Sarah's Elf

 "Thomas, give that back it's mine!" Sarah yelled out, chasing her big brother around the living room. Being careful to avoid knocking into the Christmas tree, she rounded the couch and reached out her hand to grab the back of his shirt. Grasping it between the tips of her fingers, she pulled as hard as she could and heard the sound of fabric tearing. Thomas stopped in his tracks and whirled around.
  "Way to go, Sarah. You ripped my shirt. Mom is gonna be so mad at you!"
  "I'll tell her you took my snowglobe," Sarah retorted, convinced that would justify her actions.
  "You're still going to get in trouble," Thomas insisted. "If not with Mom, definitely with your elf." He pointed to the mantle where a tiny elf doll sat staring at them. Sarah gasped.
  "Do you think he saw what I did?"
  "Of course. You did it right in front of him."
  "Now he is going to tell Santa I wasn't good and I won't get any presents," Sarah whined, feeling like she might cry.
  "That's not all the elves do," Thomas said, walking over to the mantle and resting his elbow next to the elf.
 "After Santa finds out how bad you were, he tells the elf what your punishment should be. Then at night when you're fast asleep, the elf sneaks into your room to punish you."
 "That's not true," Sarah said, glaring at her big brother. "The elves are nice."
 "Mom is nice too but she still punishes you," Thomas countered. Sarah opened her mouth to respond but she could not argue with her brother's logic.
 "Well I don't believe you," she told him, folding her arms. Thomas shrugged.
 "Whatever you say," he answered, handing Sarah the snowglobe she'd been so intent on getting back. "But you might want to sleep with one eye open tonight."
  Thomas left the room and Sarah stood looking at her elf doll. Her brother was just telling lies to scare her. Still, she planned to lock her door that night when she went to bed just in case.
 
   Sarah laid in bed staring up at the ceiling hearing Thomas's words echo in her head. She still didn't believe he was telling the truth and yet she could not relax enough to sleep. Closing her eyes, she could see her elf's tiny face smiling down at her from the mantle. Yes she had been a little mean to her brother but he had started it. She was sure the elf would understand.
   Suddenly, she heard a soft voice whispering in her ear, "I know you were bad today, Sarah." Her eyes flew open and she tried to sit up but found she could not move. Looking around her room lit only by her tiny nightlight in the corner, she saw a tall figure at the foot of her bed dressed all in red. She squinted slightly, then her eyes widened.
  "Snowflake, is that you?"
  "It's Mister Snowflake to you, Missy," the figure said in a high pitched voice.
  "You're real? Thomas was telling the truth?"
  "Of course I'm real. I'm as real as the nose on your face," the elf said, gliding across the floor to sit next to Sarah on her bed. With one finger he bopped her nose and then giggled.
  "Why can't I move my arms and legs?" the little girl asked, squirming around in her bed.
  "Because you're tied up of course," Snowflake answered, pulling back the blankets so Sarah could see her predicament. Wrapped around her arms and legs were strings of Christmas lights, the bulbs softly glowing red, green and blue.
  "How are the lights working?" Sarah asked. "They're not plugged in."
  Snowflake looked at her and rolled his eyes.
  "I am magic. Have you forgotten?" He walked across the room to Sarah's desk where her miniature Christmas tree sat and pulled off a shiny silver ball. He held it up to his face and carefully studied his reflection.
  "Ugh, why does no one ever tell you when there's something in your teeth?" he sighed, using the tip of his finger to pull a piece of lettuce from his mouth. Once he was satisfied with his appearance he let the ornament fall from his hand and it shattered on the floor. Sarah gasped.
  "Why did you do that?"
  "Oh do you not like your things to be ruined?" Snowflake said, reaching the bed with a single hop and planting one of his tiny elf feet on the mattress.
  "No I don't," Sarah answered. "Please don't break my things."
  "You weren't too worried about Thomas's things when you ripped his shirt now were you?"
  "He started it," Sarah snapped. "He stole my snowglobe and wouldn't give it back."
  "Ah yes the snowglobe," Snowflake said, giving Sarah an evil looking grin and rubbing his hands together.
  "Now just where might you keep it?" the elf asked, tiptoeing around the room in his little pointy elf shoes.
  "It's on the shelf by my window," Sarah told him. Snowflake giggled and hopped across the room to the shelf. He reached up and grasped the snowglobe in his hands pulling it down to get a better look. Under the glass of the globe was a tiny cottage with a frozen pond out front where a little girl skated. Snowflake shook the globe and a tiny blizzard of fake snow fell over the skating child.
  "What a pretty little toy," Snowflake mused in his high pitched voice,his eyes wide. He turned to Sarah and giggled again.
  "Oops," he said evilly, tipping his hands and releasing his fingers so the snowglobe fell to the floor and broke apart much like the silver ball. He laughed maniacally, clapping his little hands together and dancing around in a circle. Sarah gaped and burst into tears as glass and fake snow covered the floor of her bedroom. The skating girl was flung to the corner of the room and the cottage lay smashed beneath the broken pieces.
  "Why did you do that?" she asked Snowflake, tears falling down her cheeks.
  "Oh you poor little thing," the elf soothed, pulling a sheet of wrapping paper from his pants pocket and dabbing Sarah's eyes with it.
  "I would have said sorry to Thomas. You didn't have to break my snowglobe," she snarled, pulling against the strings of lights that still restrained her. Snowflake leaned over the bed so his face was right in front of Sarah's.
 "Then you wouldn't really have been sorry would you?" he hissed, his red lips curling into an evil smile. Sarah glared at him.
  "Don't be mad at me, Sarah," he said sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling a candy cane from his pocket. He put the end in his mouth and sucked on it. "You're the one who was being bad."
  "Thomas deserved it!"
  "Oh now Sarah that's no way to talk. Don't you love your big brother?"
  "I love my snowglobe," Sarah huffed.
 Snowflake froze with the candy cane in his mouth and his eyes got wide.
  "Of course you do!" he exclaimed, popping up off the bed. "You love it so much you should never have to be separated from it."
  Snowflake put the candy cane back in his mouth and sucked on the end till it formed a sharp point. Holding it over the spot on the floor where the globe had shattered he twirled it around and around. Sarah watched in amazement as the broken pieces of glass and pretend snow rose into the air and slowly came together until her globe had been reassembled. It landed gently in Snowflake's outstretched hand.
  "It's beautiful, Snowflake," Sarah exclaimed, grinning happily. She tilted her head. "But where is the little girl skating on the pond?"
  Snowflake gave her an evil smile that sent chills down her spine.
  "Why, she's right there," he answered, pointing to her with the tip of his candy cane.
It began to swirl again and then suddenly in a flash, Sarah found herself in a coat and ice skates standing on a frozen pond.
  "What's going on? Where am I?" she cried. She tried to move her feet but they were stuck in one place. Looking down she noticed the blades of her skates were firmly planted in the ice.
  "Snowflake? What's happening? Where are you?" she cried. But there was no answer. Looking behind her she saw a tiny cottage exactly like the one in her snowglobe. Snow lay on the ground but there was none in the air. It was still and silent. Sarah felt the blood drain from her face. It couldn't be.
  "Help!" she cried. "Somebody help me. Snowflake! Thomas! Please help me!" Sarah struggled to move her skates but they would not budge.
  "I'm so sorry, I'll do anything. I'll get Thomas a new shirt. Ten new shirts. Can you hear me Snowflake? Snowflake!"
   "Sarah, wake up!" said a loud voice. Sarah sat up in an instant, gasping for air. She looked around quickly and saw Thomas next to her. She was sitting in her bed, sunshine coming in through the window.
  "Thomas what happened?" she wanted to know.
  "You were tossing and turning and yelling for your elf doll," he answered. "Were you having a bad dream?"
  Sarah breathed deeply and fell back against her pillows. "You have no idea."
  "Well you better get a move on. You overslept and Mom wants us to be at grandma's in an hour to make cookies," he told her. Sarah nodded and slipped out of bed as Thomas left the room.

