Halloween Carnival Volume 4

by Halloween Carnival Volume 4 (retail) (epub)

  Just then I turned my head to the opposite side of the yard near the shed as I saw movement from the corner of my eye. For one second I froze as a large shadow detached itself and then slunk back behind it. I felt real chills go down my spine—and everywhere else, for that matter.

  Who was back there? It looked like someone big. Really big.

  I looked around for Kyle, who was farther away now, crossing the street without me, probably unaware that I had even stopped. My mouth opened to warn him, but I turned my head to the left as a car came around the turn—one with a siren on the top.

  A police cruiser making its rounds…

  Kyle was quick, dashing to the other side and moving into a cluster of bushes, disappearing in an instant. I was already concealed, so I retreated farther into Ryan’s yard, worried about both the cop and the figure I’d just seen. Crouching down, I looked in opposite directions, wondering if someone was after our bikes. The yard was large, but you never knew what mischief someone else might be up to…The notion gave me a small boost of courage, and I picked up a large stick that had one thick end, waiting until the cop completely passed me and I knew he wasn’t going to stop.

  The smart thing to do was wait for Kyle to return, but I didn’t want the person to get away. Hurrying forward cautiously, I made my way deeper into the yard, pausing twenty yards from the shed. Feeling one of those strange moments of courage, the ones which you didn’t know where they came from or when they might happen, I reached into my bag and pulled out a tomato, intending to scare whoever was lurking back there. Without hesitation, I railed it against the aluminum siding, hitting it harder than I wanted to. No sooner had it smacked the metal when a shadow materialized, crouching behind a cluster of bushes.

  It looked even larger from close up, and I saw a pair of eyes staring me down.

  Yellow eyes, like an animal’s…

  That was all it took for me, and I tore out of there, my confidence completely melted away in the span of a second. I was a fast runner, and I was around the side of the house in no time, greeted by the back porch lights coming on from Ryan’s house. My throw had made too much of a commotion, and most likely Mr. Hill was coming out to investigate. I turned the corner of the brick home and was shocked as another figure appeared out of the darkness before me. It was too late to stop and I crashed headlong into Kyle, who was probably coming back to find me. We both went down in a heap, the breath knocked from my lungs. Several seconds passed and we lay there, shaken and confused.

  “What are you doing? You almost killed me…”

  “Ugh.” I groaned, feeling pain in my side. Probably nothing serious, but I hurt.

  “Who made that noise? Sounds like someone cracked Ryan’s shed a good one.”

  We waited there, hearing a voice from the backyard. “If someone’s out here, you better get home before I call the cops.”

  Mr. Hill called out a warning, but I knew he wouldn’t follow through. After another minute, I heard the door close, and I was sure he’d gone back inside.

  “Something was in back of the shed,” I whispered. “Something big, with eyes like an animal’s.”

  Kyle’s face came close. I didn’t know if he believed me.

  “I threw a tomato at the shed to scare it. When you crossed the street I looked back and thought someone was trying to steal our bikes. I saw something watching me in the bushes, so I ran away. I’m telling you, I don’t know what it was.”

  “Let’s go see” was all Kyle said. We got up and made our way carefully around back again, ducking to avoid the windows. We weren’t too afraid of being spotted by Mr. Hill, though. He would just tell us to go home for the night. It was probably close to curfew time by now.

  With Kyle leading, we went straight back to the shed. I grabbed the stick I had dropped, hoping I wouldn’t need it.

  “Careful,” I whispered.

  Kyle shrugged, not looking too concerned. He turned the right corner and I followed, more slowly than him. When we reached the back of the shed we found our bikes, but nothing else. The rest of the yard extended into a rough patch of bushes that separated the property from the alley. Could whatever I’d seen gone through there? Probably.

  “Well, there’s nothing here now. Maybe it was Cal dressed up, trying to scare you.”

  I thought about it for a moment. Cal was Ryan’s older brother, and he did have a sense of humor. He was too old to hang around with us, but we generally got along. I don’t know if I believed Kyle’s explanation, though. It was possible, at least…But I was far from convinced.

