We entered the Golden Arches of McDonald's with our arms around each other's hips. Liam and I had a little inside joke calling ourselves "Hip-Huggers". We headed straight to that familiar table by the corner where he first asked me to be his Tia. I smiled at the memory as he set off to the counter. I glanced around looking for something to do. A bizarre collection of people decided to go to McDonald's this fateful day, November 25th.

A very beautiful brunette bride sitting alone, three tables away, she certainly looked wild and demented; what with a bloodied wedding dress? I reckoned that she was stabbed by someone over by her midsection though she doesn't looked harmed or anything. An old priest wearing a wide brimmed hat and cloudy wire rimmed glasses. A man sitting on the bench beside the mock-up Ronald Mc Donald who looked like an unraveled mummy, whole face stitched; the eyes, nose and mouth were permanently shut and the ears were missing! A gothic girl in a calf-length onyx lace dress with corset-like bodice sitting on the floor caressing what seemed to be bleeding scars in the form of letters that spelt the name "Kelly". And a teenage girl with curly red locks held back by a black velvet bow walking to a table near the farthest corner with her back to me, she was wearing a knee-length polka-dotted dress, long soiled stockings that definitely needs washing and very tatty black shoes.

Liam was back with our food; he dragged the chair next to me so we sat on the same side of the table. He usually did this and I commented on that every time asking him why. Liam seemed to notice my lack of observation; he asked me "Tia is everything okay?"

"Perfect. All fine." I murmured in a trance-like state; staring blankly.

"What's the matter?" he said, obviously not convinced at my words.

"Nothing... I just thought that Halloween came a month late for some people..."

I shook my head but the more I looked around, the more sense of déjà vu swept over me. Now, I realized that the redheaded girl by the corner was Dollface, driver of Darkside, as she had taken a seat in an empty table and decided to face us. Shock dawned on me as I suddenly knew some of the people here.

"Isn't that - ?" I started, pointing over at the young girl in the undersized dress.

"Dollface. Yeah." Liam finished for me, nonchalantly as he started to down his food.

I let my arm drop limply; my mouth gaped in slight dismay. "How come you know? When I am the only one who's into Twisted Metal?" I breathed stunned.

"Research" he answered me, chewing

"How much do you know?"
"A little less than everything, I suppose..."

"What?!" I think my mind just blacked out. "You bring me to restaurant full of psychos on your birthday? I mean, is any of this real? They just live in a game, right? Please tell me I'm dreaming Liam. or else tell me all about that little less than everything right now...straight to my face..." I spluttered both confounded and bit angered.

"Whoa Tia...chill...don't freak out...See this bald guy with a robotic eye visited me two days ago...he calls himself...I forgot the name" he started "it sounded something like Carlito.. I dunno...wait... That's right.. Calypso."

I interrupted with a stream of questions, clearly dumbfounded "Hold up, hold up...WHAT?? CALYPSO?! VISITED YOU?? WHY? WHAT FOR? WHAT DID HE WANT? WHAT DID HE SAY?"

Liam placed a finger on my lips to stop me. "Yo, please don't make a scene; people are staring." He twisted on his chair to the onlookers then said, "Everything is under control. No need to stare. Didn't mother ever tell you that staring at people you don't know is rude?" he turned back to me. "You know him?" he uttered quite bewildered.

"Maybe. Yeah. Now he's bald?" I questioned him skeptically. "Man, that guy has more transformations than Madonna...sheesh..."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing" I shrugged. "Please continue love..."

"Tia, you called me love....where did that come from?"

"Hmm..." My brows furrowed for a moment. .Yeah. where did that come from? I shook out the thought then rolled my eyes and scoffed. "Well, never mind. You're throwing me off track...now, if you please, get back to the main point...what's up with Calypso visiting you? Tell me now before I lose myself again in tantrums. You know I have temper issues. " taking a little sip from my float.

"Wait just a minute; I have a few things to shed light on before I continue. ONE: For the record I liked that. I really do. I'm just surprised, that's all. You must do that more often. And TWO: you are the one throwing me off-track...calling me love, pouting and all..." he said rather defiantly"You look cute though...You should have seen your face." he added with a small smirk.

"Whatever Liam. Cut to the chase and get to the details. You have to set aside those compliments for a while; I have no patience for them... at least for now." I muttered, nibbling on my fries.

"So, Calypso visited me two days ago when I was home alone. Said I've been qualified for some contest called Twisted Metal. It's kinda weird because I haven't entered any and I understood that it only existed in video games. He told me that if I win, he will grant me a single perfect wish, my heart's desire no matter how crazy and out-of-this world that wish is. The catch was to fight to death for it, literally. At first I thought I must be dreaming, but that guy must have some mind-reading power and answered my unspoken question by pinching me here. Look at this..." he showed me a bruise on his forearm.

