This is the first time I've made any of my stories public! Please leave feedback!
Takes a bit to get started, but I hope it's worth the wait.
This is also my submission for the 2020 Halloween contest but may turn into a longer series if it's enjoyed.
**************************************************
Growing up, Chelsea was always one of the popular ones. Always one of the pretty ones. Always one of the ones that everyone tried to be around. It wasn't that she was conceited -- of course growing up like that would give her some sort of an ego -- but she knew her value. She was also an only child, so she was used to getting her way. It also didn't help that her parents were fairly well off and had the biggest sweet spot for their little angel. That's not to say that she made a habit of taking advantage of her loving mother and father, but only to say that she knew exactly how to get what she wanted. And if she put her mind to it, she could get nearly anything she wanted.
Chelsea was one of those girls who not only was pretty, but was smart. And not just in the ways of wrapping people around her fingers. She actually put the time into studying and learning, not only when it came to her classes, but even about herself. She wasn't ever afraid to put in the effort that she felt something deserved.
Now a couple years into college, she had more experiences than she'd ever expected while in high school. She saw how things worked, and she worked hard to get through her classes with the goal of getting through this part of her life as quickly as possible. But she wouldn't let that stop her from having fun.
Last year, she remembered the parties that her roommate-turned-close friend, Noelle, had invited her to. She was still one of the prettier ones, even on this larger scale, but she had to fight for attention in some of the crowds. That didn't make her jealous, but it lit a competitive fire somewhere in the back of her mind. She never had to be the best at anything, just up there in the spotlights with the others.
Most notable of these parties where she didn't stand out was the Halloween party. It was her first college party, and she didn't realize quite how... well... slutty most of the girls dressed up.
Chelsea and Noelle thought it would be cute to go as a pair of puzzle pieces so that when they stood next to each other to pose for a picture, they linked nicely. Their parents loved the pictures. Unfortunately, it didn't do well to make Chelsea stand out against the likes of all the girls that were wearing practically nothing but colored underwear or nearly sheer nighties, the occasional halo or devil horns, tails, and glittery wings of all the sexy devils and angels vying for attention.
It didn't take a gigantic leap of either of their imaginations to figure out why most of the doors would close for differing periods of time. Especially not with the amount of alcohol and other substances that were easily available. She'd never felt the need to imbibe in any mind altering substances before, but Chelsea figured that since it was college, she might at least let herself be pressured into some alcohol.
This year, she'd vowed to do better. Much better.
*****
It was the middle of August, and Chelsea was on a trip exploring some of the states back in New England; her way of enjoying the last bits of summer before school started back up.
She loved history, and was planning on majoring in specifically US history, if she could figure out what sort of career path she'd take once she finished her degree. Until then, though, it was one of her passions, and back East, she'd always heard, was rife with history. So many old tales, from the beginnings of the country, to ghost stories, to gangsters, to the underground railroad, it was like heaven on earth, and as she consulted the guide she'd picked up from Amazon, she figured that the best way to decide where to start was by wandering aimlessly in the oldest part of whatever tiny town she'd found herself in.
The sun beat down from between the old brick buildings onto Chelsea's long blond hair, and she'd finally had enough of toughing it out, dropping her sunglasses from the top of her head to settle in front of her eyes. Her hotel was a short taxi from downtown, and when asked where she'd wanted to be dropped, she told the driver to leave her in whichever part of oldtown that he thought was most interesting.
Apparently she and the driver had a very different viewpoint on the word "interesting." Though intrigued with the botanical garden, she wanted her passion. She wanted rich history, not flowers, no matter how nice the block smelled in the midday sun.
Long legs carried her first to the local museum, which was basically a single old church building that used to serve as the town hall when the city was originally founded, and while it was rich in knowledge and Chelsea learned much in the half hour she'd spent there, she felt a pull deeper into oldtown.
About a mile farther down the road, the asphalt turned suddenly to old cobbles, the sidewalk into brick with brass placards inlaid into the ground. Chelsea was sure that it couldn't be the original work, but it didn't bother her that the town had kept it up as much as they had.
Looking around the street, lined with old fashioned street lamps and long, colorful awnings added to the feel of the town. Everyone was smiling, a horse-drawn carriage wheeled down the road toward her, the buildings were made of either brick or wooden walls. The place felt like it had transported Chelsea back a hundred years, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like to live during that time period. No cell phones, no computers, no cars. A much simpler way of living. But along with the simplicity, she knew it would come with the down sides of being so far in the past and was glad that she lived when she did.