The moment my mind began to drown in a river of questions, my buzzing phone startled me. The combined effect of the nightmare and the startle was paralysing.

Nevertheless, after deciding a demon wouldn't probably have my phone number, I quickly leaned over the side table and grabbed it.

"Laura, you ready? I'll pick you up in fifteen minutes." As soon as I picked up the call, Amanda started yelling.

I wondered what she was talking about, and then a realisation struck me: I had completely forgotten about the Halloween Party.

"Sorry Amanda, but go without me. I've a slight headache," I lied. How was a girl supposed to dress up and look her best only in fifteen minutes? Besides, I needed some lone time to convince myself the dream I just had was nothing but a consequence of the affection I had for the paranormal TV shows.

"No, you can't do this! You promised me..." Amanda began. Suddenly all excitement in her voice was gone. "If you're not going, I ain't going."

Her words laced so intricately with such believable grief made me wonder if she was taking theatre lessons behind my back. The fact she'd been jumping up and down like a small child begging for toffees for past entire month suggested her feelings were true.

"Fine." I sighed. Then my eyes fell on the wall clock. "Amanda, it's just 8. Isn't the party at 9?"

I heard a rather odd sound which must've been her squeak of excitement followed by an abrupt pause.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you it's at Mandy's?" She said wonderingly.

"At Mandy's?" My mouth opened as my eyes bulged with surprise.

Mandy's was a club located on the outskirts of Silverton. My father didn't allow me even for small parties at friends' places and this one was at Mandy's, one of the stay-away-from places in his words. There was no way he would allow me.

"No, you didn't," I said.

My answer was followed by a sigh and a prolonged screeching sound. I heard her stop her car immediately. The tires skidded roughly against the road. Then, as if nothing had happened, the engine roared on again and with a very casual tone, she said, "Then just hurry up. You can put on make up in my car."

"What was that sound?" I asked worriedly.

"Nothing, a car just came in the way. Anyway, see ya soon." Before I could ask for details or tell her I wouldn't make it, she hung up.

I could've stayed home and watched some movie instead of going to a party in some car which increased my probability of death by nearly 30 %. But it was Halloween, and ever since I was a little girl I'd heard people talking about the exciting Halloween parties hosted at Mandy's. I wasn't a party person, but I wouldn't lie: the thought of this party did excite me.

I hurried to my cupboard and realised the batwoman outfit Amanda had bought for me looked very ridiculous. So I slipped into an usual wear - a blue top and jeans. I pulled over a white woollen sweater, and hurried downstairs towards the kitchen. My father was busy making dinner.

"Laura, you are not going to that party," he said sternly as soon as I opened my mouth for asking permission.

"You spying on me?" I glared at him.

"Amanda had called while you're sleeping," he explained. "And mind you, if you're making all these plans behind my back, I might as well start spying."

"I wasn't. In fact I was about to ask your permission," I said.

He shook his head. He didn't even move from the kitchen table. I stared at his bald head dejectedly.

"Dad, please. It's a simple Halloween party. Besides Amanda promised me there will be no guys." I walked over to him and stood beside him. "Please?"

Instead of answering me, he kept staring at the tomato as if it had just materialised legs of its own.

"Dad-" This time he didn't even bother to hear me through.

"Laura, we had this conversation last time. No means no. I can't let you, it's too dangerous." Suddenly his dark brown eyes widened with fear, and then they returned to the expressionless features he always wore.

"Dangerous? Dad, I'm seventeen and we are in Silverton. If there aren't any thieves around, what are you afraid of? It's not like the moment I step outside, some demon will start chasing me." I joked.

The moment I mentioned demon, my dad flinched and looked at me as though there really was a demon standing behind me, holding his skeletal hand by my throat.

"Preaching about God is one thing, dad. It's noble and believable. But also believing in demons going after your own daughter? You do need some psychology treatment."

He stopped chopping the tomato, and looked deep into my eyes, his face all solemn and grave. "Demons are no joke, Laura," he said, "and I won't let you step out of this house on this malicious day." His stare became unfocused, and he resumed chopping the completely chopped tomato.

"Dad, please."

He raised his hand to silence me. Then he gave me another of his soul-searching stare. "Have you forgotten what Halloween is?"

I nodded.

Halloween is the time when the barrier between the living and the dead becomes blurry. I recalled him telling me this when I was a child. Instead of tales of fairies and dwarves and elves and mermaids, my father had always insisted on telling me tales from the Bible, and strange facts of the paranormal. No wonder most of my friends found me a bit strange.

