User blog:LVCh0rd/Halloween Special - Death By Fashion

=Story: Death By Fashion= =Starring: Zachary & Sydney= =Date: ''Monday, October 31st. Halloween. 6:18 PM.''=

Sydney Walsh sits in Nathaniel’s apartment, on her own. She sighs in frustration. Being mad at him was worse than she expected. She had hopes that he would have met her to fix things by now. She did realize her excesses from last time, but she’s the kind of girl who prefers to make up for them through new experiences, rather than looking back and apologizing. She could be anywhere right now. But she was hoping Nathaniel would be up for a couples costume… He wasn’t there for her to ask. It had gotten too late, anyway. It’s working up to be a grim night, not just metaphorically speaking. Sydney is so immersed in her own problems that she doesn’t notice when Zachary Rowland appears. The boy quickly makes his way to the kitchen, barely noticing his father’s girlfriend himself. His mind too is populated by relationship problems and on-and-off deals. He opens the fridge, searching for something sweet to eat; his sweet tooth always flares up when he’s anxious about something.

— If you’re looking for candy, I got all the sugar here between my legs — Sydney says. Zachary snorts.

— I’m fine with a Popsicle too. — He responds, grabbing a frozen stick from the freezer. — Shouldn’t you be getting ready, on your way out to some fabulous model bash or something?

— I got no date. You’ll soon find out that Halloween parties only serve two purposes: you either show up with a date, and the night serves as a warm up for supernatural sex, or you show up alone and ready for supernatural sex on-the-go.

— So, Halloween is all about sex? — He asks, slyly, but nonchalantly.

— Uh, duh! — The girl interjects. — Why else would women dress in clothing two sizes too small for them, and men barely wear any clothes?

— And here I was, thinking it was all about the sweets and the spooky vibes.

— That’s for virgins. — Her response is a bit too dry. — I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking like this with you. I’m just frustrated. When I’m frustrated I get–

— Obscene? — He teases.

— Unfiltered!

— Right. It’s alright. Why are you so bothered, though?

— Because I’ve been waiting for your father all day, but still, no sign of him.

— Hey, if it makes any difference, I haven’t talked to him since morning.

— Thank you! Your child abandonment does make me feel a bit better.

— At your service. I got no date, and nothing to do either… Wanna hang out and watch a horror marathon? — The boy gently suggests. The corners of Sydney’s mouth spring up, but she doesn’t show teeth.

— While that sounds like a lot of fun, I think I need to get into a bath and relax.

— If that’s what you want us to do… — He jokes. Sydney throws a pillow at his face for it.

A rather insistent buzzing of the model’s phone grabs her attention, and what she sees when she opens her texts promises to pick up her spirit instantly.

— Oh my God! — She shrieks.

— What?!

— My friend just texted me saying that she got a “lucky first”.

— And what is that?

— It’s what we call it when someone gets to be at the venue for a fashion show before anyone else involved but the producers, and that usually turns into fabulous gifts. I have to go. — She exclaims, swiftly standing up.

— Wait, go where? — The boy follows after her.

— To the venue! She’ll get me inside and I can’t wait to see what they’re preparing. I hear that girls who had this kind of experience went on to become centerpieces of designers’ works.

— Wow! That sounds great. And it seems like you’ve forgotten about your problems with dad.

— Not quite, but I’m almost there. And I get to see the amazing setting they are preparing. It’s Halloween-themed. — She lets out an abrupt gasp that shakes Zachary up. — Imagine how many likes I’m gonna get if I put out a selfie before anyone has seen the setting! Okay, we gotta hurry!

— Wait, we? I don’t remember saying I was coming with you. — He points out, followed a shake of his head.

— Oh, because you’ve got something so much better to do? Come on! We’ll be out of there soon enough for you to watch your silly movie marathon.

— Fine! But you better not take forever.

— I won’t. Especially now that I have you to carry my swag bags and snap pictures of me. We’ll be out in half the time. Two hours, three, maybe, but that’s it.

