A/N: In honour of Halloween being tomorrow, I bring you my Spooky Hayffie mini-series! Throughout today and tomorrow, I will be posting short stories as part of the series. Enjoy. :)

-Ellie.

P.S. I forgot to say that they're not necessarily romantic… The first isn't really. The others may be.

It's a dull, dreary evening in District 12. A low fog has settled, shrouding the District in an eerie grey mist, and preventing visibility any further than a few feet in any direction. Effie clings to Haymitch's arm, allowing him to guide her as she stumbles her way to Victors Village in her 6-inch heels.

"C'mon. Gotta get there quickly. Don't have much time."

"What? What's the hurry, Haymitch?" She asks, confused.

"It's getting late. Be night soon." He answers gruffly.

She doesn't argue, finding it easier to just agree with this temperamental man.

In a few more minutes, they're in his home. She's settling into the spare room when he enters, shaking a little and looking worse for wear.

"Do me a favor princess? Keep that window shut tonight." He requests.

"Why? Is it awfully dangerous?" She glances out of the window and notices a large hole in one of his fence panels. Haymitch's house backs on to the very edge of the District, the woods surrounding District 12 on the other side. "I'm sure if you fixed your fence, nothing could possibly get in." She reasons. He shakes his head.

"No. I… uh… I need that there. The hole." He informs her, swiftly turning on his heel and leaving the room.

"Haymitch, wh-?" She yells, but he's already vanished.

After going through her nighttime beauty regimen, she settles by the window, watching the moon rise in the distance, the light barely visible through the thick fog and clouds. Something catches her attention in the garden – no, not something… someone. Haymitch. She watches in confusion as he rushes through the garden to the hole in the fence. She starts when his eyes lock with hers. He smiles apologetically before ducking through the fence and disappearing from view. She frowns, confused and more than a little concerned.

"Where on earth are you going?" She murmurs to herself quietly.

She realizes he's been acting rather strange today… stranger than usual. Let's face it; he's always been a little strange. Today there's something different. It's like he's afraid or preoccupied. He seems more… dangerous. She decides she doesn't like being kept in the dark. She wants to know what's going on. While it may be foolish, the curiosity overpowers her logic, and she hunts through her suitcase for some warmer clothes. She settles on a pair of skinny jeans – which she only wears in private or in the cold – and a thick, woolen sweater, which she found in a Capitol boutique and figured it would be perfect for the cold nights of District 12. She pulls on a pair of boots – the heel only 3 inches, so walking in them will be a piece of cake! – And the coat Haymitch keeps in her house for her to wear when she visits during winter. Not bothering with makeup or her wig – because the dreadful mist would ruin its beautiful curls! – She exits the house through the backdoor and creeps down the garden. She hesitates; scared of the woods and realizing she knows absolutely nothing about the wilderness. She reasons with herself that she will not go far… just perhaps a few feet in. Taking a deep breath, she ducks through the fence.

She shivers. It's dark without the faint glow from the house, and the air seems more chilled. She's glad she's wearing her coat, but she wishes she had searched for a flashlight first. She takes a few steps away from the fence, the fog surrounding the bases of the trees making her feel like she's in a horror movie.

"Haymitch?" She whispers, her breath causing a fine mist to disperse into the air around her. "Haymitch?" She whimpers, a little louder, but still not much louder than a whisper.

There's no answer and she jumps slightly when she hears a howl in the distance. She gulps, terrified. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come to the woods, but what about Haymitch? She finds herself worrying. Is he safe? Where is he? She ventures a few more feet into the blackness of the forest, shivering either from the cold or from pure fear.

"Haymitch?" She calls out again, her voice shaky and quiet. Somewhere close to her, a twig snaps. She freezes. "Haymitch?" She murmurs, terrified.

Her answer is a growl… a snarl that sends a cold, terrified chill through her body. She takes a deep breath, slowly turning around to face whatever monster she's disturbed, her heart racing from sheer horror and her entire body trembling.

She gasps when she comes face to face with a… monster. She thinks, quickly, back to the fairytales of her childhood. It looks familiar. She stares at it, eyes wide, frozen on the spot, as the monster takes a step towards her, its teeth bared.

She whimpers, memories of her childhood coming back to her. It's… a werewolf?

She takes in its appearance – tall and stocky when it stands on its hind legs, scruffy, dark fur that looks a little longer than it probably should be, long, sharp teeth and claws, a little blood around its mouth. The thing that shocks her the most, though, is the werewolf's eyes. They're gray; gray with light specks that make them look like liquid steel or silver. Silver eyes. They're eyes she knows.

"Haymitch?" She questions, horrified and shaking with fear.

The wolf growls and takes another step forward, watching her. She feels as though his eyes are burning through her. Only his eyes can do that. Only his eyes can freeze her on the spot. "Haymitch? It's me… It's Effie."

Out of nowhere, the wolf howls towards the sky; a deafening howl that rings in her ears and makes her blood run cold. The wolf looks at her, snarling, baring its teeth, and moves forward, walking towards her threateningly. She steps back, terrified, and whimpers when her back hits a tree. The wolf growls again and springs off its hind legs, hurtling towards her.

Her scream echoes through the darkness of District 12, but the silence that follows is more chilling.