Girls in whorish costumes giggle, some puffing out their cleavage, some flipping their hair over their chest and acting shy whenever some douche walks past. Most of those douches refuse to wear black, so they either dressed as hot zombie surfers or didn’t bother with dressing up at all. Sucks for those assholes, though, because around this time of year dark boys get more pussy. Some player had dyed his hair black and worn eyeliner - he’s sitting on the couch, smoking a maduro cigar and attracting a swarm of giddy girls (who think they’re special for not liking douchebags). Don’t think I didn’t see you, Tyler, frothing at the mouth for that emo guy too. Every out-of-school homecoming party so far, you’ve drank one singular cup of punch, flirted with a hot guy, then blamed it on being ‘blackout drunk’. Just come out already, nobody cares if you’re gay except maybe the theatre kids.

     And me? You want an introduction, right? This is a story, after all. Okay, my name is Bill Nye Who Likes to Get High- no, no it isn’t. That’s an old inside joke from my 8th grade science class that nobody remembers. It’s Kara Lemen, East Oakwood senior, professional people-pleaser who is going to go nowhere in life so long as I keep buying ripoff Vans from Walmart. I’m not what you’d call popular… and this is the part where you expect me to explain that I’m in the middle, completely average. Nope, I’m just flat-out unpopular. The cool girls like to treat me like a dumb dog, playing nice and promising treats in exchange for tricks. But do they ever actually give those treats? Do they ever take me home from my hellhole animal shelter and teach me what they know? No, because they’re the real bitches. They care about people’s feelings even less than I do after four cups of punch (I’m on my second right now). This shit is addictive - which is why freshmen aren’t allowed, because they’d try to be cool and drink from the bowl. Also not allowed, after some attention-seeking nerd pulled that stunt and her ghost costume became a Carrie costume.

     And yet, somehow, vomiting over the balcony and having ass-naked sex in the corner is still allowed. Before you start freaking out, no, this isn’t a school celebration - it’s a tradition at most Oakwood schools to ditch the actual homecoming in favor of a student-hosted costume party. There’s this really chill alumni, Connor O’Shea, who lets us trash his really big house every year. He owns a smaller house up north, and only really visits after the party to clean up. No clue why. I’ve heard rumors that he gets in legal trouble a lot, though, and looking around I can see why. Aww, look, Candice Podlesny is riding Aden Melnik in a trashy lifeguard costume! Young sophomore love. I guess doce nuts couldn’t fit in her mouth… God, time to chug the rest of this cup so fast I forget that joke. It’s fine, I’m used to hangovers at this point.

     So, why do I attend these parties if I hate them so much (which I’m hoping was obvious)? Well, for one, the punch. For two, the drug dealers are so easy to spot I can get a whole bag of weed just by chatting around. For three, anyone who doesn’t go is a loser by default - I learned my lesson sophomore year. See, if you don’t go, everyone assumes you went to the school homecoming, which is apparently for babies and nerds. I stayed home that year, and the next day the popular girls made sad mouth-farts at me all day. So now I’m kind of scared to not go.

     “Heyy, Kara!” Speak of the fucking devil. Hey, Paige, are you here to fuck me up or fuck me up passive-aggressively? Oh, also, it’s so sad that your father died.

     “Oh, um, hey.” Without thinking, I tense my shoulders and bite my lip slightly. As her friends start pooling in beside her, circling around me, she nudges one of their shoulders and imitates me, raising her shoulders above her head and making bunny teeth. For an added effect, she crosses her eyes and bugs them out. They all start laughing. Anything she does is funny to them, and if they weren’t assholes to me I might’ve even joined in on the laughter. She looks absolutely fucking ridiculous.

     “Kara, do you wanna get some punch with us?” Another one of them, Sarah Whitmore, slurs, about as red as her fake-ass ginger hair. Somehow, the dye hasn’t stained the shoulders on her pink cheerleader costume. “It’s, like, really good.” She adds, as if I’m not holding a cup already.

     “Uhh, sure…” I hesitantly agree. In my head, I’m screaming no, but this squad doesn’t take no for an answer. Defiance isn’t how you get past them - they love mocking the pissy ones. You’re better off being a normal circus act then a wild circus act, and avoiding them isn’t an option. They are everywhere.

     “Aww, that makes me so happy to hear, Kara!” Paige says, talking down to me. Again with the baby talk. She grabs the hand with the punch, obviously deliberately, and my cup slips and falls onto my bat costume. “Oops! Oh, I am so sorry, Kara, I didn’t mean to do that, Kara!” Aww, that makes me so happy, Paige! You’re such a clumsy little baby that I now have to clean up after you! So silly, ruining everything! I have to hold myself back from grabbing her shiny tan cheek with my nails and tearing it up. Besides, if I do that, peachy blush and highlighter will cake all over my nails, then I won’t be able to hold my cup at all.

     “Oh, hey, Kara, guess what? If you can help Evelyn ask out Pineapple you-know-who, we’ll help you clean that up! Because we’re your friends, right, Kara?” Another one, Ariana, chimed in. I have no clue who they mean by Pineapple, but if it’s exclusive enough knowledge that they need a codeword, I’m curious. I may prefer observing, but I don’t mind indulging in gossip. It makes me feel young, exhilarated. Knowing things only the populars should know. Knowing everyone’s secrets.

     “...Fine.” I act nonchalant, disinterested. Paige squeals and grabs my other hand, the one that doesn’t have punch all over it. She drags me to the bathroom, her friends following close behind. She gestures to take a seat on the marble sink, and I reluctantly do so. Ariana skitters out to bring me an ‘apology punch’. They’re probably planning to spill it on me again - if they do, they’ll be the ones getting soaked.

     “So, first, I need you to hold this for me while I call Evelyn.” Paige hands me a shiny pink lipstick container. I consider opening it, but she might get mad, so I don’t. A few minutes pass, and she’s still on the phone, talking about things I don’t really understand. I want to hear the other end of the call, but her volume is low, so I can’t. Eventually, I get so bored that I open the lipstick container while she’s looking away. The lipstick inside is hot pink. It looks sort of weird, though, so I lightly tap it. None of it comes off. It smells really strange, too. It’s like I can feel myself getting more drunk the more I inhale it, so I put the top back on. Conveniently, Ariana gets back with the punch right after, so I don’t get caught inspecting it. I cautiously take the cup, sniffing it first. It smells like punch, so I take a sip. Nothing happens. Good. I feel my muscles loosen a bit. I somehow manage to relax in the presence of the girls who treat me like shit every day, even though I know it’s fake. I know it’s a scheme.

     They still don’t let me in on the plan. I’ve drank the entire cup, and am pretty drunk at this point. A bit earlier than usual, but nothing alarming. Just that I can’t walk straight, see very much, and I feel kind of giggly. Ariana brings me another cup, my fourth. I’m really good at handling drinks, so this much is fine. This much is fine…

     I don’t know what time it is, but I’m still here with Paige, Sarah, and Ariana. At some point, Evelyn got here too. I remember us writing messages on the mirror with lipstick, not the pink lipstick, but I don’t remember what they say. I remember Sarah rolling on the floor in laughter, everyone else laughing too. I don’t remember what was funny. It’s like they never stop to breathe. Ariana must have brought me another drink. I think I’m blacking out. They say it’s fine.

     My head hurts. I’m on the floor, my throat weak with slurred laughter. This is what they wanted. I am making a fool of myself, but for some reason I don’t mind. My body really hurts, which is odd, because I don’t usually get pains when I’m drunk or hungover. I remember blurry things flashing in my vision. I don’t remember what they were. I don’t know where the lipstick I was holding went.

     Most of the people have left. The speakers sound really weird - someone must have broken them. All of the popular girls are still here, though, still revolving around me. They stare at me. I think they might have had me in a chokehold. I think I might be bleeding. I don’t think that lipstick was a lipstick.

     I don’t remember anything. My vision is dark, pulsating. Beyond the room is darkness, quiet. I’m on the floor. This isn’t the bathroom. I feel a carpet under me. I hear loud laughter and chit-chat. In the darkness, I see the glare of a camera flash. I see a large amount of red on the ground. I wonder why the punch on my costume hasn’t dried. I think I’ve been sweating. My headache has gotten worse.

     I feel like I’m spinning. I feel like I’m floating. Then I feel nothing at all. The laughing is excruciatingly loud. My headache is the worst I have ever had. I don’t see the faces of Paige, Sarah, Ariana, Evelyn. I see glaring red flashes, like from a camera, but I don’t see a phone. They look like eyes. I feel liquid drain from puncture wounds in my neck. I feel like I am shriveling up, losing blood quickly. My fingers are tingling from not receiving circulation. I am dying. I am going to die here. I can’t feel my own heartbeat - you don’t notice it until it’s gone. Cold passes over me. My throat screams, begging for air, but I am too weak to breathe in. I hear laughter. It’s like they never stop to breathe. Someone, anyone, please help me. I have never wanted to live more. Please.

(on a sidenote, I’m hoping I did everything correctly? if not tell me please thanks. word count 1838)

                                                           

                                       Storytelling contest Halloween edition by Fashion Police
                                                

                                                    ✩☽ ✶ Halloween party went too weird... ✶ ☾✩

                                

......

The Enchantment

Notes: I am narrating what happened at a party in an abandoned house, in past tense.

Alone in an abandoned house. We thought it would be a good idea but oh the fools we were! But I’m getting ahead of myself. Torch light, candle light, phone light, just anything to light our way aside from lights from the house. “We can’t let anyone know we’re here!!!” exclaims Mary, she’s like the leader of the group. I’m Jessica, I'm narrating. Witches, clowns, prisoners, bunnies, so many costumes, so many masks, so many posers.

The house is so rundown, I mean no wonder it is there has been multiple murders happen on the property, “They say the bathroom is the most haunted place because there’s two mirrors that face each other so it’s creating a vortex to the other side!” said Ava, she's kinda like the know-it-all, she was my best friend… Aside from how rundown the house was it was quite a charming beaten up house. It’s quite enchanting, almost manipulating, you feel it drawing you in and sucking the energy out of you; be careful! Holes in the walls, scaffolding emerging, creaking floors. Be as quiet as a mouse!

“We’ll start in the middle of the house.” said Mary

“Bring out the Ouji board!” exclaimed Ava

“Light the candles!” I said excitingly

“Come sit in a circle!” said Ava

“Let's begin.” Mary commanded

Mary, Ava and I are like the leaders of this group, or as people at our school call us, a cult. Mary is loud so she gets everyone's attention and can captivate people/she’s just a people person. Ava is really smart so she tells us all the knowledge we need to know and I am like the enforcer, I’m quite strong and sporty so I do everything else.

All 8 of us put 1-2 fingers on the planchette, we do 2 circles to start the ouija board,

“Is anyone there?” Mary asks. Silence for a couple seconds, then it violently shot to yes. All freaked out, we screamed in excitement and fear.

“Is this Eleanor we are talking to?” Ava hesitantly asks

‘NO’ the board says

I ask “Who is this then?”

The board starts spelling 'Y-O-U K-N-O-W’

Confusion went around the circle, looking up to each other, facial expressions asking “do you know who this is” but everyone was dumbfounded. Except for me…This is where it all went wrong, because all of the girls were confused. They accidentally took their fingers off the planchette, this is where it all went wrong. A large gust of wind swept through the enchanting house and took the planchette out from the rest of our fingers; we were all in danger now.

The board started levitating, everyone terrified crawled backwards from the board.

“WHAT THE HELL!?” someone in the group yells. The only ones that hadn’t crawled back are Ava and I, I looked at her. Her heads down, hair covering her face,

“Ava?” I asked, no reply.

“AVA!” I shouted, she slowly tilted her head up, eyes as white as snow. She stood up and without a light made her way to the bathroom. I followed like the idiot I am. The board lowered back down to the floor.

“Hey! Where are you guys going?” Mary asked

“We’re just going to check something out. Do you think you could stay with the others and clean up? We’ll be fast, I promise” I said. So I ran to catch up with Ava who was almost in the bathroom. I reached her right before she opened the door, I tried to shake her awake but I had seen this before, you just have to follow it through and make sure once they look in the mirror you catch them.

The door creaks open, sending a chill up my spine. A blast of cold air slapped me in the face, entering the bathroom. I was so scared but Ava is my best friend. I have to help her! She slowly walked in, me right behind her. She turned to the mirror, her reflection refracted into millions, so many Ava’s. The mirror behind us and in front created endless us. As she met her eyes in the mirror the spirit was supposed to be set free from her, at least that’s what was supposed to happen. She met eye’s and the mirror in front of us cracked. Two cracks right at her eye level. In shock I stepped backwards into the mirror behind me. Another crack from the mirror in front. It shatters. Mirror shards everywhere. In the mirror's place is the most horrid thing, colours of red, black and purple spilling into the bathroom. The heat and light emerging was so strong. Floating spheres that looked like floating planets cover the inside of the mirror portal.

“Ava?” I whispered

“No” she replied, smiling while walking towards the mirror portal. Mirror shards crunching under her shoes, making the most horrendous noise. She reaches out for the portal, only just touching it with her right hand. THEN BOOM, SHE'S GONE! The mirrors back to normal, no broken pieces, missing ava, lights still all off, dead silence.

“This can’t be” I shakingly said

“Wh-where’d she go…?” I asked myself out loud

I decided I’d go get Mary, running out of the bathroom for my life. I slipped and fell into a pool of blood. IT’S THE GIRLS! Their bodies all almost dismembered. With disgust, horror, fear I tried to crawl back but the blood was so slippery I went nowhere. The squishing sound of blood under my shoes awoke it, again. The planchette arose. It spun around like it was looking for someone, for me… With such velocity it came straight for me, well I should say my neck. Ripping straight through, almost taking it off.

Now the naive kids who thought going into a haunted house on Halloween was a good idea, are now trapped in this hell house for eternity! Save us! Or the more likely option, join us!