Elysian Ridge High School loomed large at the top of a beautiful valley, with ivy wrapping its walls like a warm, green blanket. For years and years, it's been like a factory churning out really smart kids and future stars. But what's cool about this school is that it's all about keeping things fair and friendly too. You don't hear about the mean stuff that goes on in some places, or kids feeling down. It's basically a happy place where young folks can learn and grow without any of that drama. It's like a school dream, you know? It's got this big-deal rep for being amazing, but it doesn't let that go to its head. It's all about giving everyone a chance to shine.

When the October come, the days started to get shorter and the shadows grew longer, and a weird vibe would settle over the college. It was like the crisp air was full of secrets, carrying more than just the smell of leaves that had fallen off the trees. It was as if the whispers of an old legend were floating around the place.

"Psst, have you heard about that rumor?" Lila murmured, her voice hardly louder than a whisper. She had to compete with the faint buzz of kids chattering in the hallway. Her hazel eyes gleamed with a hint of trouble as she playfully elbowed her buddy, Cara.

Cara arched an eyebrow, fiddling with the strap of her backpack. "Come on, spill it," she said with a smirk. "You've got a whole collection of whispers and gossip in there."

Lila giggles in a playful way. "You know, the story about the demon," she says, leaning closer like she's about to share a secret.

"Ugh, seriously?" Cara said, rolling her eyes. "No, no. Not this again!" Cara sighs but there was a subtle edge of curiosity in her voice.

Lila smiled mischievously, not the least bit discouraged. "Listen! Listen! They say, there's a demon locked up in that creepy storeroom way back behind the old south building. You know, the one that's all boarded up and nobody goes near anymore."

"You're talking about that old place that seems like it could topple over with just a stiff wind?" Cara said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm pretty convinced the only residents there are dust bunnies and asbestos."

"I'm telling you, it's for real!" Lila said earnestly. "The stories go that if you give the demon a little something like treat on Halloween, he'll grant you whatever wish is on your mind."

Cara let out a sigh, yet her steps grew more deliberate, hinting at curiosity. "Okay, so who are these 'they' we're talking about?"

"Everyone!" Lila exclaimed, her hands flying up for dramatic effect. "This has been going on for ages, like, decades even! My cousin filled me in on it when she came here, and you'll never guess what? She learned about it from her senior when she was just a newbie, a freshie herself! Then, her senior knows from her senior and the senior knows from the past of the senior and-"

"Okay, okay! Stop! I get it!. A demon granting wishes from way back probably from the very foundation of this school!," Cara said dryly. "Sounds legit.", she gave up.

"You're always so doubtful," Lila said with a playful nudge to Cara's shoulder. "But come on, don't you sometimes think about it? Like, if it really existed, what would you wish for?"

Cara came to an abrupt halt, her expression changing in an instant. She looked like she was deep in thought for a second, her eyes wandering over to the window where the fading afternoon sun painted the lockers with warm, golden light.

"I dunno," she murmured at last, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe just a little something. Something that wouldn't go backfire on us, you know?"

Lila's gaze grew gentle. She was about to say something when she was cut off by the other kids, who were heading out because school had just finished.

"C'mon, let's go home!" exclaimed Lila, tugging at Cara's arm. "I've got a list of wishes for, and I can't wait to show you!" She added with a playful grin, "I've got a hunch this Halloween's gonna be something else!"

Cara didn't say anything back, but as they strolled by their lockers, she couldn't shake off the weird feeling that had nestled in her chest. The idea of the empty building kept playing in her head, its dimly lit corridors seeming to whisper to her, challenging her to find out what was really going on.

After the girls had left, they had no idea that someone was actually listening in on their conversation. A young lady with a lovely shade of light brown hair was lounging against a locker not too far away, her mouth turning up into a knowing smirk.

"A demon granting wishes, eh?" she murmured thoughtfully. "Now that's something that's unusually interesting"

With a gentle shove, she moved away from the locker and started down the corridor, her steps quick and sure. Before long, she ducked into a vacant classroom. Inside, a girl with dark, sleek hair pulled into a tidy ponytail was sitting by the window, absorbed in her reading. The girl looked up from her book with a hint of resigned expression.

"Hey, Evie," the girl said, her tone playfully sly. "Guess what I just found out?"

Evie let out a gentle sigh as she shut her book. "Alright, Fiona, what's going on now?" she inquired, her voice a mix of tiredness and humor.

Fiona's smile grew even bigger. "You are absolutely going to love this one."

