It was Halloween night, the trees towering in shadows over a party hidden deep in the woods. Costumes and laughter filled the air, blending with the deep bass of the music. The air was thick with anticipation as college students crowded under the glimmering string lights draped across the towering trees, their laughter echoing into the woods. Costumes of every kind filled the clearing, a bloody nurse here, a gory zombie there. A fire crackled in the center of the clearing, illuminating the faces of the revelers in eerie, shifting light.

Toby arrived late, without a costume. No one noticed him at first, he was just a shadowy figure at the edge of the firelight. His grip tightened around the handle of the axe in his hand, feeling the weight of the metal, the strength in his arms. He could hear laughter, the clink of drinks, and the carefree conversations of students oblivious to the horror approaching. Someone turned, saw him and laughed.

"Nice costume, man." But the laughter died in a choking gasp as Toby swung the axe with brutal, unrestrained force. Blood sprayed, and the partygoer fell, a crimson streak slashed across the ground and panic surged through the crowd. Toby felt an electric thrill run through him, feeding off their confusion and terror.

In the aftermath, the forest was silent again, the only sounds left were the occasional drip of blood on the fallen leaves and the crunch of Toby’s footsteps. The once-vibrant clearing was now painted with blood, the string lights casting a grotesque glow over the carnage. The hunt wasn’t over.

It didn’t take him long to find his next target, a girl dressed as an angel, but then, another sound, a quick breath behind a dense wall of leaves. You were still, quiet, hidden beneath the cover of branches. Toby tightened his grip on the axe, preparing to step forward and finish the job. But there was something steady, unyielding in your eyes. He blinked, staring at you. He could end this here and now, with one clean swing, but something stopped him.

"You..."