Secrets+of+a+Halloween+Party

I looked down at the dress I was wearing. It was a sleek black gown with a white mask disguising my face. God I hated masquerade Halloween parties. I wouldn’t even be here, but I promised Stacey I would come to her annual masquerade ball. Yet again, her parents had rented out a gigantic, expensive, three-story ballroom for the event. I looked around the pristine white room on the top floor and couldn’t recognize anyone. Then again, they were all in costumes. I felt so out of place in that party, like a polar bear in Jamaica. I would have barely known anyone, even if I could tell who was who. I generally kept to myself and stayed away from most people, except for Stacey.

“Caroline!” I heard a familiar voice call. I whipped around and saw Stacey all dolled up in an aqua dress with a white lace trim topped off with a sea green mask and pearl earrings that made her blonde hair and cerulean eyes glow. “Oh my god you look so amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen your hair down before!” I self-consciously twirled some of the chocolate brown hair in my fingers. “So glad you could make it! I think you’ll have so much fun!” Some one called to Stacey from across the room. “Hey, I’ve got to talk to her. Go enjoy yourself!” she yelled while running off.

I sighed and worked my way over to the punch bowl like I did every year and poured myself a glass. “Happy Halloween,” I muttered.

“I know how you feel,” said a voice from behind me. I turned around and saw it was a boy my age, a little taller than myself, wearing a black tux with a red tie and matching mask. I could see his eyes through the mask, which were a pale grey color, but I still didn’t recognize him. He stuck out his arm to shake hands with me. “I’m William. And who might you be?”

I shook his hand and mumbled my name.

“Pardon?”

“It’s Caroline,” I said a little bit louder. “I’m glad I’m not the only loner here. I know Stacey and that’s about it.”

William laughed a little. “I don’t even know her.” My eyes widened with surprise.

“But she’s hosting the party!” I said, stating what everyone knew.

He smiled and looked out of the window into the dark October night. “My father used to own this banquet hall,” he began. “He doesn’t any more, but I know my secret entrances. My father used to throw the greatest parties around here. They were the bee’s knees; everyone in town would come.”

“What happened?” I asked.

William’s facial expression dimmed. “He met this girl. My mom had left him after I was born, that no good vamp. So anyways, my dad was totally goofy for this girl and she liked him just as much. I’m pretty sure she was going to become my step mom.”

“Well that doesn’t seem so bad,” I said. “Also, you are //really// good at staying in character.” He looked down as if he knew something I didn’t.

“Well, the bad thing is that she was drunk driving home one night and got in a car accident and died almost instantly. My dad went soon after. He shot himself in the head…”

I patted him on the back. “I’m so sorry… I didn’t think… oh my god I’m sorry.” He smiled and turned back to me.

“It’s all right. There's nothing I can do about it now.” William sighed and the clock struck nine. “Oh no. I have to go. Goodbye, Caroline.” William started to run for the window. I raced after.

“Wait! Where are you going?” I yelled. He whipped open the window and jumped forty-five feet into the ground below. “Oh my god!” I said in shock. There was no possible way he could have survived. I leaned out the window and in the spot where he should have been lying crippled, there was nothing. I backed away and crashed into Stacey.

“What are you doing, Caroline?” she asked. “You’re acting kind of weird right now.” She seemed kind of annoyed with me but I didn’t care.

I kept walking towards the end of the hall. “I… I need to go Stacey. I had a good time, but I need to go.” I pushed past her and started speed walking out of the ballroom. The second I got out, I burst into a sprint in the direction of my house. I raced up to my room and Googled the name of the ballroom. I couldn’t believe what I read:

“Founded in1924 by Arthur Forrest, the Everglade Banquet Hall was a popular place for dancing and drinking. Unfortunately, its profits soon began to plummet. Arthur Forrest was already stressed with the funding issue, and then his fiancée, Miss Evelyn Miller, died in a car crash while taking Arthur’s son home from the beach on October 26th. It was due to the fact she had been drinking, but Arthur blamed his son for the death of his beloved and on October 31, 1928, he pushed his son through the window on the third floor of the banquet hall and young William Forrest died instantly at only age 14. Shortly after, Arthur Forrest ended his suffering by shooting himself in the head on November 5th.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. “Oh my god… he //was// dead.” I closed my computer and climbed into my bed, still in the black party dress. “He was dead… and I will never be able to talk to him again.” I sighed and fell asleep and dreamed of the boy who talked to me. The one who I could never speak to again as long as I lived.