31 Frights of October

In The Blue Light

Mimi sat in her corner office, surrounded by neatly arranged paperwork and a flickering computer screen. At thirty, she had successfully carved out a niche for herself in the marketing world, but her personal life was a stark contrast—no husband, no family, and certainly no friends. She felt like an island in a bustling sea of coworkers, invisible yet constantly aware of their chatter.

Today, the office was buzzing with excitement about an upcoming party to celebrate the blue moon. The thought filled Mimi with anxiety. She hated the idea of mingling with her coworkers, especially with Koilia's relentless personal questions and confidence dominating the scene. Koilia, with her perfect glossy curls and infectious laughter, seemed to draw everyone in, effortlessly commanding attention wherever she went. She had an uncanny ability to weave herself into the fabric of everyone's lives, often prying into their personal matters under the guise of friendly interest.

"Mimi! You're coming to the pool party, right?" Koilia's voice cut through Mimi's thoughts as she leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed with a casual confidence that made Mimi's skin crawl.

Mimi hesitated, the words catching in her throat. "I... I'm not sure. I might have plans," she stammered, the lie tasting bitter.

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun!" Koilia insisted, her tone dripping with condescension. "You can't miss it just because of a little water, right?" There was a hint of challenge in her voice, as if she reveled in the idea of coaxing Mimi out of her shell.

Mimi bit her lip, avoiding eye contact, hiding beneath her thick dark bangs. "I... I told you, I have plans." Her tone was more stern this time but still bursting with an anxious undertone.

Koilia rolled her eyes, disappointment flickering across her face. She thrived on knowing the ins and outs of her coworkers' lives—what they were doing, who they were dating, and all the juicy details. It fueled her gossip engine, and she relished the opportunity to create drama where none existed.

But at least this time, her meddling had a purpose. Koilia had hoaxed Raymond, the office's conspiracy theorist, into believing Mimi was part of some cult that refused to go near water and met on blue moons.

Which was uncoincidentally the night Koilia had planned the pool party for. She'd perfectly set it up so there was no way they couldn't confirm their suspicions. Now all they needed to do was follow Mimi's car after work.

—

After work, Koilia popped into Raymond's car, immediately greeted by the frigid air that enveloped her like a sudden winter chill. The interior was a stark contrast to the warm evening outside, and she could see beads of sweat glistening on Raymond's forehead, a testament to his bubbling excitement.

"I'm so sorry about the AC... I'm just so intrigued; it's working up a sweat!" he shouted over the loud purring of the engine, his voice almost drowned out by the mechanical roar. Koilia rolled her eyes with a smirk and pulled a small perfume bottle from her sleeve, spritzing it into the air conditioning vents to mask the musty scent of old upholstery.

"Mimi should be out any minute now; she was running late today," Koilia added, her tone laced with anticipation. She couldn't help but feel a thrill at the thought of finally uncovering Mimi's "secret."

"What?" Raymond gestured animatedly, pointing first to his ears and then to the noisy AC unit, his confusion evident. Koilia, exasperated, punched the off button, her gaze sharp and unwavering as she studied Raymond. Frustration simmered within her; she had only been in the car with him for a minute, and already she could tell this was going to be a long night.

Suddenly, a chattering sound broke through the stillness of the parking lot as Mimi fumbled with her keys, the metallic clinks echoing in the evening air. She shuffled her way to her car, her shoulders hunched.