The Girl With Golden Eyes

“Maybe we should just go home,” Casey whispered, eyeing the front door warily.

“We’ve come this far,” Stephen said, realizing that he, too, was whispering, “we’ll just knock. No one will probably answer anyway. I don’t think anyone lives here.”

“But I saw the lady in the window, Dad.”

Stephen looked at his daughter as she gazed up at him. The lady in the window? “I think maybe someone just moved in,” he said, “that must be it. Come on, honey, we’ll knock, then we can go.”

Casey released a sigh that was closer to a whimper, then nodded her head. “Okay, Dad.”

They approached the door, Casey still lagging behind him, doing everything in her power to hide herself behind her father. For a split second, he felt like a complete rat putting his daughter in danger, but he shook off the thought quickly. This was a nice neighborhood. If they were getting new neighbors, it just meant that this house wouldn’t feel so dead anymore.

Standing before the door, Stephen glanced around behind him. It seemed as if the entire neighborhood had gone to bed, when only minutes earlier, the street was crawling with children and their parents. It was frighteningly silent; even the sounds of the city only a few blocks away had faded into nothing. Darkness had folded over the neighborhood like a thick blanket. How long had they been out?

He turned back to the door, feeling Casey’s hand literally quivering in his own. He raised his hand to knock, and just as his knuckles hit wood—

“Daddy, I want to go.”

Stephen looked back at his daughter, whose eyes were frozen on the door, whose skin had gone almost completely colorless. When he heard the door open behind him, Casey uttered a gasp that made his skin crawl.

Stephen turned to face the occupant of the house, and the effect of the Halloween costume she was wearing could not have been any more unsettling.

In Stephen’s opinion, the girl could not have been more than twenty years old. Her skin was pale, so pale, in fact, that the light blue of her veins could be seen running up her neck, across her head. Her hair was the color of pure spun gold at sunrise, her curvy lips a light pale pink. Her face, her entire body in fact, was slender, but not gaunt or haggard. This was revealed by the delicate, sheer dress she wore, which gathered into silky puddles at her feet. Looking at her, Stephen imagined that he could see just about everything.

He thought about it very little, however, because the most startling part of her costume made his blood pump wildly in his veins and his knees go weak. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he stared into her bright, gleaming golden eyes, golden eyes that locked on him so intensely that he worried he might scream. There was no sign of pupils in those eyes; they appeared to be, simply, shining golden orbs staring back at him.

Stephen’s mouth and throat had gone dry, and he forced a swallow as the girl looked at him. Her appearance was startling, but at that moment, Stephen found her to be the most stunningly magnificent sight he had ever seen in his life.

“Uh, trick-or-treat,” he managed to croak, but the girl only stared at him with a look of puzzlement.

Stephen could still feel Casey’s hand trembling in his own. The girl shifted her golden eyes down and peered around Stephen at Casey.

“Hello, darling,” the girl said, her voice soft and lilting, with a sumptuous accent that Stephen could not place. It sounded vaguely European, though from which country, he had no idea.

“Um, hi,” Casey said shyly, peeking around her father’s waist, “I like your Halloween costume.”

“Halloween?” the girl said.

“Yeah,” Casey said, growing a little more comfortable, “you know, candy, pumpkins, trick-or-treat?”

“I’m not from here, little one. Although, for my people, todayis a very special day.” The young woman smiled, and the twinkle in her golden eyes made her entire face glow. She looked back to Stephen, who suddenly found himself speechless.

“I—so, did you just move in,” was all Stephen could manage.

“Just moved in, yes,” the young woman said, eyeing him with curiosity.

“It’s—a nice neighborhood, I think you’ll like it here,” Stephen said, managing to work the stutter out of his voice. “How long have you been here?”

“Only since this morning. If all goes well, I hope to stay for a long time.”

“If all goes—“ Stephen stopped, remembering his failure to introduce himself. “Uh, my name is Stephen Harlow, I live just down the street there.” He held out his hand, which the young woman stared at for a long moment. She raised her hand and simply brushed his palm with two fingers, sending a surge of electricity up Stephen’s arm, and he couldn’t help but pull back from her.

Casey stepped from behind her father, and the young woman’s eyes slipped to the little girl once again, widening in wonder.

