Don't be Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf

I grabbed one of Rose's white dresses and held it against my body, twisting in front of the mirror. "I could be zombie bride," I offered. I turned to glance where Rose laid on the bed, flipping through a magazine.

"Too boring," she replied. I hung the dress back up and continued rifling through our combined closet.

"What about Belle?" I asked as I pulled out her blue dress. "Someone in the building has to have an apron."

"Too innocent."

"We're taking your sisters trick-or-treating, isn't innocent kind of the point?" I asked as I pulled the dress over my head. "If I just pull my hair into a low ponytail and steal a white apron, it'll be perfect." I turned and placed one hand on my waist and cocked a hip, so Rose could envision my idea.

"The only way I will approve of Belle is if you ditch the dress and wear only the apron with your sexy blue lingerie underneath," she said with a wink.

"There are two things wrong with your idea. One: that particular set of lingerie is very lacy, and very see-through. Two: we are taking seven and nine year olds trick-or-treating around your old neighborhood. I really don't need your sisters, or Mrs. Stevens, to see my vagina."

"Kaelin, Kaelin, Kaelin." She shook her head, sat her magazine down, and walked over to wrap her arm around my shoulder. She slowly pushed us around so we were facing the full body mirror. She stepped back and began playing with my hair, "you should know we're not picking costumes for when we go trick-or-treating, we're picking costumes for the after party." She dropped my hair and leaned in closer. "And I think Kaden would be very, very appreciative off the sheerness of that particular set of lingerie," she purred into my ear. I pushed her back and pulled her dress over my hair.

"God, let's not talk about Kaden. I had a miniscule crush on him in like junior high, get over it!" Rose returned to the bed, picked up her magazine, and continued to read. "Besides, I never agreed to go to his party. We're supposed to have girl's night! I picked movies, I did laundry so I'd have clean pajamas, and I bought face masks! You promised!" I whined.

"I have an idea!" she exclaimed. She pushed past me and began pawing through the closet.

"Hello? Rose? Are you listening? I do not want to go to Kaden's party!" I yelled, but she ignored me. I threw my hands up in exasperation and settled onto her bed. I grabbed her magazine and began to angrily flip through the pages.

"Stupid Kaden. Damn party. I'm never getting girl's night. Fucking Halloween," I murmured to myself, overly annoyed.

"Little Red Riding Hood!" She yelled. She pulled out my red lace bra, her black underbust corset, and her red miniskirt. "Try it on," she commanded, offering them to me.

"No. Jesus, Rose. I am not going to wear that around your sister!" she threw her arms down and pouted, while crawling onto the bed.

"You can wear my red shirt over it when we go trick-or-treating, but only if you'll agree to wear it to the party. Appease me, try it on." She smiled and threw them onto my lap. "Please!" she begged when she saw my apprehension. "Please, Kaelin! I promise I'll stop talking if you just try them on!"

"Fine!" I rolled my eyes and turned around and slid my bra off my shoulders and replaced it with the one she selected. The corset was slightly uncomfortable, but I could appreciate the way it drew the eyes to my waistline instead of my hips. Rose's skirt rested a few inches above the middle of my thighs, and made them appear longer than they were. As I caught sight of myself in the mirror I couldn't deny I looked good. I hadn't worn this bra recently, but I could appreciate the way the push-up lining made my 34C breasts look much larger than they actually were and allowed ample view of my cleavage. I bit back a smile, refusing to give Rose the satisfaction of knowing I liked the way I looked. Once I was sure I could keep a straight face, I turned around.

"Oh my god. Kaelin, your boobs look amazing. Like If I liked girls, I'd fuck you so hard right now. You have to wear this to the party!" She ran to the closet and pulled out a garter belt and a pair of sheer, black, thigh-high stockings. "These would go perfectly! Try them on!"

I fake groaned and ripped them from her hands. I had to take off the skirt and corset to successfully put them on, but Rose was right, I looked even better with them on. The skirt was short enough that when I sat down or bent over, you would be able to see the garters and the top of the stockings.

"You love it, don't you?" Rose squealed.

"I may love it, but I still don't want to go to Kaden's party."

