Page 5 of Of Blood and Smoke

I took a deep breath, trying to collect my thoughts before answering. “Okay. I was going to the bathroom and these freak show circus performers came out, so I took a short cut, and Idon’t know. Maybe they were more performers?” I was waiting for something to happen, for someone to come out of the dark and confront me, but I didn’t see anything. “There was a group in the back, and they freaked me out.”

Ashley waited while my eyes darted back and forth. Nobody was coming after me, and now I felt stupid. My shoulders sagged. “At least I got some cardio in.”

“And?” my friend prompted.

Shaking my head, I said, “Its dumb. I thought I saw something but maybe not.”

“And?” she repeated.

“And nothing. I thought I witnessed a murder.” We strolled along and then stopped at the halfway point, blocking the flow of traffic.

“Move outta the way,” someone grumbled.

She gave me side-eye and ignored the man who shoulder-checked her. “As in homicide?”

I rolled my eyes as we pushed over to the side and stopped near a cotton candy cart. “There was a body on the ground, and zombies around it. The makeup was super realistic.”

Ashley shoved some cash into a slot and a cellophane-wrapped stick of pink fluff was released. “That sounds kinda cool.” She too, had a love of horror movies and all things dark and macabre.

I nodded and stole a wisp of her candy. “It was until the man showed up.”

“Man?”

The sugar rush was so intense my mouth puckered and eyes watered. “God, that’s sweet.”

“That’s what you get. Tell me about the man before I shove this stick down your throat. I want to hear what happened, stop screwing around.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

“Della,” she warned me. I giggled, my nerves getting the best of me

An image of the man filled my mind. He might as well have had dry ice fog wafting around him, the vision had been that sinister with his whatever-he-was-supposed-to-be persona. “He was intense. He didn’t match the zombies. He was all dressed up; dark and dangerous. Nice hair. He had nice hair. I think.”

Had I imagined that? With all the shadows, I couldn’t have known for sure. I supposed my brain had painted the picture I’d wanted to see.

We began walking again. “I don’t see the problem,” Ashley said.

“He…” I started.

What could I really say? Should I have told her it felt like he sucked the air out of my lungs and I temporarily forgot what oxygen was? Or how it seemed as though he could see right through me? I hadn’t gotten a good look at him, more like animpression.

But that too, was mostly indescribable. All I’d really thought was that he’d had thick, dark hair, a great outfit, and shadowy dark eyes.

Picking him out of a line-up based on physical traits alone was a no-go. I’d have to look for the best-dressed guy with the most sinister aura if I was going to identify anyone.

Groaning, I finally said, “Maybe I overreacted. It was just all so weird. And I still have to pee.”

My friend arched an eyebrow at me, and we pushed through the exit gate.

“Okay, as long as you’re all right,” she offered, her eyes softening.

“I am.” I was more than fine, other than wanting to go back and investigate some more. Which yes, was a completely self-destructive notion. I just couldn’t stay away from the grotesqueand spooky and had always been the first one barreling into haunted houses on Halloween and dragging my friends along. It was a shame Ashley and I hadn’t met as kids.

We got into her car and buckled in.

“Good, because Andy texted. He’s gonna bring Brett and drinks. My apartment or yours? Yours would be better; Miss Smith is on a rampage lately.” Miss Smith was Ashley’s upstairs neighbor who banged on the floor with pots and pans every time Ashley had anyone over at her and her mom’s apartment. We’d found out that pounding on the ceiling with the end of a broom in response wasn’t a great idea after the woman started coming down and using those same pots and pans on the apartment door. Instant mood killer.

We battled with the exiting traffic and congested streets before having to find a detour to avoid some group gathered for street racing. A mixture of sawhorses and lowered Subarus blocked the road up in the near distance. Finally, after what should’ve been a ten-minute ride rather than twenty, we arrived back at my complex as I mentally battled what to do with the rest of the night.