A raven flew past us high overhead. Deanna glanced up and then cowered beside me.
“People can’t change shape like that,” I said.
It was Halloween—more of a time for strangeness than usual, but it couldn’t be real. Could it?
Chapter Three
Deanna was quiet and wary on the way back, but she relaxed as soon as we were back in the house. She was excited about her haul of candy, and I was pretty impressed with it too. We’d managed to gather more than enough to fill her cauldron; our pockets were stuffed with it.
“No one gave you any trouble out there?” my mother asked us. She was sitting at the table in her dressing gown, and her curly hair was freshly washed.
“Not exactly,” I said. “Just some Halloween weirdness.”
I wasn’t sure if I was insulting the man we’d spoken to or underestimating him. My instincts told me there was more to the story, but it seemed better to stay away from the house.
I traded glances with Deanna, but she seemed reluctant to talk about it, so I left her with my mother and the candy.
“I’m going to see if there’s any news from Ellie or Olivia,” I said.
The night was still young, and my friends would let me know what was going on. By the time I logged on to my computer, there were a load of emails and social media messages waiting. It took me twenty minutes to read them all. The message that stood out most was from my best friend, Ellie.
“As you know, the booking for the ball fell through. Some of the organisers put their heads together, and they’re going to have it in the clearing in the woods. Remember the one where we used to go after school? Well, apparently we weren’t the only ones. Olivia’s bringing the fairy lights and Ryan has a sound system. It’s going to be amazing and kind of spooky. Did I mention great? You have to come! Oh, and remember it’s a masquerade!”
I grinned when I read Ellie’s email. Was it reckless to go to the woods at night, especially on Halloween? Yessss, most likely, but… I wouldn’t be alone. If all of the original people invited to the ball went along, there could be a hundred people or more at the party. I decided I’d see if Ellie could pick me up. There was no way I was walking out there alone, especially after the night I’d had.
I drafted a quick email, but I was sure Ellie would agree. Unlike me, she had a car, and she didn’t live far away. Besides, I could already tell that she wanted me there. While I waited to hear from her, I looked at my dress in the mirror. I’d managed to go trick-or-treating without staining it, but I still felt grimy after all the walking. It mightn’t be as princess-like, but I lifted out a slinkier black dress that was more form-fitting, which was to say it clung to my curves in a way I liked. I’d already bought a black mask for the masquerade before it had been cancelled.
My mask had two wings, almost like black butterfly wings, with eye-holes cut in the soft, slightly transparent fabric. The mask tied at the back with satin ribbons. I was so happy the ball was back on, even though it wasn’t quite where or how I’d expected it to be. I just hoped I wouldn’t need to use the bathroom, because there wasn’t one!
Ellie didn’t bother responding by email. She rang me instead.
I hadn’t got to the shower yet, so I answered it on the first ring. I already knew before I spoke that it was Ellie; I recognised her phone number.
“Hello?” I asked, as I sat down on the side of my bed.
“Persephone! It’s me. Of course I’ll pick you up. What kind of question is that?”
She was a wonderful friend, even though she could be a little pushy at times.
“What time are you going?” I asked her, checking the time. “I need about an hour to get ready. I’ve walked miles today.”
“Yeah, that’s no problem. I’m aiming to leave around the same time. This is going to be so much fun. Do you have any marshmallows?”
I remembered the kitchen table with Deanna’s scattered candy, not to mention the stock in the cupboards. “That’s a yes.”
“Oh great,” she said. “We’re thinking of toasting some later.”
“I’ll bring as many as I can,” I said.
“All right, I’m going to go get ready. I’ll see you soon!”
“Me too. Bye,” I said, and hung up the phone.
I was so happy we’d have some plans after all. My parents had given me more freedom after I’d turned eighteen. I figured I should let them know I was going out, so I walked back downstairs, where Deanna had started in on the candy.
“Hi,” I told my mother. I didn’t sit down at the table, because I knew I could be kept there talking a while. There was still so much candy on the table, so I picked out a few things.
“Hey, that’s mine,” Deanna exclaimed, when I reached for some chocolate she had her eye on.
“Who walked all that way with you?” I asked. I left it for her, though, because it meant more to her than it did to me.
“I just wanted to let you know that Ellie’s coming by and we’re going to go out.”
“Oh, is that so?” my mother asked, and my excitement turned to worry that she might interfere with my fun.
“Ummm, yes,” I replied. “I have an hour to get a shower and get ready. I’ll take my phone with me,” I promised.
“All right then,” my mother replied with a soft sigh. “Stay with your friends, and if we ring, you answer that phone.”
“Of course,” I replied.
My dress didn’t have any pockets, so I decided to take a bag with me.
“And no alcohol. I mean that,” my mother insisted.
I grimaced slightly but nodded. “Well, I’d better get a shower.”
I grabbed a towel, and off I went to the shower. I could practically hear her sigh from a distance, but I didn’t have time to worry. I had a party to get ready for. A masquerade ball!
