As the fog settled in and the leaves grew weary and tired, the only noise that could be heard was the crackle of the campfire. Burning, growing, engulfing. Black jackets, sharp knives, disappearing behind trees.A girl hidden under tears, the smell of blood filling the crisp cold air of the dark, dark forest. And one heart undeniably broken, forever.

Of course, this is too good of a story to start at the end, so let's start at the beginning

***

Elle and Gracie, the best example of opposites attract. Elle was a short brunette with piercing green eyes and multiple facial piercings. She easily contrasted Gracie who was a tall blond with blue eyes and a smile that never failed to make all the guys swoon. Everyone always wondered how they were friends, Gracie and Elle were the strangest of pairs, and they liked to keep it that way. 

Walking down the hallways of LockWood high the two of them talked about their plans for the next day, it was halloween eve and for the past three years they always spent it together. 

“So, did  you hear about Jakes party” Gracie smiles looking down at the much shorter Elle

“Of course I’ve heard about it, you talk about it all the time” Elle rolls her eyes 

“It’s the biggest party of the year so far, we’re seniors now, what else are we going to do?” Gracie whined 

“I don’t know, we could trick or treat like we do every year” Elle hated the idea of change 

“Elle we aren’t kids anymore, we have to get out there, do something fun for once” she stops at her locker 

“And last year we were?” Elle raises her tone slightly but enough for Gracie to notice “I’m sorry, I just don’t know about the whole party thing” 

“It’s okay, we don’t have to go if you don’t want to” Gracie rests her hand on Elle’s shoulder and smiles sincerely. Elle felt the butterflies again, she hated herself for feeling them but she couldn’t help it. About a year ago she told Gracie about it and Gracie explained she felt the same way. Ever since then they had been in this weird stage, they both liked each other but were too afraid to do anything about it. Gracie had had boyfriends before but nothing serious, Elle on the other had no interest.

“No, no it’s okay I’ll go, but you have to promise we won’t split up this time” Gracie had a track record of making Elle go to these parties and then leaving her to go hang out with her much more popular friends. Gracie was so popular it made Elle sick, of course not sick enough to not hang out with her anymore. It wasn’t Gracies fault after all, Elle just wished it was just her and Gracie, she didn’t think they needed anyone else. 

“Are you sure, we really don’t have to” Gracie asked 

“Yeah, yeah it’s fine” Elle reluctantly answered

“Great!-” Gracie squealed without a second beat- “so costumes, I’m thinking angels and devils” she smiles 

“Yeah, that would be great,” Gracie always was in charge of the costumes, last year they were witches, the year before that Velma and Daphne. 

“Sweet! Tonight can we meet up at that new store downtown” Gracie had been waiting for her opportunity to go for ages and this seemed to be her chance

“Yeah sure, I’ll see you then!” Elle waved, walking to her next class when suddenly the butterflies came rushing back. 

After school the two girls met up downtown at around 9 O'clock to pick out their costumes. Elle waited outside of the store and texted Gracie,

Hey r u here yet??

Yeah, pulling up now

Sweet, I’ll meet u in there

Ok sounds good

Elle walked in and looked around for a bit, the store was small and racks loaded with costumes filled the room to the brim. She found her way to the back of the store where all the costumes they were looking for were, while looking around she heard Gracie’s sweet voice behind her. She turned around to see Gracie and two other girls she had seen Gracie hang out with at school. Just by the looks of them she could already tell they were a part of Gracie’s alternate clique, the two girls were both tall, blond and wearing an abnormal amount of pink. 

“Hey! Elle, this is Brit-” the taller one waved- “and Ally-” the other smiled reluctantly-. “Girls this is Elle” Gracie said in a voice that made Elle slightly nauseous, the girls looked Elle up and down and with a very fake smile, both acknowledged her. 

“Um, hey guys-” she looked to Gracie- “I didn’t know you were bringing anyone” 

“Yeah the girls asked if they could some, they needed costumes last minute” Gracie smiled that awful smile that was nothing like the one she had when her and Elle were alone. 

“Alright, let’s get started I guess” Elle was already annoyed, she knew that Gracie would hang out with Brit and Ally (whoever these girls were) most of the time and leave Elle in the dust, as usual. 

Gracie and Elle ended up with matching skirts and corset tops, Elle had the red one and Gracie the white. Elle went off in the store and did her own thing, Gracie on the other hand walked around with Brit and Ally the whole time which didn’t surprise Elle. By the time they were all done Elle was ready to go home.
“Hey my parents just texted, I gotta to go” Elle lied 

“Aw really?” Brit whined 

“Elle do you really have to go?” Gracie asked looking (for the first time in about an hour) truthfully sympathetic

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I’ll see tomorrow though” at this point she felt bad for lying but she couldn’t help it, 

“ Okay, see ya!” Ally waved me off probably glad Elle was finally leaving 

“Bye” Elle waved back walking out, of course she wanted to spend time with Gracie but lately she never went anywhere anymore without her prissy little side characters. Gracie was her best friend. She had no doubt about that, but sometimes she wondered if Gracie had seen her as anything more than that. She shook the idea out of her head and continued driving back home. At home she tried on her costume, she decided that it was probably slutty enough for Gracie so it was good enough for Elle. 

