Bass pounded with the rhythm of a thousand nervous heartbeats as Maya stepped onto Cairo's porch. Fairy lights, strung haphazardly across the sprawling house, cast a whimsical glow over a scene teeming with teenagers. Laughter, flirtatious banter, and the rhythmic thud of a beer pong game vibrated in the air. This wasn't Carlsbad, with its familiar faces and laid-back vibe. Here, everyone seemed to know each other, their laughter a tightly knit circle Maya ached to be part of. Especially if that circle included Alex, the handsome boy with dark, windswept hair and eyes that held a hint of mystery.

Taking a deep breath, Maya scanned the crowd for Sarah, her new friend. She noticed quite a few people were dressed in a dark forest shade of green, others in deep gold. Some of them wore kilts. Maya was surprised how common they were. She liked the look, but never really saw them much in Carlsbad. A flash of hot pink hair gave her away. Sarah, all bubbly enthusiasm and strategically placed neon streaks, spotted Maya too and waved her over. Relief flooded Maya, momentarily drowning out the chilling message tucked away in her phone's pocket: "DON'T GO TO THE PARTY."

As Maya weaved through the throng, Sarah practically vibrated with excitement. "Maya! You made it! I was starting to think you chickened out."

"Almost did," Maya confessed, her voice barely audible over the din. "This is . . . " intimidating" wasn't quite the word, but it was close. "Highlanders, huh?" Maya caught a glimpse of Alex leaning against the wall, talking among two others. One, a tall guy with long dark wavy hair, dark skin, dressed in designer clothes and dark nail polish, and another tall guy, lean yet muscular, with short blond curly hair, and pale skin, and a small scar through his left brow above his pale eyes. Alex wore a black v-neck t-shirt, the sleeves pushed up to reveal strong forearms, and a black kilt with a green and gold tartan between the pleats, showing his muscular legs.

"Yep!" Sarah puffed out her chest. "This town was supposedly founded by Celtic druids who practiced magic, you know. Explains all the weird stuff that happens here."

A shiver danced down Maya's spine, a stark contrast to the heat radiating from the packed room. "Magic, huh?"

"Don't worry," Sarah nudged her playfully. "Most newbies think Bridgeport's gonna be a snooze fest, all mountains and stuff. But trust me, this place is anything but boring."

Little did Sarah know, Maya already knew that.

"Don't worry," Sarah said. "Everyone's pretty chill. Most of them, anyway. Just ignore the goths in the corner plotting the downfall of humanity or whatever it is they do."

A group of teenagers dressed in head-to-toe black huddled near a flickering bonfire, their expressions as unreadable as the song titles emblazoned on their t-shirts. Maya couldn't help but steal a curious glance.

One of the goths, a guy of an average build with ear-length black hair, one dangling earring, and wore a black t-shirt with the word, Harvest, scrawled on the front met her gaze. He met her gaze by happenstance, nodded politely, and went back into conversation with those around him.

"Come on, let me introduce you to everyone!" Sarah grabbed Maya's hand and pulled her towards a group gathered near a table laden with snacks.

Emily was already there. Unlike Sarah, a whirlwind of pink and confidence, Emily was quiet and reserved. Her clothes, a subdued palette of grays and blues, seemed to blend into the background, the opposite of Sarah's vibrant presence. Still, when Emily's shy smile met Maya's, a spark of warmth lit up her eyes.

"It's good to see you again," Emily said, and smiled softly. With one hand, she touched her thin, elegant, silvery necklace that complimented her equally simple dark top. Her other hand was tucked at her waist giving her a very shy, closed off expression.

Maya wondered why, if she was such an introvert, would she torture herself by attending a house party where it seemed all of Bridgeport High was in attendance?

"Hey," said Alex. He spoke in a low murmur that sent a shiver down Maya's spine. The conversation sputtered out after that. Maya started wondering why she bothered to come here in the first place. She could be just as miserable staying at home watching live-streams of gamers or her own art projects. Sarah, sensing the awkwardness, launched into a hilarious story about a rogue squirrel stealing her lunch at school, drawing laughs from everyone. Maya played along, but her gaze kept flitting back to Alex, who seemed more interested in watching the crowd than engaging in conversation.

When Sarah was finished with her anecdote, and the laughter subsided, Maya excused herself and followed a dimly lit hallway, hoping to find a restroom.

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Taking a wrong turn, she found herself at the top of a narrow staircase leading down to the basement. The faint thrum of music filtered up from below, but otherwise, the basement seemed eerily quiet.

Curiosity gnawing at her, Maya peeked down the stairs. A sliver of light escaped from a half-open door at the bottom. Hesitantly, she descended the steps, the old floorboards creaking beneath her weight.

As she neared the door, the murmur of voices reached her ears. They were coming from outside, quite a distance. Far enough Maya could barely hear them. They didn't sound particularly friendly.

" . . . Over . . . Won't let you . . . "

The voice, laced with a dangerous edge, belonged to a male.

