Page 17 of Halloween Haunting
The figure moved toward her with an agonizingly slow pace out of the woods and across the lake. As it drew nearer, Grace thought it to be taking the shape of a tall man, her mind was immediately drawn to the story about the lantern’s origins. Perhaps the otherworldly figure was following the lantern’s light, and not trying to get to her. Grace snatched at the lantern’s top and yanked it off, blowing out the small flame with a trembling gust of air. It went out within the second, and she was entirely swallowed by darkness once more.
Knock, knock, knock!
Grace leapt in the darkness, almost knocking over the priceless lantern. She fumbled with it as it teetered, making sure to rest it back in its familiar spot before putting the lid back over its opening. For a moment, she lingered at the top of the staircase, her head pulsing. After the night she had, why would she even think about opening the door to any sort of sound? She remained stuck in place and almost breathed a sigh of relief when the silence stretched on.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Grace practically fell down the staircase as she skirted toward the front door. On the way there, she lifted an empty vase high over her head, ready to pelt the thing at whatever beast lay on the other side of her front door. Grace sucked in a sharp breath as she grabbed the handle and yanked it open.
Caroline, Olivia, and Anna stood within the doorway, their eyes wide and clinging to the empty vase.
Grace’s arm dropped and the lights snapped back on. “Are youkiddingme?” she screeched, almost pelting the vase across her foyer. Her attention turned back to the three ladies, noticing how deeply sympathetic they looked. “Don’t tell me: you all know about the ghost on the lake already.”
“Did the lantern turn on?” Caroline asked. “Did you see it?”
Grace sighed and nodded, rendered entirely speechless and exhausted.
“If it helps at all: the ghost will never make it to the house.” Anna shrugged her shoulders, as if it was hardly an issue. “The lantern will light up for a minute or two, until you see the ghost on the lake, but then it’ll fade away. And, you know, the lights will come back on.”
“I-I don’t understand. You say this like it’s a regular occurrence?” Grace watched as they had another shared look. “How often?”
Anna pressed her lips together. “Every night at midnight. But you’ll sleep through it, anyways! Where’s the harm in that?”
The floor swayed under Grace’s feet and she staggered backward, putting the vase down as one hand slapping her forehead. So much had happened in such a short period of time, and she was finally beginning to feel winded by it all. Her friend’s casual talk and nonchalant attitudes hardly made any of it easier to swallow. To Grace, the entire world had been turned upside down, but she was still being expected to walk like a normal person. Without saying anything, the three ladies waded into the Lantern House, shutting the door behind them.
Caroline inched closer to her and pulled Grace into a long hug. Her arms entirely encompassed Grace’s narrow frame, rubbing her back and smoothing out the lumps in her hair. As the minutes dragged on, Grace’s heart rate returned to its regular rhythm, simply chugging along as the world kept on changing.
“I think,” Caroline said into her hair, “we have a lot to talk about.”
Grace numbly nodded.
“I don’t suppose you have –”
“Vodka.”
“That’ll do.”
9
Grace was about to pour out four equal shots of Vodka when another one of those piercing white headaches shot through her. The bottle trembled in her grasp before her fingers clamped down around the slender neck, somehow managing to keep the rest of her from rattling like a defensive snake. Her vision was quickly obscured by the sharp light, until her entire house faded away. Once again, she felt as though she had been seated in front of a wide television screen, with firm hands on her shoulders to keep her from jerking away.
The vision unfolded like the start of a movie.
She watched herself glance in a long, full-size mirror in a place she did not recognize. Watching herself from an outsider’s point of view was the most unsettling thing she could have ever experienced. To know what it was that others saw in her felt like knowledge that did not belong to Grace, as though she was stealing it. It was obviously a Halloween party, from the streamers hanging off the sides of the mirror, and the posters with orange and black text hanging from the surrounding walls. A costume hung around her body, though it was obscured in a way that kept her from really knowing what it was.
For a moment – for asplit second– Grace thought she lookedgood.
The bright white light began to return and the vision started to crinkle and fade, till it felt as though it had never happened in the first place. Grace shook her head and the living room settled in around her. The trio of ladies hunkered down around the coffee table, their shoes removed and legs drawn up to their chests. Grace blinked a few times, avoiding their curious stares, and returned to pouring out the shots. The excitement she once had to get another buzz and stop thinking about what happened was quickly drifting away – and that was no good.
Caroline cleared her throat as she finished pouring the drinks. “Did you have another vision, Gracie?”
“I – uhm.” Grace took a seat at the couch and chewed on her lower lip. It was an odd thing to think about. To her, it was simply weird. It was nothing to pay attention to. It was a coincidence. Maybe it was some luck, a bit of foresight. Psychic abilities? It couldn’t be. Grace released the gulp of air she had been holding. “I thought I saw myself wearing a costume at a Halloween party.” She leaned forward and pointed at them. “But you can’t call that a vision, can you? Halloween is just three days from now! Why wouldn’t I imagine myself wearing a costume?”
“Sure,” Caroline drawled. “Although…”
“Althoughwhat?”
“Iwasplanning on inviting you to a Halloween party that’s happening tomorrow night.” Caroline twiddled her thumbs and sweetly eyed her. “But that’s totally just a coincidence. Right?”
