The pulsing beat of the party had mellowed into a slow, romantic rhythm. Jessica leaned against the wall, watching couples sway on the makeshift dance floor. The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows across the ancient stone walls of Dregan Castle, a stark contrast to the modern teens in their Halloween costumes.

She sighed, fidgeting with the hem of her cheerleader skirt. The night had been going well, aside from Brad’s annoying prank. Now, as she watched her cheer squad pair off, she felt a twinge of loneliness.

Beside her, Kevin shifted uncomfortably. His zombie makeup was smearing, giving him a more pathetic than frightening appearance. Salina, on Jessica's other side, tapped her foot impatiently.

"Well, this is thrilling," Salina muttered, her witch costume looking out of place among the slow-dancing couples. "I thought Halloween parties were supposed to be fun, not a middle school dance reject."

Jessica was about to agree when a tall, dark-haired guy in a pirate costume approached. He flashed a dazzling smile at Salina.

"Care to dance?" he asked, extending a hand.

Salina's eyes lit up. She shot Jessica a quick, excited glance before taking the pirate's hand. "Don't wait up," she called over her shoulder as they disappeared into the crowd.

Jessica watched them go, a mix of happiness for her friend and envy swirling in her chest. She turned to Kevin, ready to suggest they raid the snack table or something, anything to break up the monotony.

But Kevin was staring at his feet, a faint blush visible even under his zombie makeup. He cleared his throat, still not meeting her eyes. "So, uh... do you maybe want to dance? With me, I mean. If you want. No pressure or anything."

Jessica blinked, surprised. She and Kevin had been friends for years, but there had always been an undercurrent of... something. Something neither of them had ever dared to acknowledge.

"I'd love to," she said, a warm flutter in her stomach.

Kevin's head snapped up, his eyes wide with surprise and hope. "Really?"

Jessica laughed, grabbing his hand. "Come on, zombie dork. Let's show these losers how it's done."

They joined the crowd on the dance floor, finding a spot near the edge. At first, it was awkward. Kevin's hands hovered uncertainly at her waist, and Jessica wasn't sure where to look. But as the music washed over them, they relaxed.

Jessica studied Kevin's face, seeing past the zombie makeup to the boy she'd known for so long. Had his eyes always been that shade of warm brown? Had his smile always made her heart skip a beat?

As they swayed to the music, the rest of the party seemed to fade away. Jessica realized Kevin's hands on her waist, of the warmth of his body so close to hers. She met his gaze, seeing a reflection of her own emotions there.

Slowly, almost unconsciously, they leaned towards each other. Jessica's heart raced, her eyes fluttering closed as Kevin's lips neared hers.

A piercing scream shattered the moment.

Jessica jerked back, her werewolf senses instantly on high alert. The music cut off abruptly, leaving a ringing silence in its wake.

"What the butter balls was that?" Kevin asked, his voice tight with tension.

Before Jessica could respond, chaos erupted. Teens pushed and shoved, trying to figure out what was happening. Panicked voices rose above the din.

"Did you hear that?"

"Where did it come from?"

"Is this another stupid prank?"

Jessica grabbed Kevin's hand, pulling him through the crowd. She spotted Salina extricating herself from her dance partner, looking confused and alarmed.

"Jessica! What's going on?" Salina called as she reached them.

Jessica shook her head, her enhanced senses straining to pick up any clue. "I don't know, but something's wrong. That wasn't a normal scream."

A commotion near the main entrance caught her attention. Tiffany burst through the crowd, her fairy princess costume in disarray and her face pale with terror.

"Vampire!" she shrieked, her eyes wild. "There's a vampire in the castle!"

Jessica exchanged a skeptical glance with Kevin and Salina. After the night's earlier pranks, this seemed like another ill-conceived joke.

"Very funny, Tiffany," Jessica said, crossing her arms. "Hasn't Brad tortured us enough tonight?"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

But Tiffany grabbed Jessica's arm, her nails digging in painfully. "This isn't a joke!" she hissed. "It killed Brad. It... it drained him. We have to get out of here!"

Jessica froze, her blood running cold. She'd heard the fear in Tiffany's voice, smelled the acrid stench of genuine terror rolling off her in waves. This was no prank.

A small group had gathered around them, drawn by Tiffany's outburst. Amber, her cheerleader outfit spattered with fake blood, pushed forward. "What's going on? Did someone say vampire?"

Camilla and Mia, dressed as a cat and a witch respectively, flanked her. Chad, looking uncertain in his werewolf costume, hung back slightly.

Tiffany whirled to face them, her voice rising hysterically. "We need to leave! Now! Before it comes for us!"

Mia pulled out her phone. "I'm calling the cops. This is insane."

But as she dialed on her cell phone, her frown deepened. "What the... I'm not getting any signal."

A chorus of dismayed voices rose as others checked their phones, all with the same result. No service, no way to call for help.

"It's gotta be some kind of electrical interference," Chad suggested, though he sounded unsure. "The island's pretty remote..."

Jessica's mind raced. Could it be something more sinister? First a werewolf, and now an actual vampire? But she pushed those thoughts aside. Right now, they needed to focus on keeping everyone safe.

"Okay, everyone needs to calm down," she said, raising her voice to be heard over the growing panic. "We don't know what's going on, but panicking won't help."

She turned to Amber, Camilla, and Mia. "You three, start getting everyone out of here. Calmly. Tell them the party's over, but don't mention vampires or anything that might cause a stampede."

The girls nodded, looking relieved to have a task to focus on. Jessica then addressed Chad and Tiffany. "You two are coming with us. We need to check out what happened."

Kevin and Salina moved closer, their faces set with determination. "We're coming too," Kevin said firmly.

