quick. "Matt, Mom told us to stay together." "Oh, don''t worry yourself, kid." Mr. Sinus croaked. "You''ll be reunited soon enough. Now, follow me." He stalked back the way he came, Jamie and Matt hurrying to catch up. "Great." Greg pouted. "Now then, let''s move on to the next story. You, Skull Knight." Jeannie''s heart jumped. "Oh, yes. Of course. Uhhhmmm.." She carefully looked over the objects on the table until she was sure. "The broken sunglasses." Out of the blue, Angel slapped the table hard and sat down. "Those are my favorites this year. Mind if I do the honor?" The Guide laughed and nodded his head. "By all means." "Wonderful. Listen up then, kids. This one isn''t for the faint of heart. Or stomach, hehehe." ---------------- With Friends Like These...----------------- Rod yawned, his fingers gliding over the keyboard almost absentmindedly. He was writing, again. That was all he did nowadays. Nothing lofty, like a novel or even fanfiction. No, he was writing for his job. An article. A review, to be precise. For a game he hadn''t played. Content-farm sites didn''t really care much about accuracy, they valued quantity and speed. And he could deliver both in spades. Of course, working for one website wasn''t enough to make a living, but that''s why he wrote for more than a dozen. Video games here, movies there, opinion pieces somewhere else, he could deliver it all. He still didn''t make a lot, but it kept him afloat. Sunny Mills was a tiny town, more of a village, really, and the place was cheap. He had moved out of his parent''s home last year, the day he turned 18. This house had formerly belonged to a long-time family friend. A widower, no kids. He left the house to Rod''s dad, who gave it to him. He didn''t know why, still doesn''t. The relationship with his folks could optimistically be described as "strained". Maybe they were just glad to have him out of their house. In the end, he didn''t really care. He was more or less content. The majority of his days were spent writing articles, most of the rest goofing off online or chatting with Cass. Cassandra was his only real friend. She had been with him through thick and thin. Did he have a crush? Probably. No, most definitely. But he''d never act on it. It''s not like he had anything great to offer. With a resigned sigh he saved the document and turned off his PC. Tomorrow was grocery day, and he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. At least Cass was going with him. Maybe it wouldn''t be a total chore. ----------------------- The next morning Cass came for him bright and early. Her short brown hair looked radiant in the morning sun. "Heyyyyyyyyy." She pointed her finger guns at him, as usual. He had done that once when he was 15 and thought he was the coolest kid on the block. She had burst into a fit of laughter that lasted minutes, and ever since, that had been her standard greeting for him. "You''re too early....." he yawned but she just grinned and pulled him out in the sun. "If I didn''t come early your skin would never know the touch of sunlight, so consider me your vitamin D caretaker." "Yeah, yeah. Let''s just go." Despite his attitude, he really enjoyed these outings. Talking with Cass in person was a whole other deal than chatting with her over the phone. No combination of black-and-white letters could accurately get her sunny demeanor and infectious positivity across. But today, that sunny demeanor seemed a bit clouded. Not entirely, but enough to make him notice. "For a NEET you''re pretty observant, you know?" she laughed when he asked her about it. "Yeah, well, you''re the only person I spent any real length of time with, so I guess I just have your mannerisms down pat." She snickered. "Makes sense. Nothing''s up, much. Things have just been... a bit strange lately. Not that you would have even had the opportunity to notice, Mr. Home Alone." He raised his eyebrow. "Strange how?" His friend looked up at the sky for a minute and then waved it off. "It''s nothing. Don''t worry about it." ".......If you say so." But he did. He didn''t like seeing her like this. The whole situation had distracted him so much that he ran smack dab into another person. The force of the collision caused him to lose balance and fall to the ground, embarrassed and a bit mad. Cass immediately knelt down and helped him up. "You okay, dude?" "Yeah, yeah." He nodded, then looked at the person he ran into. He was expecting a familiar face but was a bit taken aback when he saw a total stranger. And a pretty odd one at that. She was...white. From head to toe. Expensive-looking white leather shoes, a nicely tailored white suit (with a white shirt and a white tie), and a white gentleman''s hat. A bowler, maybe? He had to admit, it did fit with her ashen skin and snow-white hair. In fact, the only thing about her that wasn''t white was the black sunglasses sitting on her face. "Hey, lady. Why are you just standing here in the middle of nowhere? I could''ve broken something!" He never would''ve dared to confront one of the other residents like this, but the fact that this woman was an outsider gave him the perfect opportunity to try and save face a bit. The stranger looked at him for a minute, and then, to his surprise, took off her sunglasses and held them out to him. Her eyes were a brilliant white as well. A different shade than the sclera. It was strangely beautiful. "I am very sorry. Here. Take these as compensation." Her voice was soft like silk. It made his hair stand on end. "Uhm....thanks, I guess." he mumbled and grabbed the odd gift. "It takes time for your eyes to get used to the glasses. Things will get clearer in time." With that, she walked off. He and Cass both watched her join a group of four others dressed exactly like her before they all moved on. "What was that about?" Cass asked confused. He shrugged. "Dunno, but I got a sweet pair of shades out of it." He turned them over in his hands. Nothing out of the ordinary. The small engraving on the side read "Kittum". Not a brand that he ever heard of, but it wasn''t like he was an expert in sunglasses manufacturers. When he put them on he did a double take. Slowly, he lifted them up and down again to check if what he was seeing was true. And it was. While the sunlight was indeed dimmed there was not even a hint of the usual dark tint that came as a result of the darker lenses. Everything was crystal clear, just a bit less bright. "These are amazing. I might actually use them casually." Cass laughed. "Good. They make you look more like the dork you are. I approve." He gave her a friendly punch to the shoulder. "Shut up. Let''s keep going. I have work to do still." "Oh yeah. ''Work''. Sure. Let''s call it that." The two bickered and goofed off all the way to the store. In between the jokes and ribs, Rod noticed something. A lot of the villagers who walked past them had wide smiles plastered on their faces. Not a grin, or a small expression of joy, full-on lips-parted-teeth-showing smiles. And it wasn''t everyone, not even the majority, but a good number. He probably missed an event of some kind. Wouldn''t be the first time. He never really paid attention to the town calendar. And it wasn''t his business, anyway. With a shake of the head, he focused back on what exactly he was going to buy until they reached their goal. The town convenience store wasn''t a supermarket, but it had everything he needed to survive for a while. Plus, the owner was a very nice lady. When they arrived they were greeted by an older man sitting in front of the store, holding a tin can. "How''s it goin'', Flint?" Rod had always liked Flint. The man had lost his home over 25 years ago but managed to keep his chipper attitude. He slept in the backroom of the church. Father Goodman also fed him whenever he came in for the night with an empty stomach. "Business as usual, Ronny. What do they say, again? When it rains, it pours, but at least I got something to drink." His hearty laugh was interrupted by a heavy cough. It was getting colder out. Rod was worried, but he didn''t want to come as overbearing. Instead, he pulled out a twenty and threw it in his tin. "Don''t spend everything at once, old man." "Haha, you ain''t my mommy, boy. Maybe I''ll buy a nice pair of shades like yours." "You''d definitely wear it better." Cass burst in and I rolled my eyes. Yes, today was a good day. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ----------------------- The next two weeks passed mostly uneventfully. As usual, Rod barely left his house. Whenever he went shopping he bought in bulk for the next 14 days so he had an excuse to stay in. The only thing that he found a bit off was how difficult it became to get a hold of Cass lately. Usually, they chatted for at least an hour or two every day, but now it was more like every two or three days. Once again, he didn''t want to come off as overbearing, so he left her absences uncommented. The next shopping day would be a good opportunity to check if she was doing fine. The day started on a decidedly sour note. First, he slipped on his blanket, then his breakfast burned, and finally, when he opened the door to go outside the intense rays almost blinded him. ''That''s what happens when you haven''t seen natural light in two weeks." he thought to himself and grabbed the sunglasses. They were a godsend. Things immediately went from nigh unbearable to definitely tolerable. He made up his mind to thank the strange woman when he next saw her. When he met Cass he felt weird. She approached and did her usual mocking greeting, but it was her face that he focused on. It was one of intense sadness. He didn''t know how to better describe it. "What''s up, dude? You look like you''ve seen a ghoul." Her tone was still happy and cheerful as always but her expression.... "Maybe it works better with these things." He didn''t even notice at first when she pulled the glasses from his eyes. With one fluid motion, she put them on herself and repeated her greeting. "Heyyyyyyyyy. How''s it going? I''m cool now. Look how cool I am." Even though he was a bit annoyed at first, a huge load was taken off his mind when he saw her smile had returned. "Give that back. You''re not edgy enough for sunglasses." With little effort, he snatched them off her head again. "Oh, and you are, Mister I-watch-children''s-cartoons-for-fun?" Cass had been in the process of turning around and starting to move when he put the shades back on, so he could only glimpse at her face for a second, but he could''ve sworn that for that moment the sad stare had returned. He shrugged as he followed her to the store. Must''ve been a trick of the light. This time he made sure to pay attention to the villagers who passed them. Just like last time, wide, happy grins aplenty. All the ones he noticed last time still had the smiles plastered on their faces. Miss Rogers and Doctor Tabbard were especially noteworthy since they were a bit famous around town for never cracking a smile. But this time there were a lot of new ones, too. Two weeks ago, Roger Mayfair was the only one of his little clique that had caught the smileys. Now all four of them were grinning their ears off. He didn''t know what to make of it. It was probably not something worth getting invested in. Better to avoid the drama entirely. When they reached the store they caught old Flint in the middle of a conversation with someone. It was May Conroy, the farmer''s eldest daughter. She was sporting a bright smile like so many others. "....ed to show you something amazing, Flint. It changed my life, I swear." Rod stopped Cass and nodded over to the two. He always gave Flint some cash when he went shopping, and he didn''t plan on breaking that streak today. "I dunno, Maysie. These old bones ain''t made for wandering far no more. Can''t you bring it here?" The young woman shook her head, her smile not letting up. "I''m sorry, Flint. What I want to show you is not something that can be transported easily. It''s very close. Just a few minutes away. You won''t regret it, I promise. Do it for me?" The old man sighed deeply. "Aight, Aight. But afterward, you gotta lemme eat with you today. You know how I love your cooking." May laughed. Her eyes met Rods and she gave him a little wave before leading Flint away. "So much for charity." Rod sighed. "So what was that about?" Cass shrugged. "Dunno. But it''s happening all over the place lately. Seems everywhere I go someone invites someone else to ''show them something amazing.'' Makes a gal feel left out." Weird. "You think it has anything to do with the strange smiles?" He avoided looking at his best friend, preferring to observe the few shoppers entering and exiting the store. "What smiles?" Oh. Alright. "It''s nothing. Probably just my imagination." "If you say so..." Cass yawned and entered the store. Rod followed. As soon as he entered he scrunched his nose. "Do you smell that?" The scent inside the store was faint, but disgusting. "Uhm......I guess it''s not super fresh, but I don''t smell anything especially strange or something." Rod had walked over to one of the fruit stands while Cass was talking. What he saw made his jaw drop. Countless flies were scurrying all over rotten apples and strawberries. No wonder it smelled. He was surprised it didn''t smell stronger. He hurried over to Cass, grabbed her arm, and dragged her out of the store. "Hey, what''s going on? I was going to buy stuff too......." He didn''t let go of her hand. "Don''t bother. The food is rotten." "....What? Are you serious?" "Yes. I saw bugs crawl all over the stuff." He looked back and saw Cass'' face distort in disgust. Satisfied she wouldn''t try to double back he let go of her. "Ewwwwww!" She was silent for a moment as they marched on. "You think Misses Adams is doing alright?" He shrugged. "Isn''t she like 70 years old or something? It could be dementia." "......I''ll ask Mom to check on her later." In the end, they decided to take Cass'' car and do their shopping the next town over. It was a two-hour drive, but the town was fairly big and had everything they needed and then some. The sun was shining brightly, so Rod kept the sunglasses on all day. The atmosphere on the way was....strange. Muted. Neither of them talked much, despite the length of the trip. Once there, he decided to dig into some of his savings and buy a whole two months of supplies in advance. If Miss Adams really was on the decline, then there was no telling how long it''d take for the situation to resolve itself. Additionally, unlike Cassandra, he had neither a car nor a license and he couldn''t expect her to drive him every time. They could source perishable goods from the farm for a while, while he needed to visit the city to stock up. Whatever oppressive mood that had hung over them had lifted bit by bit and by the time they were ready to head back, he with his crates of stuff and her with two bags, their dynamic had reverted to what it had been before. After arriving back home she helped him unload in front of his house and they said their goodbyes. On a whim, after carrying everything inside, Rod checked his mailbox. To his surprise, he had received some. Not a letter, or a package, but a note. He pulled it out curiously and skimmed over it as he went inside. There was only one sentence. "As long as you don''t follow them, they will not harm you." That was it. Back when he was young, pranks actually made some sense. And he wasn''t even that old yet. With a shake of his head, he threw the note away and went to work unpacking all his food. ---------------------- A week passed before the monotony of his life was interrupted once again. He got an email from...his parents? This puzzled him for a multitude of reasons. First, they hadn''t contacted him once ever since he moved out, so what was so damn important now? Second, why didn''t they just call or come over real quick? The message itself was surprisingly nothing urgent or important. They had invited him over for dinner. Wanted to catch up with their son. If Rod''s eyes were connected to a power plant the speed and intensity of their rolling could''ve powered all of San Francisco for a week. But in the end, he didn''t really have anything better to do so he decided to go. He was welcomed quite warmly, more than he ever was when he lived with them. His mom had bothered to put out the fine cutlery and his dad, the head chef at the Buffalo Head Grill, the village''s only eatery, had prepared his special meatloaf, Rod''s favorite. He was a bit suspicious at first, but the meal went well. Now and then he had sent his mother some of the articles he was actually proud of having written, mostly ones centered around subjects he was very familiar with. He had been so, so sure that she hadn''t opened a single link, but, quite to the contrary, she brought up certain quotes and asked for clarification over other aspects she didn''t quite understand all evening. His dad actually apologized. Not for anything specific, but his demeanor in general. Both teased him over Cassandra, of course, but when he left he actually felt...good. He was glad he went. If anyone had told him this would happen, even just earlier this day, then he would''ve called them a liar. But here he was. They had given him plenty of leftover meatloaf to take home, all nicely wrapped in tinfoil. About halfway home the setting sun caught him at just the right angle to be not overly blinding but intensely annoying. With his head to the side, he fished the shades out of his pocket and slid them on. As soon as he did an unbearable stench hit his nostrils. At first, he thought it was the glasses. He pulled them off to sniff them but when he did the smell was gone. He stopped in his tracks and looked around. The streets were empty. Hesitantly he put the shades back on. It was there again. Now that he was a bit calmer he was able to pinpoint where it was coming from. He slowly lifted up the tinfoil and immediately doubled over and emptied his stomach in the streets. The bugs crawling from the furry, rotten meatloaf in his hands also scrambled for safety out of the heap he had vomited into the street, albeit in far smaller numbers. With weak legs, he stumbled over to the nearest trashcan, threw the food inside, and rammed his finger down his throat to make sure all of the offending meat was gone from his innards. It took him a little while to regain composure. A million questions raced through his mind, but his body turned around and walked back toward his parent''s house. To warn them about the food? To confront them? He didn''t even know anymore. But he wanted to do something. Anything. After the fifth ring of the doorbell, his father opened the door. Rod started to say something but stopped abruptly. Something was wrong here. He had seen his dad not 20 minutes ago and he didn''t look.....like that. It was definitely him but....his clothes were tethered. Buttons missing and rips in seemingly random places. His face glistened with moisture and had lost all color. But the worst part was that damn smile. Wide, ear to ear, teeth bared. "Hello there, son. I wasn''t expecting you back so soon." His mouth. It didn''t open or close properly when he talked. And there was a smell....not quite as bad as the meatloaf, but not pleasant. "But this is good timing. I wanted to discuss something with you. You remember Andre, from work? Two days ago he showed me something amazing. I can''t put it into words......Life changing. I showed your mother yesterday and she was so excited. She absolutely loved it. We want to show it to you, too. Tomorrow, maybe, or even right now. It''s not far. I swear you won''t regret it." Rod had stood there silently staring at his dad. The more he talked, the more dread built up in his body. Whatever stood in that door sounded like his father, sure. But the tone was off. He had always been a very stoic man. A calm voice, no matter what state he was in emotionally. But every word that came out of this thing''s mouth had a slight hint of mockery to it. Condescension. This was all too much. "N-no, thank you. See ya around, dad." He stuttered out the words as fast as he could, turned around and forced himself to walk off slowly. To not give away that he knew something was up. As soon as he got home he left a voicemail for Cass. They needed to meet. ASAP. Exhausted, both physically and emotionally, he laid down in bed and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber. ------------------------- It took another week for Cass to respond. She said she had been busy lately but was up to hang out. Rod, for his part, had not left the house since that evening. He had also started to wear the glasses at all times of the day. The only time he took them off was to go to sleep. Whatever was happening right now, this thing was both his greatest ally and most powerful tool. He didn''t know how it worked, or why, but he thanked whatever god reigned in whatever heaven that he had run into the pale lady on that day. He had wanted to research a bit, about the people in white or this Kittum manufacturer, but ever since he woke up after the incident with his parents the internet had been shot. He wanted to believe that was a coincidence. He really did. When he stepped outside a foul odor greeted him. It didn''t seem to be coming from anything in particular, at least not in his visual range, but it was overwhelming nonetheless. After just a few steps he was forced to pull the shades up. The onslaught ceased immediately. As he walked to the meeting spot he felt like a fool for refusing to get a license. If he had a car he could just go. Go and never come back. Notify a Hero to check this place out. Anything but stay here. He''d take Cass with him, of course. Or at least he''d try. Maybe it wasn''t too late yet. But would she believe him? He pondered all of that until his vision suddenly went dark. "Guess who?" His heart had stopped for a second but when he heard that voice his whole body instantly relaxed. "Sweaty, unwashed hands? Why, it can only be Cassandra." She laughed and shoved him lightly. "Shut up. My hands smell great. And I do wash them sometimes." Suddenly, it was as if the gloomy atmosphere around town had spontaneously vanished. She was just as happy and vibrant as she was before things changed. The two of them joked around for almost half an hour before the topic of the meeting came to the forefront. "Yeah, sorry if I hounded you or anything, but this is pretty important, I think. What took you so long, by the way? Normally you tell me when you are absent for a bit. Did something happen?" She giggled and waved it off. "No, nothing. I was just a bit busy. It''s a funny story, actually. When I went shopping last time, I ran into Flint. Dude sat before the store like always, poor guy. Anyway, he actually showed me something amazing." Rod''s blood ran cold. "I didn''t wanna believe him at first ''cause, you know I like him, but were not that close, but he talked me into it and boy am I glad he did." With shaking hands, he lowered the shades back over his eyes. The stench was immediate and overpowering, but that was not what he was focused on right now. Cass was rotting. All over her body chunks of flesh were simply...missing. Bald spots dotted her once beautiful hair, now both oily and dead. "So I thought, man, Rod has to see this. You probably think I''m exaggerating or whatever, but I swear to you." Her voice was one of pure malice and glee. Still Cass'', but every word dripped with arrogance and perverse, barely contained laughter. "I can show you now if you want. It''s not far." Her teeth were gone, a black ooze slowly dripping out of her gums. But when she spoke, when she opened her mouth just wide enough, he could see them where her throat should''ve been... Other teeth. Longer. Sharper. He didn''t know what to do. "Uhm.....nice of you to think of me Cass, but..." Was there anything he could do? "I really can''t..... I mean it''s....." There was no use trying to think of a way out of this. Every cell in his body was firing on all cylinders, yelling at him to get away. So he did. He turned and ran. He heard the thing wearing his dead friend yell after him, but he didn''t stop. He turned his head though, just a quick glance. "Cass" was talking to another villager. He was too far away already to make out who, but he could see her pointing at him. This wasn''t good. None of this was good Why was this happening? To him? To Cass? As soon as he arrived at home he barricaded himself. Dragged the couch in front of the door, cupboards in front of windows, etc. Later that night he wished he had just grabbed his essentials and made a run for it, but at that moment the only thing he wanted was to feel safe. It wasn''t long before she knocked at his door. He didn''t answer, of course, so she started pleading. Her words made sense. From a "What''s wrong? Did something happen?", to "Was it something I said?", to "I''m worried for you, man. Say something, at least." A believable progression. But it was her tone.....Whenever she professed her worry it was laced with obvious sarcasm, and the whole time she sounded amused more than upset. So he remained silent. She stayed there for hours. Longer than he thought she would. The next day was the same. He was ripped from a fitful dream by the sound of the doorbell. And it, along with copious knocks, accompanied him through the day. He was tempted, sometimes. To take off the glasses and let her in. Accept that all of this was just some sick dream or fantasy and return to the real world. But he couldn''t. Whatever had come to this village had....it had killed Cass. He couldn''t let it get him too. On day three it switched up its strategy. Cass was there still, but she had brought his parents. Another reason why that could not be the real Cass. She knew there was no love lost between him and them. She never would''ve brought them. It occurred to him then that his parents were most likely dead too. It wasn''t until night that he could admit to himself that the thought bothered him. It must''ve recognized its mistake because the next day neither his parents nor Cass showed up. Instead, it was Dr. Tabbard. He was urging Rod to come out. That what he was doing wasn''t healthy. Would the real Dr. Tabbard have come this quickly? Stayed for this long? There was no way. The thing was trying to keep its voice neutral, but it didn''t work. No matter how soft or monotone it tried to speak, it couldn''t hold back its spiteful hostility. Eventually, the thing that killed Dr. Tabbard gave up too. As Rod went to sleep that night he wondered what they would try next. Whatever he had imagined, it wasn''t his first and only ex-girlfriend, Julia Samson. They had dated for a little while in middle school but hadn''t spoken since then. The breakup was messy. Mostly