My face glistened with tears, and I looked over at the calendar, which clearly read October 30th, 2009. I watched the ambulance drive away, taking Chad with it.

This past month had probably been the worst October of my life… from Tawni going missing, to Nico and Grady nearly getting killed in a freak accident to Zora leaving the show, the only one I had left was Kendra.

"Sonny, it's going to be okay," Kendra tried to comfort me, patting my back, brushing a wisp of her blond hair out from in front of her eyes, shooting a glare at Maia, whom she insisted on calling "Mail-Girl" as she sat in the rain, watching the fleeting lights of the ambulance slowly disappear.

I gulped… Portlyn, Tawni, Zora, Nico, Grady, Chastity, Skyler, Ferguson, Marta and now Chad… all the cast members were gone. Except for me. I remembered the first night in the commissary, the first night we had learned about Olivia's Curse.

I felt more hot tears slip from my eyes, dropping down onto the wet, rain-covered sidewalk.

Only one thing I was certain… Olivia was going to get me next.


~Earlier that Month: October 1st, 2009: Condor Studios Commissary, 7:30 PM~

Sonny's POV

I walked into the commissary, behind Tawni and alongside Kendra, and I was greeted by Jack o'Lanterns, orange pumpkin-shaped lights, Halloween-themed food…it didn't even look like the Commissary anymore! All the tables were taken out and replaced with Couches, beanbags, and throw pillows, and an electric fireplace was the centerpiece of the room, its golden hue being the only significant light source of the room- the decorative novelty lights didn't do much, in terms of making it easier to see in the dark.

"Pretty Cool, huh?" Chad asked, sauntering into the commissary, standing next to me.

"Uh huh…" I replied, still in awe.

Chad chuckled, and I followed him over to the couch, taking a seat next to him. "Yeah, I had the same exact reaction, my first year here at Condor Studios, 10 years ago," he smiled, his gaze resting on the electric, battery-powered fireplace in the center of the room. The "fireplace" was radiating heat, and it was just dark enough outside to give everything an eerie feeling.

"Wow… they really go all out for Halloween at Condor Studios, don't they?" I asked, my eyes scanning the room, before turning back to Chad.

He smiled and looked as if he were about to answer, but just then, a 9-year-old menace plopped herself on Chad's lap. He grimaced.

"CHAD!" Dakota squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and tossing a glare in my direction. Evident on Chad's face was an expression between "I'd rather be sticking needles in my eyes" and "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Come on, Punkin- let's hush now- Mr. Murphy is about to begin telling us a story," Mr. Condor's stone-hard expression immediately softened as he looked at his daughter.

"Okay, Daddy," Dakota smiled angelically, and attempted to make herself comfortable in Chad's lap.

"What- what are you doing?!" Chad spazzed, as Dakota kept squirming in his lap.

"I'm trying to make myself comfortable!" She attempted to defend herself, finally settling on lying down on him, resting her feet in my own lap.

"You know how you could make me comfortable, Dakota? If you ignored me for the rest of eternity," He frowned at the now scowling nine-year-old.

Dakota stopped scowling, and the corners of her mouth turned up into a smirk. "I'd be careful of what I say, if I were you- if you're forgetting, my Daddy could end your entire career with a single phone call," she said, with an evil glint in her eyes, before jumping off the couch and over to her father and mother.

Kendra sat down on the space next to me and smiled as Dakota came running back in our direction, and hugged her.

"I'm sorry, and you are?" Chad asked Kendra, not knowing her as anything except the new Wardrobe Manager.

"Kendra. Kendra Condor," She smiled, pulling Dakota into her lap.

"Kendra Condor?" I asked in bewilderment, and I looked over at Chad, who wore the same look of shock as myself.

"Yep. Mr. Condor's my father. I can't act, sing, or dance to save my life, though. I work in the style department," She giggled, twirling her finger around a wisp of her blonde hair.

"Okay, people- can I have your attention, please?" Murphy, standing at the front of the commissary, with a microphone, asked.

Great. Just what we need- another Condor Brat," Chad scoffed, inching away from Kendra, as if he was afraid she'd pounce on him like her younger sister.

"Shut up, Cooper," I said, under my breath, motioning to Murphy, who was looking ready to begin speaking.

"Why don't you make me, Munroe?" He seethed, turning away from me.

"I would, but there isn't enough duct tape in the world to cover that big mouth of yours," I shot back, taking in the pleasure of seeing Chad's shocked face.

"Oh, isn't there, now?" He cocked his head to the side, glowering at me.

"No. There isn't," I spat.

"Are you two always like this?" Kendra asked cautiously, moving away from us. By now, we seemed to have attracted the attention of everyone in the commissary.

"MUNROE! COOPER! SILENCE!" Mr. Condor's voice boomed, and Chad and I glared at each other once more before turning our attention to Murphy.

"Now if you two are done bickering," Murphy frowned. "We're kicking off Condor Studio's Halloween Days with the story of Olivia's Curse, as it is the 50th anniversary of Olivia Handel's death,"

I nervously took a sip of my coke and waited for Murphy to begin telling the story.

"Olivia Grace Handel- often thought of as a child prodigy- began her career in tap dancing recitals and church choir, eventually finding her big break and making her way to Condor Studios, formerly known as Goldfarb Enterprises,"

"So... Chad Dylan Goldfarb?" I whispered to Chad, knowing it'd annoy him.

"My mom got remarried! It's Cooper now," Chad defended himself, crossing his arms across his chest.

"She rose to the top as quickly as she became famous, and she had it all- the fame, the fans, the boy,"

"The boy?" Portlyn asked, curiously, sharing a confused glance with Tawni.

"Yep. She fell for another rising star, Bradley James Goldfarb- the son of the head of Goldfarb Enterprises. She learned all too quickly, however, that he was cheating on her with his former girlfriend, Alyssa Norris,"

"Grandpa Brad dated Olivia?!" Chad exclaimed, then quieted down after recieving weird looks from the rest of the people.

"She was devastated," Murphy continued. "She left a suicide note and disappeared that night, never to be seen again. Enough time passed that people assumed she was dead, after the suicide note and all. In her note, she swore to receive proper revenge on those who 'caused her end',"

Murphy finished telling the story, and everyone politely clapped.

"Wait- that's it? She wanted revenge just because her jackass of a boyfriend cheated on her? This has got to be the worst ghost story I have ever heard," Skyler commented, scoffing.

Suddenly, the lights went out and a piercing scream was heard, followed by maniacal laughter. I shivered and instinctively let out a shriek of my own, in fear.

The lights flipped on, and a red, liquid-like substance was visible on the wall, reading "Beware the curse. I will gain revenge,"

For once, I didn't pull away when Chad's hand found mine.


Okay, sucky chapter, I know. Thanks to TrinityFlower_ofMemories- it's been fun working on our Halloween stories together :)

You know what to do, Read and Review!

Love, Bhavana