TELL TALES

I was shocked by what I saw in front of me and so were the group of allies behind Frankie. Kyle stood on the right, holding up a tiny bow wrapped present on a stuffed pillow. Adam kept a small speaker with a phone in it – the music had not yet been played. Adam was on the left side. Ozario was standing in the middle right, holding a similar stuffed pillow from this morning with a small velvet box on top of it. Jacob walked over to the middle left with another pillow and a blue present. The broad heart, shaped by red and white candles, surrounded all four of them inside. The candles were illuminated bright enough to see all their faces.

While the boys put their items on the ground, Kyle began counting down from five. Adam played Justin Bieber 's old hit, called "One Time." Four of them danced the cutest choreography that made their audience laugh. Even Henry and Cider jumped in and danced too. All the boys began to run in place. The music was really loud, and because it was a karaoke version, some of the guys took turns singing the song. They shook their buttocks and twirled as they were kicking the sand. They jumped up and then knelt down. At last, they picked up the gifts and walked towards their dates for the party. I finally understood why all our friends were behaving oddly before. That was so much charming and sweet and hilarious!

I was cracking up at the performance. Ozario, with the present, walked up to me and threw the pillow behind him. He laughed and, with his beautiful and quixotic voice sparking my heart, he repeats one last time, "Happy Valentine's Day, mi amor! This is for you." He bowed.

Shot him a look. "Another gift?"

he wiggled it in my face with a cute, blushing smile. "This was my original plan before Alice got involved, I assure you."

I swayed, put my hand on my chest and grinned at him. "Okay then."

Onyx opened the box with a cute wrap on it and smiled. He presented it to me. The same thing I gave Ozario this morning was inside. A red ring pattern to look like a rope had been surrounded by chocolates. The ring had a lovely ribbon bow at the top. My eyes expanded. I was delighted that we had the same idea regarding gifts. I took the ring out to see if it was etched with my name, it was. Ozario took the box and stuffed it in his pocket. On my pinkie finger, he placed the ring.

"I told you your gift was just as much," Ozario reminded me.

Ozario had already arranged this! We really had the same idea, huh? I smiled happily, thinking I had the best date ever for Valentine's Day! Ozario and I gave each other a hug, and he kissed my forehead. I giggled softly, holding him more closely.

Adam shouted, "Aww! So, cute! That's cute!"

Ozario pointed at him. "Shut up," he replied shyly.

I laughed at them and then Adam walked away with Cher. "So… Justin," I asked Onyx?

"Frankie loves that guy," Onyx clarified, "Kyle wanted to impress her."

Aw! The flirt has a crush … I think. I got led towards my friends by Ozario. We all wanted to head back in the direction of the bonfire. At first, everybody sat around chatting about insane stuff and eating roasted marshmallows and BBQ. We had reached the stage where they all began sharing scary stories. OooooOooh, oooooh! Everyone got comfortable and some of us cuddled each other, except me and Ozario and all the single people. He and I just sat really close, relaxing in the night's calming atmosphere.

Kyle first proceeded to say a story as the host of the party, "Once upon a stormy night, there was a beautiful girl and her abusive husband. He kept screaming and crying about how ugly she was. He got so angry that the guy grabbed a bottle of liquor, broke it, and smashed the broken bottle right into the eye of the girl and gouged it out. He took the eye and stuffed it in her mouth afterwards, letting her choke on it until she died. Afterwards, in death, she vowed to haunt everyone who ever called her ugly again. In his sleep, she mutilated the guy, and now everyone living in her house would see a girl watching over them at night. She'll ask you if you see her, 'Do you think I'm pretty?' And if you say, 'no'... you DIE!"

Most of us jumped at the story in a panic. Ozario and I were both shrugging it off. It almost got to me, but there was still something missing. Whatever it was. Respectable job, Kyle! Suddenly, Cher grasped my shoulder, shuddering.

"That was terrible," she whined in fear.

I patted her head. "It wasn't that scary. You will be okay."

Cher nodded her head, though she disagreed as well. Since she was genuinely afraid, I kept her close to console her. So, that's what it looks like to have a weak stomach. I wonder if I'm ever going to be like that again. Quil came up with the next story.

