The October air had teeth that night, sharp and cool against Eddie’s skin as he trudged through the grass of the Hawkins graveyard. The moon hung low, half-hidden behind clouds, throwing silver over the headstones like some eerie stage light. His devil horns—cheap plastic, crooked from how many times he’d shoved his curls out of his face—caught the faint glow every time he turned toward her.
They’d ditched the Halloween party an hour ago, after Eddie got his cash and pocketed a small bag of weed for the road. Too loud. Too many fake cobwebs and people pretending to be monsters when real ones were hiding in plain sight. He’d rather be here—under a bruised sky, next to her.
She walked beside him, witch hat tilted low, her dark dress trailing along the damp grass. The scent of her perfume mingled with the faint smoke on his leather jacket—sweet, smoky, almost intoxicating. She was all moonlight and mystery tonight. He was all chaos and noise, but somehow, it worked.
They’d spent the earlier hours in his trailer, horror movies flickering on the small TV, her legs thrown across his lap as she half-mocked, half-gasped at the jump scares. Somewhere between Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers, he’d decided they should go out. Do something Halloween-worthy. And that’s how they’d ended up here—where the mist clung to the ground and the world was quiet enough to hear their own laughter echo.
“Can’t believe you brought me to a graveyard, Munson,” she teased, her voice lilting with amusement. “So romantic.”
Eddie chuckled, lighting the joint between his fingers and squinting at her through the glow. “Hey, you’re the witch tonight. Thought you’d feel right at home.” He grinned, smoke curling from his lips. “Besides, it’s peaceful. No jocks, no noise. Just us and a bunch of dead guys who don’t give a damn.”
She smirked, taking the joint from him, her eyes reflecting the moonlight. “You know, you do have a way of setting the mood.”
He shrugged, plopping down against a gravestone, legs stretched out. “What can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic.”