Immortal Hearts

It had been a year since I'd trick-or-treated at the Mansion, Trevor had tried to graffiti the outside walls, and I had seen a dark figure standing in the attic window. And a year later, I was dating that mysterious shadow - a handsome vampire - and he was taking me to the Haunted Happening at the Crypt.

I waited for Alexander and Stormy at my house. I was dolled up in a short plaid pleated skirt, white socks and loafers, and a white Oxford. I topped it off with a blue headband. I caught myself in the mirror and actually liked the way I looked. I found my brother and his nerdmate in the family room. Henry was a Jedi Knight and stared at me as if I were the girl of his dreams.

"Raven?" Billy asked, dressed as Luke Skywalker. "Is that you?"

"What do you think?" I asked.

"I think now you might actually have a chance of getting into college," he said.

The doorbell rang, and I was met by Stormy dressed as Princess Leia and Alexander dressed as Jack Sparrow. Alexander looked gorgeous in his swashbuckling outfit, and Stormy was the perfect Star Wars princess.

When Stormy entered the hallway, Billy Boy's and Henry's eyes almost popped out of their heads.

"I'm ready to go!" she exclaimed.

The boys grabbed their bags and headed out of the house.

Alexander and I watched as the threesome walked down the street. Stormy quickly waved good-bye to us as she slipped into the night with her friends. She didn't even bother looking back. The Star Wars gang laughed and talked as they headed up a neighbor's driveway and rang the bell, ready to load up on candy and a full evening of treats.

Alexander and I got in the Mercedes, and he drove extra cautiously as we passed several werewolves, ghosts, and witches.

This night was another dream come true for me. I'd been to our local radio station - sponsored haunted house when I was a little girl, but I hadn't been spooked by any of the adults trying to act ghoulish.

We met Matt, as Superman, and Becky, dressed in her butterfly outfit, at the gravel road by the abandoned factory. There was already a long line of screaming girls with guys trying to be their haunted-house heroes. I wasn't sure what was so scary, but I was excited to find out.

As we approached the club, the scene was as frightening as it could be. There were several bodies lying on the gravel road that led to the Crypt, and body parts poked out of the ground.

"Gross!" Becky said, freaking out. "I'm so scared."

"This is really cool!" I said. "Jagger spared no expense!"

There was no way to enter the Crypt without stepping over a few fallen bodies. This obviously was part of the plan. Would they awaken from the dead and grab our legs? It was so dark, it was hard to tell which ones were real and which were fake.

I held my breath and stepped over.

"It's all right," I said, trying to coax Becky. "They're just props."

My best friend was frozen with fear. She wasn't about to move - even to flee the gruesome scene.

"It's okay," I encouraged. "I did it. It's not real."

She closed her eyes and took a shaky step forward. When her foot landed, she opened her eyes and moved to bring her other foot to the doorway. As it made its way over the body, an arm crept up and grabbed her ankle.

She shrieked so loudly, I thought she'd have a heart attack. She tried to wrangle her foot away, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. The zombie sat up and

{ie no laughed a monstrous laugh and released her. She raced into Matt's arms. Then we all laughed hysterically - even Becky.

We walked up the rickety bloodstained stairs to the Haunted Happening. We gave a bouncer our tickets and headed inside.

We walked down a long hallway that resembled an ancient tomb.

"Have we gone the right way?" I asked when we hadn't seen any hauntings.

Then, all of a sudden, out of the darkness popped a dismembered head, which hung from a rope in front of us. Becky and I screamed. Even Matt was startled. It swung back and forth. When it began to speak, we screamed again.

"Welcome to the Haunted Happening," it said.

We turned the corner and discovered a monstrous school setting. The teachers were zombies, and the students were passed out.

The zombie teachers came out to the edge of the setting where a rope separated the attraction from the visitors. They leaned over and tried to grab us.

Becky hid behind me and Matt.

The next room was the Chainsaw Massacre. We could hear the sound of the chainsaw but only saw the bodies and a bloody girl who was strapped to a chair, begging for our help.

When the serial killer raced in with his chainsaw, Becky screamed and clung on to Matt.

But I waved the frightful guy over.

"Do you need a hug?" I asked.

He was very startled and taken aback by my question. Several Prada-bees yelled around us.

