J. C. Diem - Hexed on Halloween

Chapter One

C HILLY AIR WRAPPED around me like an unwanted hug from an overly friendly ghost when I stepped out of my apartment building. For a second or two, I regretted my costume choice, then I reminded myself how awesome I looked. I could guarantee that no one else would be wearing a Halloween costume quite like mine. Unlike most people, I never dressed up as something lame like a witch or a zombie. Instead, I always created my own costumes.

It was quarter to nine and I was about to head to a party with my best friend, Shelly. Even at this hour, kids were still going door to door begging for treats. Most of them were heading for home, hyped up on their sugar rush. They would be unholy terrors tomorrow when they woke up and ate more candy for breakfast. Their parents would probably rue their decision to let them go trick or treating.

A short, slender young woman stood on the corner ahead. Even before I reached her, I knew she was my bestie. No one else had that much pent-up energy in such a small package. Shifting from foot to foot, Shelly checked her watch every few seconds. What kept you, slowpoke? she asked when I reached her. We were both twenty-four, but she looked younger because she was so small. I was four inches taller and a lot curvier than she was.

Shelly carried a plastic axe covered in fake blood in her left hand. Her t-shirt had been white once, but it was covered in fake blood as well. Shed torn it down the middle and across the chest, so it was barely clinging to a modicum of modesty. Her dark brown hair was a tangled rats nest, thanks to the help of half a can of hairspray. Goosebumps covered her skin, but she didnt seem to care about the cold.

It took me longer to do my makeup than Id expected, I explained. I didnt usually wear a lot of makeup, but I always made an exception on Halloween. We might be adults now, but deep down, we were both still teenagers at heart.

What character did you come up with this year, Miranda? she asked, eyeing my eclectic costume with a grin as we hurried along the sidewalk.

Whos Miranda? I replied. Im Xiara Evora and I hunt evil monsters and bad guys. To create my outfit, Id cut up an old pair of black jeans. I admit I might have gone a bit overboard with the scissors. Rips zigzagged from my calf-high black boots all the way up to my hips. I wore a long black lacey top that Id found in a secondhand store. I was also wearing a cropped black jacket with a ring of black and green feathers around the collar. A thin black belt and a wider brown belt encircled my waist. The brown one was so long that Id had to wrap it around myself twice. Id found it in the closet of my crappy apartment and had decided to keep it. Black gloves with the fingers cut off covered my hands. I wore a lot of black eyeliner that brought out the blue in my eyes and Id dyed my hair platinum blonde.