Chapter Four
I sat on the sofa in the living room, and pulled back the curtain to keep an eye out for Ellie. I saw the headlights of her car, even before she beeped the horn.
“I’ll see you later,” I told my father, who was watching television, and grabbed my bag before heading out the door. I locked the door behind me so he wouldn’t need to get up, and hurried out to the car.
Ellie was all dressed up, just as I was. The first impression she gave was of blonde hair and purple silk. Neither of us were wearing our masks for the masquerade yet.
“Hey,” I said, as I got in the front passenger seat and set my bag down on the floor. I definitely preferred this dress to the red one I’d worn earlier. It wasn’t as bulky and it was much more comfortable.
“Did you bring the marshmallows?” Ellie asked, eyeing my small bag.
“Erk, I forgot. I’ll be right back,” I promised her.
Once I’d retrieved them, I was straight back in the car, and we were quickly on the road.
I noticed she glanced at my shoes, which despite appearances weren’t totally flat.
“I figured if I was going to dance in the forest, they might be better than high heels.”
“Hmmm, okay. I didn’t think of that,” Ellie admitted.
She’d worn her lavender evening dress before, but it didn’t make it any less nice. The set of angel wings on the back seat of her car were new. I’d left the marshmallow bag beside them.
“Are those wings for you?” I asked.
Ellie grinned. “Indeed they are.”
“I have my mask, but I didn’t bring anything else like that,” I said.
“There’s a headband with horns in the back too, if you want to wear it,” Ellie offered. “It would go with your black dress.”
“I might do that,” I replied, considering the idea. “Thanks, Ellie.”
“I guess that makes me the angel and you the demon,” Ellie said. “It seems like a role reversal compared to how we usually are.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I said. “I’m not exactly that angelic.”
Ellie coughed. “Whatever you say, Persephone.”<
br />
“How little you know me,” I replied, before we both erupted into laughter.
Five minutes later Ellie pulled on to Forest Road, which led toward the clearing where the ball was being held.
“Whoa,” Ellie exclaimed, as she noticed dozens of cars parked on either side of the road ahead.
“It seems like half the town must know about this party,” I replied.
It wasn’t exactly that bad, but there must have been a lot of people there.
Ellie pulled the car over to the side of the road, and parked in one of the closest spaces she could find.
When we got out of the car, there was already music blaring. We were around a mile from the nearest houses, so it seemed unlikely anyone would complain about the noise.
“You got your mask?” Ellie asked.
“Yeah, it’s in my bag,” I said. “What do you want to do with the marshmallows?”
“Bring them with you,” Ellie replied. “Ooh, and help me get my wings on. Now is the time,” she said, bouncing excitedly.
They were smaller than they might’ve been if they were to scale, but they were still large and had white feathers that looked real. Ellie slipped one arm into the straps, then the other, as I held the wings behind her. When she had it in place, I took a good look at them. “They look impressive,” I said. “You could knock people over easily with those.”
“Hush, you.”
Ellie tried to adjust her hair so it wouldn’t catch between her back and the wings. In the end, she tied it back into a ponytail.
I found the headband with the horns—they were short but cute—in the back of the car, and grabbed the marshmallows before she locked the doors. It was probably for the best that I was taking them with me. It prevented the chance of a possible drunk, hungry person breaking into the car.
“I think it’s time to mask up,” I reminded Ellie.
“Oh, of course,” she said, pulling her masquerade mask from her bag. Hers slipped on like a pair of sunglasses. Mine was a bit more complicated, so she helped tie it in place with a bow behind my long, dark hair. She put the horned headband in place over the top of it.
“How does it look?” I asked her.
“You look like a slightly evil butterfly with those horns,” she joked. “Looks good, though. And me?”
“The most deceptively innocent angel I’ve ever seen,” I replied, and dodged as she swiped at me jokingly. True to my earlier promise to my mother, I brought my phone in my bag.
Then we were off. We followed the music, and people were talking and drinking in the woods. It was a bit creepy, but then we spotted the lights of the party, and the number of revelers grew the closer we got. It wasn’t just one set of fairy lights now—a huge area had been decorated. There were tables set out with drinks and food, cushions, blankets, and bean bags where people lounged around, and there was a massive clearing in the centre where people danced.
What made it more fun was that I had no idea who anybody was, because almost everybody was in costume and wore masks. At least Ellie was there with me and I knew we had other friends somewhere; perhaps we’d recognise them when we asked around.
“Ryan’s responsible for the music, so we should find him over there,” I said, nodding toward the sound system.
“I’m sure we will. There’s no hurry, though,” Ellie said. “Let’s just enjoy this.”
She glanced around at the crowd, obviously enjoying the sight, and I did too.
It was almost surreal—the sight of the woods decorated for a party of this scale. There were evening dresses of every colour lit by golden light and concealed by shadows. There were masks of all different types—from lace ones, to bands of silk, to more elaborate animal masks, and ones I recognised from a certain dystopian vigilante film. They were all there, as people talked, and danced, and joked around, and raided the food platters, and just had a great time. All of this was by fairy light, powered by a generator someone had set up at the back of the clearing near the sound system.