"Dad, I turned seventeen last month. I am not going to stay home again based on some ridiculous theories you believe." My words perhaps hurt me more than they did him, but it was time I settled the matter.

"Ridiculous theories? Have you forgotten what happened two years ago?" He nearly yelled at me.

"Yes, I do know what it was. It wasn't some demon attack, it was a hallucination. Study my textbook. It makes more sense than these weird fictitious philosophies."

My father looked at me curiously. There was hurt in his eyes, and it hurt me to see him like this.

"Dad," I began and led him to the dining table. I sat beside him and stared into his dark brown eyes. "I know you care about me. But I...I think I'm now old enough to take care of myself. I think it's time you give me some freedom."

After a thoughtful long moment, he nodded. This came quite as a surprise to me. He never even allowed me to go out in the dark, even if I was seventeen. And allowing me to go to a Halloween party was therefore one of the biggest excuses he must've made from his principles.

"Really? Thanks, dad. You are the best." I hugged him and before he'd have a change of mind, which was bound to happen, I headed to the doorway.

"Look, don't drink at all. I know the old guy at Mandy's is too old to notice the difference between a legit ID and a fake one. But mind you, if I-"

"I won't drink," I said immediately.

"And call me if something, anything at all happens. You do have your ring, don't you?"

"Yes." I showed him the ancient ring which was given to him by the priest before dying. Later my father became the next priest, and the ring came into my possession. He'd promised it'd protect me. While a part of me did believe in the idea of enchanted rings, the real reason I kept it had to do with its unique design. The thick ring made up of silver depicted a snake holding an orb in its mouth. My father had said the orb represented the moon, but when I'd asked what the snake symbolised, he flinched. Never again he spoke of it but always made me wear it. And it was fine by me since what woman would reject a precious ornament?

"And-"

"Yes I've got everything I'd need. Please stop worrying about me. I'll be back soon." I hugged him, and closed the door.

Amanda, my childhood friend, had already arrived and was standing against her car, looking pissed. I checked my watch. It was eight thirty. I must've made her wait for twenty minutes at least.

The moment I could see her more properly, I was petrified by the sheer beauty of her. Never in all these years had she looked so...different.

She wore a tight black dress which covered her back legs while gave in at knees in the front, displaying her smooth legs. Her face was flooded with make up, making her features look inhumanly pale. Her jet black hair was a result of hours of talented braiding work, and her lips were painted red. They curled into an excited grin on seeing me.

"Well, hello Miss Vamp." I teased as I approached her.

"And hello, Miss-" She paused and looked at me as if she'd seen a rather boring alien.

"Human." She grunted. "Laura, of all my valuable suggestions, Superwoman, batwoman, demon queen, or even the Greek Goddess Hera, you picked a human, a puny little human?" Disapproval flooded out of her.

"I didn't get time to shop." I lied. To be honest, I never really appreciated the idea of costumes. It had to do with the tale my father had told me about Halloween. It was so strange that it made me shut myself in my room, and go to sleep with a badminton racket during every Halloween, until I realised I'd brains of my own.

Halloween was supposedly one of the gravest times in the ancient world, when the freaks came to feast on humans. So humans would cover themselves with the blood of the fallen to disguise themselves as dead. They would play dead and escape certain cruel death. And now, this event had turned into a merriment. It felt as an insult to those smart survivors. But naturally I didn't tell this to my friends or they wouldn't think twice before sending me to an asylum.

"Anyway, get in." She rolled her eyes. I hopped in and she sped up the car.

"Don't be surprised if you don't find any dates," she said while turning up the radio.

I didn't quite pay attention as my heart was running at a greater speed than Amanda's car; she was a terrible driver. I wished I'd heard what she'd said. The only word dates would have been sufficient to make me run back home, and avert the near disaster.

It wasn't because I hated dates, I did enjoy them. But the time didn't feel right. It was a crucial time for me to build my career, and I wouldn't risk it for a stupid fling.

"Honestly, I thought I was going to need one complete hour to pick you up. Your old man is too strict!" Exclaimed Amanda.

"Yeah, I was convinced he wouldn't let me go. It's a surprise he did," I said. I wondered if he had slipped another piece of supposedly enchanted jewellery in my purse.

"You know what, sometimes I really wish my parents were a bit more like yours. I'd spend entire week away from house and they wouldn't bother to give me a single call," Amanda said. A glint of sadness appeared in her eyes.

"Trust me, it's better to be ignored than be looked after for every single second. I mean it's not like I hate my dad for taking interest in everything I'm up to, but things would be easier if he just gives me some space, you know?"

