The Halloween moon was just beginning to peek over the horizon as the sun went down upon the small community of Hilldale. Being the end of October, the winds had already started to blow cool dry air through the area, causing the trees and shrubs to sway in time with the autumn gusts. Small clouds of orange and brown oak leaves playfully swirled across the lawn of 265 Forester Lane, but they went unseen by the home's single occupant. Jacob Sorenson, the newest resident of Hilldale was too busy pacing around his living room, pulling back the curtains to look down the long road. His wife had left hours ago and she was, by now, very late.
Normally, Jacob liked having the house to himself. He could have the volume on as loud as he wanted on the television set. He could leave as many lights on as he wanted. And he could walk around in his boxer shorts, all things his wife frowned upon his doing. Tonight, though, he was doing none of those things.
He had heard from his neighbors that they were all expecting a hoard of creatures to rampage through the quiet town that very night! Apparently, the community of Hilldale was not as quiet or as safe as Jacob had been led to believe. As it was, he had only agreed to move to the United States because his wife had family here. He was perfectly content to have lived his entire life in the town of Smithingsgate back in his dear England. There were certainly no creatures roaming the streets at night back there. But now, he was beginning to see a bit more clearly just how different things were across the ocean.
Now, Jacob was most certainly not a cowardly man. However, he felt he was justified this time in being frightened. Waves of undead walking through the town streets? How could anyone take that for granted? Just how callous had his neighbors become if they were nonchalantly preparing for an assault that night? It boggled Jacob's mind.
Pulling the curtains back for the umpteenth time, Jacob let his eyes sweep up and down the street looking for his wife's car, but there was nothing moving out there. She had left to the store to buy much needed supplies for the night; just how long could that take? Jacob was beginning to worry that she may have been caught up in something already. Why had she insisted on leaving the house!?
Returning to his pacing, Jacob went through the instructions given to him by his neighbors, people who had experienced and survived countless nights such as this one. He had a chair already placed by the door, ready to be used as soon as his wife returned home. He had all of his window blinds closed and curtains drawn. That was simply a precaution, he was told. No one ever made for a window, but it was best to not allow a view from the street nonetheless. All of his exterior doors were tightly shut, their overhead lights extinguished to not call attention to them. The only light on was the light to the main porch; it allowed Jacob to see if anyone or anything was walking up to the house. Everything else that his neighbors had suggested he have on hand had needed to be purchased, which explained his wife's absence.
Jacob moved back to the front window, peering out again for signs of his wife's return. But what was this? Jacob was sure he could see movement across the way. It appeared as if a small group of monsters had already begun to gather. Looking up into the sky, Jacob could see that the last vestiges of the sun had long since disappeared, the only natural light now coming from the silvery moon hanging suspended over the town. Surely they weren't abroad already? His neighbors had assured him that nothing would happen until later in the evening!
Jacob could feel his heart begin to pound. Ever since he was a child, the very idea of monsters, creatures, and zombies had terrified him. His parents had assured him that no such things existed, but he knew better. He had always had the ability to see things that no one else could. He vividly remembered the shadowy figure in his closet that would try to blend in with the dark clothes, but Jacob had seen its glittering eyes. His mother would assure him that his room was safe, but Jacob could hear the whispery breaths of the thing under his bed, a creature waiting to grab his legs as soon as his feet would drape over the edge of the mattress. Yes, monsters existed; most people, though, either couldn't or wouldn't see them.
Jacob looked out of the window again. There was still no sign of his wife, but now he was certain that there were groups moving around outside. Luckily, some of the men from the town had already built a bonfire in the middle of the park, and Jacob could see the bright orange flames dancing high in the sky. Hopefully most of the monsters would be attracted to the flames and be dealt with over there; hopefully none of them would make it down to his dark corner of Forester Lane. Perhaps he should shut off the porch light after all, he thought, just to help his little house go unnoticed.
Suddenly he heard a thump on his wooden porch.
What was that! he thought, his breath beginning to come in short gasps. Had one of the groups made it to his house after all? Had they bypassed the bonfire and wandered down the street instead? Frozen with fear, Jacob's eyes darted to his window, but the blinds and curtains made it impossible for him to see what was outside.