Evie sighed, rolling her eyes but keeping them on Fiona, who couldn't sit still she was so excited.

"Alright, what's the big deal?" Evie said, sounding a bit annoyed.

Fiona leaned closer, lowering her voice to a murmur that only I could hear. "You know that old storeroom down the hall at that abandoned south building, right? They're saying there's a demon locked up in there." Her eyes sparkled with the excitement of sharing a juicy secret.

Evie looked at him with a skeptical expression. "You're talking about the rumor of a demon being held in that shaky old building at school? That rumor?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

Fiona couldn't help but flash a cheeky smile. "You got it! And what's more perfect than Halloween for this kind of adventure? The witching hour, everyone in costume, the whole shebang just screams spooky fun!"

Evie let out an exasperated sigh, interrupting her friend. "You can't be serious," she said incredulously. "You want us to break into the school in the middle of the night, dressed like idiots to go rummaging through some old, falling apart storage room where there's supposedly so-called 'caged demon' lives?"

Fiona bobbed her head with excitement, her eyes gleaming. "Totally! It sounds so awesome, right?"

Evie looked at her without blinking, her expression as flat as a pancake. "Nope. That just seems like a total waste of time, energy, and brain cells. You can definitely do that without me."

"But, Evie—"

"Nuh-uh." Evie got to her feet and folded her arms firmly. "If you're into getting haunted, possessed, or any of that creepy stuff, be my guest. I'll pass, thanks. I've got better plans for my night, like enjoying my demon-free life."

Fiona stuck out her bottom lip. "You're such a party pooper," she complained.

"Oh, come on," Evie said with a roll of her eyes, but she couldn't completely hide the smirk that played on her lips as she glanced at her friend's boundless energy.

Fiona's eyes sparkle with mischief as she leans towards Evie, her voice taking on a playful, pleading tone. "C'mon, Evie, pweaty pweeease? It'll be sho much fun, like going on an adventure! And really, what's the worst that can come out of it? It's probably just a rumor anyway, right?" She's practically batting her eyelashes, trying to be as adorable as a puppy begging for a treat.

Evie folds her arms with a skeptical look and rolls her eyes. "Come on, a demon in an old storage room? You've got to be kidding me. And if it's not just a rumor, then what? There could actually be something dangerous in there!" Fiona's attempt to be charming to convince Evie fails to work.

Fiona chuckles and brushes off Evie's worry with a light-hearted wave. "Come on, Evie," she says, grinning. "If that rumor were true, the school would've closed it down a long time ago. It's just Halloween fun, you know? We're supposed to get a little spooked. And if it turns out to be a bust, no biggie, we'll just go back and grab some candy instead!"

Evie shakes her head, clearly not buying it. "Alright, but if we end up in trouble or things go haywire, I'm not the one taking the fall for it."

Fiona giggles and gives me a sly wink. "You got it! It's going to be a blast, I swear."

Evie lets out one more dramatic sigh, but she can't hide the little smirk that's playing on her lips. "Okay, okay, you win. But if we really run into a demon, I'll be taking your candies."

Fiona sticks her tongue out playfully, feigning annoyance, but her eyes sparkle with mischief. "Not a chance," she says with a smirk, "I'm not letting go of my candy. Just wait until we find out it's a real demon, and I'll be off sprinting while you're stuck without any sweet treats to share."

Evie smiles cheekily and lifts one eyebrow. "You? Running? I bet you'd trip over your own two feet before you even knew what was going on."

Fiona takes a deep breath and puts her hands on her hips. "Wait, what did you just say?" She exclaims, feigning shock. "I'm like the queen of running away from trouble, you know? You've never seen my moves!" She pauses for a beat, her grin spreading slyly across her face. "But sure, I'll let you handle the tough stuff, Miss Psyc- I mean Fearless."

Evie chuckles and rolls her eyes playfully. "Okay, okay, you can call it 'Psycho' if you want," she says, using air quotes for emphasis. She then leans back in her chair with a smirk and crosses her arms. "But just remember, I'll be waiting to hear you scream like a banshee when that 'demon' of yours decides to make an appearance."

Fiona pretends to be upset for a moment, sticking out her bottom lip in a playful pout. But then, she can't contain her excitement anymore, and her face brightens up. "I won't scream!" she exclaims. "This Halloween is going to be the best one yet, just wait and see!"

