"You got me a job at the Daily Catch?" Serena looked up from the pumpkin she had been carving. Ken had entered the kitchen in a rather cheery mood and now Serena knew why.
"Well, yes. After I showed my boss the articles you wrote for Seattle Time she was more than thrilled to have you work with us." Ken explained as he grabbed a tow mugs from the cabinet and began to fill them with coffee.
"The articles I wrote? You knew that was me? I used a pseudonym."
He let out a small chuckle and place the mug of coffee on the table next to Serena's pumpkin a then pulled out the chair and sat down across from her. "Oh come on Serena. Do you really think I wouldn't have figured out that you were Usagi Tsukino? Rabbit of the Moon? Your mother use to read you that story every night when you were a kid. And after I read that exposé on Black Moon Industries, well that just confirmed it for me."
"You…you read that one?" Serena almost dropped her cheap plastic carving knife. Her father was the one who had inspired her journalistic side and he had coached her in every step she needed to take in order to become a great journalist. If only he had known what she went through when she was writing that exposé. Investigative journalism wasn't exactly her forte but when she had gotten information about that corrupt company she knew she needed to let the world know and her father had been there in the background reading all of her articles.
"Are you kidding me? That story went nation wide! Because of you that industry almost shut down. You exposed the true intent of that company and the world listened."
"Yeah well, they were trying to close down Artemis and Luna's shop. That shop meant everything to them and I saw how hard they were fighting to keep it from being bought out along with whole block that got evictions. I couldn't just sit here and watch it happen." Slimy wet chunks of pumpkin meat and flesh stuck between the knife and Serena's fingers as she began to furiously cut at the Jack-o-latern.
Ken's lips curled into a smile. "So you exposed the CEO's extracurricular spending and affairs, business and personal."
Serena scoffed. "And the awful company he owned and how it would negatively impact the community. I just thought that the people of Seattle should be able to have a say if they really wanted Black Moon Industries in their city."
"Well, it worked. After all those protests and being on almost every news station I couldn't imagine what would have happened if they didn't retract their evictions."
"War probably." Serena shrugged then smiled back at her father. "I just did what you taught me dad."
"What's that?"
"I 'followed the breadcrumbs.' I learned from one of the best journalists. You always told me that no matter how hard someone tries to cover up their mistakes they'll leave a trail behind them."
Her father nodded his head faintly and looked away. It almost seemed as if he didn't want her to see him trying to hold back tears. Perhaps he hadn't expected her to look up to him so much or thought that she wouldn't want to follow in his footsteps in that type of career but Serena saw how much her father loved his work and even though it didn't offer a salary that made her upbringing extravagant, seeing her father's name at the end of an article or how proud he would be when he got compliments from someone in town always brought a smile to her face. Even after all of her faults in recent years knowing that her father was proud of her almost made her cry right there in front of him.
"Well, the position is yours if you want it." Ken finally said clearing his throat. "We don't have much going on in this town like Seattle but I figured you could find something to write about. Even if it is about micro gardens."
Thanks Dad." Serena smiled. Looking back at her pumpkin and the mess she made in her angry explanation she decided she should stop before she completely ruined it. She had planned to carve a simple screaming face but somehow the triangular eyes interconnected and the shape of the mouth was jagged. "I think I killed him."
Ken walked over behind her and inspected her work. "He'll fit right in. Let's take him out to his brothers."
Three distinctly misshapen pumpkins sat atop the porch fence, Serenity's being the most odd looking as she had requested Ken help her carve out the silhouette of a witches hat but Ken didn't quite have an artistic hand. The carving came out lopsided and uneven looking more like an isosceles triangle with a curve at the top but Serena couldn't help smiling every time she looked at it. The bond between Serenity and her father formed almost instantaneously and she couldn't be more grateful.
The porch door swung open suddenly and Serenity came running out in her Pennywise costume, her red balloon darting around above her head. "Mommy! Papa! Look at the costume cousin Amara and Michelle got me!"
Serena almost dropped her coffee at the sight of her daughter dressed up as a killer clown monster. Unlike her, Serenity seemed to take a liking to scary movies. A trait she most likely got from Darien.
Amara and Michelle appeared from beyond the porch door and Serena gave her cousin a disapproving look.
Amara held up her hands defensively. "Hey, that was the one she picked out at the costume shop. I tried to talk her into the ballerina costume."
Michelle giggled. "I think she looks cute. She definitely wont have to worry about any kids trying to bully her into giving them her candy."
Serena noticed Amara and Michelle's formal attire and Michelle carrying her violin case. "Are you guys not going Trick-or Treating with us?"
