Halloween night was always a bit too much for me not because of the holiday itself but the constant doorbell ringing in the throngs of children demanding candy my 5-year-old Abby loved it of course she'd been buzzing around in her little princess costume since this afternoon her plastic pumpkin pail swinging on her arm I on the other hand was 8 months pregnant exhausted and could barely keep up with her my feet achd from standing at the door holding out candy to kids who never seemed to stop coming by 10 p. m. I'd finally put Abby to bed her pale of candy tucked under her arm like a teddy bear I'd hoped the constant stream of trick-or-treaters would stop but they didn't not until nearly midnight did the doorbell finally stop ringing the streets outside were silent now only a few faint laughs in the occasional car in the distance I sat down in the living room candy Bowl on my lap absently munching on the leftovers pregnancy cravings had a way of justifying late night candy binges I turned on a horror movie Something cheesy and predictable hoping to relax after the long night about 15 minutes in just as I was starting to unwind there was a knock at the door I froze staring at the screen as though the knock had come from inside the movie who the hell would be trick-or-treating at this hour my heart gave a small reluctant thud as I stood up shuffling to the door through the peephole I saw him a man dressed in a werewolf mask standing silently on the porch seriously I muttered to myself opening the door just a crack enough to glare at him trick-or treat his voice was low almost mocking I squinted at him my patience was warned then go home or I'll call the police stupid pranksters he didn't move didn't say anything else just stood there staring at me through the cheap plastic mask I felt a flicker of unease in my gut there was something wrong about the way he just stood there the way he watched me go away I snapped louder now and slammed the door shut I waited listening for his footsteps nothing after a few more seconds of Silence I double locked the door flicked off the porch light and told myself to forget about it but sleep didn't come easy that night I tossed and turned Abby's soft snores from the Next Room were the only sound in the house I kept waking up as my mind kept flashing back to the masked man who was he why was he here I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off it was around 2: a.
m. when I woke with a jolt my heart pounded as though I'd been running for hours I couldn't Place why there was no noise no reason for the sudden feeling of dread that gripped my chest like a Vice I slid out of bed quietly and moved toward the door maybe it was just a mother's instinct maybe I just needed to check on Abby make sure she was okay I patted softly down the hallway the air in the house was colder than before as I reached the top of the stairs I froze he was there the man in the werewolf mask crouched on all fours at the bottom of the stairs his head was tilted at an unnatural angle staring up at me his breathing was shallow and raspy feeling the Silence of the house I stood there unable to move only my pulse thudded in my ears for a moment neither of us moved then without warning he let out a low animalistic growl like a dog about to pounce my body reacted before my mind could catch up I turned and sprinted I could feel him chasing me his footsteps heavy and fast but not like a man running more like something crawling I glanced back and my blood turned to ice he was coming after me on all fours like an animal his hands and feet scrambled against the stairs his body twisting unnaturally as he chased me and the sounds he was growling snarling howling like a wolf I reached aby's room just in time slamming the door shut and locking it my hands were shaking so badly I could barely dial 911 please help me I wish whispered into the phone my voice was barely audible over his scratching at the door there's someone in my house he's trying to get in the operator's calm voice tried to reassure me but it was drowned out by the banging the scratching the low gutural growls coming from the other side of the door the door shuttered as he kicked it again and again harder each time I was shivering like a leaf as I pressed my back against the door holding Abby tightly in my arms praying for the police to arrive then just as the door was about to give way I heard it the distant whale of sirens the banging stopped the scratching went silent when the police arrived they found the front door broken the lock mangled by what looked like a metal rod but the man was gone disappeared into the night like he'd never been there they searched the house checked the neighborhood but there was no trace of him no clue as to who he was or what he wanted and I'll never forget the way he looked at me through the mask the silent patient stare like he was waiting waiting for me to open the door [Music] again Halloween night at Greenwood always seemed to bring out the best in our neighborhood kids running around in costumes houses decked out in spooky decorations it was my favorite time of the year this year though Jack Marlo and his wife Lisa really outdid the rest of us with their haunted house they were hosting a small get together so I was an hour or so early to help out and enjoy the night Rick Thompson is my name I'd been good friends and business partners with Jack for all these years and Lisa was his girlfriend we shared much but things had started getting a bit tense between him and Lisa lately I knew about Lisa's affair with a younger woman named Diane not my place so I tried to keep it light-hearted not to allow the awkwardness to spoil the evening by and by the evening wore round all of us were drinking and laughing affecting not to notice the deeper undercurrent of tension 10 p. m.
