"Mr. Schuster?" Rachel asked, hand shooting up in the air.
"Yes Rachel?"
"As team captain, I feel as though we need an extra rehearsal, perhaps on Halloween night? We could make it like a party and-"
"No."
"W-what?" Rachel was dumbfounded. The rest of the class looked at each other in confusion. Of all Rachel's outrageous ideas, this one they could agree to.
"Mr. Schue," Finn jumped to defend his girlfriend. "Why not? It's not like we're doing anything else, right?"
"I said no." Mr. Schue looked at the kids, eyes glistening with… fear? Why would he be afraid?
"Mr.-"
"Rachel. No. That's it. No exceptions."
It looked like that was the end of it. Until a text went around to twelve glee members, and one by one, just after 7, they showed up in the choir room.
You see, Rachel was stubborn. She wanted a rehearsal. Finn just wanted to keep Rachel happy. Puck wanted to party. Artie, Kurt, Tina, and Mercedes wanted the comfort of friends rather than staying at home, waiting for the next prank. Sam and Quinn just wanted to fit in. Brittney and Santana wanted to make out. Mike wanted to be with his girlfriend.
Twelve Gleeks. Alone in a Highschool on Halloween night. They didn't know about the curse. They didn't see the old newspaper clipping Mr. Schue kept in his dresser drawer. They didn't read the headline (Cursed Glee Club!) or see the picture of a young April Rhodes, being suppressed by men in uniform, her fangs glinting in the moonlight. They didn't know.
•
At seven forty, the club had been rehearsing the choreography for a grand total of 5 minutes. AT seven fourty one, Rachel felt a sharp pain in her side. Her head swam, and cold sweat dripped down her back. "I- I need to go." She muttered as she bolted out of the classroom.
"What's with her?" Artie asked. Finn shrugged and they continued with the dance steps.
Rachel ducked into the girl's room, and fell against the white sinks. Gripping the sides, she splashed some water on her face. What was wrong with her? She was perfectly healthy; it must have been something she ate. Except, pizza, even the school's pizza, didn't make your throat ache. A cold breakfast burrito didn't make the world tip.
Rachel tried to focus on her face in the mirror, hoping for a distraction. But even her reflection looked funny. Her eyes looked red- not chlorine red, like the color was actually red. Her face looked paler, and when she lifted a hand to check her temperature, he nails looked sharper.
Then, without a hint of warning, a spasm of pain wracked her body. She doubled over, clutching herself. A second wave hit, harder than before, and she was forced to the ground. The pain pulsated now, flowing through her blood. Spots appeared in her vision, and as a final kick of pure agony struck, Rachel called the only name she could remember, "FINN!"
Blackness hit, and Rachel was finished.
•