The warm rays of the sun made its way through the tinted glass of my car. Its warmth crawled through my skin, though it didn’t make me break a sweat. I parked my car in its usual spot in school. I checked myself again in the mirror: smoky eye shadow, penciled eyebrows, red-tinted cheeks, and peachy lips. I smoothened down my white dress, which is layered over with lace appliqués and has puff sleeves. I put on my red cloak, got out of the car, locked it, and strode confidently towards the school building.
It looks like the students have put some effort this year: beautifully carved pumpkins were everywhere, a banner hung on the entrance door that said, “Welcome, Springvale High, monsters!” and fairy lights were strung above the entrance door. Many were dressed as witches or wizards. Some wore black overalls, some being hideous and monstrous, and some I just couldn’t make out as to what they were trying to be.
My friends and my boyfriend were waiting for at my locker.
“Awe, here goes our little red riding hood! Where’s your big bad wolf?” Jenna, who was dressed as Alice, teased.
“Right over there, but it seems like he didn’t dress up as a wolf,” I said, frowning at Callum, who wasn’t dressed as anyone. “I’m not into costumes. You know that,” he argued, putting an arm around me. “Enough, lovebirds. Let’s go and spook these jerks out,” Caroline (Maleficent!) said.
On the way to class, we bumped into the school’s best psycho. Jody Mullen. The school’s witch, as we like to call her. She might’ve been a pretty one, if only she would brush her frizzy red hair and if she would dress like a mundane. She needed not a costume. “Watch out, witch. You don’t know who you’re bumping into,” I hissed at her at the same time glaring.
“I’ve had enough of your spiteful words, Raven. Be careful of what you say. Your friends may die,” she warned. A threat. She stormed past us, and so we went on, never really caring about what she said. This time, though, her words echoed in my ears. Sure, I’ve done some pretty bad things to her… I shouldn’t be caught off guard by her words, but somehow those phrases fill my veins with such a cold feeling…
I brushed away bad thoughts throughout the day.
Still.
“You guys go to the party. I’m not feeling well.”
“What? Are you sure? Come on, Raven,” Callum said. “I’m sure,” I reassured him. “Well, it wouldn’t be bad if I drove you home. You girls take my car,” he said, throwing his keys to Jenna. “Okay. You take care of yourself, Raven. We’ll chop some heads for you, girl!” she giggled.
Callum walked me to my car, his right arm thrown over my shoulder. He tried to talk me into thinking that I’m not sick, that I just needed to eat or something. I stayed quiet. He kissed my cheeks goodbye, and walked out into the wild.
I took a bath, ate a bowl of Cheerios even though it’s 6:00 pm, and went into bed.
When I closed my eyes, that’s when it happened.
I was in a dark forest. I can hear the hooting of the owl and the sound of the crickets.
“Raven,” a hooded figure behind me said.
“Who are you?”
It lifted its hood to reveal an old woman. Her face was wrinkled. She had large, blue eyes that stared creepily at me. She had long, white locks. She had blue, sharp talons on her hands.
“It doesn’t matter. I know the things that you have done to everyone, Raven. Now, it’s payback time. This would have never happened if only you stayed away from her.”
“From who? What is this about?”
My knees were shaking. My voice trembled with fear. She bared her tongue, which looked like a snake’s.
“You know who.”
Jody. When she first came to school, she had warned us to stay away from her. But all I did was the opposite. She’s behind this. Her threat. I started to back away from the old hag. I ran. I ran as far as my legs could carry me. The hag disappeared, but her voice echoed through the forest, “Run. Run. You can never hide, young lady. You must pay. Death is the answer!”
I ran still, hoping to get away with everything. I woke up, my body beaded with sweat. My shirt clung to my skin. I was breathing hard. My phone buzzed. Jenna sent me a text. I was terrified with the content:
Dead. Dead. Dead.
I screamed at the top of my lungs, just as Jody Mullen pierced a knife through me.
Please.
Help.