Skip to main content

"Trick or Treat"

Halloween is said to be the one day of the year where anything supernatural is possible. Some say it's the day the layer between the spirit world and our world is the thinnest. It's the one day of the year where ghosts and monsters can freely roam the earth. Some see the day as freeing. Other monsters see it as a more vengeful day.

Halloween is the one day I look forward to out of any day of the year. I'm unsure why, as I don't really do much. I live alone and I don't know anyone around here well enough to go out to a party or anything. Instead, it's almost become a tradition to stay home and watch scary movies all night. I've always been a massive fan of horror, even going as far as dreaming up my own nightmarish stories in my spare time.
Unfortunately, my plans are usually interrupted by a select group of people that stop by my house, asking for candy. I feel bad for having to turn them down, but I never really remember to buy candy. By the time I actually think about it, the bags are sold out in almost every store in town. That's what I get for living in a big town, I guess.
It was finally nightfall and, glancing over at the clock, I could see it was well past time for kids to be returning home from trick or treating. At last, I can watch a scary movie without any interruption. I grabbed my favorite movie, 'Final Resignation' off the shelf, popped the disk in, and pressed play. I sat the case on the coffee table before me and slumped down on my couch.
There was something about watching a movie in the dark that feel almost magical in a way. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but it took me back to being a kid, watching a new DVD my parents would bring home for us all to watch. Back before DVD rentals were a thing and buying a new movie was like a treat.
I sat through all the commercials, remembering back to when those movies were still new. This movie came out close to ten years ago now, making me feel a little old.
Just as the movie was about to start, it was just my luck that there would be a knock at the door. I sighed, paused the movie, flicked my lights on, and answered the door. There stood a kid in a skeleton costume, his mask pulled up to the top of his head so he could see me.
"Trick or treat," the kid said, his bag of candy open and outstretched to me.
I looked down at him. "Sorry, I don't have any candy."
"Trick or treat," he said again, now a little louder and with a straighter face. He wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"Where are your parents?" I asked, looking past him, just out the door. As far as I could tell, he was the only person still outside right now.
He repeated his words, more demanding this time. I apologized and shut the door. I stopped, taking a deep breath. I felt bad about telling that kid no, but why was he so insistant? Why did he demand the candy he knew I didn't have?
I looked through the peephole to find that he was gone, nowhere in sight. I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, I can get back to my movie. I turned around and nearly jumped out of my skin. There in the living room stood the kid I had just tried pushing away.
"How did you get in here?" I demanded.
He held out his bag in response. "I said, trick or treat?"
"Kid, I don't have anything to give you," I insisted. "You have to leave." I walked toward him to get him out the door, but he turned and bit right through my hand. I cried out in pain before he pushed me to the floor. I could feel his unnaturally sharp nails slicing through my shirt and through the skin over my stomach. I could feel him clawing me apart. I saw him grab a bloody bundle of meat from inside me and bring it to his mouth. Everything then faded to black.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

01 "A Monstrous Storm"

  The shadows crept in through the window is the dark clouds overtook the mid-afternoon sky. A feeling of dread and hopelessness flooded me, tying my stomach into a knot. Looking at the clouds, I saw a streak of purple lightning streaking across the sky until it crashed down somewhere along the skyline with a thunderous boom, followed shortly by the ground rumbling beneath my feet. It was jarring. what started as a regular summer afternoon was quickly turning into something dreadful. The nearby trees were all swaying lightly in the breeze as rain gradually started pouring down, eventually creating a curtain of turrential downpour that threatened to flood the streets. Another flash of light followed by another thunderous boom forced me to look away from the window. It was becoming far too real for me. The oncoming storm was becoming too much to bear. I walked back into my bedroom and sat in front of my television. There was a news guy standing before a weather map. He was po...

"Hooked"

T he summer can be the perfect time to get away, to unwind while kicking your feet into the cool water while the hot sun is beaming down on you. But what if the bright summer sky was hiding behind it something even darker? I had been waiting for today all week. They'd finally opened the stream up for fishing. I was a little upset at the fact they'd decided to raise prices, but I didn't care, it was a nice day outside and I wasn't about to waste it sitting inside when I could be fishing. With my tacklebox in hand and my fishing pole in the other, I made my way to my truck. I threw everything in the back seat. I was about to head to the driver's seat but hesitated when I thought about bringing my cooler. I had one in the back ready for fish, as well as housing some canisters of worms. But what if I brought one along for some drinks? After a few moments I decided it might not be the greatest idea. It would be too much to carry and I didn't trust anyone that...

"Tapping"

T here are some things we are all afraid of, whether or not we choose to admit it to ourselves. Perhaps you feel that the ocean is a safe place, yet when you arrive you find yourself fearing what may be swimming below you. What brushed up against your leg? Can they feel you trembling? Can they smell your fear? There I lay, in bed in an attempt to fall asleep. My television was sitting at a low volume as to not awaken me by surprise as I drift to sleep. I've had the unpleasant experience before. Tonight, I turned to my side, facing away from the harsh light of the television, yet still able to make out almost perfectly what they were saying. What was on right now was a couple arguing in a sitcom. I didn't care much for what they were saying, but the roar of the laugh track after every line or two was somewhat soothing to me. I was so close to drifting to sleep, when across the room there came a tapping on my window. I sat up and turned toward the window. It was pitch black...