— What?! Hold on a second, I– — Zachary tries to object, but she grabs him by the arm and yanks him out of the apartment, cutting him off.

Destination isn’t too far from where they were, but that doesn’t stop Sydney from running like there is no tomorrow. Zachary clutches the handle above him and tightens his seatbelt. The sun is almost out, which alerts him that, if anything, this little visit is not exactly legal. A break-in. Splendid. She parks the car so vigorously, yet carelessly, that he jolts forward when they come to a full stop, with the belt causing him to bounce back quickly. If he didn’t know any better, he would think she is actively trying to kill him. She gets off the car before he can hop off himself, ushering him to join her.

— We haven’t all day, dear! — She insists. — Could you move faster? I wanna make sure I can find a place to hide in.

— This is a bad idea! — Zachary protests. — You can’t just walk through the front door of a place you are not supposed to be in!

— Then what do you suggest?

— That we try the other side.

— Oh, you don’t wanna do that.

— Why not?

— Because, in my experience, breaking into the backdoor leads to a mess you don’t want to clean up. — She explains.

— You’re one of the most slippery people I know. — He says.

— That doesn’t always help, when the task at hand is too big. Such as this. — She sees the anxious look on the boy’s face. — Oh, for Pete’s sake! Fine. We can squeeze through the back, but don’t say another word after this! And stop smiling.

The place is nearly empty, safe for a few cars here and there, which probably belong to people who are wrapping up and ready to go home. Their footsteps make a wet “splat” sound as they walk through the water puddles in the parking space. They are heading for the exit when a strange man rushes past them, bumping into them in a way that does not seem accidental. It seems more like he was pushing them out of the way. They can barely see him, but Sydney gets a glimpse of what seems to be a scar on the side of his head. She yells out “Asshole!”, but he doesn’t seem to care, he just gets into a car and races past them, missing them by very little. Zachary picks up a phone that is left on the ground, which he assumes belongs to Sydney and fell off of her when the man hit them. The pair circle around and walk to the back of the building. It’s a big building, which seems to have been restored recently. What was once a textile factory is now an event venue, and the upcoming fashion show marks the beginning of the new enterprise. They don’t have to put up much effort to get into the place. There is a guy standing by an open door. The model slows her strut down, trying to figure her way out of the situation. Maybe if she says she needs to use the bathroom, she thinks. Upon a more careful inspection, she notices the man is too handsome to be a crew worker. In fact, he looks like a model. She stops two seconds to catch her breath, and then proceeds to walk up to him. Zachary follows, in silence.

— Excuse me, but, who are you with? — She asks, defiantly. At first, the man glances behind; then, he turns back and points at himself.

— Who? Me?

— Well, I don’t see anyone else here. Why don’t I see anyone else here?

— Probably because they have all left. — The man answers, raising an eyebrow at her.

— And why would they do that? Work doesn’t wrap for at least two hours… Again, who are you with? Are you even supposed to be here? — She is so insistent that it peaks Zachary’s anxiety about the whole ordeal, and it earns Sydney a nudge to her side. The boy whispers “What are you doing?” into her ear.

— Probably because there was a bit of a commotion here earlier. — The guy points out, nonchalantly. — And to answer your question, I’m here with the boss.

— Is that so? — Sydney continues, holding up her act. — That’s funny, because I happen to be great friends with the boss, and bulky, blue-eyed simpletons were never mentioned in conversation.

Zachary lets out an audible half-cry, half-sigh. If he isn’t convinced by her story, the man surely won’t be either.

— Great friends, huh? So, I take it you know my aunt Grace? — His question makes Sydney’s brain stop in its tracks.

— Gra– You mean Grace Eldenstein? You’re her nephew?

— Is there anyone else that’s the boss? — He smirks. — And you’re her best friend, right?

Sydney begins to mumble and stutter, and that is enough for Zachary to throw the plan altogether.

— Okay! — The boy interjects. — You know her story is bogus. We know yours is too. She works here and wants to get first look. — Sydney shakes her head violently. The guy nods.

