"Boo!", an Annabelle-costumed girl greeted me as soon as I stepped inside the ghastly Haunted House of the Party Carnival inside our village.

"Hey! Stop chickening out and pretend you are, at the very least, scared of them!", my bestfriend, Tamara Francisco, hissed at me after we got passed from Annabelle.

"I'll try my best.", I said sarcastically and when I saw Freddy emerged from the darkened part of the house, I screamed my lungs out. Tamara has to put her hands on her ear so as not to ruin her eardrums from my scream.

"Geez! You don't have to scream so loud!", she complained and I composed myself while we continued walking inside the house.

"Wait! Now that I am really afraid, you want to stop me feeling this way?", I said in disbelief when she just rolled her eyes at me. "Suit yourself out, Tamara." I walked passed her and out of the house, not caring who I bumped into and ignoring the scary attempts of the mascots inside.

Once I am out, I found myself buying out a medium-sized popcorn and can of coke to feed my already hungry stomach.

"Hey! You should have waited for me!", that was Tamara's irritating voice as she run to where I was seated. She was about to grab some popcorn but I turned it away from her. "Selfish brat!", she muttered and  fished out some cash from her purse and bought food for herself. After a few seconds, she returned with the exact same thing I had bought and sat beside me.

I ate my food in silence and watched kids in their masks and costumes have their trick and treat with several stations inside the Party Carnival. Some were dressed as Barbie, Peter Pan, Transformers and even Herbie.

I have to give their parents credit on how supportive they are to them to patiently find them costumes. My parents never were, growing up.

"Hey, are you still mad?", my eyes met Tamara and I blinked blankly. "I know it must have been hard to be in a relationship for more than three long years and then found out that one is cheating the other. It must  have been stressful for yo—."

"—I'm fine, Tammy. Just tired, I guess.", I said in one breath.

She doesn't have to bring that up! Most of our classmates are around here too! I don't want people to think how miserable I was when in fact, I am not!

"Let it go, will you?", she looked at me as if I have said something weird and nodded. "Great! Thank you!", I finished my soda and threw it into the trash bin immediately.

Suddenly, lights began to flicker out and teens started screaming. Parents  have to shush their kids who have started crying.

Security and machine personnel began to instruct people to get out of the rides due to power interruption. The Party Carnival Management has announced that they will be closing early today to avoid any inconveniences and damage to everyone inside their vicinity.

In just a matter of minutes, the Carnival was almost empty. Even the staff had brought their bags with them and timed out.

I only live a few streets away from the Party Central so I don't need to ride a cab to get home. I walked and enjoyed the sky full of stars.

"You're such a meanie!", a young, middle-aged girl, shouted at her friend dressed as Red Riding Hood who just stuck her tongue out at her before running inside the house to her parents.

I shook my head, realizing how people is never friendly behind their masks.

"Let go of me!", not so far from where the kids were was a group of boys who seem to be bullying someone.

"Hey, hey!", I was about to come between them until his mom saw them, "what were you guys doing to my baby?", she said and they ran to where their parents at inside the house.  The small guy clad in Superman costume whimpered and struggled to stand up. His mom helped him up and he shook his head, "I'm okay, Mom. I am.", he said then left his bewildered Mom at the backyard.

I whistled as I walked passed a row of houses with creepy decors on their windows and frontyards. Certainly, the Halloween spirit is in the air.

As I was about to turn left to my street, I saw teens about my age let out earsplitting screams as they scram to the road. It was as if they are big, lead stars in the movie with their clothes ripped and hairs in disarray! I almost laughed seeing as how convincing they are!

I felt my phone vibrated and saw Geneva's name on it. I answered the call and her gasps came right on, "don't go in the house! Just please, go away! Find refuge!"

"Oh c'mon! I have seen that in the movies already!", I roared at how panicky her voice was! "What the! You're too old for that, Gen! Quit acting like a kid!", I laughed again but her voice was raspy and she was whispering in desperation.

"I'm not making things up! Selena and Olga! You have seen them, right? In ripped Carrie clothes?", she pointed out in a hurry despite her low voice. I remember the two ladies who gave such shrieks of fear earlier and my spine tingled at how they looked. "Don't be fooled by the masks! Don't trust them!"

Just as I was about to turn the doorknob around, cold wind grazed my skin. I had to remove my hand immediately and put it inside my black dress' pocket.

I chose to dress as Wednesday Addams as it is the easiest thing to wear. I was not prepared for the chills the weekend gave.

The doorknob jiggled and spread open as if it was waiting for me. I was greeted with the stillness of the living area as well as the quietness of our house.

I know Geneva is inside but it didn't appear so.

Suddenly, the tables began to shake. So did the other things inside the house.

A Michelle Crane-like in Insidious appeared in front of the kitchen. At any given time, I can just laugh it out.

But seeing how the costume and mask affected my senses, I know this will be the death of me.

And when our eyes locked, that was the moment I regretted it.

It isn't an ordinary mask you find in stores.

It was a real one.

The most frightening mask of all.

The ugly reality of the unknown.

I was trapped in her world.

The black abyss of the unknown.

End