  A few minutes later she walked down the stairs and noticed Snowflake sitting in the hallway on a bench. He was always in a new place every morning. She paused and stared at his smiling face half expecting him to start talking. Sarah laughed to herself and shrugged. It was all just a dream, she thought as she hopped down the last two steps and turned down the hall.
  As she passed the elf sitting on the bench, she almost swore she heard a tiny voice say, "I know you were bad yesterday, Sarah."

The Dinner Date

"Seven o'clock, right on time!" Thomas said, holding out his hand to the girl walking up to him in a royal blue dress.
"Hi Thomas, I'm Darby," she said, shaking the young man's hand. She admired his short wavy brown hair and striking blue eyes. He was dressed very sharply in dark jeans and an olive green dress shirt.
"It's very nice to meet you, Darby. I'm so glad Harris sent me your number, I've loved our text conversations."
"Me too," Darby said with a little smile. She motioned to the restaurant behind them. "Have you been here before?"
"Oh yeah, lots of times. Everything here is really good. Let's go in, it's getting chilly out here," Thomas suggested. He lead Darby across the sidewalk and held the door open for her. They were greeted by a hostess who seated them in the middle of the room at a table for two.
"Your server will be with you in a moment. Enjoy," she said with a smile, and walked away.
 Darby looked around the room. The floor was covered in a dark red carpet while bright detailed pictures of flowers hung on the walls. Gentle music played over the speakers blending with the low hum of conversation. Several other couples sat around her and Thomas talking with each other in between bites of food.
 "This is nice," Thomas said, settling into his chair. "I haven't been out in a while. Work's got me staying late almost every day now."
 "Oh yes, Harris said you work at a law firm. That must be exciting."
 "Not as much as you would think," Thomas chuckled. "It's mostly paperwork and listening to bossy lawyers order me around. But it's good money and pays for a nice apartment."
 "That's great," Darby said.
 "What do you do for a living?"
 "I am sort of in between jobs right now," Darby answered. "I babysat for this family a couple times but then I had to quit."
 "Oh that's too bad. What happened?"
  Before Darby could explain, a young woman with blonde hair in slacks and a white shirt approached their table and set down a menu in front of each of them.
  "Hi, my name is Molly and I will be your waitress this evening. Can I bring you some drinks?"
  "I will start with some ice water," Thomas answered. "And the lady can have whatever she likes. This meal is on me," he said with a wink at Darby. Molly looked at her, pen and paper ready.
 "I have heard of a drink called a Bloody Mary. Can you tell me what's in that?"
 "Of course ma'am. We make ours with tomato juice, vodka and lemon juice."
 Darby nodded and looked at Molly expectantly as if she had left some ingredient out.
 "Would you like me to bring you one?"
Darby sighed.
"No thank you, I will just have what he is having." Molly nodded and walked away to fill their drink order.
"So what do you like to do for fun?" Thomas asked, picking us his menu and scanning the pages. "Have you been to the beach a lot this summer?"
 Darby shook her head.
"I'm more of an indoor person," she said, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Though sometimes I like to go on late night walks."
"That's very romantic. Perhaps we can take one after dinner. My apartment is only a couple of blocks away. I can make you a Bloody Mary there if you'd like."
  Darby smiled sweetly.
"That's very nice. I will definitely keep that in mind."
"What are you going to order?" Thomas asked. "I think I will have a steak."
  Darby looked at the list of foods on the menu remembering how much she used to enjoy steak and chicken and hamburgers.
"I'm not too hungry. I think I will just order a salad."
"Are you sure?" Thomas asked. "Like I said, it's all on me. You can get whatever you like."
  Molly came up to the table again just then with two glasses of ice water.
"Have you two decided on an entrée?"

  Darby listened to Thomas discuss the ups and downs of working at a law firm for what seemed like an eternity. Finally Molly arrived back at the table with a tray holding two plates. She set a steak in front of Thomas and a salad on Darby's side of the table.
  "And here is your silverware," she finished, setting down a fork and knife wrapped in a white cloth napkin.
  "Silver?" Darby asked nervously looking wide eyed at the napkin next to her hand.
  Molly giggled.
  "It's not real silver, ma'am. We are not quite that fancy. Let me know if you need anything else," she said, and walked away.
  Darby carefully unfolded the napkin and looked down at her utensils.
 "Are you ok? How is your food?" Darby looked up at Thomas and back down at her plate. It had been years since she had tasted a salad. Cautiously she reached for her fork and held her breath till her hand was safely and painlessly wrapped around it.
 "Man this steak is amazing," Thomas chimed in. Darby looked over at his plate where a large piece of meat sat marinated in spices. Thomas stabbed the top of it with his fork and juices mixed with blood oozed out. Darby licked her lips.
 "I know some people like their meat well done but I prefer my dinner still be bleeding. How about you?"
 "Oh yes," Darby said emphatically. Thomas looked up.
 "How is your salad?"
Darby noticed her hand was still on the fork but she had not taken a bite yet.
 "Oh it's...great," she said, absentmindedly, staring at the blood from Thomas's steak that was mixing in with its seasoning to make a brownish red puddle on his plate.
"So anyway, I'm pretty sure if I keep going at the rate I'm at, I can make partner one day," Thomas told Darby. She rolled her eyes and dug her fork roughly into her salad.

  After they left the restaurant, Darby and Thomas walked hand in hand down the sidewalk.
"Are you sure you didn't want to take the rest of your salad home? It looked really good."
"Yes, I wasn't too hungry. But I enjoyed that restaurant, it was a great choice."
"I am glad you liked it. We can go back any time you'd like, my treat," he said, gently squeezing her hand.
"That would be nice," Darby said, hoping her voice sounded genuine.
"Here's my building right here," Thomas said, pulling her quickly to the right. They walked up five steps to a red brick building and Thomas entered a code in a keypad by the door.
"I'm on the fourth floor. You want to come up?"
  Darby shrugged.
"Why not?"
  She followed Thomas down the hallway to the elevator which opened at the press of a button and carried them swiftly up to the fourth floor. Stepping out of the elevator, Thomas lead her down the hallway to a door marked 416.
  Thomas dug in his pocket and pulled out a key ring.
 "I'm lucky to afford this place. It's a great building, nice neighbors. Though one of the girls on my floor got her keys taken by some crazy kid on a skateboard last week."
 Thomas turned the key in the lock, pushed the door open and walked in. Darby moved to follow him but was stopped in the doorway, pushed back as if by an invisible hand.
"Do you want a drink? I can make a-"Thomas stopped as he turned around and noticed his date was still in the hallway.
"Are you coming?" Darby tried to step forward again but was still pushed back.
She put on a pouty face and folded her arms. "That's not a very welcoming invitation," she huffed. He laughed and leaned against the door frame.
"Darby, would you please come into my apartment? You are most warmly invited."
Darby stepped forward again and this time nothing held her back. Thomas shut the door behind her and motioned to the couch.
"Please have a seat. Would you like a Bloody Mary? I think I have some vodka in the freezer."
"No thank you, Thomas. I would love to just relax with you."
  Thomas smirked and sat down next to his date slowly putting his arm around her.
"I had a really good time tonight," he said looking into Darby's eyes. He moved his face closer to her till his lips rested on her cheek. He planted a soft kiss and worked his way down to her neck.
"I would love to take you out again. Take you shopping and you can get whatever you want. I can afford it."
  Darby rolled her eyes. What was he trying to prove?
"Do you like this?" he asked, leaving a trail of kisses down her neck.
"I loved it," Darby said in a breathy voice. "I would love to...return the favor."
"Oh yeah?" Thomas asked with a spark in his eye. He unbuttoned the top button of his dress shirt and pulled down the collar.
"I'm all yours, beautiful," he said, leaning back against a couch pillow. Darby turned to face him and ran her tongue hungrily over her teeth.
"Alright then. Let me show you what I like to do to necks."