"Michelle's orchestra is playing at the halloween festival tonight. We probably won't be back until after midnight." Amara explained walking over to the porch steps that lead to the driveway.
Serena stopped her cousin mid-step and spoke softly so that only Amara could hear. "You know, you could have told me that your girlfriend was a famous violinist before I made a spectacle of myself when we picked her up at the airport."
Amara laughed. "Are you kidding? And miss the chance to see you spazz out in the middle of the passenger pick up? Besides, Michelle's use to the attention."
"It was quite flattering Serena." Michelle seemed to overhear their conversion as she came to Amara's side. "You should come to the festival tonight. Amara said it could be a lot of fun and your dad said he'll be working the photo-op."
Serena looked over at her father who was now holding Serenity. "Dad, you're not going to be here either?"
"I have to take pictures for the paper 'Rena. Sorry."
Serenity wrapped her arms around Ken's neck, hugging him tightly. "I want to go to work with you Papa."
Amara placed her hand gently on Serena's shoulder. "Come on 'Rena. It's not going to be as bad as you think. You're going to have to get use to people recognizing and coming up to you now that you're back."
"I know Amara. It's just-"
"At least do it for Serenity."
Serena sighed and looked at her daughter who was still holding on tightly to Ken's neck. "You're right. We'll go. But-" Serena held up her finger to stifle Serenity's scream of excitement "-We're not staying out past bedtime. Okay?"
Serenity frowned but nodded her head reluctantly.
Serena sighed. "I don't even have a costume for the festival."
"I think I might have a rain coat you could use. You can be Georgie." Ken said putting Serenity back down on the floor.
"The little boy who gets his arm bitten off?" Serena watched as her daughter ran around the porch, giddy with excitement. She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, why not? Just no fake blood. You know how I get with gorey things."
Ken smirked. "I remember. Just try so stay clear of the haunted maze."
"Trust me I'm not going any where near that thing."
...
Dusk was just setting in and trick-or treaters started to flock the streets, some on bikes and others with their parents. Darien stepped outside to light the jack-o-lanterns as his grandfather sat on his chair passing out candy to the few trick-or-treaters that walked up to him. Carolann had offered to stay and take care of her father but Darien knew she was suppose to be at the Halloween festival fundraising for the pharmacy. She probably felt bad for him seeing that Halloween was his favorite holiday but he didn't mind staying in with his grandfather. He never really cared much for the festival and he was hoping that Serena might pass by with Serenity and he didn't want to miss that chance to talk to her.
"You know, you would think your dad would've stopped hiding his whiskey after you moved out. I'll never forget that scolding he laid on us after he caught us taking swigs from the glass right after we graduated high school." Malachite said walking out with a pack of Carolann's spiked lemonade.
"He did. But he had to hide it again once Grandad got sick. He kept mistaking it for soda." Darien explained taking the can as Malachite handed it to him. He cheersed Malachite and took a sip. "So, did you come over here willingly or did Mina have another episode?"
Malachite smirked. "I came over willingly. She's going out with the girls to the festival. I figured she'd have enough help with them around and I really didn't want to get caught up in whatever it is they do."
"So you came over her to help me and my grandfather pass out candy?"
"And raid your mom's fridge for her lemonade. These aren't half bad."
Darien scoffed but took another swig from the can.
"Have you had a chance to talk to Serena?" Malachite asked sounding a little uneasy abut the subject.
"Not yet. I've been wanting to but now that she's staying with Ken I can't exactly just walk up there and knock on the door."
"Yeah, you'd be a dead man.
"Exactly. So I've just been here banging my freaking head over it and driving myself crazy and trying to find things to distract myself. Like yesterday, I read a sixteen page article on ant colonies and organized both mine and my grandfather's closets."
"Man, maybe I should have went with Mina if I knew you were going to be this pathetic." Malachite joked.
"Shut up." Darien quipped.
"Happy Halloween losers!" A voice from the lawn called to them and Darien turned surprised to see Rei standing there in Devil horns and a long sleeved red dress. Jed stood next to her wearing black angel wings and an all black tuxedo.
"Oh no, Rei. Didn't any one tell you? You're supposed to wear a costume for Halloween." Malachite joked as Rei and Jed walked up the porch.
Rei gave her grandfather a kiss atop his head and turned her attention to Malachite who was laughing at his own remark. "Are you sure you want to mess with me Malachite? Your very pregnant hormonal girlfriend is waiting for me back at the festival. I might just bring up how you always use to tease me back in high school and still do it occasionally."
