I caught my reflection in the glass of the front door, and straightened my long skirt, before reaching out, tentatively, to press the doorbell. I took a deep breath; I wasnât used to doing parties on my own yet, and waited. No one answered, well the deafening music probably had something to do with that, and I turned thinking perhaps this was my excuse for not showing up. âArgggghhhhhhhhâ I turned round in a flash, to find Frankenstein, a ghost and a mummy bearing down on me. âShit! You guys! You scared me half to death!â I laughed. They were all cracking up. âCome in Kara, come and get some Halloween punch down youâ.
David was the first to be able to talk sensibly. I hugged him and pushed my way through the others into the hallway. âOn one condition,â I grinned, âYou donât make me bob for apples!â âYouâre kiddingâ Sara said âThatâs the first thing youâve gotta doâ. I groaned, they were as mad as ever. Only this bunch of 28 year olds would hold a Halloween costume party and expect all their guests to bob for apples! Sara and Jenny dragged me through to the kitchen, where various assorted spooks and ghouls were busy getting intoxicated. âDavid, hold her hands behind her back!â Sara ordered, and David guided me towards a large wooden barrel in the middle of the kitchen floor, and stood behind me. âHold my hair?â I asked. David gently gathered my hair â both real and my wig â into a ponytail, and his other hand grasped both my wrists.
A beat. A memory of when David and I used to date. His hand in my hair, and of him restraining me. All in the past. We were never right for each other, just two good friends hoping they could make something more out of their respect for each other. Still, on a night like this, when everyone else seemed to be paired off, I thought perhaps it would be worth trying again? I caught our reflection in Saraâs dining room mirror. I smiled to myself â no way! Too safe. David just wasnât my type. But we did make a cute couple, especially whilst he was dressed as Frankenstein and I as a vampire. I leant forward to the water; eyeing the apples floating there, âHold on!â I called âI have to take my teeth out!â David let my hand go and I pulled out the fake eyeteeth. âOK, lets goâ I said. I spotted one apple floating near the edge and tried to stake it with my real teeth. I was desperately trying not to get my face too wet, so my make up wouldnât run, âcause then there would be nothing left to hide behind, and turned my face to the side. In doing so I was able to see around the room, and I tried to see who else was there. Some others I knew quite well, and some by sight, as friends of friends, and some it was hard to tell who they were. Just as I was about to grasp that apple, someone turned to watch. He was stunning.
I almost gasped out loud. Another vampire. He seemed older than the rest of us, and I wondered who he had come with. He was tall, slender, and his eyes were piercing. Our eyes locked and I felt my knickers soak through. I made ineffectual attempts to grab that apple, but I was doomed to fail, I couldnât drag my eyes away. âGod Kara â you are crap!â David shouted above the music, and pulled me upright. Our eye contact broke. I laughed. It was always good to be with my friends. Since my split with Jamie it was them who had kept me sane. Well almost sane. Jenny pushed a large glass of orange coloured punch into my hands and urged me to drink up. I did so to chants of âDown in one!â I drained it, needing the kick, and held out the glass for a refill. âSo what else do you guys have up your sleeve for tonight?â I asked. Sara answered, âWell first you can peel that apple there, the one you couldnât bite, and drop the peel on the floor to see the initial letter of your true love.â I smiled, a game Sara and I played at Halloween when we were kids. âAh,â I replied âBut that only works if you can peel it in one go â and I never couldâ. âOK, next you look in the mirror in the hall, recite the magic chant and see the face of your true love over your left shoulderâ. âOK, okâ I acquiesced, âLead me to my true loveâ.
The hall was lined with candles shedding their soft warmth on our faces as we gathered round the mirror. Sara had even carved a pumpkin that stood on the little hall table. She always was the arty one. It looked like a professional work of art, whereas mine had always looked like a punctured beach ball. I had long since given up trying. âRight, face the mirror Karaâ. I stood in front of the big oval mirror.
âOn Halloween this mystic night, When ghouls abound and witches take flight. I call upon the spirits near To show me one who will be dear. Before the Holy Dayâs first light, Show me the true love of my life.â
Ok, ok, I know what you are thinking â how sad! But as I said, Sara and I were kids together, and we have said that rhyme every year since we were about 10 years old. These things kinda stick in your mind. Iâm not even sure where it came from â more than likely we made it up ourselves.