"It was then that I realized that it was all true. Next thing that I feared is if that I am being Punked; that you had set me up." I frowned. "He seemed to be reading my thoughts as he said 'You are not being Punked, whatever that is. I came here on my own accord. And I don't even know who your girlfriend is. ' I was taken aback then finally gave in. I ran out of excuses. There was just no way around this. After convincing me, he gave me the following instruction: on November 25th, go to McDonald's, before exactly 4:30PM for the contest will officially start; more information will be given then. Before he left, he gave me a set of keys and said 'It has been loaded with all the weapons you will be needing'. Dunno what the hell that meant but I have a hunch. Anyway, they were for an Aston Martin."

My eyes widened in astonishment and awe; my jaws dropped beyond sea level but said nothing.

"Yes, I know. It's unbelievable that someone is giving away sports cars and an Aston Martin, that is. Anyway, I asked him what this is for. He said this was my ride throughout the whole competition. I dunno what model yet but I really am excited cause he says I'll get it on the day of the contest and if I pull through this, it's mine to keep. How could I refuse such an offer?

"He turned to leave then but I asked one more question: if I could bring someone along with me. Calypso said yes but warned me that I could put my companion's life in jeopardy if I did so. He said it was my choice. I knew how you really loved Twisted Metal and I was kinda hoping that this will be your birthday gift to me: you know… coming with me..." he trailed off.

I think I have lost that part of my mind that held control of my body. I was still frozen, jaw dropped. I seemed to have forgotten how to close my mouth. Then awkward silence stretched into the space between the two of us. I'm still locked in my stupefied form.

"Hello Tia... Earth to Tia... Earth to Tia... I need you to come back down here..." Liam waved his hand before my face then snapped. "HEY! What's happened to you?"

I finally thawed out and asked the most inappropriate question for this situation. "What time is it?"

He glanced on his watch. "3:45. Why?"
"Great. A lot more time to think about ducking out or not."

"Sorry Tia. I thought I already told you about this. I haven't really properly asked you. Sorry."
"Please do me a favor and shut up. You're confusing me. Let me think first."

Liam stopped talking; theatrically pretended to lock his mouth and throw away the key.

Two sides of my head were warring against each other. On the left corner: backing out locking myself at home, with my family; thinking of nothing but safety. On the right corner: continuing on, my daredevil side and excitement urging me towards the idea of risk-taking and participating in something monumental. After two minutes of hasty deliberation I decisively said, "What the hell, Let us go get ourselves killed. Whatever you say, I'm with you." I did not just say that.

"Wow. Tia is that really you?" he pointedly questioned pretty teasingly "Why do you have to be that melodramatic Althea Saoirse Prescott? We are going to have a blast… Literally…"

"Must be the adrenaline speaking Liam Garrett Schwartzman."

"Huh? Adrenaline? Who's that? A kind of spirit possessing you? Like a Hagia Sofia of some sorts? "

"Adrenaline, you know the chemical inside your body that rushes whenever..." judging from his look I trailed away and sighed. "Never mind, it is me Liam. I guess I must have been out of my mind for a second there." I should remember to drink less caffeine from now on.

For the next few minutes, we just kept on talking about the weird people that I had noticed earlier. Finally, someone who understands my love for TM. And whenever Liam calls me "doll face", the real Dollface kept on glancing towards us; the freaky cracked mask really scares me to death so I told him to call me by my name.. I had seen the bloodied bride eyeing my man every now and then with a different glint in her eyes, like she wanted him. Once, I caught her gaze and the grayish hazel eyes on her face narrowed with malice.

I opened the next topic; it was about her, Bloody Mary. "So, Liam what do you think of that Bloody Mary over there by that table?"

"Well, she's beautiful but psycho. And I saw her checking me out a minute ago"

I raised my eyebrows. "Excuse me. I'm a psycho, too." But we both know that isn't true.

"Yes, you are. And I'm the king of Australia.."

"Australia doesn't even – "

"Exactly," He cut through "But still, there's a big difference you and her."

"Of course there is; I know for a fact that I am not sadistic like her."
"That's one. And you are my psycho. She is older than me anyway, and I could never like her. She's beautiful, yes, but she looks kinda bitchy."

"You are bound by your words. What you say, you must stand by it. Ok?" I brought out my pen from the sling bag that I had brought and wrote on the tissue the date today, the time, and of course what he had said concerning Mary. "Now, sign here," I handed him the tissue.

He nodded and asked me, "Why? What's all this for?"

"Evidence," I simply told him.

He handed it back to me and I folded it into quarters then tucked it away in my wallet behind the photo of Liam and me two years ago. We looked so different back then, a lot of things had changed. I shoved my wallet into the bag and took out my useless phone to check messages. Then something really weird happened.

Everything electronic went berserk on static. Then after a few seconds, it seemed like they all ran on the same frequency; the computers of the cashiers, the radio, the screen that showed advertisements, the laptops by the café, even my obsolete cell phone joined in with everyone else's.

"What the heck?!"