— Mine isn’t. I actually am her nephew. But, at ease! I couldn’t care less if she goes inside. In fact, I’ll tour ya.

— Really? That’d be great! — Zachary says. — The place looks huge.

The guy goes into the building and the pair follows. — It used to be a factory of some kind. I’m Kyler, by the way. — He says, putting out his hand for Zachary to shake.

— I’m Zach. And this is–

— Sydney Walsh. I know her.

— If you knew who I was, then, why didn’t you say so? — She presses.

— You kind of can’t not know who you are. The fact that you’d think pulling that half-assed lie on me would work was the best part. Too good to ruin. — He responds, laughing.

— Oh, bite me!

— So, I know what she’s doing here, but what are you doing with her, Zach?

— I’m helping her get her treat, so I can get mine later. — Zachary says.

— Oh, I see!

— No! Not like that! — Zachary’s face glows red. — I mean treat because it’s Halloween. She’s not giving me any of her treats! She’s my dad’s girlfriend. — As the two boys talk, the model looks around, mesmerized by what she’s seeing.

— I love Halloween. — Kyler says. — Which is why I love this show so much, and the place for it is perfect.

— How so? — Sydney asks, breaking into their conversation.

— Don’t tell me you don’t know the story of this place? — He asks, to blank-faced Sydney and Zachary. — Man! This place used to be a factory, before they renewed It and turned it into a venue.

— You said that already. — Sydney says. — Oh, my God! Is that one of the pieces? — Letting out a shriek, she runs over to what appears to be a piece of an ensemble for one of the models to wear.

— What I didn’t tell you was why they sold the place. So, back in the early nineteen hundreds there was a woman who ran this place, right? Well, the story tells that she loved this worker, and she did everything she could to marry him, including offering him all of her family fortune if he married her.

— Oh, that poor bitch. — Sydney shouts, from between dresses.

— The guy was a total sleaze. So, obviously, he married her. But as time went on, he started to distance himself from her more and more, drinking and gambling her money away. After he had totally ruined his cash cow, he drank himself senseless and humiliated the woman in front of all of her workers. He told her that he never loved her, that he never could, because nobody could. He said that nobody could love a creature as ugly as she was. When hearing that, the factory workers couldn’t hold themselves and started laughing at her.

— Wow. That’s… Horrible. — Zachary says. — Sydney, come back here!

— Alright, alright! I’m here. — She says. — And, from what I could hear, it seems like the only horror of your story is about what a demon that man was.

— It gets darker. — Kyler continues, in a low, raspy voice. — The next day, nobody could look the woman in the eyes, but, to show them that it was all okay, she promised to throw them a Halloween party they would never forget, right here. That Saturday, after all the workers had arrived, the party was going on, and everybody had been drinking their weight. So, at the struck of midnight, every entrance, exit and window in the factory was barred up from the outside, and the woman proceeded to make an eerie speech about betrayal.

“They didn’t see it coming. Five minutes later, the entire place was bursting into flames, as the desperate workmen and their companions ran around, trying to escape. From the balcony of her office, up there, the woman held a microphone to her mouth, as her own laughter echoed through the factory. Nobody made it out that night, and her husband’s body was found hanging in their bedroom hours later. Ever since that day, everybody who has tried to rebuild this place has failed miserable, losing all of their money and, sometimes, even their lives. I’m pretty sure you can still see the ghost of the woman roam around.”

— Okay, what the fuck? — Sydney hisses. She glares at Kyler, hoping to break him, but he continues to stare her square in the eye, dead serious.

— I wanna leave. That just sent shivers down my spine. — Zachary cries.

— You don’t have a spine. — Sydney retorts, angrily. — Enough with your stupid phantom tales. We’re not here for this.

— Don’t tell me you’re scared of a little ghost. — Kyler provokes. Somewhere in the back, they hear a car honking. — Oops! That’s my aunt. Let’s go.

— Um, I am not done yet. — Sydney says.

— I am. — Zachary interjects.

— Come on! It’s not like you cowards actually wanna stay any minute longer in here.

— I’m not a coward! — Sydney protests.