Bailey's Keys

  Bailey got out of the elevator and walked down the hallway toward her apartment. Early mornings at work were never any fun and she couldn't wait to snuggle up in bed and take a long nap. When she got to her door, she reached into her purse to pull out her house keys. After a few seconds of feeling around, she pulled her hand out and frowned at her purse.
  "Where on earth are my keys?" she said out loud. She moved her wallet and hairbrush out of the way but the keys did not appear. Anxiously she stuck her hands into her jean pockets but they were all empty.
  She leaned against her door and sighed thinking wistfully of how comfortable her bed would be right now. Reaching into her purse again, she pulled out her phone and looked up the number for the building superintendent. She pushed the call button and waited for an answer. Instead, an automated voice came on the other end and asked her to leave a message.
"Hi, Ernie, it's Bailey from apartment three twenty. I think I locked my keys inside my place so I was hoping you could come by with the master key. Call me back when you get this, thanks."
  Bailey hung up the call and slipped her phone into the outside pocket of her purse making sure the volume was loud so she would not miss Ernie's call.
  Leaning back against the door she twiddled her thumbs and stared down at her shoes hoping the phone would ring any second.
  "Excuse me, miss," said a voice. Bailey looked up and saw a man in khakis and a green polo shirt standing in front of her holding a bouquet of flowers in a clear vase.
  "I was supposed to deliver these to the lady in apartment three twenty four but she isn't home so I have to leave them with a neighbor. Would you be willing to take them for me?"
  "Well I would like to help but I-"
  "That's great," the delivery man said, shoving the vase into Bailey's hands and reaching for his clipboard. Bailey looked down at the colorful assortment of flowers in her hands and sniffled a little.
 "I just need you to sign your name on this form. Let me find it real quick," the delivery man told her.
 "Of course," Bailey agreed, her eyes beginning to water. "Are there carnations in this bouquet?" she wanted to know.
"Why yes there are, little lady," the delivery man said cheerfully. "You really know your flowers."
"Yes well I'm... I'm.." Bailey paused and let out a loud sneeze. She sniffled again and could feel her right eye beginning to swell up.
"Here, sign right here," the man said, handing Bailey the clipboard. She sighed and reached for the pen in his other hand.
"Is there no one else you can give these to?" she wanted to know, scribbling out her name on the highlighted line.
"No, ma'am. It's lucky you came along." He grabbed the clipboard back from her and smiled.
"Have a good day."
  Bailey watched sniffling as the man walked down the hall and turned the corner toward the elevator. She sneezed loudly again and rubbed her swollen eye setting the vase of flowers on the floor next to her. Pulling a compact mirror out of her purse, she opened it and held it up so she could see her face. Her right eye was almost swollen shut and had a large red circle around it.
"Lovely," she muttered, putting the mirror away. She checked her phone to see if Ernie had called but no such luck.
  The minutes wore on and there was silence in the hallway. Bailey looked around hoping maybe the superintendent would pass by. Suddenly she heard a voice yelling from around the corner.
"Cooper! Cooper come back, buddy," it exclaimed. Bailey looked in the direction of the voice wondering who Cooper might be. A moment later she saw a full grown golden retriever dash around the corner and run toward her dragging its leash, its excited tail wagging rapidly back and forth.
"Hey, Cooper," Bailey said with a smile as the dog got closer. Cooper responded with a happy bark and leaped up on Bailey planting its two front paws firmly on her stomach. Bailey grimaced as she felt a wet sensation under the paws and looked down to see muddy brown spots growing on her new light blue sweater.
"Cooper, there you are!" said the voice again. A girl about Bailey's age stood in front of her bending down to grab Cooper's leash. She pulled the dog off of Bailey and smiled at her.
 "Thanks for catching him," she said, patting the top of Cooper's head. He barked at her and pulled against the leash eager to run around more and explore.
"No problem," Bailey answered, looking down and sighing as the mud began to seep deeper into the fabric of her sweater.
"You should really get your eye checked out," Cooper's owner said, giving Bailey's face a concerned look.
"Yeah, thanks," Bailey answered, sniffling and rubbing her still swollen eye. She felt in her purse pocket for her phone but it was not there. Looking around, she noticed it laying in the middle of the hallway floor.
 "Cooper must have knocked it out of my purse when he greeted me," she said out loud. Bailey was about to lean down to grab it when a loud voice yelled,
 "Hey watch out lady!"
  Bailey jumped back against the wall startled as a teenage boy with a baseball cap came rolling down the hallway on a skateboard. He waved at her as he passed and as Bailey raised her hand to wave back she heard a loud crunching sound from the floor. Her hand dropped to her side and her breath caught in her throat.
  Could that really be what she thought it was? Summoning up her courage, she looked down at the floor where the skateboard had just passed and saw the remnants of her phone. It now lay in two pieces, the screen cracked beyond repair.
  Bailey knelt down and gathered the pieces in her hand feeling hopeless. How was Ernie supposed to call her back now? She pulled open the outer pocket of her purse where her phone had been sitting in one piece just a few moments ago and dropped in its now shattered remnants. Her swollen eye began to itch again and she rubbed it leaning against the wall and sliding down to the floor. The vase of flowers sat next to her mocking her red puffy eye and muddy blue sweater.
  Bailey glared at the flowers and was about to angrily tip them over when a voice made her look up.
"Excuse me, would those flowers happen to be for apartment three twenty four?" A woman in a long tan jacket stood looking down at her expectantly.
"Yes they are," Bailey said, picking up the vase and rising to her feet. She shoved it so roughly at the woman that some water spilled out the side.
"Thank you," the woman said, looking at Bailey somewhat strangely. "Are you feeling ok?"
"Not really," Bailey muttered. "I'm locked out of my apartment and waiting for the superintendent to get here."
 "That's too bad," the lady replied, distractedly digging in her purse. "Do you happen to have some gum?"
  "Sure," Bailey answered, feeling a little resentful at the woman's apathy. "I bought some this morning. It's here in my coat... pocket..."
  Bailey's sentence trailed off as her hand grasped a ring of keys deep in her coat pocket. Her heart sank as she thought about her swollen eye, muddy sweater and broken phone.
"Excuse me? Gum?" the lady from three twenty four asked, beginning to sound annoyed. Mindlessly, Bailey pulled out the whole package and put it in the lady's hand.
"Oh well thank you," she said, tearing it open as she walked away.
 Bailey fumbled through her key ring and stuck the correct one in the lock on her door. Turning it to the left, she heard it click and pushed the door open. Shutting it behind her, she walked past the couch and shed her coat and purse. Approaching her bedroom where she had wanted to be all day, she was stopped in her tracks by a knock at the front door. With a sigh, she turned around and walked back.
 "Yes?" she asked, as she pulled the door open. A handsome  man in a grey suit stood in front of her. Bailey smiled at him. Perhaps this day would turn out alright after all.
 "Hello, ma'am. I just wanted to let you know as I was walking to my apartment I saw you left your keys in the door."
  Bailey looked down at the door knob but the key slot was empty. She looked at the man questioningly.
"Some kid on a skateboard grabbed them," he told her. "You may want to call the super."

