Happy Halloween

Horror story.

 I have dealt with years of anger and hate, living in the shadows, hiding from those eyes of theirs. It  is time for them to remember. To pay.

And the time is now.

 Halloween can be a time of rememberance. I call it my time of revenge.

 _____________________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

 I opened my locker, relieved that the school day was finally over. A small purple card was taped to the door: A Haunted House invitation of some sort. 

My eyebrow rose as I peeled off the piece of paper.

"You got one, too, huh?" Casey asked, holding up her own purple card.

"Isn't this the stupid Haunted House idea the student body was talking about?" I asked.

"Oh, hey, you got one, too!" Amber, Casey's twin sister, exclaimed.

I nodded, absentmindedly scanning the card while putting my books in my locker with my free hand.

"Be the first to experience our very own Haunted House, sponsored by the Student Council," I read aloud, "Be there at 6:30 pm, before it opens, and tell us what you think."

"Says it'll be hosted at that old manor in Summers Avenue," Amber continued.

"Be there or be square," Her strawberry blonde sister snorted. "How stupid."

I shrugged. "At least it gives us something to do."

"I've got nothing else to do," Casey agreed disinterestedly, "I'm in."

"I did want to go to this one party, but I'd really like to see if that old house is as creepy as the rumors say it is," Amber stated thoughtfully. "I'm in, too."

"Alright, I'll meet you guys there," I pocketed the purple invitation, heaving my backpack over my shoulders.

-x-

I did not like waiting in the cold. Maybe I should have just left -- as much later on I wished I had -- and stay at home, giving candy to begging children in costumes instead. But, no. I was rooted to the ground, waiting for the now late twins to show up.

I was relieved when they showed up, content with knowing that they hadn't ditched me. I watched them with a small smile on my face as they jogged up the street, Elliot and Jackson in tow.

"Sorry we're late, Andrea," Casey greeted, "Elliot and Peter wanted to tag along."

"It's fine."

"Hey, babe," Peter greeted, pressing his lips against mine. I smiled, feeling warm inside.

"Hi," I held his hand, leaning in for another kiss.

"Stop the porn show," Elliot groaned, "Let's scare the s**t out of ourselves already!"

I could see Casey roll her eyes as she turned towards the door. A note was taped onto the door. "Come on in, guys!" It said, "We hope you like it. Chandler."

Peter pocketed the note from the Student Council President and opened the oakwood door.

The entrance was dim. Candles were the only source of light, casting long shadows throughout the room.

The grand staircase had several candles, one on each side of the steps.

"Creepy," I muttered.

"Definitely," Casey muttered in agreement.

"Dudes! This is gonna be so awesome!" Elliot exclaimed excitedly.

"Welcome," A soft, yet silky, voice said. It must have been from an intercom of some sort. "I greet you to this house of mine. Step through your very nightmares...you might never leave."

"Let's go this way!" Amber jumped up and down for joy, "No! That way! Argh, no, let's go that way!"

We all laughed at her childish behavior, setting off for the door she was pointing at. The room was darker than the last. A group of hunch backed witches made of wax stood over a black cauldron. Eerie music was playing softly in th background.

"Welcome to the Witch's brewery," The same voice stated pleasantly, "Be careful not to get to close to the cauldron -- you just might fall in."

"Lame," Elliot muttered, "Jeez. Scare me before I turn thirty, will ya?'

"Yeah," Peter nodded, "Even that last bit sucked."

Casey ran her hand across a table in the corner, next to the display.

"There's something off here," She whispered so lowly that we all had to strain to hear, "And what's that in the cauldron?"

She pointed a finger at the bubbling black goo in the large, black pot. I eyed it in distaste. "Beats me," I wrinkled my nose, "But it smells."

Casey just stood there, though, eyeing the cauldron suspiciously. I was getting bored, uninterested in her little investigation. Amber was annoyed.

"Ugh, let's go to the next room, already!" She complained, flipping her hair back over her shoulder, irritation showing in her eyes.

I wanted to offer to stay with her, but her back was already turned to us, looking calculatingly at the room. Peter tugged at my hand, leading me towards the others, following Amber's and Elliot's path. ______________________________________________________________________________

It was a shame she was the first to go. I deemed her the smartest out of the idiots she associated herself with.

It was not long until I was standing behind her, examining her study the cauldron suspiciously.

She knocked on the cauldron. Bang, bang, bang.

"Odd," She whispered, her back still to me, "A metal cauldron. Do they even make those anymore?"

A quick thinker she was.

Her eyes trailed to the multiple burnsen burners under the cauldron, burning a bright, neon blue.

"I guess that's what's making that goop burn," She concluded, straightening back up, now examining the black substance boiling inside the large cauldron.

I could see my reflection looking back at me, smirking. I could see her eyes widen in shock, gasping in surprise as she fell face first into the cauldron of boiling oil.

"Burn in Hell," I whispered before turning on my heels and striding out of the room. My back was straight, my head up high.

I was gaining power.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Where the hell is Elliot?" I wondered, groaning. "We've been waiting here for what? Ten, fifteen minutes?"

"More like twenty," Amber rolled her eyes, "How long does it take to go to the bathroom, my God!"

Peter sat in a chair beside the werewolf wax model, his chin resting in his hand as his brown eyes scanned the room disinterestedly.

"You guys go," Amber sighed, "I'll wait for the dumbass and we'll catch up to you, maybe we'll find Casey somewhere."