his fault. He couldn''t get over Cass. Invented reasons to be upset and took it out on Julia. She ran home crying that night and he had felt like an asshole all week. And here she was. The real her. Unlike the other ones, the unbearable stench didn''t intensify when she stood at the door. And her voice was calm and clean and.....and normal. For a few minutes, he wanted to open the door. To drag her inside, explain everything to her, and keep her safe. Make up for how badly he had treated her. But he was too afraid. Afraid she wasn''t alone out there. Afraid they would get to him if he let his guard down for even a second. So he kept the door shut. Julia only stayed an hour. Promised him to come back tomorrow. He could hear the tears in her voice. And when she returned the next day she was already dead. He couldn''t endure it anymore. The daily torture of his murdered friends and family taunting him through the door in the guise of concern. So he relocated. He took a few week''s worth of supplies up to the bathroom, stashed them in the tub, and locked himself in. The air was cleaner up here. And while he could still hear the knocks, he was too far from the front door for the voices to reach him. There wasn''t a lot to do in his self-made prison. He had taken his phone, but the internet was still dead, and no matter how he held it he couldn''t get a signal either. So he waited. --------------------------------- Two days in the knocking had stopped. He didn''t trust it. Too risky. Up here he was safe. He began to write. Everything that had happened since that day. The day he ran into the pale lady. Just in case something happened to him. ---------------------------------- A week later he awoke to an ungodly smell. Tears ran down his face as he heard the knocks directly on the bathroom door. Cass'' gleeful and mocking voice filled his ears, telling him how everyone was worried sick. He tried to ignore it, but it didn''t stop. Cass didn''t go home. She stayed there all night, talking without pause. He held his ears and cried himself to sleep. He managed to endure, day after day. Night after night. No one else came to talk to him. Only Cass. When he emptied his last can of beans he knew he was going to die here. He had planned to try to make a run for it when Cass eventually left, but she never did. He knew she never would. But be didn''t want to give her..give it the satisfaction of giving in. So he stayed. Two weeks passed like that. In the beginning, he had hoped a Hero would show up. Deal with these things, save him, maybe save Cass too. He even could''ve sworn he saw one. A silhouette appearing in a flash of light outside the tiny bathroom window and floating down out of sight. But that could''ve just as well been a hallucination brought on by the delirium of starvation. It was a fool''s dream. Heroes didn''t care about villages in the ass end of nowhere. No one would come to save him. He thought about killing himself, but he was too much of a coward. Too cowardly to live, too cowardly to die. The perfect way to sum up his miserable existence. Eventually, the stench becomes too much. If he had to die, he at least wanted to be as comfortable as he could get. As soon as he took the glasses off the air cleared, and the horrible, vindictive tone of Cass'' pleading turned into one of genuine fear and sadness. He hadn''t heard her like this in a long time. She called his name, her voice hoarse with crying, banged against the door and something in him broke. For the first time since he locked himself in his house, he answered them. Answered her. He explained everything. About the glasses, about the smell, about his parents, everything. At some point, he had started yelling. He didn''t know when. He was pleading with her to be real, to be the Cass he knew and loved, to just be alive. She listened. And when he was done she told him what he needed to hear. The sunglasses were a trap. A horrible, malicious trap. A Hero had showed up shortly after he had locked himself inside. The Hero told them that a group of Villains was active in the area. They targeted isolated villages, handing out cursed objects that stoked the flames of paranoia and hatred in whoever used them. She begged him to please believe her. And he wanted to. He wanted to so badly. So he did. He looked down at the shades that caused this whole thing. With weak, trembling hands he put them on again and unlocked the door. Cass'' body had decayed even more. Maggots were crawling all over her face and the skin on top of her head had almost fallen off completely. Once again, he could almost see something between the gaps of flesh and bone. But the thing raised its hand, and with the claws piercing through the skin of what would''ve been Cass'' fingers it pulled the glasses off his face. Cass grabbed the offending object with a tear-stained face, broke them in two, and threw them on the floor. He just stood there, not sure what to do next. Wordlessly, she pulled him into a soft, gentle hug. He hugged back. "I....I thought you were dead....I thought y-you were d-dead! I love you! I''m in love with you! I missed you so much! I''m sorry I acted like a lunatic! I''m sorry! I was tricked!" She pulled back slowly and smiled. "Yes, you were. I don''t blame you. It''s not your fault." Before he could respond she leaned in for the kiss. It was chaste at first but grew wilder and more passionate every second. It wasn''t long before his knees collapsed and they both tumbled to the ground. "I...I''m sorry. I''m...a bit weak at the moment." She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Don''t worry about it. Just focus on yourself and let me do all the work. That''s how our relationship works anyway, isn''t it?" And he did. Fifteen minutes later she helped him back up on his feet. After they got dressed again they quietly went down the stairs together. At the foot, they were greeted by his parents. "I''m proud of you, son." "It''s about time, I''d say." He teared up again. Both went in for a hug and he let them. He needed this. He wanted this. Wanted to repair their relationship. "I''m really hungry, Dad. Mind making one of your famous meatloafs?" His father laughed and patted him on the back. "Of course, my boy. Your girlfriend can come too. Cassandra is always welcome in our home." Cass giggled. "I''d love to." She turned to Rod and took his hands. "But first, I really want to show you something amazing. It''ll only take a minute. You won''t regret it, I swear." He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah....yeah, of course, let''s go." When they opened the door he was surprised at the amount of people waiting for them. It seemed like the whole village was there. "I got him out!" The entire crowd cheered loudly at Cass'' exclamation. The sea of people parted as she led him ever forward, every one congratulating him as he passed. Or were they congratulating her? He didn''t really care. As he looked over the crowd he could see a familiar face away from the rest leaning against the house across from his, it was the pale lady. He couldn''t tell for sure at that distance, but she looked incredibly sad. This made him angry, How dare this woman almost ruin his life and then act all dejected when her plan failed. Their eyes crossed and they looked at each other. After a few seconds, she shook her head, pulled another pair of sunglasses out of her pocket, put them on, and left. Good riddance. He pushed her out of his mind. Now was not the time to focus on monsters like her. Better focus on Cass instead. The village cheered as she led him on. She smiled and they were in love. For the first time in a long while, he was happy. Love, Immortal "That was disgusting." Greg moaned. "Yeah." Kim laughed. "It was." Hanna scratched her head. "Ths town....Sunny Mills....are you saying that this story is about THE Sunny Mills? The town that just disappeared one day?" "What a clever little girl." Angel hummed. "I suppose I could be. Or maybe it''s another, entirely unrelated Sunny Mills. Who knows?" Jeannie reached out and shifted the left lens of the broken glasses to the side. The word "Kittum" was emblazoned on the black plastic. "You can try them out if you want." Those were the first words the Guide had spoken in a while. She looked up at him, seeking a second confirmation. The older man gave her a nod and she picked the lens up. With some excitement, she took a deep breath, and held it in front of her face. To both her great disappointment and elation, nothing had changed. It was a weird mix of emotions. "And?" Lindsay asked, elbowing her. Jeannie shook her head. "Nothing." Her friend sighed. "Guess it was a load of bull after all." "Or..." Kim interjected. "...these things do work, but no one here has anything to hide. If I understood the story correctly, then as long as everything is on the up-and-up, these are just regular shades." "I guess you''re right." Jeannie said and set the half-glasses down again. "Amazonia, why don''t you choose the next story? You''ve certainly been the most....enthusiastic of our guests so far." Kim gave the Guide a thumbs-up. "About time, old man." She looked down at the table. "Marbles are for babies and cards are boring. Gimme the pen, please. Not that it''s that much more exciting, but whatever..." The Guide chuckled. "We''ll, I''ll do my best to make it as riveting as possible for you. This is a story about family. And it begins how many such stories begin. With the love of a mother." ------------------ Love, Immortal ------------------ Gabriella smiled. This was a rarity for her nowadays. In fact, this had been the first time in 5 years she had been in anything close to a good mood. And what a mood it was. She was downright ecstatic. Because today was the day. Today was finally the day. She went over to her nightstand, humming a merry little tune. It had been a favorite of her daughter''s when she was little. It never failed to lull her to sleep, no matter how much she had exerted herself that day. With as soft a touch as she could muster she picked up the prominently displayed framed picture and gazed down at the young woman within with both love and anguish. It was five years ago when she got the call. She still remembered what she was doing at that moment¡ªjust unpacking her groceries without a care in the world. Then her phone rang. When she grabbed it to answer, she did not know that this would be the last peaceful moment of her life. The police were on the other side. Something had happened¡ªto her daughter¡ªher cute, naive, innocent daughter, Kimberly. She had just turned 16 and was celebrating with her friends. Gabriella had initially forbidden her to go out, but after a few sad looks and lots of pleading, she finally relented. A Villain had attacked. Not her daughter directly, but the jewelry store she and her friends were at. They hadn''t even intended to buy anything, just look. The monster was not alone. He had come with a bunch of his misbegotten comrades. They could''ve escaped. Her friends did. But Kimmy....Kimmy wanted to be a Hero. Unlike her mother, Kimberly had been born with a Power. A highly sought-after one at that. Whenever she made eye contact with someone she could lock them in place. They were unable to move a muscle, as long as her eyes stayed open. Blinking would make it go away, but reestablishing it took less than a second. She had caused her mother a lot of grief with it as a child. Like most kids, she would throw tantrums now and then, and she found it very fitting to put her mom in a "Time-Out" whenever she felt especially slighted. But they would only last a minute or two at most, and she''d apologize right away. That was another thing Gabriella loved about her daughter. Her kind heart. When her darling first told her she wanted to become a hero, she had laughed it off and told her to go for it. Every 10-year-old with a Power wanted to be a Hero. Even many without did. When her darling entered her school''s "High School Heroics" club at 14, the worried mother still thought it was just a phase, if a persistent one. But when she became club president and laid out all her plans for after graduation, that was when it finally set in. . She had praised her daughter for her thorough research and encouraged her like always, but deep inside Gabriella was split. Of course, she was proud of her princess. Going out and saving others was a noble profession, a respectable one. But it was so dangerous too. She agonized over it for days until one sleepless night she finally decided to take a step back and let Kimmy make her own decisions. And she was so committed. She talked her mother''s ear off for days after she was allowed to shadow a local hero for a week. She had never seen her daughter prouder than the day she caught a purse snatcher who had run by her on his escape. Heroism was her passion. That''s why she stayed back when that wicked creature attacked the store. She waited until he looked in her direction and locked him in place. It was a brave act. But if that''s what ultimately resulted from bravery, then Gabriella would have much rather had a coward for a daughter. A Hero showed up quickly, of course. It was New York, after all, you couldn''t cross two streets without tripping over three Heroes. She hated that Hero just as much as the Villain. He had left her there. Taken advantage of her Power to focus on the other bad guys while that one was paralyzed. He had later told Gabriella that her wonderful darling angel told him to do it. She assured him she had the situation under control. That others needed his help right now more than she did. And sure, she believed him. Kimmy would say something like that. It was just in her nature. But what kind of adult takes a 16-year-old at her word when it comes to stopping criminals by herself? What kind of Hero would let a child fight his battles alone? It was clear how that would end. So in her mind, he was just as much to blame. Eventually, Kimberly had had to blink. She was just human, after all. And the Villain had figured out exactly how her Power worked as soon as she affixed him in place. Once he was free again, he ducked down, kept his head low, and ran up to her. She had tried to run away but, of course, him being an adult, he managed to catch up and roughly grabbed her from behind, his palm covering her face. Then he said just one word. "Stop." And he was gone. He just fled. The cameras showed him slipping out the door, a handful of loot in his greedy fist. But to Kimberly, he may as well have vanished. When the other lowlives were dealt with, that "Hero" found the teen crying on the floor, unable to see. She was blind. Fully. Irreversibly. Gabriella had rushed to the hospital as soon as she got the call and held her daughter as she cried her broken eyes out. The doctors said there was nothing they could do. The nerves had simply stopped sending signals to the brain. There was no biological cause. She refused to believe it. She had saved up a significant amount of money for Kimmy''s college education, but these funds were needed elsewhere now. In the end, she shouldn''t have bothered. She should''ve spent the time they wasted going from specialist to specialist caring for her daughter. Making her happy. Because this had only been the beginning. The next sense to leave her was smell. It happened about a month after the attack. It seemed like a minor loss at first, but Gabriella''s heart broke every time her daughter would come to her at night, afraid that this wasn''t going to stop. She so badly wanted to reassure her again. To tell her everything would be okay. But she couldn''t. Because deep down she feared the same. When she lost her sense of taste, Gabriella pulled out all the stops. She started a fundraiser, she begged the rest of her family for money, and she even made a public appeal to the Villain who had done this to her baby. To please reverse this terrible affliction. But nothing came of it. The money she accumulated, and she managed to raise quite a bit, ended up spent to the last penny with no perceivable progress to show for it. When the best doctors couldn''t help her she went to specialists in Power Research and even the Arcane University. But neither researchers nor Mages were of any help either. When all was said and done the only thing she had achieved was putting Kimberly under much more stress than necessary. During that time she lost her ability to speak. Gabriella almost broke down when she found out because some part of her knew she would never hear her baby''s voice again. And at the tail end, when the University told her there was nothing they could do, she could no longer hear as well. At this point, the desperate mother had resigned herself to care for her Kimmy for the rest of her life. Despite being blind, deaf, and mute she was still her precious little bunny. Her treasure. Her hero. She took a job that allowed her to work from home and dedicated herself entirely to caring for her daughter. At first, it was easier than she thought. The steadfast girl could still do most things by herself, and would let her mother know through gestures that she didn''t want any help except for what was strictly necessary. But one month into that and she had lost her ability to move as well. Not fully. Her arms legs and head could still budge, but there was no strength behind it. She could curl her hand but was unable to grip anything. Gabriella didn''t despair. She wanted to. Especially now, when tears leaked from her still angel''s face, the only way she could convey anything now. But she couldn''t. Because if she despaired, then Kimberly would have nothing left. Whenever it happened, when the tears fell, she would stop everything she was doing and hug her close to her chest. She would whisper into her ear how much she loved her, even though she knew her fragile little sunshine couldn''t hear it. And her heart would simultaneously warm up and grow cold when she felt the thin, stiff appendages try to wrap around her, to hug her back. But some time later, even that stopped. At first, she thought that her muscles had completely given out, but a checkup confirmed that she had finally lost the sense of touch. Gabriella felt numb. Why had this happened? Why did her daughter have to endure this? What did she ever do that justified this much suffering? When she looked at her now, she mostly just felt hopeless. That beautiful face that would never smile again. That wonderful mind, trapped in a useless body. But part of her was relieved too. At least she was alive. At least it was finally over. All of her senses were gone. There was nothing left to take. Even that illusion shattered eventually. She sat in the hospital, tears in her eyes, waiting for the doctors to tell her what was wrong this time. What wicked card fate had dealt her sweet Kimmy now. And the answer finally broke her. It was not enough to take her senses from her. Everything had to go. This time it was her kidneys. They simply stopped working. And transplants were unlikely to take. Anything introduced into the affected areas immediately ceased function as well. For now, she would need daily dialysis to survive. But if her kidneys were affected, it was only a matter of time before the rest of her organs went out too. They told her they were sorry. They told her to be strong. They told her to prepare. And so she did. With a sigh, Gabriella put the picture back down. Then it came. The knock at her door. Her heart was racing a mile a minute as she hurried over and opened it. The outside was heavy with rain, with the occasional bolt of lightning illuminating the stormy sky. In front of her stood three figures. Two were about her height, but one stood a good three heads taller. She quickly stepped aside and welcomed them in. One by one they entered the small home, the tall one having to duck down to fit through. The nervous, yet excited woman used the opportunity to take a good look at her guests. All three of them wore hooded cloaks that concealed their entire body, two grey and one black. The hoods blocked the view to their eyes, and bandages wrapped tightly around the mouth hid the lower half of their faces. As she closed the door behind them she noticed the symbol on the back of their cloaks. A waning moon, shedding light on what she assumed to be a burial mound. On top of it sat an object that seemed familiar to her. She was sure it was Egyptian in origin but try as she might the name escaped her. She shook her head and refocused on the three figures she had just invited in. They were finally here. When it was certain Kimberly was going to die her mother had looked to Heroes to help her. A specific team, that is. Reviving was a common enough Power that it was categorized as its own type, but the vast majority of Revivers could only bring themselves back to life. The number of registered people capable of resurrecting others could be counted on two hands, and most of them were Villains. But there was a prominent Hero who was blessed with just that ability. Kimmy had swarmed about her a lot. Martyr, of Rescue-Hero team "Medical Action". She had called their offices daily for weeks, begging to be heard out, and though she was rebuked many times her persistence eventually paid off. They had verified her identity, made sure that what she was saying was the truth, and finally connected her to someone on the team. And not just someone, but Martyr herself. Gabriella was ecstatic. Hope had filled her heart for the first time in forever. But that hope was swiftly done away with. She couldn''t believe what she heard. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Reviving someone comes at a great personal cost to me." Yes! And as a Hero, wasn''t it her job to make sacrifices for the sake of others? "It only works on someone who has just died. Any longer than a minute and there is nothing I can do." Sure. But she could take a few days off and stay at Kimmy''s bedside until....until it happened, couldn''t she? "There is a hard limit on how many times I can use this Power." And? Giving up a single use wouldn''t be the end of the world. That''s what it was there for, wasn''t it? "I am sorry, but even if I personally wanted to, the decision to make use of me is not mine alone. We have to think practically. As much as it hurts. I promise you that the New Yorker Heroes and police will do everything in their power to catch the scumbag who did this. But that is...." She hung up at this point. There was no point in listening any more. These selfish, evil monsters had no right to call themselves Heroes. She stayed with her until the end. Held Kimberly as she died. When she felt the heat slowly leave her daughter''s body it felt like all the joy in her life went with it. She sat in the bed for hours, softly stroking her dead angel''s hair, before she finally called 911. The funeral was crowded. Her fundraiser and the news coverage of both the initial attack and her fight to save her daughter had made Kimberly a local celebrity. Gabriella found it disgusting, but she couldn''t bring herself to forbid people to pay their respects to her Kimmy. She deserved it. She deserved everything. Everything but what happened to her. The person she was most sickened by was not one of the unrelated gawkers though. It was that "Hero". He had stood in the back during the entire service and she had to clench her fists as tightly as she could whenever her eyes fell on him to keep her composure. He had come to her after it was over, head hung low. Acted convincingly ashamed too. The letter he gave her contained a check that covered the funeral costs and then some, together with his private number. She thought about burning them at first, but she also knew she was not in a state to think rationally now. After she had a nice, long soak at home she had eventually decided to keep both. Just because she didn''t forgive him didn''t mean she couldn''t make use of him. It was clear to her that Heroes wouldn''t ever be able or willing to help her. So she had to explore the other side of the coin. That, as it turned out, was easier said than done though. A month of thorough research left her at one dead end after another. All the Villains with the ability to Revive others were either too far out of her reach or had Powers that couldn''t be used on her baby anymore. She stewed in her frustration until she read a comment she found most interesting. That same night she pulled out the letter with the number and called. The useless vermin confirmed what she had read. There were a number of high-profile Villains whose files were locked behind security clearance. The official media was also prohibited from making videos, podcasts, or articles about them. Maybe that was where she would find her answer. Convincing him to give her access had been surprisingly easy. At first, he had vehemently declined, but a few tears and reminders of his culpability in Kimberly''s slow, torturous death were enough to tip the scale. She got half an hour.. Undeterred, she arrived at his office bright and early the next morning. Her pretense was that she wanted to search for any and all possible clues that could lead to the man responsible for her and her daughter''s suffering herself. It worked well enough, especially after she mentioned her call with Martyr. The fool was even generous enough to leave her alone while she combed the database. It took her less than 15 minutes to finally find the file that contained the words she was looking for. "No apparent limit on ability." Not wanting to risk anything she quickly snapped a picture on the relevant section of the dossier and excused herself. She couldn''t believe how lucky she was. Things were finally looking up. Finally. Once she was safe and sound at home she poured herself some tea and took a first thorough look at her lead. "The Resurrectionists." She had read about them in her initial research. But that had made them seen more like an urban legend than an actual group. Rumors, hearsay, and plenty of skeptics who called bullshit. These things had made her disregard them entirely, yet here she was, reading through their official file. Well, some of it. That site had paragraphs over paragraphs of useless, irrelevant info, and she was under a time crunch. The segment she had chosen to focus on was "Possible Whereabouts/Clues". It was light on concrete information, but it did include a few names that were suspected of knowing more. A start. A chance. And if there was any chance left, no matter how small, she would pursue it. To the ends of the earth if she had to. It took her two years. They were hard, but not nearly as difficult as the last two. Not even close. The check she got had been put to good use here. It was shockingly easy to buy at least a small degree of trust in these more shady