The Babysitter

   “Thank you so much for coming at the last minute,” Mrs. Prescott said with a grin, holding the door open.

  “No problem at all,” Darby said, stepping into the house. “I’m glad I could help you out.”

  “It has been so long since my husband and I have been to a party on Halloween,” Mrs. Prescott said, closing the door behind Darby and leading her down the front hallway into the living room. Two kids, a girl and a boy, sat on the brown leather sofa watching a scary movie on television.

 “Molly, Stephen, come meet your babysitter.”

  Two heads swiveled around and looked up at their mother and Darby.

“This is Darby,” Mrs. Prescott introduced. “She is going to keep an eye on you two while your dad and I go to a party.”

“Hi Darby,” two voices said in unison. Then their heads swiveled back around. Mrs. Prescott rolled her eyes.

“They’re obsessed with this movie lately. Once it’s over they should start getting ready for bed. They will probably want to eat more of their trick or treat candy but try to limit them to only one or two pieces. They’ve already both had much more than enough for one night.”

   At that moment Mr. Prescott walked into the room and held his hand out to greet Darby.

“I’m Ted Prescott, nice to meet you. Thanks for agreeing to watch the kids and sorry for the late call. I know most people are in for the evening once it gets dark.”

“Oh it’s no problem. My day is just beginning when it gets dark.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Prescott laughed.

“Oh to be young again,” Ted said with a wistful smile. He walked to the closet and took out two long black jackets.

“We should be back around eleven,” he told Darby, handing one of the jackets to his wife. She slipped it on over her dress.

“All the emergency numbers are on the fridge and the kids know their bedtime routine. If they give you any trouble, just tell them we will take away their candy if we hear they were bad.”

  Molly and Stephen’s heads swiveled around again at the mention of their candy being confiscated.

“You hear that, kids?” Mr. Prescott said. “Do what your babysitter says.”

“Yes, dad,” they both said in monotone voices, then turned back to their movie.

“Alright well call us if you need anything,” Mrs. Prescott said, taking her husband’s hand. They walked out of the room together and in a moment, Darby heard the front door click shut behind them.

“Do you wanna watch this movie with us?” Stephen asked Darby.

“Sure,” she answered, sitting in the armchair across from the couch. She looked up at the screen but after a few seconds, she felt someone’s eyes on her. Glancing at the couch she noticed Molly staring at her.

“Are you sick?” she asked bluntly. Darby cocked her head to the side.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re like super pale,” Molly said, squinting at Darby to see her better in the dim light. Darby held up her hands and peered at them.

“I just have a light complexion,” she said defensively.

“You need to tan,” Molly suggested. “Hey do you want me to give you a makeover? You might look more normal with some bronzer and rouge.”

“How old are you? You’re wearing makeup already?” Darby commented.

“I’m twelve, thank you,” Molly said with sass, putting a hand on her hip. “My mommy lets me wear makeup whenever I want. And I don’t need a babysitter. You can babysit Stephen. He’s only ten.”

“Ten and a half,” Stephen snapped, not even taking his eyes off the screen.

“Whatever,” Molly shrugged him off. “I’ll go get my makeup and give you a mirror so you can see what I’m doing.”

“A what?” Darby said nervously.

“A mirror,” Molly repeated, giving the babysitter a confused look.

“No need for that. I’m sure whatever you do will look amazing.”

“Ok, whatever you say,” Molly agreed, disappearing down a hallway. She came back in a few moments with a bag of makeup and a hairbrush.

“I’m going to make you beautiful,” she told Darby, unzipping the bag.

  Half an hour later, Darby sat in the armchair slathered in way too much of Molly’s makeup, her hair sectioned off into at least five braids.

“She looks ridiculous,” Stephen said, finally paying attention to something other than the television now that the movie was over. He took his trick or treat basket off the table next to the couch and began digging through it.

“She does not,” Molly said, glaring at her brother. “She looks beautiful.”

Stephen shook his head. Grabbing a handful of candy he plopped it down on the sofa and began sorting through it.

“What is that?” Darby asked frowning and pointing to a piece of gummy candy in a clear plastic wrapper.

“Fangs,” Stephen said. He held them up to his mouth and made a scary face. “Guess what I am!”

“That’s not even close. Real fangs don’t look like that,” Darby said disapprovingly. Stephen’s brow furrowed.

“It’s just a dumb piece of candy,” he said, tearing open the wrapper and popping the fangs into his mouth.

“When are our parents going to be home?” he asked.

“Around eleven,” Darby answered. Molly laughed and shook her head.

“There’s no way they will make it home by eleven. When my parents party, they party hard. You should see my dad chug beers and my mom with her blood Mary.”

“Bloody Mary?” Darby repeated, licking her lips. “She sounds delightful. Does she come around often?”

 Molly and Stephen looked at each other and then back at Darby.

“You’re a weird babysitter,” Molly said. “Bloody Mary is an alcohol drink.”

“Isn’t it time you kids were in bed?” Darby said, weary of Molly’s frank opinions.

“Yeah, Mom said we had to go to bed after the movie or she’d take our candy,” Stephen reminded his sister.

“Whatever. I shouldn’t even have a babysitter. I’m twelve,” Molly muttered. She turned to Darby.

“The TV remote is on the mantle. If you get hungry there’s all kinds of snacks in the pantry, just don’t eat our candy.”

“No chance of that,” Darby assured her. “I’m certain I won’t be hungry for any food tonight.”

 Molly shrugged and walked out of the room with her brother.

“I’ll be up to check on you in a minute,” Darby called after them. She ran her tongue over her teeth and looked down at the pile of candy Stephen had left on the couch including the wrapper for his gummy fangs.

“Not even close,” she laughed. Pushing the candy aside, she sat down and looked up at the TV. After a few moments, her eyes drifted toward the dark hallway that led to the kids’ rooms. Perhaps she was a little hungry after all.

  Two hours later the clock on the mantle read eleven thirty and Mr. and Mrs. Prescott were stumbling down the front hallway. Darby smiled and stood up to greet them.

“Hello, sorry we are late,” Ted said, slurring his words slightly. “It took us a while to get a cab.”

“It’s no problem,” Darby assured them.

“I hope we didn’t keep you up too late,” Mrs. Prescott chimed in. Darby shook her head.

“I won’t be going to bed for hours yet.”

“How were the kids?” Mrs. Prescott asked.

“They were good,” Darby said. “They went to bed right after the movie and I haven’t heard a peep from them since. They must just be…” Darby paused for a moment. “Drained.”