Quil leaned toward the fire. "This one is known as The Fireman. The fireman was an ordinary hard worker who was so underappreciated that he would even be called weak by others. He kept trying to get approval from co-workers, but nothing really worked. One day, at work, the firemen raced to the scene where a woman had been trapped in a house fire. All of others kept telling him, 'No! Don't go in there!" And 'Stop!' But he just kept going. He walked upstairs to get the woman out. She was saved and not a single, 'thank you,' to him. He wouldn't usually care because he was the sort to be content just to see a safe living soul ... but not this day. Not only did she not thank him, she screamed angrily at him for grabbing the 'wrong way' of her shoulder! 'She ripped his mask off and kicked the firefighter into the flames. He was rescued by no one. They merely laughed as they were watching his face burn. All was a joke gone deadly. Now, someone who's trapped in a fire sees his burned face staring at them with just one eye, with the other eye dangling out of the socket. He sits there and smiles until you die, for no one, certainly not him, will be able to recuse you. Not anymore. Uh, the end."

Adam went next, "Please, please. Listen carefully, if you really want something better. Today, I just received an old friend's weirdest phone call. He started to panic, saying that there was a creep at his window. He said the creep had an enormous smile and bizarre pointed teeth. He just kept staring through the window at him. I told him to just call the police and, just in case, leave me on the phone. He called the police while I was on my way to his house and he explained everything. My friend went to the back of the house, so for a moment, I couldn't hear anything. Suddenly, I heard a lot of noisy clashes and what sounded like broken bones…" Adam made sound effects to boost the story's impact.

Some of my friends jumped in surprise. I smiled, this was actually good.

He continued, "Finally, my friend reached the phone, shouting, "Help! Help! He's killing me!" His heavy intense breathing I heard next. It sounded like there was something going down his throat and beginning to tear it apart. SPLAT! After that, everything fell silent. Someone, or something, picks up the phone and tells me, "You're next..." and quickly hangs up. I had been reluctant, wanting to turn around ... but I reached the house at last, and ran inside. I needed to know what happen to him! You're not going to believe what I have seen. My friend had been mangled to bits. red, guts, everywhere. I backed off until there was something I had bumped into. I turned around, and there it was — the creature that killed him. There were eyes... wide open. Shaved teeth, bloody. Worse — Worse ... human. What happened to me? I lay in the hospital, waiting for the return of the beast... hoping that he won't..." Adam weepingly whispered, "Won't... Ssh... he's standing by the window."

Everyone quivered more and backed away from Adam. Ozario was still unfazed by the story. Mainly because the first person viewpoint was used by Adam, who was fine. Ozario just brushed it off, sticking two burnt marshmallows in his mouth. I knew that had to be gross to him, right? Ozario didn't show it. He shrugged and tilted his head, then went back to eat some chocolate. Poor Ozario, I know he would probably eat sweets if he could. Onyx noticed me noticing him. So, I glanced away. He squeezed my shoulder, smiled, and let me know that he was okay. I smiled at him back. As long as he's happy.

Maria jumped in, "God! You three are sooo lame! Let me tell you about the creep in the girl's bathroom. I..."

Cher cuts her off, "Girl, hush! Everyone knows about that perverted janitor in our school. He always wanna go in the girls' bathroom when somebody is in there. One time, the fool tried to peep on me! He had a rude awaken 'cause I hit him with my purse."

I looked at Cher's purse beside her. It was gigantic. I know for a fact he couldn't have survived that. It would make a great horror story if Cher was the villain and not the janitor. Frankie decided to try next. She got ready to talk by cracking her knuckles. This had to be a good one.

"On a dark and scary evening, there lived… A unicorn. She wanted to frolic in the meadow and have a wonderful time! But, she didn't because an evil doodle popped out from the tree, 'Boo!' says the evil monster that woke up in th-!"

"Frankie!" Everyone shouted.

"Hey! The evil doodle on SpongeBob was pretty scary," I said, backing Frankie up.

Frankie pointed at me, "See, it was supposed to be scary!"

People were all laughing at her attempt to say a scary story. Some others were trying to say one of them, including Jacob. He had a significant one from years ago that he once learned of his father about his wolf tribe. A white wolf, deemed a ghost of vengence, killed a vampire on the hunt to destroy a wolf pack den. Cider had spoken of the Candy Man. Seth and Leah were arguing over the story they wanted to share and never told. Embry had a crappy one, but a friend of his, Brady, made up for it by spilling a juicy tale of their own encounters. Theoretical for the human, but the insiders knew the facts. The DJ also came over and told a nice story. In the end, it was pretty funny and a little sad.

He sat close by the fire and, for the first time, we heard him say more than just a few words, "I got a good one!" Henry actually wanted to give it whirl!

Everyone gasped in his direction. "Henry!"

Ozario laughed. "Decided to join the party?"