areas. But she still had to earn the rest. As a regular, un-powered woman in her early forties, there wasn''t a lot she could do. So it mostly took time. No one was very forthcoming, so she had to chase one minuscule tiny lead after the other. Many of them led to dead ends, many others to fraud. The summary of various testimonies in the Villain file helped her separate most of the false trails from the genuine ones. Without it, the whole thing would''ve probably been impossible. She was beyond grateful that she had captured that specific section of the file and not any of the others. There was no doubt in her mind that her angel had guided her from above. She wanted to return to her mommy too. That thought helped her through her darkest days. She persisted. And it paid off. When she first got a hold of the little red box she patiently waited until she got home before she ripped it open. Before her laid the fruit of her labors. The black fountain pen looked exactly like it was described in the file. Even the unusually pointy nib. Despite being so close to her goal, she had hesitated to take the final step. Not out of any moral obligation, no. Simply because she wouldn''t have been able to bear it if the whole thing had turned out to be a hoax after all. But she didn''t hold back for long. She needed her baby to return to her as soon as possible. It didn''t take long to set everything up. All she needed was something to write on. With a deep breath, she set the pen to paper and began like she was instructed to. I Gabriella yelped at the sudden bout of pain. That single stroke had felt like someone taking a knife to her hand. But a quick check confirmed that there were no wounds to speak of. She looked at the pen, a red liquid softly dripping down from its tip. Her face stretched into a smile. So it was real. Her heart pounding with excitement, she brought her hand down to finish what she started. FEMALE Just as she was told, the text disappeared immediately after she finished the last letter. Her hand was shaking with pain, but she did not care. 17 Next was the state of the body. That was easy. INTACT She had made sure of that. Finally, the second to last section. Power. This was going to be agonizing. But she had to endure it. PARALYSIS ON EYE CONTACT. STOPS WHEN EYES CLOSE. A mixture of tears and sweat dropped down onto the bottom edge of the paper. The agony was almost unbearable. But for it to work, for the Resurrectionists to consider you worthy, you had to prove your resolve. So she had no choice. The last piece of information needed would be the hardest. Her full address. Hurriedly, she got up, grabbed a wooden spoon from the kitchen, and placed it in her mouth. It may be bad for her teeth, but right now she needed something, anything to lessen the impact, to help her endure. With a determined grunt, she started her final ordeal and did not stop until it was finally done. Her hand was burning up. The pen slipped out of her grip and landed on the floor with a light clank. She tried to move her fingers but every small little nudge sent new waves of fire through her nervous system. With heavy, uncontrolled breaths she leaned back in her chair and smiled. For the first time in forever, she was hopeful. Three weeks later, it arrived. She was walking to the kitchen groggily with the intent to make breakfast when she noticed something had been slipped under her door. It was a card. Her tiredness vanished in an instant and she raced to pick it up. She both anticipated and dreaded what was written on it. The woman who had given her the pen had told her that the Resurrectionists decided themselves which job to accept. No one knew their criteria. But if they rejected you once, there was no second chance. As she lifted the card up she suddenly felt a coppery taste enter her mouth. She had been biting her lip without noticing. "Calm down, Gabriella. Don''t panic." She took a deep breath. Her angel was looking out for her. There was nothing to worry about. The front of the card was blank white. An empty business card. With hope burning in her heart, she turned it over. The flipside was pitch black. Only two things were written on the back in white print. The word "Resurrection", and a date. Her knees grew weak and the tired, exhausted mother collapsed to the floor laughing. A laugh of genuine joy. She laughed until tears ran down her cheeks. She laughed as the card in her hand slowly brittled away into dust. She laughed as her arms and legs grew numb, forcing her to finally get up just in time for lunch. That was two months ago. And today was the day. The day her beloved Kimberly would finally return to her. As she regarded the three cloaked figures in her home she felt offended. Offended for them, that society would label them "Villains". As far as she was concerned, these were the most heroic people in the world. They were not out for fame, concealing themselves from the world as much as possible. They did not take payment, offering their services freely to any who were worthy. Calling them "Villains" was nothing more than an absurd, cosmic joke. The Resurrectionists stared at her silently, waiting for her to make the next move. She knew exactly what to do next. Everything had been explained to her when she recieved the fountain pen, and she had drilled these instructions as deep into her mind as they could go. With her head high she strode past her guests and up the stairs. To Kimberly''s room. Heavy footsteps echoed through the house as her three saviors followed behind her. Once she arrived at the top she did not hesitate to open the door. The room had barely changed at all. All of the posters, toys, and school supplies were still just where they belonged. Kimmy would need them again, after all. She slowly approached the girl sleeping in her daughter''s bed and shook her awake. The teen groggily opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Gabriella. Then screamed when she spotted the cloaked figures behind her. "Ssssssh. It''s okay." Gabriella whispered softly. "Get up. It''s time." The girl had been living here a little over a month. Finding her had been the most stressful part of the instructions Gabriella had recieved. She had not been surprised when she was told that returning her daughter to her would require a life. It made sense. A soul for a soul. But there was a problem. The sacrifice had to be as similar to Kimberly as possible. Her first thought had been one of her nieces. But then it was clarified that the resemblance had to be physical. Not genetic. That had made things a lot more difficult. She could''ve tried finding a fitting offering right after receiving the pen, but she wanted to be sure first. Sure that the Resurrectionists had chosen her. So she began her search the day after confirmation. The reason it took her a month was not the lack of suitable vessels. There were a lot of blonde 15 to 18 year old girls running about in New York. The issue was gaining access to one. She needed one that would be with her at home on the day of rebirth, preferably one that wouldn''t be missed. But as she looked for suitable subjects she found that she didn''t care that much about the last part. There was no one who would miss any of these worthless harlots as much as she missed her angel. Even if she had been told to personally smother all the 17 year olds in the state, it would be akin to trading a city built from sand for a cottage made of diamond. A few weeks in she stumbled upon a winning strategy. During one of the many nights she spent in her daughter''s room, she reread parts of her baby''s Hero Notes. Good deeds she would do to better the lives of others. And one entry in particular excited her when she spotted it. A description of various volunteer work she did to aid the homeless youth of their great city. How beautiful a soul Kimberly was. And now her selflessness would help bring her back to her mother. It took little more than a minute of research to find a small list of locations where homeless teens liked to gather. She had first thought about visiting shelters, but she didn''t want to risk raising any suspicion. As luck would have it, she came across the girl at the first place she visited. Blond, young, thin, beautiful if cleaned up a bit. Perfection. But she was still. Barely breathing. A closer look confirmed her fears. There was a bottle of pills clutched in the dumb brat''s palm. Probably stolen. How dare she? How dare she try to throw her life away like that, when it could be used for something much greater? Gabriella felt lucky that the offering didn''t have to be similar in spirit, or her task would''ve been impossible. There was no soul as pure as her angel''s. She had no time to waste. She knelt down and softly laid her palm on the girl''s cheek. Still warm. Good. The sound of the slap echoed off the barren walls and her hand left a deep red mark on the girl''s face. But it did the trick. The eyes fluttered open and a groan escaped her chapped lips. Without hesitation, Gabriella pried the mouth open and stuck her finger in as deep as she could. The girl doubled over and emptied her stomach on the street as soon as the hand was removed from her throat. So far so good. But this was not a guarantee that she would survive. The teen was clearly out of it, barely comprehending what was going on, so the older woman knelt down beside her and put a soft hand on her back. "Hey. It''s alright. I''m here to help." This was the first time in years that she had put on a motherly tone. She hated it. This brat didn''t deserve it. But she had to swallow her disgust and soldier on. It was for a good cause, after all. "You poor thing. You look terrible. Come here." She stood up carefully, guiding the girl along as she did. She was barely able to stand but Gabriella pulled her close to give her some stability. "I''ll bring you somewhere safe and warm." The homeless girl stumbled to the car with Gabriella''s help and collapsed inside. Worried, she made sure that the stranger was still breathing before heading home. On the way to the front door, she still pretended to care for the limp body just in case someone was watching, but once inside she carelessly tossed her onto the couch. It was nerve-wracking waiting for her to wake up. If she died there and now things would get complicated real fast. But a few hours later she came to, confused as to where she was. Getting the girl to stay was probably the simplest task she had to manage yet. She gave her more or less the real story of how she ended up there. Gabriella had seen her passed out in the alley, saved her life, and then brought her home to make sure she recovered. Next was pretending to care. She asked her name. Lana. Then what she was doing there, alone on the streets. Of course, she merely pretended to listen. A nod here, a "You poor thing" there, topped off with a hug. It was too easy. Then came the final act. She told her who she was. Told her about Kimberly. About how much she missed her. All the while leading her up to the room. Then, once they were there, she opened the door and asked. "Would you like to stay here? Just for a while, to keep an old lady company? I would understand if you don''t. You barely know me. But.." She didn''t even have to finish her speech. The girl interrupted her with a hug and said yes. Yes of course. She cried too, so many tears. Gabriella said nothing, just holding her close and stroking her hair. She took a deep breath. All she had to do was wait and endure. Just wait and endure. She just had to tolerate the parasite for a little while. And if she did, it would transform into a beautiful butterfly. What she needed the most right now was patience. And of that, she had more than enough. It wasn''t easy. She had to make sure Lana stayed, so the girl had recieved the royal treatment. Anything she wanted, she got. She even made her breakfast in bed, though she never asked for it. She asked for precious little, actually. A certain conditioner once, an order of disgusting, greasy fast food a couple of times, but what she wanted most was Gabriella''s time. "Let me help you cook.", "Can I watch that with you?", "Let''s do something together." It was miserable. She''d much rather Lana be an entitled spoiled bitch that demanded expensive food and presents every day. At least that''d only grate on her wallet, not her soul. But, she assumed, even that was sure to be a test from her baby. Her little angel wanted to make sure that Mommy really did want her back. So she endured. And now it was time to reap her reward. Lana stared at her for almost a minute, her gaze occasionally flickering over to the Resurrectionists, before settling back on the woman that rescued her. Without saying a word she got up and nervously took the older woman''s outstretched hand. It was plain to see that the girl was uncomfortable, maybe even scared right now, but that didn''t matter. Gabriella led the hesitant girl out of the room and down the stairs, gently tugging her along whenever she failed to keep up. The three great Heroes followed behind with every step. Once she reached the door to the basement she let go of her tribute for a moment to unlock it. The underground room was barren, devoid of nearly anything but an old rickety chair and a simple white chest freezer at the back end of the wall. The group came to a stop in front of it. "Wh-what are we doing here?" Lana asked but she was ignored. With practiced ease, Gabriella opened the lid and gestured for the girl to look inside. She stood still for a moment, before slowly creeping forward until she could get a full view. Her scream was stopped by Gabriella''s hand clamping down over her mouth. The girl was breathing heavily, but to the mother''s surprise, she didn''t fight back or attempt to flee. She looked back inside too. "This is my daughter, Lana. This is Kimberly. Isn''t she beautiful?" The girl just stared at the frozen corpse, unmoving. Getting the funeral director to bury an empty coffin took more of her than she ever thought she''d be willing to pay. But when push came to shove the decision was simple. She never regretted it either. Sometimes she would come down just to talk to her. Tell her about all the progress she had made. Other times she would open the lid and look at her ethereal beauty. And every night before going to bed she would come down and give her a kiss on the forehead, like she did back when her skin was flush with blood, her arms and legs chock full of energy and her eyes radiating life. "I can get her back. The nice people behind us can bring her back to me. But to do that....to restore a life, they need to offer one in exchange. That''s where you come in. I beg you not to make a fuss when I let go of you. Think about it. When I found you, you wanted to end it all anyway. But who would''ve gained anything from that? No one. A waste of a young life. But this way....this way your death can mean something. It can bring light back into the world. Please....can you do that for me?" Halfway through her speech, she could feel tears run down the hand that was still covering the girl''s mouth. Once she was done she slid it off slowly, ready to grab her again should she scream or try to flee. But she didn''t. Instead, she turned around, and slowly pulled the older woman into a tight hug. "I understand." Her quavering voice was was almost unintelligible. "Thank you. For letting me stay with you." Gabriella gently rubbed the shaking teen''s back. Even now she couldn''t find it in herself to summon up an ounce of care for the girl. But there was no need to make her last moments unnecessarily cruel. As soon as they separated the black cloaked figure stepped forward. It raised its bandaged hand and held something out to the willing sacrifice. A dagger. Its blade was curved and uneven, but despite its apparent age, it retained a brilliant sheen. She hesitantly took it, not knowing what to do. One of the grey cloaks approached her, carrying with it a small goblet of some kind. A clear liquid was already held inside. The black cloak mimicked drawing a blade across its palm and Lana understood. She carefully placed her hand over the mouth of the goblet, positioned the dagger, closed her eyes, and cut. Despite her best efforts, a whimper escaped her lips as her blood tainted the water with red blots. The grey figure eagerly reclaimed the weapon while the black one took the cup. It reached its free hand up to the bandages covering its mouth and pried them open. A thick glob of saliva was spit through the gap and intermingled with the bloody water. Within seconds the fluid turned a deep, engulfing black. Once it was satisfied, it strode toward the freezer. Gabriella watched with bated breath as it softly opened her angel''s mouth, much softer than should be possible with a body this frozen, and poured the black liquid inside. Nothing happened. The deed was not yet done. It turned to the sacrifice and gestured into the freezer. Lana just stared at the figure for a minute before it clicked. "You.....you want me to go in there?" It nodded. She looked at the dead girl, then her mother. "G...goodbye., G-G-Gabriella. I...." But she did not finish. The smiling woman cupped the teenager''s cheek and gave her a last farewell gift. A kiss on the forehead. The girl had been insufferable, but she fulfilled her purpose well. The group looked on as the scared child clumsily climbed onto the freezer and laid on top of the body. They really did look alike, she thought, before the lid closed on top of them. Gabriella took a deep breath. It was finally done. One of the grey cloaks grabbed the chair and placed it in front of the cold coffin. She thanked it, and thanked them all for their great service, before sitting down. Now all she had to do was wait. She didn''t even notice the Resurrectionists turning to leave. Didn''t notice one of them hang a pristine white cloak on the handle of the door. All she cared about was that box. And as she waited, tired and exhausted from everything that had happened, she fell into her first peaceful sleep in years. -------------- A soft sound ripped her from her dreams. They were sweet dreams. Happy ones. She awoke with a smile on her face. One that grew even wider when she saw the lid of the freezer slowly open. She didn''t dare move, in case this turned out to just be another phase of her dream. But with every inch the gap widened she couldn''t help but feel the overwhelming surge of hope well up inside her and put a strain on the dam of her caution. And it was when the lid was fully open that the dam broke down completely. There she was. Her Kimberly. Her beautiful angel, in all her glory. Her skin still had a blueish tone, but it was clear that life was returning to it slowly. Her eyes were no longer dull and empty, but bright and brilliant like before. Her face, neck, and part of her chest were smeared with blood, small trails of which were running down the rest of her body, but that was nothing a hot bath couldn''t fix. "Mom...." Her voice was hoarse, but it was unmistakably hers. Gabriella sprung up out of her chair and tenderly helped her baby out of the prison she had been in for so long. She had trouble making her out through the tears, but no matter. There would be plenty of time to look at her later. Now, they had all the time in the world. Once both of her feet were on solid ground she pulled her daughter close. Her body was so cold, the poor thing. As soon as they were back upstairs she would draw that bath. "Mom....I missed you..." She held on tighter. "Me too, baby! Mommy missed you too! So much! So, so much!" This was it. This was the moment she had been waiting for all these years. Now her life could finally begin again. Both of their lives. Everything she had done, all the hardships she had to endure, it had all been worth it. "Mom....?" She felt her daughter''s arms wrap around her. She was hugging back. "Yes, baby? Is there anything you want? Anything you need? I''m here for you. Mommy is here for you." A puff of cold breath hit her ear as Kimberly leaned in. "I''m still hungry." Bitter Sweet "Weren''t the Resurrectionists the main bad guys in that show last year?" Lindsay asked, confused. "Yeah, Modern Myths." Jeannie replied. "Season 2 is gonna focus on the Slithers. I can''t wait." "In that show, they talked a lot more though." Greg said. "So you''re telling me they are real and this pen can call them?" He picked up the black writing utensil and turned it over in his hand. "It doesn''t look all that special to me." "Gimme that." Kim grunted and snatched the object out of his hand. With more force than was probably needed, she pulled the cap off, revealing the blood-red nib. "Woah, it''s so sharp." Lindsay blurted out. And indeed, the point looked more like a strangely shaped knife than the tip of a pen. "Just like in the story." Kim grinned and put it back on. "Of course they''ll prepare a prop that matches their made-up story." Greg whispered, but everyone ignored him. "I gotta say though, it majorly weirded me out that the dead chick had my name." The Guide carefully plucked the pen from her hand and put it back on the table. "An amusing coincidence, isn''t it? Maybe we should inquire about our guests'' names beforehand next year, so can arrange for more of these situations." "It would certainly help the atmosphere." Angel noted before turning to Hanna. "Odd Gentleman....or, Strange Gentlewoman in your case, maybe..." The Mummy giggled for almost half a minute after that display of humor. Hanna, meanwhile, crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "...There are two objects left whose tales have not yet been told. You get the honor of being the last to choose." Hanna looked down, studying both her options carefully. "Fate has decreed that next shall be the blueish white marble thing. Because it''s pretty." The Guide laughed. "Oh, a wonderful choice. And this one may even convince our little skeptic here because this story comes in the words of the person who has lived through it. Huddle up together, because it''s going to get very cold soon...." ----------------- Bitter Sweet ------------------ Hello. My name is Natalie Eisner. That name might sound familiar to you. If it does, you probably know me from the news reports about a certain incident that happened three years ago. That incident is what I want to talk about today. If you read this, then that means I will be gone. Do not look for me. It''s better this way. I am writing this in the hopes that whoever reads this message will be able to understand. Understand what happened back then. Understand what has to happen now. I have never told anyone the full story. Even the police. This will be the first and only record of what truly happened on that day. Everything began, like so many things in my life, with Elsie. Elsie was my best friend ever since kindergarten. We did everything together. Hell, we slept over at each other''s apartments so often that our rooms were half-filled with the other''s stuff. So of course, when the time came to move out on our own and take on the great adventure that is Adult Life, there was no question that we would share a flat. In fact, not living together wasn''t even an option in our minds. That was just the natural flow of things. The way it had to be. Elsie was very different from me. I liked to stay in and play dumb videogames, she loved going out and enjoying nature. She reveled in a sunny day while I was more comfortable in the rain. I despised the heat, she hated the cold. But despite that, we just connected. I couldn''t even begin to imagine a life without her. Due to our closeness, we often made concessions with how we spent our time. Whenever one of us really wanted to do something, the other would eventually relent and go with, even if they had little to no interest in whatever was going on. And so it was that time too. Elsie had bothered me for months. For some reason, she had really fixated on seeing the mountains. Or any mountain, really. This was a frequent occurrence in our household. First, she wanted to go diving in the ocean, then see an actual medieval castle and now it was time for the mountains to have their share of the spotlight. Of course, I said no. I even held on longer than usual. At least with the sea and her stupid castles, there were some enjoyable prospects for me. Swimming in the ocean. The novelty of seeing how people lived in the distant past. But mountaineering? All that came to mind was walking over difficult terrain for hours, camping in the ass end of nowhere, and being at the mercy of mother nature for longer than I was comfortable with. I couldn''t think of anything I wanted to do less. But Elsie was relentless. She even bought us matching jackets. These thick, fancy cold jackets with a million pockets where you could store tools or supplies. I was resolute, but even the Great Wall didn''t manage to hold back the Mongols forever. So I gave in. Eventually, I gave in. I did. I could tell you where we went. I could. But I don''t think it''s necessary. I''m very certain the incident won''t repeat itself anytime soon, but why take the risk? If you are genuinely curious it won''t take you any time at all to go look it up. Certain other events in the story will make it very clear to anyone with a passing knowledge of landmarks too. I advise against it, however. There is nothing there for you. There never will be. I had managed to talk her out of a full-on climb. I was not interested in risking our lives more than we absolutely had to. So we agreed to a simple hike. As far up as we could safely go without any climbing equipment or a guide. Everything was meticulously planned out. We would start at noon, at the foot of the mountain. From there we would take the scenic route up the trail until we reach The Spot at approximately 6PM. The Spot was the point at which it was time to turn around and go back. From The Spot, it would take us an additional two hours to reach a clearing in the forest below, where we would set up camp for the night. The next day we would make our way back to the starting point. That was it. A simple, easy enough hike that let us see both the mountain and a bit of the forest. A nice little two-day trip. We didn''t even have to take time off from work. Looking back at everything, it''s hard to say when exactly the Incident began. But our fate was sealed the moment we stepped foot on the path leading up that mountain. It had been snowing in the region all week, and according to the weather report, that day would be no different. The sky was clear when we arrived, but the labor of the previous day''s clouds had dressed the entire area in an admittedly beautiful pale-white coat. Elsie was excitedly bouncing through the snow, dragging the groaning, moping blob of unexcitement