Jessica wanted to argue, to keep them safe, but she knew it was pointless. They were in this together.

"Alright," she conceded. "Tiffany, lead the way. Show us where this... incident happened."

As they made their way towards the basement stairs, Jessica felt a prickle of unease run down her spine. Her werewolf senses, usually dormant, were stirring. There was a scent in the air, faint but unmistakable. Something ancient, something hungry.

Something evil.

Jessica's heart pounded as they descended into the darkness. Whatever waited for them below, she had a sinking feeling that their night of Halloween fun was about to turn into a real-life nightmare.

*****

Jessica's heart pounded as they descended into the basement, the musty air growing thicker with each step. Tiffany led the way, her fairy wings trembling with each shaky breath. The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows on the stone walls, making the descent feel like a journey into the bowels of hell itself.

As they reached the bottom, Tiffany pointed with a trembling finger towards a hidden passage. "T-there," she stammered. "It's through there."

Jessica steeled herself, taking the lead as they entered the secret tomb. The stench of death hit her like a physical blow, her enhanced senses making it nearly unbearable. She fought the urge to gag as her eyes adjusted to the gloom.

And then she saw it. Brad's body, or what was left of it, lay crumpled beneath an open stone coffin. His once muscular frame was now a shriveled husk, skin drawn tight over bone like a macabre Halloween decoration.

"Oh my god," Salina whispered, her face pale beneath her gothic makeup.

Kevin swallowed hard. "Is... is that really Brad?"

Tiffany nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I told you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I told you it was real."

Salina, ever the practical one, approached the body cautiously. She knelt beside it, examining Brad's neck with a grimace. After a moment, she looked up, her expression grim.

"There are definitely puncture marks," she reported. "Consistent with, well... a vampire attack."

Tiffany let out a hysterical laugh. "No shit, Sherlock! I told you it was a vampire! Why won't anyone believe me?"

Chad, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly stumbled backward. "This can't be happening," he muttered, his eyes wild with panic. "This isn't real. It can't be real!"

Jessica moved quickly, grabbing Chad's arm before he could bolt. "Chad, listen to me," she said firmly, forcing him to meet her gaze. "I know this is insane, but we need to stay calm. Panicking won't help anyone."

Chad's breathing slowed slightly, but the fear in his eyes remained. Jessica turned to address the group, her mind racing.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do," she said, trying to project a confidence she didn't entirely feel. "We need to make sure everyone else has left the castle. Then we hunt this thing down before help arrives."

Tiffany gaped at her. "Are you insane? Hunt it down? We should be totally running for our lives!"

Kevin stepped forward, his voice steady despite the smears of zombie makeup on his face. "Jessica's right. Salina and I... we know a thing or two about supernatural creatures. Trust me, the police aren't equipped to handle something like this."

Salina nodded in agreement. "A vampire will not go down with a few bullets. We need to deal with this ourselves."

Chad rocked his head, wrenching his arm from Jessica's grasp. "No way. No freaking way. I'm out of here!"

Before anyone could stop him, Chad bolted from the tomb, his footsteps echoing through the stone corridors.

"Chad, wait!" Jessica called, but it was too late. She cursed under her breath. "We have to go after him. Come on!"

The group raced back through the basement, taking the stairs two at a time. Jessica's heart hammered in her chest, a mix of adrenaline and fear coursing through her veins. As they burst into the main hall, she realized her worse fear came true.

Chad had barely made it halfway across the room when a blur of motion struck him from behind. Jessica watched in horror as a pale figure latched onto Chad's neck, drinking deeply. In a matter of seconds, Chad's struggles weakened, his body shriveling like Brad's had in the tomb below.

As Chad's lifeless body crumpled to the floor, the vampire straightened, turning to face them with a cruel smile. Jessica felt her breath catch in her throat as she took in the creature's appearance.

He was tall and aristocratic, with skin as pale as moonlight and eyes that glowed an unholy red. His white hair was styled in an elaborate court fashion, a stark contrast to the blood staining his lips. He wore a crimson suit that might have been elegant centuries ago but now seemed like a grotesque parody of human fashion.

"Bonsoir, mes chéris," the vampire purred, his French accent thick and predatory. "I do hope I'm not interrupting your little soirée."

Jessica felt a growl building in her chest, the wolf within her clawing to be released. Every instinct screamed at her to transform, to meet this monster's inhuman strength with her own. But she couldn't. Not with Tiffany here, not when exposing her secret could be just as dangerous as the vampire before them.

"We need to run," Jessica hissed, grabbing Kevin and Salina's hands. "Now!"

They turned as one, sprinting towards the main entrance. Jessica's enhanced hearing picked up the sound of the vampire's laughter, a chilling sound that seemed to echo from the very walls of the castle.

Just as they reached the massive oak doors, there was a snap of fingers behind them. The doors slammed shut with a thunderous boom; the lock engaging with a final, damning click.

Tiffany yanked frantically at the handle, but it was useless. They were trapped.

The vampire's laughter grew louder as he approached, his footsteps unnaturally quiet on the stone floor. "Now, now," he chided, as if speaking to misbehaving children. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to leave a party early? Especially when you're in my home."

Jessica turned slowly, pushing her friends behind her in a futile attempt at protection. The vampire's red eyes gleamed with malicious amusement as he surveyed them.

"I must say," he continued, idly licking a drop of blood from his finger, "it has been far too long since I've had such delightful guests. I do hope you'll stay for dinner." His grin widened, revealing razor-sharp fangs. "After all, none of you will leave my castle alive."

Jessica's mind raced, searching desperately for a way out of this nightmare. But as the vampire advanced, his eyes locked hungrily on her throat, she realized with sinking dread that their Halloween adventure had become all too real–and potentially fatal.