"What if I told you Kaden's party was just a decoy, and that I scored an invitation to an even better party?" she bit her lip and slowly backed up towards her desk.

"Rose, no. I do not like the look in your eyes, what are you hiding?" I asked as she rifled through the drawers.

"This," she grinned as she slowly pulled her hand from behind her back. She was holding a black envelope with a red, wax seal. She tossed me the envelope and I pulled the invitation out from within. It was black, with a red border, and elegant silver writing.

"You are cordially invited to the sixteenth annual Halloween bash at Kingsley Manor," I began to read. "Costumes are mandatory. 21+. Waiver required for entry." I flipped the invitation over, but the back was blank. "What the hell is this? What kind of party requires a waiver? How did you score an invite?" She bit her lip and sank into the bed, but didn't answer. "What do you know? What aren't you telling me? Kingsley Manor hasn't been open to the public in years. If there was a Halloween party there each year, I would know."

"This is the first year it's at Kingsley. I can tell you that much. I can also tell you there will be hot guys, a lot of free alcohol, and a lot of very sexy ladies, most of whom also enjoy sexy ladies."

"No, no, no. You are not allowed to use my sexuality to rope me into ditching girl's night! We have a lot of alcohol! We don't need them."

"Yes but they have free alcohol. Emphasis on free. Come on, please!" she whined. "I know you'd have a great time. Please! I've been trying to get into this party for years. I know I promised girl's night, but I can also promise this will be way better." She crawled over and wrapped her hands around my waist. "Please!" she begged.

"Fine, we'll go to the stupid party." I succumbed. She squealed and hopped up and drew me into a hug.

"We're going to have so much fun! I'm so excited!" She turned and grabbed her belly dancer costume and slipped it on, while I pulled a red shirt to cover my bra and corset.

"Let's go get the girls!"

"One problem, I can't be Little Red Riding Hood without a cape." She pulled a red jacket and threw it at me. I shrugged and slipped it around my shoulders and followed her out, pulling the door shut behind me.

******* "Last house, ladies," I told them. They ran forward, squealing, barely waiting for Rose and me to catch up. I drew my jacket tighter around me as we approached the house and pulled my skirt down a few centimeters, uncomfortable with the glares I kept receiving from the other parents on the street. I was grateful we were almost done; my feet hurt, I was tired and cold, and I had a headache from all the screaming. We stood behind the girls as they rang the doorbell.

I bit back as a smile when the door opened; offering candy was a ruggedly handsome man, who appeared to be about our same age. His hair was a darker brown than mine, but matched his chocolate brown eyes. He had a strong, square jaw and it looked like it had been a few days since he shaved last.

"Trick-or-treat!" the girls said.

"Well don't you two look lovely," he told the girls as they picked through the candy. He looked up and our eyes met. "Where's your wolf, Red?" he asked.

"He got scared a few blocks back and ran home," I joked. He smiled and ran his hand through his hair.

"She's always taking applications for a replacement," Rose quickly added. I shot her a look which only made her giggle. I slightly grimaced and turned around, forcing a smile.

"I'll keep that in mind, you guys can have some too if you'd like," he said, offering us the bowl of candy.

"No thanks, there'll be plenty at the after-party." Rose said.

"Come on, we need to get the girls home," I said, pulling on Rose's hand.

"Which party are you guys going too?" mystery man asked.

"The one at Kingsley Manor," Rose replied, ignoring my pleas to leave.

"Well, Red, maybe I'll see you there," He said, smiling, before shutting the door. We all turned to leave and once we were a fair distance from the property, Rose began to hysterically laugh.

"What's funny?"

"He's going to be at the party," she replied.

"So?"

"So I just really hope you find each other, he's a cutie."

"Shut up." I rolled my eyes but I felt a warmth spread across my skin. I wasn't sure what this party held, but part of me hoped I saw him as well. I linked arms with Rose and we continued walking back to her parent's house. It didn't take long to drop the girls off and say hello to Rose's parents, and before I knew it, we were in the car, driving to Kingsley Manor.

"Take your shirt off," Rose said as she rounded a corner. "We're almost there." As I slowly stripped my shirt off, butterflies began to dance in my stomach and I began to feel a little nauseous.

