A Shade of Halloween

by Robin Todd

  The plane landed smoothly at the resort’s FBO. I didn’t even know they had one. I had to give it to Ros for his choice of a vacay location. Right from landing, I knew The Heavenly Calabasas was much better than any getaway location I could have come up with. Selena looked so peaceful and angelic in my arms, completely unaware of everything going on around her. I let her sleep while the resort’s staff worked with May to get our luggage out, spread a carpet from the base of the stairs to the car and confirm our lodging with the front desk via phone.

  “Hey there, sleeping beauty.” I whispered, watching her stir and open her eyes.

  “I can get lost in your eyes and not notice time’s passing by.” I smiled.

  “You’re so sweet.” She smiled back at me, sitting up on the sofa and stretching her arms. “Have we arrived?”

  “Yes. We landed a few minutes ago.” I replied.

  “Is everyone ready to leave?” Ros asked from the adjacent sofa.

  “As ready as can be.” I smiled.

  When we exited the plane, I couldn’t help the smile that spread itself across my face. The landscape was breathtaking, decorated with metallic and wooden sculptures, creative lighting, decorated trees and seemingly endless carpet grass. It was obvious that whoever designed the resort favored the serenity of mother nature. As our car drove through the streets, I could feel the ambiance of tranquility, just what Selena needed to recover from her stressful nightmares. I didn’t need to be told how impressed the girls were. Trina and Selena had happy smiles on their faces and I was sure May was just as impressed in the car behind us. After a short drive, the cars came to a halt in front of a building. We had barely gotten out when a beautiful blonde girl walked up and ushered us in.

  “Welcome to The Heavenly Calabasas.” She smiled. “We are passionate about making your stay here as heavenly as possible. May I confirm that you’re with the Soille party?”

  For a moment, I was thrown off. What did she mean by the Soille party?

  “Yes. Ros Soille.” Ros gave her a side smirk.

  “This way.” She beckoned, leading us into the building.

  “Is that all the identification she needs?” I pulled Ros back to ask. “What if someone else says yes to her question?”

  “Well, they can’t, little Ry.” He rolled his eyes. “My reply was the preset access code. I had to say that exact sentence accompanied by the side smirk. How would an impostor know that? Besides, the pilot registered our presence at landing. Stop acting like it’s still the 1920s.”

  I wanted to drive my fist into his face for his verbal jab but I couldn’t. He was right. I should have known there would be some agreed method of verification. I just didn’t think it would be a sentence and a smirk. Where was this? The Secret Service? Saying nothing, I followed everyone into the building before our blonde escort spoke again.

  “Your name and room number is behind the card, and your schedule’s inside.” She explained, handing cards to each of us. 

  Everyone instinctively turned to the back of their differently colored cards to study their information.

  “Wait. We’re staying in different rooms?” I asked, wondering why the number on my card was different from that on Selena’s.

  “Yes, sir. Your request specified separate rooms for everyone.” The blonde escort replied.

  “Oh, okay.” I glared at Ros who simply smirked.

  I settled into my room which was by all counts tastefully furnished. It was great to see my luggage already inside and I normally would have sprawled on the bed for a few minutes to admire my surroundings but I had a score to settle. I walked back out of my room, not bothering to check the next two doors after mine because I saw May and Trina going into them before I stepped into mine. I stopped at the third door and knocked, hoping to hear his usual ‘What?’ Unfortunately, a soft feminine voice replied from within.

  “Who’s there?”

  Selena’s voice put a natural smile on my lips. There was something about her that brought me true happiness. It was like she was a part of me that I needed to be complete.

  “It’s me.” I replied, and heard the door click on the other side.

  The minute the door opened, she threw herself into my arms and buried her face in my chest, completely melting my heart. I wrapped my arms around her for a few seconds before stroking her hair.

  “You’re so cute.” I smiled.

  “You came to find me.” She beamed.