The deranged lunatic came over to me and gave me an awkward embrace. Becky shook while Matt and Alexander cracked up.

We went into the next area, which was dark except for a few glowing candles.

Just then I was grabbed around the waist.

"Alexander," I said, but then noticed Alexander was on the other side of Matt.

This time I screamed. I turned around. It was Trevor, dressed as Nosferatu.

Alexander and Matt laughed, but I continued to scream.

"Get off of me!"

"I've come to suck your blood!" he said with a ghoulish laugh.

"Help!" I cried. "Get him off."

When he came for my throat, no one seemed concerned.

"Alexander - Becky!"

It was evident to me that Trevor was about to kiss me. But I wasn't sure anyone else was aware of that.

Finally Alexander noticed. He pushed Trevor away from me and glared at him. "The actors aren't supposed to touch the patrons," he said, his fists clenched.

Finally Alexander noticed. He pushed Trevor away from me and glared at him. "The actors aren't supposed to touch the patrons," he said, his fists clenched.

"I'm not an actor," Trevor said, and disappeared behind the scenes.

We made our way into the next room, which was pitch black. We held hands and reached out to find our way through the maze. Alexander wasn't any help, letting Becky, Matt, and me flounder in the darkness.

"Gross!" I said as I felt something soft on the walls.

"It feels like ... people!" Becky screamed.

"I think it's brains," Matt said.

"I feel a door handle," I said.

"Open it and get me out of here!" Becky was almost crying.

I turned the handle and threw open the door. We found ourselves in the Crypt - just a few yards away from the main dance floor. Jagger was a genius.

Everything he did was one hundred and ten percent spooky.

I spotted two goths by the dance floor and did a double take. I was surprised to realize they were Heather and Courtney, two of the Prada-bees.

"I like your 'costume,'" I said sincerely as I approached them.

"Yours, too," they said nicely.

"I love that skirt," I said, gesturing to Courtney's ripped indigo-colored mini.

"Yours is very pretty, too," she replied, referring to my pleated plaid one.

For a moment we pleasantly eyed each other's outfits, not knowing what else to say. We were still different people deep down inside, but for one night, we both got to see how the other half lived.

I caught up to my friends and we headed straight over to Romeo, who was coolly dressed as Frankenstein's monster, to get some drinks and ref {rinienuel.

Matt, Becky, and I ordered sodas, but Alexander was particularly thirsty.

"I'd like a Dracula's Curse," he said to Romeo.

"That's not on the menu," Becky said.

"It is for some people," Jagger said from behind us. "Would you like to try one?" We turned around. Jagger was creepy in a skeleton costume. His white hair with blood-red tips flopped over his bony face.

"How do you like the Haunted Happening?" he asked.

"I love it!" I exclaimed.

Becky quaked in his presence as Romeo slid the blood-filled drink to Alexander.

She and Matt watched, stupefied, as Alexander drank the dark red drink.

As soon as my friends regained their composure, we headed over to the dance floor, where we found a soccer-uniform-clad Scarlet and Onyx as Cleopatra already bopping to the killer music, along with Sebastian, who was dressed as a cowboy in a ten-gallon hat and cowboy boots.

"Having fun?" I asked.

"Yes - just us girls," Scarlet shouted. "Trevor is working the crowd in his costume."

"Yes, I bumped into him," I said.

"And Jagger is overseeing everything," she continued.

"Where's Stormy?" Scarlet asked, hot and sweaty from dancing.

"She's out trick-or-treating with Billy."

"Well, there is someone here who wants to see her," Scarlet said as if it was a warning.

"Who?" Alexander asked.

Just then pink hair popped out from the crowd. Luna was fabulously amazing as the Bride of Frankenstein with a pink monster-do. And following close behind was a familiar boy with white hair, dressed as Beetlejuice. It was Valentine Maxwell - the Maxwell twins' younger vampire sibling.

"Where's Stormy?" Luna asked, pulling at her long white gown.

"Trick-or-treating with Billy."

"Who's Billy?" Luna asked.

"He's my brother," I said emphatically.

"Well, we thought she'd be with you," she said in a huff. "Valentine would love to see her."

"Hey, Valentine," Alexander said. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Hi, Alexander." Valentine smiled, his green eyes shining brightly. "Do you like my brother's club?"

"Yes, it's awesome," Alexander raved. "And so was the haunted house. It seems to be doing pretty well, too. I didn't know you were coming to town."

