Happy Haunting Ground
It was midnight when I got home to my cabin in the forest.
I loved the isolation and the hidden lake.
I saw the woman sitting against the wall as soon as I came up the steps.
She had a blindfold over her eyes
Behind her, through the window, I could see flames.
The house was on fire.
"This is still my house."
she whispered, "And I can still burn it down."
"Do I have to kill you again?"
I asked.
"Yes," she told me, "You do".
"I have killed you every Halloween for the last 6 years" I growled
"When will you stay dead?"
"This time," she said with a smile.
"You say that every time " I replied and sat down beside her on the porch. The heat from the fire behind us was getting uncomfortable.
I knew it wasn't real so I ignored it.
"Where is the poison?" she asked over the roar of the flames. I pulled the black vial out of my jacket pocket and held it up. The dancing firelight brought out the blood-red of the liquid death.
She reached for it but I snatched it back saying, "Not so fast Missy! I want to see your eyes this time. Why do you always cover them up?"
"Because you will see what you really look like reflected in them if I take this off."
"I know I ain't so good looking but come on, I ain't that bad am I?"
She only sighed and reached for the vial again.
I looked at her and said, "I will give you this as soon as you show me your eyes and not before."
"Please, she begged, I need to go back before ..."
"Before what ?"
I yelled and tore the blindfold off her face.
Horror upon horror reflected back at me from her dark pupils. I was a monster! A demonic beast!
I screamed and ran out into the yard.
She ran after me but I knew what I had to do.
I snapped the top off the vial and sucked down the potion in one gulp.
I remember falling and then the next I knew I was sitting beside her on the porch again and the fire was out.
"Now we're both stuck here until they sell this damn haunted house again" she grumbled.
Johnette Loefgren
brushfyrestudio@yahoo.com
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