Jack-O-Lantern

For the group "500 words"

I sat down on the steps in front of my house, totally exhausted.  I could only do this once a year.  The kids trick-or-treating came by the busload, there was no doubt about it.  I just wondered why they all decided to come to my neighborhood.

So I decided to ask.  The next kid that came to my door was a teenaged guy dressed as Darth Vader.  I asked him, “Why do you all like to come to this neighborhood?”

“Don’t you know?” he asked as I dropped a Kit Kat into his bag.

“If I knew, would I be asking?”

“I guess not.  That house on the end of the block is supposed to be haunted.  An old guy was killed there in 1903 on Halloween.  He was hit over the head with a jack-o-lantern,” he explained.  “See you next year.”

“You bet,” I replied absently, looking down my street.  There it was, at the bottom of the hill.  The house itself wasn’t all that spectacular.  The white paint was chipping from years of being vacant, but the wind chimes. . . .  At night, you could hear them clanging in a minor key, playing a haunting melody that created nightmares for everyone who heard it. . . .

Or that’s what it seemed like.  I wanted to find out what was really going on.  I didn’t believe in ghosts, so the entire thing seemed kind of ridiculous.  Turning off my porch light, I pulled on my boots and stomped down the hill.

When I got to the house, I noticed that it had a fence.  I had never noticed it before, but it was creaking loudly in the wind.  I pushed the gate open and stepped onto the lawn.

There were so many weeds on the lawn that I had to fight to walk through them.  You’d think that the owner of the house would have noticed them before.  Then I saw the for sale sign.

I decided to see if there was anyone in there.  There was a light on, and I doubted that any “ghost” would need a light, so it was safe to ring the doorbell.  Stepping up onto the porch, I knocked on the door and called, “Hello?  Is anyone there?”  There was no answer.  “I’m your neighbor, Claire, from up the block.”

The door opened slowly.  A chill ran down my spine.  It was colder in the house than it was outside, which was almost impossible, since it was nearly freezing.  I stepped inside.  As soon as I did, the door slammed shut.

I decided that it was some of the neighborhood kids playing a prank on me.  Walking back to the door, I tried to open it.  But it wouldn’t budge.

I saw that the light was coming from the kitchen.  I walked in, not knowing what to expect.  The first thing I saw was a smashed jack-o-lantern on the floor.  Then I saw the body.

It was an old man, probably in his late eighties.  He was just laying there on the floor.  I stepped over to him, not believing what I was seeing.  I reached out my hand to touch his forehead.

His eyes popped open, and all I knew was darkness.

Author's Note

542 words

Reviews

[halflives]

Of COURSE she would go over to the house! Who wouldn't? Flowed excellently. I loved it.

[Angel Bird]

This is good - this is real Halloween-stuff! I'd so like a second installment...
Truly well done!

[Jazz]

that was brilliant! really creepy xD

[LynLee]

ewwwww his eyes popped open.....COOL!

[YouoweYoupay]

*Laughs* that was some scary s**t. I enjoyed it. Keep writing.

[Bette]

good job! was it a prank??????lol

[Akeen V.]

very halloweny