“Why, my dear,” the young woman said, a tone of genuine awe in her voice, “you look like a princess.”

Casey smiled and held out her arms. “Iam a princess.”

“You must be. Where I come from, only true royalty dress themselves so exquisitely.”

A beaming smile spread across Casey’s face, a red blush filling her cheeks. Stephen smiled at her. “This is my daughter, Casey,” he said.

“Princess Casey,” the young woman said, taking Casey’s hand in her own and bowing her head as if actually meeting the royalty of which she spoke. Stephen could tell that Casey was loving every minute of the attention.

“You sure know how to flatter a little girl,” Stephen said. The young woman straightened up and looked at him sternly.

“I offer no flattery. In my world, the daughters of royalty are held in the highest regard.”

Stephen shrugged, trying to keep from laughing. This act was becoming quite amusing to him. “I don’t know about royalty,” he said, “I’m just a computer programmer.”

At this, the young woman nodded politely, though he could tell that she had no idea what he was talking about. His mind wandered back to what she had said.In my world. It must have been some sign of the language barrier; surely she must have meant hercountry. Yet Stephen couldn’t tell how much of this was an act or not. Perhaps this particular young woman took Halloweenvery seriously. Regardless, he wasn’t sure how to respond; he had no desire to offend his new neighbor.

“Well,” Stephen said, “we’re sorry to bother you, I just wanted to introduce myself, and, you know, what with it being Halloween and all—“

“Oh, I apologize,” the young woman said in embarrassment, “I forget my manners. Will you come in?”

Stephen shuffled his feet. “I don’t know, I need to get Casey to her mother’s house…”

“Please, Daddy,” Casey said, “just for a little bit.”

Stephen looked at the young woman, the most gorgeous creature he had seen in all his life. There was no doubt in his mind that even beneath her costume, beneath the make-up and the golden eyes, she was still beautiful. Although something about her made him a little uneasy, he decided that any more time spent with her would be a pleasure.

“Well, I suppose,” Stephen said, “just for a little bit.”

The young woman smiled her stunning smile, then stepped out of the doorway, gesturing for them to enter. A wild, flowery scent drifted to Stephen’s nose, reminding him of spring in the rolling fields of his hometown. It was a scent he had grown unaccustomed to living so close to the city, but which still stood frequently at the edge of his mind, like the memory of a childhood dream.

Stephen stepped into the house, followed closely by Casey shuffling behind him. From the tiny foyer, Stephen could see that the layout to the house was identical to his own. Before him was the staircase to the upper floor, beside that a small hallway which cut through to the large dining room. To his right, the living room, which also opened onto the dining room, and at the back of the house he knew was the small kitchen.

The only difference between this house and his own was that this house was almost completely empty. It seemed odd, even for someone who had just moved that day, that there would be next to nothing occupying the space. Not a single box to be found, no suitcases, and the only piece of furniture was an ornately carved end table sitting near the fireplace in the living room. On top of the table was a gathering of the most beautiful crystals Stephen had ever seen, which shimmered in multiple colors as if the sun was shining down on them.

“You pack light,” Stephen remarked, “the movers haven’t arrived yet?”

“I require few possessions,” the young woman said, closing the door behind them. She slipped around them into the living room, and Stephen was awed by the grace and beauty of her movements. With the material of her dress pouring down around her feet, she looked as if she barely touched the floor when she walked.

They followed her into the next room, but Casey’s attention was almost immediately snagged by the small table next to the fireplace, and she wandered over to it with wide eyes.

“Oh my gosh, Daddy, look.” She walked up to the table, standing at eye-level with the crystals.

“Ah, my dear,” the young woman said, turning back and moving towards Casey, “you may look, but whatever you do, do not touch the crystals.” She moved behind Casey and bent over at the waist, looking over Casey’s shoulder, Casey barely aware of her presence.

“What are they?” Casey asked.

“They are very old, and very valuable. And—“ she added with a wondrous flare in her tone, “—they are very, verymagical.”

“Theyare?”

“Yes, little one, they are.”

“What do they do?”

“They do all kinds of things,” the young woman answered, “they can take you to other worlds if you want. That is why I ask you not to touch them. You never know where they might take you, if you do not know how to use them.”

“Wow,” Casey said in an excited whisper, “is it real, Daddy? Is magic real?”

