A Hell Of A Night

Laura

The crisp October air nipped at my skin as I rummaged through my closet. I was searching for something that would be perfect for a Halloween costume. Analise, my best friend since childhood and current roommate, lounged on my bed. She was already decked out in her elaborate witch ensemble.

“Laura, we’re going to be late if you don’t hurry up,” she chided, her green-painted lips curving into a smirk. “I thought you had this all planned out weeks ago?”

I sighed, pushing aside another rejected outfit. “I did, but now nothing feels right. Maybe I should just go as a college student. It’s scary enough, right?”

Analise rolled her eyes, her long black wig swaying as she shook her head. “No way. It’s our first Halloween party at university. You can’t cop out now.”

She had a point. We’d moved from sunny California to Pennsylvania for college. And this was our chance to make an impression. I bit my lip, considering my options. Then, my hand brushed against something soft and furry at the back of the closet.

“Oh my God, I forgot about this!” I exclaimed, pulling out the leopard-print bodysuit I’d impulse-bought last year. “What do you think? Too much?”

Analise’s eyes lit up. “It’s perfect! Pair it with some cat ears and whiskers, and you’ll be the sexiest feline at the party.”

“Well, I have the perfect catwoman mask to use with it!”

Twenty minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror, admiring my transformation. The bodysuit hugged my curves in all the right places. With some clever makeup and my catwoman mask, I looked like a cross between a leopard and a pin-up model.

“Damn, girl,” Analise whistled, appearing behind me. “If I wasn’t your best friend, I’d totally hit on you tonight.”

I laughed, giving her a playful shove. “Save it for the party, Romeo. Speaking of which, we should probably head out if we want to make it before ten.”

We grabbed our jackets and headed out into the chilly night. The streets were alive with costumed revelers, jack-o’-lanterns grinning from every porch. As we walked, I couldn’t help but feel excited and nostalgic.

“Remember when we used to go trick-or-treating together?” I asked, linking my arm through Analise’s. “Your mom would always make us those awesome homemade costumes.”

Analise smiled, her eyes distant with memory. “Yeah, and your dad would inspect every piece of candy like it was evidence in a crime scene.”

We laughed, the sound echoing in the crisp air. It felt good to reminisce. To remind ourselves of the bond that had brought us across the country together.

The party was at our classmate Jake’s house, just a few blocks from our apartment. As we approached, we could hear the thump of bass and see colorful lights pulsing through the windows. Analise squeezed my arm in excitement.

“Ready to make some memories?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

I nodded, “You got it, girl.”

We pushed open the door and were immediately engulfed in a sea of costumes, music, and laughter. The living room had been transformed into a dance floor. Fake cobwebs and plastic skeletons adorned every surface. In the kitchen, a punch bowl filled with a suspiciously bright green liquid bubbled ominously.

“Laura! Analise! You made it!” Jake’s voice boomed over the music. He was dressed as a zombie football player. His face was covered in impressive prosthetic wounds. “Grab a drink and join the fun!”

We waded through the crowd. Accepting plastic cups filled with the mysterious green concoction. It tasted like a mixture of fruit punch and something stronger. With an artificial sweetness that masked the bite of alcohol.

“Cheers to our first college Halloween!” Analise clinked her cup against mine, and we both took a long sip.

We danced and laughed through the night. I found myself in an intense round of “Bobbing for Apples” with a guy dressed as Dracula. While Analise dominated the dance floor, her witch’s hat askew as she twirled and dipped.

As the hours ticked by, I felt a pleasant warmth spreading through my body. A combination of alcohol and the joy of being young. At one point, I found myself in a deep conversation with a girl dressed as Wonder Woman. About the sociopolitical implications of superhero narratives in modern media.

“But don’t you think,” I slurred. “That the whole concept of masked vigilantes is just a metaphor? For our desire to escape the constraints of societal norms?”

Wonder Woman nodded sagely, her tiara slipping down her forehead. “Totally. It’s like, we all wear masks, you know? Halloween just makes it literal.”

Our philosophical discussion was interrupted by Analise. She appeared at my side, her wig almost falling off. “Laura, we should probably start heading back. It’s almost three in the morning!”

I blinked, surprised by how quickly the time had passed. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s say our goodbyes.”

We made our rounds, hugging friends and promising to meet up for coffee and study sessions. Jake insisted on giving us leftover cupcakes for the road.

As we stepped out into the night, the cool air was a shock to my system after the warmth of the party. I shivered, pulling my jacket tighter around me.

“That was fun,” Analise said, her voice slightly hoarse from shouting over the music all night. “We should do this more often.”

I nodded, “Definitely. Though maybe next time we skip the green punch. I have a feeling I’m going to regret that in the morning.”

We walked in silence for a while. The streets were quieter now, most of the Halloween revelers having retired for the night. As we approached the park that cut through our neighborhood, I felt a strange shift in the atmosphere.

