It was Halloween and after a long night of giving trick-or-treaters candy and explaining to them that my cannula wasn't a costume and, actually, helps me breathe, I decided it was time for bed. It took me a while to fall asleep, heck, these days? It always took me a while to fall asleep. Every time I shut my eyes Augustus Waters would haunt my dreams and every night would be the same; I would wake up uncontrollably sobbing, my parents would race into my room (probably scared that I couldn't breathe) and comfort me until I fell asleep once more and I would wake up the following morning with my mum staring at me, as if she had been there all night, hoping I hadn't died in my sleep. This night was particularly difficult. I laid awake thinking what Augustus and I would be doing. I pictured us both in costumes. Augustus dressed as Max Mayhem and I would wear my This is not a pipe tee shirt and become Anna. We'd pick up Isaac and then we'd drive around for a while; laughing and joking. And it wouldn't be much, but it would always be perfect. I eventually fell asleep only to wake up a few hours later to the sound of my cell phone ringing. I opened my eyes and squinted as I looked at my clock. "2:30? Who the hell is calling me at 2:30 in the morning?", I croaked. I reached for my, still ringing, phone, looking down at the caller ID. Augustus's face lit up the screen and the words 'Augustus Waters Calling' were flashing at me. Mr and Mrs Waters had put Gus's cell phone in a box in his bedroom with some of his other belongings. My heart raced and my eyes widened as I just stared at the screen for a few seconds. "Hello?", I answered. All I could make out was someone breathing heavily. I was furious. "If this is your idea of some sort of sick joke, its not funny!", I said angrily before hanging up. I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep only to be woken up, yet again, ten minutes later by my cell phone ringing once more. This time it was Isaac.

"Hazel?", I heard his sleepy voice.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have Gus's cell?"

"No? Why?"

"This is fucked up. Someone just called me from Gus's phone". I sat up quickly.

"What? What happened?", I asked.

"It was just someone breathing"

"I got a call from his cell about ten minutes ago. It was the same thing", I told him.

"Do you think someone could have stolen his phone?"

"I don't think so. His mom told me she put it in a box with his wallet and stuff in his bedroom". We were silent for a moment. I couldn't figure out what was going on. Someone must be pretty messed up to steal a dead guys phone and then call his best friend and girlfriend. And if it was some sick jerk who had stolen his cell phone, I wasn't about to just lay in bed and let them get away with it. "I think I'm gonna do some investigating", I told Isaac.

"Pick me up in five minutes"

"What? Isaac, you don't have to-"

"No, I want to. You can't be doing this stuff on your own, what if its some sort of psycho? And besides, I have experience in Counterinsurgency". I laughed.

"Okay, I'll see you in five", I said before hanging up. I switched Philip for my oxygen tank and got dressed before sneaking downstairs, as silently as I could, and taking my mom's car keys before leaving the house. Isaac was already sat on his porch with his cane when I got there. "Hey Isaac", I whispered. He gave me a slight nod before I helped him up and lead him to the car as quickly as possible. I drove to the mall and parked in the deserted car park.

"Okay. So whats your plan?", Isaac asked.

"I heard of this app a while ago. It can track phone numbers", I told him.

"Have you downloaded it?"

"Yeah. I don't know if it'll actually work, but its worth a shot, right?". Isaac nodded. I began to type Augustus's phone number into the app and within three minutes; we got a location. "Funky Bones?", I said to myself.

"What?", Isaac asked.

"Funky Bones. It says whoever called us is at Funky Bones", I told him.

"Then lets go", he said. Without another word, I threw my phone on to the dashboard and began to drive to Funky Bones. As soon as we got there I decided that I much preferred this treasured spot in the daytime, and I was almost kind of glad that Isaac couldn't see. It was dark, really dark, and the mist was everywhere. I thought graveyards at night were scary but this was something else.

"Maybe I should go alone", I said.

"Are you kidding me? I'm going with you", Isaac fought, "I know I'm blind and that isn't much help but you're not doing this alone". I smiled softly before realizing he couldn't see and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Okay", I sighed, "Lets go". I helped Isaac out of the car and began to lead him towards Funky Bones, keeping my hand on his elbow.

"Can you see anything?", he asked.

"No". It was pretty hard to see anything in that mist. I could hardly see Funky Bones itself.

"What if we split up?", Isaac suddenly suggested.

"What?"

"I know my way around here pretty well, and I've got my cane. We'll be able to find something quicker", he said.

"What about the whole 'you're not doing this alone' rant you just gave me in the car?", I asked, beginning to realize just how freaked out I actually was.

"Hey, you're not. I just think it'll be easier to find something that's all. Look; if you need me, just call out, okay?", he asked.