Stephen had been watching with an amused smile on his face. The young woman spoke with such fervor that even he almost believed it. The crystals glowed, their light flickering as if they were full of magic, but Stephen was almost positive he had seen a similar setup in a Halloween shop a week earlier. He found himself wondering where the batteries went.

“I’m sure the magic is real, honey,” Stephen said, “all you need to do is click your ruby slippers together three times and the crystals will take you wherever you want to go.”

Casey shot him a sour look, then turned back to the crystals. The young woman stood up straight and turned to him.

“You do not believe in magic,” she said.

“Well, I suppose it depends on what you mean by magic. I watched David Copperfield walk through the Great Wall of China once on television. That was pretty cool.”

The young woman’s head tilted in confusion again, and Stephen felt her gaze almost moving through him.

“Look,” he said, “I like magic tricks as much as the next guy, but do I really believe in it? No, not particularly.”

“Magic is much more than tricks, Stephen,” the young woman said, and the sound of his name rolling from her tongue made him shiver, “magic is very real. Tonight is a very magical night.”

“Is it?”

“It is,” she said, moving closer to him, her golden eyes holding him in their gaze, “it is a very special, very magical night.”

Before he knew it, she was so close to him he could almost feel the heat of her body against him. She looked up at him, and he was absolutely entranced. Was this girl actually hitting on him?

“My people regard this night as a sacred night,” she said, her hand moving to his chest, “and yet it is a night we are free to do… whatever we want.”

Her touch, once again, was electrifying. It felt as if Stephen’s heart began racing the moment she placed her hand on him, and threatened not to stop until she moved away. His breath quickened, and for a moment, he feared a heart attack. At his age, and having been an alcoholic and a smoker for many years, he was a prime candidate. This girl was strikingly beautiful, and she was certainly grounds for a heart attack, he just hoped he could do it somewhere other than here in the middle of her house. He would never get invited back that way.

Invited back. It was what he wanted, wasn’t it? It was the reason he had accepted her invitation to come in, the reason his lustful gaze kept moving over her. Hewanted this girl, though she could have been half his age, he wanted her like he had never wanted any other woman. What was it about her that kept calling to him? Surely it could not have been the Halloween costume, Stephen was never one for tricks, novelties, role playing in the bedroom. But she excited him.

“It is a night we are free to do whatever we want,” she repeated, her voice just barely above a whisper. Her face still turned up to him, she closed her eyes, her pale pink lips parted, and it was all Stephen could do to keep from kissing her right there.

“Daddy?” Casey’s voice startled him out of his trance, and he pulled back from the young woman.

“Yes, honey,” he said, looking over at Casey, who was smiling brightly.

“Are you going to kiss that lady?” Her voice was so full of childish taunting and girlish delight that Stephen had to smile in spite of himself. When he looked back at the young woman, he saw that she was smiling, too.

“No, Casey,” Stephen heard himself say, “not yet.”

“Would you like to see where I come from?” the young woman asked, and for the first time, Stephen realized that she had not yet told him her name. He imagined that it was something beautiful, something elegant. Her accent was so luxurious, her look so exotic, he knew she must be some princess in a far off land.

“Tell me your name, first,” Stephen said.

“My name,” she said, “my name will be difficult for you to say. I suppose in your language, the closest name… Cassandra.”

Stephen grinned. “Cassandra, it’s beautiful. Why don’t you let me give your full name a shot?”

“My full name contains one hundred and eleven letters, and is only spoken fully when accompanied by music at official functions of the court.”

“Official—“ Stephen frowned, “whereare you from?”

“Come,” she said, holding out her hand, “I’ll show you. Young lady?” Casey took her free hand, and Cassandra led them into the dining room.

The large dining room was dark, lit only by candlelight from a circle of five candles on the floor in the middle of the room. The candles were set at the points of a star, lightly outlined on the floorboards with chalk. It was a pentacle, something Stephen recognized as a symbol used in witchcraft.

“You’re a witch?” he asked, and Cassandra looked at him as if he had just shot a bullet through her heart.

“I beg your pardon! Where I come from, witches are burned at the stake. I amnot a witch.”

