Page 9 - CAS- Book 1 - Autumn, Winter

Terror on Halloween Morning

Brian Lo
There was a man standing at my window.

His forehead rested against the glass pane, wide eyes flickering from side to
side, taking in his surroundings. They seemed to glimmer in the sun as those
orbs turned to me, his mouth stretching in a horrible, blood red grimace, a
simulacrum of a smile. His lips were cracked and dried blood lined his upper
lip, spread haphazardly and I had a feeling that was not just makeup from a
costume. His grin seemed too large for him, breaking skin as he somehow
widened it even further, making me wince just from watching.

He pressed his forehead along the glass harder, a web of hair thin cracks
star ng to form. Raising his bony hand, he waved a li le ‘hello’ to me. Then
he turned his head slowly in the direc on of the stairs‐

Oh, god...

My child was in there.

I couldn’t do anything. I stood there, horrified, as he slowly walked away
from the window, swaying slightly with each agonizingly slow step.

I had been taking down the decora ons from the hedge that laid to the side
of the house when I saw him. A decep vely simple morning a er a decep‐
vely innocent Halloween of sweets and fun—Perhaps, I realized, I should
have taken the idea of All Hallow’s Eve being the me of ghosts and spirits
more seriously.

Feet seemingly glued to the ground, I stood there frozen, staring at the win‐
dow where he’d been.

ix