October 29, 1988

1 day remains

Elizabeth met him in the kitchen. Her eyes were sparkling, and she'd let her hair fall into her face. It made her look sexy. "Hey. What's up?" he asked.

She grinned widely, hardly believing it. "I got in. I'm going to Harvard!"

"That's great! ...Hey, we should totally throw a party. I mean, Mom and Dad are gone, and it's Halloween Carnival tonight... We could totally get away with it." He suggested it as if the idea wasn't absolutely critical. It didn't take much for her to agree.

"Okay. But it has to be small, all right?"

"Right." Pushed away the knowledge that he was betraying again. "Just a small one."

That night, the Darko residence swarmed with adolescent abandon. Costumes ranged from slapdash sheet-ghosts to more elaborate, carefully designed avatars. Rapunzel teased a gaggle of Renaissance freaks from the second-story balcony. Jason Voorhees traded pleasantries with Freddy Krueger as they slowly sank into a pot-induced mellowness. Kids scattered into the shadows when a fat guy in a red tracksuit shone his flashlight at the house, but maybe he just wanted a little weed. They ignored him after that.

"What do you guys got?"

"Nothing good."

"Happy Halloween!"

Beer splashed over the porch railing. The Green Mummies were way too loud on the stereo. Donnie milled, a skeleton imprinted on his clothes from neck to ankles. Impulsively pushed his hood up. It still stank even after repeated washings. He answered the front door. Ronald and Sean stood beaming in the moonlight, dressed in cheesy monster masks from the local dollar store. They brandished various instruments of havoc in his face.

"We got eggs, water balloons, and a dozen rolls of toilet paper," announced Ronald.

"I stole four beers from my Dad," Sean added, not to be outdone.

"Well, we got a keg."

Ronald snorted. "Keg beer is for pussies." Nevertheless, he managed to down three paper cups full before anyone noticed.

Inside the house, the phone rang unheeded. The answering machine clicked on. Beep. "Rose, this is Lilian Thurman. It is extremely important that you call me as soon as you get this message. Thank you." Click.

In the kitchen, Donnie thought he heard his therapist's voice. Shrugged it off. Went to answer the front door again.

He found Gretchen on the front porch, close to tears. "Hi," she said softly.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Meaning no. "My mom's gone."

"You wanna come in?"

"Yeah."

He let her in. They snuck upstairs together. Headed into Eddie and Rose's room. From the first floor, Elizabeth/Cleopatra watched them shut the door behind themselves. Allowed herself a nasty thought, smiled inwardly. Went back to her role as the gorgeous hostess.

"I don't know, she... She didn't leavea note and the house was all messed up."

"But you're okay? Did you call the cops?" Concern.

"Yeah, they said I should leave the house, and that I should go to a safe place. I'm just so scared. I keep thinking something awful is happening, and..." She sniffed angrily. Dampening his parents' bed sheets. "It's my fucking step dad, I know it..."

They could feel the music from below vibrating through the soles of their feet. Screams from downstairs. It sounded like Hell. But where was up here?

Gretchen wiped away her tears. Her eyes almost sightless, randomly roving the contours of the room. Her breath was soft. She tipped her head towards him, murmuring, "I guess some people are just born with tragedy in their blood..."

Donnie gently put his hand on her thigh. It crept, in the ensuing stillness, and the moonlight through the window struck them both as they kissed.

Elizabeth frowned, scanning the party goers without success. Someone dressed as Chewbacca was hurling into a potted plant in the living room. She prayed most of it would stay in the guy's fur and went to go find a friend.

"Hey, have you guys seen Frank?"

The girls thought. "No. I think they said they were going on a beer run."

A shiver went through Elizabeth Darko. "Shit."

Beep.

"If you're there, please pick up."

The rustle of clothes not quite shed, not quite separating. Gretchen had his hooded jacket pulled halfway down his arms, partially immobilizing him. She kissed him like that, knees pulled tight against his legs. Smiling into his lips.

"Oh well. Good news. The girls got three and a half stars, and they get to come back for the quarter finals."

Their spears burst into and through each other, shimmering surfaces imploding on contact. His hand in her hair, on her back. Running the delicate ridges of her ribcage. The pain of puberty, crystallizing them both.

"It was amazing. Anyway, um... We're going to take the red-eye back tonight, and we ought to arrive-"

Sam's voice. "Mom, the plane's about to leave."

Donnie pushed his nose into her neck, feeling how soft the skin was there. Thin. Her fingers twisted gracefully in the loops of his jeans. The mattress exhaled.

"Okay, okay. We'll take the red-eye back tonight. We should arrive around 8:30 in the morning. Uh... I hope everything's all right. I love you. Bye."

Click.

In the foyer, the clock struck midnight.