Go Home or Go Dead ✓

Going Home, not Dead.

Even I can't tell Ilona to stop hyperventilating. I'm doing just as bad as she is, if not worse.

Rio keeps looking back and forth between us as we pace the small parlor. I can absolutely imagine how crazy we look, biting our nails in anxiety. I would've laughed at Ilona for not following her fingernails-are-sacred mantra, but this was far from the time for meaningless jokes.

My mind reels as I digest our situation. Three hours have passed since we were transported here, and soon it would be 12 A.M. That leaves us with less than 12 hours to come up with a solution.

"Oh, God, what do we do?" Ilona is almost convulsing.

I don't give her much attention— doing so will impair my ability to think through this in a logical manner.

Rio's been standing there, probably also racking his brain for answers. I want to tell him he doesn't need to help us, but the more minds on this puzzle, the better. Even if his mind was... well, dead.

"The card," he suddenly says. "Can I see the card again?"

"We've been through that, dude! Like over and over," Ilona yells at him.

I hand it to him immediately, not waiting to hear Ilona's pessimistic thoughts. Rio looks at it inside out like he did earlier, and holds the card to the light. I can faintly make out the outlines of the skull head next to the inconspicuous date. After what seems like ages, Rio moves to me slowly, still in thought. My breath comes short as he stands barely two inches away from me, then I snap out of my trance when he signals for me to look at the card separating us.

"What do you think these gold seams mean?" Rio asks.

I scrunch my brow and note the seams, analyzing them with apt concentration. Still...

"It looks like decoration. Something to catch the eye?"

"Yeah, but also easy to neglect."

Ilona scoots over to us, lost in the conversation.

I look at him closely. "Why do you think we should give it attention? It's really just decoration."

Rio hands me the card and closes the distance between us as he wraps an arm around my shoulder and turns me toward the lightbulb overhead. Ilona cocks a brow at me and smirks. Yeah, right. Like we have time to absorb the moment as is. I ignore her and focus on the cars once more.

"Put it to the light," Rio whispers so damn close to my ear, his Aussie accent causing shivers to run down my spine.

I do as he says and see the gold seams on the card glittering. I gasp and wave Ilona close to me, pointing to the faint glow the gold seams are radiating.

"So light activates the decoration? Game changer." Ilona plops onto the sofa and rolls her eyes. Something about the glow intrigues me though, and I'm faintly reminded of fireworks and bonfires.

Scrunching my brows, I twist out of Rio's arms— why is it suddenly cold in here?— and raise the card closer to the lightbulb, stretching my arm as far high as I can. Then, the vision of fireworks intensifies, and I can't help the feeling that fire may have something to do with our escape.

Then, I smile. "Let's burn the card."

Rio and Ilona look at me like I have two heads and I begin explaining. "The glow may just be telling us something. Think about it, guys. It's gold and it glows under bright light, which may just mean it needs to be burned. And if we're talking mystically, burning the invitation might be a way of signaling whoever is doing this that we want out. It's worth a shot."

Ilona shrugs. "Yeah, sure, let's try."

Rio goes to light a candle by a small stool and guides me to it. I breathe deep, hoping my wild theory works this time, and place the card over the candle. I narrow my eyes when nothing happens. I place the card right in the fire, and still, it doesn't burn.

Ilona grunts. "Great! Now we don't even have a rough theory to hold onto."

This doesn't make sense. Something should at least happen. I refuse to believe my theory holds no grounds. Plus, my gut tells me this our best bet. Maybe I just missed something. Maybe I shouldn't be the one to burn the card considering I wasn't the one that accepted the invitation.

"Ilona, come here. Try burning it."

"It isn't working, Maisie. Think up some other plan."

That's it. I whip to my older sister and glare at her dejected and bored form on the sofa sitting without a care that we may be dead in a couple of hours.

"Can you for fuck's sake just cooperate?" I explode. "I'm trying so hard to get us out of the mess you literally dragged us into, and you think you can just sit there and sulk?"

I don't wait for her rebuttal and continue,"I so don't wanna hear any of it, sis. Now get your ass over here and burn this card."

Ilona's stunned expression doesn't freeze over for some minutes before she walks slowly to me and repeats my burning process. Again, nothing happens.

Then Rio pipes up, and I wonder why yi hadn't thought of this possibility.

"Maybe the one who invited you girls here should burn—"

"Or maybe a ghost here should burn it! It makes perfect sense!" I interrupt, then shoot him an apologetic look. "Sorry."

He shrugs and smiles that beautiful smile. Then, he walks over to us and gently takes the card away from me. He inhales and exhales, steeling himself, then he smiles at me one last time as he lifts the card over the fire. I watch in astonishment as the card immediately lights up, and the flames lick over the seams slowly as though in a dance.

Once the card is ash, I feel a shift in the air.

And I know it worked.

Rio reaches for my hand and pecks my cheek. "You go safe, beautiful."

Before I can overthink it, I hug Rio tight and whisper a "thank you" into his ear. I let go immediately after, afraid I'd get too attached from prolonged contact. Ilona waves to Rio and pulls me out the parlor and down the stairs.

The party is still going in full force, and I suddenly find myself subtly missing the place already.

Right before we walk out the door, I catch Rio's eye.

Damn, I think to myself. Halloween isn't fair.