Peter shrugged, "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind."

"Well, good luck with that," I laughed, taking hold of Peter's cool hand.

__________________________________________________________________________________

"Elliot?" The girl called out. There was no reply. "Ugh! Elliot, when I find you, I'm going to kill you!"

Ha. I already beat her there.

The twin walked through the vampire display unfazed, as expected. She passed through a few rooms; I turned down one hall, stomping loudly to make sure she heard me.

"Elliot?" She called out once more. "I swear, if that's you..." She trailed off; I could no longer hear the low threats she muttered.

I stepped softer now, hiding behind the open door.

"Elliot?" She gasped, "Oh, my God!"

She had covered her mouth to muffle her cries, staring disbelievingly at the dark skinned boy who was hanging from a a taught rope tied to one of the banisters.

"Oh, my God!" She cried out again. Her shoulders shook under her strawberry blonde hair.

In three quick seconds, my hand muffled her cries, my other holding her arms pinned to her side. Her legs thrashed around wildly, tears ran down her face, moistening my hand.

"You're only making this harder for yourself," I breathed in her ear. I could feel my lips stretch into a distorted grin as I felt her shiver against me.

Amber quieted down. I hesitantly loosened my grip on her mouth. Restrained sobs escaped past her lips, her head bowed down, her hair creating a curtain shielding her from my view.

The younger twin did not notice the gling from the object in my hand.

She gasped, much like her sister, though not in surprise. The girl fell to her knees, embedding the knife deeper into her wound.

I chuckled, leaning down to face hear. Blood poured from her wound, a stream of red from her mouth. Amber's hazel eyes looked around frantically, gradually slowing until they were dull, lifeless, her breath shallow.

"Those eyes," I whispered, "Those same, dead, eyes. I've had them for so long. Try them on for size."

_____________________________________________________________________________

"Ugh, I hate these mirror rooms," I groaned. "Let's get out of here!"

"No way!" Peter laughed, running in one direction. "Come and get me, Andrea!"

"Hey, wait!"

His footsteps faded as I rolled my eyes, following suit.

 

 

 

 

A muffled cry. A t

hud.

 

"Peter? Peter! This isn't funny!" My voice shook; my paranoid self took over.

 

"On the contrary," Someone replied.

My breath caught in my throat. That was not Peter.

"Turn left, Andrea." The smooth voice said.

I shakily turned left. I could not force down the bile that rose to my throat. I fell to my knees, hurling the yellow green slime close to Peter's head.

There...Peter's dead eyes stared back at me...his body laying several feet away from his head.

"Not a pretty sight, eh?" I heard the voice, then footsteps. I did not stay to see his face.

I pushed myself off of my knees, clumsily running in any direction.

I honestly cannot say how I found my way out of that confusing mirror room, with tears blurring my vision. I knocked down many mirrors, shattering mirror after mirror until I stumbled out of the room.ing.

The decorated rooms, the wax vampire figures, the bowls of fake eyeballs sent shivers down my spine, though only minutes ago they were insignificant, and I scorned them in distaste. They instilled fear in my very being.

I could see the exit now. I was at the top of the grand staircase. Tears blurred my vision once again as I smiled. I was getting out. I was leaving this Haunted Hell. For one second, I felt delighted.

And that one second cost me.

A pale arm gripped my waist, a hand muffling my frightened shrieks.

Oh, God,

 

 

I thought. Tears ran down my face.

 

 

 

Oh, God, oh, God!

I was going to die. I didn't get out while I had the chance. My knees felt weak, I had to lean against him for support, to keep myself from collapsing completely.

The hysteria was getting to me; my chest heaved up and down. I could not see through my tears as everything was just a mess of dull colors. Despite the hand on my mouth, I yelled, thrashed my legs, tried to break free. And everything went black.

I awoke stiff. I groaned, cricking my neck. I couldn't move my wrists, strapped to a wooden chair, needles piercing into me. It dawned on me -- I wasn't dead yet.

I could see the outline of his body, hidden in a shadow.

"What do you want with me?" My voice shook with terror.

He stepped out of the shadows. "Don't you remember someone as insignificant as me, Andrea?" His voice was smooth, taunting, "Just because I hid in the shadows you forgot me?"

"I don't know you!"

"Sure you don't," He chuckled, placing his hand on a metal lever. "But, when you pass through Hell, maybe you'd remember the pain you'd put me through."

I closed my eyes, facing my fate.

My eyes snapped open as the jolt of electricity passed through me, and I remembered.

His grey eyes were piercing as he watched intently as my blood burned.

I remembered the beating Peter and Elliot gave him for laughs...

The remarks Casey would make of him...

The scornful looks Amber and I gave him...

I wanted to apologize. I wanted him to end my suffering. But all I could do was scream.

_______________________________________________________________________

I watched as the mansion, hidden from most, burned. My safe haven, holding the corpses of my tormentors. I'd hidden in the shadows away from their view. And now my revenge has finally come.

"Happy Halloween," I sneered, disappearing into the woods behind the yard.

Not again. Never again will they torment me.

This Halloween has been sweet, indeed. 

 

 

Author's Note

My first horror story. Excuse the lack of gore and blood if there should be any, but this was a submission for a school contest, and the rules were no gore or anything too extreme.

Reviews

[Claudia]

*whistles* Daaaaaaaaamn.

Nice story ben. Really good, and well-written as always.