A heavy thud followed the last sentence, sending a jolt of fear through Maya. Had he just hit someone?

Panic surged through Maya. She didn't know who these people were, or what was going on, but it sounded serious.

Her eyes darted around, frantically searching for a way out. She spotted a small window near the ceiling, high enough to be out of reach. A rusty old pipe ran down the wall, disappearing into the darkness below.

Desperate, Maya grabbed the pipe and swung herself onto it, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through her palms. Scrambling upward, she pushed the window open, the cold night air hitting her face like a slap. She squeezed out, landing awkwardly on the damp grass by the side of the house.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she glanced back at the window, half-expecting someone to come bursting out, demanding to know what she'd heard. But the window remained undisturbed.

Catching her breath, Maya hurried back around the house, trying to compose herself. Should she tell someone what she'd just overheard? No, that would be crazy. Who would even believe her?

As she rejoined the party, a strange sense of unease settled over her. The music suddenly seemed too loud, the laughter too forced. The conversation she'd stumbled upon had tarnished the carefree atmosphere, reminding her that there were hidden depths beneath the surface of Bridgeport, depths she was only beginning to understand.

"Hey, where'd you run off to?" Sarah asked as Maya approached.

"Just needed some fresh air," Maya replied, forcing a smile.

The night stretched on after she found a restroom. Sarah regaled her with tales of mishaps at past parties, while Emily slowly emerged from her shell, revealing a dry wit that made Maya laugh. Alex, however, remained distant. A few times, she caught him studying her with an odd intensity, as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle. Did he somehow know about the warning text? Or was it just her imagination playing tricks on her?

Just as Maya was starting to relax, a strange thing happened. A tall, lanky boy with a bored expression and a smattering of acne offered her a red plastic cup filled with an unknown, sickly-sweet concoction. "Hey, newbie, want a drink?" The way he said "newbie" held an undercurrent of something she couldn't quite define: a sneer, perhaps, or a veiled challenge.

"Uh, no thanks," Maya stammered, pushing the cup away. "I'm fine."

The boy's smile faltered for a second, then returned, wider and somehow more unsettling. "Suit yourself," he shrugged. "More for me, I guess."

He ambled off, his gaze lingering on Maya a beat too long. Unease prickled her skin. There was something off about him, a forced cheerfulness that didn't quite reach his eyes. She had the vague sense she'd seen him before, but couldn't remember where.

A lull fell over the party. Conversations dwindled, the insistent beat of the music softened, and flickers of exhaustion danced at the edges of laughter. Maya's gaze drifted outside. In the deepening twilight, the mountain pines were silhouettes against a backdrop of fading stars. An unexpected wave of homesickness washed over her, sharp as the cool breeze rustling through leaves.

"You OK?" Sarah's voice broke through Maya's reverie. "You look . . . " She hesitated, " . . . homesick?" Sarah took a sip from a red solo cup.

Maya forced a smile. "Nah, just tired. Guess I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night."

"We usually crash in one of Cairo's spare rooms or on his bedroom floor," Emily suggested, a flicker of concern in her normally subdued eyes. "There's tons of room if you don't want to go home."

Sarah clapped her hands together. "Or we could have a slumber party! I bet Cairo has some killer nail polish or something."

A spark of excitement bubbled within Maya. In Carlsbad, sleepovers on the beach were a regular occurrence. Wrapped in blankets, they'd watch the sunrise and laugh until their stomachs hurt. This could be that, a taste of that comforting camaraderie.

Before she could agree, a different voice cut in. "Maya, if you're uncomfortable, I can give you a ride home," Alex offered. His usual intensity was softened with an unusual touch of concern. "No hard feelings."

Maya hesitated.

"Emily's sober," Sarah added. "She doesn't drink. But if you leave now, you'll miss out." She held Maya's hand, urging her to stay.

A familiar prickle of unease made her skin crawl. Part of her desperately wanted to accept his offer, slip away into the safety of the night. Yet, looking at Sarah and Emily, a stubborn determination welled up inside. She wouldn't let vague fears and ominous text messages chase her away.

"Actually," Maya said, meeting Alex's gaze head-on, "I think I'd like to stay. But thanks for the offer." The words tasted of defiance and a hint of newfound bravery.

Alex nodded slowly, a shadow of disappointment flitting across his features. Yet, respect lingered in his eyes.

"Awesome!" Sarah squealed, grabbing Maya's arm. "Slumber party it is! Let's go raid Cairo's room. Where is he? You have to meet him!"

As they trailed after Sarah, Maya couldn't shake the lingering unease twisting in her gut. Bridgeport wasn't Carlsbad. The shadows here held whispers of secrets, and the weight of the unknown settled heavily upon her. Tonight would be unlike any sleepover she'd known before, and with a jolt of excitement tinged with apprehension, she knew there was no turning back.

Especially when they woke up the next morning and found the dead girl on the floor.