“Well I hope you were able to relax. I forgot to tell you we have plenty of snacks in the kitchen. Even some leftover garlic bread from the Italian we ordered in last night.”

  Darby wrinkled her nose.

“Oh none for me, thanks. I found something else that was quite to my liking.”

“Excellent. I’m glad you made yourself at home,” Ted interjected. “Now about paying you. Do you prefer cash or check?” 

Haunted Maze

"Is this the right place?" Emma asked, peering out the back window of Will's car. It was dark on these country roads and all she could see was the outline of a barn in the distance and to her right what looked like a corn field.
"This is where my GPS took me," Will said, listening to the robotic voice telling him he had arrived at his destination.
"There is a sign that says "haunted maze this way"," Jasper pointed out from the front passenger seat. Emma looked where he pointed and saw a tall wooden sign with the words Jasper had spoken painted in black elegant letters. She smiled. She had looked forward to Halloween and haunted mazes all year.
"It looks like we are the first ones here," Will said, pulling off the road into a field designated for parking. He eased into a parking space marked off with white rope.
"All the scarier for us then," Jasper said excitedly, looking over his shoulder at Emma.
"I'm not scared. You are the one who cried like a little girl last year when a ghost popped out at you in the haunted house."
 Will laughed and Jasper glared at Emma.
"I did not scream. I just jumped a little."
"Whatever you say," Emma shrugged.
  The three teens got out of the car and walked toward a large barn at the far end of the field. An old man sat at a table with a lantern in the door way and waved at them as they approached.
  "Welcome to the haunted farm. Are you all ready to brave the trail?" he said, gesturing to the cornfield.
  "Yes sir," Will said, reaching into his pocket to take out his wallet.
  "Ten dollars a person," the old man said. He reached out his hand to collect the money the teens handed him.
  "Now the maze is out that way past the sign," he said, pointing into the growing darkness. Tall stalks of corn waved back and forth in the breeze. Emma pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders.
  "When you come out, you will be at the back of the barn. Just come around front and I will give you your prize for finding your way through," the old man told them with a grin. 
   "There may be some strange and scary creatures along the way but don't worry, they're not allowed to touch you. Only give you a good scare!" he said, waving his fingers and bobbing his head like a ghost.
   "Well we don't scare easy," Jasper told him. Emma snickered and Jasper glared at her.
   "Come on, let's get in there before a bunch of people show up," Will encouraged. They waved goodbye to the man at the table and headed toward the maze. At the entrance was a small sign on a post that read, "Enter here if you dare" and three trails leading off in different directions. Shrill screams and maniacal laughter came from deep in the maze.
  "Three trails, one for each of us," Emma suggested.
  "Sounds good to me," Will agreed.
  "I'm down," Jasper said, swallowing the lump in his throat.
  The teens each walked toward the beginning of one path and then turned to look at each other.
  "Last one out buys the rest of us icecream," Will decided.
 "Hope you brought enough money to buy me two scoops then," Emma sassed, with a challenging smile.
 "Let's get this over with," Jasper said, starting shakily down his path. Emma rolled her eyes and began to walk through the corn stalks and Will did the same.

   Jasper pulled his hands up into the sleeves of his hoodie and folded his arms. He had been alone for thirty seconds and already regretted going along with Emma's idea. The corn stalks were tall and isolating and it was impossible to tell where the scary creatures the old man had mentioned might be lurking.
  "Hi there, little boy," said a raspy voice suddenly. Jasper jumped and ran forward not even stopping to look at who had spoken. He heard evil laughter behind him and continued at a fast pace.
  "If I have to buy Emma icecream I'm going to smash it in her face," he promised himself, turning around as he realized he was in a dead end.
  He went down a different path hoping the maze was not as big as it had looked when they first drove up. A few feet in front of him he could see a figure dressed in old baggy overalls and a torn up straw hat. It made grunting noises like a zombie and Jasper kept to the opposite side of the trail as it moseyed past him.
  So far these creatures were not too scary. Maybe he had overreacted. The old man said the creatures were not allowed to touch them anyway so what did he really have to fear. Feeling a bit more confident, he continued down this path wondering how Emma and Will were faring.
  Up ahead was a curve in the path and Will could see the outline of a person peek around it. He laughed a little bit.
  "You popped out too soon," he called ahead. "I already saw you." A moment passed with no response and then a tall shadowy figure stepped out from behind the corn and stood silently blocking the way.
  "Nice try," Jasper told him. "And the machete is a nice touch. I didn't even see that at first. Is it sharp?"
  The figure nodded.
  "Well be careful that you don't cut yourself jumping out at people."
  The figured did not respond.
  "Can I get by now, please? I am kind of in a race with my friends to see who can get through the maze first."
   The figure stepped out of the way and gestured Jasper forward.
  "Thank you, kind sir," he said with a flourish. "I hope you are able to-"
  Jasper stopped mid sentence as a sharp pain seared through his back. He hunched over and gasped for air. The last thing he heard was a piercing scream somewhere out in the maze. Then he fell to the ground and everything was darkness.


   Emma walked briskly down the trail she had chosen smiling bravely at the ghost and witch who peered out at her from the corn stalks.
 "You don't scare me. Better luck next time," she taunted. She wondered how Jasper was doing. He had not seemed too excited about this whole maze idea and especially not about going through by himself.
  A clown suddenly appeared in the path and blew loudly on a noisemaker. Emma jumped a little, then giggled.
  "Nice one, clown," she said. He bowed and disappeared back into the darkness.
 She walked for what seemed like a long time and finally came to a fork in the trail. Looking both ways, she tried to remember which direction the barn was since that's where the old man said the path lead. The corn was too tall to see over but she felt like the barn would be to the left. Turning that direction, she walked through the shadows and in a few seconds, found herself in a dead end.
"I guess it's to the right," she decided, and turned around to go back.
"Oh! You scared me!" she exclaimed, jumping back and putting a hand on her chest. "You walked up so quietly I didn't even hear you."
 A tall figure stood in front of her holding a long machete. It was hard to tell in the darkness but it looked to be covered in blood.
 "That's quite a terrifying knife you have there. The blood looks so real. I'm guessing it's corn syrup though, huh?"
  The figure did not reply. He took a step forward till he was face to face with Emma and took a lock of her hair in his fingers. She winced.
"Hey now, the old man at the barn said you guys aren't allowed to touch us. And if you're trying to come onto me, I can tell you homicidal maniacs are not my type," Emma said with a nervous laugh.
  The figure did not speak but his lips curled up into a queasy smile. The girl took another step back.
"Why are you looking at me that way?" she asked, feeling her heart beginning to pound. Then in an instant, the pounding stopped.
  Emma put her hand back up to her chest and opened her mouth to scream but before she could summon the breath, she fell to the ground and was silent.