“Does something feel... off to you?” I asked, slowing my pace.

Analise frowned, looking around. “Now that you mention it, yeah. The air feels weird. Heavy, almost.”

I nodded, glad it wasn’t just me. The park, usually a pleasant shortcut, now loomed before us like a dark maw. The trees, bare of leaves, stretched their branches. Like gnarled fingers against the night sky.

“Maybe we should go around,” I suggested, a chill running down my spine.

Analise hesitated, then shook her head. “It’ll add another twenty minutes to our walk. Let’s just cut through quickly. We’ve done it a hundred times before.”

Reluctantly, I agreed, and we stepped onto the path that wound through the park. The gravel crunched under our feet, the sound unnaturally loud in the stillness. I found myself straining to hear any normal nighttime noises. Crickets, rustling leaves, distant traffic. But there was nothing but our own breathing and footsteps.

We were about halfway through the park when we heard it. Raised voices in the distance, angry and sharp.

“Is that... an argument?” Analise whispered, her hand gripping my arm.

I nodded, my heart rate picking up. “Sounds like it’s coming from over by the pond.”

We paused, unsure whether to continue or turn back. The voices grew louder, more heated, though we couldn’t make out the words. Then, suddenly, a woman’s scream pierced the night, high and terrified.

My blood ran cold. “Oh my God, what do we do?”

Analise’s face was pale in the dim light. “Should we call the police?”

I fumbled for my phone, my hands shaking. “Yeah, we should-,”

But before I could finish my sentence, something hard struck the back of my head. Pain exploded through my skull, and the world tilted sideways. I heard Analise cry out, saw a blur of movement, and then everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in the park. I blinked, trying to focus, and realized I was lying in a hospital bed.

A nurse in pale blue scrubs noticed I was awake and hurried over. “Ms. MacCailin? Can you hear me?”

I tried to speak, but my throat was dry and scratchy. The nurse held a cup of water to my lips, and I sipped.

“My… throat…” I managed to croak out.

The nurse’s face was concerned. “It may be difficult for you to talk,” The nurse told me, “you’ve been in a coma, Ms. MacCailin. For three months.”

The words hit me. Three months? That couldn’t be right. We were just at the Halloween party, weren’t we?

“Analise,” I said, panic rising in my chest. “Where’s my friend?”

The nurse’s expression tightened slightly. “The doctor will be here soon to explain everything. Just try to stay calm, okay?”

But how could I stay calm? My mind was reeling, trying to make sense of what was happening. Three months of my life, gone in what felt like an instant. And where was Analise? Why wouldn’t she tell me about her?

As I lay there, fragments of memory began to surface. The party, the walk home, the strange atmosphere in the park. The argument we’d overheard, the woman’s scream. And then... nothing. A vast, dark emptiness where three months should have been.

The door opened, and a doctor entered. He introduced himself as, “Dr. Sillas Domhnall.”

“Ms. MacCailin,” he said, his voice gentle but professional. “I’m glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

I swallowed hard, trying to gather my thoughts.

Dr. Domhnall pulled up a chair beside my bed. “Laura, you and your roommate were found unconscious in Oakwood Park. On Halloween night. You had both been severely beaten and left for dead. You’ve been in a coma since then.”

The words washed over me, “My… friend…. Analise?” I asked, dreading the answer.

The doctor’s expression softened. “She’s still in a coma, in a nearby room. We’re doing everything we can for her.”

I closed my eyes, feeling tears start to form. This couldn’t be happening. It had to be a nightmare, some terrible hallucination brought on by that green punch at the party.

“Laura,” Dr. Domhnall said, his tone causing me to open my eyes again. “There’s something else you need to know. After we ran some tests a couple of months ago, we discovered that you’re pregnant.”

For a moment, I was sure I had misheard him. That’s… impossible, shaking my head.

“I haven’t… been with anyone… in over a year.”

The doctor’s face was serious. “I’m afraid it’s true. You’re about fourteen weeks along now. The baby is doing well, despite the trauma you’ve endured.”

The room seemed to spin around me as the implications of his words sank in. If I was fourteen weeks pregnant, and I’d been in a coma for three months, that meant...

“Oh God…” I whispered, “The night… we were attacked…”

Dr. Domhnall nodded solemnly. “I’m so sorry, Laura. The police will want to speak with you when you’re feeling up to it. They’re hoping you might remember something that could help them find who did this to you and Analise.”

But I couldn’t think about the police right now. I was in shock and disbelief.

How could this be happening? How could my life have changed so dramatically in what felt like the blink of an eye?

As I lay there, trying to process everything, one thought kept circling in my mind. What really happened that night in the park?

The weight of unanswered questions pressed down on me. I stared at the ceiling and wondered how I would ever find my way back to normal after this hell of a night.