  “I don’t know if he’s home or not.” I looked back at the house. “If it was him, it worked.”

  Kyle laughed quietly. “Let’s go back. It’s getting late. And don’t forget about tomorrow.”

  I had forgotten. Kyle was insistent on going to Graver’s Farm, and there was nothing I could do to persuade him otherwise. But after the scares of the past few nights, I was more reluctant than ever to join him.

  —

  Ten minutes later we reached the edge of town, Swamp Road looming before us and the big hill. On either side were corn fields, and a solitary farmhouse sitting a few hundred yards down a lane that branched off to the left. It was our source for raiding corn and had always proven reliable. Grab a couple cobs at night, stash them in our bags, and off we would go. A simple plan that worked for us.

  But negotiating the hill was never easy. We started riding upward, standing on our pedals, and made it less than halfway to the top before stopping. It was a well-known routine, and we led our bikes the rest of the way up. Shortly we were at the top, and I looked back where I saw the town lit up for the evening, preparing for the cool October night. We jumped back on our bikes and pedaled off as I pulled my jacket tighter. Riding at a brisk pace, we passed by the trees like twin phantoms gliding on the wind, pausing for nothing until we reached my house.

  “Want to come inside for a while” I offered. I still remembered the figure in Ryan’s yard and couldn’t shake off my anxiety.

  “No, I don’t want to get home too late. I didn’t eat supper yet.”

  With that, he was off and I was all alone.

  Again.

  I went up the driveway and reached the porch, opening the door with my key. Buffer greeted me as usual, and the sight of my dog was comforting. Next to Kyle, he really was my best friend. I let him outside, scanning the yard and surrounding trees for any movement. The crickets were becoming more subdued by the day as the air grew cooler, and I knew that soon their music would be hushed entirely. The dog was done and I was eager to get back inside. Locking the door behind me, I made a round through the house to lock everything, starting with the basement first and going all the way up to the attic. I was taking no chances. Satisfied, I made a quick sandwich and headed to my bedroom, the dog in tow. Flicking through the channels, I saw that a lot of horror movies were on, but for once I didn’t feel in the mood for watching any.

  I stayed up there all night, eventually falling asleep and dreaming of those piercing, animallike eyes.

  —

  I woke up to the sound of my door being opened and I started, realizing that it was my dad looking in on me. Once in a while he would, and that was one of the few things that convinced me he still cared.

  “Dad?” I said.

  “Yeah.”

  “How was work?”

  “The same old stuff. Busier than ever.”

  “Oh. What are you working on now?” Normally, I didn’t even ask him about things at the factory. But I had a sudden urge to connect with him, something I was rarely guilty of myself.

  “Lot of orders. It never stops.” He paused. “I’ll be working all weekend again. Hope you have fun for Halloween…”

  His voice trailed off sadly and he left, shutting the door behind him. And that was it. One of our normal conversations, if you could call it that. Still, his presence always comforted me, and I hoped that he felt the same. I couldn’t answer that question, and it wa
s one I dared never ask. I would rather go on thinking that he cared for me than the alternative. No, sometimes it was better to believe in the lie than to have it reveal its ugly face.

  This was one of those times.

  —

  When I woke up later, Halloween greeted me with a clattering of leaves and twigs tumbling about outside, chased relentlessly by a restless wind. My room was cool, as I had left the window partly open, and I shivered, still preferring to keep it propped. There was just something about staying connected to the outside world and not shutting yourself entirely away from it.

  I showered and dressed quickly, glad that it was Saturday. It was nice not having to spend most of Halloween in school, and my heart lifted as the holiday had finally arrived, the shadows of the previous night dispelled by the light of a new autumn day.

  I didn’t know if my dad was home. He went in early sometimes on weekends and didn’t come back until late. I should have asked him why he needed to work so much, but that touched too closely on things best left alone.