“When I see skeletons, and witches, and ghosts, I might think of Halloween, but I don’t really ‘feel it’. This party—it makes me feel it, Persephone. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I know,” I told her, smiling back at my friend. She was right. There was just something almost archaic about it, that you connected with on a deep level, and yet it was difficult to put into words. It was more a feeling, and somehow that connected with Halloween. All of these people wanted a party, myself included, and together we had one.
Chapter Five
I couldn’t find Ryan, but he found us because he recognised Ellie’s angel wings.
“I’m glad you could make it,” he told both of us before glancing at the crowd, as the revelry grew louder and more intense.
“I had no idea so many people were coming,” Ellie said.
“Neither did I,” he replied. “We did away with tickets when the venue fell through, and I guess people invited their friends. Maybe they had nowhere better to be on Halloween or wanted to see what the party would turn out like for themselves.”
“It was on the internet, dude,” a man in a clown costume called out.
I recognised him as Adam, Ryan’s half-brother.
“There you have it,” Ryan said with a shrug. “What do you think, though?”
“It’s impressive,” I replied. “I would say you did good, creating it.”
“Thank you,” he replied. “They love the music, and look at the dance floor.”
He elbowed Ellie meaningfully.
Ellie sighed softly and tugged him away by the arm to dance.
I found a mound of cushions nearby and sat down, watching as the party went on around me—like a whirlpool of life, colour, music and chatter. As I’d been left to guard the marshmallows, I set them down beside me.
I’d thought I was alone there, until I spotted movement nearby, as a man in an equally dark costume to mine joined me.
“Hi there,” he said, as he sat down on the cushions.
“Hi.” At first I felt awkward, but when I looked at him properly, I felt some sense of familiarity. I knew that I recognised him, but I couldn’t place who he was.
He was around his early to mid-twenties, at a guess. He wore a short-sleeved black shirt and jeans, along with a dark silk cape, and his mask was burnished gold. It was simple, and didn’t seem to represent anything, unless I was missing its meaning.
“What does your costume represent?” I asked him.
He couldn’t be a vampire, because he didn’t have pointed teeth.
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” he asked. “I would say who I am depends on who you ask, because who I am to one person might differ from who I am to another.”
“So it’s a trick question then?” I asked him.
He shook his head slightly, then stopped. Then he began to nod. “I suppose you could say that.”
It reminded me of my response to Deanna earlier when I told her my costume could be a ‘superhero in a very cool dress’, only he seemed more tricksy.
“Oh, you’re Loki?” I asked, certain that I was right.
“No,” he joked, “but you’re getting closer. Would you like to dance?”
I was on the verge of questioning his interest in me, but a dance sounded like fun. Ellie was out there with Ryan, obviously enjoying herself, so why shouldn’t I?
“All right,” I said, climbing up from the cushion pile.
The marshmallows could look after themselves.
He offered me his hand, and after a moment’s hesitation, I took it. We walked toward the clearing, and I followed him onto the dance floor lit by fairy lights.
“I’m not sure I’m much of a dancer,” I said, as I began to move and dance to the music. I loved this song, and as he danced with me, it became so easy to flow with the music and his movements. I had the distinct feeling I looked like a deranged cat dancing, but no one else seemed to be looking at me.
He wasn’t a boy in
the same way I saw most of the boys at college; he was a man, though I couldn’t have told you why I made that distinction. There was just something about him that felt more mature, somehow, and awakened the woman in me.
The glint in his dark eyes drew me in, but I tried not to let it show that I felt that way. It wasn’t that I was worried about anyone else, or even him, exactly. I just needed more time to discover who he was. I still had a strong feeling I knew him already, but I couldn’t put a name to his face or remember where I might’ve seen him before. I decided to just ask him.
“So tell me, who are you?”
“That would be telling.” He grinned beneath his mask, and turned me about to the music.
“How do I know what to call you then?” I asked him. “Do you just want to be the stranger in black?”
“I suppose you could call me Hades?” he suggested.
“So you already know me,” I replied. I didn’t like that he recognised me when I didn’t recognise him.
“I’m fairly sure I don’t know your name,” he said. “Hades is mine.”
His gaze met mine, and I saw no deception there. I admit, my first conclusion was that he was a skilled liar.
“The universe must have a sense of humour then,” I replied.
“Oh, why’s that?” he asked.
“As though you don’t know,” I replied.
He smiled again. “Surprise me.”
“Because my name’s Persephone,” I exclaimed, then studied his expression.
“That’s a lovely name. I don’t know what you’re getting at, but it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I sighed, but I was drawn in by his mysterious response. “Thank you. In Greek mythology, Hades and Persephone ruled the underworld together,” I explained.
I glossed over a few of the finer details of the myth; for some reason, I felt uneasy mentioning the ‘kidnapping’.
“What if it’s not a myth but a prophecy?” he asked me, as his gaze met mine.
“Ha, no,” I replied. “Not this Persephone.”
He grinned back, and we grew silent but continued to dance to the music.
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