"Can you please slow down, I don't feel so good," I asked. I looked down at my outfit; what once made me feel confident, now made me feel silly. The idea of wearing this outside of our apartment no longer seemed like a great idea. "Can't we just go home and have girl's night like we planned?"

"Absolutely not! Plus, mystery man will be waiting for you," she grinned. I forced a chuckle but the closer we got to the party, the more nervous I became about seeing him again. He had to be lying, he wouldn't try to find me at a party. He wasn't even in my league, there was no way he'd be interested in me. I brought my thumb to my lips and began to chew on the nail, a bad habit I'd had since I was little.

"Don't do that," Rose said, pulling my finger from my mouth.

"Seriously, Rose. I'm really nervous can't we go back, or can you at least tell me what's going on?"

She bit her lip and glanced my direction. "Look, I can't tell you, but this'll be good for you. You're going to loosen up. It'll be a great experience. I can tell you everything once we get there, and if you still don't want to party, we'll go home. I promise." I nodded my head and sunk into the seat as best I could because of the corset, trying to relax. I leaned my head against the back of the chair and took a few deep breaths to try and calm down.

"Kaelin, we're here." I leaned forward and opened my eyes. Kingsley Manor loomed above us, but it looked deserted. We were in a parking lot, but there were no other cars.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" My nerves were replaced with worry as I surveyed the area we were in. The sky was overcast, blocking the light shining from the moon. There were no street lamps in the area, leaving the parking lot dark and abandoned. Rose turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car, I hesitated a few moments before I followed suit. I wrapped the jacket around myself, hiding my costume.

"I don't think anyone's here," I said. We walked forward a few feet but still didn't see anyone. "Maybe if we drive closer to the mansion we'll see them. Maybe we're just too far away," I offered. Rose glanced back before she continued walking further into the shadows. I groaned and followed her, convinced we weren't going to find anyone. She reached the edge of the parking lot and peered into the forest when a man dressed all in black stepped out of the shadows.

"Jesus Christ!" I exclaimed. I jumped back, nearly falling. My hand jumped to my chest and felt my heart begin to pound. "Invitations?" he asked. With a shaky hand I drew out the piece of paper that we threw into my jacket pocket. I handed it forward and he ripped it from my hands. He read the front then drew a flashlight from his pocket. He shined the light on our bodies, before returning the invitation. "Valet is by the Manor's doors." He said before returning to the shadows. Rose turned around and skipped back to the car, with me following suit. We remained silent as she left the parking lot and drove up towards Kingsley. She slowly pulled the car forward, unsure of where we were supposed to stop. The doors were directly to our right, yet there wasn't a soul in sight. I strained my eyes looking for a valet sign of some sort, but there was none to be found.

"Maybe they come to us?" Rose suggested. I shrugged, unable to think of a better conclusion. She stopped the car and we waited. A few minutes passed, and still no one came. "Will you go knock on the door, please?" Rose asked. I groaned and opened the door, stepping out into the blackness. Kingsley Manor loomed over me, beckoning me in. Once the property of a wealthy author, upon his death the estate was turned over to the town. Historians refuse to let it be torn down, but the city has no use for it, so it lies near the edge of town, untouched.

I inched forward, glancing around hoping someone would approach me before I reached the doors. Rose was the invitee, not me; I hadn't an idea what I would say. I reached the base of the steps and turned around, where Rose encouraged me on. I took a deep breath and climbed the first step, before pausing and looking around once more. I climbed a few more when I heard a slight rustling to my left, but when I peered into the darkness, no one was there. I shook my head and assumed I was only hearing things and continued climbing the stairs. I reached the base of the door and pressed my ear against the smooth wood, expecting to hear sounds from the party, but all I heard was silence. I slowly pulled my hand back to knock when a voice emerged from the darkness.

"Your friend can leave her car keys with my associate then you may enter." I quickly dropped my hand and turned around, desperately searching for the person behind the voice, but I was alone on the patio. I heard Rose's door open and saw her hand her keys to a man wearing a suit and a Renaissance masquerade mask. She paused a few moments before nodding and running up to stand next to me. I reached forward to grab the door's handle, but they opened before my fingers even grazed the metal.