Brushing her dark brown hair and taking out her slightly over eccentric earrings she began to get ready for bed when she heard a buzz from her phone. When she picks it up she sees it from Gracie.

Hey! Sorry for bringing Brit and Ally. They were super annoying, I’m sorry. 

It’s all good, it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Yes it was, I’m sorry.

Thanks, I’m abt to go 2 bed. I’ll c u tomorrow.

Okay, see ya!

Elle always abbreviated anything she could (Which Gracie hated) it was honestly her style. Short, quick and to the point, that was Elle’s motto for everyone, except Gracie. Elle wasn’t particularly mad at Gracie for bringing those other girls, just annoyed. Gracie did stuff like that all the time, bringing random people whether that be her friends or boyfriend at the time. Elle hated it but it made Gracie happy so she didn’t mind. 

As she washed off her makeup she regretted saying she would go to this party, she knew how it would go. They would meet up and Gracie would find her other (better) friends and leave her alone. It’s happened a hundred times before and will happen a hundred times again. Elle decided to stop thinking about it, it would only stress her out. She laid down watching the time on her clock tick and tick and tick until her eyes finally closed. 

***

The next morning comes quickly, and as Elle rubbed the tiredness from her eyes she quickly receives a text from Gracie.

 Heyyyy! Can’t wait for tonight, can we meet up in the parking lot by the lake?

Yep, c u then!

Elle had heard about the crazy parties that had gone on by the lake and of course this would be no different. She got ready, wearing black sweats, a “ACDC” t-shirt and a black jacket, all paired with bright red converse shoes. She decided to go without makeup today and show off the magnificent pimple on her forehead. Walking out the door she grabs a protein shake just as Gracie begins honking. 

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Elle yells waving off the honks 

“Girl you better run, we're going to be late!” Gracie yells back

“We’re gonna be fine” Elle hops in the car as Gracie speeds off. The windows were rolled down as a familiar playlist played in the background. Gracies long blond hair flowed out the window and Elle’s whirled around her face. As they step out of her car Gracie rushes over to her other friends leaving Elle behind, once again. The rest of the day went by pretty quickly, it went by as usual, walking from class to class mindlessly. As soon as the day had started it had quickly ended. Gracie and Elle drove back to Elle’s house and got ready for the party later that night. 

Gracie blasted music from her phone as they both lip synced the songs. Gracie wore a white shirt and corset with a headband that was connected to a small halo. Elle wore the same shirt and corset but in red and with little devil horns. They took what felt like a hundred pictures and decided it was probably time to go. This time the windows were rolled up so it didn’t mess up their hair, but music still played in the background. Gracie had curled her hair perfectly, the curls lying beautifully on her shoulders. Elle had straightened her short brown hair, she curled the ends of her hair upwards just slightly so it would swoop up a little. 

“You know you can still change your mind about this, we really don’t have to go” Gracie said, secretly hoping she would still go.

“No, no it’s okay really. It’s starting to sound like you don’t want to go” Elle joked, 

“I mean of course I want to go, but we don’t have to if you don’t want to” the guilt had settled in and Gracie felt a little bad.

“It’s all good, I promise” Elle reassured Gracie

They arrived late as usual and parked at the parking lot outside of the walking path that led down to the lake. The both of them had walked the path hundreds of times before and they knew it was safe. Getting out of the car they could already hear the beginnings of the party.

“Jeez, I can hear it from here” Elle shivered 

“Yeah, can’t believe they started without us” Gracie laughed 

“I know right, so rude,” Elle laughed back.

They walked down the trail with their phone flashlights on, it was almost pitch black outside and they really didn’t want to fall. Once they arrived they could already see that there were a bunch of people there. A big campfire lit the dark forest creating large monstrous shadows. The moon reflected off the water as the area got darker and darker. To Elle’s surprise, Gracie stuck around with her. They laughed and danced around the campfire, the fun only grew once they had a few drinks. They seemed to be having a great time and Elle was glad the night was going well. 

“Hey, I’m gonna get something to drink. You want something?” Elle asked stumbling over a rock

“Sure, I’ll be here” Gracie seemed to have her attention on something else but Elle didn’t question it.

Elle walked away looking for the table that they had found earlier. As she stumbled around she quickly gave up and looked for Gracie. The night grew colder and fog from the lake began to roll in. As she was walking she bumped into Brit, one of the girls from the costume shop. 

“Oh sorry, I didn’t see you there” Brit brushed her shoulder off as if to brush Elle’s disgusting germs off her.

