Title: Hollow-een
Author: Bent137
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: When the Gilmores host a Halloween party, some friends show up to watch movies and engage in some tricks. But when the newer horror flicks turn out to bark worse than they bite, they decide to entertain themselves with real ghost stories.
Author's Notes: Halloween- Gilmore Girls style. Loosely based on the Dawson's Creek episode "Four Scary Stories." The first and last chapters are the longest; the others are fairly short; sorry, that's just the way it's gonna be. Each chapter, except the first and the last, are about a different character. Muchos gracias to Gracie for being my beta.
Spoilers: Will reference characters and events not found in Season One or Season Two.

Dave's Spiritual Sleeplessness

"That's eerie," Rory said when she reentered the room after answering the door.

"Were they all misty looking?" Jess teased Lane.

"Maybe, just a little," Lane said.

"Oh, a ghost followed Lane home," Lorelai said with a grin. "She was probably just looking for a friend."

Lane blushed, "I know what I saw."

"Alright, enough about Lane," Dave said saving her from further embarrassment. "My turn to go. Mine is sort of the story that never ends, so I'll just give you how it began. It started when I was doing a report on the Salem Witch Trials a year or so ago. It interested me, so I did more research on the subject of witchcraft."

**********************************************

Dave walked into the library and up to the information desk. "Hi," he greeted the girl behind the desk.

"Hey," she responded smiling at him, "aren't you in my history class?"

"Uh, yeah I think so."

"Dave right?"

"Yeah, that's me," he said.

"I'm Kendra. So, what can I get for you?"

"Well, I'm looking for some information on witchcraft," Dave said.

"Oh, are you writing a paper on the subject?" she asked.

"Well, yes, but I have all the information I need for the paper. It just interested me so I wanted to see a little more about it."

She nodded. "Well, if you're really interested in the truth, and the modern ways of practicing, I would suggest you check out the religion section. You do know it is a religion right?"

"Yeah, I heard something about that. Wicca right?"

"Yes, that's it," she said, coming out from behind the desk and leading him down an aisle. "Here are all the best books on the subject," she indicated a shelf and a half to their right.

"Great," Dave said. "That's very helpful, thanks."

"No problem. I'll be up at the desk if you need any more help or have any questions," Kendra said before turning and walking away.

Dave turned to the shelves and ran his finger over the binding of the books as he read the titles to himself. He pulled out two that sounded interesting and carried them up to the desk. He set them on the desk in front of Kendra and began fishing out his library card.

"All set?" she asked him.

"Yeah, for now I guess," Dave said.

"Okay," she said taking the card he held out. She scanned his library card and then the code taped to the inside of the books. She rubbed them across a de-magnetizer and set them back on the desk, placing his card on top of them. "You're all set, enjoy."

"Thanks," Dave said. He picked up the books and walked out of the library. He walked through Stars Hollow to a pale yellow house. He climbed the steps and unlocked the door. Once inside he walked up to his room. He placed the books on his desk and settled in to read. He read late into the night, only breaking when his mother called for him to come to dinner. Finally it had come to the point where he could no longer keep his eyes open. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and glanced at the clock; it was 10:30. Sighing, he set the book aside and got ready for bed. When he climbed in however he couldn't go right to sleep, despite his fatigue. His head was still swimming with the information he'd read. It was especially focused on astral projection, a subject Dave was curious about.

He glanced at the clock again, its blue-green LED glowing in the room. It was 10:41. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, noting that the glow of the clock's display even made the darkness behind his eyes seem lighter. Sleep would not come though, and his mind still drifted into the books. A lot of the practices in the books had to do with meditation, which made sense to him. A calming of yourself could only open passages you didn't know existed right? Scientists did say that humans only used a small percentage of their brain. It all made so much sense that he'd convinced himself to give it a try.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He focused on his breathing in and out, in and out. After a moment he began to relax more, sinking into his bed. His mind started to go blissfully blank when suddenly it was like a shadow settled over his face and he could sense someone in the room. He opened his eyes expecting to see his mother, but no one was in the room. Dave shrugged and closed his eyes, allowing himself to meditate again. However, once again as he relaxed the shadow appeared, along with the presence of a being. He opened his eyes again and found the room still empty. Confused and exhausted he gave up meditation and sank into a fitful sleep.

The next day he returned to the library and sought out Kendra. He found her re-shelving some books. "Excuse me," he said.

She looked up and smiled, "Hey Dave, what can I do for you today?"

"Well, this may sound strange, but it seemed yesterday like you're really into Wicca, are you?"

"Uh, why?"

"Because I need help."

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. Dave explained what had happened the previous night and Kendra furrowed her brow in thought. "Well, it sounds rather like a spirit was trying to communicate with you." Dave looked concerned so she added, "It was probably just looking for help."

"Well, what do I do about it?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Kendra said.