"Well. I'm glad to be a surprise," Henry crossed his legs and had a huge smile on his face.

I seldom ever heard Hen talk, but because of his brother or Emmett, I always heard him laugh. He had never really said anything before the day Ozario and Carlisle were in trouble. Most of his sentences were in Spanish at the time and much too low to actually hear that day anyway. He and I were talking a couple of days ago. Sadly, we weren't really speaking, speaking. So, in other words, until now, I had never really heard his voice well enough, like a complete paragraph well enough.

I could tell you what he sounds like. The voice of Henry sounded like that of Ozario, but a little softer and lower in pitch. Henry had a powerful Spanish accent as well. He sounded like he was still struggling to say some words in English. Mainly his tongue twists. I suppose, because he and his brother were originally born in Tarragona, Spain, that would be reasonable. How long they've lived in America, I don't know. It must have been short, innit? I asked Ozario a lot of questions about him and his brother during the weeks before school started again. I guess, I should have asked how long they lived here when I had the chance. Henry lifted a finger up to hush everyone who became excited over the fact that he spoke. He put his finger down and then waved everyone close. All of us leaned in to listen.

"Spain in the sixteenth century," He began. "Lived a man named, The Sack Man. He was a disgusting man with boils rising on top of the boils on his face and hands. He appeared extremely skinny every time he entered town, but with a lot of strength for carrying children using sacks or baskets, hince his name. He would come into town every seventh night and gather disobedient children and place them in his sack. What he was going to do was eat them later. Everyone in the village would call and riot against the king when morning arrived because he wouldn't do a thing about it. So, one day, a brave young man from the village snuck into the palace where the king lazed about with his concubines and stabbed him dead. He found the children of the village who had been robbed by the King! The King was The Sack Man! The hero had released the children's bonds. The children said to their young hero, 'Thank you, sir! Thank you very much!' But, he didn't take it... because he minced them up and ate them one by one. The young man collected the crown from the now deceased, terribly hideous, thin, old king. The new King also took the throne. Now, everybody has to send the young demon all their bad children to feast forever. This town was on repeat." Henry perked up. "Did I do good?"

Because of his story, my friends were sitting incredibly far from Henry. Everyone, and finally Ozario, began to tremble. I shook my head. To me, it was not all that frightening. Perhaps I didn't understand, especially why Ozario of all people, would be afraid. These stories were actually really good though. Renesmee tapped my shoulder, gesturing to tell me a creepy story. My face was twisted. I had no idea what to say. I had no idea how to beat any of them with the material I had.

"Oh! No. I-I suckm" I admitted with my hands up. I shyly chuckled.

Ozario nodded. "Yea. Cat is too soft. She couldn't tell one even if she tried," he challenged.

"Yes, I can! But compared to everyone we heard tonight, I just don't know if it will be any good," I replied with a frowning facial expression. I had a good one, but I sucked at telling it.

Kyle threw a marshmallow at me. "Come on and try," he demanded!

I sucked it up and spat it out just to make them hush, "Uh…We always wonder, as children, what's under our beds ... or in our closets. Me? I was always afraid of the mirror in the bathroom. Behind that mirror, grotesque and violent, a nightmare existed. I fled under my covers at night because it would come out and go on a homicide spree. I was so frightened one morning, so frightened to look at the mirror ... I took a spoon and forced it in my left eye. I tore it out of the socket and left the eye on the right side, so that I could still see."

My friends' faces started to twist in revolt.

"My parents," I continued... "They were so distressed and scared to death that they took me to the hospital. The doctor kept asking me questions about how it fell out my left socket ... I... I told him, '… fear did it.' He looked at me crazy, 'Why were you scared,' he asked? I told him it was the thing behind the mirror in the bathroom. He took a random mirror and told me, 'This isn't your bathroom mirror,' before showing me my missing eye. 'It's a hand-held mirror only. Can you please take a look here?' The doctor picked up his mirror... No ... I couldn't... I couldn't. Under the sheets, I hid, crying. The beast wasn't just at home in the mirror. Oh, no. It followed me to the hospital. People were going to die! It knew I told on it. I covered myself with hospital sheets later the same night. I heard sounds like shouting and the breaking of cartilage. I heard thunder, but there was no storm. It was a tornado of people being tossed about and smashed against the walls, the windows, my own hospital door. A policeman snatched the blankets off of me the next morning. I sat up on the bed, crying. I felt afraid. He picked me up and we left the bed. We just left to set me up again in front of another fucking mirror. I was coated in blood and guts this time. There were two odd colors in my eyes ... I-I could see once more, clearly. With reinforcements and weapons, the police returned. This made me realize that the monster in the mirror was me. I grinned, revealing my disgusting, raw, powerful jaws in relief that I no longer had to be afraid, but they do..." I paused and then happily announced, "Because I can't be killed. Now I'm sitting here years later. Chill'in."

