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My mind felt clouded as I slowly made my way downstairs. Each step made my physically exhausted body ache in protest. There was this gross taste in my mouth like I had forgotten to brush my teeth last night.

There was a loud bang from the kitchen as I jumped off the last step. "Mother? Are you awake?"

My voice came out hoarse and I cringed after I called out. I turned the corner when I heard no reply and yawned rather unladylike. My eyes threatened to close shut any second and I felt my body begin to sway as I walked down the hallway.

I can only blame Reece for my complete physical exhaustion this morning. After disrupting my pumpkin painting to question me about avoiding him, I was so scared my hands were shaking. There was this hateful emotion behind his crimson orbs, unlike Carson's.

Reece's were darker, vengeful almost.

Pain smacked me in the face and I instantly took a wobbly step back. I hissed as I rubbed my throbbing forehead, glaring at the wooden frame I somehow managed to run into. I think my low energy levels may be the death of me today.

"Saige? What was that noise?" Now my mother decided to call out to me.

I peeked my head around the frame, seeing my mother literally standing five feet away from me in the kitchen. "Oh, you know. Just my fat head smacking into the archway frame."

"Well, you do have a fat head." She chuckled lightly and I glared at her back.

I despise how she agrees with my sarcasm so easily. It's too early in the morning for me to be questioning whether I really have a fat head or not. I barely got a wink of sleep last night thanks to that ass Reece. I didn't finish till nearly midnight and Waverly was glaring at me the whole time for 'holding up progress'.

I heard a small sniffle and returned my attention to my mother, who had decided to turn around and face me. "Are you crying?"

"No, of course not." She frantically tried to hide her red face, wiping her arm over her puffy eyes.

I stepped into the kitchen, concern and worry taking over my features. My physical exhaustion pushed to the back of my mind as I was now suddenly alert. My mother only cries when I cry, or over some stupid television show ending.

"What's wrong? Is it because you're leaving for your trip today?" I suddenly remembered that today was Saturday. "Don't worry, I'll be fine—"

"Are you sure?" My mother interrupted and I was taken back by her sudden seriousness. "Are you absolutely sure you'll be fine on your own?"

Her question stunned me, she had never been serious about leaving me alone. "Yeah, I mean you'll only be gone a couple days."

My heart dropped so fast when I saw her reaction. She turned her head, her brown eyes filled with pain. I didn't understand why she had such an expression on her face. The only explanation that I could muster was that she knew about vampires.

That was impossible. Then again, vampires were supposedly mythical.

"Saige, I want you to promise me something." My mother's tears were dried and she made her way toward me until she was right in front of me. "Promise me, no matter what, you'll stay my strong little girl." She smoothed down my unruly mess of dark bed-hair.

As I looked into her gentle eyes, I felt my heart shatter. Her words, they had such a sad sound to them. Like a song reaching the end of its melody. My own eyes began to burn and I didn't think it was possible to cry so early in the morning.

"I promise I'll stay strong," I leaned into her small hand. "But only if you promise me something."

Her body stiffened slightly, but she continued to wear her lonely smile. "What is it?"

"Promise me you'll return home." I felt a stray tear come loose and I bit the inside of my cheek to hold together the pieces of my heart.

Her smile fell and her eyes stared at me with much sorrow. At that moment I knew that my suspicions were correct, this business trip was not one of her normal ones. Ever since we moved to this town, everything had started to fall apart.

She held up her thin pinky in front of my face. "I pinky promise."

I nodded my head and saw the hesitation behind her eyes. My pinky interlocked with hers and how cold her finger was shocked me. I pulled my hand away and used it to wipe the dried trail the stray tear had left on my cheek.

"Okay," I mumbled under my breath, this sinking feeling from yesterday reappearing in my chest.

"I need to leave, but before I have to go there is something I want you to have." My mother put her cool hand on my cheek, gently pulling my face to meet hers.

She smiled at me, one that filled my heart with hope. Retracting her frail hand from my face, she motioned for me to follow her toward her bedroom. Exiting the kitchen and turning down the hallway, I saw her rather bare room.

