The Magic Within

Chapter 2: Hunter Mansion

I stood with my three friends in costumes that were probably gonna get us into major trouble later in the driveway of the richest family and founders of the town we grew up in. Hunter Mansion was no ordinary home, with four stories and a width that probably couldn't even be calculated it towered above us in it's luxuriuous glory, showing everyone just how rich the family that lived inside was. With the sandy colored bricks, grand and ornate windows, and a cobbled drive circling around a fountain and leading into a garage my house could probably fit into.

With a deep breath, I followed the other kids in their bustling costumes through the open front door and into the crazy, loud mesh of teenagers at the party....

The first thing I noticed was the wide-spaced entry room with a granite tile floor and an elequent, off-white wall paper. Music boombed over the roar of voices coming from the hoard of people in varied Halloween costumes. Everyone there looked amazing and, suddenly, I didn't feel so badass anymore.

A figure popped in front of my face and I recognized her as soon as she came into view. It was a girl in my classes that I'm friends with, Dani. She is a pretty smart, nice person but also a major fangirl. "Oh my god! You guys look absolutely amazing!!!! I can't believe that you would break the rules like that! That is so cool, isn't it so cool?!" She had managed to excitedly squeal that out and be heard over the loud, pulsing music. "Yeah, I guess so. We just thought that the costumes were really pretty", Orion said, smiling at Dani. Dani gave another laugh then walked away, leaving us to face the rest of the party.

For the first hour of the party we went little-to-not noticed with limited glances but most people were too drunk to realize anything was wrong. A few people came up to us, reacting a bit like Dani, only a little tuned down. We thought we'd get out unscathed until the Hunter twins saw us.

Beautiful as they were on the outside, Genevieve and Felix Hunter were anything but on the inside. Genevieve was the worst of the set, a total slut, her long, brown hair and deep green eyes always seemed to capture attention. Like any cliché popular girl, her skinny-but-not-twig figure, stunning outfits, and seeming approachability immediately told you she was going to be a cold ass bitch. Felix, on the other hand, had sandy blonde hair, gorgeous gray eyes, and a very muscular physique made him seem warm and gentle. Although he wasn't as cold as his sister, he had a habit of causing trouble or pointing out when someone else caused it. Either way, he loved when anyone besides him got in trouble. He was about to be in for a good time.

As soon as I saw a smirk curl onto his gorgeously cruel face I knew he had spotted us. I pretended not to notice, taking the plastic ladel and scooping the red punch into my paper cup. It got harder to ignore his awknowledgement when he started walking up to me from his place by the beige carpeted stairs. I turned to walk away to avoid the confrontation but when I turned I came face to face with Felix. "Hey Felix", I said, trying not to break under the pressure of his stare. I could feel a few heads turn to watch us, waiting for his response to our costume choices. "Hey, uh, Shadow, right?" He replied, his deep brown eyes seemed to try to dig into my core, and it was working. I shifted on my feet nervously. "Yeah, didn't really think you knew my name", I said. I decided that if I was going to get in trouble anyway, why not have a little bit of fun. "Is there something I can help you with?" I asked him politely, showing a small smile, knowing it would bug him. Like I thought, he looked a little surprised, the smug look being wiped off his face.

I was standing on newfound ground, no one had ever talked to either of the twins like that, let alone Felix. It was hard to keep the smile on my face, my courage fading with the glare he set into my gray-blue eyes. "Yeah, Shadow, there is something wrong. You know the rules, the town history and yet you still wore the costume anyway. Do you have any respect for tradition or the hard work of our ancestors? We are a town dedicated to the art of hunting witches and you and your stupid friends mock that by dressing up as the very thing we hunt." He was screaming at me now, everyone in the party was watching and somewhere in the middle of his rant I heard the music stop. Dead silence arose in it's place. I've never seen a face turn that red before but the way the vein stuck out on his brow and steam seemed to come out of his ears made me want to smile more. I heard people rustling behind me, my friends coming to join me. I could feel them standing behind me, ready to take up the fight that was also about them, I guess.

"Felix, I know what the traditions are and we are so grateful for our ancestors' efforts but why should that mean that we are limited to lame costumes during Halloween? Dressing up like a witch doesn't mean you are one, if it did then half of America are witches. Are you yelling at them?, no so leave me and my friends alone. Their freaking costumes, it's not like I'm planning to bomb the town, so calm down!" I decided to just release what I was feeling and that's what came out. It was actually pretty relaxing. Just when I thought he was going to flip the table next to us, he started laughing like a maniac. "You got guts Shadow", he said, "but, seriously, don't EVER break the rules again. This is your only warning." With that he waved his hand above his head, signaling to turn the music back on and walked away.

I turned around to face my friends, a sigh releasing from my lungs. Just before we could talk about it, Dani appeared next to me, looking like she was about to meet a celebrity. "That was soooooo amazing. He didn't even punish you or drag you to his parents! Wooo!" She let out a few more 'woos' and ran back into the crowd. I shook my head jokingly and turned back to my friends. We talked a little bit about the fight before getting back into the party.

I went over to the bar, grabbed a fresh drink in a bottle, and took a big swig of it, heading into the fortress of dancing bodies. "Get Some" by Lykke Li came on when I got to the center, the tall bottle being almost empty, and soon everyone, including me, was grinding on someone. I didn't even know who I was dancing with, I was drunk and this song made me dance like a hoe. Towards the end of the song I got really curious as to who's tall body was up close next to mine but the resuly shocked me. When I looked up I found very drunk Felix Hunter pressed against my back, which took me by complete surprise. The song ended and he slurred something about alcohol and walked towards the bar. I shook my head in disbelief, walking over to the very stairs my grinding parner had come from before the fight. I walked upstairs, searching for the bathroom, and came face-to-hall with a very long room in front of me leading into many other rooms. I saw a door open, a random girl coming out, and there it was, the bathroom.

Walking past various doors that seem like bedrooms and lounges, some with hunting equipment and electronics. One particular room was filled to the brink with gear and weapons and, as I walked by, it gave me the the chills and I walked hurriedly past it. When I got to the bathroom I walked in and locked the door behind me and sighed with relief. I took one of the paper cups next to the sink, filled it with water, and drank it, trying to wash away the bile that was starting to come up due to the alcohol. I cupped my hands and filled them with water to, wiping my face with it. I looked in the mirror, touching the dark brown curls that framed my face. The curls were less defined and were starting to straighten out a little bit but still looked pretty good. My grey-blue eyes looked fierce, more blue at that moment, probably from all the drinks I'd had.

Suddenly, there was a hard knock at the door and it made me jump. "I'm in here, hold on a minute", I said, drying my hands on the disposable towels and tossing it into the trash. "Open up, it's the police!" a gruff voice said from outside the door. I froze, paralyzed in fear. 'Why would the police be coming for me?' I thought to myself, not wanting to move. I heard heavy footsteps in the hallway and a deep voice mumble something I couldn't understand. I heard a click from the door knob, and heard a creak as it opened, and then my vision went black.....