“It was my bad, hey have you seen Gracie?” Elle asked not caring

“Um, I think I saw her going over into those woods with Jacob” Brit pointed to a darker part of the woods

“Thanks” Elle walked away rolling her eyes. Of course she would do this, after having a great night she would run off with some guy. She walked over in the direction Brit had pointed her in to try and find Gracie. She wanted to leave and she had to let Gracie know so she wouldn’t try and look for her. 

“Gracie!” Elle yelled into the black abyss “Grac-” before she could yell out another time someone yanked her to the ground causing her to fall face first into the bushes.

“What the hell” She screamed pushing off whatever had pulled her

“Elle shh be quiet” a familiar voice begged 

“Gracie?” She whispers 

“Yes, yes it’s me but shh” Gracie begs continuously

“What's going on?” Elle askes as her eyes begin to adjust to the darkness. Gracie had tears streaming down her face and her originally white skirt was now torn and smudged with dirt. “G-Gracie what's going on are you okay what happened” Elle held Gracie’s face wiping the dirt and tears off it.

“There were these guys and- and I-I” Gracie whisper-cries through her sentences 

“Did they do something to you, are you hurt” Elle was scared now, she may not have been able to forgive herself if something bad had happened to Gracie.

“N-no, well yes but not that” she wipes her eyes with her sleeve,

“Okay, you need to take a deep breath and tell me what happened” Elle was always the sensible one, this situation was no different.

“O-okay, so Jacob had led me over here and said he wanted to talk. We walked for a little bit before we heard something, a branch snapped or something. He said it was probably nothing and I just agreed because I didn’t want to scare myself. Eventually the noises got closer and we both got scared, it sounded like footsteps so we thought it was just some drunk guy from the party. When we saw him he had a really big jacket on so we couldn’t see his face. Jacob tried to say ‘hi’ but b-b-” she began to get really choked up- “b-b but when he got close, the guy pulled out a knife and stabbed him” Gracie bursted into tears and fell into Elle’s shoulder. Elle sat there wide-eyed and absolutely terrified. 

“I left him, Elle! I ran” she cried harder

“Grace, it’s okay it wasn’t your fault but we have to leave now” Elle’s stomach turned and she felt sick. Not from the alcohol, from the image burned into her head. Jacob lay there. Dead. 

“O-okay” Gracie whimpered as Elle timidly pulled herself to her feet.

*Snap*

Elle whips herself around, tears now streaming down her cheeks, looking around frantically.

“G-Gracie?” she whispers, her voice weak and wobbly. She waits only seconds. No response. “Gracie?” She looks down. Her stomach twists and turns as she feels like she's seconds away from puking. “Gracie!?” she screams falling to the freezing ground, she was crying so hard it hurt. Gracie laid warm, dead and lifeless in Elle’s arms. Her eyes still glistening with life, her hands still warm. “No” she whimpered, she stroked Gracies long curly hair, it was soft and beautiful, and it was perfect for Gracie. Elle’s tears trickled down onto Gracies blushed cheeks. Why? She wondered, why Gracie? Why not her instead? Gracie deserved to live, she did not. 

Elle snapped back to reality. She frantically reached for her phone but couldn’t find it. She must’ve dropped it back by the campfire. The campfire. She had to get back, someone could help. Maybe they could save Gracie. She stumbled to her feet, leaving Gracie, just like she had done Jacob. She ran with everything in her, she cried and cried until it felt like she couldn’t stop. She screamed, she screamed from the bottom of her soul, and her heart, and her love for Gracie. 

The glimpse of the campfire came near and the smell of cheap beer filled the air. She tripped on a can and fell at the feet of a surprisingly sober girl. She had a strong perfume and Fiery red hair. 

“Please” Elle was able to mutter
“Oh my god! Are you okay” the girl yells as Elle’s world spun in circles

“Gracie, s-she’s-” Elle wasn’t able to say it because she didn’t even believe it herself- “dead” she mutters before falling unconscious.

She woke up three days later in the hospital, apparently when she fell she hit her head surprisingly hard, hard enough to knock her out for three days. When she opened her eyes her parents rushed up to her bedside with tears in their eyes. 

“Oh honey we were so worried” her mom cries, 

“G-Gracie, where is she?” Elle asked genuinely, she was scared. She didn’t remember anything further than Gracie yanking her down to the ground. 

“Oh hun, um she, she passed away that night. We’re so sorry” her dad tried to reach for Elle’s hand but she pulled away. 

“What!? No, no she’s not dead, I was with her, she, she can’t be..” the memory began to flood back to her, “Oh, oh I remember” she couldn’t breathe. She felt like she was choking on her own words. She remembered how Gracie looked, lifeless in her arms, how her hair was so soft, how she never got to say goodbye.

“Honey breathe, it’s okay” the room felt like it was spinning, like she was drowning and couldn’t come back up for air. 

“No, no! I didn’t get to say goodbye! I didn’t get to say, I didn’t-” she cried and cried as her parents held her. She felt broken, she didn’t get to say she loved her. All those words, now left unsaid. Forever.