I guess I'll go check out the town... I thought to myself as I opened the front door. It was two o'clock, around 84 degrees outside. Then again, this was during late springtime. My stepfather was transferred from his old job back home, so now, he moved mom and me to... wherever in the name of Hell we're at. I didn't even bother to look at the name of this cruddy town. Let's just leave it as a sad little town in the middle of what if say is nowhere.

"Hey [ ], I need your help with the computer." Ethan called out to me.

"Yeah, yeah, Dad." I hissed and rolled my eyes before rolling up my sleeves a bit.

"Excuse me?" he retorted. Butthurt little shi-

I sighed deeply and held up the other side of the computer as we shuffled up the steps into the house. Once we were inside the house, my stepfather didn't thank me. He began his little rant again.

"Hey Amanda," Ethan called out to my mom with a huff, "I believe it's about time [ ] learned to respect her superiors."

He pushed up his brown-rimmed glasses to the bridge of his nose with such a smug expression. I held back the urge to punch him.

"Oh, [ ]. Please be kind to him. He's been trying his hardest, you should too." Mom pleaded. I nodded with such a sarcastic bob of my head, "Afterwards, we can have a tea party!"

The two groaned and I dropped the stupid 2006 computer on the table in my mom's home office, a room we didn't have back at our old house. Seeing as my job was done, I ran out the door with a goodbye and decided to explore the new place. I plugged in my ear buds to my phone and walked around with one bud in my ear, just looking around, listening to my favorite music.

You know that feeling you get when someone's following you? I could have sworn someone was following me, but hey, instincts kick in once you're in a new place, right?

People were out and about in town going about their business window shopping and the like. I felt a light tap on my shoulder and turned around.

"Are you new here?" asked the person who tapped my shoulder, a girl my age. I nodded my head.

"My name's Mirabel. I just wanted to greet you because it's such a psyche! Normally, people would want to evacuate more than come into town!" she blabbered.

"I'm [ ]. Why is it such a big deal that I moved into town?" I asked her.

"Oh, nothing bad. Just a bunch of urban legends that people fear." Mirabel said determinedly and added an annoying nickname to the end of her sentence.

"First of all, don't call me that. Second, why can't you tell me?" I urged.

Her eyes darted around and she pursed her lips, "If I were to tell you, you'd freak out!"

This chick looked terrified, so I couldn't pressure her any further. I turned on my heels and continued walking around, but as though it were a horror movie, her words lingered in my mind. While I was searching for a song that would pump me up, I hadn't noticed I had walked into an alley. I thought I could out get out, but I heard footsteps. Laughter was coming from all around me. I became self-conscious and somewhat suspicious. The laughter was definitely from someone nearby, but where the hell were they?

As though they read my mind, this mysterious person revealed themselves. Just a dude...?

Then four others arrived. Oh. A typical scenario.

"Fresh meat, eh, boss?" one goon asked the guy who showed himself first. The man nodded his head in confirmation. He didn't take his eyes off of me and I shuddered as I wondered what the fuck was going through his mind.

"What do you want?" I snarled unenthusiastically.

"You, of course." the main man running this little operation replied indifferently. His little fiends laughed at that with him as if it were a wise comeback. He probably ripped it off from some stupid movie snippet.

"What's so funny, you scum bags?" asked a new voice from above.

"Who're you?" one of the goons asked as he stepped up. The swift whoosh of a free-fall landed directly behind me. I gasped as this person placed their hands on my shoulders. As I turned around about to see who was behind me, they pushed my face back to its original placement so that I was facing the goons ahead.

"This girl is not a prize, you shit heads." the figure behind me spoke. With another swift and graceful whoosh, the men fell to the ground before my eyes. The guy who saved me showed who he was. He was definitely a guy, but he had a orangy-yellow jacket, brown hair, maybe, and a white mask with its features painted in black.

"Are uhh they dead?" I asked to the guy who saved me.

"Nah. Most likely knocked out for a few hours." he answered in a chill tone.

"Let's get out of here and take you back home, [ ]." he continued and tugged at my hand. I hesitated and took a step back. Like hell I was gonna lead some random-ass guy who just-so-happened to save me to my new house.

"How do you know my name?" I inquired.

"I over heard you talking to a local, Mirabel, I believe. You curious little scout." he chuckled. Uhhh, what was this guy on? I think I'll take the first train outta whatever the fudge this town is.

He tugged at my arm and somehow led me back in the direction of the new place. I was pretty freaked, but as long as he didn't try to rob us, we'd be on okay terms.

"Since you know my name, can you tell me yours?" I asked as he dropped me off at the porch.

"I'll give you an easy riddle: I am named after something you use at masquerades." he laughed and tapped at the edge of his mask. I planted a confused face on my face, considering I already was lost by the whole ordeal that had happened.

"I don't get it." I replied dryly.

"Maybe later then, [ ]." he chuckled and ran off. I was helplessly confused. What the hell just happened?