I never really understood what the fuss about Halloween was. Unless the tricks were lap dances and the treats were whiskey shots, I couldn't care less. But the night before, Devil's Night, that was more my kind of night. It was like we had all the excuses to do whatever we felt like doing, and right then, I was at Four Roses with the rest of the gang, just waiting for something to happen. I needed something to happen, but I was too old for egging, and arson would be too risky – I couldn't afford that.

Just as I downed a shot of vodka, Bodie came in, apparently in a hurry, and sat in front of me.

"Demon ride tonight. You in?"

I flickered the ashes on the ground.

"Do I have a fucking bike, Bodie?"

"Well, dog, you don't, but..."

Before he finished, I knew what was coming. And it was a great idea.

"All right. Let's do it."

Bones was probably so drunk that he wouldn't listen to it if I turned on the engines, but I didn't want to risk it. I dragged the bike outside, where Bodie was waiting. It had been so long since I rode that awesome bike. The single thought of it got me smirking.

"Damn, I forgot how nice this babe was."

It was a Norton Commando 1975, and God knows how Bones landed one of those. It was worth more than all those pieces of junk he had lying around, and perfect for that ride. I jumped on it, started the roaring engines and followed Bodie 'til a crossroad near the bridge, where the race was supposed to start. A lot of known faces in sight, most of them people that would rather not see me there. To my right, I saw a pair of red glowing devil horns coming my way. That was one sleazy, naughty demon.

"Like you needed the horns", I said, her eyes staring at mine.

"I didn't know you had a bike."

"I have one... tonight."

She always had something up her sleeve. From her pocket, she pulled out a small bag of e's.

"You know I don't do that shit."

"Come on, papi...", she said, her smooth lips already clinging onto mine, slipping that pill through my mouth. I didn't mind that much. I could use the fun, as well as the challenge.

"I'll be waiting for you. I know you're gonna win."

One more avid kiss and she was gone. The guys gave us the coordinates, and the engines were on. The only light we were allowed to use was the moonlight, but apparently the moon wasn't willing to cooperate with a bunch of fuck-ups riding towards a probable death. I honestly didn't worry about dying, I felt like I had lived too much already, and there wasn't much to look forward to. It was worth the thrill of the ride that night.

For the first few yards, we were all riding together, but soon the 850cc made their point and the other bikes fell behind. That was also when the effects from the e intensified, and my eyes shot wide open. I breathed deeply, tried to focus, and suddenly my eyes were drawn to the rear view mirror, by something very similar to those glowing horns I had seen minutes before. I looked back and shouted, at no one.

"Hey! Hey!"

The roaring of the engines grew louder, as my hands glued to the handlebars, slowly speeding up. Again, I had a glance of the horns in the right mirror. I knew she wasn't with me, and yet I couldn't help looking back every other minute.

"Fuck, this is not funny! What the fuck is going on?"

The throttle was twisted to the max, and I realized I wasn't really driving by myself. I wasn't feeling the grip of my hands, my eyes weren't seeing what was in front of me, my stomach turned into knots over knots, I felt the sweat dripping from my temples, in spite of the chilly temperature. By then, I didn't know if what I was glimpsing at were horns or eyes, but what I was sure that it wasn't good and it wouldn't let me go. In no time I was getting away from the initial route, and as much as I tried to swerve, I never ended up where I wanted to be. My heart pounded, wanting to break free from my chest, and if I kept speeding, I knew that it could happen. I felt the bike bouncing, the handle trembling in my hands, as I rode over some gravel, and found myself heading straight to an empty parking lot... encircled by steel chains. I had about half a second to decide whether to jump off or hit the brakes, I went with the latter. The tires screeched and the bike skidded, throwing me against the chains. It took me a moment or two to get up; as I started to walk away, my shadow disappeared, the lamps went out. It was just me and the darkness, and I couldn't help but consider that a demon ride on Devil's night might not have been the best idea. Hell, I didn't believe in any of that shit, but I knew what I saw, and I saw those fucking two red spots again.

"Fuck this shit", I cussed, walking away, when something – or someone – pushed me from behind, making me trip and fall on my knees. I didn't think twice: grabbed my pistol and emptied the clip against whatever it was, and hit nothing but air.

"Who are you? What the fuck do you want?", I yelled, standing up, turning around, struggling to see something, hear something, and I did. A small, cynical laugh that made me freeze on my feet. I thought I recognized it.

"Dad?"

I gasped for air a few times, before the dreaded answer.

"I guess you can say so."