Dark Dreams (COMPLETED)

Scared to death

I didn't know what to make of what had just happened. I told Kiki I needed to wet my face with cold water and headed to the girls' restroom. The icy water wasn't enough, so I decided to enter one of the stalls so I could calm down away from prying eyes.

Suddenly, I heard a noise. I opened the door slightly and saw Haya and Fanny come in. Haya had found a costume which incorporated her veil, which had become the hair of a vampiric Jasmine, while Fanny had disguised herself as the vampire version of Alice in Wonderland. They both seemed drunk.

"Are you sure there's no one around?" asked Haya anxiously.

"Don't worry, Amir's not here," said Fanny, taking her hand. "When are you leaving that loser?"

She approached Haya. The two began to exchange a Sapphic kiss which was far too sensual and steamy for someone who wasn't supposed to be there, like me. I closed the door to avoid seeing what was causing their moans of pleasure.

That's who was kissing Haya in the photo. It wasn't me but Fanny, who had the same hair color. I could eliminate her from my list of suspects as well.

After a few minutes, which seemed to last forever, I cautiously ventured out of the restroom. Fate was testing me: a few yards before I reached the door of the main hall, I ran into Amir.

"Look who's here, the troublemaking tennis player," he said, looking at me.

"Did you see anything strange during the Elite Party I went to?" I asked him directly.

I knew something that could ruin him, which gave me a newfound confidence.

"Maybe, maybe not," he laughed.

"Damnit!" I screamed, threateningly. "It's not a joke! Your friends might have done something really bad, Amir. Tell me what you know."

"I'm sorry, but my father taught me not to do anything for nothing," he said in an obnoxious voice. "And, since a girl like you has nothing to offer me, I'll never tell you what I know."

Then he did know something.

Reluctantly I said the words that made me feel like the kind of person that I'd never wanted to become: "I know something about Haya."

His eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and anger. I was sure he suspected something already.

"Tell me what you know if you want me to talk," I said defiantly.

"Okay," he said, crossing his arms, which were wrapped in the bandages that made up his mummy costume. "If you want to know something you have to talk to Meilin, she saw everything. Now it's your turn."

I blinked repeatedly, stunned by my discovery.

"So?" he asked impatiently.

"I saw Fanny kissing Haya," I said, looking away.

If the taste in my mouth was that of victory, then being on the winning side must really suck.

I shuffled along until I found myself on the dance floor, where Jay was waiting for me.

"Where are Dick and Kiki?" I asked.

"They went to get a drink," he said, shrugging his shoulders, which were covered by a blue tailcoat like the ones worn by Disney princes. "Will you dance with me, Little Red Riding Hood?" he asked, bowing.

I accepted, smiling. I thought it must be funny for onlookers to see the vampire versions of Prince Charming and Red Riding Hood dancing together. In Jay's arms, for a second I forgot about the strange fortune teller and what I'd found out about Meilin. As we danced gently to the rhythm of a gothic ballad, I was lulled by his sea scent.

"Sarah..." he whispered, pulling me close to him.

Suddenly there was a thud and then a noise like something short circuiting.

All the lights went out.

Students started screaming and running in every direction. I could hardly see anything and lost Jay in a flash. I tried not to move too much since I was couldn't walk without tripping.

Suddenly, someone came up to me.

"Jay?" I asked softly.

A gloved hand covered my mouth. Two eyes slowly came closer to my own, while the faint light of a candle in the distance outlined what appeared to be a skeleton.

I started breathing heavily.

In response, he pointed something ice-cold at my belly.

A gun.

He approached my ear and in a metallic voice asked: "Are you really willing to do anything to get my help?"

I nodded frantically.

I just wanted to get that gun away from me as fast as I could.

In less than a second he'd disappeared into the shadows, unaware of having struck me like the heaviest of rocks.

After a few minutes, the lights came back on.

I stood there staring into space and thinking that perhaps I was the only person in the world who'd been so close to Urban Skull.