Daughters of Darkness: Hellfyre

Chapter 1

I couldn't wait for Halloween to be over, I was sick of the tricks and the dark colored everything in this town just for the holiday. And it was only made worse by the fact that Halloween was my birthday, and every year my friends threw a "Taelia's Halloween Birthday Bash" for me. It was the most annoying thing ever; most people would only come for the party that ensued. I always made a quiet exit after the party got to be too out of control.

*  *  *

Two more days... I thought to myself as I waited for the last bell to signal my freedom from school for the day, two days and this will all be over and done with. I'll be eighteen then.

It was Wednesday, and that meant that Halloween (and my birthday) was on a Friday. This year's party was going to be wilder than usual because of it.

Maybe I could fake being sick that night... I plotted, searching for any way to avoid the insanity that would be my birthday party, as I strode to my locker.

"Tae, you know what you're wearing for your birthday right?" my best friend Lexa questioned me.

"I'm still planning on that..." my words drifted off as I looked at her and saw these weird markings on her face, "hey, did you try out some new henna tattoos?"

"Um... No, why?" she looked at me like I'd grown a second head.

"Uh, no reason... just thought of this great idea for some for next Halloween," I backtracked quickly and smiled, "anyway... I was still planning on wearing that Cheshire cat costume we found a couple weeks ago."

"Ok, good!" she threw her arm around my shoulder as we began to walk out the doors, "I'd hate for you to miss out on the festivities."

*  *  *

Thursday passed without much incident, but I swore I kept seeing shadows out of the corners of my eyes. Clearly my Halloween paranoia was starting to get the best of me. Couldn't this week just be over already?

*  *  *

I awoke to my phone buzzing with texts from my friends and notifications from distant relatives, all wishing me a happy birthday. I smiled as I looked through them. Maybe today wouldn't be as awful as I imagined it to be.

As I got to school I could see that most of the student body had already started with the major Halloween tricks and candy. Some were in costume, but most were saving them for later tonight. I stood at my locker, and checked myself out in the mirror there.

My eyes had looked almost violet this morning, and they still did. I hoped they would stay that way for most of the day. They added to my mysterious looks—especially today. My hair seemed to glow under the fluorescent lights of the school, but it seemed just a shade lighter than it usually was. I felt like I looked stronger somehow, I couldn't explain it. I felt like I could take on the world and win.

I made my way to my first class and people just seemed to move out of my way. They almost seemed to dart out of my path... like they were afraid of something. That was unusual for me; normally I had to push through at least some of them. I wasn't that well known... at least not as someone with rich parents or some other form of power. I usually stayed under the radar, and preferred it there.

My classes dragged on and on, and by the end of the day I was more than ready for my party to begin. After being let out for the day I stopped at my locker grabbed my assignments and jogged home with Lexa to get dressed.