Bahamas Porn

“What are we going to wear?”

Jeff was sick of hearing it. He could have given less than a shit about throwing on a hot latex mask and prancing around the neighborhood. It wasn’t bad enough that he was twenty-five years old being forced to celebrate a kid’s holiday, but Halloween would be eight years to the day his high school sweetheart had been killed in a car accident, and it was a night he preferred not to remember. Unfortunately, his new girlfriend, Tracy, was insistent, absolutely adamant that they “would” dress up, they “would” go out, and Jeff had little or no choice in the matter.

That particular afternoon, Tracy had been dragging Jeff to nearly every godforsaken costume shop in the city looking for the perfect ensemble. Fred and Wilma? Ricky and Lucy? Sharon and Ozzy? Jeff’s head was throbbing. All he wanted was an escape from Tracy’s tireless journey, but he knew it would never happen without a confrontation, and he hated confrontations with Tracy. The statuesque blonde was beautiful, but she could be a viper when she wanted.

They stood at a rack in what could have been the sixth or seventh costume shop that day, Jeff shifting uncomfortably back and forth on his feet, watching Tracy rifle through the costumes.

“Tracy, I don’t really give a shit, would you just pick some goddamn thing?” As soon as the question left his mouth, he knew it was a dive off the deep end. He could see the hurt cross her face almost immediately, and he wondered why he could never keep his mouth shut at key moments in his life.

“Jeffrey, I’m sick of this,” Tracy said, brushing her long hair impatiently out of her face, “you’ve been moping around all afternoon, you haven’t contributed a damn thing, and you’ve been ignoring me. I’m asking you to do this one thing and you can’t even do it.”

“You know how much I hate Halloween,” Jeff said firmly, “I always have, but–”

“Oh, boo-hoo, don’t start with the sob story again, Jeff, I’m sick of hearing it. Get the fuck over it.”

Jeff’s head was still throbbing, but now he could feel his face flush red with anger. Tracy could be brutally insensitive when she really tried. In his heart, he knew it wasn’t anything malicious, it was just the way she was. But it hurt nonetheless.

“Thanks, sweetheart, for being so kind and understanding about this.”

Tracy sighed in frustration and looked at him earnestly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. It’s been eight years, Jeff, why can’t you let it go?”

“We’ve talked about this, it’s just not that easy.”

“Why isn’t it that easy?” For a moment, Jeff thought he could see genuine hurt in her eyes. “Do you still love her?”

“Of course I do. I never had any reason not to love her, I’ll always love her.”

“You have to move on,” she said frankly.

“I know. I “have”. I’ve moved on, why do you think I’m here with you? I just…this is the one night I’d prefer not to remember. It’s the one night I don’t want to celebrate. It’s too hard. You’ve never done what I’ve done, it’s just too hard.”

Tracy’s face softened a little. “Jeff, you didn’t do anything, it wasn’t your fault, it was an accident.” He supposed she was right, it hadn’t really been his fault, it had been a drunk driver who plowed into his little car. But still, if he had been paying attention, he might have seen the guy coming sooner…

“Look,” Tracy said softly, “we don’t have to dress up, but please come with me to Charlie’s party–” Jeff could feel himself starting to grumble “–I know, I know you want to sit at home and brood, but I think it’ll be fun, and I think it’ll be good for you to get out. Please do this for me.”

She gave him “the eyes,” and he knew he was going to give in. With a gaze of her blue eyes, she could get anything. Homecoming queen, prom queen, as a high school girl Tracy had taken everything she wanted, and still as a twenty-two year old college student, there was no denying her a thing. In all honesty, they had very little in common, but she had been too beautiful for Jeff to pass up. He knew she used her looks to get what she wanted, and it never really bothered him.

“Okay,” Jeff said with resignation in his voice, “I’ll go with you to the party.”

Tracy clapped excitedly and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, thank you, thank you, honey. I promise you’ll have fun.” She pressed her lips to his, her tongue slipping through his lips, against his own tongue. He never quite lost the tingle he experienced when she was close to him, when she kissed him. She broke the kiss and smiled seductively. “I promise,” she whispered, “I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

“I’m sure you will.”

She pulled away from him and glanced at the clock on her ever-present cell phone. “I have to go, baby, I’m getting my nails done at three.” She pecked him quickly once more on the cheek and turned to go.

“Tracy?”

She turned back to him, the light from the shop windows striking her hair perfectly so that she absolutely glowed. “Mm-hmm?”

“I’m sorry I was such a pain in the butt about this. I’m trying to get better.”

She smiled sweetly, showing the perfect rows of white teeth her parents had paid big bucks for when she was a kid. “It’s okay, I forgive you.”

And then she was gone.

* * *

Jeff wandered the grounds of his college campus for the rest of the afternoon. The North Carolina air had turned crisp and cool, and he admired the lush reds and oranges of the trees that covered the tiny southern campus. The bittersweet smells of the season filled his nose, bringing with them mixed emotions.

Halloween was in three days, and Jeff was dreading every second of it. The first Halloween after Lilah had died had been the worst imaginable. Jeff, at only eighteen years old, had spent that particular holiday hidden away in a motel room with a bottle of rum and a shotgun, waiting for the moment when he would gather up the courage to use it. The moment wouldn’t come, not that night, and not Halloween the following year. The pain, like all pain, had eased away slowly, but it never died completely.

Two years after Lilah’s death, Jeff began wandering out to the woods near the spot where Lilah had died every Halloween. He was far from being an avid outdoorsman, but he discovered that in the quiet of those nights, he could find peace. He never had to listen to groups of noisy kids roaming the neighborhoods or, even worse, groups of drunken teenagers and college kids. Agreeing to go to a party with Tracy would mark the first time in six years Jeff wouldn’t be spending Halloween alone in the quiet wilderness.

He had expected that his life would change when he started dating Tracy, and it certainly had. Jeff supposed it was why he had stayed with her, he knew he needed a change. He had stayed single for almost eight years, even through four years of college, to avoid the pain of lost love, but it came to a point that he realized there was no way to avoid that. Life was full of pain, and he just had to deal with it.

When he was ready to start dating again, Jeff sought out the most beautiful, most lively woman he could find, and he had found it in Tracy. She was gorgeous, she was full of life, she was full of attitude, and she never tried to hide any of it. But in the end, she had changed Jeff for the better, had helped bring him out of his shell, and in a small way, he owed her his life for it. Despite the fact that she could be obnoxious, sometimes downright mean, she understood the man that Jeff could be, and she never stopped trying to bring it out of him.

With all that in mind, Jeff found himself walking to the flower shop just outside the campus. It was the least he could do for acting the way he had that day. Tracy was just trying to have some fun, trying to have some fun “with” him, and he’d moped all day long in return. He shelled out forty dollars for a dozen beautiful roses, of course Tracy’s favorite.

Tracy’s condo was in a nice gated community about two blocks away. Tracy’s parents had decided they felt more comfortable with her living in her own apartment than on campus, and she certainly hadn’t argued. The irony was that far more illicit things had gone on in that apartment than Jeff had ever seen on campus. Jeff had freely fucked Tracy in every room she had, and it was much more comfortable than a dorm room.

He smiled at the thought as he climbed the stairs to Tracy’s third-floor condo. He was already feeling a slight tingle in his groin; post-fight sex was always, “always” the best kind of sex.

Jeff reached Tracy’s door by the time he remembered she’d said she had an appointment to get her nails done. He checked his watch. 3:15.

He was about to leave when he heard a faint noise from inside the apartment. He reached out and tested the knob. The door was open.

Later, part of him would regret not just walking away and living in ignorance. When he stepped into the living room, he could hear the sound a little louder, and his ears told him it was a sound that his brain didn’t want to hear. He tiptoed through the living room, down the hallway to Tracy’s bedroom door. The door was cracked just a little, just enough to see the bed inside and what was happening on it.

Jeff could feel his stomach drop and his mouth go dry. There was that body he’d lusted after daily, that perfectly tanned, athletic body with all the right curves in all the right places. Tracy’s head was thrown back in ecstasy, and straddled between her thighs was the head of another man, his tongue thrusting between her wet lips as she ground her crotch onto his face, her hands grasping his hair trying to push him closer. Jeff’s barely functional mind recognized it as one of Tracy’s favorite positions, and he could see that the man was enjoying it as well. Behind Tracy, the man’s large cock was throbbing relentlessly, begging for release.

Jeff’s head was spinning. He was frozen there, staring at his girlfriend. He could barely see anything but her face, her beautiful face, her eyes squeezed shut as she bit her lower lip. A violent shudder ran through her and she cried out loudly as the man brought her to a rippling orgasm. She stayed there for a moment as it passed, and when she moved off the man, Jeff could see that it was Charlie, that fucking asshole Charlie whose party Tracy had been begging Jeff to attend on Halloween. The irony bit into Jeff’s brain like a drill.

Tracy twisted around on the bed, and immediately sucked the full length of Charlie’s cock into her mouth, down her throat. Charlie cried out as Tracy pumped her mouth up and down his member. His hands went to the back of her head, forcing her to take it deeper each time, his hips pumping against her mouth.

She was loving every minute of it, Jeff knew it. It was the way she was. She would never change, not for him, not for anyone.

Charlie’s primal moan changed gradually into almost incoherent words, “God damn it, you fucking whore, swallow all of it.”

It was more than Jeff could bear. As he swung the door open, the squeaking of the hinges caught Tracy’s attention. She glanced over and saw him. His head swimming, things began moving in slow motion for Jeff; Tracy’s eyes widening, Tracy pulling her mouth off Charlie’s still pulsing member, Tracy bolting upright and covering herself with a sheet, like she was hiding something he’d never seen.

“Hey, Tracy.”

“Jeff!”

Charlie, in an impressive display of poise and grace, rolled himself off the bed to the floor with a loud thump. He stayed there and didn’t bother to get back up, as if Jeff hadn’t seen him already. Jeff could only stand in disbelief as Tracy cringed behind her sheet, her eyes full of horror and embarrassment.

“If you’re going to cheat on me,” Jeff said calmly, “the least you could do is lock the fucking front door.”