that was me along by the hand. Every negative comment of mine, no matter how dreary or dark, she would somehow manage to put a lighthearted, positive spin on. I was grumbling the entire time, but if I am being honest with myself I did enjoy my time. I enjoyed every second. Until we met the old woman. She wasn''t a fairytale witch or a cranky old hag, just a regular, nice-looking, small grandma. She was standing in front of a house, or maybe a cabin? No. No, I''m sure it was a house. It didn''t look run down or dilapidated, but the snow had piled itself it up to the doorknob. The lady was desperately trying to shovel away the white debris blocking her entranceway with nothing but her hands, but it seemed to us like a futile effort. Elsie, of course, immediately dragged us over to help her. We had prepared for many eventualities, one of which was us being snowed in. One of us more enthusiastic than the other, we pulled the small shovels we had bought for the trip out of our bags and cleared the front door of the house in no time flat. The old woman seemed overjoyed to have come across us. Her partially clouded eyes were still as vibrant as those of a teenager, and the gratitude within their debts was palpable. She invited us in, and despite my misgivings, we accepted. Of course we did. The inside turned out to be just as unspectacular as the outside. A normal, boring, unexceptional living room. We sat down, she made us tea and then we proceeded to have a nice chat. Just small talk, at first. But then..... I have to admit that my memory of this part is a bit fuzzy. I find it very puzzling since the following events remain clear as ice to me even now. And with every year that passes, I find myself remembering more of this wretched day, instead of less. But this part....it remains foggy and distant. Though despite that there are some things I do remember. She told us she was part of a big family. That we remind her of her own daughters. I think her name was Avia. But that may have also been the name of one of her relatives, or a pet. I just don''t know anymore. I don''t care, either. She began telling us stories. I forgot how we got to this point, but we stayed there for at least an hour, listening to her talk. I cannot express how much I would like to retell those stories here. Her tales of the Ice and the Snow. The cold winds of Winter and the grand peaceful Frost. They were...happy stories, I think? Good ones. Intriguing. I have tried for the last 3 years to recall them, to recall at least one, but no matter how hard I try the words trickle out of my mind like grains of sand. For all that effort, the only thing I know is that I entered the old woman''s home suspicious, upset, and dismissive, and left it feeling joyful and warm and even curious. We only moved on when we did because I glanced at the wall clock by chance. I couldn''t believe how much we got sidetracked. We had to hurry to still make it to the clearing before nightfall. I practically had to drag Elsie away, but the old woman understood and helped me to convince her. Just as we were ready to go again though, she stopped us. She said she had a lot of fun today, and we were so nice and helpful that she couldn''t let us leave without compensation. I was convinced she was going to give us some money or maybe a few bags of her tea, but instead, she emerged from her kitchen with two small leather pouches. Elsie grabbed hers and immediately opened it up to check what we got. What she pulled from the pouch was a sphere. I wish I could be more descriptive, but there wasn''t much else to it. I would say it was maybe a bit larger than a human eyeball in size. Not big enough to fit in on a pool table and not small enough to be mistaken for a toy marble. It was strange. Beautiful, but strange. The thing seemed to be mostly clear, but specks of white twisted and turned inside of it, not unlike a snow globe that had been violently shaken. I opened my own pouch as well and sure enough, it was there. In fact, the thing was filled to the brim. "What is it?" Elsie asked. "It''s gorgeous." The old woman gave us a warm chuckle and shook her head. "These aren''t for decoration, my dear. They belong in your stomach." Elsie let out a loud "Ooooooh!" before dropping her sphere back into the sack. "So they''re edible, then?" This time she laughed out loud. "I would hope so, considering they are bonbons. Inedible bonbons would be quite a waste, don''t you think?" At this point, I was beginning to feel a bit strange about this whole situation. Not enough to dampen the good mood storytime put me in but enough to speak up about it. "Why candy?" The old woman looked at me with a quizzical expression, so I elaborated. "Why give us candy? Seems a bit strange, doesn''t it?" Elsie came up to me and whispered something or other about "rude behavior" into my ear, but I wasn''t really listening. I was focused on our host, whose smile grew wider. "I made these myself, you see. It''s a special family recipe. We''re not supposed to share them around, but I thought they could maybe be of use to you. You have been so nice to me, it''s the least a haggard old crone like me can do." Now my BFF quickly changed position and switched from berating me to encouraging her. I, however, remained focused. "Of use? How would sweets help with mountain climbing?" Elsie stopped her waffling, and looked at me, then at the lady. She was curious too. The old bat wasted no time to explain. "They help against the cold." That was all she said. I tried to inquire further but it was soon clear that she was not going to elaborate. The rest of our short stay was uneventful. We said our goodbyes, put our sweet bags away, and left to explore the great wide wilderness. The track up the mountain was far easier than I had feared. Maybe because we had good boots, or maybe because I spent hours reading up on that area beforehand, but for one reason or another I actually found our little trip enjoyable. You can believe me when I write that I was the most shocked of all about that revelation, and Elsie had one of her cute little freakouts when I told her. The air was remarkably clean and the scenery was nicer than I had expected. Looking up photos online really doesn''t compare to being there in person. Elsie was skipping merrily ahead most of the way, with me trailing a few feet behind inspecting every inch of our surroundings for potentially dangerous animals. I never saw one. A dangerous one, that is. Now and then I would spot a fox or a rabbit or a couple of birds flying around, and then we would stop and watch them for a while. Elsie held on to my arm and rattled off her borderline encyclopedic knowledge about whatever cute critter we had in our sights while I was pretending to be bored and annoyed. It''s funny. Back then we did everything together. But still, our minds were always occupied with something else. Work. Family. Other Friends. Even at the beach, we were rushing to have as much fun as our limited time allowed. That walk up the mountain was the first time in a long while that we were actually, really alone together. We talked for what felt like an eternity, but not just shallow babbling about this and that. An actual, honest-to-goodness conversation instead of meaningless small talk. Even during the stretches where we just concentrated on making progress things didn''t become stilted or awkward. The silence was comforting. Comfortable. I had seen Elsie smile countless times, hell, a smile was basically her default expression, hardwired into her programming. But on that hike, I saw her truly happy. The snow began to fall when we reached the halfway point. We had chosen the path we did because almost exactly halfway up there was supposed to be an easily spottable landmark. Supposedly, decades ago, a Hero and a Villain had a big fight in the air above the forest. The website didn''t give the full details, but apparently, the Hero had been knocked down right here, creating a small crater. He had used his ability to grow a large tree inside of it to snap at and entangle his enemy. In response, the Villain used her own power to turn the newly formed hardwood into obsidian. And sure enough, stretching into the sky above us, branches curled as if reaching for something above, stood a smooth, glossy black tree. I had never felt comfortable around people who could do this kind of thing. The Heroes too. It was scary. Are they even human anymore? Really human? I don''t know. But what I do know is that, like it or not, that thing sure was visible enough to work as a point of orientation. Elsie, of course, ran up to it immediately and began touching and prodding at the thing. I would''ve told her to cool it a bit, but I was a bit more preoccupied with the weather. Snowfall had been announced for today, but according to the weather girl, it wasn''t supposed to happen until we made our way to the clearing. Since we just reached the tree we should have been only walking for three hours or so. Did we really lose that much time staring at animals and having our lunch? The less visibility we had the easier it would be to get lost, and I hope you were able to deduce from what I have written so far that neither of us was any kind of survival expert. I quickly urged Elsie to keep moving, and after making about a dozen too many tree selfies she reluctantly agreed. All in all, it didn''t turn out as bad as I feared it would. Yes, it was a bit harder to keep track of where we needed to go, and the chilly wind had picked up quite a bit, but we soldiered on and made good progress. Unlike before, Elsie had started staying really close to me soon after the snow began to fall. I flicked her playfully against the nose and said something about personal space. As a retort, she started pouting like a 12-year-old who just got told she was not going to get an advance on her allowance this month. "But it''s cooooooold!" I laughed and shook my head. "Coming here was your idea, so you deal with it. Try thinking warm thoughts." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Hearing me dismiss her she grumbled out a "Meanie" before hurrying a few feet ahead of me like before. We continued walking like that for a minute, maybe 2 when she suddenly stopped in her tracks and fumbled around in her pockets. I asked what she was doing when she pulled out one of the round, transparent sweets. "The nice old gal said they help with the cold, right? I''m cold, so why not?" She shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world to take a complete stranger at face value. I shook my head. I remember groaning inwardly about her naivete like I did oh so regularly back then. She urged me to take one as well, but I declined as politely as I could muster. I think she swallowed it in one gulp. I think that because after she put it in her mouth I saw her shiver, more intensely than she did before, for just a second, before she addressed me again, voice clear and mouth empty. "It worked. I can''t feel the cold anymore." That''s all she said before trotting onwards. I was a bit perplexed at her curtness, and quickly scrambled to keep up. But no matter how much I hurried along, how fast I went, she didn''t seem to get any closer. She didn''t get much farther either. Whenever I lost too much ground, or lost sight of her, she would stop and wait. Then, when I was at whatever distance she deemed acceptable she would begin walking again. I wasn''t concerned at this point. Well, not about her. Mostly annoyed. It''s not like she stopped talking to me. She would make her usual Elsie observations, her usual Elsie banter, etc. She no longer stopped for animals, but that was because we didn''t come across any anymore. Not that I noticed that back then. I figured she was finally cashing in on me being a rude bitch all trip and giving me a taste of my own medicine. It was known to happen. Not often, but sometimes. What I was really worried about at that time was the weather. The forecast had announced mild snowfall, and that''s what happened at first. But as we hiked further up the mountain it began to rapidly increase in intensity. First, it was just the amount of snow. Then the wind picked up too. At some point, I called out to Elsie. I yelled at her to stop. That we had to turn around. But she couldn''t hear me. Hell, I couldn''t hear myself. The wind was so strong I had to lower my head just to be able to keep my eyes open. And no matter how loud I screamed, all I could hear was the air rushing past my ears. Of course, I lost sight of Elsie too at this point. From all the memories of that bitterly cold day, this is one of the ones I like to remember the least. I was at odds with myself. You have to keep in mind, dear reader, that I have never been a brave person. In fact, "abject coward" is probably the most fitting descriptor. And in that moment, I was really, actually terrified. Perhaps for the first time in my life. I was not familiar with this area. I was in the middle of nowhere, in the bitter cold, in a snowstorm so bad I couldn''t tell left from right. I''m a city girl. Born and bred. I didn''t belong out there. Still, I can''t help but feel ashamed... I was considering running away. Turning around and running backward as far as my legs could carry me. Without Elsie. In fact, I had half turned already before I came to my senses. Even then it took me longer than I want to admit to get moving again. Forward again. Maybe the storm would subside again soon. Maybe there was nothing to worry about. But if it didn''t...?.If it didn''t and I stayed, we may both die. Lost in the snow, freezing to death. I may catch up to her, and we could huddle up. Wait it out. Both survive. And if I left? I may find my way back. Possibly. Or I may get lost anyway and die regardless. But if the storm went on and I abandoned her I knew Elsie would die for sure. She was even less suited to wilderness survival than I was. There was no doubt in my mind. It was this thought that finally got me going again. I trudged forward as fast as I reasonably could, but the pace felt sluggish. I looked around for any sign of her. Any at all. Maybe her footprints. But a look back destroyed these hopes. Whatever prints I myself left behind were filled back in by fresh snow within seconds. And if I stood still for a minute or so my feet would be buried in white. There was no way for me to pick up on any trail to lead me back to my friend. So I just walked on. I don''t know how long I wandered around in that stormy field of blinding white. I can''t even say "It felt like hours" because I have honestly no recollection of it. It is difficult to tell the passage of time when everything around you looks the same and nothing happens. No matter how long it took, eventually, I began to see something in the distance. I had no idea what it could have been, but I was also running out of options, so I changed course. What I had seen turned out to be a veritable blessing. Before me was a solid wall of rock. This was probably the area where determined adrenaline junkies transitioned from "Mountain Hiking" to "Mountain Climbing". In all likelihood this The Spot, or somewhere near it, where we were supposed to turn back at and make our way down to the clearing. But it was not that that was a blessing. The blessing was the large opening in that wall. I hesitate to call it a cave, because it didn''t go deeper than four or five feet, but....it was protection from the elements. The wind, at least. I gathered all the strength I had left within me and ran, if you could call it running, to relative safety. When I arrived I found out that I was even luckier than I had initially thought. Within that small rock shelter were the remains of a campfire. A small circle of stones, a few pieces of charred wood, and a clump of ash in the middle. I knelt down to feel it and it was cold. Probably not from that day. But the leftovers were still big enough for another round. I fished around the many pockets of my coat until I found the lighter we had packed. Within a few minutes, I was sitting in front of a small flame. Now that I was sitting still and relaxing I could feel the sting of the cold all over my face. I huddled closer to the fire and closed my eyes. I only intended to rest them for a bit, but before I knew it I fell into a deep sleep. I cannot recall the dream I had then, but it must''ve been some kind of nightmare because I awoke with a scream. The fire had gone out, but once I took a look around to orient myself the fire lost all of its relevance to me. Near the opening of the small shelter stood Elsie. I only saw her from behind, but I recognized her immediately. Her hair and outfit were white with snow, but she seemed unbothered by it. I whispered her name hoarsely and scrambled to my feet. I was so happy. So happy to have her back. I just wanted to grab her, crush her in one of the bearhugs she loved so much, and never let her go. But as soon as I got to my feet, she spoke. "Look. The weather has calmed down. We should go on now. We''re almost there." And then she left. I was stunned for a moment, but quickly caught myself and ran after her. When I emerged back into the wilderness I saw she was right. Somewhat. The visibility was still miserable and the snow fell just as fast as it did before. But the wind....the wind was gone. I didn''t have time to contemplate it though. I was determined not to lose sight of Elsie again. No matter the circumstances. The lack of wind made maneuvering the white wasteland much, much easier, but I still had no idea where we were in relation to anything else. Elsie seemed to, though. Like before, whenever I fell too far behind, she would stop and wait for me. And when I caught up she walked confidently forward, not even bothering to look around or change course. I had so many questions. I was so confused. But my screaming during the storm had affected my voice something fierce. I could barely understand myself, the scratchiness rendering anything I said nearly unintelligible. And it hurt too. So I kept my mouth shut for the most part. I just followed Elsie. She talked to me. The whole way. About the beauty of the mountain. About the beach vacation we had. About the plans we made for the next couple of days. The trek was exhausting. I was then, and am still now, convinced that we walked for days. I would force myself forward until I couldn''t anymore. Until I was ready to collapse. And whenever that happened Elsie would fall back, take me by the hand, and lead me somewhere. I panicked when I first saw where. With her excited humming, she dragged me into a small cave. And in that cave was that same circle of stones with the same charred pieces of wood left over from my fire. Barely enough for another one. I stumbled backward into Elsie''s arms, pointing at the ashy stones, and cried. Did we go in a circle? Did we walk all this way for nothing? I think I was about to break down. But Elsie reassured me. She hugged me tighter to her chest and gently swayed. "Ssssshhhh. It''s okay. You''re safe here. You will always be safe with me. I''ll protect you." These words really shouldn''t have worked. The thought of Elsie, of all people, protecting me from anything was laughable. Usually, it was the other way around. But for some reason, they did. I felt safe. I felt secure. She whispered in my ear to go to sleep now. To conserve energy. And I did. I woke up next to the unlit fire. The ashpile was bigger now and the last pieces of wood were gone. Again, Elsie stood near the entrance, back turned to me. "Let''s go. We''re almost there." Unlike last time, the weather hadn''t changed a bit. My water bottles ran out the night before, but that wasn''t a big problem. Elsie had filled them up with snow and laid them next to the fire while I slept. I was surprised she had thought of that. The more pressing concern was food. Elsie had carried the bag with our supplies for the one night we intended to stay out here, but it was absent when she first found me in the cave. My voice was doing a bit better, so I asked her where it was. She just told me she lost it in the storm. That seemed about right. A very Elsie thing to do. But still concerning. My worries were brushed off whenever I brought them up, however. She would shake her head and say "Don''t worry about the food. We''re almost there." In the beginning, I asked her "Where?" I asked her every time she said it. When we first reunited I thought she meant the clearing, or the parking lot, or maybe even a Ranger Station she stumbled across. But it was evident now that this was not the case. Every time I asked she would giggle and laugh it off. Not a weird, or creepy giggle. The same giggle she had every time I teased her or was being purposefully unreasonable. So we kept walking. The snow kept falling. The wind stayed quiet. Now and then I caught Elsie doing something strange. She would stop, dig around in her pockets, then keep going. She didn''t do it often. I would guess there were hours between each stop. But they did happen. The first couple of times I was too far away to get a good eye on her, but the third time I was right behind her. It was the bonbons. She took one out of her pocket, put it in her mouth, and swallowed it whole. I had completely forgotten about the things. Elsie must''ve noticed me staring because she spoke up. "They help against the cold. You should really try them." I declined. At this point, I think I was running on pure stubbornness. I had been against even accepting them, and I was desperate to be right about something. To have made a good decision. Logically, seeing as Elsie was neither shivering nor seemed uncomfortable at all, the claim that they helped against the cold was most likely true. And even though sweets weren''t healthy, they were still food. Something to fill an empty stomach. But I couldn''t. It seems exceptionally childish, and mentally taking myself back to that moment in time, it probably was, but I couldn''t help myself. Many, many hours later the scene repeated itself. Near unconscious from exhaustion and exposure to the freezing cold, I was taken by the hand and led back to the cave. I think I cried again. But I didn''t make a fuss this time. When I awoke, to my surprise, the fire was still burning. Just barely. I asked Elsie who got new firewood. "Who do you think, silly?" I asked her how. She pulled out the small survival knife we had each taken with us. I didn''t bother arguing or asking further questions. I knew I wouldn''t get an answer. I felt nothing but dread when I exited the rock shelter and saw the snow still falling. Elsie urged me onward. "Come on. We''re almost there." I once again thought about just ditching Elsie. I feel no shame over these thoughts. Or much less, anyway. But it was pointless. Where before I had a general area we could be in my head, now I had no clue where on this godforsaken mountain we were. It was better to stick together. Even if your partner was being entirely unhelpful right now. At this point, things start to blur together. Nothing changed. We walked through the endless landscape of snow, minute after minute, hour after hour. When I got too tired to go on, I was led back to that damn cave to sleep. And when I awoke it began again. After each bout of sleep, we made less and less progress, if we made any at all. Not because of Elsie, but because of me. The vague pangs of hunger grew into a persistent ache, then into a violent pain. Elsie had to stop more and more often to wait for me, but she didn''t seem to mind. Encouraging me to keep going. Assuring me again and again we were almost there. I don''t know when exactly it happened. After the fifth or sixth sleep maybe. I was barely able to walk. As I stumbled forward I bumped right into Elsie. She had stopped again. "I can see lights in the distance." She sounded excited. "It''s not much longer now." We kept going. I wanted to be hopeful. I wanted to believe her. So I gathered the remaining strength in my body and hurried forward. Hurried, so Elsie wouldn''t have to stop so much to wait for me. I tried to keep an eye out for the lights she had mentioned. But I saw nothing. Just the endless white expanse. To my great horror, I could feel the wind picking up again. First softly, then gradually harder. I cried out for Elsie and she stopped. She didn''t look at me, but she grabbed my outstretched hand and held it tight. The storm came back with a vengeance. Every step became a battle in its own right. Elsie said something. Something I couldn''t make out, so I dragged myself closer. "Can you hear the music? It''s beautiful." That was the last thing I heard before my legs gave out. I expected a soft fall due to the snow but the ground was hard and uncompromising. I must''ve somehow landed on the pouch of sweets in my pocket because I could feel something shatter beneath me. A few round, shiny spheres rolled out from under me and came to a standstill in the snow. "Get up. We''re so close." Despite the howling wind, I could hear Elsie clearly. Her voice was soft and gentle. But sad, too. "I want us to go together. Please." I tried. I tried to get up. I did. But my muscles wouldn''t move. I didn''t even have enough strength left to turn my head. I cried again, but my tears froze the second they surfaced. I apologized. Over and over. I was sure this was the end. I was going to die here. I saw Elsie''s legs appear in my field of vision. Then something fell to the ground. It took me a while to register that it was one of her gloves. She knelt down and cupped my cheek. Her hand was cold, hard, and stiff. It hurt. But I still leaned in. I tried to look up. To look Elsie in the face one last time. But it was futile. I felt a pair of cracked, frozen lips touch my forehead, and then everything went dark. I woke up in the hospital two weeks later. Two weeks after we first arrived at the mountain, that is. I was told that I had been found unconscious just a few minutes away from the obsidian tree. There was an unexpected snowstorm that day. It raged for approximately four hours. Another pair of hikers found me lying face down in the snow after it had stopped. I was almost completely buried. But when they dug me out they found that I was covered with another winter coat on top of the one I was wearing. That second layer probably saved my life. The news interviewed me about Elsie. I got a few very nice emails from people who saw that video. And a few who made fun of me because of the crying. The police told me they were going to get together a search party. A group of wilderness-based Heroes volunteered too. I told them I was grateful, but I knew they weren''t going to find her. My parents visited me in the hospital. The first time they cared about me in ages. They were very worried though. I guess I can''t blame them. Elsie''s