  Will was confident as ever as he strolled down the dark path through the tall stalks of corn. He had already braved a crazy butcher waving a knife and an angry zombie hungry for brains. He had walked for what seemed like a long time and was sure the end of the trail must be coming up soon.
  Sure enough, as he turned a corner he could see a little break in the darkness and the backside of the old man's barn about fifty yards away. Quickening his pace, he was eager to see if Emma and Jasper had been able to beat him to the end.
  "I bet Jasper is still stuck at the beginning too scared to go in," he said to himself with a chuckle.
  All of a sudden a dark figure emerged from the corn stalks and planted himself right in the path. He held what looked like a large machete and it appeared to be coated in blood.
   "Whoa, buddy. You just came out of nowhere," Will said, good naturedly, stopping in front of the man.
   "Are you the last creature I have to pass before I am free?"
  The figure did not answer.
   "Well, I know you're not allowed to touch me and you can't keep me here forever," he said, looking for a way around the man. But he was large and Will would have to go into the corn to get past him.
   "Is there like a riddle or something I have to solve?" he asked, beginning to feel slightly agitated.
   The figure stood silently. Will sighed.
  "Ok well if you don't mind, can I get past you now? I want to see if my two friends were able to get through before me."
    The figure looked down at his machete and a sick smile came over his face. He stepped to the side of the path and motioned for Will to continue.
  "Thanks a lot, man. Stay creepy!" Will called over his shoulder as he left the maze.
Looking around, he did not see Emma or Jasper. Maybe they had hardly gone to find the old man and claim their prize. Will hurried around the barn to the old man's table but he did not see his friends.
   "Am I the first one out?" he asked, approaching the table. The old man turned around to face him with a smile.
   "You sure are, young man. Congratulations! Here is your prize."
  The old man handed Will a small pumpkin with a scary face carved in it and a battery powered tea light candle inside.
    "My wife made these for our guests. It took her days."
    "This is great, thank you," Will said.
    "How did you like the maze?" the old man wanted to know. "Did it terrify you?"
    "It definitely made me jump. And the guy at the end was quite a trip."
   "The guy at the end?"
   "Yes, with the machete. He just appeared out of nowhere and stood looming over me. And the fake blood on his machete looked so real. That's definitely going to scare some kids tonight!" Will assured him.
    The old man sat up in his chair and stared at the maze, his eyebrows creased and the blood drained from his face.
    Will cocked his head to the side.
 "Is something wrong, sir?" he asked. The old man nodded.
 "I didn't hire a man to go in there with a machete."

The New Doll

  This is supposed to be a somewhat "creepy" story in the spirit of Halloween. It's my first try at a story like this so don't judge it too harshly. ;)

“Do you like your new doll, Katie?” her mother asked, smiling down at the little girl cradling the toy in her arms.

“I love her mommy,” Katie exclaimed, running her fingers down the green skirt of the shiny dress and then reaching up to smooth the doll’s big blonde curls. Her eyes were bright blue and her lips dark red. Her porcelain face was white like the snow except for two rosy circles of pink on her cheeks.

“You have to be very careful with her, Katie. Her face is delicate and it could break if you play with her too roughly.”

“I will take good care of her, Mommy,” Katie promised with a big grin.

“We should find a special place for her to stay while you’re not playing with her.” Katie’s mom looked around the room.

“What about the shelf next to my bed on the wall?” the little girl suggested. Her mom nodded.

“That is perfect, Katie. If you pull her legs up very carefully you can make her sit down.”

Katie shifted the doll’s legs into a sitting position, stood up on her bed and placed the doll gently on the sturdy wooden shelf.

“Perfect,” Katie’s mom said with a smile. “Now come downstairs for dinner.”
“Ok, mommy,” Katie answered, following her mom to the door and pausing for one last look at her new doll before leaving the room.

  That night, Katie lay in bed staring into the darkness. A beam of moonlight coming through the window landed on the shelf next to her bed and she could vaguely make out the shiny white face of her doll. She looked straight ahead through her unblinking blue eyes. After a few moments, Katie’s own eyes began to close and soon she was fast asleep.

  Her eyes opened suddenly when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Next to her on the bed stood the little doll, her face creased in a smile, one of her tiny hands waving at Katie.

“You can walk?” Katie asked in astonishment. The doll nodded her head making her blonde curls bounce.

“Come sit with me on the shelf, Katie.”

 Katie glanced at the shelf and then back at the doll.

“I am too big, I would break it,” she explained. The doll walked down Katie’s arm and pulled on her fingers.
“Come sit with me, Katie,” she repeated. Katie sat up and suddenly the doll was gone. She looked around and saw her back on the shelf, her legs in the seated position, her expression blank. The sun was shining in through the windows and Katie could hear her mother making breakfast downstairs.

 “Mommy, mommy, my doll talked to me last night,” the little girl cried, hurrying into the kitchen.

 “That’s great, honey,” Katie’s mom said with a laugh. “I love that you have such a vivid imagination.”

Katie raised a confused eyebrow at her mother’s comment but shrugged it off and asked for a bowl of oatmeal.

  Later that night as Katie’s mom tucked her into bed she reached up and patted the doll’s head.

“Is your new little friend going to talk to you again tonight?” she asked with a sweet smile.

“I don’t know, Mommy,” Katie answered honestly. “But I hope so. She has the cutest little voice and her tiny hands feel funny on my fingers.”

“I am glad you like her,” Katie’s mom said, turning off the light and leaving the room. Katie lay in bed looking up at the doll. She sat motionless now but Katie fully expected to soon feel her tiny doll hands patting her on the shoulder.

  Sure enough, in what seemed like no time at all Katie’s eyes were opening to see the doll’s blue ones looking right at her.

“Come sit on the shelf with me, Katie,” the doll insisted.

“I am still too big,” Katie said with a giggle. The doll again pulled on her hand and repeated her request.

  In the morning her face was still again and Katie couldn’t wait to tell her mother what had happened.

“She wants me to sit on the shelf with her,” the little girl told her mother while eating her bowl of oatmeal.

“That is sweet, honey. But you know you can’t sit on that shelf, right? You are far too big.”

“I know mommy,” Katie assured her. “But I wish I could. It would be fun.”

 That night, Katie’s mother pulled her blankets up to her chin and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“Are you going to talk to your doll tonight, Katie?” she asked.

“Yes, mommy,” Katie said, her eyes lighting up. “She always likes to talk to me at night.”

“I am glad you have a new friend,” her mom said, patting her on the head. “Goodnight, Katie.”

  The little girl lay in bed looking up at the shelf. She smiled knowing that yet again she would get to converse with her new doll.

  Before she knew it, the little blonde curls were bouncing up and down as the doll pulled on her hand even harder than before.

“Katie, come sit on the shelf with me,” the doll insisted. The little girl smiled.

“I told you I am too big.”

  The doll looked at Katie and gave her a strange smile the girl had never seen before.

“It’s time to sit on the shelf, Katie.”

   The next morning, Katie’s mom stood in front of the stove boiling water to make oatmeal for breakfast. She hummed a little tune to herself and smiled wondering when her little girl would come running down the stairs to talk about the conversation she had with her doll the night before.

  “Honey have you seen Katie this morning?” Katie’s dad asked, walking down the back stairs into the kitchen.

“No, is she not in her room?”

“I didn’t see her in there and her bed is not made yet. By the way, when did you get her those two new dolls?”

“I only got her one doll,” Katie’s mom said, turning around and giving her husband a confused look.

“No there are two on the shelf above her bed. One with blonde curly hair and a green dress and one with brown hair the color of Katie’s. Its dress even looks like the nightgown she wore last night.”

“I never bought her a doll like that,” Katie’s mom said, turning back to her boiling pot of water and pouring the oats in. As she stirred them around with a wooden spoon, her thoughts went to Katie’s descriptions of the conversations she’d had with her doll and how the doll had asked her to sit on the shelf. She shook her head and laughed it off. Katie was just a little girl with a creative imagination.