  All dressed, I turned on the downstairs TV until I found an old black-and-white of Frankenstein, a perfect movie for the perfect day. I fed Buffer and myself, and sat around for a while, immersed in the movie. Trying to make the day last as long as possible, I was in no rush to do anything. So the morning and early afternoon found me sitting lazily around the house, watching whatever horror flick was being served up.

  Growing a bit restless, I decided to see what Craig was up to, so I rode to his place, getting there in under ten minutes. He was in the garage as usual, so I knocked and walked right in. He was working on the same car yet, and Blue Oyster Cult was blaring away on the radio.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” I asked.

  “Different day, same crap,” he said. “Keeping out of trouble?” The question sounded casual enough, but the weird events of the past few days emerged once more, refusing to be discarded.

  “I guess. Raiding last night, you know.”

  “Stick to playing pranks in town; you’ll miss it someday.”

  “Probably,” I replied. “But I’ll be like you, working on cars in a few years.”

  “Not like me, I hope,” he answered, and it sounded strange to me. “Get out of this town and make something of yourself.” He stopped working, and a weird look crossed his face. In that moment I felt sorry for him but couldn’t quite figure out why. His words made me uncomfortable, and I walked around the garage, pretending to be interested in some tools he had lying around. Edgar Winter was now blaring over the radio, with a heavy synthesizer riff. Frankenstein. The station was playing its annual Halloween show.

  “What are you guys doing tonight?”

  “I don’t know,” I lied. “Going to town and raiding, I guess.” There was no way I was going to tell Craig our plans. If it was up to me, that was exactly what I’d be doing. But Kyle was difficult to turn down at times. Almost always, to be honest. He knew what buttons to push, and he also had a good idea of my loyalty to our friendship. We’d known each other practically all our childhood, and he was the closest one to where I lived from my own age group. Shared homeroom, classes, and the bus together every day. So, yeah, we were a pair, pretty inseparable.

  “What about you?” I asked. “Doing anything for Halloween? Any parties going on?”

  Craig frowned. “Those days are over for me. I’m not a kid anymore. I’m working late tonight.” He paused, grabbing a different wrench.

  I wondered why he worked so much, too. The cottage couldn’t cost that much to rent. Maybe he was buying the place after all.

  “Ever think you’ll end up owning the house and garage?”

  He shook his head. “Property owner will never sell it. I just have some debt to pay off.” He stared at me. “Listen, I’ll give you some sound advice. Don’t ever bite off more than you can chew. Stay clean and make a future for yourself somewhere out of this town. Ever hear that saying about the grass being greener somewhere else?”

  I nodded.

  “It’s true. Especially around here.”

  With that, he focused on the engine and I got the feeling he wanted to be left alone. Whatever was on Craig’s mind obviously bothered him, and I didn’t want to distract him from his work.

  “All right. I’ll see you later,” I said, making my way to the door.

  Craig gave me a sharp look. “Remember what I said. Be careful when you’re out there and stick to streets you’re familiar with. Most people don’t think there’s anything to Halloween except kids dressing up and asking for candy. Well, there is. All those stories about weird things going on? Believe them.”

  I didn’t respond, not having anything to say. The conversation had been the strangest one I could ever recall since knowing Craig. He was a lot more superstitious than I thought.

  Maybe he’d seen things in his past that had made him that way.

  I grabbed my bike and headed back home. The sky was blanketed with clouds of gray. Fall clouds, ones that brought in a chill wind that found every nook and cranny it could. I pulled my jacket tighter as I rode past the empty woods, thinking about the coming night and hoping that it would prove to be uneventful, a real change of heart from my previous attitude.

  —

  When I heard the knock on the door, I felt a wave of apprehension come over me. It was nearly dark, and I’d talked with Kyle for only a few minutes on the phone. He’d been out with his dad earlier, doing something in town. Besides the short trip to Craig’s, the rest of my day had consisted of watching horror flicks and eating junk food with Buffer loafing around close by. There were definitely benefits to being alone most of the time, because I did like my privacy, basically hanging out and doing whatever I wanted. But I missed having my dad around. And my mom…No, I didn’t want to think about it.