— I am! — Zachary interjects, again, pulling her by the arm. She breaks free of his grip. They walk him back to the exit. He insists, once more, in taking them with him, but the girl is adamant on staying.

— You know you don’t have to prove me anything, right? — Kyler asks Sydney, smiling at her. The more she gives him the dirty eye, the more amused he seems to become.

— Ugh! The only thing stupider than you is your cowboy accent. — Sydney jabs at him. — I want to stay here, and it has nothing to do with you. I’ll be out in a second. — She nudges him off and holds onto the door, pulling it. Zachary frantically shakes his head, his mouth shot open.

— Okay, but don’t forget to– No! — Kyler shouts. He starts banging on the door. — You can’t close the doors! The locks aren’t working. You can’t get out! — He presses on the door, but it doesn’t move. His aunt honks impatiently. — Oh, well! They’ll find a way.

Inside the dark room, Zachary pulls out his phone, turning on the lantern. He is very frustrated with Sydney.

— Did you hear that? I think Kyler is banging on the door. — He says. — Or, are you choosing to ignore that too?

— Don’t be naïve, dear. He’s obviously just trying to mess with us. — She responds. — Why are you so bothered by it? Just calm down and let’s finish our task.

— What even is our task? You’re just walking around, in the dark… With a potentially murderous ghost in our footsteps.

— I want to stay here for two hours.

— What? Sydney, no! I don’t like that idea. Besides, you promised we’d be home in time for my scare-a-thon.

— You’ll get to pee your pants from the comfort of your home. — She says. He frowns at her, offended. — I’m joking. Look, the sun just said farewell. We still got time. We’re gonna stay here for a while, and you’re gonna help me document it. It’s going to be a hit.

— Is this about what Kyler said? Are you trying to prove that you’re not scared?

— No. I’m simply trying to provide my followers with exciting, larger-than-life content. Nothing’s greater than spending the night, after hours, inside the big Eldenstein show venue. The ghost lady is just a seasonal plus, that is sure to keep the world focused on me.

The boy lets out a heavy and loud sigh. — Okay. Can I do it from my phone? — He asks.

— Brilliant! Not on my official account, but on a side account. Maybe I shouldn’t even say it’s me, I’m just gonna say it’s “a model”. That’ll keep the mystique going further. See, you’re better at this than you thought.

— Uh, duh. You do know you can get arrested, fired and sued for this all in one go, right? — Zach asks, raising an eyebrow. Sydney gives him a confused look.

— You are absolutely correct. Create a fake account, and I’ll just drop little hints, without revealing myself.

The two continue walking around, as Sydney unleashes her mischief. She goofs around, films herself trying on a dress, all very carefully, not to show too much. Being there when she’s not supposed to be is bad, but revealing exclusive details from the show before it happens would be the death of her, should she ever get caught. They continue their journey, and end up in a room filled with electronic devices. The music room. All the bells and whistles from the show are retained in that room. Sydney turns on a light and they can see equipment for the music, lights, other machines and something different, labeled “Dream machine”. The curiosity monster sinks its teeth down on the model, and she presses the button. The machine makes a loud beeping sound, that comes in pulses and lasts about ten seconds, and then they hear something gush. The girl looks back at Zachary, who shrugs. They wait for a few seconds, until the room, slowly, but steadily, starts to fill up with a pink smoke. The stench is very sweet and overbearing. Sydney instantly starts to regret her decision. The room is completely filled with the smoke before they can get out. The two struggle to find the exit, but they make it out. In between coughs, Zachary attempts to yell at his friend.

— What were you thinking? — He coughs. — We could have died in there!

— I’m sorry! — She coughs. — I just wanted to see what it did. I didn’t know it was going to suffocate us.

— I’ve had enough! — He yells. — I’m getting out of here, whether you’re coming with or not.

— Okay. We’ll go. — She says. They turn around to leave, but soon realize they’ve been walking and filming/posing for so long that they have no idea where they came from or how to get out of there.

— As soon as I figure out where to go.