Malachite's laughing seized and his face flushed. "Come on Rei, let's not be rash."
A grin curved on Rei's lips.
"What are you doing here?" Darien asked.
"I'm taking you to the festival." She said matter-of-factly.
Darien quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? I have to watch Grandad."
"Don't worry, That's why Jed's here."
Darien looked over behind his cousin at Jed who waved his hand as a greeting.
Before Darien could protest Rei grabbed his arm and dragged him along off the porch. "Come on, you owe yourself a fun night."
"But I'm not even dressed up!" Darien protested as Rei dragged him down the driveway.
She blew Jed a kiss and waived her hand up high. "Don't wait up for us!"
Malachite and Jed watched as Rei shoved Darien into the passenger seat of her car much to his resistance and drove off to downtown. There was a quiet and awkward silence between the two tall men sitting on the Sheild's porch watching the elder Shields happily hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters.
Malachite reached down and pulled another can of lemonade free from the six pack ring and held it out to Jed. "Lemonade?"
…
The parking lot and track field of Astoria High School had been sectioned off and furnished for the Halloween festival, warm orange string lights stretched across the field where there sat an aray of carnival rides and games, the air smelt of kettle corn and barbecued meats coming from the aisle food carts and at the very edge of the field just beyond the game stands Serena could see the ominous Haunted Maze; a decrepit two story wooden house covered in fake cobwebs and decorated with blaring red and orange lights. It hadn't taken Serena long to find her friends who were crowded around the many carnival games each trying to win their own had ran up to them first almost scaring Mina, who was dressed in a bedsheet ghost costume possibly for the comfort to move freely with her large belly, into early labor at the sight of a small killer clown running towards them.
"Im surprised you came out to a Halloween event, Serena." Lita, who was dressed in a bloodied kitchen coat, acknowledged picking up Serenity and lifting her up onto her shoulders so the small child could see the festival in its entirety.
"Yeah, well it was either this or stay home alone on halloween." Serena explained adjusting her rain hat oblivious to the glances her friends shared.
"Well, nevertheless you're here. So what should we do first Serenity?" Ami asked the small child sitting atop the tall brunette's shoulders. Serena couldn't tell what Ami's costume was supposed to be. It seemed like she put something together last minute with the left over tule from her Harvest Ball gown.
"The ferries wheel!"
Admittedly Serena was slightly ashamed that she was scared of all things halloween related. Well, not so much Halloween, but the feeling of anticipation and fear is what she hated the most. The feeing of not knowing, of not being in control. If this feeling didn't make her so uncomfortable she would be able to bring Serenity to events like this without reservation but the one thing she didn't mind doing was riding the attractions. That feeling she did like and seeing Serenity so happy and laughing with her friends as the ferris wheel rose and fell bought her such joy, a certain type of happiness she knew she could never substitute. It was a type of sensation that only the company of others could bring and she had deprived her daughter of that feeling for so long because she was so scared of what the unknown would bring when they came home and seeing Serenity's growing smile made her resent her own cowardice. If only she were brave enough she could have told Darien the truth at the Harvest ball or even before when she found out she was pregnant, their lives could have been so different. If only.
Serena had been so preoccupied with her own thoughts she hadn't noticed her friends waving to Rei and Darien playing a game just a few feet away from them after they exited the ferries wheel.
Her daughter's excited exclamation broke Serena from her thoughts and she looked up at Serenity running towards Darien who had immediately turned around upon hearing the dark haired child call his name.
"Holy fu-"Rei dropped the ball she had been using for the game and jumped back slightly upon seeing the killer clown clad child running at them. The same could not be said for her cousin who scooped up the child happily in his arms.
"Hey Serenity. That's quite a nice costume." Darien complimented.
"Thank you!" Serenity's eyes seemed to sparkle at Darien's approval. Leaning in close, Serenity cupped her hand over Darien's ear and whispered, "Mommy wanted me to be a ballerina because she's too scared of clowns."
A laugh erupted from Darien's throat. "You can't blame your mom for that. I think I traumatized her with scary movies when we were younger."
Worry and nausea assaulted Serena's senses at the sight of Darien holding Serenity in his arms. It had been about a week and a half since the Harvest Ball, since Darien had accused her of using her mother's death as an excuse to leave. She didn't want to face him honestly, she was angry and hurt that that was what he thought of her; a selfish coward.
"Serena," He looked at her then and Serena could see some sort of emotion between desperation and remorse in his eyes.
Not really knowing what else to do she arched her lips into an awkward smiled and breathed a very faint hello.