There was a king-sized bed pushed up against the far wall with a dark wood frame. It stood out against the cream-colored walls, along with the other pieces of furniture. Boxes still remained unopened at the foot of the bed and I frowned at this. She usually had everything unpacked by now.

"I picked out this lovely thing for you, just in case you did to decide to attend the carnival last minute." My mother's sad demeanor turned into a much more cheerful one.

As she turned around, I couldn't help but let a small gasp escape my lips. In her hands was one of the prettiest gowns I've ever seen. It was a long black dress with lace that made it seem to poof out at the bottom. My mouth was agape and the words couldn't seem to escape my throat.

"You didn't have to—" My voice was breathy and I was too stunned to think of anything else.

"Oh, hush child. I wanted to give you a parting gift." She said a bit embarrassed, her olive skin on her cheeks turning red.

My mother held the dress out for me and I took it very cautiously. As if it would disappear the second I touched the silky fabric. It was so soft and I fell in love with the dress instantly. The cost must have been a bit out of her price range.

The last time she gave a gift before leaving for a trip was almost two years ago when I had turned fifteen. She had to leave for two weeks, the longest trip she would have to go on. Her parting gift was the ever so lovable lab, Oscar. He was much cuter as a puppy.

"I don't know what to say, it's beautiful." I breathed out, looking at her bright smile.

"I'm glad you love it." She clasped her hands together. "Oh! There's one last piece."

From behind her back, she pulled out a matching black masquerade mask. A piece of lace fell from the left side, making it uniquely gorgeous to me. I hadn't thought about what I was going to wear the Hallow's Eve Carnival.

Though I knew I needed something that would disguise me. An outfit that would hide me from Carson and the others. I was really hoping I would be able to obtain some answers. Though every time I did manage to get a piece of information, it just raised more questions.

"It's beautiful, mother." I took the mask in my hands, the dress folded over my right arm.

"Look at the time!" My mother exclaimed, poking at her golden wristwatch. "I'd better get going or I won't make it before dark."

My heart sank and I felt that this wonderful moment had just abruptly ended. With the mask and dress in hand, I followed my anxious mother out of her bedroom and toward the front of the house. Tears threatened to spill as my vision became blurry.

I set the dress and mask down neatly on the beat-up couch. I slowly turned toward my mother who had just put on her winter coat. A laugh escaped my throat, that giant jacket on my small mother made her look like a wobbling balloon.

"Come here and give me a hug!" My mother spread her arms wide for me.

I walked straight into her warm embrace, relishing her sweet motherly smell. I placed my head atop her shoulder and snuggled into the crook of her warm neck. My mother rubbed my back gently.

"I love you," I said, wanting to hold onto the one person who's been with me my entire life.

My mother slowly pulled out of the embrace and I could already feel her warmth leaving me. "I love you too, Saige."

I watched as she lifted her brown duffle bag from the ground. She slipped on her boots, opening the front door. The cold air entered the house immediately, chilling me in my pajamas. It wasn't even the dead of winter and snow had begun to fall.

"Don't forget to feed Oscar and take him for walks." My mother's melodic voice was almost lost in the wind.

I laughed, remembering the dog who loved to eat my underwear. "I won't forget. I promise."

With that said, my mother gripped her duffle bag tighter. I could the tears begin to form in her chocolate brown eyes. Using her free hand, she smoothed down her graying hair that had started to become tangled with the wind.

My mother gave me one last smile. "Goodbye, Saige."

Her words reminded me of the Disney movie, Peter Pan. Never say goodbye because saying goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting. Why did she have to say that?

"Don't go." The whisper of words slipped from my mouth. I've never felt so sad about her leaving.

My mother smiled at me, turning her back at me. "I'll be back before you can say vampire."

A chill made its way down my spine. The way she said vampire, with such a knowing tone. It was hard for me to not believe that she knew of their existence. I watched with horror as she closed the front door. The cold air remained, even without the wind.

