Posted on 2015-10-31

Blurb: Lizzy and Jane are invited to a Halloween Party. Lizzy doubts she'll enjoy it until she runs into a tall dark

"This is ridiculous," said Lizzy trying to adjust her wig after struggling out of the car and waving their father off.

"You asked for a non-sexy costume! This was it!" said Jane who had chosen to be an angel. It was supposed to be a 'Sexy Angel' but Jane somehow managed to still be angelic.

"I feel like a cupcake."

"I'm sure Marie Antoinette felt just the same way," soothed Jane.

"I doubt it because, one everyone dressed this way so it wasn't in the least bit foreign and weird to her and two, she was at least as far as I know not a zombie so did not have to deal with this - " Lizzy gestured at the blood and the caked on makeup. " and three her wig was probably not held on by wooden hair sticks that scraped her scalp!" Lizzy then signed and began to waddle up the driveway, "So whose party is this?"

Jane shrugged, "Lydia picked up a flyer on campus."

Lydia who had bounded up the drive in front of them in nothing but a bikini. She had come as a Miss American contestant apparently. Lizzy had objected but as their father hadn't even blinked, nothing came of her objections.

"So some random frat party then?" said Lizzy cuttingly.

Jane's response was cut off by the door being opened by a pale butler with stitches across his neck. This aspect was rather spoiled by the radiant smile that spread across his face when he beheld Jane.

"Charles!" He exclaimed and seeing Jane looking startled he continued, "I mean I'm Charles. This is my house! Welcome! Happy Halloween."

It took Lizzy a moment to realise the only way she could fit through the door was to go through sideways. By the time she managed to force her way through the door, Jane and her new friend Charles had disappeared.

Lizzy looked around to see if she could spot someone she knew from college, someone other than her youngest sister. Lydia was easy to spot, she was in a corner surrounded by men and she appeared to be doing body shots.

The house was far cleaner and far fancier than she expected from a house lived in by college boys (one of them, at least, and Lizzy couldn't believe Charles could afford this house on his own.)

She was unashamedly snooping around when she literally ran into King John of England. She knew it was King John based on the style of his clothing, his terrible hair cut, his crown and most of all the fact a copy of the Magna Carta was hanging from a nail embedded in his chest.

"My apologies, my liege," she said curtseying.

"Should a queen really be curtseying. If not for protocol but you might lose your head....again."

Lizzy couldn't help but laugh. King John had looked so dour but it seemed he had a bit of a dry sense of humour. "Lizzy" She stuck out her hand.

"Darcy," he grasped her hand firmly, and Lizzy was surprised that his hand was so old. "Why Marie Antoinette?"

"Only non-sexual costume at the shop. And King John?"

"I wanted to see who would 'get it' as they say. And you look like a person who would make her own costume."

"I usually am, but final year." Lizzy shrugged, "I've taken on too much and I just ran out of time. If you see my older sister, do not let her know I admitted I'm doing too much!"

Darcy smiled and then surveyed the party - the rollicking crush of party goers - and Lizzy thought she saw him give a small shudder.

"If you hate parties why come?"

"It's my house. It was my roommates idea. He likes people if you can believe."

"And you don't?"

"I came as King John. What do you think?"

Lizzy laughed again.

"Let me get you a drink, come to the kitchen." Lizzy followed Darcy to the kitchen where he filled up the ubiquitous red plastic cup with some beer. The Kitchen was heaving with people attempting to organise beer pong, or perhaps a keg stand, it seemed a matter of some contention.

"Let's go outside!" yelled Lizzy over the din. She was being a bit reckless but she hadn't thought she'd enjoy this party at all , and there was something mesmerizing about Darcy.

Darcy yelled something back at her, but she couldn't make out the words from the gestures she gathered he was saying that he would just nip off to the bathroom and then meet her outside at a swing Lizzy could just make out in the gloom outside the kitchen window.

Lizzy shuffled her way out of the kitchen and outside. Most of the quite expansive backyard was bathed in light as people grinded and gyrated on an impromptu dance floor. However some of the backyard was still shrouded in darkness, which was where Lizzy retreated and wedged herself onto the simple wooden swing.

"My mother almost locked me in the house! She didn't want me to go out tonight!" A couple of drunk girls weaved their way across the lawn. Lizzy thought they were aiming for the house but the alcohol had sent them off balance and in her direction.

"Why?"

"The Vampires!"

"What?"

"Those girls? Drained of their blood! My uncle is friends with the sheriff. They think there is a serial killer" That last bit was said in what could only be described as a drunk whisper.

"A serial killer?" How many girls?" The original drunk girl's friend voice rose in pitch.

"Eight! Always in pairs!" Original drunk girl almost fell into one of the shrubs she was gesticulating so wildly.

"Why hasn't this been on the news?" Her friend suddenly sounded a lot more sober.

