It was too noisy inside for me. I had to come out under the stars; far enough that the music could still reach me but their voices could not. My face shown by the artificial lights to my right. I could almost feel the heat on my skin–I imagined their warmth sinking deep, finding those dark places and burning them out. I opened my crimson lips and inhaled the air accepting the night within me as the lights pushed the night out. A cycle, I pretended, inside my tired body. It helped me to process what had just happened. I could still feel the darkness which had settled inside as my anger grew. Their accusations burned in my consiousness and my lips pressed back together. I shut the light in that had burned into my skin and tried to fry the darkness.

In the midst of my mental convolution and fantasy (rolls eyes); I saw him. He stood just at the edge of the treeline–a dark thing. His eyes were bright, the only thing bright about him. From the top of his shrouded head to the grass below his feet–blackness. I was riveted. My head tilted and my eyes tried to focus on the dark thing that resembled a human. Of course he was human but why the hell was he dressed like that. Was he a ninja or something? Silly girl; it was too close to Halloween. He was just some teenage prankster out to cause a jolt of pleasure for himself by scaring some ditsy little female.

I smirked and eyed him hard while cupping my hands. Red hairs blew into my face tickling my lips and nose. I had this strange urge to go to him and didn’t understand where it came from. An urge to caress the face of the thing in black. I shook the silly thought off and stood. The breeze gained strength blowing the hem of my dress against my thighs; sculpting them. The top of my dress flapped gently against my breasts. I crossed my arms and stared at him harder. He didn’t move at all; he just stood staying still as the breeze whipped his shroud to and fro. I cannot lie. I was mesmerized by him. His eyes didn’t burn out the darkness as the artificial lamps did; instead, they helped the darkness anchor within me. I felt it rise up and remind me why I was angry. I balled my fists and turned toward the loud and busy throng within my house. I felt hate and it felt good.