Dan gazed thickly out at the surrounding crowd of friends, his head hazy with fumes. Empty glasses of liquor stood before him, more scattered in front of his friends. The group laughed raucously, braying for no particular reason. He fingered his mask and red robe, his disguise for tonight, All Hallow's Eve.

It had been Craige's idea, the robes, and almost everyone had gotten into it. A few stood alone, dancing madly as the glasses of alcohol took hold.

Abruptly, Edna, the largest, and leader of their group, stood up, swaying unsteadily. The room fell silent as everyone looked at her.

"Gate crashing!" she managed to shout dully before collapsing back into her chair. With a roar, the crowd surged, ignited by her words. Unthinking, they flowed out the door like a river of blood, stumbling into the street outside the home of Edna. Almost a mob, they moved noisily down the street, searching for prey.

With a wordless cry, a member of the group pointed at a well-lit house, his robe whipping madly in the chill autumn breeze. Like a hive of bees they swarmed the home, the people in front kicking at the thin door until it fell open with a heavy thud. They ran into the house, yelling, until they came to a bright kitchen.

One particularly drunk and heavy man leaped onto the table, brandishing a pole as a small boy huddled in his father's arms, frozen with shock. A girl, still young, sat gaping next to them, her fiery red hair glinting in the lamplight. Another small boy dived screaming under the same table, his mother vainly trying to coax him out.

Edna swooped in, cackling, snatching up a pitcher full of liquid as she danced over to the woman. She planted her feet by the prone woman, beginning to pour on the unsuspecting back.

Chaos ensued as the rest of the group galloped in, smashing vases and breaking windows. Dan retreated into a corner, hands pressed over his ears as he tried to block out the sounds tormenting his pounding head. He watched helplessly as the gang teased the family, prancing around them and pulling at their hair. The man just squeezed his eyes shut, clasping his son tighter, rocking back and forth as the intruders ravaged his home.

Laughing teens tore down the painstakingly made decorations, tearing them to pieces as the sobbing girl watched. Suddenly, as quickly as it had begun, it was ended. As the last pane shattered, the mob capered out the door, laughing at the terrified family. When the last marauder stumbled out the door, Dan rose, staring at the people with the wide eyes of a startled fawn. Staggering towards the door using the walls to steady him, he looked back over his shoulder, eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he fell into the street and began to run.