"They were drained of blood by vampires!" Drunk girl righted herself, but was still slurring, "The police didn't want anyone to panic!"

"Too late! Promise me we'll get a cab home, and don't you dare leave without me."

"What if it's the taxi driver?"

There were shrieks and shoving at that and Lizzy couldn't hear anything else as the girls finally managed to stumble their way back towards the house.

Surely the girl's uncle was winding her up! The police department couldn't keep eight dead girls a secret!

Lizzy was still contemplating this and how she hadn't seen Jane since they'd arrived when another red cup appeared in her vision attached to Darcy's hand. Lizzy took the cup but didn't take a sip.

"Have you seen a sexy angel?" At Darcy's blank yet piercing look she shook her head, "My sister Jane, it's her costume. I'm just worried. I haven't seen her since we arrived but it's only been half an hour. It's just - "

"Just?"

"I overheard these girls talking about vampires and serial killers. All of which sounded so ludicrous that I'm sure they are being wound up, but I couldn't help but - Oh wait there's Jane. With your roommate I assume."

Darcy looked over his shoulder. Charles was adjusting Jane's wings and they were standing on the other side of the dance floor near the back fence, beyond which lay the wild parkland that the house backed onto.

"Yes, that's Charles. He'll look after her. I promise. He's gentle."

Lizzy smiled, "Jane does inspire devotion. But usually not in half an hour!"

"You must inspire it too," Darcy reached down to push a curl of hair off Lizzy's neck."

"Sometimes, but my tongue is generally too sharp."

"I like your tongue. What I've seen of it at least"

Lizzy was glad they were in the dark so he couldn't see her blush. She was trying to think how to respond to that when she noticed Jane and Charles slipping out the back gate.

"Wait, where are they going?" Lizzy sat up straighter on the swing.

"Charles is probably showing her his favourite running trail, there is a lovely clearing he finds romantic I believe."

Lizzy tried to relax but she couldn't get the conversation she'd overheard out of her head. Although Charles certainly wasn't a girl, but maybe the killer - if they even existed - cared about pairs and it was only coincidence they'd all been pairs of girls.

"We could join them if you like?" said Darcy. He didn't wait for her answer and after placing both their cups on the ground offered her his hand.

Lizzy took it gratefully, "Are you sure you do not mind?"

"Not at all. I have a sister too."

They forced their way through the crowds of people and made it through the gate and if Lizzy had thought it was gloomy near the swing, it was nothing compared to the darkness of the park.

Darcy didn't seem to even notice the darkness and strode in front and Lizzy tottered in his wake.

It didn't take very long to catch up to Jane and Charles. Lizzy immediately thought it had been the wrong decision to follow them as it looked like Jane and Charles had snuck out this way to have a passionate embrace. Jane was usually far more reserved but perhaps she felt liberated by her costume.

Lizzy meant to stop walking but she found the weight of her costume forced her to flounder several steps past Darcy who had frozen in place.

Those extra steps made all the difference. Suddenly the passionate embrace turned into something much more sinister. Jane looked frozen and Charles had....fangs?

Lizzy gave a scream and stepped back wards and stepped into Darcy. Her initial spike of adrenaline calmed when she felt his firm body. Darcy would -

Except when she turned her head she saw that Darcy had fangs too and his hands on her shoulders weren't calming they were restraining.

She only froze for a second until she remembered what was keeping her wig on. She whipped a wooden hair stick out of her hair and turning in Darcy's arms thrust upwards where she thought the heart might be.

Darcy grunted and sunk to his knees. He didn't explode into dust, instead real blood poured out of his chest and Lizzy had a sudden thought she'd made a terrible mistake. Maybe his fangs - and Charles' - had been fake?

Except Charles sprung away from Jane hissing, and he advanced on them. Lizzy tried to extricate the other wooden hair stick but she couldn't seem to reach it. But Charles was uninterested in her, he pushed her aside and Lizzy fell to the ground.

She couldn't seem to get herself up. This was the last time she wore panniers!

Lizzy felt herself being hauled up and found herself face to face with Jane.

"Run!" yelled her sister.

Just before they took off the image of Charles draining Darcy, licking the blood as it rain down the Magna Carter, as Darcy writhed and it was obvious Darcy was not human but he was being drained dry none the less.

They tore through the darkness and after several minutes when Lizzy was sure she couldn't hear footsteps following them she pulled Jane to a stop. "Jane, are you hurt?" Lizzy couldn't see in the darkness she could only try and feel Jane's neck.

"No, my necklace blocked him! I've never been more happy for this heavy collar necklace fad. Are you hurt?"

"I don't think I will be getting my bond back for this dress but I'm fine. How do we explain this?"

"We call the police and say they attacked us!" replied Jane sensibly.

"And leave out the fangs?"

"Yes."

"That's very sensible of you, Jane, I half expected you to say that we should tell the truth."

"Lizzy, I believe in the goodness of people, but I'm not a complete fool!"