  With my thoughts scrambling in several directions, I let Kyle inside.

  “You ready?”

  I didn’t need to ask what it was I needed to be ready for. But I was going to try once more to change his mind.

  “I stopped by Craig’s earlier. He didn’t seem to be in a good mood.”

  “He’s weird lately. I think he’s working too much.” Kyle shrugged.

  “Yeah,” I answered. “He warned me about getting into trouble tonight. Said we should stay around town.”

  “So? I’m sure he did a lot worse than us when he was younger.”

  “Maybe he thinks we’re going to Graver’s Farm.”

  “Well, we are…and what if he does?” Kyle raised his arms in the air. “What’s the point?”

  Kyle was direct in most of the things he did, and this was going to be no exception.

  I sat down on the arm of the sofa. “I think he went there before and knows how mean the farmer can be, but doesn’t want to admit it. That’s what.” I already knew Kyle wouldn’t be persuaded to change his mind.

  “We’ll be careful. You already know that. The farmer’s probably ninety years old by now anyway.” He laughed. “I’m sure he’s got better things to do than patrol his property at night with a shotgun.”

  I had to admit Kyle was right. There were stories and rumors about Graver’s Farm, but no one had ever come forward to confirm anything firsthand.

  “Now, are you coming or are you going to sit here and watch Dracula reruns all night?”

  I nodded.

  I was in, for better or worse.

  —

  By the time we rode down to Graver’s Farm it was nearly dark. The sky was bright overhead, but unlike the spooky setting in those old black-and-white movies, there was no full moon yet. Pretty close, and it did look brilliant in the evening canopy overhead. Well, that ruled out werewolves. I chuckled to myself, trying to bolster my courage.

  It was tough.

  The road on either side was washed in a sweep of shadows, the hollow ahead looming dark and mysterious. I’d never been down here this late, and if looking creepy was a contest, the place took first prize in my book.

&nb
sp; I heard one or two crickets droning somewhere nearby, their music now sad and lonely, a revenant of their former robust chorus from warmer days. With Halloween only a few hours away, it seemed appropriate. It did nothing to strengthen my resolve, though, that was for sure. I heard something flapping in the trees about twenty yards ahead, and we both looked in that direction.

  “Probably an owl. Hawks go out at night, too,” Kyle offered. “Owls are the coolest thing.”

  I agreed. Once in a while I would spot one in the evening, but most of the time you would only hear them, screeching or hooting in the distance, depending on the species.

  “Bats are done for the year. Too cold now.” Kyle got off his bike and boldly started directly into the lane, where a NO TRESPASSING sign was nailed into a rusted metal post. He seemed to have no fear, at least, true to his word.

  I followed reluctantly, peering about into the gloom, but nothing moved. It was an isolated part of the mountain, and very few cars ever drove by. I didn’t even know how much land was here, or how big the farm actually was. From what I knew, it was large.

  We went down the road, Kyle suggesting a spot to leave our bikes in a high patch of grass. I didn’t want to just ride down the lane and risk being spotted either. Putting them aside, we walked along the dirt and stone, the quiet pattering of our sneakers making the only sound. We went this way for several minutes, my eyes peeled ahead for someone coming up from the farm itself. I couldn’t imagine anything going on down there at this hour.

  After walking about two hundred yards, we reached a spot where water lapped up against the side of the road. To either side stretched a bog that reached into the twilight, spanning out in both directions. A tunnel lay beneath us where the sluggish water connected. Something splashed to our left, but that was the only sound breaking the silence. Kyle paused ahead of me for a moment.

  “Probably some nice bass in here,” he said.

  “Yeah,” I replied. “Should have brought my rod.”

  Kyle continued walking and stopped before a sprawling oak tree. He pointed, moving forward, and I joined him. Nailed into the tree was another sign, and we read the words together: