The reflection of the adolescent girl in the mirror filled her with true satisfaction as she'd spent the past hour perfecting her makeup for the biggest Halloween party of her life. IT was going to be THE GOAT. Just epic.  The greatest Halloween night ever. Ariel, the mermaid, in the mirror seemed to nod in agreement. On that night, she felt as strong and determined as the mythical mermaid herself. She was convinced there was no way she wouldn't win the competition at Darren's house for the best costume or makeup.

"I'm Ariel, the mermaid," the girl smiled at her own reflection. She took one last glance at herself, her sparkly long dress with a purple top and a tight skirt, finishing with a long green tail that barely allowed her to walk.

Her father spoke to her throughout the drive to the party, but she responded with little more than nods. It was the usual speech about not getting into trouble, not drinking excessively, and making sure to be ready for her ride home. Ariel obediently agreed with every word, all the while thinking about the time she would spend with Darren. She'd waited for this moment for the past year, daydreaming about him and imagining how it would be to spend more time with him...

"It's quite the setup," her father remarked pleasantly surprised as they arrived at the party. He helped her out of the car, although her tail made it a bit tricky to maneuver, causing her a bit more frustration than she would even admit.

"You made it!" An enthusiastic voice chimed in, and both of them turned to find another girl dressed as Ariel, looking remarkably like her. Same costume, same questionable grace while walking.

"Lili, why are you wearing the same costume as mine?" Viola asked and her father could feel the girl's anxiety building up.

Lili erupted into cheerful laughter. "Didn't you get the memo?" Just then, almost as a response, the door to the house swung open, revealing a group of three more Ariels, all decked out just like her, chatting loudly.

"There are plenty of fish in the sea!" her father muttered under his breath before giving Viola another reminder about being in time for her midnight pickup.

"Darren wanted to surprise you," Lili explained as she ushered Viola into the house in the snail-paced walk allowed by their dresses. "He thought it would be fun if all the girls at the party were dressed as Ariel, and all the boys as Zoro. Choosing the best costume will be a blast! It's his party, his rules, right?" She laughed and handed Viola a sparkly navy mask, which covered her eyes and part of her cheeks. A matching mask adorned Lili's head, which she pulled down with a smile. "The rumor has it Darren plans to kiss all the Ariels until he finds you... Let's have a drink, girl!"

Lili vanished into the house, leaving Viola standing at the door. She felt lost amidst a surreal sea of ...fish and Zoros. Pumpkins dangled from the ceiling, emitting an eerie, otherworldly glow and fumes. Fake spider webs cascaded down the walls like macabre drapes, and a ghostly gray light pervaded the room. Viola hesitated, wondering if this was where she wanted to be. It was a Halloween unlike any she had ever imagined. She had envisioned herself radiating in her meticulously designed makeup and dress, planning to express her deep affection to Darren, her willingness to attend the college of his choice, even if it meant relinquishing her own dreams.

"You made it," a masculine voice whispered in her ear and she turned to see a Zoro smiling under to mask. With the whole commotion of putting her mask on, Lili messed up her lenses, and now, Viola had a very blurry vision.

"Is that you?" Viola whispered, leaning closer to the young man, who laughed and pulled her into the midst of the crowd... and tails. Her hand was in his, but she couldn't muster much enthusiasm. "Darren, I didn't want to blend in as just one Ariel among many!" A deeper concern about his wandering eye lingered in the back of her mind. "I wanted to be the one and only Ariel."

The Zoro halted, and his smile faded. "Why are you such a wet blanket?" He gestured around at the other Ariels and Zoros already partying with food and drinks. "I thought it would be fun to fool around incognito... I'll get you a drink, and maybe you'll see it differently!"

The booming music pounded in her ears, and she started to feel nauseated. Her dreams of a romantic Halloween with Darren had vanished. In a fleeting moment, she wondered if her parents might be right about Darren. They were not very fond of Darren. A drink suddenly appeared in her field of vision, and she grabbed it without looking.

