Chapter 1

Tick. Tick. Tick. 

The relentless ticking of the clock on my office wall grew deafening as I strained to focus on the stack of paperwork in front of me. But it was no use. No matter how hard I tried to concentrate, my mind kept wandering. 

Tick. Tick. Tick.

I glanced up at the clock. 4:27 pm. Only three more minutes until I could ditch this place for the weekend. 

Tick. Tick. Tick.

I tapped my pen anxiously against my desk. Come on, time, speed up already! I thought. But the seconds marched on at their normal, sluggish pace. 

Finally, the minute hand hit 4:30. Yes! Freedom at last! I leapt up from my desk, grabbed my backpack, and hurried out of the office before anyone could saddle me with more work. 

The late afternoon sunshine felt glorious after being cooped up all day. I took a deep breath of fresh air as I walked to my car. Just a quick stop at home to change, I thought, and then it's party time! I was looking forward to letting loose tonight at my friend Dan's annual Halloween bash.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled up outside my apartment building and headed upstairs. Inside, I tossed my work clothes in the hamper and changed into dark jeans and a black t-shirt. I ran a comb through my shaggy brown hair and checked myself out in the mirror. Not bad. The black shirt showed off my athletic frame nicely. And the jeans hugged my hips just right. I grinned and flashed my reflection some finger guns. Lookout ladies, here I come!

On my way out the door, I grabbed the plastic demon mask I'd bought for my costume. It was cheap and kind of cheesy looking, with red face paint and silly horns. But it would do the trick for the party. 

I arrived at Dan's place fashionably late, around 9 pm. The party was already in full swing. Music blasted from inside the house, and costumed students milled around the front yard with drinks in hand. As I made my way through the crowd, I caught glimpses of vampires, robots, and fairy princesses. 

Dan spotted me from the keg and waved me over. "John, my man! Glada you could make it." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Keg's back there, liquor's on the table. Help yourself!"

I grabbed a cup and filled it up, then made the rounds through the packed house. In the living room, a heated beer pong match was underway. A few people waved or nodded at me in recognition. But with my cheap costume mask on, most were hard to identify. 

After chatting with some scantily clad nurses for a while, I wandered into the kitchen for a refill. A petite girl dressed as a black cat stood by the counter, rummaging through her purse. As I approached, she turned and her eyes flashed in recognition.

"John!" she said, giving me a flirty smile. It was Megan, a girl from my sociology class. I'd been trying unsuccessfully to get her attention for weeks. And now here she was, talking to me at last.

"Hey Megan," I said, leaning against the counter in what I hoped was a casual yet enticing pose. "Cool costume."

"Thanks!" She giggled, her cheeks flushed from drinking. She moved in closer, fingering the edge of my mask. "I almost didn't recognize you in this. What are you supposed to be anyway, some kind of demon?"

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I rolled my eyes dramatically. "Just my true self revealed." 

She laughed again. Our faces were just inches apart now. "Well then, maybe you're the devil I've been searching for." She traced a finger down my chest.

I felt my pulse quicken. Was this really happening? I leaned in closer, about to make my move...

When suddenly Dan burst into the kitchen, face pale. "Guys, something freaky is going on out there. You gotta see this!"

Puzzled, I followed him out the back door onto the deck overlooking the yard. I squinted into the darkness. "What is it, man? I don't see anything."

"Look!" Dan pointed toward the yard. My eyes followed his shaking finger, and I froze. 

One of Dan's decorative skeletons was poised in the middle of the lawn, caught mid-dance move. But it wasn't just standing still...it was suspended in the air, completely motionless. I watched closely but couldn't detect even the slightest movement. It was like someone had pressed pause on the skeleton mid-boogie.

"What the hell?" I whispered. Around us, other people muttered and pointed with wide eyes.

A guy dressed as a wrestler turned to Dan. "Dude, this is wild! How did you get it to float like that?"

Dan shook his head, bewildered. "I didn't! It was just dancing like normal a minute ago. Then everything froze, like someone hit a damn cosmic pause button."

As we all stared and speculated over the peculiar sight, a girl's scream ripped through the crowd. "Over here! Look!" We rushed over to where a group was gathered near the trees. My stomach lurched.

Another skeleton lay on the ground, suspended an inch above the grass. It's bony arms were frozen in place, mid-flail, making it appear that it was falling but had suddenly been transformed into a statue. 

Muttered voices and nervous laughter rippled through the partygoers. Was this some kind of elaborate prank? If so, how were the skeletons staying so perfectly motionless in mid-air?

"Yo, I'm creeped out, guys," someone said. "Let's get back inside." The group began filtering toward the house.

I started to follow, but something made me turn back. A flicker of movement near the trees caught my eye. I thought I saw a shadowy figure lurking under the branches. Unease skittered down my spine. 

"John, you coming?" Megan called from the doorway.

I glanced back toward the trees, but the figure was gone. "Yeah, sorry. Thought I saw something." I headed inside, an unsettled feeling nagging at me. Something freaky was definitely going on tonight.

The party continued, but the bizarre frozen skeletons had everyone spooked. An hour later, most people had cleared out. I helped Dan clean up a bit, then headed home myself. 

Outside, all was quiet and still. Too still. The shadows seemed to creep and curl at the edge of my vision as I made my way to my car. I couldn't shake the feeling that unseen eyes were following me down the street.

Letting myself into my dark apartment, I froze. The demon mask lay in the center of the living room floor. I knew I'd left it on the counter when I left. Unease prickling my skin, I picked it up and turned it slowly in my hands. The fake red face paint and lurid horns seemed to leer up at me. 

A ticking sound broke the silence. I looked up. The hands of the clock on my wall were moving rapidly, ticking louder and faster than normal. The minute hand whirled wildly, making several revolutions per second.

What the hell?!? I thought, gaping at the frenzied clock. After a few seconds, it wound down, resuming its normal tempo with a final tick.

I stood rooted in place, stunned. After a long moment, I set the mask down and laughed shakily to myself. Just tired and spooked from the party. Time for bed.

I went to brush my teeth, purposely avoiding my own uneasy eyes in the mirror. Suddenly, the water in the sink froze. I watched, dumbfounded, as a stream of water halted in mid-pour out of the faucet. The individual drops hung suspended like crystals in the air. 

Heart thudding, I reached out a trembling hand and waved it through the frozen water. The drops were completely stationary, frozen in time.

With a gasp, I jerked my hand back. The water resumed its flow, splashing noisily in the sink. I gaped at my own frightened reflection, feeling totally disoriented. 

What the hell was happening tonight? Was I losing my mind?

I stumbled back into the living room, pulse racing. My terrified eyes landed once more on the leering demon mask. A creeping sense of suspicion entered my thoughts. 

No way. Impossible. Could it be...?

I slowly extended a hand toward the mask. My fingertips hovered over the curved red horns, trembling. Holding my breath, I touched the mask.

And in that moment, everything stopped.