"I'm so excited!" Rose reached out and grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze before striding through the open doors. I took a deep gulp before I followed. We entered a long hallway draped in red velvet. There were a few doors on either side of us, but they were all tightly closed. There were still no sounds of a party; the hall was deathly quiet. At the end of the hall there was a desk with a man and woman sitting behind it, both of whom also wore the Renaissance masquerade masks. Neither moved as we approached; they sat as still as mannequins.

"Hello!" Rose announced once we drew near.

"Invitation," the woman asked. I fished the paper out of my pocket before handing it to her. She quickly glanced at it then sat it down. "Identification," she asked. I fished out my wallet and retrieved my license as Rose did the same. The woman quickly looked at the date before returning them to us and nodding to the man who handed us two forms. I looked down and quickly skimmed the top, it appeared to be a basic waiver. "Please read, fill out the questions, and sign the bottom." The man said. I began quickly skimming the beginning. At first it seemed like simple liability waiver; they were not responsible for any injuries, I was willingly choosing to participate, but then it began to turn odd.

"There are no boundaries within the party, however, a participant may refuse at any time at which all other participant(s) may choose to accept or deny the original participant's request; should the act still continue we are not liable for any physical or psychological harm that may occur. The word "no" is considered a fair request to stop any activities. Entrance to the party may include: removing clothes, sexual stimulation, and/or fetish acts." I read. "What the hell am I signing? Rose, what kind of party is this?" I asked.

She paused from reading her contract and looked up. "Well, in the most basic terms it's sort of a sex party," she admitted. "But you don't have to partake in anything!" she quickly added once she sensed my hesitation. "They have a section that's just like any other Halloween party; alcohol, snacks, music, dancing, the whole enchilada."

"Rose, I don't know—"

"I know it's been forever since you've had an orgasm that wasn't caused by your own doing," she cut me off. "Look, if you don't want to do anything sexual, I won't do anything sexual either. We can just hang out in the party side. But can we please stay?" She tilted her head down so she could stare up at me through her thick eyelashes and began to pout. I bit my lip considering my options. Rose was right, it had been a long time since I've had sex, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to start again at a party full of strangers. But on the other hand, it never hurt to have a little fun.

I glanced back at her face and sighed, "fine, we can stay." She smiled and returned to reading her contract. I stopped skimming and began to actually read what I was agreeing to. It appeared straight forward and I felt I would be comfortable whether I chose to partake in any sexual acts or not. The bottom also included a standard gag order, which I had no hesitation of signing. I wouldn't tell anyone about this party, even if I was legally able to. The questions all centered around my sexual history; what sexuality I identified with, how many partners I had been with, if I had any prior known STDs, if I was on birth control, if I preferred using a condom, some basic information regarding my sexual fantasies, and if I would be open to sexual acts that could be considered fetishes.

I quickly answered the questions and signed my consent to submit to a blood test before handing my form back to the man. He quickly skimmed my answers before turning to a back table and grabbing a purple wristband, quickly marking an X in the middle. I held out my wrist so he could secure it. I glanced over and saw that Rose's wristband was red, with no X.

"Enter those doors for your blood testing, and they will direct you further." The woman said.

"Thank you," I replied. We turned and entered the door where we were quickly taken to separate rooms to have our blood work ran. Once both our tests came back negative the nurses ushered us through another set of doors which led to another corridor.

"Why's your wristband red?"

"I don't know. It's probably because I selected heterosexual and you selected bisexual. It must be an easy way to tell who is willing to do what." I nodded, agreeing that that was the most likely option. We continued walking when my thoughts began to drift back to the mystery man and wondered if he was really going to be here or not, when I remembered just what type of party this was.

"Wait," I said, grabbing Rose's arm and pulling us to a stop. "That guy from earlier, you told him we were going to a sex party?" I hissed.

"Oh yeah, I did," she laughed. "Who cares? He said he was coming too and that he wanted to find you," she winked and continued walking. I followed behind her, still fuming when we reached another set of double doors. I glanced back, wondering how deep into the mansion we were, and how far the nearest exit was. When we opened the door, we finally had our first indicator that a party was happening. The lights were dimmed and the sound of a deep bass reverberated through the walls. There were three sets of doors in the room, with another masked man standing in the middle.