“Jeff, I…I–”

“Shh,” Jeff whispered, pressing a finger to his lips. He slowly approached the bed, and Tracy pulled away as if he were going to hit her. Instead, he held the bouquet of flowers in her direction and waited for her to take them.

“These are for you.”

Tracy regarded the flowers with a furtive eye as if Jeff were handing her a rattlesnake. Very slowly, she reached out and took them.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted in the store today,” Jeff said, “it wasn’t fair of me, and I apologize. Goodbye, Tracy.”

Jeff turned to leave, then stopped in his tracks. “Hey, Charlie? If I ever see you again, prepare yourself.”

Jeff exited the room and made his way back out to the living room. Before he could leave, Tracy came running down the hall, still wrapped in the sheet, her eyes full of tears.

“Jeff, wait, please,” she pleaded, “I’m so sorry, it was a mistake, I didn’t mean to, I just…I don’t know, I don’t know what I was thinking…”

Jeff looked at her, sadness creeping into him. She looked so pathetic standing there, sobbing like she’d lost her best friend. In almost a year since they’d started dating, he’d never seen her look pathetic. She was always so put together, so in control, but now she was losing the one thing that had always been a sure thing.

There would be no Happy Halloween party for Tracy this year. Jeff knew the kind of guy Charlie was, and it wasn’t exactly the commitment kind. Charlie would never listen to Tracy and actually remember what she said, he’d never spring for a nice romantic dinner for her birthday, and he sure as hell would never buy her flowers when they fought. Tracy’s parents would despise the deadbeat Charlie if he even stuck around long enough to meet them. If it was a stable, giving relationship Tracy was looking for, and Jeff knew it was, she wasn’t going to find it with Charlie.

And he felt bad. A slow, creeping guilt was beginning to sneak into his gut. Maybe he could give her a second chance.

“Please, Jeff,” Tracy said, “I’m sorry.”

He reached out and tenderly brushed away a tear from Tracy’s face. “Tracy,” he said softly, “I hope you’re happy. Don’t ever come near me again, you vicious cheating whore.”

And without hesitation, he left.

* * *

Jeff didn’t sleep a wink that night, and the next day wasn’t much better. He found it nearly impossible to concentrate on practically everything. Work that morning at the coffee shop he managed was unbearably slow, and what was worse was that the shop was one of Tracy’s favorite hangouts. Every time the little bell over the door rang, Jeff tensed up, worried it was her, wondering what she had come to say. Fortunately, she never showed up.

As if work wasn’t bad enough, Jeff still had two three-hour classes to attend that night. He vaguely considered skipping, but decided it was silly. He was an adult, he was paying for his own grad school education, and the idea of wasting a single cent of that money was ridiculous.

Jeff was like a zombie through his first class, an international business course that bored the living hell out of him on a regular basis anyway. Even his second class, a lively French class taught by an enthusiastic little Frenchman, held his interest little. He sat in a daze, counting the minutes until the professor gave them a break halfway through the class.

He wandered out to the hall and took a sip from a nearby water fountain to help with his seemingly chronic dry mouth. It was his intention to go outside for a cigarette, but instead he ended up falling onto a bench by the classroom. Anymore, he had very little energy for much of anything, and as badly as he wanted to smoke, he didn’t feel like going all the way outside.

A few moments later, a quiet, slight girl dressed all in black with long auburn hair in a ponytail came out into the hall. Jeff glanced up at her. She was in his class, but he couldn’t quite place her name.

“Jeff?”

Damn. She remembered his name, and now he was destined to look like an asshole. He searched for the name over and over in his mind. Lisa? Laura? Something that started with an ‘L,’ he knew it.

“Are you alright,” the girl asked softly. Jeff didn’t think he’d ever heard her speak, now that he thought about it. But she had to have spoken sometimes; it was a full participation class. Maybe he just never listened.

“Huh?”

“Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

Jeff snapped out of his trance. “Uh, yeah, I’m fine, sorry…um…” What “was” her name?

“Lauren.”

“Lauren, yeah, I know,” he said with a weak smile. He would have been so close. She gave him a look that said she didn’t believe him, but it was quickly replaced by concern.

“You’re sure you’re alright? You’re just not speaking out in class like you usually do, and…well, frankly you look sick.”

Jeff sighed deeply and nodded his head. “I know, I look like hell. It’s nothing, just a thing with my girlfriend.”

She sat down beside him, and for the first time, he noticed how wonderful she smelled. It was a mixture of scents he couldn’t quite place, something sweet and flowery. He glanced over at her. She was a slight girl; thin but not too thin, and she had a kind of unassuming presence that made Jeff not notice her before. Then again, being apart from Tracy was making him notice a lot more.

Lauren’s mannerisms made her seem nervous, or maybe she was just nervous around him. Right from the start, her character seemed to be the exact opposite of Tracy’s, and that made Jeff comfortable.

“Anything you want to talk about,” she asked.

“Not really. I appreciate it, though.”

“Okay,” she said, nervously running her fingers through her hair. “Listen, I was wondering what you were doing later?”

Jeff couldn’t help but frown. Was she actually asking him out? This timid, quiet little flower of a girl was actually hitting on him? His brain wasn’t even close to being prepared to handle this kind of situation.

“Uh…”

“Oh, no,” Lauren said quickly, “I didn’t mean it that way, I know it sounded like…”

“No, it didn’t sound like what it sounded like…” Jeff laughed quietly, and Lauren joined him. The conversation wasn’t going the way either of them had expected.

“What I meant,” Lauren said, “is that you’re the best student in this class, and I really need some help. I’d buy you a cup of coffee if you could give me a hand before the test tomorrow night.”

French wasn’t exactly what Jeff wanted to be thinking about, let alone a test, the very test he had completely forgotten about. He could think of a million reasons to turn her down, but he was going to need the help as well. Maybe playing the role of wise old tutor would give him a necessary distraction.

“Okay, I’ll help you.”

“Great,” Lauren said excitedly, “I really appreciate it. I heard there’s a really great coffee shop down on Main street, have you ever heard of it?”

“Yeah,” Jeff said, referring to his own coffee shop, “I’ve heard about it once or twice. Want to walk there after class?”

“Absolutely. Thank you so much.”

“No problem. I’ll see you back in class.”

Jeff stood up and made his way down the hall. He decided to have that cigarette after all.

* * *

Class ended around 10:30, not soon enough for Jeff, who had been fidgety for the entire three hours. When his mind started focusing again, he realized that his notebook was covered in the tiny drawings of flowers and animals Tracy had meticulously cranked out when she was bored. It was disquieting not being able to look at something as simple as his French notes without thinking of her. He hoped Lauren kept her own notes, otherwise he’d get nothing done that night.

They met up after class and walked silently across campus to the coffee shop. Jeff found that he didn’t have much to say to this girl, nor did he have the energy to try. If it was good conversation she wanted instead of awkward silence, she had come to the wrong place.

Despite his lack of focus and attention, Jeff took notice of how pretty Lauren actually was. Though she seemed to be nervous around him, her general movements were smooth and graceful, as if she were completely at peace with herself and the world around her. At somewhere around five-foot-four, she was at least six inches shorter than he was, and the way she carried herself on her small frame, her arms folded, her movements slight, made her look even smaller. Regardless, there was something about her Jeff would have found extremely attractive under normal circumstances.

They reached the coffee shop around eleven o’clock. Although it was open until one in the morning, customers were fairly scarce as it got later, and the place looked mostly empty. As they stepped onto the sidewalk outside the shop, Lauren stopped and sniffed the air.

“Mmm, smells wonderful,” she said, “have you been here before?”

“On occasion,” Jeff said, “come on, I can recommend something–”

Jeff was interrupted as the front door swung open, and the single worst possible feeling shot through his stomach like a shotgun blast. Tracy stepped out of the shop onto the sidewalk directly in front of him. There would be no escape for him this time, and he was forced to face the one person in the world he didn’t want to see.

Tracy seemed surprised to see him, but her face softened immediately as if she had been looking for him.

“Jeff…”

“No, Tracy, I don’t think now is a good time to talk.” He glanced over at Lauren, who had stepped away and was trying to fade inconspicuously into the shadows. Tracy threw a disinterested glance in her direction as well.

“Please, I need to talk to you.”

“We don’t have anything to talk about.”

“Jeff, I love you.”

The words hit him like a ton of bricks. Had she said that to him before? Had he said it to her? Did it even “mean” anything anymore?

“You love me enough to cheat on me,” Jeff said quietly, hoping Lauren wouldn’t have to listen to any of their conversation.

Tracy’s face registered frustration, and Jeff knew, ironically, she was tired of him bringing up the subject. “I didn’t–it was a mistake, I know that. You said it yourself, you were being a pain in the ass yesterday. You told me you still loved what’s-her-name–”

“Oh yeah, okay,” Jeff said, not masking his irritation, “yeah, I did say I still loved ‘what’s-her-name’, as you so kindly put it. You knew “exactly” what I meant when I said that.”

“How am I supposed to be in a relationship knowing you still love another woman?”

“I can’t believe how goddamn irrational you are, Tracy.”

“What?”

“Do you stop loving your grandparents when they die? Your parents? Your best friend? So me still loving my dead girlfriend is a little different than you going off and fucking whatever jackass loser you find.”

Jeff could see the rage taking over Tracy’s face. He knew he was in it up to the neck now, but he didn’t care.

“Okay, fine,” Tracy said, trying to keep her voice calm, “I gave you a chance, Jeff, but you “blew” it. I gave you a chance to come back to me, but you know what? There’s about a million guys in this town who are much better fucks than you are, and I could have any one of them.”

“Well, Tracy,” Jeff said, finally seeing his chance, “I’m sure you’ll have all of them.”

Tracy absolutely glared at him, and if she were a violent person, she no doubt would have decked him as hard as she could by now. Instead, she flung back her long blonde hair and took another look at Lauren, a spiteful look that lingered far longer than seemed comfortable. She turned back to Jeff and jabbed an accusatory finger in his direction.

