Halloween Cancelled

Sweating profusely as I was gasping for air, I ran to hide behind a large oak tree at Widows Creek. I could barely see through the thick white fog surrounding me. From a distance I saw flashlights and heard voices headed near my direction. They were saying, “Ven Aqui!”, “come out girl there is nowhere to hide.” My hands were shaking, well everything was shaking for that matter. I looked around slowly to anticipate my next move. The glare from the flashlights had gotten closer and I could hear their footsteps in the grass. The leaves were crunching with their every step. My only choice was to make a run for it, hop over the wooded fence and run. To get Anywhere. I mean ANYWHERE away from this mob of people who were after me. Without any further hesitation I jetted off running. As fast as humanly possible. I had gotten over the fence and they were right behind me. I felt like I was losing then and then a gunshot rang off. At that instant I stopped. I never imagined my life ending this way. I turned around parlayed in fear. Once the mob caught up to me there were men, women, and some children holding shot guns, pitch forks, flashlight, lanterns, and machetes. One of the men from the mob ran towards me, as I covered my head, he raised his machete in the air and…

Melanie Tucker!!!

Sleeping in my class again, are you?

I was in a trance, stuck, and had to realize where I was. I could not believe that I was dreaming, let alone sleeping in her class.

Oh, so you can’t respond? Mrs. Grantly said. How about I spell it out for you slowly.

D-E-T-E-N-T-I-O-N

Now get out of my classroom and go to the principal’s office! This has been the fourth time in two weeks I’ve been in detention for falling asleep in Mrs. Grantly’s class. My uncle Kevin and his family moved in with us a month ago and let’s just say getting a goodnight’s sleep was almost impossible. They had a four-year-old, three-year-old, a two-year-old and to top it off newborn twins. I don’t know what my mom was thinking allowing them to stay with us. We only live in a two-bedroom shabby apartment in Los Cabos, Mexico. The island is surrounded by water. My mom took a job offer here five months ago and I have no friends, no social life, and I speak no Spanish. They took my bedroom while I crashed in the living room and slept on the sofa bed. This set up was bothersome. My mom did not help by feeding me the line, “You have to help others in need.” Blah..Blah..Blah! Well, how about I’m in need, I’m in need of my room back!

As I walked into the principal’s office the administrative staff had began to scold me. What could you possibly be in here for again Melanie? Wait let me guess, sleeping in class? Before I could respond, in a raised voice tone she said, have a seat over there! Principal Daniels will be out to see you soon. After about twenty minutes, he came out handed me a pink detention slip and said, one more of these young lady and you will be facing suspension. Then he walked away.

After serving my detention for an hour afterschool I started walking home. That was another thirty minutes for me. The school bus does not wait around for students serving detention. And I would not dare ask my mom to pick me up because then she’ll know I was in detention again. She had already told me if I received another detention, I would not be able to celebrate Halloween tonight. And I was not trying to stay in the house. I just purchased this cute white mummy costume and I intended on wearing it with every ounce of my being.

As I was walking home, I stopped at a store on the corner to get something to drink. There was a small poster on the front door that read:

Halloween Party!

126 Sugar Creek Lane

8pm-Midnight

Must wear Costume & Dress to Impress

The First 25 in free/ $10 per person thereafter

This excited me because I have been looking for a fun party to crash for Halloween and an opportunity to show off my costume. I, then walked in the store. Immediately I locked eyes with the clerk. He was so handsome. Dark hair, hazel eyes, and muscular figure just how I like them. He must have been new because I had never seen him here before. As I walked towards the fridge to grab a soda, I could feel eyes on me. I quickly turned my head and saw that he was still watching me intensely. I mean he did not even look away or pretend that his eyes were focused on something or someone else than me. I wasn’t even creeped out, the fact that he was easy on the eyes gave him a huge pass in my book. I walked to the register with my soda and a pack of skittles. That will be $2.87, he said. As I began pulling the money from my bookbag he said, “Como te llamo?” Huh? I replied. I mean, “What’s your name?” he said. Oh, Melanie. But my friends call me Mel. In his Spanish accent he said well, I shall call you Mel because I consider us friends now.

Me: Cool, Well friend, Como..te..

Clerk: llamo

Me: Yes! Como te llamo?

Pedro: My name is Pedro

Me: I never saw you here before Pedro.

Pedro: My family moved here just a week ago and today is my first day working at the market.

Me: Okay! Welcome to the neighborhood. So, what are you planning on doing tonight for Halloween?

Pedro: My family is having a Halloween party at our ranch. Just a selected few friends and family members. It’s Invite only.

Me: Okay, nice.