Possibly sensing the tension and awkwardness in the air Mina chimed in. "Well, what should we do next? There's face painting. Or perhaps we can get our picture taken for the newspaper!"
"I want a candied apple!" Serenity shouted as Darien lifted her onto his shoulders.
"Alright, to the food carts we go!" Mina took lead of the group waddling past the carnival games.
"You guys go ahead. I'm going to go get in line for more tickets for the games." Serena was already walking a few feet in the opposite direction desperately trying to put distance between her and Darien.
"Are you sure? I thought the themed food would have been your favorite part about this festival." Darien took a step closer trying to close the distance between the group and Serena.
"Yeah, 'Rena. We can get the tickets after." Lita chimed in.
"No, really. It's okay. I want to get in line before it gets longer so we wont have to worry about it later. I'll just meet you guys at the dinning area after." Serena tuned on her heel and almost sprinted toward the ticket booth before the others could protest.
"I hope she knows she's going in the wrong direction." Mina stated noting that the ticket booth was just past the food carts in the direction they were walking. "She's heading back towards the rides and maze."
…
After making sure she put enough distance between the group and herself Serena let out a sigh of relief. Why the hell did Darien have to make a sudden appearance? She was hoping that she wouldn't have to endure anymore stress while already being in a place that set her nerves haywire. And it didn't make it any better that after the events of the Harvest Ball just hearing Darien's name made her heart race erratically, but not in the same sense as butterflies in her stomach, this was an agitation that made her want to run and hide in the far edges of the earth away from him. It's only expected after everything he accused her of, finally knowing what he thought of her after all these years. It was heartbreak she was running from and it honestly hurt more than leaving him the first time on that hot July day.
"Just one in your party?" An attended dressed in a dark wool cloak and white face paint had snapped her out of her thoughts.
"oh, um yes." She answered and he guided her to the end of a line sectioned off by rope.
"The line looks longer than it is." He stated unlatching the rope from its hook and motioned for her to enter.
Serena thought it strange that there needed to be a separate line for singles to get tickets for games but she trusted their methods. Perhaps it was to help with the wait times.
The strange mix of anger and fear resinated in her chest when she recalled Darien's nonchalant demeanor when he spoke to her as if he was expecting her to act as if nothing had happened, as if she would happily carry on the rest of the night in friendly banter and embrace his presence with open acceptance. He had one hell of a night a head of him if he thought that was going to happen. Why should she have to run away and hide from him when he has been absolutely awful to her since they've both been home? First, he doesn't tell her that he has a fiancé then he doesn't check in on her for weeks after she fractured her foot and worst of all the horrible things her said to her at the Harvest Ball. And he has the galls to expect her to have a casual conversation with him while he's holding her daughter? The absolute nerve of that guy.
'It's decided then." Serena said to herself. Once she was finished getting the tickets she was going to march back there and give Darien a piece of her mind, besides, she has nothing to lose if he already believed she was such and awful person.
The line ahead of her started moving and she followed suit too preoccupied with her thoughts to listen to the instructions of the cloaked attendant explaining something about trick doors and a sensory room. Once he was done speaking the line proceeded forward up a few steps and through an entryway draped in tattered black fabric.
What a strange entrance for a ticket booth.
…
Darien came to a sudden halt and called for Serena as he saw her enter the haunted maze. He had run after her once he had realized she headed in the completely opposite direction of the ticket booth knowing she'd most likely end up right where she is now; entering a haunted maze by herself. Disregarding the roped off line to the side he ran to the entrance only to be stopped by what looked to be a high schooler dressed in a cloak and face paint.
"You got to get in line with everyone else buddy."
"You have to let me in. There's someone in there that has a phobia of the dark." Darien tried to explain but the attended just shook his head and pointed to the line to his left.
Darien weighed this options; he was much taller and muscular than the high schooler, he could threaten him but what good would that do for Serena if he got himself kick out of the festival for mishandling a kid? He could wait in line with everyone else but by the time he'd get in Serena would probably be crying and hyperventilating in a corner somewhere. No, he needed to get in front of the line. He looked over at the queue of costumed people waiting to get in, some of them giving him wary looks. There was maybe thirty people give or take. This was defiantly going to cost him.
Apprehensively Darien stood in front of everyone in line and held up his hands as if to get their attention. "I'll give everyone in line five bucks if you all let me go in first."
"five bucks? A bucket of popcorn alone is six!" A teenager in an inflatable dinosaur costume shouted from somewhere at the back of the line. The crowd began to murmur in agreement.
Darien sighed. "Alright, alright. Ten dollar. I'll give you all ten dollars."