 “Can you stick your head out the back door and see if Katie is playing in the yard?” she asked her husband. “Tell her she needs to come eat breakfast. And I want to find out who gave her that other doll.” 

The Mistake

  Anita sat in her apartment staring at the wall. The dim light of dawn was starting to creep through the blinds and leave streaks on the wooden floor. It was a cold fall morning and she shivered slightly in her oversized wool sweater. Pulling it closer, she noticed it still smelled like Ryan. He had put it on only hours before as the two of them walked down the stairs from his apartment building to the sidewalk where their cab sat waiting at the curb to take them to dinner.
  "Do you like it?" he had asked. "I just got it this morning."
  "I love it," Anita had said with a smile. "Do you like my outfit?" she asked him, doing a little twirl in her short dark green dress. It was rare for Anita to wear anything with a skirt above her knees but there had been no bruises for a while and she had fallen in love with this color.
  "I love anything you wear," Ryan told her as he opened the door to the backseat of the cab.
  
  Anita looked down at her lap now. Her beautiful green dress was ruined. She would have to throw it away. Or burn it. The bottom hem was stretched from running and even though she could not see any stains through the sweater she knew they were still there.

 "Oh I love this place," Anita had exclaimed as the cab stopped at a cozy little restaurant front and Ryan opened the car door.
  "You have been here before?" he asked, sounding surprised.
  "Last week," Anita told him, sliding out of the seat. "My friend Grayson from work took me to lunch here."
  Ryan paused in the middle of closing the cab door behind Anita.
  "You went to lunch with Grayson?"
  "Yes, I thought I told you that."
  "No you didn't," Ryan said, in a grave voice.
  "Hey buddy, would you close the door? I got a job to do!" the cab driver's voice called out.
   
 Even now Anita could still clearly hear the ringing sound the door had made when Ryan slammed it shut. She thought she had heard cursing from inside, no doubt the driver did not appreciate Ryan's attitude.
    The light of dawn was getting brighter but brought no warmth. Anita wanted to turn on the heat but she could not bring herself to get out of her chair. Suddenly she felt a vibration in her pocket. Reaching down she grasped the rectangular shape of a phone. Her phone was in her purse. This one must be Ryan's. She wrapped her hand around it and pulled it out of the pocket. It vibrated rapidly and the screen read, "Mom." Anita gasped and dropped the phone. It vibrated across the floor for a few seconds and then went still. The screen went black except for the outline of Anita's thumbprint etched in red. Another thing she would have to throw away.
 She looked down at her hands and had to choke back tears. In the darkness she had not been able to clearly see the blood. Now as her apartment continued to lighten, it was very obvious.

 "Isn't it obvious why I'm upset?" Ryan had barked, pacing back and forth across his kitchen. He took off the sweater he had been so proud of earlier and threw it across the room onto the table.
 
"I know you don't like Grayson but you could have at least had dinner with me and let me explain," Anita answered, her stomach beginning to grumble.
  "Explain what? How you are seeing him on the side? About how you two are in love?"
  "In love? Ryan he has a crush on me but I told him I am with you. He is harmless. Can you stop acting crazy like this?"
   Anita felt Ryan's hand fall hard across her face. She gasped at the harsh sting on her cheek.
  "You promised you wouldn't hit me anymore," she winced, holding back tears.
  "And you said you would not be alone with Grayson."
  "We weren't alone, we were at lunch," Anita snapped.

  Now she realized it would have been better for her to stay silent. She closed her eyes and could feel his rough hand across her face again, his fingers grasping and pulling her hair and the pain in the back of her head as he slammed her against the wall. Her own hands shook now as she remembered the feel of his hot breath on her neck and face as he yelled at her for what seemed like hours.

   "Ryan please stop shouting," she had pleaded with him, tears streaming down her face. "I did not do anything wrong."
   "You're seeing another man behind my back. What do you call that?" Ryan demanded.
   "I'm not seeing anyone else. You're not thinking clearly because of your jealousy."
   
  That was the last thing she would ever say to him. The rest was a blur. Anita remembered him saying something about getting a drink. She had watched him through tear filled eyes take a bottle out of the cabinet. The next thing she knew it was smashed against the counter, pieces fell to the floor and Ryan stood leaning with one hand on the cabinet and one clutching the bottle top. He took a deep breath and looked over at Anita, dark purple liquid pouring over the counter edge onto the floor.
  Still clutching the bottle top, Ryan began to walk toward her, the jagged glass edges dripping wine. Anita had panicked and grabbed the first thing she could find, a letter opener on the table next to a pile of mail.
  The blood had gone everywhere. Anita had heard about arteries spurting when stabbed but she never thought she would actually witness it. Ryan had stumbled backwards and fallen to the floor, hands clutching his neck, his eyes wide in shock. Anita stood shaking as he gasped for breath. She watched as tears welled up in his eyes and he pointed at something behind her. Turning around she saw a trash can sitting next to the kitchen table. 
  Her mouth dropped open and she turned back to Ryan who clutched what was left of the bottle top in his hands. She fell to her knees in the shattered glass and burst into tears as Ryan took his last breath and then lay still.

   She had no idea how long she had laid there but it was still dark when she put on Ryan's new sweater over her blood stained dress, snuck down the backstairs out of his apartment building and quickly walked the two blocks to her own. She had not bothered to turn on the lights, she simply felt her way to her favorite chair by the window and sat down.
  Now it was daylight and decisions had to be made. What to do with the body, how to dispose of her dress and his sweater, how to explain to his loved ones what had happened without implicating herself, how to live with the guilt of what she had done.
  Murderer. The word came to her mind before she could stop it. She repeated its three ugly syllables over and over to herself until she couldn't take it anymore. The apartment was full of light now. There was no more hiding the blood stained dress and hands. No more hoping it would all go away. Ryan was gone and she was guilty.
  His phone still lay on the floor flashing a little blue light to let its owner know he had missed a call. A call from the woman who loved him more than anything and would never again be able to tell him so.
  She needed to know what had happened. Anita needed someone else to be part of her misery. It was too much to bear alone.
  Reaching down, she clasped the phone with her blood stained hands and hit re-dial. Putting it up to her ear she listened as it rang waiting to be answered. Finally a voice spoke at the other end of the line.
  Anita cleared her throat. "Hello, Mrs. Jones? This is Anita calling, Ryan's girlfriend. I need to tell you something."

Short story!

Westley lay on the muddy ground, the rain clinking on his armor. He had lost all feeling in his arm and most of his chest. Maybe it was better that way; better not to feel the blood oozing from his wounds as he slowly died.

Closing his eyes, he squeezed them tight and a single tear rolled down his dirty cheek. Maybe if he kept them closed long enough he would open them to find this was all just a bad dream. He would wake up in a warm soft bed covered in fresh blankets and see her standing next to him, her long blonde hair neatly braided and tied with colorful ribbons that match her elegant dress. She would smile at him and caress his cheek with one hand.

"You're a brave man and a bold knight, Westley," she would say. "You have slain the dragon and now my father will allow me to become your wife. You are a hero. My hero."

 And then she would lean down and her soft pink lips would meet his in a brief kiss.

Westley opened his eyes wide and looked around but all he saw were trees and rocks. His arm was still without feeling and he was laying not in a bed but in a puddle of mud and grass getting deeper with every raindrop.
 He took a breath and winced in pain. Every movement of his body was agony now. It was only a matter of minutes before he lost feeling completely and he would be in darkness without closing his eyes.