There it was again! A couple of solid thumps and the patter of feet walking across his porch! He was sure of it!
Rather than looking outside, Jacob raced to his rear door, considering bolting out the back way when five solid knocks stopped his dead in his tracks. The pounding knocks had not come from the front, but rather from the back! He could here shrill voices screaming through the light wooden door, though he couldn't make out what they were saying. What could creatures of the night have to say, anyway? Jacob heard fists pounding at his back door again, and then deeper voices raised, issuing what sounded like commands. The pounding stopped.
Jacob ran back to his living room in time to see small hunched figures being followed by slower shadowy shapes. Just how many of them were out there?
A crash sounded from upstairs, a deep and resounding thump that made Jacob jump a foot in the air and let out a small shriek. What was that? Had the creatures managed to get in through an upstairs window? Grabbing the flashlight off of the side table, another item recommended by his neighbors, Jacob raced up the stairs and peered into the room where the noise had come. The bright beam lit up his extra bedroom as Jacob panned the light back and forth. He immediately saw the curtains billowing into the room.
The window was open!
Jacob's hand trembled as he continued to shine the light into the darkened room when he spied the source of the sound. It was not an undead as he had feared; rather, a book had fallen off of a shelf and landed on the floor. Clearly, the wind had pushed the book over. Passing a shaking hand over his sweating brow, Jacob quickly crossed the room and closed the window. Now that he realized he wasn't about to be eaten alive, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He didn't think he would be able to stand another strain like that.
He shut his light off and began to descend the stairs when the pounding came again, this time on the front door. The light thumps were punctuated by high voiced shrieks and the clatter of many feet on the porch.
My God, thought Jacob, I'm doomed.
At that moment, Jacob saw the glow of headlights brighten his front windows. His wife was home! Rushing down the last few stairs, Jacob ran to the door, ready to thrown it open at a moment's notice. But then he froze.
If he opened the door for his wife, what would happen then? Would he see things that would haunt him the rest of his life? Would some of the creatures try to dart inside before he could get the door closed again?
Suddenly, he heard his wife's voice raised outside, saying something to the gathered mob of ghouls and zombies. What was she saying? He heard her voice coming closer to the door as the shrill voices began to laugh and chatter even louder.
What was going on out there?
Suddenly, Jacob heard someone kicking at the door and shouting his name.
"Jacob! Jacob! Open the door!"
It was his wife!
Dashing the last few feet to the door, Jacob quickly turned the heavy steel bolt and unlocked the door, throwing it open as quickly as he could. Standing there, her form outlined by the bright bonfire blazing across the way, the porch light accentuating the creases in her face, Jacob's wife scowled at him as she lifted her arms to show off several plastic bags from WalMart filled with Halloween candy.
"Damn it, Jacob, why wasn't the door open? And why aren't you sitting out here with the bowl of mini snickers bars I left? The trick-or-treaters are here already!"
So saying Matilda Sorenson gestured around her at the several children dressed as goblins, ghouls, and zombies, their parents watching from the sidewalk.
"Damn it Jacob, please don't tell me you've been hiding in the dark! I swear, you go further into the deep end every day, you fat useless chicken. I should have listened to my mother all those years ago. She always said you were a flake, you know."
Pushing passed the frozen Jacob, Matilda called from over her shoulder. "One second, my dears, let me grab the bowl of candy."
Jacob stood there at the door, looking out at the painted faces of the neighborhood children. There was a vampire. And over there was an undead boy, blood pouring from an open wound on his neck. Trick-or-treaters? More like little monsters!
Jacob hated anything relating to monsters. As his wife returned to begin passing out candy to the shrieking children, Jacob averted his eyes from the scary costumes. He just knew he was going to have nightmares. That is, if he could even get to sleep with the closet monster glaring at him all night long.
Jacob looked out of the window again. There was still no sign of his wife, but now he was certain that there were groups moving around outside. Luckily, some of the men from the town had already built a bonfire in the middle of the park, and Jacob could see the bright orange flames dancing high in the sky. Hopefully most of the monsters would be attracted to the flames and be dealt with over there; hopefully none of them would make it down to his dark corner of Forester Lane. Perhaps he should shut off the porch light after all, he thought, just to help his little house go unnoticed.
