The laughter filled the darkened street as the children ran up and down the laneways to each home. The air was crisp and clean, the perfect October evening. It had snowed just two days ago and some lawns still had white patches of the cold miserable fluff. Parents laughed and smiled, watching their children gleefully run up to a house to say the expected words, "Trick or treat?" It was a tradition and even though security and safety was at the forefront in people's minds, this annual tradition still existed.
Cassidy sat on the black ottoman that was in her front entrance. She had been hooked on a vampire novel a few weeks ago and was desperate to finish the second of the series. She would read a few pages and then open the door to greet the goblins and ghosts. Actually, she noted that there were ninjas, tigers, monkeys, and princesses. It seemed that stereotypes still existed and that every five or six year old girl had to be dressed as a princess of some sort.
The night went fast and within two hours the twenty dollars worth of candy that Cassidy had purchased was gone. Doing the math in her head, she realized that eighty-two children had walked up her path. Every year the number increased. What was once a small neighborhood on the outskirts of town had become a large area with houses constantly being built.
Cassidy handed out the last of the candy and then moved quickly to make sure no one else arrived. She turned off the inside and outside lights and then grabbed the pumpkin and placed it in her front entranceway. In the dark, she blew out the candle and placed her jack o lantern in the garage. Garbage day was Sunday and she would put it out on the curb then. She had learned her lesson the first year she lived here. She had left the pumpkin on her porch and in the morning, there were a dozen raw eggs sitting in the pumpkin. She was lucky that those eggs weren't thrown at the door. Cassidy wouldn't be surprised though. Wasn't it customary to throw eggs at the witches in town?
Her house was dark, but she liked it that way. She had always had something about shadows. Things hid in the shadows and she liked it best when it was dark. She could see clearly where she wanted to go and it meant the house was peaceful. As she made her way up the stairs, the sounds from outside could be heard. It wasn't late, but she was happy that she could spend the evening reading.
Cassidy settled herself in her queen-sized bed surrounded by five pillows. The book she was reading was mesmerizing. She hoped that nothing sad or scary was going to happen in the novel. Just a few short days ago, she had read a particularly sad part, which had made her burst into tears. Then she had spent the night tossing and turning, her dreams more vivid than usual.
Cassidy yawned and looked at her clock radio. It was eleven o'clock and she was tired. She put her book down and after turning off the light, she settled into slumber.
***
Cassidy woke with a start. She sat up straight in bed and her heart pounded out of her chest. She had had that dream again. It could be called a nightmare, but the more she said it was a recurring dream, the less fearful she felt. It was the same dream as always. She was standing outside the mansion, snow falling gently on her blonde and purple hair. She was begging Benjamin not to do it, not to sacrifice himself. She saw him shake his head and then she watched helplessly as he killed himself. Cassidy tried to calm her breathing. She turned on her light, but it wouldn't turn on. The house was quiet and then she saw that her clock radio was off and she couldn't hear the faint humming of the furnace either. The power had gone off again. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine something good. She imagined the young children who had enjoyed a night of trick or treating. She imagined the students she used to teach enjoying their parties and get-togethers. They would be juniors by now which meant that some of them would be old enough to have a driver's license.
Cassidy thought long and hard, desperate to form in her mind something other than her brother's death. It was a recurring dream that came every few weeks. It was always the same, so much so that during the day, Cassidy wondered why she got so scared. She could anticipate every part of the dream. It was like she could smell the crispness of the new fallen snow. She could see the deep blue eyes of Charlotte standing at the doorway of her home. It was so vivid, so real.
Cassidy took a few more breaths and closed her eyes. She had calmed down completely and was now trying to figure out whether going back to bed was a good idea. She had no idea what time it was and her cell phone was in her home office. Did she want to get out of bed to see what time it was? If the power was off the house was probably cooling down. The snowstorm they had had two days ago had caused Cassidy to reluctantly turn on the heat. It was probably very cold outside the cocoon of her duvet, blankets, and pillows.
She decided that since it would be Saturday soon, or it already was, she would just go back to sleep. There was a thrill and fear of not knowing what time it was. Cassidy closed her eyes and was happy that she didn't fall back asleep deeply enough to go into the REM cycle.
***
"I'm not doing it Molly." Cassidy rolled her eyes as she chatted with her best friend. She was stretched out on her bed with the television on in the background.
"Oh come on. You haven't left the house in over two months. You don't go anywhere. Ever since you quit your job last year, you have been a disaster. You're coming to the gala whether you like it or not." Molly was driving back from an assignment and had her cell phone on speakerphone. She hated how stubborn Cassidy could be sometimes and wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"No. I am not standing around all night being nice to people who have bathrooms the size of my house. Stop trying." This was the third time Molly had asked her to volunteer at the charity ball her mother's best friend was hosting. They needed helpers to greet the guests and do other things. Cassidy hated people who were rich. It was possibly because the only rich person she had been exposed to was Sonya Billings. Sonya was the same age as her mother, but seemed about ten times older. She had so much money that she had no idea what to do with it. It was actually her husband's money and some how the line 'money can't buy you love' rang in her head every time she thought of the tall thin woman who looked like she was made of ice.
"No. You're coming and that's it. I hate how stubborn you are sometimes Cassidy Jane Caldwell. It wasn't your fault and you know it. If Benjamin was here he'd throw you in a snow bank or something." Molly swore under her breath the moment she said those words. Benjamin was a touchy subject when it came to Cassidy. Actually, although Cassidy would never admit it, this was why she had quit her job and spent the last two months doing nothing but sulking. The fact she mentioned snow bank and Benjamin in the same sentence was probably the worst thing she could have said. Before she had a chance to open her mouth to do damage control, Cassidy spoke.
"Fine. I am only saying yes because you're my best friend. You drive me crazy sometimes. I'm going, but I'm going to hate it. You can't make me enjoy it. I'll be there at six. Do I have to dress up or something?"
Molly breathed a sigh of relief. She had finally gotten through to Cassidy. She didn't want to think about the fact that she might cancel at the last minute. She didn't want to wonder if Cassidy was just saying this so she wouldn't bother her any more. She was happy that at least she had said she was going out, whether she did it or not was another story.
"It's a black tie affair. Wear the light purple dress you wore to my wedding. You said you hated buying it and only wearing it once. Now you can wear it twice and not complain." Molly hoped that Cassidy would notice her sarcasm.