They continue stumbling around in the dark, with just the light from Zachary’s phone to aid. The moon is now high in the sky, but the heavy covering doesn’t let much light penetrate the space. It takes them all of ten minutes to realize that the nearest door is not opening for them. And twenty more to learn that the next one won’t open either. Quiet frustration turns into high pitched blaming and cursing. Sydney tries to defend herself, but only manages to aggravate the boy even more. He is sure that his heart is about to stop. The model suggest that they take an alternative route and try to circle back around and find another way. She doesn’t know when it started exactly, but Sydney notices that her palms are heavily sweating, and her pulse is racing. She can also feel a wave of heat floating through her body. It all seems very familiar with the sensations of being near a fire.

— Ugh. I can still taste the smoke in my throat. — Zachary complains. — And why is it so warm in here?

— You feel that too? — Sydney asks. — I thought it was just me.

They look into each other’s eyes, taking a second to think. A loud thud sounds off somewhere in the venue. It doesn’t seem too close, but not far enough. It comes back, again and again. It sounds like someone banging on a window, or someone hammering something down. Involuntarily, Sydney and Zachary pull one another closer.

— What is that? — She whispers.

— How am I supposed to know? You’re the one who roped me into this. — The thump comes again, this time, sounding like it’s coming from the other room. — It’s getting closer!

— Run, kid!

They take off and don’t stop until they see a long hallway, with a beaming light in the end. Both are panting and feel like the room is spinning. Sydney squeezes Zachary’s hand so tight that it starts to hurt. They stop mid-way, pondering whether they should or not proceed. From behind them, a bone-chilling laughter echoes. That is enough to get them going, and as if someone had kicked them in the butt, they dash forward, heading towards the light. They enter a back room and, together, push shut a heavy metal door. The door sounds like thunder, once it slams into the hold. The room is tiny, and there’s only one light, hanging precariously from the ceiling, with a faint yellow beam. It casts all kinds of wacky shadows around them. Apart from the metal door, most of the walls are made of big glass windows, which leave them overlooking the outside. The dim light gives everything around an odd shape, and the outside looks extra menacing. There’s a desk, a chair and some food in a corner. They start pacing around the room, as Sydney starts to hyperventilate.

— Is that smoke? — Zachary asks, pointing at the door. He sees a cloud of smoke slowly creep from beneath the door. — Oh, my God! I see smoke. We’re gonna die in here.

— I’m just going to say it: I think a ghost is trying to kill us. — Sydney shouts, exasperated. She uses her hands to fan herself. — I can’t breathe. Why do I feel like I can’t breathe?

— Isn’t it obvious?! — He says, shaking her. — We’re being turned into barbecue. This is all your fault!

— Don’t you think I know that?! Do something!

The boy searches the room, looking for a possible way out. He sees the smoke covering their feet. Behind the door, they hear footsteps, followed by a clank and then a knock. A loud scraping sound can be heard, and after it, it seems like whoever is on the other side, or whatever is on the other side is managing to open the door. With no options left, Zachary shouts “Look out!”, as he grabs the chair and throws it against one of the windows. The glass breaks, and he motions for Sydney to climb through it. They get out just in time for the entity to open the door, just to find an empty room. As if it is endless, the venue still has back areas they can get into. They’ve been inside for hours now, and it’s been about half an hour since they escaped the ghost, but there’s been no sound. In the meantime, they ran into another door, but it was locked like the others. Still looking for a way to get out, they start talking to keep their minds occupied.

— Sorry your fabulous night didn’t go so well. — Zachary begins. — Instead, you’re stuck with me and my overdramatic personality disorder.

Sydney smiles. — Nonsense. I left every bit of guts I had back in that room. I can’t think of a better person to be with in a situation like this. — She looks around, trying to anticipate an attack. — And I’m sorry too. For ruining your movie marathon. I know I can be a bit… overwhelming.

In that moment, Zachary starts to feel sympathetic for his father’s girlfriend. It was easy to wave her off and treat her like some ditzy, self-absorbed brat, but just because she focused on superficial things, it didn’t mean she couldn’t feel deeper things. He too felt like people shooed him off often, and like he had to be just a fraction of his true self, so that people could bear to be around him.

