Memories of Halloween Past

The pair moved towards the expansive living room that was currently being used as a dance floor. Kyle seemed awkward for a moment, but quickly allowed the alcohol to loosen him up some as he looked down at his dance partner. It was easy to see the family resemblance between the two sisters. They had the same charming accents, same exotic facial features and both were darkly complected. What Kyle found fascinating was the azure shade of Cynthia’s eyes. If anything, she was even more beautiful than her sister.

Claudia was taller and slightly more muscular, but it would be impossible not to appreciate the fine tone of Cynthia’s body as well. At one point he extended an arm and the girl turned herself in a circle. She was wearing a shorter dress, and the pivot revealed incredible legs as the skirt fluttered up into the air a short distance. When she moved back into closer quarters, Kyle found himself holding the girl close as they looked into one another’s eyes.

Kyle’s dark eyes reflected his smile as he hesitated a fraction of a second, but then drew Cynthia closer, so she was pressed up against his chest. Her hair was pulled back in an exquisite and long braid, leaving her bronzed shoulders and neck bare due to the somewhat low cut of the dress. It was only a flash of time; perhaps not even a second had passed. In that timeframe however, Kyle found his mouth kissing the inviting neck before he knew what he was doing.

Once realization dawned upon the man, he tensed for fear of having offended this girl he had just met. His lips lingered for a moment longer as Cynthia’s feet ceased to move. Kyle was certain now that she was upset. He drew back to look at her, but before he could say anything, Cynthia’s lips were holding his own in a deep kiss. It was too easy to respond. Kyle felt her lips warm and inviting against his own, the front of her body pressed tight to his own. They held each other in a fashion that more resembled hugging than dancing.

Gently and slowly, the dance partners pulled their mouths from one another and looked at one another. The song was ending and Kyle drew in a shaky breath, but this only succeeded in filling his senses with the smell of her. Cynthia noticed the man’s now nervous demeanor and asked, "Kyle, is something wrong?"

Shaking his head, Kyle responded with a lie. "No, nothing is wrong. I just have a bit of a headache from the cigar smoke of Doug and his buddies." Kyle nodded over at the couch nearby where there was a trio of men puffing lazily on cigars. "I need to step outside and get some fresh air."

Cynthia appeared uncertain and asked, "Will you come back soon?"

"Yes."

"You promise?" she prompted.

"Yes, I promise," Kyle said. He walked away slowly for fear of his legs failing him. He now felt as though he could not control his own body and mind. Kyle knew he loved Anna, but he found this woman irresistible as well. He reached the counter where his beer stood and took a pair of long, healthy swigs. The drink had warmed some in this house packed with bodies, but Kyle hardly noticed. He looked over to where Jake and Claudia were kissing. Jake caught his friend’s eyes and gave him a thumb’s up.

Kyle returned it, though it lacked his friend’s enthusiasm. Turning so quickly he nearly fell, Kyle opened the front door and stepped out into the wet evening air. Kyle had dreaded this Halloween for weeks, maybe months now. For a brief moment however, everything had seemed right in the world. This confused Kyle, who was not certain he was even supposed to be happy right now. Throwing the mostly empty beer bottle on the ground with a splash, Kyle walked over to his car and fumbled around for his keys.

It took him a moment to find the right one, and took longer still for Kyle’s shaky hands to fire up the ignition. Pulling out quickly and heading down the roads without paying any particular attention to where he was going, Kyle just drove onward, never wanting to stop. Lightning lit the clouds throughout the sky that now hid the moon. With a swipe from the back of his hand, Kyle wiped a mixture of tears and rain from his eyes as he turned the windshield wipers up a notch faster.

Squinting in the dark, Kyle thought he saw someone walking along the side of the road ahead. "What sort of fool would be walking around this time of night?" he asked himself. Kyle turned the radio down until it was barely audible and pulled up next to the person along the side of the road. Rolling down the automatic window on the passenger’s side, the unseasonably warm rain began to pour in through the opening.

"Do you need a lift?" he yelled out to the person. It appeared to be a girl, for she wore a long, silvery dress. He thought he saw her shrug, but could not be certain. The woman’s head was looking down towards the ground, though the scarf she wore still would have covered her face, he realized. Kyle groaned and left his keys in the car as he hopped out. He was worried this person was hurt or something. Their lack of reaction could be incoherence.

Kyle approached the person cautiously. You could never tell what a person was like these days, even in an averagely populated town such as this one. Hell, on Halloween you could not even be sure if you were dealing with a man or woman, he realized. Perfect for a potential loony. Kyle took a few steps closer, and could see more of the person’s figure.

The continual rain had soaked her clothing. Yes, this was definitely a woman, he reasoned. The dress she wore was likely a loose one under normal circumstances, but the downpour had rendered the somewhat thin fabric clingy. It sculpted to her hips like a second skin and showed off an ample chest as well. Kyle shook his head a little, muttering under his breath that these sorts of thoughts were precisely why he had taken this drive. He had hoped to clear his mind of them all together.

