1 O.W. ✡ Hallow

❲ Title: ❛Hallow❜ ❳

❲ Characters: Original Characters "Jia Min" ❳

❲ Genre: ... ❳

❲ Sypnosis: Various of costumes are being displayed by a lot of people to have fun for Halloween—from simple to extravagant, from gothic to abstract looking ones. A group of friends are heading towards a manor of one of their old friend for a Halloween Party and for a little reunion. ❳

❲ Credits/Dedication: Original Work ❳

—❈

Jia Min has been having a hard time for the past week, apparently, the lass couldn't find a costume that she wanted or caught her attention that she was going to wear for the party tonight.

As she stood infront of her open closet, someone opened the door causing her to be startled and turn around only to see her mother walk inside before putting neatly folded clothes on the bed. Jia Min looked at the clothes and grinned cheekily as she spoke, "Thanks Ma."

Her mother only smiled as she looked around before heading out of the room with a soft sigh.

Jia Min went over to the bed and unfolded the clothes that was placed down on it only to find out that it was a beautiful white dress.

It was simple, but classy and elegant looking. She held it up to examine it a bit more. It wasn't entirely white and actually had a silverish tone as the main dress had a very thin layer of see-through silk. It's a off-shoulder dress that reaches three inch below of her knee, with a black ribbon around it's waistline, the offshoulder part has fancy-looking ruffles in them.

And then that's when she thought, 'This would be perfect for tonight's party. I don't need any extravagant costumes, I can just be a Princess or something.. I'm pretty sure I have a tiarra here somewhere that I used before.'

Jia Min then gently placed the dress back down before proceeding back to her closet, she squatted down and pulled out two boxes from under and opened them.

On the first box, were a few accessories; she picked out a plain gold necklace and earrings. Then on the second box, were photo albums and journals but what lays on top of it was a silver-white tiarra with sapphire blue stones aligned it's base.

"This is perfect." She mutters to herself excitedly.

Oh what would she do without her mother, she thinks. Before hurriedly rushing to the bathroom after seeing that it was almost 8PM.. The party starts at 9PM.

❈

8:43 PM.

The clock reads as Jia Min just finished prepping up for everything. She had already wore her dress, the accessories, and even put on a bit of make-up.. but she wasn't satistified somehow.

"What's missing..." she grumbled to herself as she stared at the mirror.

She wanted to go for a simple but classy look but it seems too plain for her.

Then that's when she had an idea. "A Princess who got into an accident.." She beamed to herself before grabbing two shades of red lipstick, one bright and the other one dark.. along with her eyeshadow pallette.

It only took her a few minutes to finish her masterpiece on herself. With the lipsticks, and a dark brown pencil-liner she used it to make fake blook smears on parts of her face and some of her clothes—she thought that her mother might have a hard time washing it off but decided that the dress will only be used for tonight. With the eyeshadows, she made fake bruises on her arms and her legs and a little bit near her right temple where there was a fake blood that looked like they were about to drip down. She ended up making her hair look disheveled and settled them in place with a hairspray.

As she was finally satisfied, she took one more glance at the time...

8:50PM

"Alright, I'm off." She smiled to herself before rushing outside, yelling out to her parents saying, "I'll be home before 12!"

❈

At the Lu's Manor.

Teenagers could be found here and there—in every corner of the backyard, you will be able to find mostly chatting, having fun trying to spook one another with their costumes, some are flaunting about how great their costumes are, while some are just sharing a good laugh over drinks.

Jia Min has just arrived, she was only a little 7 minutes late but it seems like everyone has been there for a long time already.

As she made her way inside, she greeted some people only to be ignored resulting to her to pout in a sulky manner before craning her neck to look for her close friends.

She spotted them near the stage and excitedly squeezed herself in the midst of the other teenagers to get to them.

"Hey guy—" she was about to greet them but was cutted off as the main host of the party, Lu Zhou spoke up in the mic.

He stood in the middle of the stage with a solemn smile as he let his gaze roam around. "Good evening everyone. May I get your attention please?"

Everyone focused on him including Jia Min.

The blaring music that was booming from the speakers were turned down by the DJ.

Zhou cleared his throat as he continued, "I would like to thank you all for being able to come tonight. But I would first want everyone to acknowledge someone who helped me organize this whole thing... as we all know this isn't just a plain halloween costume party but also supposedly our reunion party... with out old elementary and middleschool classmates and friends!"

The others cheered and Zhou went on, "So that someone... that we should acknowledge and thank for this event to be possible is none other than Liu Jia Min." he introduced.

Jia Min was confused, "What..?" she grumbled but nonetheless was about to step on up the stage as she felt that she should do so since she was called but as she took a step forward, she noticed how no one was cheering like how they should be normally when it was about acknowledgement.

She looked around.

The teenagers who were all having fun and all smiles earlier had an unreadable expression on their faces.. but their eyes all shared the same emotion—sadness.

Zhou sighed in the microphone as he contibued, "Jia Min, our precious friend and sister who got into an unfortunate accident four days has passed."

"WHAT?" Jia Min finally screamed in shock.

What accident?

Passed away?

Who was Zhou kidding? She was standing right here!

Jia Min finally stepped up on the stage platform and spun Zhou around harshly in confusion and slight anger.

Zhou was shocked and then his face was filled with disgust and disappointment as he stared at her. "Who are... How... How dare you?"

"Why are you asking me? I should be asking you? How dare you say such things!" Jia Min was furious.

Gasps and whispers echoed allthroughout. The music was turned off. Then it went silent.