"If by 'some space' you mean boyfriends, and dates, and crazy wild parties, quit lying. I know you hate these things. It's an odd thing, but certainly a good thing that you don't say no to halloween parties."

"I don't hate dates. It's just that I don't think now is the time for all that stuff. Exams are coming, and if we start dating guys now, I won't get qualified for the internship program and that'd be disastrous," I said.

"God, tell me when did we become friends? You sound like my archenemy."

I smiled. But suddenly the smile on my face disappeared as a graveyard rose in our vision. My eyes snaked along the various rows of graves, until they steadied on one, and I felt as if all air around me was gone.

"Laura, you wanna wait for some time?" Amanda asked me meekly, following my eyes. The roar of the engine died, and we stopped by the fence.

I didn't answer her, but kept staring at my mother's grave. From this far it was hard to make out the words. But from my hundreds of visits, the words were carved in my head.

Olivia Hannigan
A wife, and a loving mother

When I was born, my mother had to die. She died because of me. No matter how many times people convinced me that it wasn't true, I knew the truth. How else could my birth date match with the day she died? When almost everyone cheered on their birthdays, I would spend mine at the grave yard, mourning for someone whom I hardly knew or remembered. I'd spent them alone with only Amanda as my company.

Though my dad took good care of me, a part of me always missed mother, who wouldn't? Over the years, after millions of tears of mourning and millions of times of viewing her photos, whether my mind had remembered it or imagined it, I could feel a warm glow rise in my head along with the unpleasant guilt whenever I thought about my mother.

I didn't blame myself for my mother's death. I was a medical student and was well aware of what could have gone wrong. But the strong feeling of guilt I somehow felt was unexplainable.

"It's okay," I said after a minute. "We should head to the party."

Amanda asked if I was sure, and then started the engine. Soon the car was going at a deadly speed, but no longer my heart raced with it. It was still in the graveyard, mourning for the mother I never knew.

It was when the graveyard was but a distant point that I realised my answer to Amanda was a lie. I wanted to be there at her grave. I wanted to stare at it all night long. I wanted to embrace the cold gravestone and feel her warmth through it.

I rested my head against the closed window, and kept staring at the racing trees and shrubs. Nature never failed to soothe me.

My line of thoughts, or rather my another session of mourning, was disturbed when Amanda unexpectedly halted.

"Dammit! I just got this car serviced last month!"she exploded. Surprised, I looked here and there frantically, and noticed steam rising from the bonnet. We both hurried towards the hot engine.

"Damn! this looks bad," she said disappointedly. "We need a mechanic. Where are we gonna get a mechanic in this wilderness?"

"Let's call Michael or Percy." I suggested.

"I doubt they'd come. The party must've started, and all our friends must be there by now," Amanda said.

"Hey, you said no guys are coming to the party!" I yelled. "Why do you play these games, Amanda? Don't you know how much my father would freak out?"

"I don't know about that, but currently it's only you who's freaking out. So chill, and besides, there's no party without boys." She rolled her eyes to which I gave her a death glare. "Now focus on important things like getting out of here."

I'd just opened my mouth to launch another complain, but she shushed me by loudly screaming Bazinga.

"Time to call my Charlie boy. Boyfriends can never refuse their mistresses, can they?" She grinned like a maniac, and not for the first time I wondered what exactly was in her that boys found so irresistible.

"What did you just say?" Amanda glared at me, and I realised besties have this weird ability of reading each others' faces with unnatural accuracy.

Before I could react in anyway, a strong male voice from behind me surprised the hell out of me. It was as if this person appeared from thin air. Either that or he was a really good stalker.

"Well, I know a thing or two about cars, ladies."

I turned to meet his gaze, and the moment my eyes met his, every cell of my body froze. I had to pinch myself to realise this was not another hallucination; this was reality.

As I stared into his deep blue eyes, I became certain all my dreams weren't meaningless figments of my imagination. I realised they had to mean something, anything.

"Who are you?" My voice was so shocked and unsteady, I wasn't even sure whether it sounded anything like English.

He stepped toward me and with all effort I could muster, I refused to step back as my heart commanded. Within moments he was so near me that I could feel his breath. He gently placed his hand on my cheek, and moved a strand of hair off my face. His touch spread tingles all across me.

Then he took another step toward me so that his lips were only an inch away from mine, and whispered a line that confirmed all my nightmares had to do something with reality.

"Don't you already know me, sweetheart?"