"Courtney honey come on cut your cake" Courtney's mom called to her daughter upstairs.

Courtney Marinez was fixing her hair in the mirror as she heard her mother call for her downstairs. "Be down in a 秒 mom!" Courtney fixed her dress and blew herself a 吻乐队（Kiss） as she exited her room.

"Here comes the birthday girl!" her mom squealed and her dad got the video camera recording her coming down the stairs. Courtney's whole family was partying around the house but they all stopped to stare as she came down. Her older sister Hillary ran over and gave her hug, "You look so sexy! Come on and mingle!"

Hillary pulled her into the crowd of Marinezs, "Hi Aunt Karen!, looking good Uncle Henry!" she greeted all her family. Courtney's brother Kyle came around the corner with drinks in hand. "Hey birthday girl how goes it?"

Courtney hugged her brother, "The best! I'm having so much fun today nothing could trump this day". Her twin sisters ran 由 her with party hats on, "Slow down guys!" she called to them. Courtney walked into the 厨房 where her mother and great grandmother sat drinking tea. "Courtney sweetheart are 你 going to cut the cake soon. Uncle Ron is getting impatient" her mother 说 stiring the big pot on the stove.

The cake had three layers, yellow, chocolate, and 草莓 her 最喜爱的 with white frosting. She took her finger and traced it along the bottom layer to get some icing on her finger, she licked it off clean. Kyle came in and set some empty cups on the counter then he grabbed a big butcher 刀 from the drawer and handed it to Courtney.

She laughed at her brothers goofyness and pushed the butcher 刀 away gently, "Thanks Kyle but I don't feel like butchering my cake." Hillary handed her a regular knife, "Oh Court honey could 你 lean a bit to the left" her mom instructed with the camera. Courtney sighed and did as she was told, "Now give me a big smile and oh thats good!" Ms. Marinez snapped the 照片 and gushed over how cute she looked.

Uncle Henry stuck his head through the door with a huge smile on his face, "Cake time?"

Later on that day

The Marinez family had collasped in their family room. Great grandma Perkins had wobbled down the steps to sit down on the 长椅, 沙发 between Crstyal and Diamond. Diamond scrunched up her nose and moved away mumbling, "Ew old people smell".

Grandma Perkins ignored her and handed Courtney a square box, "For your birthday present". Courtney squealed and ripped it open to reveal a black diamond necklace, "Oh it's beautiful!" she gasped and clasped it around her neck. She studied it closely and the way it shined in the light, the black was so smooth and shiney. "Why is it black though?"

Grandma Perkins started to fidget in her 座位 and rubbed the back of her neck, "It's just really old and rare" she said. Diamond leaned over her shoulder to get a closer look, "It looks pretty freaky in a goth kinda way".

Courtney pushed her away and stood up, "I'm going to the bathroom to see how I look in it". Courtney was in the bathroom as she looked in the mirror she could here her mom and dad whispering downstairs with grandma Perkins. She press her ear up agasint the door to hear better.

"What do 你 mean 你 haven't told her yet!" Grandma Perkins said.

She could hear her mother crying, "I just wanted this 日 to be special, I didn't want to tell her until tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow will be to late he's coming tonight!" Her mother cried harder.

"What are they talking about?" Courtney asked out louder her ear still to the door. Suddenly the lights flashed and everything went black, there was screaming downstairs so Courtney came running down. "What is going on here?" she asked. Her parents were cowering behind the lazy boys, her sister and brother were peeping out from the closet, and the twins had the rug over themselves on the floor the only who wasn't hiding was grandma Perkins.

Courtney looked down at her 项链 which was once black was now glowing red. She looked to grandma Perkins for help, grandma Perkins shook her head, "It's the sign for fear and evil. My dear child I'm so sorry". Courtney rushed over to her great grandmother and put her hands on either side of her arms.

"Grandma whats happening?"

Her grandmother took the 项链 in her hand, "He's coming for 你 Courtney. I'm sorry". There was a flash of light from the doorway and everybody cringed at the bright light and even 更多 when they saw who stepped out. He had a black 披风, 斗篷 on and his face was covered 由 a black hood. He had a skull imprinted on the front of the 披风, 斗篷 and a scythe in hand and he was floating in the air.

He lifted his head slowly and looked around the room, with a wave of his hand he lifted the chairs up and brought Courtney's parents out in front of him. Her mom smiled and waved nervously, "Hi honey! How are 你 doing? Hows things in the underworld?"

The dark cloaked man revealed his face but still didn't take off his 兜帽, 罩, 发动机罩 but Courtney could now see his face. He looked pale but had the most striking features. He had pericings on his eyebrow, his nose, and several 更多 on his ears. But Courtney just couldn't stop looking at those strange tealish eyes. She was snapped back into reality when that creep walked past her.

He sat 下一个 to grandma Perkins and gave her a wide smile, "Why Lena 你 look like a fate worst than death". Grandma Perkins laughed, "Coming from 你 that's a compliment. Hows the 黑夜传说 life?"

The guys shrugged, "You know what can I say dark, depressing, and full of dead people, what can 你 do?" He turned his attention back to Mrs. Marinez, "So is there any reason why 你 didn't tell her?" he asked. Mrs. Marinez looked at Courtney and smiled, "I was just going to when 你 showed up Duncan".

The dark creep better known to everyone as Duncan smirked, "I bet 你 were" he looked towards the closet and the floor. "You know 你 guys can come out now, I'm not here to kill anyone...yet". Hillary and Kyle came out from the closet and the twins crawled out from the rug, Diamond strolled over to Duncan and slapped hands with him.

"What up my grim reaper dude. Hows business?" she asked. Duncan shrugged, "I'm not complaining. Hillary looking hot as always" he growled seductivly at her. Hillary laughed and smacked his arm playfully, "Oh Duncan stop!"

Kyle bumped fists with him, "Hey dude!" Even Crstyal gave Duncan a hug but Courtney was still not following this whole scene. She turned to her mother looking for answers, "Mother what is going on! Who is this freak and why are 你 all so nice to him? And why do 你 all know him? I want 答案 and I want them now!" Coutney tapped her foot and crossed her arms, "Well?"

Her whole family sorta of laughed slightly and fidget, Mrs. Marinez gave her daughter a small smile, "Courtney honey I'm sorry but 你 don't belong to us anymore". Courtney raised an eyebrow slightly, "What do 你 mean 你 I don't belong to 你 guys anymore?"

She heard that hooded creep laughing and she turned angrily towards him. He smirked at her,

"She means that your soul belongs to me".