  I loved Selena’s eyes when they were brown but right now, they were the definition of perfection. There was something about their aqua blue shade that made her look even more exotic than before.

  “Yes I did.” I lied.

  I didn’t exactly like lying to her but I couldn’t tell her the truth. I was hoping her room belonged to Ros but it didn’t change the fact that I was happy to see her.

  “I came to check on you.” I smiled. “You should take a shower and change into something casual. I can’t wait to see you later tonight.”

  I gave her another hug and exited her room. Once I was sure she had locked the door, I went to the next room and knocked.

  “What?” The voice came from the other side.

  “Open up.” I replied.

  The door flung open in less than a split second and dark green eyes peered back at me. I pushed Ros out of the way and stepped into the room.

  “Well, great to see you too, Ry. Missed me so much you couldn’t stay ten minutes without me?” He asked.

  “You wish!” I snapped. “This isn’t a friendly visit. I know what you’re doing and I want you to stop it right now.”

  Ros looked at me like he was confused.

  “...and exactly what am I doing?”

  “Trying so damn hard to get Selena!” I blurted out. “Do you think I don’t see your subtle moves? You brought May along because you know the girl adores you.”

  “What does that have to do with Selena? May asked to come.” Ros looked bewildered.

  “Yeah. I’m sure it was completely coincidental that Selena ended up getting so jealous as May drooled over you.”

  “She did?” Ros smirked.

  “Stop it, Ros. I’m serious. Why in the world did you request separate rooms for everyone?”

  Ros looked at me like I was crazy.

  “Why the hell not? Selena needs to get back to her normal human routine. You said so yourself. What’s wrong with giving her some space to herself?”

  “Space to herself? She ended up one door away from your room and three doors away from mine.” I spat.

  “Hey. I don’t work for the resort. They handled the room assignment. Get over your pettiness, brother.”

  I knew he was lying and I wasn’t about to back down.

  “Listen, Ros. I know what this is. I should have seen it coming. You’re trying to get Selena back with these ridiculous coincidences that keep her close to you and far away from me. Stop it. She’s with me now so leave her alone.”

  “Like you left her alone when she was with me?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Um...” I started.

  “Exactly. I didn’t think you’d have an answer to that. Listen, brother. I’m doing what’s best to help Selena recover and I’ll keep doing that for the length of this vacation. If she ends up preferring to be with me at the end of it, then that’s not my making.”

  “What I have with Selena is true love. Don’t get her confused.” I sighed.

  “Then why are you so scared? True love always prevails, doesn’t it?” He smirked. “You’re just being jealous. Take a chill pill.”

  “You know what? I should never have bothered with you. She’ll pick me anyway.” I blurted in frustration.

  “Very well then. Don’t get so flustered. I have to rest now. See you at the bonfire tonight.” He winked, activating his enhanced speed to hold the door open for me.

  “I said no special abilities on the trip!” I snapped.

  “Relax, Ry. Selena’s not here. It doesn’t hur
t anyone.” He grinned.

  I hated it when he frustrated me, especially when it was clear he was enjoying every bit of it. I didn’t want to give him the continued pleasure of ruffling my feathers, so I stepped out and returned to my room. I knew one thing for sure. I was determined to bring his plan to futility. Selena was mine and things were going to stay that way.

  Chapter Nine

  Selena’s POV

  I took a shower and slipped on a pink tank top paired with black leggings and a black scarf around my neck. According to the schedule on my card, the only event for the day was a bonfire starting at 8pm and burning deep into the night. I had never been to an actual bonfire so I was pretty excited about it. I didn’t want to wear makeup so I sat in front of the dresser in my room and brushed my hair. Since I was in the mood to let my hair down, I ran my brush through my strands and maintained the part in the middle because that was my go to hairstyle when I didn’t want to think too much about it. I was just about done with it when I saw the reflection of a girl in the mirror. She was wearing a flowing lilac gown held around the waist with a gold belt.

