A Different Theory.

It all started on a Saturday, this particular Saturday was my birthday, March 24th. On this day, there just so happened to be a dance; it was the most popular dance of the year, and I had never been, so I decided to go with some friends.

However, that didn't last long. Soon enough I was alone, and completely lost.

"Where am I?" I muttered aloud, only to earn some odd looks from strangers. I backed up, and bumped in to someone. "Excuse me." I said, turning around to see who I had hit. But it was like they were never there; as the floor where they once stood was bare, the colorful lights of the dance reflected off of it. "Strange." I said, staring at the patch of gray floor. Then I noticed something; a few feet away was a book, not a normal book; it looked like someone had torn it out of Harry Potter or something. I moved past the dancing bodies, and picked it up.

"The Secrets of Unicorns."

I recoiled, dropping the book. Unicorns? Everyone knew they weren't harmful, and fact for fact they didn't exist, but regardless I snatched it back up, and retreated to a corner to read.

"Chapter One - Harmful Tactics."

Harmful tactics? It sounded like it was from a video game, not a unicorn book, curious I read on.

"Unicorns can take the shape of humans, but they won't be stunning. They will look like they were dragged from the gutter, or from a freak-show. The only reason they shape-shift is to kill-" 

I slammed the book shut, to kill? Surely unicorns wouldn't kill? I shook my head, and flipped to a random page.

"WARNING: UNICORNS GO AFTER YOU IN YOUR DREAMS. IT IS KNOWN THAT THEY ATTACK AT AMUSEMENT PARKS AS WELL. I CANNOT WRITE ANYMORE, THEY HAVE FOUND ME. TO WHOEVER READS THIS---"

The rest of the page is ripped, and the ink is smudged horribly. I was about to flip to a clean page, but a musky voice interrupted me.

"Now, now- where'd you find that?"

I turn around quickly, terror shoots up from my stomach. The person I'm facing looks terrible, with unclean white hair and deathly red eyes, she looks like she came from a gutter. "J-just on the floor." I stutter, trying to hide the fact that I was actually scared. It was just a silly book, and it probably- no, it wasn't true. She squints at the book, and then her eyes widen. "So sorry to bother you." She apologizes quickly, before disappearing back into the crowd.

I try to open the book again, but I'm interrupted once more. "Hey! Ivory." The familiar voice shouts. I turn around to see Tori, one of my friends. "What's that?" She asks. I notice no one else is with her. "It's...a book." I say lamely.

"Well, duh." Tori says, her eyes glint in the light.

"Tori, are you feeling okay?" I say, but I'm ignored. "Let's read it!" She says, smiling. Tori was always into these sorts of things, witchcraft and sorts. "Hm, but where can we read it?" She mutters, glancing around hesitantly. "Are you sure you're okay?" I ask again, taking a step forward. "Fine!" She says, forcing a smile. I could have sworn her eyes flashed red.

"Get back!"

I step back, glancing around wildly. "Damn it!" Tori shouts, stomping her foot. Now, I was certain, her eyes were red. Before I can do anything else, a figure jumps in front of me, scythe in hand. She slashes out a Tori, who is as quick as a missile in dodging it. "Won't people see you?" I say, panicked.

"I'll explain later!" The person with the scythe shouts, her hair appears to be bleached, and her eyes are as blue as a gemstone. She continues to slash out with the scythe, until she finally hits. Tori steps back, a gash in her side is open. "Damn you." She hisses. "I was so close, too.' She whispers. I watch in amazement as she begins to thin out, and soon shes completely faded.

"What the hell?" I mutter, dropping to my knees. The book clatters on the ground, and that snags Scythe girl's attention. She turns to grab it, but I snatch it away.

"Hold UP! What just happened?"

She makes a lunge for the book, but I hold it out of her grasp. "Give me it or I'll use my scythe on YOU!" She shouts at the top of her lungs.

"Try me." I say, shielding myself with the book. The girl grumbles, and sinks down to sit across from me. "Okay, okay. I'm not sure why that curse didn't affect you-"

"Curse?" I breathe. "Yes, curse, okay?"

I open my mouth to speak again, but Scythe girl continues speaking. "Okay- look, I might've used a curse to convince everyone in this very building that its halloween- and I'm just dressed up, and the scene before us was just an act. Anymore questions?"

"What's your name?"

The girl huffs, obviously annoyed, eyeing the book she answered. "My name is Birch."

"Where's Tori?"

"Unicorn girl is dead."

"So that was really Tori?"

"Indeed it was, now if you-"

"I'm keeping the book, until I've read it."

Birch stares at me as if I've thrown the book into a river. "Oh, no, no no-" She begins, holding up her scythe.

"Excuse me?" I say, opening the book and threatning to tear one of the pages out.

"Fine! But I won't leave you alone, you better give me that book once you're finished." Birch hissed, and then she faded into the crowd.

I haven't heard from her since.