— It’s alright. — He says. — This adventure beats any tacky movie. This should be a movie. — They both laugh at the suggestion. — You would be the pretty, crazy, but kindhearted survivor girl.

— And you would be the dashing, smart younger brother who helps the girl survive.

— And my dad would be… — He censors himself.

— The ghost. The guy who never shows up.

— Are things really that bad with you guys?

— I don’t know. And that is what hurts me the most. I don’t know where we stand. — The model confesses. — He’s always been busy, and that was okay, because I’m busy too. So, when we met each other after a long time, it was just perfect.

— And now?

— Now it seems like he doesn’t wanna be there. And, you know, I have my things too.

— Man, you girls are complicated!

— We are not, truly. You boys just don’t pay attention.

— Well, tell that to my girlfriend, then! — He thinks that all he’s been doing is paying attention, but it never seems enough to keep her there. — It’s the opposite with her. The more I look closer, the farther I see her.

— Did you tell her that? — Sydney asks.

— No. I don’t know how. And on top of our problems she just– — He cuts himself off before he can reveal too much about their last conversation.

— She just what?

— There are new expectations I didn’t see coming, that’s all. It’s honestly exhausting. It’s like every time I’m drifting away, she tugs on this little string and pulls me right back to her, but when I’m there, she just turns to the other side. It’s like I’m with two different people.

— Hum. Maybe we’re not that different at all. — Sydney observes. — There, this is the last place we can get into. Should we go in?

Zachary nods and the two enter the room. In it are a bunch of old things. There are metal structures, mannequins, and a lot of things from the old factory. On top of a table, a portrait. They look the portrait up and down, trying to make sense of it. It is the face of a woman, or so they think. She has short hair that rests on top of her shoulders, a very pale face, and what seems to be quite a bit of facial hair above her upper lip. Her nose is big, and she has wide doe eyes. Her features are very severe. Sydney notices she is wearing a vintage white dress.

— This must be the lady of the factory. — She says.

— Boy, I want to sympathize, but, she sure wasn’t lucky in the looks department. — Zachary responds. The corners of his mouth face down and he squints.

— I don’t know. A good shave, braces, two separate eyebrows, some makeup and a tailored suit and she would make a handsome middle-aged man.

The two burst into laughter, when a ghastly voice creeps up behind them.

— What are you two doing? — The creature asks. The duo freezes in their place. Sydney slowly turns around to face their death. She pinches Zachary to turn around with her.

They look up at a form in the shadows and see someone who looks exactly like the woman in the painting. They don’t notice it, but they’ve been holding their breath for a while, and the blood seems to be vanishing from the extremities of their bodies. Breaking the silence, Sydney lets out a scream that wakes Zach out of his daze. He starts to scream as well, and they crawl to the back of the room.

— Go away! — Sydney shouts. — We’re sorry, we didn’t mean to offend you.

— Yeah, we totally get why you killed all those people. They deserved it. — Zachary completes.

— Mm hmm. And I’ll have you know that you look like my grandfather Maurice. I love my grandfather. Please, don’t kill us!

— Kill you? — The woman looks at them, confused. — Why would I do that? I’ve been following you all night. I just came to ask if you’d like something to eat.

The statement disarms them. Sydney grabs the first thing she can find. A measuring tape.

— What are you gonna do with that? Fit her to death? — Zachary says.

— We don’t want anything. We just wanna leave your factory and never come back. — Sydney tells the lady.

— My factory? This isn’t my factory. — The woman says.

— Then, who are you? — Both ask, in unison.

— I work here. I am the janitor/night guard. My name is Alyssa, the janitor.

— What about the painting? — Zachary asks.

— Yeah! You were on the painting. Wearing vintage clothes. — Sydney presses.

— I like to paint myself in the spare time. Helps me kill the hours around here. I found that dress in a closet in here, so, I painted myself in it. How about that food? I got Jell-o, I got pudding, I got soft cake… I like jiggly food.