Pedro: I mean since we are friends now, I can make an exception for you.

Me: umm.. I don’t know. We just met and there is another Halloween Par.. (Pedro interrupts)

Pedro: Come on please. It will be Fun! And it would be such an honor having such a pretty girl there.

Me: Hmmm. well since you put it that way sure. I’ll come.

Pedro passed me his cell phone to save my phone number in it and then I left the store. About five minutes later, I received a text message with the Halloween Party information. The text read:

Hola!

You’re invited to an exclusive

Halloween Party!

This is invite only!

178 Pepper bridge ranch lane

This party will be to die for

Beware: Reframe from bringing any other guest not on the list

To die for? I chuckled and continued to walk home. When I arrived, the apartment was completely empty. My mom was still at work, she picked up a double shift today and my uncle Kevin and his family went to visit his in-laws for the night. I basked in the peace and quiet I was experiencing. So much that I took a nap for about an hour. Halfway into that nap however my sleep was interrupted by a phone call. The call was coming in from the hospital where my mom worked. I knew this could not be good. She is usually too busy to call home on holidays. I answered the phone in a sleepy voice.

Me: Hello?

Mom: Are you sleeping?

Me: Yes, Ma’am

Mom: Oh, so you didn’t get enough sleep in class today? The school called me and even told me that you served a detention today. You thought you could hide that from me?

Me: No Ma’am, I just didn’t get a chance to tell you yet.

Mom: Yeah nice try! You remember what I told you last week if you get another detention Halloween is cancelled for you!

Me: But..Mom..

Mom: There is nothing further to discuss, you are not to leave the house tonight or the consequences will be harsh.

Me: But..Mo.. (Mom hangs up mid-sentence)

Tears rushed down my face. This can’t be my life! Out of frustration I began to throw things around in the living room. I then looked up at my costume and thought about Pedro. How lame would he think I was if I did not show up to the party? I have to go! I said to myself. If my mom finds out I will deal with the consequences later but tonight… I’m going to this party! It took me about thirty minutes to get dressed and do my makeup. I called for an Uber and I was on my way.

While on the way it had gotten very dark, the homes were miles apart from each other and there were more open lakes and fields than I had seen before. I began to think, maybe I should have stayed home. I mean, I just met Pedro. Was it a really good idea coming out in the middle of nowhere to a party where I knew no one? You have arrived at your destination the uber driver said. I slowly got out and handed him a five-dollar tip. He offered to come back by and pick me up when the party was over since it was so far out. I agreed and requested that he come at 10. As he pulled off, Pedro came out to greet me. He was so kind and gentle. We walked inside of their ranch style home. In the backyard was where the party was being held. He introduced me to some guest at party and they were so kind. His mother, father, some cousins, and friends. At this point I realized that maybe I was overthinking. Maybe I was being paranoid, watched too many horror films and I misjudged this whole situation.

After over an hour of food, drinks, and laughter I did not want the night to be over. Where’s the restroom, I asked Pedro. He responded, up stairs two doors to your left. Do you want me to show you? No, I think I can mange I told him. I noticed absolute silence as I began walking up the stairs. This was strange. As I got up the stairs and was walking towards the restroom, I noticed a room door cracked open and I peeked inside. There were numerous candles lit up in the form of a circle, a glass cup filled with red blood like liquid, a necklace, a piece of torn paper, and two pictures. I looked behind me to see if anyone else was coming. I did not hear or see anything or anyone, so I walked closer to get a better view. I stood there in a daze. I could not believe what I was looking at. One of the photos looked like a teenage girl and the other was a photo of me. I was confused and could not think properly. As I began to tip toe backwards slowly out of the room Pedro grabbed me. “You weren’t supposed to see this yet”, he said. I began to scream. As he covered my mouth with his hand I bit him, stopped on his foot, and ran. I managed to run out the front door before anyone else realized that I saw the séance they had set up. I began running. Running for my life. I tripped over a sign in my path and fell to the ground. When I read it said, “Welcome to Widows Creek”. It had not dawned on me until that very moment that this was the same place I had dreamed about while in class. I was even more terrified. As the mob of people from the party were chasing me, ahead I saw headlights from a car. It was the Uber driver! He was early picking me up. I just had to make it a bit farther and I will be safe. I heard the people saying many things in Spanish and English. You are our only hope to bring our daughter back! Stop! Parada! Parada! Then a gunshot went off and I heard my mom’s voice saying, Melanie! Melanie! Melanie!

Melanie WAKE UP! It looked like you were having a bad dream she said. It’s okay I’m here now. You are safe.

I squeezed my mother so tight.

I can’t believe this was all a dream.