Leaving the castle this morning, he felt like a champion. The sky was bright blue with only a few white clouds scudding after him as he galloped away on his horse as if they could not wait to see his victory over the kingdom's nemesis.

Nothing could hold him back. His sword would pierce the dragon's heart and he would ride home to his love victorious and be showered with praises. His name would be on the lips of everyone in the kingdom and perhaps the king would hold a banquet that evening in his honor.

She would be there of course, wearing her most beautiful dress and would place a wreath of flowers on his head and hold up her goblet to toast his victory. That is when her father, the king's most trusted advisor at court, would announce that Westley had shown himself worthy of the lady's hand and the arrangements would begin for their marriage.

A weak smile came over the brave knight's mouth as he pictured his love in her beautiful dress, her eyes glowing at the thought of being his wife. The smile faded as he remembered that she never would be.
There would be no banquet, no wreath of flowers, and no goblets raised in his honor. Instead he would die here, unworthy and alone with the deep gash made by a dragon's claw in his shoulder. The dragon had not even thought him worthy of an honorable soldier's death but instead left him to suffer and slowly die.

It was getting harder to breathe now. Air came in short shallow puffs that sent unbearable pains throughout his body. He was cold now and his limbs that still had feeling began to tremble. Tears flowed freely from his eyes to join the muddy water beneath him. He looked up and saw a bright light. Was it the sun peeking from behind the clouds or the passageway to whatever would come next?

"I love you," he gasped out, crying with agony at the pain he felt from speaking. He longed to say her name one more time, for it to be the last word he ever uttered.

Summoning all his strength, he breathed in as much air as he could and formed the first letter with his tongue. In that moment, his weak and wounded body lost all feeling and though his eyes were open, everything was darkness.

There lay the bold knight Westley who had set out to slay the dragon but was tragically slain himself. His sword lay on the ground still clasped by his bloody hand, his armor was dented and gashed and on his lips, frozen forever in time, was the name of his true love.

Friday the 13th!

Because it's Friday the 13th and tomorrow is Valentine's, I decided to write a love/horror story. It's very last minute and I didn't have a lot of time to make it perfect, but I hope you like it for what it is!

  In a tiny house in a quiet town that no one has ever heard of, lived a girl named Emily. She was seventeen years old, popular at school and very excited to have her first boyfriend. His name was Tyler and he was the kind of guy that all the girls wanted to be with; handsome, kind and a good listener. All the girls at school had eyes for him but he only had eyes for Emily.

 On this particular day, Emily was very excited for their first Valentine’s Day together. She had heard stories from her friends of all the romantic things their boyfriends had done for them in years past and could not wait to see what Tyler would do for her.

  Of course, along with all the love stories there was also the prevailing ghost tale about Carter Mason the first man ever to take his own life in this quiet town. The story goes that Carter was deeply in love with a girl named JoAnna. They courted for several months and every day their love grew deeper. When Valentines Day came along, Carter thought it would be the perfect time to ask his lady love to marry him. When he arrived at her house in his best suit, the shiny ring securely tucked in his pocket, he was the happiest man alive.

  As he began walking up the gravel path to her door, it swung open and there stood JoAnna with another man. Carter’s heart stopped for a second and he stood staring at her with wide hurt eyes. JoAnna immediately burst into tears and told Carter she was so sorry for hurting him but she had found someone else who made her happier than Carter could.

  In a daze, Carter got into his car and drove home. Two days later, JoAnna came to his house to apologize again and never came out. When the police showed up to Carter’s house they found his lifeless pale body in the bathtub. On the bathroom mirror were written the words “You’re mine forever”. The most frightening thing they found however, was JoAnna’s body on the floor with a hole in her chest and her heart missing. It was never found.

  The legend says that Carter Mason slit his wrists in the bathtub on Valentine’s night and when JoAnna came to find him, his ghost cut out her beating heart so she could feel the pain she inflicted on his. However this was not enough to satisfy his desire for revenge and so every year, Carter’s ghost haunted this small town looking for another young heart to take for his own.

  All of these scary stories did not phase Emily however. She was excited to see Tyler tonight for their first Valentine’s Day date. As she stood in front of the mirror trying to decide what outfit to wear, her cell phone rang. She figured it must be Tyler but the number on the screen did not look familiar.

 “Hello?” she said, putting the phone to her ear. There was no answer, only silence.

“Hello?” she said again. She waited patiently but only heard crackling and static.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

This time a chilling voice said, “You’re mine forever.”

 Emily laughed.

“Very funny, Tyler. Go get ready for our date,” she said, and hung up the phone.

 After an hour of debating, she finally settled on a knee length swishy red skirt and cream colored top with a heart shaped necklace.

“I hope Tyler likes this,” she said to herself, looking one last time at her reflection.

  Grabbing her phone, she went downstairs to make sure everything was ready. In the kitchen, she had laid out a box of pasta and spaghetti sauce and in the freezer was a box of breadsticks.

 “Oh I forgot to get the lettuce ready for our salad,” she reminded herself. She set her phone on the counter and went to the fridge grabbing a head of lettuce from the crisper drawer.

  Suddenly her phone rang again and she grabbed it without looking at the number.

“Hey, Tyler,” she said, assuming it must be him. “Are you ready to come over yet? I am starting dinner in a few.”

  There was no answer.

“Baby, are you there? I said I am starting dinner. You should come over if you’re ready.”

“You’re mine forever,” said the same creepy voice from before.

 Emily rolled her eyes.

“Ok, Tyler. Very funny. I’ll see you in a few.”

Emily went about rinsing the lettuce and tearing it into pieces for the salad. Then she set water to boil for the pasta and opened the jar of sauce.

  She looked at her phone. No messages or calls from Tyler.

“He must be running late because he is trying to make sure my gift is perfect,” she decided. Still she wanted to send a text and make sure he was ok.

 She typed out a sweet little message, ended it with an X and an O and hit “send.” A moment later her phone went off and she swiped it open. There on the screen was a message that read “You’re mine forever.”

  Emily sighed and set her phone down on the counter. It was cute at first but now it was just getting annoying.

“I want our first Valentine’s Day to be romantic, not scary,” she said to herself, as she stirred the pasta.

When it was done, she drained it, put it in the pot with some olive oil and poured the spaghetti sauce over it.

 As she was stirring it all together, the doorbell rang.

“He is just in time!” she exclaimed, hurrying to the door. She swung it open and looked out with a big smile.

“You are just in time. I just finished the-“

 She stopped short, looking at the figure standing before her. That was not Tyler was at all. The man who stood there was dressed all in black and appeared to have blood dripping from his wrists.

“Are you alright?” Emily exclaimed, taking a step toward this strange person. “You’re bleeding really badly!”

  At that moment the man’s head came up revealing his pale face and dead eyes. Emily opened her mouth to scream at the frightening sight but her scream was cut short by his hand through her chest.

  An hour later, Tyler showed up to Emily’s house in his nicest clothes carrying a chocolate heart and a bouquet of roses. He walked up to the door to ring the doorbell but the door was already open.

  Walking into the house, he called out her name but she didn’t answer. He looked in all the rooms till he finally came to the kitchen. He let out a loud wail and dropped the chocolate heart and the flowers on the floor. There before him lay Emily’s lifeless body, her face frozen in shock and a hole in her chest right above her heart.

  And next to her, spelled out very neatly with spaghetti noodles, were the words “You’re mine forever.”