The music is loud, the place is messy, but hey, you're having fun. The fact that you snuck in to this New Year's party makes it even better! While you're certainly not 'That Unpopular Guy', you weren't popular enough to be formally invited. Of course, that didn't stop you. Besides, it's either this or spending New Year's at home alone watching video game play-though videos on YouTube, since your parents are at a friend's party and your own friends are busy.

Speaking of friends, you glance over to a white doorway across the bustling dancefloor/living room. Beside the door reads "Tarot Readings" with an arrow pointing to said door. Your friend Anna appears to have been hired to do Readings at the party. Sure, you were a little annoyed that she left you alone for 'work' on this very night, but seeing the small clusters of people around the door waiting for their turn, you can't say you blame her. It's the best job she's had, according to her.

Besides, you know that, if you do get caught by Marco and his jock friends, she'll vouch for you. That's what makes Anna such a good friend! Neither of you should be worried, though: You're well-liked enough that classmates who obviously know that you weren't invited haven't squealed on you. Hell, Marco's best bro Connor even high-fived you a few minutes ago. You got nothing to worry about.

"Hey Imeda!"

You spin your head to see… Christy, Marco's girlfriend.

"I didn't expect to see you here!" She makes sure to yell over the music and chatter so you could hear.

"Just checking on my friend, Anna!" You yell back, jabbing your thumb to Anna's door. She looks over and then nods back to you. "Did you and Marco get your fortunes read yet!?"

"…No!" She shakes her head. "We… Aren't going out any more!" She edges to the room with the big, widescreen TV and food table. You notice this and step after her and away from the crowd and music.

"Jeez, that sucks, Christy." You reply in a more indoor voice now that the both of you are in the TV room. "That's a bad start to the new year. What happened?" You don't usually like to pry, but seeing as Anna is still hurting from a bad break up before Christmas last year, it seems like you're on 'Super Sensitive Friend' mode, not that you mind much.

"Oh..." Christy waved her hand around, as though searching for the right words. "I just don't really love him like that anymore… And then we… Kinda had a fight. I think he's cheating on me, anyway." She scans the chips and dip on the table, while you continue to lean on the wall adjacent. Were you here when that happened? Then again, you've pretty much been spending your time in the living room and never went upstairs yet, since Marco was up there.

"… Is Marco still up there?"

"Yeah, I remember Jason dragging him away to play on one of his game systems to chill out, or something."

"Oh, okay."

The two of you stand there in silence – an awkward silence, even with the music in the background – for a minute. Christy takes a disposable plate by the table's edge and fills it with the chips and dip. She sits down to eat, occasionally sighing. You decide to get a plate of chips yourself, anything to make this a little less awkward and give you a reason to stay. The crunching of the chips didn't help as much as you first thought and soon the both of you had empty plates.

"… Wanna sneak upstairs?" Christy suggests.

"What? Why?"

"Marco has some old Disney movies in the closet. I wanna watch one of them. C'mon." She leaves the plate on the table and walks towards the stairs, stopping to look back at you.

With a sigh, you quietly follow her up the stairs, the music covering your steps. You really don't want to think about the possibility of getting entangled in a love fight, so you keep a few steps behind her. Upstairs, she leads you through the vacant hallway to a closet at the end. Just as she was about to touch the door, the door beside it begins to open. You grab her shoulders and pull her back, coming face-to-face with Marco. Shit.

"What are you two doing?" His thick eyebrows furrow.

"We're going to watch a movie." Christy states. "Together."

And that's when Marco comes after you.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

"I'm not the guy who wants your GF, that's for sure!"

"Bullshit!" He tackles you easily and begins to strangle. You try to ungrip his hands , but fail, only choking and sputtering, the music now a vice for any actual help. Survival instincts pound around your mind, with one sticking out: 'Play dead.'

You let your eyes spin back into your head and keep your eyes shut as your hands slowly fall back and go limp.

"Marco, stop!" Christy's voice breaks through your mind and helps you keep consciousness.

"Dude, I think you killed him." One of his spectator friends says.

"I'll check his pulse." Another says and you feel a hand around your arm where your vein most certainly in not. "I can't feel a pulse!"

"… We put him in the closet for now." Christy announces. "We'll deal with him after the party, when no ones around."

"What? No I-" Camera clicks.

"You'll what?" Christy responds. "Any of you talks, I share these photos."

Bitch.

Thus you are thrown into the closet, but keep conscious and escape soon after out the window. As you run, a plan begins to form in that barely conscious mind of yours.

'Christy. You used me as leverage for your little love spat and blackmailed your 'boyfriend' into hiding my corpse… Watch out, girl, 'cause I'm not the only Dead Man Walking this new year.'

Continue?

~~~

Certainly not the end, here. Might expand and write more on this story later.

Until then, critiques are appreciated. -Monos DOA