Page 36 of The Neighborhood Witch

Johanna did not erupt into fire, as there were no flames. An imaginary force wasn’t burning away at her body, but her soul. She writhed under her constraints. Her hands turned red and the ropes tightened, while she lashed and pulled to break free. She let out a final screech that echoed through the town. The women shielded the children’s eyes at the horror of Johanna’s torment. Thaddeus grinned with a low, wicked laugh. Johanna’s face scrunched and contorted in agony before falling silent. She hung lifeless against the tree.

There wasa knock at Johanna’s front door.

She turned around to see where the noise came from. The knock sounded again. She heard muffled words onthe other side. She stood still, holding her breath, not wanting to alert them that someone was in the house that evening. The knocks stopped.

Johanna breathed a sigh of relief. She retreated to the wingback chairs. She lifted the teapot and poured the hot liquid into her cup. She sat down, picked up the cup, and took a sip.I hate this wretched night.

Chapter 10

Treats with Tricks

“Do you think we’ll get many trick-or-treaters?” Elizabeth asked. Her feet shuffled out the front door and onto the front porch. The light next to the door was the only light in the growing darkness. Her body was frail and weak, but she still wore a brave smile. A red scarf wrapped around her head hid her missing hair.

“Watch your step.” Hugo clutched her arm below her shoulder. His grip steadied her as they moved toward a waiting chair.

She braced herself on the arm before easing into the chair.

“Do you want a blanket?”

“Then they wouldn’t see my costume. Isn’t it great?” Elizabeth pointed to her dress. She wore a full length, crushed red velvet gown marked with a spiderweb lace running down to the bottom of the skirt. A black petticoat overlaid the red gown. The puffy shoulders hid her frail, bony shoulders. She wore a black choker with an attached collar that framed her face in matching red.

“Do you want the teeth?” Hugo asked.

“Yes.”

Hugo handed her a pair of plastic vampire teeth. She slowly putthem in, trying to not cause a coughing fit. She smiled, exposing her new vampire fangs.

“Don’t move,” Hugo said with a morose smile, knowing this would be the last time she would greet trick-or-treaters. “I want to remember this moment forever, my vampire queen.”

Hugo stoodon his porch in his black pants and shoes. He wore the same white button up shirt from his last Halloween costume. The billowy sleeves ended in French cuffs. Over the shirt, he wore a double breasted, bloodred velvet vest. A black satin cape was draped over his shoulders. The interior lining matched his vest. He held his plastic vampire teeth in his hands before putting them back into his pants pocket.

He gazed at the empty porch chair which, only a year prior, held his wife safe and sound. He clutched a bucket of candy in his left hand. His right drifted toward his wedding ring. His fingers almost clamped down when a voice broke the silence.

“I dated a vampire once.”

He spun around to see Alice half sitting on her porch rail.

“Oh, yeah?” he asked, unsure if it was actually true. He moved toward his rail to be as close as possible to her.

“It didn’t work out between us. He sucked,” Alice finished. Her head tilted toward Hugo with a knowing smirk on her face.

“Woooooow,” Hugo drew out the word, trying not to laugh. “That was suckingly bad.”

“I thought you’d like it.” She winked at him.

She wore a traditional, plain black witch’s costume with a V-neck cut that exposed the top of her chest. The dress was snug to her body, accentuating her curves before turning into a skirt above her hips and ending at her knees. There was a tattered hem on her sleeves and skirt. She wore the stereotypical witch’s hat; the tippointed high into the sky. A contrast to her normally curved headwear.

“You know, on Halloween, it’s customary to dress up in a costume. You’re not supposed to wear your everyday clothes,” Hugo playfully teased.

She gave a pouty look, hopping off the rail. “You don’t like my costume?” She twirled around, spinning the skirt in the air.

He wanted to respond with yet another teasing comment, but held himself back. He focused only on her as she twirled around. The skirt hung in the air. Time slowed. He couldn’t pull himself away. Their eyes locked once again as she came to a stop. He wanted her to continue.

“It’s very bewitching,” Hugo replied.

Alice grabbed the skirt with both hands, curtsied, and smiled.

“Trick or treat,” a child’s voice interrupted.

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