"Vampire..." I whispered to myself, tears spilling from eyes.

I wrapped my arms around my torso, trying to comfort myself. It wasn't working, the quiet house made me feel abandoned. The car engine sputtered to life. I stood there for minutes, listening to the van pulling out the driveway and rolling down the street until the only silence was left.

A clicking sound on the hardwood floors came from behind me until it stopped roughly a foot away. A sharp nose suddenly poked me in my butt and that made me jump forward. I glanced over my shoulder with a harsh glare, already aware of who the culprit was.

"Well, hello to you too." I turned and ruffled my fluffy dog's ears. He happily licked my palm, almost in a comforting manner.

The black fabric of the dress caught my attention and I decided I should hang it up in my closet before it could get wrinkled. I reach for the lace carefully and grab the mask. At a snail's pace, I head toward the stairs.

It probably took me twice the amount of time to reach my room than it should of, but my low energy level had come back. I suddenly felt the urge to curl up in my bed and sleep for hours. The Hallow's Eve carnival was going to start around six o'clock, surely I had time.

Reaching my room, I noticed that Oscar had decided to follow me. His pink tongue hung from his mouth, a wolfish grin on his face. He jumped on my messy bed and collapsed instantly. I smiled and opened my closet door.

After putting the dress on the hanger, I wrapped the mask around the top part making sure it wouldn't fall to the ground. My room and closet were an absolute mess. Since Oscar was occupying my bed, I decided it would be worth it to clean my room.

"Watch me do all the work, I get it." I directed my sarcasm toward the lab that was currently snoring rather loudly.

I grinned, sorting out all the clothes on my floors. I threw the dirty ones in my nearly full hamper, it was the end of the week after all. After stuffing some random items under my bed, I was satisfied with now being able to see my entire room. A lazy job well done.

Oscar suddenly barked and I whipped around to catch sight of him fleeing my room in a hurry. I stared, confused by his actions. My room was empty, almost completely clean except for the unmade bed.

Out of nowhere, a gust of wind blew from behind me. A chill made its way down my spine and I felt that I was no longer alone in my room. Slowly, I glanced over my shoulder and to my surprise no person standing there.

My curtain was blowing upward as if my window had been opened. I turned my body to face the entire room. I'd rather be crazy than right. Surely, no one could have entered my room. My mother had already left and I was sure all the outside doors had been locked.

"Are you afraid?" Carson's heart-melting voice whispered in my ear.

My head whipped around at lightning speed and I was surprised my neck didn't break from the force. I jumped back a step, shocked to see Carson standing so close to me. How did he do that?

"What are you doing in my room?" I nearly screamed at him, remembering that I was still wearing pajamas.

I leaped for my bed, trying to use the duvet to cover up the fact I wasn't wearing a bra of any kind. He just had to enter my bedroom unannounced and so early in the morning. How rude of him!

"I came to talk," Carson said as if it was supposed to be the most obvious thing in the world.

I huffed and gripped the sheets tighter. "There's this thing called the front door. Maybe try using it sometime."

Carson glared at me and I swallowed the lump in my throat. He's a vampire that knows you're a human, better try not to piss him off. Then again, he's the one who technically broke into my house. I have my rights.

"Saige, you cannot attend the carnival tonight. It's for your safety, even more so than before." Carson stated a stern look in his shining brown eyes.

I wanted to stand up, but I had to keep reminding myself that I was still braless. "Sebastian and Theo have been telling me for the past few days not to go. I get the memo, you don't have to remind me."

He sighed in relief and it pained my heart that he was trying this hard to keep me from going. It made me all the more curious, but the actual threat was still a giant mystery to me. Was it Reece?

"Alright, good. That's all I wanted to say." Carson gave me a smile and my cheeks began to burn.

He made his way toward my open window and stuck one foot out. I stared at him with wide eyes as he held onto the frame with only one hand. The strong wind blew, messing up his blonde hair.

"Wait! I have a question for you." I called out before he could jump out my window. He stopped and stared at me patiently. "How come you didn't know I was a human at the gas station?"

