The Way Our Worlds Collided

(11) during

Wednesday. October 31st. It didn't feel like it was the turning point of that year, but looking back, it did seem so.

Ever since Sunny's brother took over as the student council president, we had seen some positive improvement in the school events. There was a fog machine now, the banquet wasn't appalling, and the music was good and loud enough to make you forget the problems the week had brought on. And in that year's Halloween party, a new game was added to the program.

A scavenger hunt.

The chosen destination was the South Building, located in the woodsy part of the school, an archaic structure infamous for ghost sightings and spectral activities. Growing up, I loved listening to ghost stories and other tales of the macabre. I wasn't a staunch believer in their existence, but I thought it would be a cool adventure to find some proof of the supernatural world. My interest in joining the game was piqued, but that would mean missing the chance to dance with Autumn.

So I stayed at the venue, hung out with my bandmates, had a few drinks and chats in a corner before I set out to look for the redhead. But Lance intercepted me and asked to follow them outside. Now, this was weird because it was like thirty degrees out there, and it was windy and dark—not a good spot to hang out. Nonetheless, I went after him because he might do some stupid shit, and there I was blindfolded.

Unnerved, I tried to ask him what he was plotting, but the bastard just snickered and continued to escort me down a rocky path. Before long, I found myself standing beside Autumn inside the south building. Sunny and Lance, who were once again playing Cupid, had set us up. I wanted to scream at them and smash the glass door that they had locked, but Autumn, who was surprisingly calm despite everything, decided to go around the building to look for another exit.

The building looked ordinary during days, but walking through its halls at night was like wandering in a completely unearthly dimension. There was barely any light. Heavy shadows blanketed the stairways. I had to remind myself to remain collected and vigilant because Autumn's with me and I wanted her to feel safe. We joked around to break the tension, but the mood faded fast.

The heat around us seemed to escalate each time our hands grazed each other. Gasping heavily under her breath, she kept turning her wide eyes side to side as if expecting a ghost to jump on us. I was pretty spooked by that point, but I also felt amused. There I was with the girl I loved, roving aimlessly the hallways of the alleged haunted building. This wasn't exactly the kind of adventure I had in mind, but it wasn't bad. I feel ashamed admitting this, but I was tempted to do something that would heighten her fear and make her cling to my arm.

I didn't have to do anything, though, because when we passed by the lockers area, a person in a scary nun costume sprung out of nowhere, and Autumn took my hand and bolted away. I nearly tripped myself trying to catch up with her.

After all that crazy running, we stopped in a hallway and sat on the floor in exhaustion. Our hands never parted. Hers looked small, slender—the skin of her palm was a bit rough, a sign of overwork—it could barely wrap around mine. Slowly I withdrew and placed my hand on top of hers, filling the spaces between her fingers in what I hoped was a comforting gesture. She didn't recoil, didn't say anything. She just looked at me, and I looked back at her.