"Lemonade?!" she almost choked of disappointment as she thought or wished for a strong drink of some sort.

"Don't you prefer a clear mind in this kind of situation?" Zoro's voice was surprisingly gentle now, and Viola wondered if he had indulged in the stronger stuff. She chuckled at her own suspicion but decided not to voice it.

"So...you want to be the one and only..." he whispered, his lips close to her ear, and the music seemed to fade into the background.

"I want to be the one and only for you," Viola replied, straining on her tiptoes to be heard.

"Are you ready to be mine tonight?"

Viola understood the implication of his question. The topic of intimacy had resurfaced, and she was displeased as he continued to insist it was the only way to express true affection. She disagreed. She wanted that experience to be special. Eternally cherished.

"Let's go to the basement and spend some time together," he urged, tugging her toward the basement door. Viola glanced around, searching for an excuse, but her efforts failed.

Descending the stairs turned out to be a complicated task, as the tail of her dress wouldn't allow her to navigate them gracefully. It seemed like tumbling down was the only option. Faced with this dilemma, Zoro offered her a reassuring smile and, without hesitation, scooped her up in his arms.

"That's the proper way to get you down..." he remarked.

His choice of words sent a shiver down the girl's spine. "Get you down," she mumbled under her breath, but Zoro didn't seem to notice. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, she heaved a sigh of relief. "All that worrying for nothing," she thought. The basement, decorated for Halloween too, featured flickering pumpkins casting a spectral glow, and a legion of ghosts with their lifeless arms outstretched in a macabre dance. Viola attempted to suppress a nervous laugh as her own fear of death whispered in the recesses of her mind. Tentatively, she took a step forward, her foot or her tail barely avoiding a stumble on the unsettling, cold floor. 

"I should have picked a different costume," Viola said, while the man still stood close to her, emitting a heat that left her confused.

"Like what?" he inquired.

"Princess Xena," she chuckled, aware of her need for courage in that moment. He had brought her here, alone, and the rest of the world felt incredibly distant.

The grating sound of her skirt's fabric echoed in her mind, setting off alarm bells. His hands tore through her skirt, now clutching her tail like a trophy.

"Easier than I thought!" he commented.

Those words sent her overactive brain into a frenzy. "You've got the wrong girl, Darren!"

The man, who had been examining the fabric of the tail, shifted his attention to her. "What do you mean?"

A tear, born of fear and disappointment, trickled down her cheek. "This is not how you make me yours!"

The sound of fabric tearing filled the room once more. He was now ripping a piece from his cape, and a wicked smile spread across his face. "Dear girl, you're already mine!" 

She took a cautious step back, considering whether she could sprint up the stairs, especially now without her tail. Uncontrollable anxiety welled up inside her, and her muscles tightened like a coiled spring on the verge of snapping. She wasn't going to be another victim like her sister Violet. "Run!" every fiber of her brain screamed.

Before she could set foot on the stairs, his strong hands clamped around her waist. She never realized how fragile her frame was until those fingers pressed into her flesh. With a swift motion, he wrapped the piece of fabric he had torn from his cape around her waist. She found herself looking at an impromptu short black skirt that covered the remnants of her sparkly mermaid dress beneath. Zoro's eyes gleamed with amusement, sensing her confusion.

"If instead of running, you'd pull your hair up and tie it with this," he said with a hint of humor, "you could pass as a Barbie, for sure. You know, like your sister's Barbie doll from last year's Christmas collection."

Viola stopped struggling, completely puzzled by Darren's perplexing behavior. He was acting extremely strange this evening. Even his sense of humor was different. How did he know about Violet's doll? He had never visited their home. Almost immobilized, she allowed his hands to manipulate her hair into his desired style.

"Come on," he smiled with ease. "Check out my work!" He insisted, pointing to a corner of the basement where, in her unclear vision, an old mirror stood. The area was farther from the stairs and her potential escape route. Reading her thoughts, Zoro spread his arms in the air. "I'm not here to harm you. I'm here to show you who you are."