I stared deeply into the mirror; I really wanted it to work this year! I had felt so alone recently, so empty. I had really believed that Jamie and I would stay together. The hallway seemed to darken slightly, and the candles flickered, I took a sharp breath inwards, and stared at the mirror. Nothing. I could have sworn that someone was there right behind me, and I was going to see their face loom over my shoulder. The room span, I felt goose bumps break out on my neck and it seemed to get chilly for a second. Silence, the music of the party seemed to fade out into the distance, and I was alone in the hallway, but still nothing. I kept staring. The volume of the party came back up, and the room came back into focus. âDid you see anything?â Sara asked. âYeah,â I replied âPrince Williamâ, and they all dissolved into drunken laughter again.
About 2 hours later, I was really thinking I would like to try to escape. I had, had some more glasses of the punch and I felt slightly giddy, but the effect of watching all the couples together, enjoying themselves was quite sobering. I was just thinking about finding my coat in the pile on the bed, and getting my mobile out to ring a taxi. I just hoped there was no one shagging on the coats. Before I could get up, David dropped down on the floor next to me and announced it was time for âspin the bottleâ. Everyone was giggling, and I tried to get up but he pinned me firmly down. âYou can go after this game if you really want to, but Iâm determined to see you enjoy yourself firstâ. The front room was packed now. Everyone cramming round the bottle, which David was about to spin.
Suddenly I spotted my vampire across the room. I felt my insides melt. My stomach turned to liquid toffee. He was staring right at me. From the depth of my memory I dug up my sexy smile and offered it back, before realizing that with my fake teeth in it probably looked like a grimace. I stopped smiling and let myself get lost in his gaze. He broke eye contact and looked down at the bottle, which was pointing at me. Iâm sure David did that on purpose. âOK Kara spin! â David called. Right then it felt like we were the only two people in the room. The vampire and I. I willed it to land on him, and he stared forcefully at the bottle and I knew, without a doubt, that he was doing the same. And it did. A cheer went up, and he stepped forward, and held out his hand to me to help me up. I took it and was surprised by his strength as he pulled me to my feet. He smiled, dazzlingly. My head spun. Locking his eyes on mine again, he drew towards me. I felt an invisible hand behind my head gently pulling me to him. The hairs on my neck stood up, and we grew closer. And inch apart and he stopped. I stopped. We stood with our lips straining towards each other. I felt as if I had a great weight in my chest, an ache which wanted only for him to touch me to dispel it. The room faded away, and there was that silence again. I heard him speak, but there was no movement from his lips. âDo you want me Kara? â âYesâ I murmured, not wondering for a second how he knew my name. His lips moved again towards me, closing the inch gap, and touched mine. I melted into him. There was nothing and no one but us. His hands clasped my shoulders, and I could feel them hot through the gauzy fabric of my black gothic style top. Yet I could also feel his hand wandering down to my breast. My nipples stood erect as his hand brushed over them. Down across my belly, over my shaven mound, down between my legs, and I felt his long, slender fingers part my pussy lips, and delve inside. I knew I was soaking wet, and I felt his hot finger trail along my wet slit. I bore down, desperate to feel his finger enter me, yet â how could he be doing that, when his hands hadnât left my shoulders? How could he be doing all this in front of a room full of people? My eyes snapped open, and we pulled apart. The room erupted in cheers. I looked around feeling a little silly. David handed my vampire the bottle â to start off the next round, he leant down and spun it, landing on Jenny this time, and she laughed and reached over to spin it herself.
I looked round and thought â this is my chance, I sneaked out of the room while they all watched to see where the bottle landed. My vampire included, he seemed to have forgotten me pretty quickly. No one noticed as I slipped out, and went upstairs to retrieve my coat. Just as I thought there was a couple on top of the coats, but mine was peeping out so I jerked it from under them and I donât think they even saw me. My phone was in the pocket and on the landing I tried to dial. There was no signal there though â so I went downstairs and opened the front door, and stepped out onto the porch. âDamn phoneâ I muttered as I turned this way and that looking for a signal.
âKaraâ said a deep, quiet voice. I jumped and turned to see the vampire beside me. I hadnât heard the door open; he must have been out here already. I studied his face trying to see how old he was, but although his bearing and manner was of an older man, his face looked no older than my own. Perhaps I was wrong, he may be my age, but so well mannered I wasnât used to it! I smiled, remembered the teeth and my hand went to my mouth to remove them. His hand caught mine as it rose, and he smiled, âLeave them, I like them. I like you just as you are Karaâ.