Stephen, once again, found a laugh forcing its way up his throat. “Come on, really, Cassandra, they don’t burn witches at the stake anymore. Look, this whole act is very cute, but—“

Stephen’s voice cut off as his eyes moved to the wall. There was in the dining room, as was in his own house, an alcove beneath the diagonal overhang where the stairs ran up to the second floor. With the wall set further back, it created a quiet area where Stephen had placed his computer desk and which he used as a workspace.

The space in Cassandra’s house, however, was empty, and on the wall was painted the most massive mural Stephen had ever seen in a private home. The mural depicted miles upon miles of vast, mountainous land, perhaps the most lush, beautiful land imaginable. Rolling hills were covered with dense greenery, meeting on the horizon with cobalt blue skies. Stephen had been to the mountains of Appalachia, supposedly some of the most beautiful landscape in the world, but he had seen nothing that compared to this.

The mural was so full of beauty and majesty, it made Stephen shudder, but there was a single blemish that seemed to suck everything else in towards it. At the focal point of the scene, set just off center, was a castle like something out of a nightmare. Blackened stone lined its walls, dreadful, jagged spires rose up from its four corners, like skeletal fingers reaching to the heavens. It was an awful sight, and Stephen thought he could almost see the light being sucked out of the place.

Still, for the horror of the structure sitting at the center, it was the most dazzling landscape Stephen had seen, and the mural was so detailed, so absolutely realistic, that he felt like he was looking through a window into another world.

“This—this is amazing. How did you do this?”

“On this night, the night you call ‘Halloween’,” Cassandra said, “the window opens, and you have but to look through it. This is my home.”

Stephen shook his head in disbelief. “But, this must have taken you forever to paint. I mean, if you’ve only been here through today—“

“Daddy,” Casey said, moving closer to the mural, “look. There’s—there’s a light in there.”

Stephen moved closer, just behind Casey, who practically had her nose pressed to the wall. Upon closer inspection, Stephen could see no signs of brush strokes or paint lines, and when he turned his head, it was as if he could see more of the landscape than was in the original frame. Like looking through a window.

“Dad, look.” Stephen followed Casey’s gaze to the castle, which was still as black as ever. And yet…

Light.

There was a fire flickering in one of the windows.

Stephen pulled away quickly, his hand on Casey’s shoulder, pulling her back from the wall. He felt ill, felt like throwing up, but he took a deep breath and tried to calm his pounding heart. He turned to Cassandra, who was looking at them with deep interest, and an expression of pride on her face.

“Okay, okay,” Stephen said, a weak grin spreading over his face, “you got us, you totally got us. This is all very cool, I have to admit, this is one of the greatest Halloween tricks I’ve ever seen in my life. I mean, the crystals, the thing with the window, it’s amazing. I’ve been to a lot of haunted houses, alot, but this one really takes the cake. You should go to Hollywood or something, seriously. However, it’s getting late, and I really do need to get my daughter to her mother’s house, so you’ll have to excuse us.”

Cassandra only stared at him with that calm expression of curiosity. Without another glance at the wall, Stephen propelled his daughter forward to the living room. He did his best to divert her gaze from the crystals and pressed her on toward the front door. As they reached the foyer, Casey dragged her heels and turned to Stephen.

“But Daddy, I didn’t get any treats.”

Stephen glanced back and saw Cassandra standing by the table of crystals, her back turned to them. “Oh, honey, you got a treat, I promise. This is the coolest haunted house you’ll ever see in your life.”

“Ido have something for you, darling,” came Cassandra’s voice from directly behind Stephen. He jumped at finding her suddenly so close.

Cassandra moved forward to Casey, her closed fist hand held out before her. When she opened it, a golden glow, nearly matching the one in her eyes, emanated from the object in her palm. Casey’s jaw dropped.

“Only a princess can own such a treasure,” Cassandra said, bending down to meet Casey’s gaze. Casey could only stare at the crystal being offered to her, and Cassandra smiled. “You may take it, my dear. You are, after all, a princess, aren’t you?”

“I am,” Casey said, and Stephen knew he had never seen her so absolutely entranced, “I’m a beautiful princess.”

Cassandra laughed, a high, lilting giggle. “Youare a beautiful princess. Take it, my dear.”

Casey took the crystal very carefully in her hand and continued to stare at it. “What does it do?”