Viola's anxiety began to ease, though she still couldn't understand this new Darren, who seemed to speak in riddles. She briefly wondered if he had been drinking, as she had sensed the alcoholic tinge on his breath when they entered. "And who am I, do you think?"

He nodded toward the mirror again, silently encouraging her. Reluctantly, after checking multiple times that he hadn't moved from his spot, she walked to the dusty mirror. It was the perfect addition to the dimly lit basement—spooky, she thought. In the mirror, she saw a reluctant Barbie staring back at her, with black hair tied up using a black fabric, a sparkly top, a black mini skirt, and sparkly flats.

"One of a kind, right? So, why are you here?" His voice startled her as he whispered in her ear, but this time, it wasn't out of fear. Zoro's head now rested on her shoulder, and with a steady hand, he removed his mask.

Viola gasped in surprise when she saw another reflection of herself in the mirror, standing right next to her but wearing Zoro's costume. The mirrored version of herself laughed.

"Confusing, right?" the other Viola said after composing herself. "I'm your spirit from the afterlife, and time is short. You came to the party, and a drunk Darren made a bet with his foolish friends that he could rip your dress. You went to the basement, and he tore your dress. You got scared, not realizing it was just a thoughtless prank. He had no ill intentions. In your panic, you ran into the street, where a drunken driver struck you. I am your spirit, and you have less than five minutes to rectify your mistake, or all you'll become is just ... me."

Deafening silence buzzed in Viola's ears. She wondered if the lemonade was laced with drugs. Her father would be furious if he found out. "Do you know what to do now?" the other Viola asked, urgency in her voice, as if in a rush. Viola nodded, hesitantly.

"And, Viola," she added as she stepped away from the mirror, "Darren is not your true love. Wait for your hero, girl!"

A loud pop made Viola jump back a step. "Earth to V," Darren slurred, holding a drink, "your drink."

"No, thanks," she declined, with a delayed response, while he continued to offer her the glass.

"Come on, drink it up. You'll be more fun," he insisted, pushing the glass toward her. A sudden hand intervened, spilling some of the liquid on his costume. "Who's the idiot...?"

His words trailed off as he saw a man in regular clothes towering over him, wearing a very unfriendly expression.

"That's my brother," Lili chimed in. "He's ... military..."

The man surveyed the three of them with scrutiny, and his gaze settled on Viola. "Any problem, little mermaid?"

Viola erupted into laughter noticing her old tail still on. "Nothing I can't handle, Sir! I have a ridiculous dress that I can't walk in, and a boyfriend with a penchant for dares."

Darren blushed, seemingly caught in the act. "How did you find out?" he stammered.

"Doesn't matter," Viola brushed him off. After a brief struggle, she managed to tear off her tail, just as in her surreal experience or whatever that sequence of events had been.

"Can I give you a ride home? You'll be spared from this sea of... fishtails," the stranger offered.

"You could be my hero," Viola's hand found its place in the soldier's hand. "The Day of the Dead is not always what it seems..."

The man gazed into the girl's eyes with an intense sincerity. "Would you believe it if I told you I had the strangest dream last Halloween?" Viola's steps slowed as something captivated her in his words. 

"Just a year ago, I was spiraling into the abyss of indulgence and excess, lost in the haze of drink. But on that fateful Halloween night, in my inebriated nightmare, I dreamt of being the cause of a heart-wrenching tragedy. On that Halloween, in my nightmare, I killed a girl as she crossed the eerie streets of my dream."

A haunted silence lingered in the air as he paused, overwhelmed by the haunting memory. "The experience was so chillingly lifelike that it jolted me awake, and I've not touched a drop of alcohol since."

As they stood together on that dimly lit street, his car looming in the background, the ghastly image of the dark blue vehicle, smeared with her blood, briefly flickered through Viola's mind.

"That girl in my dream... she bore an uncanny resemblance to...you..." He left the sentence hanging, but their fingers intertwined more firmly, bridging any possible gap between them.

"That girl was me..."

A whispered refrain drifted through the night air: "From Halloween, with love..."