So silent that Jia Min felt so much pressure because of it.

"No.. How dare you come in here? How dare you... co-come in here dressed as our precious Jia Min?" Zhou spat as he took a step back as he looked at the person in front of him with a frown.

"Who is she?"

"Why is she wearing the same clothes as Jia Min that day?"

"How disrespectful is this for the dead..."

"Of all things she can wear, why would she come like our deceased friend?"

"Who the hell is she?"

Jia Min heard these. She was lost. Confused. Agitated for not knowing what was going on.

Just then she looked down on her hands and feet as she felt herself feeling rather cold... very cold.

There were blood. Lots and lots of blood. Her eyes widened, this isn't how she made herself look like earlier.

Her clothes were dirty. Patched of dark red and soil were evident.

The ends of her dress were slightly dripping with red—blood.

Her clothes were also torn at some places.

Her right arm hurt so much.

Her head hurts as well and she feels herself getting very dizzy.

She looks up again to look at Zhou's face but what she sees instead is nothing.

Her surroundings were suddenly pitched black.

Jia Min screamed in fear out of the blue as something white materialized infront of her that ended up looking like a sinister man with a creepy smile.

The man had no eyes, all Jia Min can see was dark sockets with blood gushing out of it down the wrinkly face.

"You got to your so-called party, my lady.. Now it's time to go." The man spoke in a manner that felt like something was scratching on glass. The voice was very painful for her ears that made her shut her eyes.

She shook her head violently while covering her ears. "This is just.. j-just a bad dream.. This is a bad dream.. Wake up.." she whimpered to herself.

The man frowned and without Jia Min opening her eyes, she suddenly felt a hand wrap around her neck.

Her eyes shot open and the man grinned at her again.

"Don't go back to your words. We had a deal." He said and suddenly he opened his mouth.

Jia Min screamed again in horror. The man's face got even more distorted as his mouth was ripped opened before black liquid was sprayed all over her— and then that's when she felt her conciousness slip away.

❈

Four days ago...

It was raining violently, the skies were already dark. As the winds were gushing around with much force, Jia Min was walking down the sidewalk wearing a white dress that was already slightly soaked.

She was clutching on her umbrella with squinted eyes to see properly as the rain seemed to be to thick and heavy that it was making her hard to see as she tried to walk properly without slipping. She had just finished personally sending out invitations to some of their old friends in the neighboring city.

Jia Min was going home and was planning to hail a cab but there were no vacant ones. Apparently a lot of people are in a rush to get home too to get away from the storm. She was going to just ask her parents to pick her up but apparently her phone's battery died already.

With no choice, Jia Min was heading towards the bus stop three blocks away on foot.

As she was walking, the thought of the party being a success was making her feel giddy.

Zhou, her bestfriend and her had planned for this event for quite a while now as a type of reunion for them and their old friends and classmatea whom they lost in touch with as they entered High school.

She was busy thinking to herself that she didn't hear the sound of a horn honking aggressively.

She only took noticed until two blinding lights flashednat her eyes before being followed by a loud crash.

Jia Min was hit by a car. Her body flew meters back from where she was walking before having her head hit one of the lamp posts.

The car lost control over it's breaks, the driver was having a hard time seeing the path because of the heavy rain and when he took a sharp turn, he didn't realize about how slippery the road has gotten. Resulting for Jia Min's accident.

Jia Min was now standing by her almost disfigured body that lay by the post, blood was gushing out of her head, and her arm, staining her white dress.

Jia Min had horror written all over her face and was about to break down. 'That's what happened... this..' She thought only to scream in pain as a loud shrieking laughter of the creepy man from before echoed in her ears.

The man appeared next to her and placed a wrinkly hand on her shoulder.

"Our deal..." The man cooed in an eerie manner.

"No... N-No.. Please no... I didn't—" Jia Min cried and her surroundings went black again as she stared at the man.

"We had a deal." The Man sternly said.

"P-Please.. I didn't know what I was asking for.. Please no-" Jia Min whimpered only to be slapped harshly.

"You talk too much." The man sighed and bent down before grabbing Jia Min by her chin and forcing her mouth open. "The deal is a deal. And in addition for your impudence of reasoning that you regret it or something that you had no idea about what your asking? I'll be having these for my collection." He grinned.

Jia Min's tounge was cut off by the man's nails that seemed to have turned into claws. Jia Min wanted to scream in pain as she trashed violently but it was no use. Then the man clawed both of her eyeballs out of their sockets.

The man stared at the eyeballs in his hands before grinning... then he placed the said eyeballs inside his own sockets.

"There we go..." The man laughed happily to himself. He then stood up properly and grabbed Jia Min by her hair before dragging her with him. Suddenly a red door aeemed to have appeared in the black space, it opens to reveal Jia Min's room.

He walks in while dragging Jia Min with him who was whimpering in a muffled tone while trying to break free but was already growing weaker by the minute.

"A deal is a deal. Didn't anyone warn you about having deals with a devil?" The man cackled.

"Now, you're to bring me your friends soul along with their eyes for my collection hm? Try to go back on me and I'll have your parents instead... But wouldn't you like that? you'll be with your beloved parents~"

It was weird but Jia Min suddenly got her vision back, she was dragged up to stand by the man and was made to look at the mirror.

She looked the same as how she got out of the house to go to the party. But she couldn't speak.

"This Halloween Time for you foolish humans is the time when we along with a few of the dead are even stronger to be able to materialize our presence and roam around... Now, do as what I want to have you do. Get your friend's souls and eyes, and we'll be fine."

『 To be continued... 』