parents visited too. Those visits were the ones I dreaded the most. My stay was fairly short. They asked me about my malnutrition since I was only lost for four to five hours. I told them I had been trying to lose weight before the trip. They admonished me, but I was soon let go. The first thing I did was go back. To the small house. A nice family lived there. Two parents and three kids. Said they were on a family trip during the day of the storm. I asked about a grandmother. They told me the rest of their relatives lived two states away. No housesitter either. When I got my and Elsie''s coats back and cleaned them out I was surprised when I found the small candy bag. It was the one I landed on. Most of the sweets had rolled, out but there were still some left. Two full bonbons and hundreds of tiny shards. I have an old college friend. I won''t name her, but she works in R&D at a prominent Magitech company. She also researches strange objects and artifacts as a hobby. I sent her one of the bonbons and a few of the shards. She came back to me a week later. She said she had no idea what these things were, but they were definitely not candy. When I asked her to elaborate she told me they were designed to, and very effective at, sucking the heat from anything they touched once they came into contact with saliva. I asked what would happen if someone ate one. She said that the shards were probably okay to eat in moderation. Very unpleasant, but mostly harmless. But the full thing....according to her tests, as soon as it touches your tongue, you''re dead. There is nothing that can be done. She urged me to tell her how I got them, but I just thanked her and hung up. Immediately after, I picked up one of the tiny pieces and threw it in my mouth. The explosion of sweetness was accompanied by a thorough shock of cold. I.....wasn''t a fan. So I took the bag and stuffed it deep into my closet. I tried my best not to think about this revelation any further. Just move on, and let it slip out of my mind. For a while, I attempted to go back to my old life. As much as I could. Everything I usually did with Elsie I tried to do with one of my other friends. But it was quickly proving itself to be a meaningless effort. So eventually I just stopped going out at all. People were worried at first, but they soon got the memo. The only people I still had regular contact with were Elsie''s parents. I could never brush them off. That was my life for a year. A monotone slog with little joy to speak of. It was on the first anniversary of that day when I looked outside and saw it was snowing. It had been snowing for a few days already, but that day it stirred something within me. I slowly walked over to my closet and dug out the bag. While looking out at the busy street I took another shard of the shattered sweet and placed it on my tongue. This time I felt it. The warmth Elsie spoke of. It felt amazing. Soothing. And for an hour or so the snowfall outside became heavier. I would like to say that this was it. That I had done enough to sate my curiosity and got rid of the rest of the sweet mayhem in my bag. But I didn''t. Instead, it became a tradition of sorts. A routine. Whenever it would snow outside, I would sit at the window and indulge in the sweet warmth the shards gave me. I would think about Elsie. About how I should''ve just gotten up back then and gone with her. How I was too much of a coward to ever tell her how I felt. How it was too late now. Eventually, one shard just wasn''t enough. Every snowfall I would take more. Two, then four, then six, then ten. And the effect became that much stronger every time. Gradually, the snowfall would grow stronger, and eventually, the wind picked up as well. It was when I first took 11 at once, and put them in my tea, that the visibility drained away. I sat at my window, staring into an endless expanse of white for hours, and when it went away, when the snow stopped and the street returned, I was shocked that barely a minute had passed. Shocked, but not deterred. It was pretty soon after that that snowy days were the only ones I looked forward to. I thought about moving to a colder area. I thought about it a lot. But in the end, I couldn''t. I just couldn''t. Thinking back to that day had once been a painful affair that I tried to avoid at all costs, but it had become commonplace now. I also found that the more snowy days passed the clearer my memories became. The visceral exhaustion and pain, the depth of feelings, exact words spoken, the bitter, bitter cold. And I cherished it all. Like I did all memories of Elsie. Days became little more than doing the bare minimum at work and then sitting down at home and reminiscing, waiting for the next snow day. Sometimes I would lay in her bed. I never cleared her room out. I would''ve given her belongings to her parents if they ever asked me to, but they never did. I was glad about that. One snowy winter night I could finally see them. The lights in the distance. At first, they were just random bright spots on the horizon but a couple of sweet sessions later I could make out what they were. A city. No, more like a town. I could see the bright, familiar shape of windows accentuated by spots I assumed were street lights. It took 2 years to hear the music. Elsie was right. It is beautiful. The melodies are soothing and warm, yet still energetic. I tried to record it once but all I captured was white noise. Figures. As time went on the silhouette of the town became clearer and clearer, but never grew beyond shadows. There was singing too, in time. And laughter. Cheers. I could see outlines of people standing in front of these now-familiar buildings. They noticed me too, eventually. More and more, every time. They beckoned to me. They are different every time, except for one. One in particular is always staring at me from the same spot. When I am really quiet I can hear her. Telling me how much she misses me. How she longs for me. How much fun we could have together, forever and ever. That is the reason I am writing this document. It happened a year ago. I exhausted all of the splinters of the shattered bonbon. I was devastated. There was many a night where I sat near the window, the one remaining sweet in hand, ready to break it into pieces too. But I resisted. Over this last year, I tried once again to readjust to a normal life. It was hard to find new friends as an adult, but I managed for a while. Even got myself a girlfriend. But all of that inevitably fell apart too. I think they all could sense it. The lack of passion. Drive. Joy. And so we finally come to the present. Today. The forecast announced a snowy evening and I am pleased to say they were correct. I am currently sitting in front of my window, writing down my story, but I am not planning to just sit here and watch this time. As I am writing this the last piece of candy that contemptible hag gave me lies before me, fully intact, and I intend for it to remain that way. I hope I have made clear to you, dear reader, why I must do what I''m going to do today. Do what I was too weak and stubborn to do back then. I don''t ask you to agree, or even sympathize with me, just understand. If you do, then I beg you not to share this file with anyone. Keep it in your storage if you want, or just delete it, I don''t care. But if you don''t, then I would be very grateful to you if you passed it along to someone else. If the worst comes to pass and these words are read by anyone who had the misfortune to know me personally, then I can only say I''m sorry. But please do not look for me. Where I go you can''t follow. But don''t grieve for me either. Because even though I left you, be reassured that I am happy and content with the person I love the most. Out there, in the cold. - Natalie Eisner And the Winner is "......Natalie Eisner is a real missing person''s case." Greg said, face rigid. "Making up a ghost story about what happened to her isn''t cool." Kim rolled her eyes. "Fucking, really? You''re the weak link here, Greg. Why do you have to be such a mood killer all the time?" "I''m sorry, why am I the bad guy for not mindlessly going along with these stupid stories?" "Scary stories are a staple of Halloween. If you don''t like them, why are you even here? " Jeannie asked. "Did the website you read say ''Listen to 5 spooky stories with a weirdo on a train''? Because to me it made it seem like there was going to be a lot more action." "Oh action will come, be reassured of that." the Guide promised with a smile. "But first, let us finish the stories. The last object of the night Is this invitation. An invitation to a certain kind of game...." --------------- And the Winner is ---------------- Ashlin awoke with a burning pain in her head. It took her a few minutes to get her bearings. Where was she? She looked around, confused. The at first unfamiliar walls soon found roots in her memory. Home? She saw three empty beer bottles lying next to the bed. Yeah. Definitely home. That explained the headache too. Had she partied all night again? It looked like it. One of these days she''d have to grow up and behave like an adult. But not today. Still tired, she turned around and was met with a face full of blonde hair. For a second she thought it might''ve been her own, but hers wasn''t long enoug to wrap all around her face. Dreading the worst she propped herself up on her elbows and took the form of the sleeping woman next to her in. God dammit. Of course. Now this, too. She really needed to cut down on the alcohol if she intended to keep up this lifestyle. This was untenable. The relative stillness and soft breathing of her bedmate told her she was sound asleep, and she didn''t intend to disturb that slumber. It was so much easier to just let her wake up on her own while Ashlin was gone to avoid the inevitable awkward confrontation. She wasn''t bothered by the thought of leaving her latest catch alone in her appartment. There was nothing of worth to steal in here anyway. As quietly as humanly possible, she climbed out of the bed and hurried to the living room, taking great pains to slowly and silently close the door behind her. With a yawn and a bit annoyed about having her sleepy time cut short, she put a pot of coffee on the boil and hopped into the shower for a quick rinse while it was getting ready. After she was done toweling down, she checked her phone for the time. 9AM. It was entirely too early for her tastes. With her coffee, she had her usual breakfast, three bite-sized mini-muffins for her sweet tooth, and enough energy to start out the day. As she thought about what she was going to do today she noticed a letter poking out of her jacket. It was the one she wore out the day before, but she couldn''t remember getting a letter of any kind last night. Then again, there was precious little she actually remembered from last night. On second thought, she knew she wore that jacket, but for the life of her, she couldn''t figure out why. It was a heavy, grey puffer jacket, completely divorced from her usual style. Had it really been that cold yesterday? Thinking too hard about this stuff only made her head hurt harder, so she put it off her mind, snatched the envelope, and ripped it open. Inside seemed to be a...card. A greeting card, maybe? With another yawn, she sat down at the table and pulled it out. It wasn''t a greeting card, but rather an invitation. That''s what it said on the front of the folded paper. Curious, she flipped it open and read. "Congratulations! You are hereby cordially invited to participate in this year''s Genie Game. If you want to take part, please arrive in full costume at the below address on the 31st at 8PM sharp. It is imperative that you wear something that conceals your most identifying feature. We look forward to your participation." As it said, an address was written on the lower half of the note. It was in the city. Ashlin hadn''t lived here for long, but she knew that much. With a slight grin, she put the card back on the table and began to ponder. It was cute. Most likely nothing more than a prank, but cute nonetheless. She pulled out her phone to check the date. Oh. The 31st was today. How the hell could she forget Halloween? That was her favorite holiday. That did it. No more partying before big days. This was getting embarrassing. It took her three tries to get the fingerprint recognition to work, but once it did the first thing she did was search for the address. With a message this sketchy she had expected a dirty abandoned warehouse or something, but instead what showed up was one of the many rentable beach-side villas at the edge of the city. They used to be private homes, but someone bought them all up a few decades ago and now they were mostly used as summer retreats or for events. She checked the reservations, and indeed, the house had been rented for an event on Halloween. Shockingly, everything seemed to be on the up and up here. Her next point of research was whatever the hell a "Genie Game" was. But sadly nothing yielded relevant results. All she got was a story-based VR game about being a literal genie, that one website that guessed whatever you were thinking of, and some kind of really old videogame cheating device. The invitation made it sound like an annual thing, but there seemed to be no evidence of its existence anywhere online. She turned the phone off and laid back in the chair. Should she go? She had nothing better to do. If this was some kind of serial killer or Supervillain situation, they surely wouldn''t actually rent out a well-known and often-used property, would they? And anyway, if she didn''t go she''d probably end up drinking herself to unconsciousness again and she really wanted to avoid that. With a heavy sigh, she got up, the decision made. Hurriedly, but making sure to stay quiet, she packed a few bucks to buy a costume and retrieved a bottle of pepper spray from her jacket. She always had one with her when out partying, just in case. Before she went, she wanted to make sure that someone knew where she was. Grabbing a pen and a post-it note she stuck it on the fridge. Her ladyfriend would probably want to eat or at least drink something when she woke up. What to write though? After a few minutes of chewing on the pen cap, she came up with what she assumed would serve her purposes best. "Heyy ; ) Sry, I couldn''t be there when u woke up. Had an urgent appointment. Can''t wait to c u again. xxx" There. Perfect. Can''t expect a hookup you ditched to care enough about you to notice you went missing, so Ashlin had to string her along for a bit. Just for one day. With everything settled she slipped out the door, down the stairs, and onto the street. The fresh October air felt good as it hit her face, but she had been right. Definitely not cold enough for that kind of jacket. Her first stop was the local Spirit of Halloween. As usual, most of the cool enchanted costumes had been sold out already. What she wouldn''t have given for realistic Vampire teeth or a Jacko''lantern that makes your head invisible while you''re carrying it. It was here she met her first hurdle. What did it mean to "conceal her most identifying feature"? Did they mean her face? Was she going to meet people she knew then? Or maybe this was an old-school sort of party, family-friendly, and this was a safe-for-work way to tell participants not to wear the sexy costumes? Whatever it was, it was frustratingly vague. Since she didn''t want to risk getting kicked out or even refused entry, she went with the safest option. Father Death. The same costume the dude in those slasher movies wears. Can''t fault her for not following the advice when she concealed her whole body. The drive to the villa was uneventful, but surprisingly nerve-wracking. She had no idea at all what was in store for her. It was.....exciting. Just what she needed. And hopefully without alcohol. When she arrived there were a few vehicles already parked outside. So she wasn''t the first one. Made sense. She''d be surprised if she wasn''t the last. The door stood wide open, so she stepped right in. The interior was definitely.....something. The organizer sure was going for a theme. Every corner of the entranceway screamed Halloween. Rubber spiders and plastic skeletons hung everywhere. Hollowed-out pumpkins with scary faces lit the room. The doormat invited her to "Scream right in!" Cute! It wasn''t long until she ran into the first other person. Almost literally too. Exactly out of sight from the front door stood, or rather sat, a woman with an impressively elaborate costume. Unwieldy too. She sat in an ice cream truck. Or rather, a cardboard replica of one. Not to scale, obviously. But for what it was it looked pretty good. Ashlin could see the large wheels of a wheelchair poking out from under the frame. Pretty clever, she thought. The sides of the fake truck were stained with red paint handprints, all placed around the logo. "Telescoop Ice Cream - It''s to die for." Ashlin had lightly bumped into the parked(?) woman while turning the corner. "I''m very sorry, I didn''t see you there." The girl used her hands to turn herself around. A manual wheelchair too, huh? That must be exhausting. From the front, she looked the part too. Like the logo, there was fake blood on her clothes, but instead of handprints, they were just haphazard smears. A particularly big one graced the front of the white face mask she was wearing. "Oh, it''s alright." Her blue eyes were sparkling like diamonds. It almost took Ashlin''s breath away. The genetic lottery was truly the most unbalanced and unfair mechanic of real life. Someone ought to patch that. "My ride is quite sturdy. I''m Sid." The wheelchairbound girl reached out her hand and Ashlin shook it. "I''m Ash. Nice costume." She giggled. "Thanks. It took forever to make." "I bet." "Yours is nice too. What are you, some kind of ghost?" "Something like that." She looked around. The hallway they were in led to what seemed like a bigger room up ahead. Probably the main location for the game. "You got an invitation too?" Sid nodded excitedly. "Yes. Finally. I tried to get my hands on one forever. This is going to be my day, I just know it. How about you?" Ash shrugged. "To be honest, I kinda drank myself into oblivion yesterday and just kinda....woke up with it. I really don''t know what to expect." Sid crossed her arms. "Weird indeed. You''re interesting. Mind if we stick together for a bit? I can show you the ropes." "Sure, why not." So far this was going pretty well, she thought. But she was ripped from her musings by someone loudly and obnoxiously banging against the open door. "Wassup, witches? Time for the party to get started, ''cause the King has arrived!" The voice was deep and raspy, and had a hint of an accent, though Ash couldn''t pinpoint which exactly. She looked to Sid to glean if this was part of the game, but she shook her head. Just then a man with the most bizarre outfit she had ever seen walked up behind them. His short blond hair was styled up into spikes, his clothes seemed to be made out of a variety of clashing outfits cut up and crudely stitched together, and his silver-rimmed sunglasses with yellow lenses had one at least two sizes bigger than the other. His gait seemed both overly stiff and entirely too relaxed at the same time. All in all, a peculiar fellow. "Hey there, ladies. Like my fit? I put a lot of effort into it." Ash shook her head slowly. "I mean.....I don''t even know what you''re supposed to be.." "I do!" Sid interjected. "You''re Bergheim, right?" The man''s grin widened tenfold. He shot both his finger guns in her direction. "You got it, baby! A real class act, you are." It took a moment for things to click. Ashlin was somewhat familiar with the story. Bergheim was an Austrian indie-film director who became really famous in his time. Known for his weird, eccentric outfits, brutally effective low-budget horror flicks, and for casting mostly unknown actors. As it turned out, every time he finished a movie he would invite one of those unknown actors, mostly those who were in it for a paycheck and planned to move on after, and......well, they were never seen again. His body count had reached 24 when he was finally caught. Now that she thought about it, she was pretty sure the outfit the stranger wore was the one Bergheim was arrested in. "Isn''t that in poor taste? The dude actually killed people." The man looked at her. "Who are you, the fun-police? Take a page from your friend''s book and relax. We''re all adults here." Without another word he moved on into the main room. They could hear him loudly announcing his presence to the others as he entered. Not ten seconds later a third figure walked past them. Unlike party-guy, that one didn''t stop to chat. His costume was a fairly traditional one. A Grim Reaper rope that covered his entire body. To complete the look he was carrying what looked to be an actual scythe. Ash ducked as the harvesting tool passed near her head. "Lots of weirdoes here tonight..." she sighed. "Aww, come on. That''s what makes it fun." Ashlin had a very different defihition of fun, but she didn''t want to gef into it. Better not alienate someone who offered to give you pointers. "I think we''re missing just one more person." She raised her eyebrow. "How do you know that? I thought this was your first game too?" The ice cream seller waved her hand dismissively. "It is. But I know someone who has played before. She gave me a few hints, a bit of advice." Ash couldn''t be sure because of the mask, but she could see a smile in Sid''s eyes. "Stick with me and we''ll win this thing for sure." "That just means the rest of us will have to play harder." a voice behind them said. Ash turned around and faced the last guest of the evening. The woman who stood across from her was tall. Ashlin herself reached a remarkable 5''11, and this person stood at least a full head higher. She was clad in a hauntingly beautiful Geisha outfit make-up and all. The woman was lazily fanning herself while observing the two of them. "I''m Rui Kumogata. Nice to meet you." Her Japanese accent was very noticeable. Both introduced themselves with a handshake. "First-timer too?" Sid asked and Rui chuckled wryly. "Oh yes. It was hell to arrange for a sitter to come here. I live quite a way away, but this one was the only game that still had a free spot." Ash wrinkled her brows. "There''s more than one game?" Both her companions let out a hearty laugh. She crossed her arms, annoyed. "You really are a newbie." her new friend giggled. "Never pretended I wasn''t." Ash huffed. "There are hundreds of Genie Games going on around the country. All on Halloween." "Yes. And I live two states away with a bunch of little sisters to take care of. Such a hassle." Rui''s fanning sped up a bit. "Your parents not in the picture?" Ash had always been a bit too nosy for her own good. She knew that this was probably the main reason for her lack of lasting friendships, but she just couldn''t help herself. The exasperated Geisha sighed. "My dad died before I was even born, so I think expecting him to help out is a bit too much to ask. And mom is busy all day working to bring food to the table. Nights aren''t a problem, since she''s home then, but just you try to get someone to volunteer to watch over a cluster of energetic and demanding little girls skittering all over the place and causing mischief. It took me longer to get a sitter organized than it took me to get my hands on an invite." Sid whistled. "Wow. Really hope it was worth it." Rui nodded enthusiastically. "We''ll see." Just then a loud noise startled them. The front door had slammed shut. Ashlin could hear the sound of the electric lock springing into action. "Looks like it''s time to begin." Sid almost sang. Her voice was truly beautiful. With a bit of effort, she turned her contraption around and wheeled further down the hallway. Ash and Rui followed not far behind. Whoever decorated the entrance hadn''t stopped there. The main living room of the villa was huge, but you''d probably not be able to tell at first because it was stuffed to the brim with Halloween paraphernalia. Blood-red Punch stood on a table with wriggling gummy worms, mannequins wearing werewolf costumes were handing out candy as the group passed by, a colony of bats raced each other through the air and it was very apparent from their weird sheen and stiff movements that they were made of rubber. Ash grinned widely. This kind of stuff was her favorite part of Halloween. She couldn''t even imagine how boring it must''ve all been before magic. It took them a good minute to traverse the Cluttered space, but soon they joined the others. Everyone was gathered around a large TV set, surrounded by chairs, a comfy-looking couch, and a big table. "About time, gals." Party-guy grunted. "Way to keep us waiting." "Oh, shush, you. We made it in time, so no harm, no foul." Rui retorted. Blondie just shrugged and turned away. Ash rolled her eyes. What a child. She and Rui sat down on the empty couch while Sid positioned herself next to them. "I can''t wait!" She whispered with barely concealed excitement. Ash just nodded along. She took the time to get a good look at every one. Sunglasses and the Reaper were already familiar to her. Next to the Reaper stood someone who looked like he''d escaped from a mental asylum. The self-made ripped straight jacket looked pretty good, but it was obvious that his muzzle was just a regular dog muzzle. To his left stood a marionette. The gloves looked convincingly wooden when perfectly still, but whenever he gestured or moved his hands it became clear that it was some kind of fabric. Strings were wrapped around his arms, legs, and neck, and actually extended upward a foot before just disappearing. Probably a thin wire of some kind. Very cool. The person he was gesturing to while talking was a young woman who was evidently in full bloom. Flowers were strategically placed all around her body to look like they were sprouting from within her. Ash wouldn''t have gotten her costume if she hadn''t helpfully written what she was supposed to be on one of the flowerpots she was carrying. "Living Garden." A neat idea, though a bit too boring for her taste. Occasionally chiming into the conversation was a medieval plague doctor. Not much more to observe there. She liked the aesthetic, but it was just so played out. And lastly, a bit away from the rest, stood a pale, very sweaty woman dressed as a butcher. Her brown hair was glistening as if it was freshly waxed, and even though she stood perfectly still she was lightly swaying from side to side. Well, just because Ash took a break from alcohol didn''t mean everybody did. Still, better to stay away from that one. The meat cleaver she brought looked as real as Reaper''s scythe, and