“Not even a day has gone by and you’re already out with the first fucking loser freak you can find, just like the last one. Have fun worshipping Satan with the little witch, okay?”

One last vindictive glare, and Tracy walked away. Jeff’s heart was thundering in his chest. What would hopefully be their final confrontation was much more unpleasant than he had ever imagined. At least now he wouldn’t have to wait for it to come, he could only hope that he would be able to stay out of Tracy’s way from now on.

* * *

Hardly able to speak, Jeff looked over at Lauren, who was half hiding in the shadows out of the street light. Being lambasted by Tracy was alright for him, he had been expecting it, but she had no right to attack Lauren.

“My God,” he said softly, “I’m so sorry about that.”

Lauren crept into the light, and he could see hurt on her face.

“Let me guess,” she said, “would that be the thing with your girlfriend you spoke of?”

“That would be it.”

“She’s a lovely girl,” she said with no small amount of sarcasm.

“She certainly is. Still feel like coffee?”

Lauren nodded slowly. “We came all this way, didn’t we? If I’m going to be accused of being a Satan worshipper, I’m going to get coffee out of it.”

Jeff nodded in embarrassment. “Good point.”

They entered the shop, and as Lauren stepped up to the counter, Jeff stepped behind it and threw on an apron. She watched him in confusion as he patted the cashier on the back.

“Hey John, why don’t you take a break,” Jeff told the young kid.

Lauren frowned at Jeff. “You work here?”

The kid took off his apron. “Works here? He owns this place.” Jeff smiled at Lauren sheepishly as she gave him an impressed look. The kid left for his break, leaving Lauren and Jeff alone in the shop. Her look turned to mock irritation.

“Very cute,” she said.

“I know, I should have said something. I just love hearing people talk about my shop like that.”

“Yeah, you should have said something, but I guess you’ll have to make it up to me now.”

“I guess so,” Jeff said, “I can make you the best damn mocha you’ve ever had, how about that?”

“It’ll have to do,” she said, smiling at him sweetly.

“Why don’t you go have a seat and I’ll bring it over.”

Lauren wandered off to one of the tables by the window, and Jeff couldn’t help but watch her. She had let Tracy’s comments roll off her so easily, it amazed him. Jeff had seen many people have their self-esteem destroyed by Queen Tracy, but Lauren took it like she had an iron will. Either that or she was used to it.

It took him a couple of minutes to fix up two mochas. By the time he finished, Lauren had her French notes spread out on the table. Jeff handed her a drink and she gratefully took a sip.

“Mmm, that’s great,” she said, “I can’t believe you actually own this place.”

Jeff took a seat. “Yeah, well, I had to do something to put myself through school. If anyone had any idea how many hours I’ve worked in this place, they’d understand why I own it now.”

There was silence as they both took a sip of their drinks, then Lauren put hers down and regarded her endless French notes.

“So,” she said, “I was thinking we could start with–”

“I’m sorry. I really am, Lauren.”

“It’s okay,” she said, glancing at him nervously once again. “I had no idea your girlfriend died.”

“Yeah. Long time ago.”

“Can I ask what happened? You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.”

Jeff sighed. He never liked talking about it, but people always asked, and he felt they deserved to know why he sometimes slipped inexplicably into deep depressions.

“Well,” he said, “it happened eight years ago when I was still in high school. We were in the car over in the mountains and a drunk driver crossed the center line…and that was it. My last Halloween.”

“I was wondering why there weren’t any decorations up.”

“Yeah, I don’t do Halloween, it’s a silly holiday for kids. The employees can do what they want, but they don’t. For my sake, I guess.”

“I’m sorry,” Lauren said sadly.

“It’s okay. Can I ask you something now?”

“Sure.”

“What exactly did Tracy mean by worshipping Satan? Does she know something I don’t?”

Lauren sighed and looked at him resolutely. “Tracy and I have known each other since high school.”

“What? But how–”

“We’re not exactly friends, so don’t be confused, it’s why we’ve never seen each other at the same dinner parties. Tracy’s never been all that friendly with me because she knows I’m a Wiccan.”

“A Wiccan? You’re a witch?”

Lauren blushed visibly and nodded her head. “Yeah.”

“Wow, so you “do” worship Satan,” Jeff said bluntly.

“What?”

“Well, you know, daughters of Satan, dancing with the devil at midnight and all that, right?”

Lauren threw her hands up, genuinely irritated. “You know, if every soul in this culture didn’t watch too many fucking movies, maybe someone would know that we do “not” worship Satan and–”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jeff said, laughing, “it’s okay, I was just kidding.”

“It’s just ignorance, that’s all, I’m tired of–”

“Lauren, I promise, I was kidding. Lilah was a witch, too.”

Lauren paused and looked at him with wonder. “Lilah? She’s the one that died?”

“Yeah.”

“She practiced Wicca?”

“That she did. Very quietly.”

“So explain something to me,” Lauren said, “your high school girlfriend was a practicing witch, and you still believe that Halloween is a silly children’s holiday?”

“Yeah. So?”

“So, she never explained to you the true meaning of Halloween?”

Jeff laughed quietly. The true meaning of Halloween? All of a sudden he felt like Scrooge awaiting the arrival of the three Christmas ghosts. “Bah humbug,” he said gruffly, “I don’t really care to know the true meaning of Halloween. The Ghost of Halloween Past is a nasty son of a bitch. What’s the big deal, anyway? Noisy kids run around dressed up as Harry Potter for free candy. What a swell holiday.”

Lauren shook her head sadly. “Most people never understand. Most people really do think it’s about candy and masks, and that’s all. But there’s so much more, Jeff, there really is. I’m surprised Lilah never told you.”

“Yeah, well, that Halloween she was going to show me something, but I never found out what it was. Sometimes shit happens, I guess.”

“I guess.”

Jeff watched Lauren as she sat quietly, looking out into the night, suddenly transfixed by something. She gazed into the darkness for a long while, her eyes taking on an empty look.

“Lauren?”

Nothing. She continued staring off until Jeff reached out and touched her hand gently. She jumped as if he’d just awoken her from a trance and looked at him with surprise.

“Lauren, you okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” she said. She brushed away a few strands of long auburn hair away from her face, and for the first time Jeff noticed a small silver pendant hanging around her neck. From what little Lilah had taught him about Wicca long ago, he recognized the circular shape as a protection symbol. He wanted to ask if there was something specific she needed protection from, but decided against it.

“You kind of zoned out on me there for a second.”

“Sorry,” she said with a smile.

He gestured to the French notes. “I guess we really ought to get to work.”

“Of course.”

They studied through the night, leaving so many questions between them unanswered.

* * *

Closing time rolled around, and Jeff took a break from studying to close up the shop. He turned off all the lights except one over the table, and made a fresh pot of coffee. Glancing over at Lauren, who was still studying at the table, he noticed the way the light played off her auburn hair, he watched her light blue eyes as she pored over her notes. A slight tingle crept through him, though he couldn’t figure out why. She was certainly attractive, but…what exactly “was” he thinking?

He walked over to the table and poured her another cup of coffee. She smiled at him, and he realized it was her smile that held his attention. Even more than Tracy’s thousand dollar smile, Lauren’s smile was sweet and genuine, without a speck of pretense whatsoever.

“Thanks,” she said, “break time?”

“Yeah,” Jeff said, taking a seat and stretching, “I don’t know how much more I can take. I’m not entirely positive I want to speak this language that bad.”

He sat back in his seat and looked out into the night. It was getting cooler, and he could imagine what it would feel like Halloween night when he would be out in his sleeping bag under the stars. It seemed he would be getting his yearly escape after all.

Lauren, who was watching him carefully, took a sip of her coffee. “So, can I ask you a deeply personal and entirely inappropriate question?”

“Oh my,” Jeff said, “and here I thought you were this shy and resigned young lady, but now you’re going for the hard hitting questions.”

“I’m not as shy as I seem, I just like to keep things to myself.”

“Good point. Please, go on.”

“Well,” Lauren said, “I was just wondering what you were doing with a girl like Tracy. She seems so…”

“Coarse? Cold? Stuck-up? Bitchy?”

“Right,” Lauren said with a laugh, “all of the above.”

“She was a rebound relationship. Well, okay, so I was rebounding from something that happened seven years earlier, but it was still a rebound. She just made me feel alive, I guess. Good or bad, I was alive.”

“It took you a long time to get over Lilah.”

Jeff nodded enthusiastically. “A long, “long” time. You have no idea. Like I tried to explain to Tracy, I’ll never be completely over her. It’s not exactly like we broke up, and it’s not exactly like we had what you girls like to refer to as ‘closure’.”

“You don’t feel…at peace with the whole thing?”

“At peace? No.” Jeff paused and diverted his gaze out into the night once again. “I never got to say goodbye to her.”

There was a long silence as Jeff, for what could have been the millionth time, replayed that night in his head. He and Lilah had made love for the first time that night, and unlike the first time for most people, it had been slow, sensual, passionate, everything that sex between true lovers was meant to be. Even as kids barely eighteen years old, they had known exactly how to touch each other, exactly how to caress and kiss.

Later that night, Lilah had awoken in a panic, mumbling almost incoherently about Halloween and fixing clothes. Jeff tried to calm her as much as possible, but she dragged him out of bed and into the car. She had directed him to take the route along the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of their favorite drives. They hadn’t gotten more than twenty miles before the accident happened.

“What was she panicking about,” Lauren asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” Jeff said, a distant tone in his voice, “she never–”

Jeff froze. His eyes traveled to Lauren, who was watching him intently. He suddenly realized his head was spinning, almost as if he had been drinking. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, but a strange sensation nonetheless.

“I never told you about what happened that night,” Jeff said, “how did you know she panicked?”

Lauren didn’t seem shaken by his question in the least, she only watched him with her powerful hazel eyes. The drunken feeling worsened, and Jeff himself was on the verge of panic, not sure of what was wrong with him.

“I didn’t know she panicked,” Lauren said, “you told me.”

“I never told you anything,” Jeff said, rubbing his eyes with an unsteady hand, “how did you know about that?”

