It started as an ordinary night. Lyla Martin, having only just turned 16, was heading out with her friends for a girls trip into town, to attend the annual Halloween celebration. 

Each and every year, businesses in town banded together to put on a huge festival the night before Halloween. The theater would re-run a classic Halloween movie, and the shops would hand out candy to the kids and teens who would dress up for the occasion. 

This year, since the theater was playing “Beetlejuice”, Lyla and her friends were going all out. Lyla was dressed as the bio-exorcist himself, with her hair dyed temporarily green and teased to peak frizziness, and the iconic black-and white striped suit. Her friends April and Gavin, who had been dating three years, were going as Barbara and Adam. Cassidy, who was going as Lydia, had also helped with the groups makeup. 

The plan was to head down to catch the movie, then head down to town square for the costume contest. But they never made it to the theater...

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“Gavin, if you drove any faster we’d be beating the Flash! Slow down!” Cassidy said jokingly. Lyla laughed.

Gavin, who sat behind the wheel of his older model car, was indeed driving a bit recklessly, the car zipping down the dark, windy mountain road. Far off in the distance the group could see the lights of the festival glowing brightly over the trees.

“Yeah Gav. It’d be pretty ironic to die on Halloween night. Slow down. “ Lyla cautioned. She was long known as the voice of reason for the group, but did have her fair share of dare devilish moments. Gavin turned around to respond, briefly taking his eyes from the road.

“Really guys? I’ll have you know I’m perfectly capable of-“

“GAVIN! ROAD!” April screamed. In the moment of distraction, a scruffy little fox had farted into the road, directly into their path. Gavin jerked the wheel hard to the right to avoid it, and the car shot past the fox. Directly off the side of the road, and down a steep cliff. As the car flipped over and over, tumbling down the hill, Lyla saw her life flashing before her eyes. She saw her parents, every school play and pep rally, all the good and bad times. Then the car hit a large boulder with a sickening crunch, and everything went black.