In truth, it was all over for Becky the moment she opened the door.
She was in her home, relaxing and preparing to watch a horror movie for Halloween, when she heard someone knocking at the door. *Probably some trick-or-treaters*, she thought. When she opened her front door, she found herself face to face with a very strange looking man. He was tall and quite thin, and darkly handsome. His eyes were haunted and his long, black hair came down in front of half his face. His clothes were the strangest thing about him. He was wearing a white shirt, a black waistcoat and a long, very old-fashioned looking tailcoat. Becky couldn't guess how old he was. All in all, he looked like he belonged in a Victorian Gothic novel, or something. She guessed it was probably a Halloween costume, though somehow he didn't look like one for dressing up.
She was about to ask him what he wanted, when he produced a small, ornately-decorated ivory box. He held it forwards, facing her, and opened it. Immediately, a huge silver cloud poured out of it and floated towards Becky. She had never seen anything like it. It was like smoke but somehow ethereal, and the way it moved and swirled made it almost seem alive. Becky stared into the spirals and patterns it left in the air, and she could have sworn she could make out a woman's face. Before she could take a second look, though, the cloud surged towards her as if it had a mind of its own. Too startled to react, Becky opened her mouth to yell and ended up taking in a huge breath of the strange substance. To her horror, the rest of it vanished up her nose, forcing its way into her body. She could feel it moving around inside her, and eventually dissipating in her lungs. For a few moments, she came over extremely light headed. Once she got a grip on herself, she started to get angry. What the fuck was going on?
*What the hell was that? What do you want?* she said. Or at least that was what she tried to say, but she couldn't move her mouth at all. She tried again, but with the same result. It was like her mouth was frozen solid. When she tried to turn and flee back into her house, she found her legs were stone. Her whole body was paralysed! Panic gripped her, even though she couldn't show it.
Some seconds later, the strange man's reaction cut through her panic. His pale, drawn face warped into a warm, loving smile. "Hello, Violet," he said. "Shall we go inside?"
*Violet? I'm Becky! And what have you done to me?* Becky screamed internally. But for a second time, panic seized her when her body started to move on its own. She moved to one side and her arm raised itself as if beckoning him inside. He quickly obliged and Becky's body followed him, shutting the door behind her. The man turned.
"I'm sure you have questions. Rest assured, I will explain everything. But first." His mouth twitched in irritation. "What have you done to your beautiful hair?"
*My hair?* Becky normally had luscious, pitch-dark hair, but a couple of days ago she had dyed it to a light blonde, just for a change. But what did it matter what colour her hair was? And how did he even know she'd done something to her hair?
"This won't do at all," the man tutted. "We will have to wash it out. Lead the way, please."
Again, Becky was left a mere passenger in her own body as she turned and lead him into her bathroom. He grabbed a chair from another room, filled her sink with warm water, and instructed her to sit with her back to the basin and lean her head back. He stood above her, mixing the water with product to wash out the dye, and started to explain.
"My name is Theodore," he said with a little flourish. "I'm sure this is all very distressing for you, so I'll explain as quickly as I can. A number of years ago, I was engaged to be married to Violet, my beloved. She was so beautiful, and the love of my life. She had gorgeous, silky, black hair just like you - that's why I need to wash this awful dye out. Everything has to be perfect."
*Is this guy some kind of lunatic,* Becky wondered.
"Violet was always a sickly girl," Theodore continued, running his hands through Becky's hair. "And as our wedding approached, she started wasting away with a terrible illness the doctors could not treat. On the very day of the ceremony, just as we said our vows, she collapsed. Mere hours later, she was gone. You can only imagine how devastated I was." Theodore's voice was sorrowful, but he also sounded like he was reciting a speech he had given many times before.