“I heard you. She woke up in a panic.”

“What are you doing to me?” Jeff didn’t know how or why, but whatever was happening to him was because of Lauren. He pushed his seat back from the table and stood on unsteady feet, keeping one hand on the table for balance. By now, the entire room seemed to be spinning around him, and he could feel his brow breaking out in a sweat.

“Jeffrey, I can help you.”

He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, then again rubbed his eyes. “No one calls me Jeffrey,” he said absently, “just Lilah. She called me Jeffrey.”

“I know.”

“What are you doing to me?”

“It won’t last long, I promise,” Lauren said calmly, “why don’t you sit down?”

“I don’t want to sit, I want to know what you’re doing to me, god damn it.” He realized his voice had little or no strength left in it, and even if he wanted to scream at her, he couldn’t. Lauren only sat there quietly and stared at him, trying to see right through him, and he could feel it working. At that moment, her eyes were cold and lifeless as if she were off in another world.

Just as he thought he couldn’t take any more and his feet were about to go out from under him, Lauren stood up, pressed herself close to him, and pressed her palms to his temples. Her touch was cool and soft, and soothed the feverish sensation that had come over him. He had no desire to move, he could only stand there and stare down at her.

“Lauren, what was that?”

“It was nothing, Jeff. I can help you.”

“You can help me…help me what, I don’t understand.”

She gently ran her hands down his face and stroked his cheek. “I can help you understand…everything.”

“Who are you?”

“A friend. Don’t worry.”

“What do we do…” His voice trailed off as he stared into her eyes, savoring the feel of her hands skillfully stroking his cheek. Without understanding what was happening to him, or what she had done to him, he leaned down to her and kissed her softly on the lips. The feel of her lips pressed to his sent a wave of pleasure through his entire body, something he hadn’t felt in years.

He pulled back from her, and she looked up at him, her eyes full of wonder, a glint that slowly changed to lust. Her hands slipped down his face, her arms snaking around his neck, pulling him close to her.

“Kiss me again,” she said, and he complied quickly, this time letting his tongue slip past her open lips, feeling her tongue slide against his own. He could feel her breath becoming heavier, her touch turning frantic. Her arms were locked around his neck, her lips locked onto his, and he could feel his own heart pounding in his chest.

“What you we doing?”

Jeff’s hands slid down her body to the back of her long black skirt, stopping at the curve of her buttocks, issuing a gentle squeeze that made her moan. He could feel her grinding her hips against him, and was suddenly aware of his own body urging him to continue. His cock was aching, pulsing against his jeans mercilessly. At the same time, Jeff realized that the nearly seven inch height difference between the two of them was going to cause a problem in this position.

“You can’t do this…”

Lauren pulled away from him, gazing at him seductively, then glancing back at the table behind her. Without hesitation, Jeff reached behind her and recklessly shoved everything off the table, sending papers and coffee flying to the floor. He put his hands on her hips and helped her hop up onto the edge of the table, her legs dangling over the edge. His heart fluttered as she cast a sexy smile at him.

“I’m too short,” she said playfully.

“Maybe I’m too tall.”

He leaned forward and kissed her, slowly this time, savoring every moment he was touching her. It had never been like this with Tracy, who loved rough, kinky sex. The sensations Lauren was giving him were making him feel more like he did when he was with Lilah…

…”can’t”… ” ”

He stepped up close to the table, his hands dropping to her thighs, and he could feel her willingly spreading them to him. She pulled him close once again, and his hands moved to the bottom of her skirt, sliding the soft material up her slim legs, higher and higher until he could feel her silk panties against his fingers. She moaned loudly as he brushed his fingers against her.

“Mmm, touch me, Jeffrey,” she whispered between kisses.

“No, not her”…

“Please…”

“Please”…

Her scent was filling his head, making him swoon. He couldn’t stop touching her if he wanted. Whatever was happening between them was something he had no control over, and he didn’t think Lauren did either.

He pressed the tips of his fingers against her panties, feeling the contour of her body through the thin material, eliciting another hoarse groan of pleasure from her. He continued to rub gently up and down, her panties quickly growing wet. She began kissing him more frantically again, her motions full of pure lust and need. Through their kisses, he could hear her sighing in ecstasy as he rubbed her harder, and she began gyrating her hips against his touch, raising them slightly off the table to meet the motion of his hand.

Finally, as he felt her shudder, she broke their kiss and looked at him, breathing heavily.

“Fuck me, please, now…”

“No”…

Jeff quickly hooked his fingers through the waistband of her panties and expertly slid them down her shapely legs. He tossed them to the floor, and she wrapped her legs hungrily around his hips…

“Stop, not now, not her”…

He reached for his zipper, practically in a frenzy, his hands shaking as he began to take down his zipper…

“STOP!”

Without warning he cried out and pulled away from her, sweat dripping from his head, his breath coming in quick shallow puffs. His eyes dropped away from her to the floor, his face flushed red and hot, and he felt as if he might faint. Lauren watched him with a mixture of shock and disappointment on her face.

“Jeff? What is it?”

He tried to slow his breath, but felt as if he might be having some sort of panic attack. He bent over, his hands on his knees like he’d just finished running a marathon. “I can’t–I can’t…I’m sorry…”

Lauren hopped off the table and pulled her skirt back down, an action that seemed to embarrass her more than make her feel comfortable. She approached Jeff slowly and laid a hand lightly on the back of his neck as his breathing began to slow.

“It’s okay, Jeff, it’s alright. Here, have a seat.” She pulled out a chair from a nearby table, and he immediately dropped into it. She knelt down beside him and grabbed his hand. The red began to drain slowly from his face, and his breathing returned to normal, but he looked tired and embarrassed.

“I’m sorry,” he said weakly, “I don’t know what happened, I just…I wanted to, but I couldn’t.”

She stroked his cheek again, and it seemed to comfort him a little. “It’s okay, I understand.”

“When you said you could help me, is that what you meant?”

“Not at all, that was just…that was just what felt good. I don’t know what happened to me, I didn’t ask you here for that.”

“Then what did you ask me here for,” Jeff asked, “I’m guessing it wasn’t for a French test.”

“Every once in a while,” she said, stroking Jeff’s hand lovingly, “people call out to me. It’s not something I can explain. I wouldn’t call myself psychic because it doesn’t happen all the time, but sometimes, very infrequently, I can hear people, I can hear their thoughts.”

“So, you can hear my thoughts?”

“Sometimes, yes. Other times, it’s more of a feeling, like a strong magnet pulling me towards someone or someplace. The other night, I got a stronger feeling from you than I’ve ever gotten from anybody.”

“What does it mean?”

“I don’t know,” she said, “it means different things for different people. It’s why I asked you here, and now I know where your pain lies, but I don’t know how to fix it.”

Jeff wiped the back of his hand across his eyes and took a deep breath. Everything had been moving so quickly for the past two days, and now time seemed to be suspended. His mind was working frantically just to keep up, let alone figure out exactly what was going on.

“Lauren, I don’t understand any of this. I mean, what the hell just happened here?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know, that’s never happened to me. I’ve never felt so out of control, all I could think of was…” Her voice trailed off as her face turned red with embarrassment.

Jeff looked up at her earnestly, his body finally pulling itself under control, his hands shaking less. “How are you supposed to help my pain?”

Lauren looked away from him. She slowly got to her feet and pulled over a chair from the table, kicking coffee soaked French notes sheepishly out of her way. She sat down near him and let out a deep breath.

“All I can tell you will be pretty unclear. If I could be less vague, I would be.”

“Well, you brought it up. So tell me.”

Lauren smiled at him, then crossed her legs, being careful not to let her skirt get too high. “Wiccans, like Lilah and me, celebrate Halloween as a sacred holiday called Samhain–”

“Sow-what?”

“Samhain. It’s the name used by the ancient Celts, Gaelic for ’summer’s end.’ The night Lilah was killed, when she woke up in a panic, you thought she mumbled something about Halloween and fixing clothes. Sowing. Samhain. Close, but no cigar.”

“That explains a lot,” Jeff said with a tone of resignation.

“Anyway, Samhain has nothing to do with masks or candy or black cats or goblins or ghouls. Wiccans celebrate Samhain because it’s believed to be the most magically potent night of the year. We believe it’s also the perfect night for divination–”

“Tarot cards, runes…”

“Right, whatever your thing is. I’m glad you’re following.”

“I’m following,” Jeff said, “but I just don’t understand what any of this has to do with me.”

“They say that the eve of Samhain, Halloween night, is the night when the veil between our world and the spirit world is thin enough for the dead to cross over. I think this is important to you.”

Jeff was silent for a long time as his brain attempted to process this information. Everything Lauren had told him made sense, and it would have seemed entirely plausible, except that Jeff in no way believed in magic and ghosts. At the same time, he didn’t believe in people with psychic powers, yet Lauren had managed to read his mind several times since they’d met. Then again, it could have been a fluke.

“So what you’re saying is…”

“I don’t know what I’m saying,” Lauren said.

“You’ll bear with me if I find all of this very difficult to swallow. First, you’re telling me that, uh, you can read my mind. Now you’re telling me that…well, I guess you’re telling me that Lilah could come back.”

“I’m not necessarily telling you that–”

“Then what the fuck “are” you necessarily telling me, Lauren?” Jeff jumped to his feet and began pacing impatiently as Lauren watched him with a hurt look. “You know, tell me something or don’t tell me anything, but if this is some kind of fucking game–”

“It’s not a game!”

“Okay, okay, fine. But what it really comes down to is that you have nothing particularly useful to tell me.”

“I guess not,” Lauren said impatiently.

“Then go,” Jeff ordered, “go now, Lilah, because I really can’t handle this shit right now, and I want you to leave before I say or do something that I’ll regret.”

Her expression looked like she’d been hit with a truck. She stood slowly and turned her back to him and gazed out into the cold night.

“My name is Lauren.”

“What?”

“My name is Lauren. You called me Lilah.”

Jeff’s stomach dropped. Had he? What exactly did that mean? Probably nothing, his mind was racing, twisting everything together. “What the hell”, his tired mind reasoned, “one Wiccan is as good as another”.

