FOUR
"Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?" - Danny Elfman

I hated wigs, so I had spent the last two hours putting in wash-out black dye. I even tried to tame my curls with a flat iron. When that failed I decided to not take my hat off for the whole time. All will fear the wrath of Genghis Khan.

The demon party was being held in an old warehouse on the outskirts of town. Megan wouldn't come and she was working overtime to convince David to stay home and hand out Wicca pamphlets to trick or treaters. Lucky for me David spent hours on his Spartan armor. It was around nine o'clock when we got to the party. A lot of party goers would be like David, completely oblivious to the demons, thinking it was a witch gathering, and just looking for a good party.

The place was in full swing when we walked in. Lots of sexy kittens, nurses, fighter pilots, and one guy dressed in a red jumpsuit carrying a tricycle. "Menstrual cycle," he said when he caught me staring.  

I saw a guy loitering by the snack bar, sucking down cocktail wienies. He was a dead ringer for Billy Idol. David was looking toward the dance floor. "Bust a move, dude. I'm going to go stuff my face."

David kissed my cheek and headed off. I sauntered over to the table and took a wienie from Billy and stuffed it in my face. "Mr. Khan, we have a problem."

"Shut up, Stanley." Every day of the year I was terrified of the demon that marked me. He couldn't come to the surface without being summoned, but if anyone did he could be let lose. He could find me and rip me to shreds. My only solace was my mark itched like crazy in Stanley's presence. I was working hard not to rip my own skin off to scratch it.

"Aw, you're so cute when you're pretending not to be terrified."

I had withheld liquids since noon to keep the possibility of pants wetting down. I could talk a big game on Halloween, but I would be boned any other day.

"How are you this evening, Bridget Colleen O'Malley?" He had three of my names. I'd be damned if he got the fourth and final one. "And that lovely sister of yours? Jennifer O'Malley?" I would spend my life protecting Jay against this fiend. I hadn't given him the name, but he had gotten it when I foolishly opened my mind to him.

"Are you playing with the band tonight?"

"Not this year. I thought I'd do a meet and greet by the snacks." He pointed to a guy doing thriller with David. "Totally marked that guy. And that girl doing a keg stand."

"And you always told me I was the only one." It made me feel better to know I wasn't the only weak one. I was lucky the BSB didn't bother me about it. Sure they put a mark on my record, but since I got the mark as a minor and because it was years before Others were even known. This also meant I was being watched carefully. "How many BSB agents are here?"

"Three. They're making sure no good, honest folk get tempted by 'forbidden' magic." He scoffed. Normally I thumbed my nose at the BSB, but when it came to demons even I was thankful for them. Stanley looked at me. "Is it possible for you not to dress up as someone who rapes and pillages?"

"You're always a legendary rocker, can't you be Cher or Mariah Carey?"

"If you're a sexy school girl or cat next year I'll be a diva." His eyes scanned down my body. I'd gain one hundred pounds and be a fat house cat next year.

"Deal, but that depends on where the party is next year."

"I'll make sure you can come next year." He winked at me.

The menstrual cycle guy elbowed in between us. He complimented my costume and wandered off with all the brownies. I almost tackled the jerk wad, but decided everything was ok because he left the bowl of Twix behind. That entire bowl was going into my pillaging sack later. Thriller came on. David would take the dance floor by storm and show everyone who was the boss.

"Does he know what this party is for?"

"No."

"You afraid he'll hate you for what you did?"

He knew why David didn't know. It wasn't because my best friend would ditch me. It was because I was ashamed. Stanley knew it. He just wanted me to say it. On this night he couldn't physically hurt me, but he could emotionally mar me.

"I appear to be making you upset."

My eyes were fixed on David dancing his heart out. Hot damn that man could dance. I grabbed the bowl of Twix and dumped the contents into my pillage sack. I walked away to other candy bowls, emptying their sugary contents into my bag. Stanley watched me rape and pillage the snack table.

Stanley eventually came over. He was eating a brownie. He probably stole it from the menstrual guy. "I'm not heartless you know."

"No, it's just a black, shriveled mass."

"I get summoned so rarely. Halloween is the only time I get to have any real fun. We can be friends tonight, right? Remember the year we made out?"

He tasted like sulfur and brimstone. Huge mistake after one too many red bulls and vodkas. It had actually been a fun night when that was part was removed. I knew I was safe tonight. Shenanigans could be had.

"What will make you feel better?"

~*~*~

We bought some eggs, found children dissatisfied with their pamphlets, gave them some of my pillaged candy to egg Megan's house. Stanley and I watched from a safe distance. Eventually Dragyn came running out. She gave them plastic bats and pointed in our direction.

"We need to be running, Mr. Idol."

"Um, yeah, like, now."

We took off with a herd of armed children chasing us.

~*~*~

David had one too many drinks and since I didn't drive we had two choices at four in the morning. Walk or hitchhike. Since I didn't trust half the people who came to these parties we hoofed it back to Megan's. David leaned on me the entire way singing Abba. Or at least trying to. He knew about three lines from any given song and he kept repeating them.

Dragyn was sitting on the stoop, cleaning supplies next to her. She smiled up at me, her nasty, vampire teeth shining in the dark. I had a bruise forming on my ass and back from where a child tackled me and wailed on my backside. Stanley left me for dead. I passed David over to Dragyn and picked up the soap filled bucket and a sponge.

~*~*~

I was happy to finally be back in Chicago. I was even happy to see Samantha's crappy Rav-4 waiting for us at Midway.

"How was seeing your ex?" She said after we were buckled in and on the way home.

"You know, awkward, demoralizing." I rolled down a window and lit up a cigarette. "How was your Halloween?"

"I went to a were party with Sean. Too many alphas, not enough omegas."

David and I chuckled. "So it was just a giant pissing contest?" David asked.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure some territory was marked. You guys hungry?"

I wasn't, but if I was gonna be a fat house cat next Halloween I needed lots of delicious food in my belly all the time.