That amount seemed to satisfy them and Darien pulled out his wallet. His brows furrowed in annoyance when he realized he only had large bills. Turning to the attendant he held out the bills. "Do you have change for three hundred dollars?"
…
It now dawned on Serena that this wasn't an entrance to the ticket booth. The room she was in was set up to look like a decaying living room with moth-eaten furniture and tattered cloth hanging from the ceiling and windows. Fake cobwebs covered pictures hanging on the deteriorating wall paper covered walls and completely encompassed the make shift fire place and there was fishing wife hanging low from the ceiling to make it feel like you're walking through the cobwebs. She had tried to turn back from where she had entered but it seems like there was a door that they must have closed as soon as her group had walked in and now it had completely blended with the wall making look like there was no door at all.
Having no other choice but to follow the others she had entered with, who were seemingly a lot faster than her, she made her way through the rotting living room and down a small set of stairs that would lead to a basement. She could hear the voices of her group ahead of her and then a door opening and shutting and then silence. Panic started to well up in her chest as she rounded the corner of the stairs and came to a room that had four doors. The room and doors where painted black and on right door written in runny red paint was the word REDRUM. She recognized that word from a movie Darien liked but she was never brave enough to watch it with him. The two center doors were asymmetrical and had a biohazard sticker in the center. The last door was not adorned with any writing or ominous stickers but there were black footprints painted on the floor that lead from the stairs and disappeared under door.
That had to be the right one. She took her chances and opened the door. It looked like a long dark hallway that curved to the left. Along the walls where clown masks lit up by red lights shining on them from the opposite wall, some looked harmless, others looked ugly and menacing. It was quiet in there save for the sound of her footsteps and the loud wet sizzling of the fog machine hanging from a corner of the ceiling.
"Serenity would have had the time of her life in here." She joked to herself.
Following the painted footprints down the curved hall she came upon another dark hallway only this one was pitch black and at the very end of the hall she could make out the faintest gleam of light under the door. Yes, there was a door there. She just had to get to it and she'd be out of this hallway. But as she got closer to the door she realized the hallway was getting narrower and narrower to the point where she felt as if her shoulders were touching the walls on either side. Her panic was at an all time high now as she reached out one had to the door only to find that there was no doorknob.
"No, Please no." Tears began to blur her vision. She knew she wasn't in any physical danger but this was her worst nightmare. She hated this. Being trapped in a dark room with no way out, no telling where the room ends or begins and feeling so confined in the tight space that she felt as if the darkness was going to consume her.
"Let me out, please!" She pleaded with the door as if it were an actual being. She tried to bang on it but found that her arms felt heavy and weak and useless. Her whole body felt cold and clammy and she began to feel lightheaded from breathing so hard and fast. The sound of her rushed heartbeat pulsed through her ears. This is it. This is how she's going to die; trapped alone in a haunted house in the costume of a little boy who gets his arm bitten off by killer clown.
Just as she was coming to terms with her death she heard heavy rushed footsteps on the other side of the door and then a soft curse. "Serena?"
"Darien!" She tried to call out to him but it came out hoarse and breathy from hyperventilating. She tried again, moving as close as she could to the door. "I'm in here! Behind the door!"
"Which one?"
"I don't know." She whimpered.
"Knock on it." He sounded just as panicked as her.
Knowing how useless her limbs would be in her panicked state she used the side of her head to bang it firmly but gently against the door. She heard the door knob on the other side of the door turn and light finally flooded into the dark hallway that was her definition of hell.
Darien stood before her, his black hair was tousled and messy, falling around his face as if he had just ran through dangerous winds. His eye wide and panicked. He looked mortified.
The sight of her was probably terrifying. A panicked, crying, sniffling pale girl with a disarrayed rain coat and hat on her knees squished between the walls of the trick room. She didn't care how pathetic she looked in that moment, all that mattered was that Darien was there and she could finally breathe again.
He reached out a hand and she took it pulling herself up and out of the hallway. She was so relieved to be out of there and with someone she knew, someone familiar, someone who felt like home. She threw her arms around Darien and sobbed into his chest. If he was surprised by the sudden impulse of hers he showed no sign and protectively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tighter embrace.
"Hey, it's okay. We're going to get out of here." His voice was gentle and reassuring. He adjusted their position so that he was leading the way with her arms wrapped tightly around his torso and head buried onto the crook of his arm. "Just hang on to me."
She nodded her head and let Darien lead the way. Whatever anger she felt for him earlier was still there in the pit of her stomach but she decided she'd wait to yell at him until after he saved her from this hell hole.