“Sorry,” he said softly.

“It’s no big deal,” she said, her head dropping down and looking at the floor. She scanned the floor for a moment, then found her panties near the table. Watching her pick them up off the floor and pull them back on underneath her skirt sent a shiver of guilt through Jeff’s gut. It was something he had seen Tracy do many times after a quick, meaningless fuck, a tawdry action that a girl like Lauren should have never had to do. Jeff looked away.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

Lauren knelt down and began gathering her coffee soaked French notes. “It’s okay.”

“Lauren, when we were…I heard a voice telling me to stop, telling me it was wrong.”

“I heard it too.”

“What was it?”

She finished gathering her papers, then stood up straight and looked at him. “The voice didn’t say it was wrong. It said, ‘not her.’” Again, he could see hurt in her eyes, but she was doing a good job of hiding it. She turned and headed for the door.

“Do you need me to walk you home?”

“Jeff, let’s not make this into a big deal, okay? We made a mistake, let’s not dwell on it. I’ll get home fine, and you can pretend not to know me again tomorrow.”

“I won’t–” Before he could get another word out, she was gone into the night.

* * *

Sixty miles per hour on the Blue Ridge Parkway of North Carolina was a suicidal speed, especially at night with cold weather rolling in. Even with high-beams on, it was pitch black outside, the road was difficult to see, and there was no telling when a big buck might come dashing out of the woods into the road.

Despite all that, Jeff was driving seventy, well above suicidal speed, with no high-beams on, just headlights. The drunk driver who had killed Lilah had been driving seventy, and the crash had been catastrophic. And yet Jeff had only limped away with a shattered ankle, which he now used to press down on the accelerator harder.

Images swept through his mind as he sped through the darkness. The crash. Lilah’s broken and bloody body pinned into her seat. The dizzying flash of police lights. Steel. Glass. Blood.

She hadn’t even screamed.

Thinking back to the accident, thinking back to catching Tracy cheating, thinking back to the day before when Lauren hadn’t even been able to look at him, Jeff could only feel emptiness.

* * *

It was pitch dark and cool as Jeff unloaded his backpack from the trunk. His self-destructive drive down the parkway ended safely as it did every year, and he found himself once again wandering the trails deep into the forest, searching for a campsite by the light of a small, gas-powered lantern.

After negotiating the twists and turns of the backcountry trail for nearly an hour, Jeff found a suitable spot to set up camp. According to his map, he was deep in the Linville Gorge wilderness, exactly where he wanted to be. It took less than twenty minutes for him to get settled in, and by then, the sounds of the woods at night began to swell, serving to take his mind away from everything else.

On his left, the crackle of a tree branch. On his right, the snort of a buck. In front of him, the subtle gurgle of the creek in the gorge below him. And behind him, in the distance…

Laughter?

His mind was playing tricks on him. There were a dozen animals in the wilderness that made sounds like laughter, this according to countless hours watching the animal channel on cable. This deep in the wilderness, away from the noise of civilization, sound carried differently. He couldn’t let Lauren’s tales of Samhain get into his head, her tales of magic and otherworldly veils. None of it existed, and as far as Jeff was concerned, ancient Celtic tradition or not, Samhain was just as hokey as modern day Halloween.

He removed the tiny gas-powered stove from his pack, his stomach growling to recharge after the hike. Back in the world, except for his skills with a coffee machine, he was considered a lousy cook, but out here–

There it was again. Laughter. On his six, as his father used to say.

He turned around and peered through the darkness behind him looking for some sign of life. This late in the season in this particular area, it was unusual to find any other hikers, but not impossible. He turned his attention back to preparing his meal, but not more than a minute went by when he heard more laughter. A woman’s laughter, or more specifically, a girl’s laughter.

A loud sigh escaped his lips. Would he be able to relax for the rest of the night without finding out what it was? Common sense told him he’d been unlucky enough to come across a group of hikers in all these acres of wilderness. If he had, and they were planning on being loud all night, he’d have to pack everything back out and find somewhere else to stay.

He picked up his lantern and headed off in the direction of the laughter. As he wandered deeper into the woods, the trail he followed became narrower and narrower. At some point, the laughter died down, and Jeff stopped in his tracks, listening carefully. Seconds ticked by, then minutes, and as he was about to turn around, the laughter began again, cheerful laughter, the laughter of celebration.

Jeff continued to trudge on through the darkness with no concept of how long he had been walking or how far he had gone. The laughter had seemed so close when he was setting up camp, but as he followed the sound, it seemed to stay the same distance. He had unwittingly become a man obsessed, and despite the fact that he no longer knew where his camp was, he had to find the source of the laughter.

Making things worse, his head had started spinning again, like the night when he had been with Lauren, and he wasn’t sure how long it would be before his legs gave out from underneath him. Here in the woods, deep in the woods away from his camp, it could be entirely unhealthy if he passed out. Through the trees, the laughter died away, and quiet voices began speaking in unison, wavering in and out, Jeff only able to catch small bits of what they were saying…

“Bide the Wiccan laws we must, in perfect love and perfect trust”…

On and on he walked until, finally, the gas in his lantern burned away entirely, and he was left in total darkness. The night, the pitch black, was dizzying, and Jeff no longer had any concept of time or direction.

…”when the wind blows from the West, departed souls may have no rest”…

Jeff blinked his eyes desperately trying to see through the darkness, trying to hone in on where the voices were coming from. Off to his left, there was a faint blue glow through the trees, and Jeff followed it. As he drew closer, he could hear the voices louder…

…”and mind the Wiccan law ye should, three times bad and three times good”…

Jeff stumbled through a collection of brush, and found him at the edge of a tree line. Through the trees, he could see a small clearing, the source of the blue light. In the middle of the clearing sat five young women, all entirely naked. Between them, painted onto the grass, Jeff recognized a pentacle, a five-point star enclosed by a circle.

…”eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, an harm ye none, do what ye will”.

The Wiccan Rede, Jeff remembered it vaguely. Lilah had taught it to him once long ago, but not being a particularly spiritual person, he had lumped it away in the back of his memory, along with the Lord’s Prayer and a host of other spiritual rants he had little interest in.

A voice inside Jeff told him that he’d found what he was looking for, and now it was time to go, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. He watched the girls; most of them couldn’t have been any older than he was, the youngest probably about twenty. They had no source of light, no flashlight, no lantern, and yet all around them was the soft blue glow that Jeff had followed.

Jeff’s attention was pulled away by a short crack behind him as if someone were approaching. He turned, but there was nothing. Without warning, however, he could feel something, or someone, beside him in the dark, and as he turned, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

Lauren.

Where there had been nothing no more than a second ago, stood Lauren, watching him, dressed casually in jeans as if she’d been hiking all night. It suddenly occurred to Jeff that he had to be hallucinating. The fits of dizziness, the irrational behavior, the loss of time and direction, the hallucinations. It could all be explained easily, probably by a brain tumor, and Jeff made a mental note to visit a doctor when he regained control of all his faculties.

“You don’t have a brain tumor, Jeff,” Lauren said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“It’s the only way to explain what’s happening to me. I’m lost in the woods with five naked witches, and you’re here. I either have a tumor or I’m losing my mind.”

“The eve of Samhain is a powerful night, I wish you could understand that.”

“Then explain how you found me out here in the middle of nowhere.”

Lauren smiled at him as if he were an escaped mental patient. “Your entire being is surrounded by the most potent magic force I’ve ever experienced, and somehow I’ve become attuned to it. I could find you in the middle of an avalanche if I had to.”

Jeff’s mind was swimming out of control once again. All he wanted in the world was to understand what was happening to him. He’d never felt so lost in his entire life.

He turned back to the clearing and watched the young women. Two of them, a tall girl with long black hair streaked with red, and a shorter girl with sandy blonde hair, had converged in the center of the circle, kneeling, facing each other.

“What are they doing,” Jeff asked quietly.

“This is a Samhain ritual. They’ve created a circle of power, and soon they’ll call upon the spirits of their ancestors to come and bless them. They’ll take that energy and release it into the universe for the benefit of humankind.”

“Humankind?”

“Just like in other faiths, we believe everything is connected,” Lauren spoke in a whisper, “we’re all part of the energy of the planet. We all share power, and when we take power from the spirits, it’s never for selfish reasons. Tonight, in the Samhain ritual, we bid a temporary farewell to the God before his resurrection at the Yule. It’s this time, when the God crosses over, that the doorway to the spirit world is open.”

Jeff nodded absently.

“I know these girls,” Lauren said, “they’re from a coven in a little town called Valley Crucis, just south of here. The two in the middle, the blonde is Amanda, the black-haired girl is Cassie, they’re the most powerful of the group.”

Jeff laughed deliriously. “And here I thought all witches had names like Sunset Moon or Raven Byrdshite.”

Lauren smiled at him, her eyes gleaming through the darkness. “Drunk on powerful magic, and you’re still a wiseass.”

Jeff turned back to the girls in the circle. The blonde named Amanda slowly reached her hands up to Cassie’s face, gently running them down her neck, over her breasts, down her entire body. Cassie’s eyes closed, and a slight smile played on her lips. As Amanda’s hands reached the ground, Cassie reached up and performed the same motion with the rest of the group watching.

As Cassie’s hands reached the ground, she slowly leaned forward and placed a light, soft kiss on Amanda’s lips. Jeff could no longer hear what any of them were saying, but he could see Amanda’s lips form the words, “love me.”

“What are they doing now,” Jeff said, his head spinning, his mind hardly registering the words coming out of his mouth, “are they lesbians?”

Lauren laughed softly. “Not necessarily. One of the Wiccan laws is that love, love under will, is the only true law. Some witches believe that an act of pure, true love, will strengthen the circle of power, open the mind, free the spirit.”

“An act of love…”

The two girls leaned toward each other again, their lips pressing together, their mouths opening. Amanda’s hand reach up and fondled Cassie’s breast, her fingers squeezing the nipple gently. Amanda broke the kiss, and ducked her head to slowly run her tongue around Cassie’s hardened nipple. Cassie dropped her head back and closed her eyes, her arms reaching around Amanda’s neck to pull her closer.