— No, thank you! — Sydney says, with a grossed out frown. — You jiggly freak!

— Sounds like my cooking. — Zachary says. — But what about the smoke? And the heat? And the banging on the doors, to lock us in?

— Quick, give me my phone! — Sydney says. Zachary pulls the phone out of his pocket and hands it to her. — This is not my phone!

— Yes, it is! You dropped it outside.

— No, it isn’t. I gave it to you in the car.

— No, you didn’t. You…

A red sign flashes on the screen. It says DISABLE. Sydney doesn’t know what it is, but she presses it. Nothing happens, so, she throws the phone away. The two start screaming and backing away.

— My Aliconda don’t. Want. None. Unless. You got. Buns, hun. — Alyssa says.

— Oh, my God! We’re gonna die. She’s gonna eat us alive.

The stress is very intense. Both of them are sweating like crazy people, and their blood feels like it's boiling. They see more smoke filling up the room, and then they black out. They wake up to the police standing in the room. Now that the light is on, they can see the woman quickly pace around. She does have on an uniform that says “Alyssa, the janitor”. When she sees them wake up, she waves frantically and flashes them a wacky smile. Sydney sees none other than Grace Eldenstein coming over; she looks infuriated.

— What are you doing here?! — The woman asks. Sydney wraps her arms around the woman’s neck, holding her tightly against herself.

— Grace! Thank God you’re here! Oh, my God, I thought I was going to die! I was seeing my life flash before my eyes and, and– There was a fire, and–

— What is this? Let go of me. — Grace pushes Sydney off. — Be grateful I decided not to press charges. Seems that my nephew has a hand in this, and I don’t want him involved in any scandals.

— I know, I am so sorry. Grace, I just wanted to get a glimpse at your vision, but we got trapped inside and everything started to get crazy.

— A psychotic man caused quite a stir here earlier. He messed with all the electronic doors. They couldn’t get it open until twenty minutes ago. You’re lucky the police got a call for some kidnapping in the area and they heard your desperate cries from the street. And, as for your little meltdown… This is a product of the Dream machine.

— The what? — Zachary asks.

— The Dream Machine. It’s a revolutionary device we were going to use at the fashion show tomorrow night. It throws a light pink mist into the air, filled with a little – legal – hallucinogen.

— Ooooh… Yeah, I pressed that. — Sydney says, embarrassed.

— Wait, so you mean we were high? — Zachary asks. — Is that even legal?

— With a permit, in small quantities, in a controlled environment and scattered all over a big room. Just to get the audience feeling free and heighten their senses. Not in a confined back room, directly into your faces, with a dose powerful enough to knock down a horse!

— That explains a lot. — Sydney says. Zachary just nods. — Again, I am so very sorry! Wait… Does this mean I’m fired? — Grace takes a huge breath.

— Seeming that it would cause quite the fire to wipe out… — Zachary mouths “too soon” — I’m going to keep you. But know you’re on thin ice, missy! A model of your level should not be invested in such shenanigans! Now, off you go!

The two clear out as fast as they can. Outside, they stop to take a breath and let the night sink in.

— Wow… — Zachary says.

— I mean, wow!

— That was crazy. I can’t believe we were higher than this building this whole time.

— Tell me about it. — Sydney says. — Let’s go home. I hope you can still catch a movie. I’ll leave you in peace.

— Why don’t we watch it together? — He asks. — You know, Sydney… We share a lot more than I thought. And – despite all of your crazy – You’re pretty great to hang out with.

— Aw, thank you! — She says, pulling him into a hug. — Call your father, yeah?

— On it!

Standing outside the car, Zachary rings his father. He looks around, trying to believe the night was real. When he looks up, he sees Alyssa, the janitor looking down through a window. She waves at him, excitedly. He laughs and then waves back at her. Suddenly, she points to her side. When he turns, he sees another Alyssa, except that this one is wearing a white vintage dress. She looks at him and laughs. He runs into the car and slams the door.

— Drive! — He says. — Just drive!