"Fine", I gave in. I found it hard replying to Okay? with an actual Okay in return. I watched Isaac disappear into the mist before deciding to wander myself. I kept scaring myself by constantly bumping my oxygen tank into a part of Funky Bones by accident. I wished I hadn't gone a long with Isaac's plan. I was terrified. The mist grew colder and colder the further I walked. And then; I saw something in the distance. A figure stood tall and motionless. I stood still for a moment and just stared at the silhouette, waiting for it to move but it never budged an inch. "Hello?", I dared to speak. "Who's there?".

"Hazel Grace", I heard Augustus's voice. But it wasn't his voice. It was too soft and ghostly. The anger I had felt before came flooding back.

"Who the fuck are you? Do you think this is funny? Cos I'm having a hard time laughing!", I yelled angrily. I stood there, allowing my lungs to calm themselves down as I waited for a reply. "Well!?", I yelled once more. The figure suddenly began to move and make its way towards me. My anger suddenly turned right back into fear as I took a few small shaky steps back. The figure drew closer and closer before I could make out a brown leather jacket and a cigarette held between their fingers. My heart stopped in my chest. It was Augustus. Well it wasn't him, but it was. His skin was pale with tints of ghostly blue. His lips; a dry light shade of pink. His clothes were worn down and dirty as he smiled that crooked smile. Everything inside of me was screaming at me to run at him, to hold him in my arms and never let go, but I couldn't. I felt sick. "G-Gus?", I stuttered.

"Hello Hazel Grace", he said.

"But- but you're- you're dead", I said as I choked up. I was so confused, my head was spinning and, even though it was freezing cold and I was wearing a tank top, I could feel myself sweating.

"Check my pulse", he said simply, holding out his arm at a slow pace. I cautiously took a step towards him, shaking from head to toe before reaching out my own arm to feel for a pulse. His skin felt so much softer and fragile against my own as I firmly placed two fingers against his wrist. There was a pulse.

"I- I don't understand. Augustus. You died! I- I saw you! In your coffin! I-", I struggled to speak, my fingers still pressed against his wrist as he continued to smile crookedly at me. He suddenly placed his cold, un-human like hands against my face.

"Oh you cant get rid of me that easily Hazel Grace", he said.

"What do you want?", I asked, tears beginning to stream silently down my face.

"I want you to come with me", he said, the crooked smile still plastered across his face.

"Come with you? Where?", I asked, my voice small and almost silent with fear.

"The capital 'S' Something", he said before turning and walking away from me. Every instinct I had told me not to follow him but somehow there I was; hurrying along after him until he came to a sudden stop. He stood before a freshly dug grave. "This is big enough for all of us", he said as he turned to face me. The crooked smile I loved so much had vanished from his face and he looked angry. I could feel my heart racing within my chest as my sweat collided with my tears as it streamed down my face. "What's the matter Hazel Grace? Don't you want to be with me?". This wasn't Augustus. I knew it wasn't him from the moment he stood before me, but I wanted to believe that it was him with everything I had.

"ISAAC!", I screamed. As I took to large steps back from "Augustus". His crooked smile returned, looking more sinister, as I scanned the area around us frantically. "ISAAC!", I screamed once more.

"He's already with us Hazel Grace", "Augustus" said, gesturing towards the grave. I slowly crept up to the edge, taking a proper look inside. I jumped back in horror as I screamed with whatever power my lungs could produce. Isaac was laid at the bottom of the grave. His chest impaled with his cane as blood streamed out of his mouth, his glasses completely shattered.

"What have you done! You're not Augustus! You're a monster!", I fought to catch my breath, angry and scared tears pouring down my cheeks.

"The living cannot pass on to the capital 'S' Something Hazel", he told me seriously. I began to run as fast as my lungs would let me. When "Augustus" was finally out of sight, I decided to stop. I was either gonna kill myself by running to much or I was gonna die at the hands of my dead boyfriend. I needed to hide. I reached the pelvis of Funky Bones and crouched down behind it, trying to control my breathing as much as I could so I couldn't be heard. After a few minutes, I peered round the side of my hiding place to check for him. He was no where to be seen. I crouched back behind the pelvis to him sitting there right beside me. I screamed in horror as he pulled on my cannula, the nubbins leaving my nose. I felt like my chest was on fire. I couldn't breathe and I couldn't scream. I just struggled as he grabbed my legs and began to drag me back to the grave where Isaac lay dead. I dug my nails into the soil in an attempt to stop him but he was too strong and I was growing too weak. "We will be together Hazel", he said through gritted yellow teeth as he flipped me on to my back. I took one last look at the sinister grin on his face before everything turned to black...

I sat up quickly in my bed, fighting for my breath as I screamed again and again.

"Hazel! Hazel honey what is it?", my mom rushed into my room, my dad following.

"Augustus! Isaac!", I couldn't say much more as I collapsed in my mom's arms, tears streaming down my face.

"Oh sweetie, it was just a nightmare. That's all. Just a nightmare", she told me as she ran her fingers through my hair.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FOLKS!