The girl continued to tread onward, apparently oblivious to the stranger offering her help. Kyle discarded caution at this point and trotted up beside her. The dress was hooded as well, hiding more of her head, so Kyle could not determine the length of her hair. Standing just beside her, the shadows of night hid her features well, for the car’s headlights were to their backs. "Miss, do you need any help?" he practically bellowed to be heard over the rain.

Despite the clear words, the woman trudged onward. Kyle put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. The woman’s aqua eyes held his. It could have been the rain, but Kyle strongly suspected that those beautiful eyes were brimming with tears as well. Kyle was lost in those eyes for a moment, a feeling somewhat similar to what he had felt while dancing with Cynthia earlier in the evening. No, he decided. This was different. These eyes were far more intense. He lifted a hand to her cheek, his fingers caressing it softly.

The rain continued to patter while thunder caused the earth to tremble like a windblown leaf on a branch. Lightning lit the sky a few times nearby, and now Kyle could make out the woman’s features somewhat better. His fingers were moving before he realized what he was doing. The scarf was quickly yet gently pulled away, despite its best efforts to cling to the creamy soft skin of her cheeks.

"Anna?" he uttered softly, his voice displaying his disbelief. Without doubt though, the face before his was that of his ex-lover’s. "But, how can-" was all he was allowed to say. Anna’s lips quickly sealed against his own, returning the familiar warmth Kyle had missed these last two years. Once the kiss broke, Kyle shook his head sadly. Part of him wanted to pull back, but it seemed to physically hurt when he tried. Kyle longed to hold Anna so badly, especially as she stared up at him with those wide eyes.

"Am I dreaming?" he managed to ask as droplets of rain that fell from his forehead began to mingle with tears upon his cheeks. It occurred to Kyle just now that this was the exact outfit Anna’s mother had said the girl was going to wear to the party two years ago.

"I have dreamed of nothing but being with you tonight," she replied.

Kyle’s shaky exhale fogged the air just a little as he leaned down to kiss Anna again. His hands moved to her back and shoulders, massaging her with his fingertips as he went. Kyle’s lips finally broke from Anna’s and moved on towards her cheek before his tongue darted out and traced an unseen line along her jaw line. The girl responded by tilting her head back, and Kyle was quick to take the invitation as he leaned down and planted suckling kisses upon the slope of Anna’s long neck.

Anna’s hands began to move as well, tugging up at the baseball uniform’s shirt and revealing Kyle’s torso. With the headlights several paces away adding sheen to the rain covering Kyle’s frame, Anna simply froze for a moment. Her hands then moved to Kyle’s shoulders, gliding over his moistened skin as one of the hands snaked to the back of his head. Narrow fingers twined through Kyle’s hair, which was longer now than ever before.

One of Kyle’s hands was sliding down near Anna’s rear, pulling up at the long dress after clenching it tightly. The young man’s knuckles were white from the intense grip. He could not believe any of this was happening. The dreams had always been hazy though, and somewhat uncertain. This felt too true, too real to be a dream. He tried to whisper into Anna’s ear, but instead moved his lips around the soft, fleshy lobe and gently nibbled on it, tugging playfully.

The sound of Anna’s giggle was somehow heard by the man, despite the increased patter of the storm and the occasional rumble of thunder. The dress was up near Anna’s hips, and she took a small step back. Kyle thought at first it was a motion for him to stop, but then she placed her smaller hands atop his own large ones and guided them up slowly. The white fabric clung teasingly, trying desperately to hold on, but neither person was willing to be stopped now. Anna’s long legs were revealed first, then her perfectly shaped hips that wore a plain white pair of panties.

Up over the perfectly flat tummy came the dress before it was over Anna’s shoulders. Kyle tugged it free, revealing her breasts. He leaned down, putting warm lips over one nipple. The sensation sent a shudder through Anna who first felt the cold from the rain, then the warmth of Kyle’s mouth upon her. Kyle’s hands were on Anna’s hips, drawing the panties down slowly, his mouth making a trail down Anna’s body. Her body was cold, yet wherever Kyle touched with his lips, mouth or hands, Anna felt warm immediately.

When the panties were near the ground and hanging loosely about the girl’s ankles, Kyle looked up at her, kissing her thighs. Anna’s gaze is so intent, Kyle thought to himself. Kyle unfastened her dress shoes one by one before tugging them free. At the same time, Anna stepped out of the panties. Instead of rising however, Kyle simply tilted his head up, surrounding Anna’s mound with his mouth. The tip of his warm tongue flecked firmly and quickly against Anna’s most sensitive areas, teasing yet inviting at the same time.