Evie couldn't resist grinning at her pal's excitement. "Alright, alright. Just remember, no haunted house shenanigans after this, got it? And hey, we're turning 18 this year, so maybe it's time you started acting a bit more mature, yeah?"

Fiona takes a deep breath and holds her hand to her chest in a dramatic gesture. "What? Me, a kid? You're one to talk!" she exclaims. "You're still trying to get your hands on all my candy, aren't you?" She smirks slightly. "I'm just being clever, Evie. Candy is like gold, you know."

Evie erupts into laughter, holding her belly tightly. Fiona sticks out her bottom lip and crosses her arms. "I wouldn't complain that much. You're just more of a grump than me, that's all."

Fiona's pout froze in mid-air when she spotted two guys she knew strolling over with that all-too-familiar swagger. Ethan, the basketball player with the mile-high ego, had his usual smug look plastered across his face, and his best buddy Richie—everyone just called him that—was there too, giving them an opologetic smile that said sorry without actually saying sorry.

"Well, well, well," Ethan said with a smirk, lounging against a locker. "If it isn't Fiona and... Miss Psyc-ehem, Miss Creep herself. What kind of plot are you two cooking up this time?"

Evie's eyebrow arched slightly, and she looked unconvinced. "You're gearing up to call me 'Psycho,' aren't you?" She chuckled lightly. "Come on, is that the most original thing you can come up with?"

"Whoa, no way! I totally wasn't calling you a psycho, psycho," Ethan exclaimed, quickly shutting his mouth as his words bounced off the walls. His attempt to clarify had backfired.

"Dude," Richie murmured to Ethan. "You're supposed to be cool, not harsh. Think about the first impression, yeah?"

"Whoa, I totally meant to keep it chilling cool," Ethan murmured, trying to recover. "What I actually wanted to say was..." He took a moment to compose himself and cleared his throat. "You know, we couldn't help but catch the vibe of your convo about something cool, and as the school's best cool duo we just had to come over and see what's up."

Fiona sighs heavily and rolls her eyes, looking at Ethan and Richie. "Oh great, the chaos duo. Couldn't you have given us a little privacy before barging in?"

Ethan grins and casually leans on a desk, tilting his head to one side with a bit of an arrogant look. "C'mon, Fiona, don't be so mysterious," he teases. "You and Miss Creep are definitely cooking up something interesting, aren't you? Spill the beans, it's gotta be juicy!"

Evie gives Ethan a look that says it all as she rolls her eyes, "Urghh, it's none of your business, Ethan. Go practice your bad-boy act somewhere else. Jeez."

Richie chuckles and playfully bumps Ethan's shoulder. "Told ya, man. They didn't give us anything. You're just a bit... intense, you know?" His tone shifts to one that's more casual and light-hearted as he looks at Evie and Fiona. "But if it's something fun you guys are planning, count us in, yeah? Ethan's not exactly the smooth-talking type, but we're always down for a good time."

Ethan proudly puffs out his chest. "Hold on, let me be charming." He pauses for dramatic effect and clears his throat as Ethan stands up straight and takes a deep breath. With a broad, over-the-top smile that's so wide it's almost comical plastered across his face, he says, "Would you lovely ladies mind if we come along for your top-secret Halloween debut? It's all for the sake of having the most epic senior year ever!"

Fiona snorts. "Wow, Ethan. That's erm…. Charming?" She laughs, raising an eyebrow. "AHAHAHAHA, are you trying to charm us or scare us?"

"Charming?" Evie cut in with a completely serious expression, but she couldn't hold back a chuckle that turned into a wheeze. "Seriously? Didn't you take a nosedive off the bleachers in gym class just last week because you had a basketball teetering on your head?" She couldn't stop herself from bursting into laughter after that.

Ethan's cheeks turned red, but he held his ground. "Alright, alright, stop it! Details, details! So, the word on is that you guys have something crazy up your sleeves, and we totally want to be a part of it. Right, Richie?" 

Richie tried his best to stifle his chuckles from the infectious laughter around him and offered a shy smile. "What he's trying to say is that we're kind of intrigued. What's this whole 'caged demon' deal? It sounds, well, pretty fascinating, actually."

Ethan looks a bit miffed when Richard points out his mistake. "C'mon, man! I was just trying to play it cool and mysterious," he protests playfully. Then, with a grin spreading across his face again, he faces Fiona and Evie, who have finally contained their laughter. "Alright, spill the beans. What's the deal with this demon you're talking about? You guys seriously considering going after it? Now that's the kind of fun trouble I can get on board with."