being in close proximity to a drunkard carrying sharp objects was never a good idea. Suddenly, the TV sprang to life, drawing everyone''s attention. It showed a man, sitting on a very comfortable-looking chair, hands folded around a cane. He was old, Ashlin guessed in his 80s at least. He let out a short cough before he began to speak. "Good evening to all of you, and welcome to the 31st annual Genie Game. I still remember when we held these things once a decade....." He shook his head. "I apologize for reminiscing. Firstly, I would like you to keep in mind that this is not a live broadcast, and this recording won''t be played again, so pay attention, please. I know most of you are familiar with the general concept, but there are always a few poor souls completely out of the loop..." Sid nudged her with a grin. "...so allow me to explain the rules." Finally, Ash thought. "Of the ten of you gathered here today, nine are kin. But one is a human." Ash raised her eyebrow. That wasn''t what she expected. So it was a theme-party after all? "Your job is to find out who of you is not like the others. The human''s job is to avoid that outcome. To facilitate this process, you will be given a set amount of time to mingle and interact with one another, after which you will be called for a short group discussion. After that discussion has concluded a vote will be held. If the human is found out, the game is over. If you choose the wrong person, that person will be disqualified and have to vacate the premises. The win condition for the human is to make it to the final two." She really didn''t know what to make of all this. The longer the old man talked, the more bizarre things got. Maybe ''human'' was a codeword for not-in-the-know? "The rewards are as follows. For kin, the great prize is a spot in this esteemed collective. If the human should be found in the last three the two remaining will automatically get to join. However, we cannot accommodate more than two of you, so if the game ends before that point we will deliberate among ourselves who we think would be the best fit. The others will get the choice of one thousand dollars per remaining contestant or a guaranteed invite to next year''s games. So for those of you itching to join up, it would be in your best interest to prolong the game as much as possible. To make the thinning of the horde a bit easier, a second vote will be held after each round. This one to decide who definitely isn''t a human. The same rules apply, just in reverse. If you get it correct, the chosen will be disqualified and you will have eliminated one competitor. If the human is chosen in this round, they will take the win" Another cough. "Should the human win, either by making it to the end or as a result of the vote, we will grant them any three boons they desire. Within reason, of course, but our reach is vast. Hence, the Genie Game. Now, let us come to the consequences of disqualification. If you were falsely pinned as the human, you have the option to choose between one thousand dollars per round you survived, or an invite to the next game. Should you be falsely pinned as a human in the very first round, you get nothing. No cash, no invitation. Now, if you were correctly pinned as inhuman..." The old man wearily shook his head. "....then you have failed at the most crucial task those such as we must excel in. And as such you will be banned from participation in the Game for ten years hence. There are no excuses, so don''t even try." Ash still didn''t exactly know what was going on, but she got the gist. Nine insiders versus one outsider. And she knew exactly which role she inhabited. On the one hand, going up against 9 people at once sounded very daunting. But 3 ''boons''.....If they offered a prize like that they must be very well-connected. She thought about what she could wish for......probably not immaterial things like happiness or wisdom or immunity to reaching the black-out stage of getting drunk, but cash money sounded very doable. She didn''t like her chances but no risk, no reward eh? "And lastly, for kin....while you are in this house you are strictly Forbidden from revealing yourself thoughtlessly or on purpose. This is a game of mystery and deception, and it is of utmost importance that you hold true to the spirit of the competition. We have you always in our sights. It is ill-advised to test our patience." After the rather grim tone of the previous speech, his voice began to lighten up. "This tradition has been in place nearly since the dawn of our kind, and it lightens my heart to see it continue even after all this time. Now then, I won''t keep you any longer. From the bottom of my soul and the grace of Fate, I wish you all the luck." And the screen turned off. At first, a heavy silence hung in the air, but then, little by little, people began quietly chatting with their neighbors. None of them seemed impressed or even surprised. Ash hoped she managed to give off the same vibe. "Pretty exciting, huh?" Sid had lightly nudged her again. She nodded. It was like one of those werewolf games. They were fun, but if she was being honest, if Ash hadn''t heard of the reward she might''ve written this whole thing off as a wasted evening. Now she wanted to win. That meant she had to play. "So, Sid. You after the boons, or do you want to join these bozos?" She had no idea what type of group or organization it was that the other 9 competed to enter, but she was sure she was the only one, so asking for details about them would just draw unnecessary suspicion onto her. Better keep it vague and general. Sid giggled in response. "Ashy, if you want to gather clues through conversation, you should try to be a little more subtle about it than not at all." She leaned back in her ice cream wheelchair. "But just between us, in any other situation I probably would tell you. Here, though.....it just ruins the fun, you know?" "Yeah, sure." Curses, foiled again. Maybe this wasn''t her type of game after all. Still, Mommy didn''t raise a quitter, so she just had to learn to be good at it on the fly. Easy peasy. Definitely. "Hey, Bitches, listen up!" Party-guy''s loud voice quieted the room. "Just hanging about and chatting is nice and all, and I''mma let you get back to it in a minute, but I think we should all establish a baseline of knowledge for everyone to start off with, a''ight? By that I mean we should all introduce each other. You don''t need to use your real name, I don''t give a shit about any of you anyway, but we need something to call each other. Everyone with me?" If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A few hushed whispers snuck by, but no one spoke up. Blonde clapped his hands together with a grin. "Wonderful! Okay, I guess I''ll start. I''m Marty. I review media online. Mostly games and movies. Some people call me unnecessarily edgy but they just don''t have as advanced a sense of humor, It happens. Next, please." The room was silent for a minute until the man dressed like a Puppet raised his wood-clad hand. "I might as well be second. My name is James. I am a woodworker by trade. It doesn''t earn much, but it is a passion of mine. This very costume I fashioned by myself. I''m looking forward to a fun and rewarding night." Next, the flowering woman took a step forward. "You can call me Rafflesia. As my costume already suggests, I am a gardener. All the lovely blooms around me are self-grown and cared for. If any of you need a flower shop in the future, I''d be glad to give you my card. Thank you." The instant she stepped back, the Reaper hit the button of his scythe hard on the ground, announcing his turn. Like he had all evening, he remained quiet and simply raised his thin, gloved hand. Within a few seconds, black smoke began emitting from the tip of his pointer finger, and it trailed behind his movements as he spelled something out. AZ And with a flick of his wrist, the smoke disappeared again. "We''ll, I know who I''ll be voting for as definitively inhuman." Marty blurted out, drawing quiet murmurs of agreement from some people. "Not so fast." someone said forcefully. It was Sid. "Whatever he did could have just as easily been a Power. If we vote him as inhuman based on that and he''s not, then we lost the game before it even began." "....I guess." the blonde man said after a pause. "Good point." The criteria for being the game''s "human" seemed to become more and more nebulous, Ash thought. She was sure she had it figured out, but what Powers had to do with anything was beyond her. Still, better to let it slide for now. She needed all her brainpower to avoid fucking up in the game. Sid continued. "Well then, since I''m already talking, let me introduce myself. I am the lovely Sid, founder, owner, CEO, and lone employee of Telescoop Ice Cream. I came here all the way from the opposite coast and I''m not the only poor soul who had to traverse more than half the country to be here today. So please don''t vote for me in the first round, because if I have to leave here with nothing I will undoubtedly snap." Her cheerful tone didn''t waver the entire speech. "Why don''t you go next?" She was looking directly at Ashlin. Oh boy. "Uhm, yeah. Hello, I guess..." She thought about what she could say to signal she was part of the in-group, but she quickly found she knew literally nothing about them so that plan was shelved. "I''m Ash. I love to party and meet new people. No steady job or hobbies, I like to regularly reinvent myself, you know? Keep things fresh. And I hope today''s be no different. That''s it, basically." This was the most mortified she had felt in years. She was more than happy when Strait Jacket took the spotlight away from her. "I''m Bakade." His voice was rough and raspy. "I''m a hunter. I live in the mountains, minding my own business. Up where I live things are rarely all that exciting. So I''m here mostly out of boredom." The swaying butcher stumbled forward next. "I.....Maya." The words came out slow and strained. Ash almost had trouble properly making them out. Things were getting stranger by the minute. "Here to....connect.....connect." The room was silent waiting for her to continue, but after a minute of nothing, it was clear she was done. "Now that is a good first inhuman pick." Sid whispered, amusement evident in her tone. "Now then, let''s just get this over with." Rui said, hiding the lower half of her face behind her fan as she spoke. "My name is Rui. My family very recently immigrated here from Japan. Back then we lived in a small, rural mountain village so I was very excited when Mr. Bakade here revealed he is a mountain boy too." She waved at him. "Something to bond over. That''s all I care to share at the moment." The last member of the group, the Plague Doctor cleared his throat before he began speaking. "Why don''t you call me Avalon? That''s a nice name for a day." His voice, though muffled somewhat by the mask, was smooth like honey. Hearing him talk gave Ashlin the first chills of the night. "I am a bit surprised to see so many rural bumpkins attend what seemed to me like a big-city event, but I shouldn''t be because I''m one too. Not the mountains, though, sadly. I hail from a beautiful lake-side village, and I miss it already. The air here is too dry for my tastes." "Mountains can have lakes too, you know." Rui threw in with a giggle. He nodded. "I concede that is true, but my lake is not." "Alright." Marty yelled and clapped his hands again. "Now that that is out of the way, let''s fucking mingle." . Slowly, the group started to separate into a few smaller circles. The rural trio got together and sat down at a table. Marty and Rafflesia approached Maya together. AZ stood by himself, doing nothing. And Ash and Sid stayed by the couch. They were soon joined by James, the puppet-man. "I hope it is not too presumptions to assume I would be welcome in your little group." Ash shrugged while Sid shook her head. "Nah, It''s all good." "Wonderful. Allow me." Ashlin scooted over as he sat down beside her. Or at least, he tried. It was bizarre to look at. The man turned left and right, adjusted his stance, lowered down a bit before quickly standing back up straight and doing it all over again. For a moment she wondered if he had taken something before coming here. "I''m sorry." he sighed as he finally plopped down. "Navigation in this costume has its....difficulties for me." "Don''t sweat it. I have my difficulties too." Sid laughed. "So you''re a woodworker, huh?" She rolled over to the table and brought the plate of live gummi worms with her. James declined, but Ash and Sid took a few and slid them under their masks. She had always liked how they wriggled in her mouth, but they were a rare acquisition, usually only available near Halloween and April Fool''s." "I am. You won''t believe it, but I work mostly with puppets." "Really now?" Ashlin mumbled, mouth still full with the struggling sweet. "Oh yes. It is bitter work, but quite rewarding. It takes me a year or two to create a full, seamlessly moving, and realistic doll, but the satisfaction I get when I finally get it right; ooooh there''s nothing like it." He pointed at the cardboard truck. "And you sell ice cream for a living?" Sid laughed and waved it off. "Oh no. No no no. No. I don''t. That''s just my costume. I...I don''t really have a job. It''s difficult in....my condition." James nodded along, the wood clanking with every head motion. "I understand." "I like singing, though." "That''s good." Ash said, having finally won the fight in her mouth. "''Cause your voice is beautiful." "Awww, thanks." "And you... " James pointed at Ashlin. "I hadn''t expected a woman under that garb. The Serial Killer costumes are usually snatched up by edgy young boys." "Well....who says I''m not an exceptionally tall eleven-year-old boy? You don''t know what''s under here." He chuckled lightly. "True enough." He was about to say something else when a loud noise startled him. Startled them all. It came from the TV. The other groups stopped what they were doing and came over just in time for the screen to turn on. The old man appeared again, same clothes and posture and everything. They must''ve been recorded in the same session, Ash thought. "It appears we have reached an end. The end of the first round, that is. You will now have a set amount of time to discuss amongst your peers which one of you doesn''t belong. And maybe also who does belong, but is a smidgen too obvious about it. Immediately following this period, voting will commence. Please begin now." The screen shut off and Party-Marty didn''t hesitate a second to open his mouth. "Okay, guys. Hear me out. I dunno which one of you is the mark, but I can tell you with a billion percent certainty who is not." He stretched his hand out and gestured at Maya, who showed no visible reaction to the accusation. "Me and Raff here..." He tried to pull the gardener into a one-armed hug, but she swiftly pushed him away. "...we tried the entire time to get anything out of this butcher. But the only thing this chick butchered was the English language. Seriously, she''s barely even coherent. Has trouble moving too." "What if she''s just drunk?" James asked but Rafflesia shook her head. "I thought of that too, but there''s not a hint of alcohol smell on her breath. I''m very sensitive to that sort of thing." Maya, for her part, had started muttering something, first quietly, then more and more audible. "You.....wrong.....Girl......wrong...wrong........" Avalon was the next to speak up. "While I can certainly agree that something is very much wrong with her, the important question here is not who isn''t the human, but who is." Looks were shared across the room. "By process of elimination, I would say the most likely candidate is our boisterous blonde friend over there." Marty''s head, which had still been focused on the butcher, whipped in Avalon''s direction. "What?! What the fuck?" Avalon raised his hands. "Easy there, Tiger. We don''t have a lot to go on and you are the least concealed of all of us. What are you wearing, an ugly suit and sunglasses? Just look at me or Ash over there. Covered from head to toe." "It''s not my fault I was born handsome." Marty scoffed. "Deflecting a serious accusation with jokes is very human behavior." Rui remarked joyfully, hiding behind her fan again. "Come on, that''s ridiculous." Despite pushing him away earlier, Rafflesia came to his defense. "Everyone likes to make jokes now and then. You''re grasping." Sid wheeled closer to her, positioning herself in the middle of the group. " I agree. that we''re grasping, but the only reason we are is that this buffoon''s ridiculous look is the only thing in grasping reach. As long as we have this little info, any suspicion should at least be entertained." A low murmur swept through the room. "You guys don''t seriously....." But Marty was interrupted by a loud shrill beeping noise before he could finish. The TV sprung to life again. "If is time to vote, my friends. Beneath this television set, you will find ten remotes." Right on cue the cabinets clicked open and revealed their contents. "Each of you has been assigned a number based on when you arrived here. Please enter the number of whomever you suspect of being the human and verify with the green checkmark. You have one minute from the moment you touch a remote. Have fun." The old man disappeared once again, but instead of turning off the device changed to a different screen. Ten pictures were lined up next to each other, each showing someone walking through the front door. Next to them, a bright yellow number was assigned to each one. 1 was the Butcher, Maya, more shambling than walking. 2 was James, the Woodworker. 3 was Rafflesia, the flower shop gal. 4 was Bakade the hunter from the mountains. 5 was Avalon the Plague Doctor. And 6 to 10 were Sid, herself, Marty, AZ, and Rui, in that order. One by one, everyone grabbed one of the remotes. They were little, plain, silver rectangles with numbered buttons. No extra pomp or flair, very basic. Ash shook her head. There was no time to analyze the appearance of this stupid thing, she had to vote. It was best, she figured, to just go with what was discussed earlier. Maybe if Marty had been less of an obnoxious tool she would''ve felt sorry for him. Without delay, she pushed both the 8 and the checkmark in quick succession. At first, she wasn''t sure if she''d been doing it right, but a little beep told her that something had happened, at least. After the minute passed, the screen changed again to show the results of round 1. 1 = 1 2 = 0 3 = 0 4 = 0 5 = 0 6 = 0 7 = 1 8 = 6 9 = 2 10 = 0 As expected, Marty was the big loser. That didn''t bother her much. Good riddance. No, what bothered her was that someone had voted for her. Had she been found out already? By whom? And why didn''t they speak about it during the discussion?....... This was concerning. Before she could ponder the matter more, her attention was drawn by another screen change. The chosen human was 6 "This is bullshit..." Marty mumbled. That choice was INCORRECT There was no big reaction from the others. This outcome was anticipated. The old man appeared again. "It seems you have chosen poorly. What a shame." "I''ll say..." The irritated blonde whispered. "As per the rules, the chosen will reveal him- or herself now. Afterward, the door will open for you, and only you. I wish the best of luck to both the hunters and the hunted in the next round." As soon as he finished the man was replaced by the same picture of Marty that was displayed on the voting grid. A single word was overlayed onto it, written in what looked like one of those novelty Halloween fonts. PROCUL Next to Ash, Sid whispered, "I knew it." Ash herself had no idea what it meant, but it was sure to be something any of the Inhumans should be in the know about, so she stayed quiet. Marty sighed, stepped into the middle of their little circle, and carefully took off his sunglasses. They were empty. His eyesockets. Ashlin had to do a double-take. She had seen people like that before. Some Empowered were naturally born eyeless, while a number of those with abilities that allowed them to see perfectly fine without eyes, mostly Villains, had them removed to add to their image. She had not expected Marty to be one though. The more she looked at him, the stranger he seemed. On a second glance, the eyesockets weren''t completely empty. Well, they were, but if she squinted she could make out a faint, distant glimmer shining deep within both. The sound of the front door swinging open distracted her for a second, and when she looked back the sunglasses were back on his face. "Well....since I get fuckall because I was eliminated first, thanks a lot btw, I''m just gonna go and de-stress on the first dumb bitch that is unlucky enough to cross my path. I would say I had fun, but that would be a lie. Go to hell, all of you." His middle finger raised, blondie walked past Ashlin and left the building. "....What a prick." someone said, and a light laughter filled the room. But a sudden noise coming from the TV told the group that it was not yet over. "Now that the first vote has concluded, we can move on to the second." the old man announced. Oh yeah. There WAS a second vote, wasn''t there? "The principle is the same, but the rules are slightly different. This time, you will vote for who you think cannot be the human." He raised a finger. "This is the first of three key differences between this vote and the last. Key difference number 2..." The second finger. "This vote is not mandatory. If you confirm a 0, this will be read as abstaining. Whether or not you make use of this opportunity is up to you and you alone. And finally..." Third finger. "This will not be a simple vote by majority. A candidate will only be locked in if they receive at least half of all possible votes. In cases with an odd number of voters, you will need to round up. Which means of your 9 possible votes, someone would have to get at least 5 to be chosen. There was a bit of confusion regarding this subject in the past, but I hope I could make things clear this time. Now without further ado, please decide....will you vote? Or will you not? It''s up to you." Once again, the man was replaced by the voting grid, and the clock was ticking. Ash still wasn''t sure what exactly ''inhuman'' meant in the context of the game, but whatever it was it probably applied to Maya. With quick fingers, she tapped the 1 button and confirmed. Soon enough, the results appeared on screen. 1 = 7 2 = 0 3 = 1 4 = 0 5 = 0 6 = 0 7 = 0 9 = 0 10 = 0 Once again, no one seemed surprised. The chosen inhuman was 1 The swaying butcher stirred. Ashlin could swear she heard something just then, but it was so faint that she couldn''t be sure. That choice was CORRECT "No....." Maya groaned and shambled forward. "It seems you have chosen to expose one of our own." The old man was back to finalize the verdict. "And not only that it seems you were correct as well. That is very troubling, indeed. You, who are kin but have failed in our most important task, begone now. You shall receive nothing from us but scorn. Be on your way. And don''t come back." Maya turned to face the group. Everyone was staring at her, nobody uttering a word. "No....just....no...." she stammered. "Just wanted to....to learn....to grow......grow our home...." "If that''s the case, you really should''ve prepared better before coming here." Sid could barely contain her glee. "Home...fault home.....home too old.....need new....new home...new homes.....Queen...." The already heavy swaying slowly intensified and that strange noise was back, now louder and growing in volume. It sounded a bit like...buzzing. With a jerky motion, Maya roughly grabbed her apron and tore it off her body. Ashlin had to take a step back at what she saw. She had been primed for a lot of weirdness, but this......this was too much. Under the apron, about the height of her stomach, there was a hole. One about the size of a basketball. It was not bloody or wet with pus or anything else that may have indicated that this was a recent development. But the hole itself, while still very concerning, was not the main focus of Ashlin''s attention. No, those were the bugs. What seemed like a neverending wave of thousands of winged insects were crawling all over her insides in such quantity that it was impossible to make out the organic matter beneath. They reminded her a little bit of wasps, with the black-and-yellow color scheme and their large, bulbous abdomen. But the pattern did not look like simple stripes. The swirls and lines that made it up were far more complex. It was difficult to make out what exactly it was since the creatures never stood still, but just trying to figure it out gave her a headache. Suddenly, all at once, the entire swarm began to vacate the premises. The buzzing reached a volume high enough that Ash had to hold her ears shut as the mass of insects flew by her and toward the exit. Most came from the stomach hole, but a not insignificant number opted to escape through the mouth, nose, and ears. Some even managed to push aside Maya''s eyes from within and fled that way. It took a good three minutes until the noise finally died down. Soon after the last bug left Maya, she collapsed to the ground with an almost comical splat, as if she had landed on something wet or squishy. Ash glanced at the screen. It showed the picture of Maya entering the house, with three words on top. LOTUS BEE HIVE This couldn''t be happening. She had assumed the whole time that this was just some stupid werewolf-game inspired heavily themed Halloween party, like the hundreds of others of this kind she''d been to...but........no. This could still, be a trick. Some theatrics to keep things interesting. But she couldn''t just assume the best either. If this was some kind of fucked up monster meet-up, then not taking it seriously could spell her doom. She looked down at her shivering hand. By conjuring up all of the focus she could muster, she forced it to keep still. Nothing about her could indicate that she was in any way scared, or it was already over. No one else was panicking, and so she couldn''t either. Their absence of reaction made sense though. She was the Odd one out. If it was a trick, they knew everything was fine. And if it wasn''t, they knew the only one in serious danger was the human. Her. She contemplated fleeing. The old timer had said the doors would only open for those eliminated, but despite that, she hadn''t heard the door shut itself again. Would she be able to make it? Maybe, if she ran. But even if she did, chances were that that whole setup was a trap. Lure the human into an escape attempt with the false notion of freedom. Then, just before they make it, slam the door shut in front of their