The woman’s legs began to buckle as she reached down to put both of her hands in Kyle’s hair. Her fingers massaged his scalp, running through his wet hair. Kyle continued in attentions as he managed to kick off one shoe using the toes of his other foot. He quickly removed the remaining shoe in similar fashion. Anna lifted her face towards the thundering sky, her lips parted as she moaned softly. The raindrops landed all over her face and body, now cooling her body. Unlike minutes ago, Anna was now feeling flushed everywhere, despite the weather.

Taking a moment to glance off to the side, Anna saw that there was long grass on a gentle slope behind the pair. She took a few steps backwards, Kyle following on his knees. He nibbled playfully in response to their changing position, but his mouth did not move from its spot. Once the pair was on the sloped grass, Anna slowly lowered herself to the ground, resting on her backside.

Kyle continued his ministrations, much to Anna’s delight. The grass was long and cold, but soft enough to be comfortable. The ground was not muddy due to the slight decline that carried the excess water away. Arching her back so Anna could push herself up at Kyle, she began to shiver from within. Kyle smiled and drew his mouth away, kissing up over her tummy and breasts while shimmying out of his pants and underwear.

Once over her, Kyle smiled down and kissed Anna passionately. Anna pressed her hips upward, seeking Kyle out. Slowly pushing his way into the young woman, Kyle never broke from their kiss. It was as though they were kissing each other again for the first time. Their tongues and lips explored while cool drops of rain fell from above. Holding each other intimately, time seemed to come to a halt as the two lovers did everything slowly and exactingly. Anna brought her legs up as she felt her body beginning to tense, her ankles locking behind Kyle’s back. Kyle felt himself responding to this and felt his own hard muscles beginning to lock up.

After a few moments, both lovers felt their bodies relax as Kyle slowly slid off of Anna, kissing her the entire time. She rolled over, resting on his chest as she always used to. "I do not ever want to let go of you again," Kyle said tiredly.

"I am afraid you will have to," came Anna’s soft-spoken reply. Kyle gave her a questioning glance, but Anna cut it off with a brief explanation. "This is our night, our one night together. Please do not ask a bunch of saddening questions."

Kyle could not believe what he was hearing. He shut his eyes and sighed. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Yes, but not until you have lived your own life here. By that, Kyle, I mean I want you to live your life, not hide from it."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked with frustration evident in his voice.

"It means I want you to find love again, to enjoy your time here. Our lives are finite and precious. We will have eternity together later, but for now I want you to make the most of your time here."

No words came to Kyle’s lips for several long moments. The rumble of the thunder continued now and then as he kept his eyes shut tight. Finally Kyle opened them while running his fingers through Anna’s tousled hair. "I love you, and I always have."

"And I love you, and I always will," she replied softly while kissing Kyle’s chest, his lips soft as a whisper upon his flesh. "Now please, just hold me?"

Kyle complied as the girl slowly shut her eyes. Determined not to take his eyes off of Anna, the young man tried to stay away indefinitely, wanting to always remember her this way. Anna nuzzled into the Kyle’s neck as the night progressed and the storm subsided. The evening continued without event from that point on, and Kyle found himself sitting in his car with his clothes on come morning.

The vehicle was not running, nor were the lights on. Looking down, the man saw that he was fully clothed again and that they were completely dry. "Another dream," he moaned while looking at his car resting along the side of the road. It looked different in the daylight, but it seemed to Kyle that this was the very spot he had dreamed about. Kyle dug around in his pockets for the keys before noticing that they were still in the ignition. Must have fallen asleep, he reasoned. Turning the keys, Kyle stopped as he heard hauntingly familiar words.

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night

There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
'This could be Heaven or this could be Hell'
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say...

Kyle quickly flipped off the ignition and shoved the keys into his pocket, not wanting to hear any more of Hotel California playing. With a mutter, the young man decided to make sure once and for all. Getting out of the car, Kyle noticed that he even had his shoes on. Still, he had to walk over to the spot where he dreamed of making love to Anna. The grass appeared unmatted; showing no sign that anyone at all had been there.

Sighing, Kyle thought of the words from the dream. Was this some way for him to justify to himself that it was all right to have feelings for Claudia’s sister, Cynthia? Kyle growled deeply in frustration as he stalked back to his car. Just before he opened the door, he felt something tap against his chest unexpectedly. Feeling rather irritable that last night had been only a dream, Kyle pulled hard at the shirt, and he could hear a few threads rip in the process.

What he saw stopped his heart, however. What had tapped Kyle’s chest was the class ring Anna had been buried with. It was now hanging off the same gold chain she had once kept it on. He had no recollection of how the ring had gotten there, and for the longest time he could only just stare at it. This time he did not feel overwhelmed with sadness though. Kyle now realized he would have his time with Anna again. He also realized that she had come to him because she truly wanted Kyle to get on with his life. Instead of feeling that life was not worth living because Anna was no longer a part of it, Kyle vowed to live his life the way Anna would want him to.