"For a time, I fell into a deep depression. I realised I could not live without her. I despaired, until I chanced upon a book that promised it could unravel the secrets of life and death. As I read it, I vowed I would move Heaven and Earth to be reunited with my beloved." Ignorant of Becky's astonished reaction, Theodore kept working on her hair as he spoke. "And eventually, I was successful! I devised a ritual to call forth Violet's spirit, so we could be together. There were only two problems. The first was that the ritual only works on one day each year - on this day, Halloween. On Halloween, the veil between worlds grows thin, and the dead do not rest easy. The second was that the ritual requires a living body for Violet's soul to inhabit. And that brings me to you."
Becky's skin crawled. What he was saying sounded insane, but beyond the supernatural she had no way of explaining how he was exerting this control over her. Could he actually be telling the truth?
"You were a perfect vessel. You look just like she did. I always pick girls who look like her." Always? So he'd done this before? "Earlier today, I called forth Violet's soul from the aether and trapped in that enchanted box you saw. Once I opened it, her spirit entered you. She is inside you now, possessing you. That's why you can't move."
Becky wanted to scream. She was being possessed by some dead girl? It sounded ludicrous, but there was something on the edge of Becky's mind that made her believe it. Like there was another presence inside her. It was weak, but whenever Theodore gave her a command it flared up and took control of her limbs. Becky was gripped by an overwhelming feeling of being violated.
"Please understand," Theodore went on. He had almost finished with her hair now. It was back to it's natural, dark colour. He drained the sink and used a towel to lovingly dry her head. "We don't do this out of malice. It's just that true love is worth any price. You would do the same, if you had a love like ours. I'm sure that brings you little comfort, but let me give you some advice: just give in. Let Violet's soul fill your mind and body. It'll be so much easier. You can't win against Violet. Just give in."
*Fuck that,* Becky thought. *I won't let this dead bitch win. I'll fight this every step of the way. And when this is all over, I'll make you regret doing this to me, you fucking lunatic.*
"There. All done." Theodore helped Becky to her feet. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was now completely black, and her face wore a blank expression that completely concealed the horror she was feeling. "Let us go somewhere a little more pleasant."
Becky's body jerked into motion, leading Theodore out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. *My bedroom,* Becky thought. *What the fuck?* She stood next to her bed, as if waiting for something. Theodore came and stood facing her.
"Violet, my love?" Theodore called out. "Can you speak to me?"
"Theo, my darling! I'm here!" The words forced their way past Becky's lips before she knew what was happening. It was like a nightmare. The words were coming out of her mouth, but not in her voice. She was speaking in the voice of some other girl. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was the way she could feel Violet in the back of her mind. Becky could feel the presence of this ghost, and when Theodore had asked her to speak she had felt Violet's happiness and eagerness almost as if it was her own. Was that what was going to happen to her? Was she going to lose her mind to the ghost, all her thoughts and feelings replaced by hers? Becky couldn't imagine a worse fate.
"How do you feel, my heart?" Theodore asked.
Becky felt a response rise in her throat. *Oh no,* she thought. Exerting all her willpower, she managed to keep her mouth shut. She could feel her face twitching, finally displaying the conflict going on inside her head. But she managed to stop Violet from speaking through her. She could feel Violet's resentment towards her like a smoldering flame, and she rejoiced at the victory.
"You're fighting her? That's a shame." *You bet I am,* Becky wanted to reply. Though she was slightly perturbed by the way Theodore didn't seem particularly concerned. "I did try to warn you. You can't win. You see, this isn't a fair fight at all."
Theodore bent forward and kissed her firmly on the lips. For a moment, all Becky felt was surprise. But then, a roaring fire of passion ignited in her mind. She was filled with a hundred desires - to return the kiss, to call out his name, to touch him, to hold him. *This is wrong,* she tried to tell herself. *This isn't me. These aren't my thoughts.* But in that moment, it didn't matter. She desired those things as much as she'd ever desired anything in her life. No, more. These were desires born of a love that crossed even the boundaries of life and death. What were her petty wants and needs compared to that? Becky could feel Violet burning inside her. Why didn't she just-
