“That was the only way to get you to come out here,” she says as she lands on the other side of the fence, her boots hitting the ground with a thud.
She smooths out her skirt and adjusts her fishnet tights.
“Was there ever a key?” I ask Hannah. “Do you actually know this guy?”
“Yes. I know the guy. But I haven’t seen him in years.” She shrugs.
“Come on,” Katie says, tugging on my sleeve. “Live a little.”
An owl hoots off in the distance, and a group of crows streak across the sky. There’s a frosty chill in the air that sends a shiver up my spine and makes a strand of my dark brown hair flutter against my cheek.
“Come on,” Hannah says impatiently. “We’re burning daylight.”
She shines a flashlight under her chin and makes a face that’s supposed to look like a Scream mask.
“Come hither before the ghouls and goblins make haste to feast upon your mortal soul!”
“Don’t scare her,” Katie says as she hits Hannah’s arm with the back of her hand. She turns to me and smirks, crossing her arms and looking me up and down with a sassy look in her eyes. “She’s pure and innocent.”
“Huh,” Hannah says, clicking her tongue. “Pure and innocent, you say?”
“Oh yes. Totally.”
I roll my eyes and throw my backpack over the fence, then scale it and throw myself over as well. When I land, I look the girls straight in the eyes.
“We are leaving the second it gets dark. And if there is a chance, I mean any chance that this is going to be more than just basic college shenanigans, I am out of here.”
“Totally cool,” Hannah says as she puts her arm around my shoulders.
A few minutes later, the trees thin out, and we reach the little clearing. The bonfire is already set up, and there are a few logs around it for sitting. I walk over to a log and drop my bag, taking in the best scenery my humble state of New York has to offer.
“This is fabulous,” I say as I stretch my arms above my head. It’s nothing but a cloudless blue sky and trees all around us, with flames and curling smoke as the centerpiece.
There are two muscle-bound, bare-chested guys with neon war paint streaked across their abs and sheets tied into togas around their waists. There are a few girls here I recognize from my hall and say hello to.
I sit down on one of the logs, ready to make the most of the beautiful surroundings. I’m majoring in biology, and my passion has always been wildlife. I love watching the birds and cataloging them, always excited to find ones that are rare and entering them into a database run by one of the professors.
I grab my notebook and colored pencils from my backpack.
“Now,” one of the guys says, “have we the necessary provisions for the sacrifice?”
I look up from my notebook. Everyone is staring at me.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” I say, squinting up at the guy.
“In order to appease the gods, a burnt sacrifice must be made to bring order and peace back to the world!” he says theatrically. “We will require a virgin as an offering to please our almighty gods!”
“I’ve got your virgin right here!” Katie says as she grabs my hand and throws it into the air.
“Um, no,” I say as I snatch my hand back. “I’m good. I’m all set.”
“Come on!” Katie says, grabbing both of my hands and dragging me toward the fire. Everyone around us is cheering and clapping.
“Katie, I didn’t sign up for this!” I say as she guides me forward. I stumble, my feet uneasy beneath me. My boots are going to be caked with mud. I don’t like this.
“Oh, come on,” she says as we get right up to the bonfire. She grabs a length of rope from her purse and holds it up, tapping her long fingernails against it. “It’s a bonfire and it’s Halloween weekend. What did you expect?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I say as two girls grab my hands and pin them behind my back. “S’mores?”