"I came in for Halloween. I was hoping I could see Stormy - and Billy and Henry."

"They aren't coming here tonight. They are out trick-or-treating," Alexander said.

Valentine's disappointment was palpable. "They are all hanging out together?"

"We didn't know you'd be here," Alexander said. "Otherwise - "

"I know. But Stormy loves Beetlejuice. I wore it for her."

I felt sorry for the youngest Maxwell. He was bummed out not to be among his peers. I couldn't blame him, but I wasn't so sure that I wanted him hanging out with my brother. Last time Valentine met Billy, he took him to a cave where he tried to bite him. I wasn't so sure my brother should be in his company again. In fact, I knew it wasn't a good idea.

"He's been really busy," I said. "Tons of science fairs coming up."

"Well, we'll still have to get together soon. And at least I'll get to see Stormy now that she's in town, too," he said. "We can hang out here at the Crypt."

"Yes, we'll see what we have planned," Alexander said. He didn't seem so eager for his sibling to be hanging around the younger Maxwell, either.

When Alexander and I arrived at my house, we found the sugared-up space invaders in the family room watching Friday the 13th.

"You'll never guess who we saw tonight," I said.

"Frankenstein?" Stormy asked.

"No."

"Freddy Krueger?" Henry asked.

"No, Valentine Maxwell," I replied.

"Who would dress up as him?" Billy asked.

"No one," I said. "He was at the Crypt."

"Valentine?" Billy and Stormy said in unison.

"He's here?" Henry asked.

"Yes," I replied. "He came in for Halloween."

"When can we see him?" Stormy asked.

"We'll have to go to the Crypt tomorrow," Billy insisted.

"We'll have to go to the Crypt tomorrow," Billy insisted.

There was one person I didn't want to go to the Crypt and that was my little brother. Not only didn't I want the responsibility of bringing him to a club filled with young adults, many of whom were vampires, but the Crypt was my place, not his, and I was territorial over it. "We'll see. Besides, it's getting late," I said.

"Here, Raven, I saved these for you," Stormy said, handing me spooky spider tattoos.

"I love these! Thanks so much, Stormy," I said.

"And I'm saving this for Luna," she said. She held out a pink plastic skeleton ring.

"I'm sure she'll love it," I said sincerely.

"I had a blast," Stormy said.

"How was the haunted house?" Billy asked.

"It was really cool," I said. "You would have loved it."

"Well, it's getting late," Alexander said. "We really should be getting home."

"But we just got back!" Stormy whined. "We were just going to watch Halloween!"

"It's okay," Billy said. "You guys can watch, too."

Stormy looked at Alexander with puppy-dog eyes.

"I love Halloween, too," I said. "Can we all just watch?" I nuzzled up to my swashbuckler.

"Sure," Alexander said. "How can I say no to such pretty girls?"

"Thanks, Alexander," Stormy said, and hopped on the couch with Billy and Henry.

I scooted close to Alexander on the loveseat. "I'm going to be scared," I said. "You'll have to protect me."

"I'll do my best."

We dimmed the lights and pigged out on candy as Michael Myers hunted Laurie Strode.

After the movie was over, Stormy grabbed her candy and she and Alexander headed for the front door.

"I had the best time ever!" Stormy squealed to Billy and Henry.

"We'll have to hang out again soon. I have tons of scary movies to show you," Billy said.

"I do, too," Henry chimed in.

"I can't wait!" she said.

I was pleased that Stormy had had such a good time with my brother.

When it came to them saying good-bye, there was an awkward pause between Stormy and the two other trick-or-treaters. She extended her hand to Henry. He looked at her formality oddly but reached out to accept her hand. When he did, she instead reached in and hugged him. By Henry's reaction, I'm not sure if he'd ever been hugged by a girl before. It was too cute for words.

Then she leaned in and hugged my brother. They held on for a little bit too long, until Alexander cleared his throat and said, "It's time to go." I walked Alexander to his car, and he gave me a long good-bye kiss.

I really liked Stormy being in town. As much as I didn't want to hang out with my brother, it was bringing out a sweet side to him, and I was impressed at how much of a gentleman he was becoming. And most important, Alexander seemed so happy having a family member at the Mansion. One who couldn't boss him around, even if she tried.