  I stared at her for a few minutes, running validity checks in my head. If this had happened a year ago, I most likely would have screamed at the top of my lungs and sprinted out of the room as fast as my legs could carry me but with all my experiences in life, I knew one thing for sure. There was a lot more to the universe than just the physical. I turned around calmly to survey the space around me and the girl in the mirror was really there.

  “Hello. Who are you?” I asked.

  “Apologies, Selena. It was wrong of me not to have introduced myself. My name is Raven.” She replied, holding out her dress and dropping her knees to curtsy.

  “Okay.” I smiled, a little amused by her behavior. 

  “Is she someone from a different lifetime? Perhaps one of the lifetimes between 1889 and now? How did she know my name? She certainly didn’t come in through the door. Is she some kind of ghost? Another immortal just like me maybe?”

  “I bring a message from the Keepers of Light. A great evil rises and you must stop it for its manifestation will bring an end to your world. Time is running o...”

  The sound of someone knocking made me turn my gaze momentarily to the door. By the time I turned back to the girl, she was gone.

  “No. Wait. Come back!” I yelled.

  There was no response. The girl was completely gone. I sighed in frustration and walked to the door. My mind was still wrapped around the girl and her message.

  “Hey, Selena. You look lovely in pink.” Trina smiled, hugging me. “I came to see if you were ready to head out but I could have sworn I heard you talking to someone while I was standing outside the door.”

  Her blue eyes searched my face for answers. I knew I could talk to her about things as bizarre as the one I just witnessed, so I recounted the event.

  “Did she tell you what this evil was or how to stop it?” She asked.

  “No. She was still talking when you knocked. You must have scared her off because she disappeared.”

  “Okay. If it’s something to worry about, I’m sure she’ll visit you again. For now, just try to have fun. It’s why we came on this trip. We can worry about the end of the world after our vacay.” She smiled.

  I knew she was trying to cheer me up but she also had a point. I needed to unwind and forget about all the supernatural stuff around me.

  We stopped over at Ros’s room because it was just next door. He wasn’t there, probably already at the bonfire. Our check on Ryan’s room produced an almost similar result. There was a note outside his door, asking me to meet him at the bonfire. It was quite unlike him to just leave a note but I guessed he had his reasons. I shrugged and turned to Trina.

  “Seems we’re going to have to meet them there.” I said. “Should we check on May?”

  “Hell no!” Trina whispered.

  We laughed and exited the lodge, heading in the direction of the bonfire. From a distance, we could hear the cheer of other guests and the sound of bubbling music.

  “I see why the boys left without us.” Trina grinned, pulling me by the hand and doubling her footsteps.

  I smiled and adjusted my pace to match hers. We arrived at the bonfire in no time, mixing in with the crowd of cheerful guests. My eyes darted around, searching for Ryan or Ros. I spotted Ros in a dark grey t-shirt, paired with brown shorts and black loafers. He waved at us once our eyes met, and we went over.

  “Welcome to the party.” He grinned, pulling me in for a hug. “Will you like something to drink?”

  “Yeah.” I replied. “Where’s Ryan?”

  “Haven’t seen him.” He shrugged. “Do you want a drink too, blondie?”

  Trina glared at him and he got the message. He left briefly and returned with two cups.

  “Super chilled, just right for the moment.”

  “Thanks, Ros.” We chorused.

  I took a few sips, still looking around for Ryan.

  “Where’s May?” I asked.

  “Probably still in her room. Why?” He asked.

  “Um... Nothing really. I just asked since I didn’t see her with you.” I replied.

  He gave me a side smirk and pulled a bottle out of his pocket. He took a few gulps and handed it to Trina who gulped the contents down as well.

  “Wait a minute. Is that...” I started, but laughed when I saw him wink.

  It was very typical of Ros to break the rules. The Resort had made it clear alcohol was not allowed at the bonfire and he still brought a bottle in. I was going to ask what we were supposed to do besides drinking and dancing when I caught sight of Ryan storming towards us with clenched fists. At first I wondered what had him so riled up but when I saw him walk up to Ros and punch his face, I knew they had found another reason to fight each other. Quite frankly, they were like five year olds when together.