face. And then the others would know with one hundred percent certainty who the human really was. She couldn''t risk it. For now, she had to just stay in place and play the game. "Hey, my friends, I think she''s not quite done yet." James said and awkwardly pointed to the ground. Ashlin followed his gesture and her heartrate doubled. He was right. The body of "Maya" was still twitching weakly. Everyone started murmuring amongst themselves, but it was Bakade who stepped forward to do something. He touched the ribcage of the jittering mess with his shoe and none-too-gently kicked her over onto her back. Any hope that the movements were just simple death spasms flew out the window at that moment. The woman''s eyes moved rapidly from person to person, silently mouthing what were no doubt pleas for help. The hole in her stomach was leaking something. Not blood, at least Ashlin didn''t think so. The fluid had a similar color, but it looked much, much thicker. And the smell.....it was exceedingly sweet. The organs that were covered with agitated bees before were now fully visible. Honeycomb-like structures had been built in various places between and even around them, all oozing the thick red fluid. Ashlin had to fight hard against her urge to throw up. "This thing is really killing the mood. We should put it out of sight." Bakade growled, and he was met with broad agreement. Even Ash managed a "Sure, why not?" that she hoped to hell came across as casual and unbothered enough. The muscular man moved the ripped arms of his straitjacket to the side, grabbed the poor woman by her ankles, and dragged her backward, away from the group. The look in her eyes was one of pure terror, and Ash felt terrible that she was unable to help. The only evidence left of her was a puddle of the red sweet stuff from when she fell on her stomach. This situation had inspired many conflicting emotions in Ashlin, but one thing was clear. This was no trick. If she lost the game, she was going to die. After all that commotion the group split once again. Rafflesia, Rui, and Avalon sat at a table filled to the brim with sweets, and at least two were indulging. AZ stood in a corner by himself, as usual. And Sid and Ash were joined by James once again. "What a round. Lotus Bees. Never thought I''d see the day." Sid nodded and sipped some punch from a straw. "My mother said Lotus Bee honey is dangerously addictive." She glanced at the dark red spot on the floor. "It looks delicious though." "Would you really eat something produced in a woman''s guts though? It dampens my appetite severely, I must say." James shuddered, his strings glistening in the light. Ashlin had assumed they were wires at first, but now she wasn''t so sure. Were they wet? "I wouldn''t be opposed." Sid said playfully. "It sounds kinda exciting actually. What about you, Ash?" Ashlin shook her head. "I''m more of a fine dining kind of gal." "Aww, you''re no fun." the girl pouted. "By the way..." Ash asked. "...did anyone notice that big guy hasn''t returned yet?" James set his drink down and looked around. "You seem to be right. Bakade is nowhere to be seen. How odd." "Let''s make sure he''s alright." Sid suggested and the other two agreed. Slowly, they maneuvered through the Halloween decorations until they reached a split. One way led up the stairs, the other into what looked like the kitchen. "I doubt that he dragged her up the stairs." Ash stated, observing both options. "Yeah." Sid agreed. "And I wasn''t getting up there anyway." "Onward, then." The trio entered the room but stopped in their tracks almost immediately. Bakade was there. He was kneeling in front of the body, his muzzle discarded on the ground next to what looked like a back door. It wasn''t entirely clear what he was doing, since he knelt with his back to the group, but from the way his hands reached into the poor girl''s stomach and the grizzly sounds of tearing and chewing, it was pretty easy to assume. Tears ran down the girl''s cheeks. . "This isn''t good..." Sid whispered. James put a hand on her shoulder. "Don''t worry, I''ll handle this." The puppet-man walked up to the feasting beast and patted him on the back. "Hey. It''s time to finish up an...." Just then Bakade turned around and let out a deep, horrifying growl. His teeth were long and thick and messily arranged in a mouth that seemed almost too small to fit them all. The entire lower half of his face as well as a good portion of the ground beneath them was slick with the sticky, red honey. "Too sweet! It''s too sweet!" Seemingly in a blind rage, he grabbed the butcher''s knife that had been part of Maya''s costume and swung at James. He tried to dodge, but the frenzied monster managed to cut the string above his left arm, causing it to go limp. " Now wait a minute, you do...." But by the time he had uttered these words, Bakade had already gotten up and tackled him to the floor, snapping the rest of the thin threads wrapped all around his body. As James fell to the ground, Ashlin could hear something from above. It sounded like a group of people. Many legs scurrying away. "Let''s move." whispered a very nervous Sid and pointed back at the living room. Ash nodded, and they turned to flee. The last thing Ashlin saw was James'' throat being ripped away and swallowed down. They hurried through the inconveniently placed knick-knack, past the perplexed table of three, and to the front door. It was still wide open. But just as Ashlin had assumed a few steps away from freedom it slammed shut in front of them and locked itself. "Fuck!" Ash yelled and tried to force it open, to no avail. "What are you doing? What''s going on?" Avalon stood at the end of the hallway, looking at the two attempted escapees. Before either could answer a familiar noise signaled that it was time to gather in front of the TV. Ash and Sid shared a look, and hesitantly moved back into the living room. Once there, the old man was already on screen. He wore the same attire as always, but his demeanor had noticeably shifted. "Hello, again. Unlike the last few messages you have seen, this is not a recording. It is with a heavy heart that I must regret to inform you that one of the participants of this most symbolic and grand of nights has broken the rules and tainted the spirit of the game. During this....incident, the costume of another participant was irreparably ruined, and he had to take his leave. As an apology and a sign of goodwill, he will receive both the money he would''ve gotten had he been eliminated in this round as well as the invitation for next year''s game." His gaze and tone shifted sharply. "The rulebreaker, on the other hand, has already been dealt with. He will not return. It is very disappointing that two of you had to be eliminated in such a manner. But luckily, neither were the human, so the game lives on. Speaking of which, it is about time for the next vote. The time for discussion starts as soon as this broadcast is over. Please, enjoy yourselves. And have fun "....., So, what happened?" Avalon asked, sitting down on a chair. "We can talk about that after the vote, Av. Right now we have to play to win." Rafflesia urged. "I guess." the Plague Doctor said with a shrug. "And the one I find the most suspicious is you." To Ashlin''s great horror, the flowery woman pointed directly at her. "What?! Why? What''d I do?" She tried to sound more angry than panicked, but she was not sure she succeeded. "Nothing. You hung back all night, presented yourself very little, and just went through the motions. I have been watching you all night. Don''t think I didn''t notice all the little shakes and shivers. You are afraid. But why would you be? Easy. Because you have the most to lose." Ash wanted to answer, but she couldn''t. A thousand possible rebuttals raced through her mind, but when it came to verbalizing them they suddenly turned into incomprehensible gibberish in her mouth. "You forget, Rafflesia...." Sid rolled in between Ash and the living garden. "....that these criteria could just as well fit someone who has trouble.....coming to terms with their inhuman nature. How many of the kin have you seen that behave exactly like that on a daily basis? I could use these same observations to argue that Ash should get the vote for inhuman. It''s a wash." "I think both of you have a point." Rui spoke up. "But overall, Sid is right. Our attention is better focused elsewhere. Like dear Avalon here." "Me?" The Plague Doctor got up and crossed his arms. "Oh yes. There''s something going on with Ash. I don''t know what, but it''s something. On the other hand, I get nothing from you. You yap a lot but barely anything of substance. If I was the human, that''s the tactic I would use." Avalon looked around the room. "Come on....I don''t get a lot of social interaction at home, so, of course, I like to talk. Raff? We''ve gotten to know each other, right? You believe me." Rafflesia turned her head away. "I''m sorry, Av. I like you a lot, but.....what she says makes sense." The shrill noise announcing voting time reverberated through the room, and the TV screen returned to the voting grid. Several pictures had been blacked out this time. Ashlin grabbed her remote and confirmed the number 5. Soon after, the results were displayed. 3 = 1 5 = 3 6 = 0 7 = 2 9 = 1 10 = 0 Ash swallowed nervously. Two votes for her. But it was not over yet. She still had time to divert suspicion away from her. For now, she just had to stay calm and go with the flow. The chosen human was 5 "Oh, brother.....I knew it would end this way....." Avalon sighed. That choice was INCORRECT "¤¯¤½©`" Rui uttered under her breath, fanning herself faster than before. "Sorry, Av." Rafflesia put a hand on his shoulder, but he shook his head. "It''s alright. I''m glad that it''s over. Now I can go back home." He raised his hands and placed them on his mask, but stopped. "I''d rather not show my face. I don''t look my best in these conditions. Too dry." Instead, he carefully removed his gloves. His hands had an unnatural blue sheen and were grotesquely swollen. He took a small scalpel out of his pocket and cut it into his finger. Instead of blood, water poured out of the wound. The screen behind him read SALMA. "I don''t really have a need for money, so I''ll take the invitation. It was fun, my friends. I got to know some of you better than others, but I enjoyed myself. I think I''d better go now. You got this, Raff. I believe in you." The flower girl nodded as he walked off, the sound of the front door swinging open confirming he left the building. The screen returned to the voting grid. Round 2. There was no one who was really singled out as inhuman this time so Ash voted for herself. It was worth a try. 3 = 0 6 = 0 7 = 1 9 = 1 10 = 0 Figures. The TV turned off. "So..." Rui started. "How about you tell us what happened before the vote now? I''m at the edge of my seat." Sid grinned and eagerly complied. "Oh, what a mess." The geisha laughed. "Should we go check it out?" Rafflesia shook her head. "Going to the kitchen now would only waste time. We should stick together and talk a bit. Try to gather some info for the next vote. Anyone opposed to this idea? Though I don''t see why anyone but the human would be." Ash nervously shook her head, and the others mumbled their agreements too. They relocated to the couch, everyone but AZ sitting down, though the Reaper at least stood next to it making some kind of effort to take part for the first time since the game began. "I still think Ash is the best candidate for the human." Rafflesia began. "And I still think she is the best candidate for inhuman." Sid retorted. "What now?" "Well, uhm..." the woman in question hesitantly stammered. "I believe it would make a lot of sense to talk about ourselves for a bit? Like, our private lives. We have to toe the line to not appear too human or inhuman, right? So talking about ourselves makes it easy to potentially fuck things up, you know? Accidentally reveal too much or slip up. Everyone is at risk, and it''s the best way to gather information quickly. A-at least that''s what I think." "Sounds good." Sid affirmed. "You start." Oh boy. "Sure. There''s really not much to say that I haven''t said already.. I love to party, meet new people. That''s basically what I do whenever I can. It''s the main reason I came here today. I work gig to gig, whatever opportunity finds me. I get by like that. Been quite well off on occasion but most of the time I got just enough to do my thing. And uhm....I think that''s enough out of me." "Very suspicious." Rafflesia declared. ".....but I made my stance clear already. I guess I can go next. As you are all aware I am a gardener by trade and that takes up most of my life. My days are usually spent cooped up with my flowers and tending to their every need. I get so preoccupied that I even have others get my groceries and take over the running of my shop for me. Any time away from my babies is too much, and if the reward wasn''t so great I never would''ve come here. That''s the long and short of it. AZ, would you like to divulge some info about yourself next? I think everyone here would be very interested." The Reaper just shook his head. "Who saw that coming?" Rui joked. "If he doesn''t want to talk, I''d be glad to take his spot. I come from a very large family. Lots of sisters, very traditional. It''s hard to really develop a sense of individuality in such a household. Many of my sisters don''t even try, but I want a bit more from life. My family also has the worst luck with men, none of them stick around for long. Personally, I decided to go for women instead, and so far it''s working out better than any of my siblings'' relationships. My girlfriend is waiting outside in the car, maybe I can introduce you after the game." "That would be lovely." Sid said. "It looks like I''m the last of the bunch. Barring Mr. Grump over here." She gestured to AZ, who didn''t bother with a reaction. "I can relate to you a bit, Rui. I also have sisters, but I have just three and it sounds like you are dealing with a few more than that." "Oh, many more." "That''s what I thought. I. couldn''t imagine. I want to rip my hair out at times already. I''m kind of the odd one out in my family. All the others are content to just sit back, never leave home, and work in the family business, but.....I don''t know, it just sounds so boring to me. I like to explore, try new things, meet new people, eat new food....I crave new experiences. The thing I hope t..." But before she could finish, Sid was interrupted by a familiar loud noise. "Already?" Rafflesia groaned. "Of course. The time between rounds gets shorter every vote. Otherwise the game could take all night." Sid explained. One by one, everyone got up from the couch and took their place in a circle around the TV. That was when Ashlin saw something. Just as Rafflesia got up, AZ turned to walk away, causing his scythe to clip one of the flowers on her back. She shouldn''t have noticed anything, the sharp tool didn''t even graze her, but a brief flinch and a grimace of pain appeared on her face nonetheless. Ash kept her mouth shut as she waited for everything to start. "The discussion rounds become shorter too, so we shouldn''t waste any time." Sid began. To everyone''s surprise, it was AZ who made the first accusation this time. He raised his thin arm and pointed directly at Ash. "Yes!" Rafflesia yelled. That''s what I''ve been saying! She is the obvious choice." Ash glanced at Sid, but then shook her head. She couldn''t depend on someone else to fight her battles for her. Especially when the stakes were this high. "I think the real obvious choice here is Rui." she said confidently. Time to bluff, hard. "All she does is go on and on about her family and now her girlfriend. I''m not saying kin can''t have loved ones, we all know this isn''t true, but fussing about it endlessly.....I dunno, it just seems very human to me." "So I am the human because I care about my family? Infallible logic here." "That''s not what she said." Sid interjected. "And you know that. Why would you intentionally misrepresent her argument, Rui? Unless, of course, she was spot on." "I..." The geisha started but kept her mouth shut. "And one last thing." Ash threw in. "Just now, when we got up, I saw AZ accidentally cut one of Rafflesia''s flowers. Imagine my shock when she recoiled in pain from something she shouldn''t have even noticed." She pointed at the lone flower lying in front of the couch. The woman in question opened her mouth to defend herself but was interrupted by the voting signal. She shut it again, glaring at Ash. The extra scrutiny was getting to her. Rafflesia and Rui were going to vote for her, this much was clear. She was pretty sure Sid had her back, which would mean two votes for Rui. The big question was whether or not her little spiel had convinced AZ to switch. Nervously, she punched in 10 and confirmed. Her heart was beating so fast that she could''ve sworn the others were able to hear it as the results appeared on the screen. 3 = 0 6 = 0 7 = 2 9 = 0 10 = 3 Ash felt the heaviest of weights slide down her shoulder. The chosen human was 10 "You played well, Ash." Rui sighed. "Congrats." That choice was INCORRECT "Obviously." Rafflesia whispered. Rui stepped into the middle of the circle and closed her eyes. Then she opened them again. All eight of them. The text on the screen behind her read JOROGUMO. "I have no hard feelings. This was the most fun I had in ages. I can''t wait to tell my sisters all about it. I''ll wait outside for you. And good luck to you specifically, Ash. I have a feeling you''re going to need it." With that, she bowed deeply and left the room. The second round of voting came and went. With only two votes needed the result was obvious. 3 = 2 6 = 0 7 = 0 9 = 1 "I hope you''re happy, Ash." Rafflesia said. The chosen inhuman was 3 "Because you''re going to be next on the chopping block." That choice was CORRECT "And there''s nothing you can do about it." The screen shifted again. It read PARADISE FLOWER. "Oh wow, first Lotus Bees and now a Para-Flower? This is amazing!" Sid exclaimed. "Thank you." Rafflesia said with a smile. "Can I get a taste of Paradise Fruit? I don''t think I''ll get many other chances." The flower girl chuckled. "Of course. Enjoy." Ash''s stomach turned as Rafflesia''s left eyeball first shook and then dislodged itself. Instead of an optic nerve, the little white sphere hung from a small vine that grew further and further out until it hung right in front of Sid. Without hesitation, the wheelchairbound girl plucked the eyeball and bit into it. A grayish-white liquid ran down her chin under her mask as she noisily chewed. "It''s delicious! But should I do with the seed?" She removed what used to be the iris from the half-eaten fruit and held it up. It had the sheen of a marble. "Put it in someone''s food or drink, preferably hot. They shrivel up a lot when exposed to heat, makes them easier to swallow. But please, no one who is overweight, or drug-addled, or obviously sick. I don''t want my baby to grow up in an unhealthy environment." "Yes, ma''am!" Sid said with a salute as the vine retreated back into Rafflesia''s empty socket. "I''ll see you outside. You..." She turned and looked directly at Ashlin. "I''m not so sure about though." Without turning back the one-eyed creature headed outside. "So...Looks like it''s the last round now." Sid noted. "Yeah." Ash nodded. If she was chosen this round, she would lose. Die. If either of the other two was, then she''d be in the final two. Jackpot. "And I think it''s obvious who the human is now." she said, pointing at AZ. "You''re right, it is obvious who the human is." Sid turned around and faced her. "You." Ash''s heart stopped. "M-me? Why me?" Sid moved closer and she took a step back. "Come now, Ash. Do you want me to repeat what Rafflesia said? She got a lot right, didn''t she? I was a bit scared she was going to convince the crowd because I wanted you all to myself. Or mostly, anyway. I can share with one." Just as she said that AZ stepped beside her and lowered his scythe to Ash''s throat. She tried to stay calm, to stop her surging emotions from spilling over, but she couldn''t keep it up. A sob broke out of her mouth and she felt the tears running down her face. "Please...." she whimpered. "Awww, scared? That just adds fuel to the fire, doesn''t it?" Sid''s voice was cruel and devoid of sympathy or restraint. AZ slowly nodded, applying a bit more pressure on the blade. The voting alarm rang in her ear. "Saved by the bell." Sid whispered and AZ removed his scythe. "Now vote." Ash slid to the ground, breathing heavily. She held the remote tight, pressed the number 9, and prayed. For the first time in her life, she prayed for a miracle. FINAL ROUND RESULTS 6 = 0 7 = 1 9 = 2 Ashlin was speechless. AZ seemed very perplexed too. The chosen human was 9 His gaze switched rapidly between a giggling Sid and the screen. That choice was CORRECT Ash couldn''t believe it. What was happening? Confusion spread throughout her mind. Suddenly, she felt a bit dizzy. Sorry, Number 9 You are the loser. Too bad. "No!" AZ yelled. "No, this is a trick! I can''t lose! I can''t die here!" His voice was remarkably unremarkable. "From what I''ve been told the human gets the most prep out of anyone in the game." Sid commented. "Which means you knew full well what the consequences of a loss were going to be. So suck it up. You agreed to play the game, now you have to abide by the rules." "Sh-shut up, monster! You have no power over me!" He grabbed his scythe with both hands, winded up, and swung it down at Sid''s head with all of his might. But then she began to sing. It was a beautiful tune, full of both sorrow and hope. Ashlin couldn''t understand the lyrics. They were not meant for her. But she felt herself calm down regardless. Once again tears began to run down her cheeks, but for a very different reason. The blade of the scythe stopped just short of Sid, who continued her song unabated. "I, uhm.....maybe..." AZ stumbled backward and let himself down on the couch. His weapon fell to the ground with a quiet clang. She continued her tune until the old man reappeared on the TV. "And so, the game has come to an end. Our kin has emerged victorious, and the proverbial genie stays in the bottle for another year. I am glad to see that we made it to the last possible round, despite some..... unforeseen distractions. You two, who have prevailed, will be welcomed into our humble collective with open arms. But not today. Go out now, and enjoy what remains of Halloween night. Enjoy your victory, and enjoy your prey. You will hear from us soon." The screen transitioned again, into a split picture of both Ash and Sid. The word WINNER was displayed at the top, and below that two other words, one for each of them. The one for Sid made sense. She had thought as much already. But the one for her was so strange........or maybe it just made her feel strange. No matter how long she looked at it, she couldn''t wrap her head around it. Her headache returned in full force. She looked up at Sid. Oh, had she been talking all this time? It was rude not to listen to friends. ".nce he did his spooky light show at the beginning. The rules said an inhuman is not allowed to reveal themselves, so if he was one he''d have been disqualified right there. I voted for him every time but once. Had to keep my best girl in the running, after all." she said with a wink. Ash found it hard to concentrate. "So what was that shit about before the last vote?" She slowly got up on her feet again. Sid shrugged. "Drama. Fun. Spicing things up for the old geezer. Also, I wanted to fuck with you a little. Just a little though." "Thanks...." "No problem. Want to take care of AZ with me? Let off a bit of steam?" She shook her head. "No.....no, I think I''ll just go home for tonight." Her head was still pounding. It didn''t let up. "Suit yourself. See you later then, partner." She grabbed her face mask and pulled it down, revealing a mouth filled with hundreds of thin, needle-like teeth. Ash turned around and stumbled to the front door. The last thing she heard before she stepped outside was "Hey, AZ. How about you and me go for a little swim?" She was welcomed by a familiar group of people out front. Marty was drinking a beer, while Rafflesia and Avalon sat next to Rui on the hood of her car. Four long, black, spindly legs protruded from her back, two of which were wrapped protectively around a young woman on her lap, who was busy eating Rafflesia''s other eyeball. Rafflesia especially was surprised to see her, but Ashlin just excused herself, got In her car, and drove home. On the way, she had to stop more than once to hurl out the window. To say she was feeling miserable was an understatement. When she finally arrived she ran into someone who raced by on a bike as she was exiting her car. "Oww, goddammit lady, can''t you watch wh..." She grabbed him by the face and dragged him into the alley beside the house. He started screaming, but it became quieter and quieter until it finally ceased completely. She had no idea what she had done. All she wanted was for him to leave her alone. But whatever it was, she felt better already.. Once inside her apartment, she undressed and made her way to the bedroom. The chick from yesterday was still there, unmoving. Ashlin grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around. She was greeted by her own face. Just like that, the headaches returned. She stumbled over to the bathroom and splashed fresh water onto her face. Today had been an absolute nightmare. Her eyes fell on a bottle of pills standing on the sink. That''s right. Ashlin needed pills. She had taken them before bed. Were they the reason for her current condition? No, it couldn''t be. She never had problems with taking someone''s pills before. Wait, before? When had she ever taken someone else''s pills? What was going on? She looked up at the mirror and stumbled backward in fear. Her face! That wasn''t what it looked like! This wasn''t her face! No! What was happening? Why was it happening to her? She pleaded and begged for someone to save her as her head exploded from sheer agony. Before she passed out, in her last second of consciousness, she thought back to the word that had appeared under her picture on the TV. And she finally understood. CHANGELING. -------------- . She awoke with a groan on the bathroom floor. It was unclear how long her little nap was, but it hurt her back something fierce. Slowly, she pulled herself up on the sink and inspected herself in the mirror. Everything was fine. A hint of stubble, but that was what the guy liked. She wondered if he''d been found already. The guy in the alley. Frank was his name. A wife, two daughters.....a bit too much