First some Music:
Harvest Moon
“Fuck,” Katelen gasped trying to catch her breath. Surrounded by thick tall trees, the moonlight streaked through the branches.
Crack!
She turned towards the sound, took a deep breath and ran. Zig zagging through the trees and stumbling over the underbrush.
Thud!
She hit the wet mossy ground, turning her head towards the approaching sound.
It was him, he had tried to warn her, when she knocked on his door after he didn’t answer her calls. The muffled voice from behind the door telling her to go away.
She kept knocking wanting to see him. Then that sound from behind the door of grunting and gurgling. Then the howl that cut through the night.
The door flung open; he was a shadow of a man more of a beast, seething.
“RUN!”
She took off running straight through the woods.
Now on her back, the moon illuminating the beast covered in fur, with those piercing yellow eyes standing over her.
“Brian,” she whispered as he plunged his fangs into her neck.
Knock, knock
“Fuck, I told her to go away,”
Brian’s naked body doubled over as the transformation took over.
“Go away,” he yelled towards the door.
Bang, bang.
“Brian, are you ok?” Katelen asked through the door.
Brian watched as the claws pushed from his fingernails, fur covered his body and fangs erupted in his mouth.
He stumbled towards the door, flinging it open.
“RUN!”
He watched her turn and run, before the beast took over and he ran after her.
Customer Service
We all knew that Jeff Reese was a little off. He’s always been that loud boisterous attention seeking individual in the office. You know the type, comes in, grabs coffee from the breakroom and always has a ‘you know what happened last night?’ story.
It’s always outlandish and embellished, like he hit the neighbor’s cat, thought it was dead so he put it in her trash bin. But it wasn’t so when the old lady took her trash out the next morning the cat leaped out of the bin and attacked her. You know stuff like that.
Or the time he came back from a camping trip in Arizona and he swore up and down that he had seen a little gray alien with long bony fingers in one of the caves. You get the picture.
Don’t get me wrong we all like Jeff, he does his job and provides some needed comic relief around the office. Pushing papers all day can get quite mundane. Now what happened at the office Halloween party, that’s a thing.
Our office holds an annual costume party the weekend around Halloween. This year it was on a Saturday night. Everyone came decked out in their favorite costumes, except Jeff who showed up wearing a suit making the joke: ‘I’m an executive.’
We all figured he was just pissed for being passed over on the last promotion that went to Rachel Mccarthy in the administrative assistance office. No one took much notice of him. The music was loud, the food was outstanding and the Halloween punch was heavily spiked.
As the big wigs were getting ready to hand out prizes for the best costumes, the lights went out, there was a loud bang and Jeff came into the room dressed in a skeleton onesie with a pumpkin on his head screaming:
“I am the PUMPKIN KING!”
He attempted to jump up onto one of the desks and failed, falling flat on his back and shattering the carved jack o’lantern that encased his head.
“So yeah that’s why Jeff will be out of the office for the next two weeks, while he recovers from a strained back and slight concussion. I’m Grady Wheeler and I will be handling your account in the meantime. Do you have any questions, Mrs. Hunt?” Maggie Hunt took this all in and said, “No, I’m good, just wanted to know when my next payment was due.”
Sulfur and Sin
Fran stood next to the refreshments table sipping a fruit punch concoction from a red solo cup. Kathy had guilted her into attending the ‘Welcome Back Students’ mixer. Seeing as it was a warm evening in mid August, Fran wore her navy blue sundress with oversized yellow sunflowers on it and white slip on sandals.
The overly warm summer had led Fran to making the decision to chop off her hair for something more manageable. Her dark blond hair was cut in a flattering bob that hung just past her chin line. Kathy joined her at the table, pouring herself a cup of punch.
“So, any new faces this year that I should get to know?” Fran asked. Kathy looked around at the group of students milling around in the campus quad.
“Hmm, let’s see. There’s Sue over there if you need any assistance with Economics. And Henry if you’re falling behind in Trigonometry.” Kathy said, grinning at Fran.
“Helpful but not really what I meant.”
Kathy giggled, “I know what you’re looking for. Where did he go?” Kathy looked around the quad. She found what or in this case whom she was looking for. Standing against the side of the music department building, shades on, head down, trying to not be noticed.
“There he is.” Kathy announced, pointing towards the music building. Fran looked in the direction of Kathy’s outstretched hand.
“Intriguing, who is he?”
“That my dear is Ryan Peterson, Music major, transferred from Minnesota State.”
“Nice, unattached I assume?”
“As the day is long, my dear.” Fran put down her solo cup, straightened her dress and ran her fingers through her hair.
“Time for a formal introduction.” Fran made her way over to where Ryan was standing.
“Hey, can you settle a bet for me?” Fran asked, standing in front of Ryan. Being slightly caught off guard Ryan removed his shades and gave Fran the once over.
He cleared his throat. “Sure, what’s the bet?”
Fran smiled, “My friend says that you’re an English major, I say that you’re in a rock band and are just here for the free refreshments. So which is it?”
Ryan scoffed. “Well I think it would be safe to say that you’re both wrong.”
“That’s too bad. I’m Fran, a creative writing and sometimes English lit major.” Fran said, extending her hand. Ryan gently shook her hand, Fran took notice of how soft and warm his hand was. She almost didn’t want to let it go.
“Ryan, Music major and part-time daydreamer.” He said, giving her a slight smile.
“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you. If you have any questions or would like a guided tour of our home away from home. Don’t be a stranger.” Fran said.
As Fran turned to leave, Ryan said, “I have a question, before you scamper off.”
“OK, what is it?”
“What’s your number?”
****
The warm days of Autumn quickly turned into the brisk days of late October.
“So what are you and Ryan going as to the Halloween party?” Kathy asked Fran, as she sat across from her in the library. Fran looked up from the books she was reading and gave Kathy a sly grin.
“OK, so just hear me out on this: Bonnie and Clyde but as punk rock zombies.”
“Well if anyone can pull that off it would be you and Ryan.”
October 31st
Fran adorned herself in a nineteen forties flapper style dress, with fishnet stockings and a long string of fake pearls. The dress has slight slits cut into it, with red dye making it appear as if she had been attacked.
Her makeup consisted of a white powder, bright red lips and electric blue eyeshadow. Topping it off with a sequin headband adorned with the top of a peacock feather. Her footwear of choice was a simple brown patent leather dress shoe that she had found at a vintage clothing shop.
Ryan knocked on her door, she answered to a nineteen forties dark striped Zoot Suit with slits cut into it also decorated in red dye. With his hair greased back and a shade of white powder accented with some heavy eyeliner.
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” Fran said, grabbing her cream colored beaded clutch.
They made a grand entrance to the Halloween party that was being held in the gymnasium on campus. The gym was decked out in black and orange streamers, balloons and strobe lights. Kathy greeted them with enthusiasm, dressed in her old school clown outfit.
“Now that’s scary.” Ryan said, greeting Kathy.
They danced, ate, drank and had a fun time hanging out with all the costumed college students. Fran and Ryan even took second place in the costume contest, coming in behind a couple that went as old school Michale Myers and Laurie Strode from the original Halloween movie.
Around eleven Ryan whispered something to Fran, she nodded in agreement. They said bye to Kathy and headed out of the gym.
****
November 1st
“What do we have?” Detective James Andrews asked the responding officer. As he entered the tall iron gates of Stony Hill Cemetery.
“Two victims in their early twenties, the female found on the steps coming out of the Bartlett’s family crypt and the male found a few feet down the path towards the gate.”
Detective Andrews looked over the bodies.
“I hate Halloween. The M.E. is going to have fun finding the wounds under all the costume makeup.”