Suddenly he heard a thump on his wooden porch.
What was that! he thought, his breath beginning to come in short gasps. Had one of the groups made it to his house after all? Had they bypassed the bonfire and wandered down the street instead? Frozen with fear, Jacob's eyes darted to his window, but the blinds and curtains made it impossible for him to see what was outside.
There it was again! A couple of solid thumps and the patter of feet walking across his porch! He was sure of it!
Rather than looking outside, Jacob raced to his rear door, considering bolting out the back way when five solid knocks stopped his dead in his tracks. The pounding knocks had not come from the front, but rather from the back! He could here shrill voices screaming through the light wooden door, though he couldn't make out what they were saying. What could creatures of the night have to say, anyway? Jacob heard fists pounding at his back door again, and then deeper voices raised, issuing what sounded like commands. The pounding stopped.
Jacob ran back to his living room in time to see small hunched figures being followed by slower shadowy shapes. Just how many of them were out there?
A crash sounded from upstairs, a deep and resounding thump that made Jacob jump a foot in the air and let out a small shriek. What was that? Had the creatures managed to get in through an upstairs window? Grabbing the flashlight off of the side table, another item recommended by his neighbors, Jacob raced up the stairs and peered into the room where the noise had come. The bright beam lit up his extra bedroom as Jacob panned the light back and forth. He immediately saw the curtains billowing into the room.
The window was open!
Jacob's hand trembled as he continued to shine the light into the darkened room when he spied the source of the sound. It was not an undead as he had feared; rather, a book had fallen off of a shelf and landed on the floor. Clearly, the wind had pushed the book over. Passing a shaking hand over his sweating brow, Jacob quickly crossed the room and closed the window. Now that he realized he wasn't about to be eaten alive, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He didn't think he would be able to stand another strain like that.
He shut his light off and began to descend the stairs when the pounding came again, this time on the front door. The light thumps were punctuated by high voiced shrieks and the clatter of many feet on the porch.
My God, thought Jacob, I'm doomed.
At that moment, Jacob saw the glow of headlights brighten his front windows. His wife was home! Rushing down the last few stairs, Jacob ran to the door, ready to thrown it open at a moment's notice. But then he froze.
If he opened the door for his wife, what would happen then? Would he see things that would haunt him the rest of his life? Would some of the creatures try to dart inside before he could get the door closed again?
Suddenly, he heard his wife's voice raised outside, saying something to the gathered mob of ghouls and zombies. What was she saying? He heard her voice coming closer to the door as the shrill voices began to laugh and chatter even louder.
What was going on out there?
Suddenly, Jacob heard someone kicking at the door and shouting his name.
"Jacob! Jacob! Open the door!"
It was his wife!
Dashing the last few feet to the door, Jacob quickly turned the heavy steel bolt and unlocked the door, throwing it open as quickly as he could. Standing there, her form outlined by the bright bonfire blazing across the way, the porch light accentuating the creases in her face, Jacob's wife scowled at him as she lifted her arms to show off several plastic bags from WalMart filled with Halloween candy.
"Damn it, Jacob, why wasn't the door open? And why aren't you sitting out here with the bowl of mini snickers bars I left? The trick-or-treaters are here already!"
So saying Matilda Sorenson gestured around her at the several children dressed as goblins, ghouls, and zombies, their parents watching from the sidewalk.
"Damn it Jacob, please don't tell me you've been hiding in the dark! I swear, you go further into the deep end every day, you fat useless chicken. I should have listened to my mother all those years ago. She always said you were a flake, you know."
Pushing passed the frozen Jacob, Matilda called from over her shoulder. "One second, my dears, let me grab the bowl of candy."
Jacob stood there at the door, looking out at the painted faces of the neighborhood children. There was a vampire. And over there was an undead boy, blood pouring from an open wound on his neck. Trick-or-treaters? More like little monsters!
Jacob hated anything relating to monsters. As his wife returned to begin passing out candy to the shrieking children, Jacob averted his eyes from the scary costumes. He just knew he was going to have nightmares. That is, if he could even get to sleep with the closet monster glaring at him all night long.
Happy Halloween!
from Dr Mandragora