  “Ow!” Ros groaned, clutching his cheeks. “What’s with the violence?”

  The sound of an alarm stopped Ryan from replying and diverted our attention to the four resort staff running towards us with hands in the air.

  “Gentlemen, we’ll like to speak with you in private.” One of the men stated.

  “Our apologies, guys. The rest of you can continue with the bonfire.” Another staff added.

  The boys walked away with them, leaving Trina and I to wonder that was possibly about.

  Chapter Ten

  Ryan’s POV

  I waited in my room for Selena to get dressed so we could go to the bonfire together. When she didn’t call after a while, I placed a call to her room using the resort’s intercom. She didn’t pick up so I decided to find out what she was up to. When I opened my door, I found a note stuck on it. I picked it up and read it because I was sure it wasn’t there at the time I went into my room.

  “Hey Selena. Meet me at the bonfire. I have a surprise for you. XX” The note read.

  Now, there was only one person I knew who could pull something like that and I had just about had it with him and his antics on this trip.

  “He better hope Selena’s still in her room and hasn’t seen the note yet.”

  I made a quick stop at Selena’s room just to be double sure she wasn’t in there. The door was locked and there was no response when I knocked. I marched out of the residential area, straight to the bonfire. As I approached, I caught sight of Ros chatting and flirting with Selena and Trina. I was so upset that I didn’t bother asking him any questions. I knew he did it. There was no one else with such a silly motive. I punched him and made sure I hit him hard. I didn’t care about the resort’s ‘cordial resolution of disputes’ policy at that point and wasn’t surprised when I heard the alarm.

  I walked in silence with the resort staff that escorted us out of the bonfire area until we got into a large office. From the tag on the door, I knew it belonged to the manager. Inside, a friendly looking lady in her mid-thirties sat behind a large brown wooden table. Once we got in, she raise
d her head and waived everyone else out of the office.

  “Gentlemen, please sit.” She gestured us to the opposite chairs.

  I sat beside Ros, already zoned out mentally. I knew the manager was going to give us a warning and probably recite a long list of rules I didn’t really care for.

  “I understand you’ve breached our ‘cordial resolution of disputes’ policy.” She stated, peering at us from behind square glasses.

  “We?” Ros asked. “He hit me for no reason!”

  I decided to mess with him because he’d been messing with me the entire trip.

  “You’re unbelievable.” I looked at him in false disbelief before turning back to the manager and proceeding. “He hit me!”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Ros yelled. “I didn’t hit you. You hit me.”

  I was well aware his skin had no trace of the impact from my fist - thanks to his enhanced healing. We also looked exactly alike so I was sure the eyewitnesses would have a hard time telling us apart - except Selena and Trina, of course. From all indications, this was going to be an exciting game.

  “Ma’am, he hit me.” I looked back at the manager who seemed amused.

  “Gentlemen, I’m aware of twins acting this way, but certainly not at this age!” She laughed. “I know one of you hit the other and to be quite honest, it doesn’t matter who. The one who hit shouldn’t have done it. Besides the fact that it’s against our policy here at the resort, there are other mature ways of handling things. The one who got hit on the other hand, isn’t completely absolved. He must have done something to provoke the other and provocation is just as bad. What I’m trying to say is simple. Here at the Heavenly Calabasas, giving our clients the most pleasant experience is our utmost priority. A scene as violent as someone hitting another in the face doesn’t exactly fall under the category of a heavenly experience. If there’s a...”

  She paused abruptly and gasped like someone in surprise. I could see the air around her wrap around itself, just like the opening of a supernatural portal. Thin long fingers from hands as black as midnight clutched unto her shoulders and pulled her towards the center of the displaced air. My brows creased into a frown as Ros and I instinctively jumped back. The manager’s scream filled the room and before anyone could really react, she was gone.