By: Chloe Tang

October 30, 2014:

To Mr. Robert Smith and Mrs. Rebecca Smith:

You are invited to our Halloween Party!

Sunday, 31 October – Arrive at 8 PM

At 8954 Ridge Lane

Hamden, CT 06514

(you’ll know which house it is when you arrive)

We hope to see you there!

(P.S. Wear a costume. Don’t bring anything else.)

The letter crinkles a bit as I read it. The paper gives off a perfume and metallic kind of smell. Interesting.

“Honey?” I call. “Come look at this.”

Robert comes down the stairs. It takes him a while to finish reading it. He re-reads it.

“A party? Are you sure we should go?” He frowns, thinking.

I roll my eyes but smile. Robert, the paranoid. “Calm down,” I say. “It’s just a party! We should go. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people.”

He opens his mouth, probably to argue more, but then decides against it.

“Okay, fine. I guess it could be fun.” His expression says the opposite. I ignore it.

“Fantastic! I’ll go figure out our costumes!” I say excitedly.

October 31, 2014 – 7:56 PM:

8954 Ridge Lane is a slightly dilapidated house covered in spiderwebs, surrounded by murkiness that makes it stand out from the other homes, in a bad way.

“Are you sure about this? This is creepy,” my husband, the pessimist, says.

“Calm down, honey. It’s Halloween! It’s supposed to be creepy!” I say, throwing my hands up in exasperation. “Let’s just go in, okay? We can leave early.”

I march up the steps and knock loudly on the door. He has no choice but to reluctantly follow.

The door creaks open. A man wearing a long black cloak opens the door. “Welcome,” he says. His voice is gravelly, and he speaks in a slight, barely noticeable accent.

He opens the door a little more, allowing us to see his costume. Along with the dark cloak, he has a somewhat formal attire underneath. His face is deathly pale, and he has fangs and red eyes. His black hair is slicked back. Despite the creepy appearance, he’s quite handsome.

“Interesting costume,” the man says. “My name is Theodore.”

He catches me staring at his costume. “Vampire,” he adds, just in case we mistook him for Harry Potter, Wednesday Addams, or Justin Bieber, clearly.

I nod and elbow Robert for him to say something. He says nothing but gives a weak smile. Which is good enough, I guess.

“Come in,” Theodore continues, giving us a strange smile and ushering us inside.

The interior of the house looks slightly less lonely than the outside. There’s a lot of intricate furniture and decor covered in dust, like it’s from some old European mansion.

A woman enters the room wearing the most decadent dress I’ve ever seen. She, too, has a pale face, red eyes, fangs, and black hair. Her lips are painted blood red.

Her dress and immaculate looks make me feel like I’m wearing dirty rags.

Theodore introduces her as his wife, Eleanor. We politely shake hands. Her hands are smooth and cold, like marble. I shiver.

“Come this way,” Eleanor says, leading me toward another room. The room is dark and empty. I start shivering. Something trickles down my face. I realize I’m sweating.

“W-where are the other guests?” Robert stays silent, making me wonder what’s wrong. He usually can’t shut up.

Eleanor doesn’t reply. Her silence makes me realize that I can only hear my footsteps. Whirling around, I cry, “Where’s everyone?”

I shriek and turn around. Eleanor gives a smile that shows all her teeth, fangs included. They’re stained with something dark. Her breath smells metallic, like the invitation we received.