“An act of love opens the mind…” Jeff mumbled absently. Lauren, paying little attention to what was happening in the clearing, was gazing at him steadily.

“That’s right,” she whispered.

The two girls in the circle moved closer to each other, each one straddling the other’s thigh, their arms wrapped around each other. Their hips began slowly rocking back and forth against each other, quiet moans coming from both of them as they locked their lips together.

“…frees the spirit…”

Their motions became faster and more frantic as each one reached a shivering climax and continued on. Jeff glanced around the outside of the circle, watching the others who were engrossed by the scene. One of the girls turned and looked directly at him, and his heart skipped a beat. Her eyes were black, completely black and empty, but she was looking at him. Her face was familiar…

Lilah.

When he blinked, the girl was once again watching the other girls. Her eyes were normal, her face was unfamiliar. But Jeff had seen enough.

“I have to go,” he said, feeling his hands shaking. Lauren looked at him with concern and put her hand gently on his arm.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I have to go.”

He turned, and with the circle behind him, headed back into the woods, without any idea of what direction he was going. Lauren ran up behind him quickly.

“What is it, Jeff, what did you see?”

“Nothing,” he said impatiently, the unbearable spinning in his head finally slowing, “I didn’t see anything.”

“Where are we going?”

“Lauren, I don’t know. I wandered out here, and I have no idea where I am. There’s something going on here, I don’t like it, and I don’t want to play a part in it any more.”

“You might not have a choice in that,” Lauren said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means, sometimes you don’t have to seek out the spirit world, sometimes it comes for you.”

Jeff stopped and whipped around on her. She jumped as he grabbed her by the arm.

“Stop speaking to me in fucking riddles,” Jeff growled at her, “none of this happened until you showed up, so give me some god damn answers.”

“I don’t “have” any god damn answers,” she cried back, her voice wavering, “I’m only here to help you, but if you don’t want my help, then let me go.” She yanked her arm out of his grasp. “I can’t help you if you don’t stop threatening me,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm.

Jeff looked at her, watched the anger that had come over her sweet face. In spite of that, he could see nothing but caring in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, “I’m so frustrated, Lauren, I don’t understand anything. Everything’s so fucking out of control, it’s never been like this.” He sighed loudly, trying to get his mind straight again, trying to regain his bearings in the darkness.

“Jeff, I’m sorry too. I wish I could tell you what’s going on, but I can’t. All I know is I’m here to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?”

“It’s hard to say. There’s something pulling you down.”

“This–this feeling? This magic force you told me about?”

“No,” Lauren said, taking a deep calming breath, “the power that’s surrounding you now is good and pure. But you have to realize that our entire world, our entire universe, is in balance. For every moral deed, there’s an immoral deed. For all the good power, there’s evil power. You’re surrounded by goodness, but I feel there’s something trying to upset your balance.”

“Something evil.”

“Maybe. It doesn’t have to be evil. It could be something selfish, something full of nothing but wanting, yearning, and that can be just as dangerous. Power like that can cloud your mind, make you see things that aren’t necessarily true.”

Jeff gazed at her through the darkness. He’d given up on trying to understand completely, but he was going to have to accept the fact that a higher power was running things now.

“So what do we do,” Jeff asked.

“We have to leave this place. It’s why I came to find you, I think this place is dangerous for you. You were drawn to their circle of power, but I don’t think it’s strong enough to keep you safe.”

“Okay.” Jeff gazed at her for another moment, then took her by the hand. As soon as they touched, he felt safer, warmer. “Thank you, Lauren.”

She smiled at him brightly. “Come on, let’s go.”

He started off into the woods, but she stopped him. “Wait,” she said. She reached to her neck and removed the silver chain from which dangled the protection symbol he had noticed earlier. “Take this.”

“No, Lauren, I can’t–”

“Don’t argue with me,” she said, holding the chain out to him, “you need this right now. If nothing happens, and you end up proving that I’m full of shit, you can give it back to me.”

Jeff looked at the symbol for a moment, a small circle with four concentric oval shapes looping out from it. He took it from her and hung it around his own neck. “I hope you “are” full of shit,” he said with a slight smile, “because the real danger is going to be finding our way out of here.

* * *

They wandered through the woods for what seemed like forever, Jeff trying to get his bearings again. He was highly familiar with the particular area they were in, but he’d never gotten so far off the path at night. In the dark, without any kind of light, it was nearly impossible to locate any sort of landmark. The light from the moon was too dim to be of any use.

Even trying to find the coven of witches again had turned out to be an exercise in futility. It was as if something was disrupting Jeff’s internal compass. After a while, both Jeff and Lauren could feel exhaustion creeping into them, but they continued on. Keeping their hands locked together, Jeff could feel Lauren slowly beginning to drop back.

“Come on, Lauren, we have to keep going.”

“I don’t know if I can,” she said breathlessly.

“Just talk to me, okay? Focus on something else.”

“Talk about what?”

“Anything,” Jeff said, pushing a large branch out of his way, “when did you become a witch?”

“I’ve been practicing Wicca almost all my life, my mother was a Wiccan, she taught me all the basics.”

“When did you start getting power?”

“Never,” she said simply.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s very rare that Wiccans have actual power. You may never see anyone like those girls back there ever again. They have real magic power, but Wicca for most people is a lot like other religions, it’s based on spiritualism and faith.”

“But you can read my mind,” Jeff said.

“That has nothing to do with being a witch, I’ve always been able to do that. Wicca just helps me open my mind and my being to the energies of the earth, so reading minds is easier. It helps me understand the purpose of my power.”

“I see, but if–” He froze. There, directly to his left, was a figure. His head whipped around, and he could see that it was Lilah, standing silently, watching him. Her eyes were black and empty, and it made him shiver. When he blinked again, she was gone.

“Jeff, are you okay?”

“Yes, let’s go.” He took off at a quicker pace, knowing he needed to get as far away from that place as possible. They trudged on through the woods for an exhausting period of time, Jeff trying to find anything he recognized. After what felt like hours, he stopped as he felt solid rock beneath his feet, and looked out at the space before him.

They stood on a grand outcropping of rock, overlooking the mountainous landscape of western North Carolina. With the horizon lit up by the moonlight, it was a beautiful sight.

“Oh, thank God,” Jeff said.

“It’s beautiful,” Lauren said, her breath beginning to slow.

“It’s beautiful because I know where we are.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, we still have a long walk, but I know where we are. A hundred yards behind us, there’s a fire road that leads straight down to the park entrance, out to the highway.”

“See,” Lauren said, a gorgeous smile spreading on her face, “I told you that necklace would protect you.”

“Don’t gloat,” Jeff said, quietly relieved. “Come on, let’s sit for a while and enjoy the view.”

They headed out to the edge of the broad crop of rock and took a seat. Jeff breathed deeply, taking in the fresh air. He looked across the scene before him, admiring the sheer grandeur of the landscape. He turned and looked at Lauren, who was doing the same. Here in the moonlight, her hair blowing softly in the breeze, she was absolutely stunning. She turned to him and caught him staring.

“It feels safe here, doesn’t it,” she said.

Jeff nodded. “Anything feels safe after you’ve been lost in the woods.”

“No, I mean…do you feel it?”

“I don’t know,” Jeff said noncommittally, “things have been so weird, I can’t begin to tell you. Maybe you’re used to this kind of stuff. I just want tonight to be over.”

“I know. Tell me what you saw tonight.”

“It doesn’t matter…”

“It does,” Lauren said, “it’s important. You’re not crazy; you don’t just see things for no reason.”

Jeff paused for a moment. His mind was racing with everything he had seen and felt that night, things he couldn’t ever have been prepared to experience.

“I saw her, Lauren. I don’t know how, but I saw her. The face of one of the girls in the circle, it was hers. And then again in the woods, she was watching me.”

“Lilah.”

“Yes.”

Lauren thought carefully for a moment. “She may just be showing herself to you.”

“Showing herself to me?”

“Yeah. I told you, tonight is the night when the dead can cross over. Most people don’t believe because they either can’t see or don’t want to see. And more often than not, the dead don’t want to be seen. But in your case…”

“So, if I’m not just imagining these things, she “has” come back.”

“Yes.”

Jeff nodded his head and stood up. As Lauren watched him, he wandered out to the very edge of the rock and looked down at the vast expanse of wilderness before him. “I wanted so badly to forget,” he said quietly, almost to himself, “I never wanted to hang on for so long. I wanted to miss her, and I wanted to respect her memory, but I wanted to let her go. It’s just that when she died, I didn’t have anyone left. Did you know my parents died when I was five?”

Lauren looked shocked. “No, I had no idea. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. They drowned in a boating accident, over on the Outer Banks. I mean, can you believe that? A five-year-old kid loses his parents in a freak accident, how fair is that? So I went to live with my aunt, but she was wild and single and didn’t give a shit about me except for the money my folks left me. For twelve years, I didn’t have a damn thing, or a single person to count on, but then I met Lilah–” he paused as his voice broke a little bit. He’d been waiting for it, but it had been years since he’d cried, and he wasn’t about to lose it now.

“Jeff, you don’t have to–”

“No, I want to. I need to tell someone about this, or I’m going to explode. Lilah was so kind and sweet and caring. When I first met her, she was so shy–” he smiled slightly as he remembered “–it took me forever to get her to talk to me. I spent so much time just trying to get her to crack a smile, and she just wouldn’t. I thought she hated me, but I just kept pushing, I don’t know why. And then…” his voice trailed off.

“Then what?”

He turned to her and smiled, his eyes shining more brightly then she’d ever seen. “Then, one day after school,” he said, “I was going to my car. She just walked right up to me and kissed me on the cheek. It made me feel…I can’t describe how it made me feel. I think I was in love with her at that very moment.”

“I can see why,” Lauren said quietly.

Jeff walked back over to her and kneeled down on the rock beside her. “I want to forget her, Lauren. I “need” to forget her, because she’s not ever coming back. Samhain, Halloween, magic powers or not, she’s not ever coming back, I know it.”