Ozario stood far away from me, hiding behind Adam. Everyone else huddled in fear beside them. They shook violently, and they had twitching eyes. I never imagined I was going to scare anyone like this. I think I had a good one after all. I laughed at the reaction of everybody about my story. Ozario and Adam instantly let each other go.

"Uh…"

"Yea…"

"That happened…"

"Let's not ever…"

"Got it…."

My friends were all sitting back in their spots and brushing off my story like it never happened. We laughed at each other's reactions. The story-telling wasn't over, yet. One of us still needed to tell an unusual, elusive, bonus story to end the fun of tonight. Adam silenced all of them around the fire and announced who was going to tell the last tale.

"Everyone, Ozario promised earlier to tell the mystery behind the Tell Tale-Heart story! He said it would make a great horror story. So, everyone, listen up!"

Ozario glanced at Henry with a strange gesture in his eyes. It was almost sad, but he began telling the tale, "Entirely based on a true tale. I don't think it will scare. A young ... magician grew up innocent. That is any child. With his magic, he loved making people happy and laugh all the time. Yet, there was a day when he would never be pure again. The gang flocked to the town and demolished everything in their path. It was a small place that not too many people, except those who lived there, knew about. But, alas, everything was gone, and only that little boy survived. The blood of his family, friends, and neighbors were the only sights in his eyes. The smoke and ash. The last groanings in his ears. The blood fuelled the little boy's hate for the gang... Never did the fools go far. They stopped at a place to settle and drink, not knowing that they had been located by the boy." He chuckled, and his voice got a little darker, "That night, the wind blew aggressively and sliced like silver blades through them all. They screeched one by one, and they died one by one. The boy felt amazing, so much so that with a great smile he licked the blood of the gang members off his fingertips. It wasn't enough... Blood became his addiction after that. He found many murderers and rapists and not one person satisfied his appetite." Ozario paused. Kindness became his eyes. "That same boy met the author, Edgar, later in his years. He loved him dearly. A good friend... but he just couldn't... he wouldn't... stop... killing people. He hid behind Edgar like the bastard he was. So, one day…" Pain filled Ozario. "Since he refused to accept a contract offer for the company he had kept. The company knew that the kid and the writer of Tell Tale-Heart were friends. Edgar's murder was supposed to be a message to the young, unfathomable magician. It was, however, too late to stop being what he was, a demon. He slaughtered one more time... to avenge... and that last time he killed the man responsible for the murder of Edgar Allan Poe. And long after the boy quit engaging in crime, this boy was known as ... the Blade? Ew. Stupid. He was considered a terrorist by others. Ha! Others say absolutely mental. Not wrong. Genius? He never got caught, ever... Call him whatever you want… But I had a term that's more clever. In order to fuel the fun, a more attractive term. Hm. I call him… I called myself… Mischievous? Malfeasance. No, too ugly... Death dealer... No, not intelligent enough and gross. I threw out those terms if I recall. Hmmm? Monster? Heh. Heh. Boring. More central, maybe. Ah! Malice, the murderers' punisher... and, well, I'm not afraid to be that boy again."

For a second, Ozario's eyes flashed red to frighten the group. My friends were jumping and laughing, saying that it was cool. Onyx cracked up, but there was a problem with him. I saw it. Henry did too. Most of our friends started to mingle again happily. On the other side, the wolves were eyeing Ozario. I glanced at Henry, who, too, scowled at him intensely. Onyx just rolled his eyes at Hen, leaning his head against his palm. Against the log, he relaxed. This is just a story, right? I'd started wondering to myself.

"It's just an old story, little kitten. It's never happening again I hope," Ozario reassured, but I could tell it was just a supposition he wanted me to accept. He wanted to accept that himself too.

Adam's hand was holding his chest. "Amazing," he complimented! "I wanna hear that again someday."

Upsettingly, Ozario simpered. "Maybe you might. Maybe."

I got up and walked to get my stuff, so I could go home. Ozario was following me, taking my bag for me. All said their farewells later and left. I rode with Ozario on the way home because Henry did not want to ride after the stories with his younger brother. I had seen them angry at each other for the first time, which meant that Ozario's story must have been a real problem after all. What was happening to them?