Ever After

Halloween (4)

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This chapter is in Mark's perspective.

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I couldn't believe it. For what feels like the hundredth time tonight, I'm in awe, astounded by what'd just been displayed before my eyes. Not only had Jack stood up to our enemies (thankfully including Naomi), but he'd also managed to drag me through the last handful of mazes (of which there were seven), his feet moving faster than my heart rate. I thought I would hate it all, thought I would be sobbing for my mother until we finally reached the exit, but no tears had been shed, and nothing had been said, other than a few complaints of how tired we were or Jack saying, "Could you hurry the fuck up, Mark!?"

In fact, I'd loved the journey so much that, when we finally opened the last door with Jack's skeleton key, I let out a sad sigh, one that Jack took as a compliment. And, yet, he wouldn't stop running – on and on we went, dashing past numerous cars parked behind the Spooptacular, my heavy breathing and the sound of Jack's footsteps against concrete being the only things to be heard. I could barely keep up with him, let alone open my gasping mouth as to ask why we were running – all I could do was count on him to do things right, as he always did.

As we raced off and into the night, there was nothing capable of stopping me from taking in the beautiful night. It was Halloween, a holiday that was always one of my favourites. I obviously wasn't obsessed with the festivity, but it was definitely a date I would mark down on my calendar, one that I would never sleep through. It wasn't just a day to eat candy or dress up – the very thought of Halloween was enchanted, bringing to mind every great thing that came along with the holiday. The sky, a dark purple (now that we were free from the maze that'd taken up most of the night) was mystically amazing; the lit-up houses and jack-o-lanterns providing a luminescent glow; the sound of people laughing, cheering, and having a great time – if anything, Halloween were just as beautiful as Christmas, its atmosphere the best feature.

I could tell why Jack loved it so much. I couldn't tell why Jack loved many things (seeing as his music taste was always miraculous in my eyes), but I could always tell when something caught his attention, grabbing it in a way that he could never shake off. He always gave off this look, this look that forced his eyes to dance, his lips to part, and his eyebrows to raise only the slightest – that one look, something that would seem so ordinary to others, meant more than the world to him, and it meant more than the world to me, too... after all, it was the look he'd given me when we'd first discovered that there was something more than a friendship between us.

I let out a small sigh just thinking about it, only to be stopped in my haste as Jack froze, his hand still wrapped about my wrist as we sat in the center of an empty field, the one I'd recognized from my walks to the Coffee House – it was one that was just beside the forest, the forest that led to his log cabin. He was going to leave me, I knew.

"Mark," he said, his voice quivering. "Do you know your way home from here?"

I didn't nod or shake my head – I couldn't decipher whether telling him the truth would be a good or bad thing in my case. "You're leaving, right?"

He nodded. "You didn't answer me. Do you know your way home from here?"

Not knowing exactly how to respond, I shook my head, deciding that it would be easier to take back than a nod (if need be). I didn't know what was holding me back from telling him the truth, but I presumed it was the fact that I didn't want him to leave me, that I didn't want him to go so soon – this night had been so eventful, and it would be impossible for me to just go home and forget about it, for me to not have anyone to talk to about the adventure we'd had. I couldn't just let go of this moment, and I hoped he couldn't, either, for he'd already replaced and had forgotten enough about me as it was.