Lauren reached up and placed her hands on his face. Her skin was cool and soft, but still warmed him deep inside. He found himself comforted just having her there.

“You don’t have to forget her, Jeff,” Lauren whispered, “she’ll always be with you. Just like your parents, just like anyone you’ve ever loved. They’ll always be with you.”

She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips, a kiss so warm and loving that it sent a tingle through his entire body. “We’re all part of the same circle,” she said, “she’ll always be a part of you, and one day you’ll see her again.”

“I’ve been terrible to you,” Jeff said, “why do you keep helping me?”

“Because I’ve come to love your spirit the same way she did.”

Once again she kissed him, and this time he returned the motion, pushing himself closer to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, but he gently pulled away from her.

“I don’t want this to be like last time,” he said regretfully.

“It won’t be,” Lauren said, “this time, it’s just us.” She pulled him back to her, and he went willingly into her arms, feeling her warm lips against his again.

They kissed for a long time under the moonlight, enjoying the warmth of each other, their tongues stroking together. Jeff could feel Lauren’s breath quickening already, and her entire body seemed to be quivering, though he couldn’t tell from nervousness or anticipation. He looked her in the eyes, noticing how the hazel coloring seemed to glow in the night.

“Are you cold?”

“No,” Lauren said breathlessly, “I have you to keep me warm…keep me warm…” and he kissed her again, his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. As they kissed ravenously, she reached between them and removed her shirt, exposing the black bra underneath. Jeff’s hand wandered to her small, firm breast, and she released a small gasp as his fingers traveled over her already hardened nipple.

Lauren let her shirt drop down behind her. Jeff reached around her back, his hands going for the clasp of her bra. Lauren quickly pulled away from him, breaking their kiss, turning her face to the side.

“Lauren, what is it?”

“I’m sorry…”

Jeff’s face became a mask of concern. He cared for Lauren more than she knew, and the last thing he ever wanted was to hurt her again. He slowly reached out and took her hands.

“We don’t have to…”

“I want to, so much,” Lauren said quietly, “it’s just that I’m…I’ve never done this.”

Jeff let out a quiet breath of relief. “It’s okay, Lauren.”

She turned back to him, her face sweeter than ever, a mixture of lust and anticipation. “I want to do this, with you. I’m just scared, that’s all.”

“We can wait, Lauren, it’s okay. I know things are going fast, and I–”

Jeff stopped as Lauren reached behind her back and undid the clasp of her bra. She let the bra fall away and exposed her perky breasts to him.

“Would you just shut up and let me do this,” she said with a sultry tone that made him want to faint.

“You’re awful saucy for a first-timer, don’t you think?”

“It’s your fault,” she said playfully, “I’d never been this way before I met you.” She reached out and placed her hand gently behind his head, pulling him close to her breast. He sucked her stiff nipple to his lips, his tongue slipping out to brush against her warm flesh. He hungrily sucked the nipple into his mouth, closing his lips around it, eliciting a cry of pleasure from Lauren.

She grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up over his head, tossing it aside with her own. A slight shiver ran up Jeff’s spin as he was exposed to the cool night air, but it didn’t phase him a bit. Almost immediately, Lauren leaned into him and began placing a string of kisses along his neckline, her warm breath sending a wave of pleasure through him. He heard himself moan involuntarily as she ran her tongue down his chest. She sat up and looked at him.

“Lie back,” she said quietly.

“Ah, so now the shy little virgin is making demands,” he mocked.

“You’re not funny. Just do it.”

She flashed her sexiest smile at him, and he did as she ordered. He sucked in a deep breath as she unbuttoned his jeans and slipped them down just far enough to free his throbbing cock. He kicked off his shoes and slipped his jeans the rest of the way off, suddenly feeling extremely exposed on the rock underneath the stars. Lauren, on her hands and knees, ran her tongue along his thigh all the way up, just barely brushing his cock as she passed, a surge of pleasure shooting through him.

Feeling him react to her touch, Lauren looked up at him and smiled. “You like that, do you?”

“Mm-hmm,” Jeff mumbled.

She watched him sadly for a moment. “I don’t know if I can be like Tracy.”

Jeff frowned and looked at her. “Are you serious?”

“She’s just so…so…tall and beautiful and…”

“Lauren, she’s a world-class bitch,” Jeff said, “you have nothing to worry about. Listen, if you want to be better than Tracy, I’ll tell you how.”

“How?”

“Just love me,” he said simply. “She never did.”

Lauren smiled at Jeff, her eyes twinkling through the night. She ducked down and, starting at the base of his cock, licked slowly all the way up. The feel of her wet tongue against him was enough to make him pass out, and she knew, repeating the same movement again as he moaned. As she reached the tip, she slowly sucked his member into her hot mouth, slipping as far as she could, taking as much of him as she could.

She began slowly, methodically pumping her mouth over his cock. He cried out, the sensation of her mouth on him making him want to explode. As he reached out and placed his hand gently on the back of her head, she began moving faster, driving him to the very brink. The feel of her tongue running along his cock made his head spin, and suddenly, she took his entire length into her mouth, practically down her throat, and he was ready to burst…

“Wait, wait,” he said breathlessly, “slow down.”

She pulled back from him quickly. “I’m sorry, was that wrong?”

Jeff couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Oh no, no, that was so far from wrong you can’t imagine, I just don’t want to…you know…not yet.”

“Oh,” Lauren said quietly, then her face turned beet red. “I’m sorry, is this just totally awkward or what, I mean I just have no idea what I’m doing–”

“No, no, Lauren, relax, okay?” He sat up and put his hands on her face, looked into her beautiful eyes. “Sweetie, you’re doing fine. You have to understand, this isn’t about worrying over what’s right and what’s wrong. There’s no set of laws about what to do here, just…it’s like you said, love is the only law. Understand?”

She nodded slightly as she looked back at him with affection. “Yes.”

“Okay, good. Now lie back for me, it’s time to share.” She smiled again and did as she was told. Jeff carefully unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down her legs, leaving her in her black panties. In a self-conscious move, she raised up one of her knees and covered her breasts with her arm.

“Don’t get shy on me now, girl,” Jeff said playfully. Lauren smiled at him, a twinkle in her eye. Jeff reached to her knees, carefully parting her legs just a little. He reached forward to her breast, and with the tip of his index finger, slowly began tracing the contours of her tense, lean body. Down her breast, down her stomach to the silky black panties, where his fingers stopped, gently rubbing her through the soft material.

His hand still rubbing her wet body, he crawled to her and kissed her passionately. He could feel her breath almost out of control as he stroked her. Her sighs of pleasure flew out into the night air, and Jeff continued on until, finally, her entire body shivered beside him, and her cry became the desperate sound of an orgasm.

As the orgasm died down, she wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him close.

“Please,” she whispered in his ear, “please take me. I’m yours.”

In seconds, Jeff had slipped off her panties and carefully position himself over her. She slipped her arms around his neck and gazed up at him lovingly. She drew up her knees opening herself up to him. He pressed forward against her, the tip of his cock just barely parting her lips, and she drew in a hissing breath.

“Are you okay,” he whispered.

“Yes, keep going.”

He pressed into her slowly, feeling some resistance. He gave a quick shove against her and felt her hymen break. She cried out loudly, a single tear running down her face, her breath hoarse.

“Please…”

He slipped all the way into her, savoring the warmth of her, feeling her muscles contracting against him as if trying sucking him in further. Slowly, he pulled out again, then began his rhythmic thrusts into her, trying to stay as gentle as possible knowing she would feel some pain. To his surprise, however, she raised her hips up to him, moving them in rhythm with him, taking his cock in entirely. Her cries slowly changed from pain to pleasure.

“Oh God…”

Her arms closed tighter around his neck, pulling him as close as possible as he pounded into her. In a second, he felt her seize up suddenly, felt her pussy clench tightly around him as the orgasm racked her entire body. He slowed for a moment, enjoying the feel of her soaked body around his cock. Her breathing began to slow, and she gently pulled away from him. He pulled out of her and sat back on the cool rock.

With a flare of lust in her eye, she got up, turned away from him. She supported herself on her knees as she pushed her butt into the air. On his knees, Jeff crawled up behind her and guided himself between her legs, letting the tip of his cock run down over her anus to the wet slit below. He carefully pressed forward into her once again, all the way in, as she breathed a sigh of pleasure.

He rode her hard for several minutes as she pushed back against him. Gradually, the need for release built up inside him, a warm feeling deep in the pit of his stomach. He reached down and, with his thumb, gently put pressure on her anus as he thrust into her. Her cries of “yes, yes, yes” encouraged him to continue until, finally, he could feel himself ready to come.

“Oh, fuck me, Jeff…”

When the orgasm came, it was spectacular. He felt as if her were pumping every last drop of fluid into her, and her pussy readily accepted it, her body milking everything out of him until he couldn’t take anymore. Their heavy breath permeating the night air, Jeff dropped to the rock below him, and Lauren dropped beside him, the cool ground giving them relief.

They lay there, staring up at the stars, savoring the feel of being together, next to each other, well into the night. Finally, sleep overtook them.

* * *

When Lauren awoke, Jeff was gone, and the sense of dread that filled her up was beyond imagination.

* * *

Jeff’s eyes blinked open, and there was nothing but confusion.

He was laying, fully clothed again, in a soft patch of grass by the highway. For a moment, he thought he was in a dream, but the soft cool breeze against him told him otherwise. He slowly sat up and realized that his head was spinning out of control once again, and the need to vomit was undeniable.

He sat for a long time, and the nausea slowly passed. Rubbing his eyes, he got to his feet, realizing how unsteady he was. He looked around, at the highway, into the woods. Nothing was familiar, and he had no clue how he had gotten there.

“Lauren?”

Nothing. Not a sound.

He froze.

There was no sound at all. Where there should have been the sound of trees rustling, of branches cracking, of birds, of bats, of animals of any kind, there was nothing.

“Oh my God,” he said quietly. His own voice was audible, as was the pounding of his heart, but there should have been more…

* * *

Lauren sat in the dark, shivering.

