I noticed it was quite warm for late October. While there was a slight breeze in the air, the humidity dampened us like a wet cloth.  

From the room next to mine I hear my sister giggling with her friends about their princess costumes. I turn towards Jancy, who’s sitting next to me on the bed, as screams from Halloween 4 come out of the TV. “What are we doing for Halloween?” I ask. “I’m gonna be out of town,” she pauses, “I’m going to visit my dad in Peakview, remember?” “That’s right I’m sorry, I forgot. I’ll just ask James.” 

“Hey Babe,” I call James from the payphone a few blocks down because I lost my cell last week, “Do we have any plans for Halloween?” “I don’t know, a few of my friends are going to tipi the Calhoun Mansion. You can pull up if you want.” I say okay and that I’ll see him at school tomorrow. He wasn’t at school the next day. I tried calling him, but the line was disconnected. Oh well, another one lost. 

This town has been having kids disappear for decades. Originally the police questioned it, I think the government even came in during the 70’s, but no one could explain it. Now every once in a while, whether three in a week or only one in a year, kids just disappear. No one asks why. About 15 years ago Mrs. Calhoun’s only child was one of the lost ones and nobody’s seen her since, or so I hear. 

In PE I go up to one of James’ friends and ask if he had heard. He did. I followed up asking if it would be cool to still tag along to the town haunted house AKA the Calhoun’s. He said that would be fine so that night, after my sister’s trick or treating-high crashed and my father had once again fallen asleep drunk on the couch, I went to meet up with Hardy, Dean, and Leila. It was about a 5 block walk so I slipped on my headphones and continued strolling down the empty, candy wrapper filled street as the full moon lit my way. With Arctic Monkeys “Do I Wanna Know?” blasting in my ear I arrived at the house with the rest of the group sitting on the steps. 

“We’ve been waiting for you” Dean says as I walk up. “Sorry but I don’t remember any of you offering me a ride.” I snark back. Impatiently Leila adds in, “so are we gonna do this or not?” We all nod and grab a roll of toilet paper. We had about half of the front yard covered when a crash from the second floor forced us all to look up. “What was that?” asked Hardy. No one answered but after the silence became to much to bear Dean sliced through it like a knife, “Maybe we should go.” “Oh, you baby,” I say, “it’s fine. Let’s finish this.” I should’ve left then.  

Honestly, I don’t remember whose idea it was but within 15 minutes a dare had been made to ring the doorbell. All of us sprinted the second “Dream Sweet in Sea Major” began playing on the bell. Just as I reached the gate to climb over though, the door opened. Paralyzed we stared at the door slowly creak open to reveal no face. Shocked we all darted our glazes to each other, but I was the only one who spoke “Well are we gonna go in?” The group stared at me with bug eyes, as if I’d just said I was Satan himself. “You’re insane!” they all said at once and ran down street faster than a chicken looking for it’s head. Rolling my eyes, I went up the steps into the dark home. Taking three steps inside before I heard the great oak door slam behind me. I jump, surprising myself. Then from the kitchen I hear the clattering of pans. Carefully I look around the corner into the dining room past the spider webs that covered the table to the swinging door that’s still swaying back and forth. Against my better judgment I entered the dusty oil covered kitchen. No one was to be seen. At this point I should have seen what was right in front of my face, but as soon as I climbed up the steps, I did. 

Mrs. Calhoun, or so I assume, was inches from my nose. Her nightgown was dirt covered and pink. Her hair was grey and knotted. And her eyes, they were as pale as my skin. I let out a loud screech and bolted back downstairs to the door. The door’s locked! Oh god I was in trouble. I turned to face Mrs. Calhoun, a gun in her hand.  

I wake now in the darkness of an oak coffin surrounded only by silence and the rich smell of dirt. I’ve watched too many movies to end up in a situation like this but soon I predict that the air will become scarce. My screaming will do no good. I am lost, along with the others.