Halloween Spirits (And Other Creatures That Go Bump In The Night)

While trick-or-treating, my friends and I decided to explore a dark street we had never noticed before. Looking back now, I realized just how stupid that was. Going down that street would start a domino effect that I wouldn't have a chance in hell stopping. But that thought didn't even cross my mind before we started down the street.

The red cloak I bought for my costume billowed out behind me as I walked, and my friends chatted happily around me. A smile pulled on my lips as Ariel nudged me with her arm. True to her name, she wore a bright red wig with a child’s Little Mermaid tiara on top of her head. She was dressed in modern clothes, but anyone with a childhood could tell who she was.

“Snickers?” She offered with amusement in her eyes, and candy in hand. I feigned horror at the offer before a smile broke across my lips at our inside joke. The light of the full moon broke through the trees as we continued down the street- why we were walking this street escaped me. A howl pierced the air, and startled us all. The eerie sound lasted for a few seconds- it sounded awfully close- before dying down. If I knew then what I knew now, I would have ran.

“What the crap was that?” Emmi asked as she turned to look at us, her yellow shirt flowing around her. With her hands on her hips, she glared at the surrounding area, but the fact that she was dressed as Snow White made her less intimidating.

“Maybe it was a wolf,” I suggested as I tried to keep the smile off my face. She sent a withering look my way before Liana spoke up.

“In Missouri?” She asked as she popped a piece of candy in her mouth. The fact that she was dressed as a dragon may have been intimidating if she hadn’t chosen a dragon from an animated movie. But props to the black outfit with large green eyes.

“It’s Halloween you non-believers,” I told them. Sure, I was being sarcastic- the howling was probably from a dog- but there was no need to rain on my parade.

“Shun the non-believers!” Ariel said as she linked her arm through mine, a laugh escaping my lips at the reference. We continued to recite lines from the idiotic video as we made our way down the street again. A snarling sound from in between two nearby houses stopped us dead in our tracks.

I glanced over to see a large, dark shape walk out of a figure emerge from the shadows. It was a male from what I could tell, but I wasn’t too focused on what he looked like, rather the fangs protruding from his gums. His hands were claws at his sides, and his eyes flicker dangerously between the three of us.

In the blink of an eye, he darted towards us, and tackled Ariel to the ground. A shriek escaped our lips as she yelped in pain- her head smacking into the ground. In one quick, jerky movement the man had snapped her neck.

“Oh my God,” Emmi breathed. The sound captured the man’s attention, and before any of us could move, he had snapped her neck, too. Liana turned to run, but the man had already caught up to her.

Tears clouded my eyes as I stood rooted in the spot and the sickening crunch of bone breaking rippled in the air. I didn’t know what to do- my friends were lying there on the pavement with snapped necks, and all I could do was stand there.

The man’s eerie eyes turned to me, a snarl vibrating through his body. A strangled sob wracked my body as he began to stalk towards me. This was it- this was the end. My friends were dead, and I was next. Two gun shots suddenly rang through the air, causing me to flinch. The man fell to the ground as blood began to pour around him. Footsteps pounded the pavement as two men ran up, the taller one bent to check on the man they shot as the other glanced at my costume.

“Red Riding Hood? Are you frickin’ kidding me?” He asked, his voice rough, and disbelieving.

“Dean,” The other one said in exasperation. He stood from the ground, and walked over to where I was standing. I flinched- involuntary- and took a step back. The man stopped about two feet away before offering me a quick smile.

“My name’s Sam,” He said before gesturing to the other male with his head, “That idiot over there is my brother, Dean. Are you alright?”

What a ridiculous question. Before I got the chance to respond, the world turned sideways before everything went dark.

My favorite Halloween treat…? Candy corn, sprees, or any form of chocolate. I really like candy and any form of sugary products. My parents think I have a problem, but I think they’re crazy.

In the past years I've been Cinderella, Belle (multiple times for both princesses) a witch, a vampire, Dorothy, a Greek Goddess, Red Riding Hood, and a gypsy. I love dressing up so much. I’ll probably wear my Red Riding Hood costume again but with wounds this time- Little Red is one of my favorite costumes.