“Jeffrey?”

No response. Without any further hesitation, she pulled her clothes back on as quickly as she could. He’d told her there was a fire road about a hundreds yards behind her through the woods. She cut her way through the thick forest and found the rugged gravel road. She stopped and listened. Nothing.

“Jeffrey?” Louder this time, but still no response.

She had lost him. There was no way she could help him now.

Despite the throbbing ache deep in her, the ache of her lost virginity, Lauren began to run. She ran for Jeff.

* * *

Jeff stood still in the dark of the night, trying to make his mind work. At some point, he had gotten up, put his clothes back on, and wandered off. He didn’t remember any of it. The last thing he remembered was lying with Lauren…

“Lauren”.

“Lauren? Where are you?”

Still no sound. Jeff squinted his eyes into the darkness, but saw nothing. He wandered next to the highway and was suddenly aware that he recognized his surroundings. He had traveled the Blue Ridge Parkway for years, and knew most of it, but there was something about this spot in particular…

Out of the corner of his eye was a light. His head was spinning again, but he turned toward the light, coming in his direction from up the highway. Headlights.

He placed a foot out into the road and stuck his arm out, waving frantically, trying to grab the driver’s attention. The sound of an approaching engine drifted to his ears from behind him. He turned, and a second car approached from the opposite direction. Relief filled him until he realized the second car was swerving out of control over the road.

His head whipped back to watch the first car, which was gliding up the highway unaware. Jeff continued waving his arm, trying to grab the driver’s attention, glancing back at the second car. He yelled, he screamed, but he suddenly realized there was nothing he could do. The two cars were on a course for a head-on collision, and he couldn’t stop it.

In a split second, a memory flashed into his mind, and he remembered where he was.

There was no time. As the two cars sped toward each other in the night, Jeff leaped out of the way, throwing himself into a ditch by the side of the road. He held his hands over his head as the screech of tires and the sickening crunch of metal and glass filled the night. Jeff’s teeth clenched together as hot chunks of metal and glass showered him.

When he looked up, he witnessed a devastating sight. The air was filled with smoke from the twisted wreckage across the road. The worst part was that he had seen it before, from the inside.

* * *

The tremendous crash reached Lauren’s ears through the thick of the trees, and she continued to run, pushing even harder. Her lungs were burning, her heart was thundering, her insides were aching, but she pressed on, knowing she had little time.

* * *

Jeff stared at the wreckage in shock. Nothing could have prepared him to see what he was seeing. Out of the wreckage fell an older man, in his fifties. His name was Norman, and he was drunk. Even after the crash, he was up on his completely unsteady feet, stumbling over the pavement, gaping at the mess in complete horror.

“What have I done, what have I done?”

Jeff knew that at some point, the man would stumble off into the woods in drunken fear, and wouldn’t be found until the next morning. He would be sober by then, and the manslaughter charge, the guilt of having killed a young girl, would hit him hard. His own suicide attempt two months later would be successful.

Again, out of the wreckage came a figure, a shocked, limping figure, which almost immediately collapsed to the pavement, his legs going out from under him. The drunk man took one look at the collapsed man and, just as Jeff had predicted, stumbled off into the woods. Jeff watched the man on the pavement, his eyes filling up with tears.

“Lilah! Lilah!”

The voice was hoarse and full of sorrow. It was a cry of desperation, because the man lying on the cold asphalt already knew she was dead. He had seen her die, had seen her body get crushed in the wreckage, had heard her horrific scream just seconds before she was killed.

“Oh God”…

Hot tears streamed down his skin as he cried out, his voice growing weaker and weaker in the night. Jeff felt the cold pavement on his back again, felt the fear and horror and anger and every other emotion that blasted through him. He could feel the heat from the wreckage, the smell, the hideous smell of death. He looked up at the stars, remembering the sky that night, how beautiful it was…

“Jeffrey?”

That voice.

“Jeffrey, get up.”

He turned his head, forgetting the sting of whiplash in his neck and the searing pain of his shattered ankle. He looked at the smoking wreckage and the young lady standing beside it.

“Jeffrey, you’re okay. It’s all okay.”

“Lilah?”

She came closer, and he remembered her, too. Her dazzling smile, her soft face, her black hair, and her eyes…

“Jeffrey, it’s all over, my love. Nothing can hurt you now. I’m here.”

Her eyes, there was something wrong about her eyes. They weren’t black before, not all black, not shallow and empty.

But it “was” her.

“Sit up, sweetheart.”

Jeff sat up, not feeling any pain anymore, only the feel of her cool hand on his arm. No, not cool, cold.

“What happened,” Jeff mumbled.

“We were in an accident, sweetie, but we’re okay now.”

Jeff looked around. He was supposed to be in a ditch by the side of the road, watching. And Lilah, she was…

“You died,” Jeff said sadly, tears welling up in his eyes again. Lilah looked at him with so much compassion, her smile widening, the smile that used to melt his very heart, the smile that comforted him.

“I came back, Jeffrey, just like you’ve always wanted. It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

Jeff thought for a moment. Was it? Was it right?

Of course it was, it was what he had always wanted. He spent eight miserable years denying that he wanted her back, but it was only because he had known she wouldn’t be coming back. Now she was there, right beside him, touching him, really touching him.

“Of course it’s what I want, Lilah, I–”

“Shh,” she pressed a finger to his lips. She took him by the hand and helped him to his feet. She watched him, stared at him with those black eyes, those eyes which weren’t hers. But it was her, it was Lilah, his love, his life, back again.

He turned to her and smiled. She stepped close to him and kissed him, a cold kiss.

* * *

Panic filled Lauren as she ran. She ignored the stinging cuts on her skin from the branches, she ignored the burning in her legs and her heart which threatened to explode. She could feel Jeff as she had before, she could feel herself getting closer to him, but at the same time, she could feel his spirit beginning to fade.

She was losing him. Quickly.

* * *

“You’re so cold,” Jeff said, his voice wavering.

“I know,” Lilah replied, “it’s cold here. But now you’re here to keep me warm. I’ve needed you for so long. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“But how?”

“I’ve been watching you, but you couldn’t see me. I’ve been with you every year out here where we left each other, but you never knew.”

There was a long silence as Jeff realized it was all as Lauren had told him. Samhain. The veil was lifted. Lilah had returned.

“Look,” Lilah said quietly. She gestured toward the forest, and Jeff followed her hand. All along the treeline, it was is if a curtain had been opened, and ghostly figures began to emerge from behind it. There could have been fifty or more, blurry figures who appeared and, except for two, stood by the edge of the forest. The two figures approached him, then stopped just far enough away for Jeff to have to squint to make them out.

“Who are these people?”

Lilah smiled broadly. “These are all the people you’ve ever lost. They’re here waiting for you, Jeffrey. Do you know who those two are?”

She pointed toward the two closer figures, and Jeff strained his eyes through the darkness. The faces appeared momentarily, just long enough for a wave of joy to filter through him.

“My parents…”

“That’s right, love, they’ve been waiting for you for so long. And now, we can all be together. Just come–”

Lilah was interrupted by a cracking noise on the opposite side of the road, as Lauren came running through the treeline. For a split second, Jeff thought he saw a glare of absolute hatred on Lilah’s face, something he had never seen before.

Lauren ran up to the road, then froze in her tracks when she caught the sight before her. Her face registered fear, her breath came in short gasps.

“Jeffrey, please,” she said through the heavy breaths, “get away from them.”

Jeff could only stare at her, and Lilah turned her full attention back to him.

“Just come with us, Jeffrey,” Lilah whispered to him, placing her hands on his chest. “We can all be together from now on, we’ll never have to leave each other again.”

“Jeff, no!” Lauren was on the verge of sheer panic, but Jeff could hardly hear her anymore.

“She helped you get here,” Lilah said calmly, “she helped open your mind, she helped you see us, see everything. You should thank her. And then tell her goodbye.”

Jeff nodded silently. He crossed the road and stood before Lauren, who gazed up at him with her eyes full of tears, a pleading look on her face.

“Jeff, please, no, this isn’t right, it’s not–”

“Shhh,” Jeff whispered, placing a hand gently on Lauren’s face. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead. “It’s okay, Lauren. She’s come back for me, and now I don’t have to be sad anymore. Don’t you see?”

“No, she’s not who you think she is, neither are–”

“Lauren, I love you. Thank you.”

“Jeffrey…”

“Goodbye.”

With that, Jeff wandered back to Lilah, who took him by the hand. One last glance back at her, then they made their way to the group of people by the trees. Lauren watched, sobbing, as Jeff stood by his parents, his father placing an arm around his shoulder. Her eyes widened in horror as Jeff suddenly cried out, trying to pull away from the figures.

Lauren jumped, running as fast as her aching legs would take her across the road, towards the group of people. She could now see Jeff being forcefully dragged away towards the forest, and she screamed.

Closer, closer, her legs firing like pistons with all her strength, closer, as the figures, including Jeff, whose face was a mask of terror, faded away into the darkness. As Lauren reached the treeline, a wave of cold air hit her like a brick wall, and she fell back.

Gone. Jeff was gone. Lauren turned back to the road, and the entire wreckage had disappeared as well. She sat and listened, only hearing a fading cry in the night air.

She sat and wept until night turned to morning.

* * *

Two days later, Jeff was officially reported missing by the employees at the coffee shop. There was an investigation, but no evidence of his possible whereabouts ever surfaced, except when a hiking group discovered his camping equipment in the forest. There was no evidence of foul play, and after a search that lasted for two weeks, Jeff’s name was placed at the bottom of a seemingly endless list of missing persons.

Lauren, though questioned about her relationship with Jeff, was quickly dismissed as a source of information. During the investigation, she never told anyone of the night she was with Jeff, or what happened. She knew the police would not be able to find him. She knew Jeff was in a place where the laws of the living world no longer applied.

Lauren would pray to the God and Goddess every night for Jeff. She would wait, until the next Halloween, Samhain, when the veil would be lifted again.

She swore to bring him back.

“To be continued…next Halloween”