Carson blinked and ran his free hand through his wind-blown hair as if he was in deep thought. "I didn't recognize your smell at first, but I'm glad I handed the necklace off to you."

And with that said, he disappeared in the blink of an eye. I let the duvet go, it instantly fell to my knees. One question had somewhat been answered. There were still a ton left. Though, I was glad that he hadn't caught my lie or the fact my costume was hanging up in my closet.

I just hope he won't recognize me at the carnival tonight, or I'll be in a lot of trouble.

The sky was pitch black, the stars were almost swallowed up completely.

It had dropped nearly ten degrees and I wish I had brought some sort of jacket with me. The lights and music coming from the gymnasium were unmistakably the carnival taking place. I was afraid, my heart pounding louder with each step I took.

"I can't believe you Zaylee. I thought you decided on a panda costume!" Rowan complained next to me.

Since I had forgotten to tell the both of them that I wasn't attending the carnival, it became convenient when Rowan offered to pick me up in her truck. Of course, they didn't know I was supposed to be here in disguise.

"The store was sold out of panda costumes," Zaylee said with a grin on her face. "Besides, this huntress costume was on sale."

Zaylee had a simple knee-length lavender dress with black cape and hood. Her brown hair was braided into side fishtail. She had a matching belt and boots to go with it. On the other hand, Rowan was wearing a cutesy witch costume.

It was short corset dress that puffed out at the end. The colors were Halloween themed, orange and black. She had a pointy hat, leggings and matching heel boots to go with it. I would imagine that the two of them would be freezing, but they're vampires.

"You would have looked cuter as a panda," Rowan mumbled dejectedly, and I almost felt sorry for her. "Though, Saige's masquerade costume is the definite winner out of the three of us."

The black gown fit perfectly, it was strapless at the top and the ends just barely scraped the ground. I adjusted the beautiful mask so that it would stay on my face. After about an hour of doing simple makeup, I decided to curl my dark hair.

"There was no way I would have known it was you Saige when you stepped out of your house!" Zaylee nodded her head excitedly.

I sighed in relief, hoping that what she said was true. The lights inside the gym were supposed to be dim, which should add to my chances of not getting caught by any of the boys. Hopefully.

All three of us stopped outside of a set of gray double doors, that were the entrance to the gym. I could see the mass amounts of people through the rectangular glass. My guess was that this had turned out to be a popular theme this year.

"Rowan, Zaylee— before we go in, I need you both to know that I'm in disguise," I said, glancing at their confused looks. "None of the boys can know I'm here."

"But Saige—" Rowan began to protest and question my motives.

I stopped her by putting my finger to my lips in a shushing movement. "Shh."

The two of them stayed quiet and I prayed that they wouldn't blow my cover. I stepped forward, my small heels clicking against the pavement. With a push, I was the first to enter the crowded and noisy gym.

Multi-colored lights danced across the dark room and the music was much too loud for my taste. It hurt my eardrums, I can only imagine how it would feel to vampire sensitive ears. Though, nobody seemed to mind.

Fog covered the room, giving off a creepy feeling. Banners and posters with neon writing covered every inch of the plain cement walls. Balloons and streamers hung from the ceiling and I wondered how they got up there.

Pumpkins were literally everywhere, some used as lights and some used as decorations. I was suddenly pushed forward by a group of students that had entered from behind. Damn it, I've already been separated from Rowan and Zaylee.

That was probably a good thing, I thought. One of the boys might have recognized me with the two of them.

I headed toward one of the corners of the gym where it looked to be less crowded. How was I ever going to find Carson or Reece? I huffed, my plan starting to shatter. Every student here was in costume, there was no way I would get caught. My efforts had been in vain.

I turned to leave but stopped in my tracks when I heard a familiar dark voice. "Well, Harley, have you made your decision?"

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw a trio figures standing in the connecting empty hallway. The doors that led that particular hallway had been left open, and by some miracle, I had heard Reece's voice.