baggage of her liking, but it would do. If he hadn''t been found that is. The next few minutes were spent getting ready. Had to look good for the wifey, after all. One thing was for sure though, no more meds. No matter what. One last look in the mirror. "Looking good, Frank." He packed up a few things and took a last look at Ashlin, stiff and motionless in the bed. What a mess. He wondered when he would be contacted. Still couldn''t believe he went to the game like that. But hey, it paid off, didn''t it? Anyway, he had all the time in the world. This new family would last him a few months at least. A grin spread on his face. And what a few months those would be. He couldn''t wait. First he had to get rid of the real Frank though. "See you later, tuts." he said and went out the door. He had work to do, after all. End of the Line "So, are these games still happening?" Lindsay asked. Jeannie grabbed the card on the table and flipped it open. A fancy font spelled out the words "In Progress". "So let me guess..." Greg started, sarcastically. "You are a part of this oh-so-mysterious group that organizes all these games?" The Guide stared at him for a long while. Just when Jeannie began to feel uncomfortable he slowly shook his head. "No. The kin are a.....very particular group of people. We are not affiliated." "Okay. I still find it hard to believe a bunch of fairy tale monsters get together every year to play a children''s social deduction game with a human." "They don''t have to be monsters." Hanna threw in. "There are lots of people with weirdo Powers that are very monster-like." "Yeah." Lindsay agreed. "Wouldn''t surprise me at all if a group of fucked up psychos who like to Larp as monsters get together once a year and do shit like this. Even the bees could be because of someone who can fuck with animals. Wouldn''t be the first time." "Who can say?" Jeannie said with a shrug and put on her best Skull Knight impression. "But as much as I liked these stories, I''m here because of what your website promised me. So I hope for your sake that the best is yet to come." "Oh, of course it is." His eyes glinted. "Worry not, the main attraction will begin soon. But first, I have one last story to tell." Greg groaned and the Guide''s grin stretched wider. "Have no fear, brat." Angel cooed. "This is a short one. Pinky promise." For the first time, the Guide stood up from the table to begin his tale. "A long, long time ago, long before any of you were born there was a man. One might say an ordinary man, at least as ordinary as one can be. On a certain night, he was out, prowling the streets with a few of his very best friends. A night just like this one. Halloween." Jeannie was a bit confused. Up until now, he had had a very specific style of telling his stories. But this one was completely different. His voice had taken on a much more somber tone as well. "It was by chance that they stumbled upon it. A Halloween attraction. One none of them had ever seen or heard of before. This excited him to no end. He urged his friends to take part, no, insisted that they do. And though some were hesitant at first, all eventually agreed. And so they entered. Of course, things went wrong." He turned to the window, looking out at the trees as the train passed by them. "Or maybe they went right. It depends, as it often does, on who you ask. One by one he lost his friends. Until eventually, only three were left, him included. But even that was too good to last. He saw his best friend stripped down to the bone. The flesh carved off with dull, rusty implements that had not been cleaned in decades, or so it looked. Then, his fiancee left him too. Melted into nothingness, right before his eyes. It was over. He knew it was. But just as that realization hit him, just as he was about to accept it, the ride stopped. And his survival instinct kicked in. He couldn''t die. He just couldn''t. He broke open the door and ran out into the streets. Into freedom. But he was not at home anymore. No, he was not. It was...a city, maybe....but giving it any kind of descriptor feels wrong......He wandered in this strange place for so long. So, so long. Sometimes he thinks he never left." His speech went quieter the farther he got into the story, and with every word it seemed a bit of light left his eyes until, at the end, only two sickly, grey, dead orbs were left. Then, all at once, it returned. "And there it is. Look, kids." The children turned to look out the window. A heavy fog hung outside, clouding everything in a thick blanket. But sometimes, for just a few seconds, Jeannie could see something deep within. At first, she thought of buildings, but she had never seen buildings in that....shape before. No, shape was the wrong word. As she was thinking about it she was hit with a sudden burst of vertigo. The longer she stared into the fog, the more intense it got. After a minute she slinked away from the window and closed her eyes until her senses returned to her. "Where are we?" Hanna asked, shaking her head and swaying a bit. "I-I know this area. There is nothing like this anywhere around here. I-I have to get Matt. This is weird." Kim laughed loudly and slapped Greg on the back. "Calm down, you pussy. This is what you wanted, isn''t it? Stuff other than stories? This is all just part of the show, and it''s cool. Really cool." "I''m glad you like the ride." Angel whispered, suddenly sitting next to Kim. Maybe it was just a bit of residual vertigo, but Jeannie could''ve sworn the mummy''s proportions were a bit...off. "Because you''re never going to leave it." The bandages around Angel''s arms loosened and wrapped themselves around Kim''s wrists. She tried pulling away, but the bindings held tight. "What the fuck are you..aah.....AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" The teenager''s earpiecing scream caught everyone off guard. A dull sizzling sound could be heard coming from the bandages and after a few seconds of screaming and confusion, Kim''s hands slouched off her arms and fell to the ground. Everything was silent for a moment. And then chaos broke out. Kim''s screaming intensified and both Hanna and Greg joined in. Lindsay flew up from her seat and fled to the adjacent car, while the others were still trapped between Angel and the Guide. "I hope you''re still enjoying the ride dear." the older man laughed as more and more bandages wrapped themselves around a sobbing Kim. She tried to grow herself, but that just gave Angel more to latch on to. "Noooo! Please, stop hurting her! Help!" Hanna wailed. Jeannie''s heart was beating a mile a minute. She had to do something, or they would all die. She frantically looked for a way to escape when her eyes landed on the table. Of course! She made sure that the Guide was distracted looking at Kim before she lunged forward, grabbed the lighter, and flicked it on. Immediately all light in the train car was extinguished and a wave of bitter cold washed over her. Even the moonlight was barely able to penetrate the darkness. "RUN!" She screamed and heard the other two scramble for safety. Before she followed she opened the pocket for sweets that was built into her costume and reached in the direction she remembered the other objects being in. She managed to grab what she needed and ran off. Kim''s screams were getting weaker, but Jeannie forced herself to ignore them. When she reached the car door she was pleased to hear the other two had waited for her. "I''ll open the door." Hanna whispered, and after a bit of fumbling in the dark, she managed. The three hurried into the next car, but Hanna called for a stop after a few steps. "Can you hear that?" Hanna was right. Someone was crying. Jeannie closed the lighter cap and illu illumination returned to the world. Jeannie gasped in horror when she saw what had made the noise. In front of them laid Lindsay, missing her left foot. Blood was everywhere and the trail led to the missing limb lying next to what looked like a guillotine blade. "Hanna....Jeannie...." she cried as she noticed the others. "Oh my god, Lin! What happened?!" Hanna yelled, in tears herself. "I don''t know....I think it was a trap....I felt something.....hit my chest and then.....the pain.....in my leg....." Hanna pulled her into a hug and softly stroked her hair. "We''re going to make it Lin. Together. Can you still fly?" The maimed girl nodded. "I think so..." she moaned. During that time, Jeannie had pulled out one of the objects she had saved. One-half of the Kittum glasses. She ripped the helmet from her head and threw it away. Carefully she held the lens in front of her eye. Through the glass, the terrified, yet determined girl could see a number of thin, shiny threads that were not there before. "I think I can lead us through this. Follow me." As fast as she felt she could, Jeannie maneuvered through the maze of strings, careful to leave enough room for potential missteps. The others followed behind her, Hanna holding the floating Lindsay''s hand. Once they were through, Hanna threw herself around Jeannie and hugged her tight. " If you were a boy I would kiss you right now." Jeannie gently pushed her off. "It''s too soon to celebrate. Let''s concentrate on getting away first." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Hanna nodded and was about to reply when they heard a loud "Matt!!!" and Greg ripped the car door open. "He must''ve seen him through the window." Jeannie mumbled to herself and the three girls followed him in. They didn''t make it more than a foot before they froze. Even without the lighter, it was almost pitch black in here. But there was a source of light. Jamie''s Daylighter costume bathed two seperate spots of the dark car in short bursts of brightness every few seconds. "Nonono..." Hanna whimpered and pulled both of her friends closer. Jamie''s left arm showered the top half of his own body with light. Or what was left of it. Blood was running from both his mouth and a gaping hole in his throat. His eyeballs were gone. His left arm meanwhile gave the kids a good look at Matt. He was sitting in a seat. Or rather, he was sitting in Mr. Sinus'' lap, who was sitting in a seat. His robot costume had been broken open and half peeled off. In his chest there was a huge hole where his heart was supposed to be. Half of his face was gone. Gnawed off by the looks of it, but his tongue remained. It was visible through his cheek. His left arm was held up by Mr. Sinus. The conductor was barely visible, his uniform blending in well on the blue chair. Horrible chewing sounds could be heard coming from his mouth. "Matt!" the elder brother wailed. "Greg." the younger replied. Jeannie held her breath. A cold shower ran down her back. His one intact eye focused on Greg. "Don''t worry, big brother. Mr. Sinus has been so hungry over the last year. So unbelievably hungry. You couldn''t even imagine. I''m glad I can help him out. In fact, why don''t you come help out too? All of you can! There is room enough for everyone." "G-guys, let''s just go..." Jeannie urged. "We have to move on." "No! I can''t go without my brother! I won''t!" Hanna let go of her friends and put a hand on Greg''s shoulder. "Your brother is dead, There''s noth..." He turned, tears in his eyes and punched her in the face. Blood began flowing out of her nose. Jeannie immediately knelt down and looked her over. "He''s not dead! Didn''t you hear him just now?! He spoke! Can dead people speak?! He isn''t dead! He can''t be!" Matt''s eye settled on Jeannie as she helped a distraught Hanna back up. "Trying to flee is pointless. Mr. Sinus can be very fast if he wants to. I should know, hehe. It''s better to just accept your fate. And hey, helping the less fortunate is a good deed, isn''t it? .Jeannie swallowed hard and reached into her pocket as she took a step forward, toward the conductor. "Jeannie, what are you doing?" Lindsay hissed. Hanna desperately reached for her friend but she took another step out of reach. "I-If I h-have to die, I w-want it to be over q-quick. So do me f-first." Matt half-grinned as the conductor let go of his arm. "Mr. Sinus hasn''t tasted a girl in forever. They are so much more tender." Jeannie hesitantly continued on, the smell of blood and raw meat invading her nostrils. She came to a stop in front of him. "Go on!" Matt demanded. "Offer yourself up!" She took a deep breath, raised her fist, and moved it into the black void beneath the conductor''s cap. The air around her hand became warmer and warmer with every inch. Then, something touched her. Something wet. That was her cue. She let go of the cold, marble-like sweet she had kept in her hand and drew it back as quickly as possible. Mr. Sinus'' jaw snapped shut at an astounding speed, ripping part of the skin off her knuckles. She let out a cry and stumbled backward, but instead of the slick, fleshy ground, she fell into Hanna''s arms. "Got you." "What.....what have you...." Mr. Sinus croaked but fell still before he could complete his sentence. At the same time, Matt''s mutilated body froze up, then fell from the monster''s lap, limp. Greg immediately ran over and grabbed the corpse by its shoulders. "Matt! Matt, are you okay?! Get up!" But the boy remained silent. Just then, the train came to an abrupt halt. "What''s going on..." Lindsay whispered. A scream from Greg drew everyone''s attention. Matt hat sat up. And so had Jamie. "This is our stop." the younger brother whispered as the doors of the train creaked open. Jeannie looked outside. The thick fog spilled into the car and she could see the same strange....buildings from earlier. Matt and Jamie shambled to the exit. Jamie went first. Before he jumped, Matt turned around one last time. "You coming, Greg?" And was swallowed by the fog. "Y-yes, o-of course." Jeanie grabbed him by the shoulder as he tried to leave. "Don''t! It''s a trap!" She desperately tried to hold him, but he was just too strong. With little effort he pushed her aside. "I won''t leave without my brother." She watched helplessly as he disappeared in the fog. "Girls.....I think I''m getting off here too." Lindsay almost whispered. Both Jeannie and Hanna immediately protested. "Are you crazy, Lin? What are you going to do out there all alone?" "This place is wrong! It''s evil! You''ll never leave it again!" The flying girl hugged both of them closer. "Look, I''m not going to be of much use in here. And it''s not like I''m going to fly around aimlessly in the fog. Once I''m out I''m going to follow the rails to the next station. Then I''ll go straight to a hospital. I''m going to be fine, alright?" "Please don''t..." Jeannie begged, but Lindsay was already at the doors. "Hey. I love you both, okay? So you better survive." She forced a smile, though all of them knew it wasn''t genuine. "Same to you." Hanna whispered. They watched as their friend too was swallowed by the fog.. The second she did, as if it had waited for this moment, the doors closed and the train got into motion again. Hanna moved to the door they came from and peeked through the window. Her eyes widened. "We have to go! Angel is done with Kim and coming this way! Hurry!" Jeannie nodded. " Look, I have an idea. Go to the very back and hide under one of the seats. Leave the rest to me." Hanna looked at her for a second but then agreed. She ran and hid, while Jeannie prepared her plan. First, she took off her right gauntlet and threw it to the side. Then she picked out a spot with a lot of leftover gore. Pools of blood and small piles of raw meat. She took out the lighter in her left hand and lit it. The room barely darkened at all. But that was okay. Now came the difficult part. After taking a deep breath she laid down in the mess on the ground and stopped moving. While she waited, she repeated a mantra over and over in her head. For the first time in her life, let her Power be useful for something. Not long after she was done the door was thrown open. "Come on out, children. Angel would like to have a word with you." Jeannie heard the mummy approach. Her heart felt like it was about to explode. "Sinus, you awake? Course not. Lazy bastard." The steps came nearer and nearer. Suddenly, Angel''s voice came from right in front of her. The mummy had bent down and was staring directly in her face. It took all of her strength not to move. "Good Job, Sinus. Very clean. Maybe you aren''t a total lost cause yet." Angel was done with her and prepared to move along. This was her chance. Quickly but carefully she held the black flame of the lighter to the bandages around Angel''s feet. They caught fire immediately. The Mummy shuddered. "Why is it suddenly so cold." It took a few steps for the realization to set in. "Wait...no....it''s too cold.....my...,aaahh...Aaaahhh....AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!" The scream started low but went higher with every second. Soon, it transitioned from human agony into uncanny, otherworldly screeching. The bandaged monster ran back to the door it came from, frantically wrenched it open, and rushed out. "Now, RUN!!!" Jeannie screamed, scrambled to her feet, and raced to the other door. She grabbed Hanna by the hand and pulled her through. Before they continued further she pulled out the lens and observed the new car. Strings abound again. She led Hanna through the array of traps faster than she was comfortable with. When they reached the other side, the door they came from swung open. The Guide stepped into the car. And he wasn''t smilin. He held a piece of a frozen bandage in his hand, glaring at the girls with quiet anger. Taking massive steps he walked forward, tripping one trap after another. A knife was launched into his neck, a metal spike pierced his foot and a huge cleaver split his head in two. But none of that slowed him down. The exhausted teenagers resumed their escape, running as fast as their legs could carry them. Luckily, that seemed to have been the last trapped car. They probably hadn''t expected anyone to make it this far. But despite that, no matter how much they tried, the hulking footsteps of the Guide came nearer and nearer. Jeannie looked behind her. He was right there. Almost at arm''s length. Just a few more steps and he''d have them both. Hanna seemed to have realized the same. She called Jeannie''s name. "Promise me.....to keep running...and not look back.....okay?" Jeannie said nothing. She said nothing as Hanna stopped in her tracks. Said nothing as the Guide caught up to her. Nothing as she heard her scream. She just ran. If she stopped even for a second, contemplated anything that happened just now, she would be unable to go on. So she ran. Hanna''s scream accompanied her on her from car to car until it abruptly stopped. She had to resist the urge to throw up. It wasn''t long until the heavy footsteps returned. Hanna had been a distraction, nothing more. Now it was her turn. She tried to speed up, to run faster, but no matter how hard she tried the thumping steps came closer and closer. Just when she thought it was all over she saw it. A door unlike any of the others. It stood wide open, and beyond she could see the rails outside. The driver''s compartment. She gathered the last vestiges of strength left within her and sprinted forward into the small room. Something whizzed past her and impacted the window. The Guide must''ve thrown something after her, but she had no time to figure out what it was, With the rest of her energy she slammed the door shut, and pressed the small red button in the middle. The electric locks sprung into action. She was safe. She sat there for a while, back to the door, catching her breath. But when the banging started she retreated into the chair. Finally, she allowed herself to cry. The tears came and came, and when she noticed what it was that had been thrown after her, they came even harder. On the ground beneath her lay Hanna''s roughly severed head. A bit of spine was poking out from the neck. She was staring at Jeannie with her dull, lifeless eyes. "I''m sorry!" she sobbed. "I''m so sorry!" "Don''t cry." the head replied, which made Jeannie sob even harder. The banging got louder and louder. "Open the door." the head continued. "If you open the door, you can stay with me here. We can be together forever. Is that not what you want? BFF?" "No! I want to live!" Jeannie cried. "And leave me behind? After I sacrificed myself for you? What kind of friend does that?" "Please stop! I''m sorry for what happened to you! I really a-am! B-but.....I d-don''t w-want to d-d-die!" The head sighed. "Oh Jeannie, always so stubborn. But that''s why I like you. If you want to live, you should look up. Out the window. You may have more of a chance than you think." She didn''t want to listen. This....this thing was only here to torture her more. But still....it was Hanna. She cautiously lifted her head and couldn''t believe what she saw. The train station. They were back at the train station. Gradually, it began to slow down. The platform was empty. No sign of her or anyone else''s parents. "This is your only shot, Jeannie. If the train gets moving again, there will be no escape." She nodded and wiped her tears. Carefully, she moved to the door, pulled out the black pen, and took off the cap. The razor-sharp nib glinted in the moonlight. "Hey." the head whispered and Jeannie turned to look. "Take care of Anna." She nodded. "I promise." She steeled herself as best she could and exactly as the train came to a full stop, she unlocked the door. It flung open immediately. Something stood before her. Something that resembled the Guide, like an abstract caricature resembled reality. She wasted no time. With a primal scream, she jumped up and sunk the pen into one of its many eyes. Both grey and red liquid sprayed onto her, but regardless she plunged the pen in again and again. Once the creature was out of eyes she turned and ran as fast as she could. It gave chase, screaming and blindly flailing around itself with its myriad appendages, but it was too slow. With a heaving sob, Jeannie stumbled out of the train, onto the platform, and into the arms of her mother. "Sweetie, is everything alright?" "Mom?!" The girl threw her arms around her mother''s waist and cried. "You poor thing." she cooed and stroked her daughter''s hair. "Was this really a good idea?" she asked her husband, a bit irritated. "Well, they told me she may act like this after the ride. They are very proud of their craft." "Where are the other parents?" Jeannie asked after she had calmed herself down a bit. Her heart was broken for her friend''s parents. For Anna. For the other families who lost their children today. She knew she would have to talk to the police too. It was all just too much. She was still clinging to her mother when her father asked "What other parents?" The question sent a shock through Jeannie. A subtle dread built up inside her gut. "The parents of the other children...." she said decoupling from her mom. That''s when she noticed something on her mother''s clothes. Nothing. They were perfectly clean. "Didn''t you say she was the only one who showed up?" her mother asked while Jeannie took a step back and looked down at herself. Nothing, again. Her costume was pristine. That''s when she noticed that she was wearing both her helmet and gauntlet again as well. "Yeah. And boy was that pre-ride talk awkward. I felt really bad for them, actually. So much effort and just one customer." "B-but, what about Lindsay and Hanna?" Jeannie stammered. "I don''t know any Lindsay, but do you mean Anna? She gave you the ticket as a present, remember? That''s why she''s not here." . She desperately shook her head. "No! I mean Hanna, her twin sister!" Her parents looked at each other. "They really did a number on her, didn''t they?" her father mumbled while her mother established eye contact. "Honey, Anna is an only child." She took a step back. "No....." A low chugging sound startled her, causing her to turn around. At the door of the train stood the Guide, Hanna''s head held in his arm, and Mr. Sinus behind him, both waving as the train departed. With a smile. ------------------------------------- One Year later, October 30th. Jeannie smiled as she entered the school grounds. This time of year brought a lot of painful memories, but acting mopey about it would only arouse more suspicion. One half-year of weekly mandatory psychiatrist visits was enough. She didn''t need anyone thinking she relapsed. Not that anyone at school knew how bad things had gotten, not even Anna, but minimizing risks was always the smarter option. Things had been difficult, at first. For a long while. But she had found her own ways to deal with it. She kept a diary now. At least that''s what she told her parents. In reality, she was writing to Hanna. She''d never read it but......pretending helped a lot. And things weren''t all bad. Sure, mostly bad. 99% even. But you gotta hang on to even the smallest thread. The pen hadn''t been of much use to her yet, but both the lighter and the sunglasses had become indispensable to her. Getting the shades fixed had been no problem, and she barely ever took them off now. The lighter was more situational useful, but when it was it came in clutch every time. Her and Anna''s relationship had evolved too. They were best friends apparently. It took a while to get used to it. Anna and Hanna were very different people, after all. But it worked out. She sometimes had her pretend she was Hanna. A little role-playing game she invented. She had a character too, but that one was just made up. Was it a bit weird? Sure. Did it help coping with last Halloween? Definitely. She walked up to her classroom but raised her eyebrow when she approached her seat. A letter was lying on her desk. One was on Anna''s too. Strange. She sat down and ripped it open. Everything inside her broke at once when a ticket tumbled out. A letter was accompanying it. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pulled it out with shaking hands and began to read. Dear Jeannie, Wow. Has one year passed already? I hope you remember all the spooky scary fun you had on last year''s Halloween hit attraction, A Ride To Nowhere. You will be pleased to know that despite the unfortunate circumstances of the last ride we have decided to keep on truckin'' and keep our streak going. As the indisputable star of last year, you are of course invited to partake as the Guest of Honor! You can will even bring a friend, isn''t that a hoot? We promise you that we have updated our security and taken great measures to ensure that what happened last year won''t happen again. We are overjoyed to have you with us on this year''s spooktacular adventure to Nowhere. With regards, The A Ride To Nowhere Team P.S. Don''t worry about showing up at the right time or place. We''ll come get ya. See you tomorrow. And Happy Birthday. ; )