Dellyween

Footsteps. Colin’s voice. He was the only one who hadn’t been caught, still wandering outside and calling for us.

Don’t come in, I urged him in my thoughts, eyes trained on the door ajar, but not daring to glimpse the creature above the door frame. Beyond this room and many corridors away must be a lamp, for dying beams of it clawed its way just outside. Lying on my side, I could see it, but I couldn’t reach it. It was where Colin was. His silhouette appeared a second after the muffled sound of his bare foot stepping on the carpet.

The room was devoured by darkness, but Colin sensed people, or whom were once so. Oblivious to his fate, he strode in. A step. Another step. He was rooted at the doorway, still trying to figure out what had changed in his bedroom.

‘Guys! This is not funny. Turn the lights back on.’ He demanded, only his last syllable flailed as he stumbled on someone’s leg that was contorted and twisted like a candy cane. It was something he never got to know, for a heartbeat later the door behind him slammed shut and the creature, extending its human arms, ate him. No! Tears brimmed in my eyes.

No one would give it a second look if it were on the streets, properly dressed like a gentleman---until it cranked its jaws open. The bottom jaw angled a few inches below its chin, stretching the muscles on his face. For the briefest moment, there was a glimpse of its true monstrosity as its eyes lit up with malicious joy, and its mouth poured a waterfall of rotten saliva. Then it would be done. It rearranged its features into a gentle smile, its skin reversing the red streaks until they were smooth like glass.

But not now. After a few humans in, it realised no one was watching and the dead teenagers wouldn’t resurrect. I wanted to vomit. Facing my direction, it savoured the sharp edges of the bones that stuck out, slurping greedily on the carpet for blood that soaked.

My heart thrashed around in my ribcage as I watched silently, between curled fingers which belonged to the body stacked above me. I was past the deluded stage of calling the party over. This was real. And if I wanted to see my family again, I needed to make a run.

The creature was bent down, still eating. But I knew it would soon be done, so I summoned any loyal strength that was left and shifted my weight towards the window behind. I pushed myself sideways with my shoulders until the person above slid down and took my place. I saw her face, lips slanted and eyes hollow. Maisie. Not you too.

I scrambled on all fours, around mountains of bodies. Silently. Swiftly. It seemed more people than us seven. A finger here, a shoe there. I sharpened my hearing; it was almost finished. I had faith to see my parents again, my brother who was too young to join our game and probably being tucked to bed now, he’d miss me.

When I was a breath away from the windowsill I drew to my full height, ready to vault into whatever bush awaited. One glass pane away was a foggy night, so misty even the candle lights were held captive inside their pumpkins. Not a twinkle in the sky, not a stranger on the streets. Two roads away was the rooftop of my house. I leaped.

Something’s wrong.

There was a cold hand around my ankle, tight and insistent. I couldn’t see the rest of their body. Are they alive? A flame of hope lit up inside me, ‘Come.’ I whispered, ‘We can make it.’ Whoever they were I’d be glad to save. We’d go home together and promise to never play on a Halloween night.

Hesitantly, he softened his grip and turned to face the creature, ‘Delly,’ his tone was harsh and irritated, like a knife piercing through the dead silence.

Lance? I recognised that voice.

 ‘You missed one here.’ He spat.

Delly was light on his feet, his steps deliberate and slow, weaving his way around bodies, yet somehow in a blink of an eye, I could feel his breath on my neck. Two against one. I was cornered and they knew they’ve won.

‘Help!’ I screamed, squeezing my eyes shut.

Fortune Dragons came rushing in the window I opened. A blue, majestic creature emerged behind, caging Delly and Lance within a steel bar. The roof busted open, and the two cages skyrocketed as if pulled by an invisible string, followed by the dragon. The tiles rearranged and healed themselves.

‘Delly was a human mutant; he didn’t want to deal you any harm.’

Fairies came, planting kisses on the bodies so that they became human once more. Gone were the blood, stains and pain. The lights came on, warm and bright.

Fog lifted to show the unlikely northern lights in the skyline and Santa, along with his deer soared through the sky—a test run in late October. The trail of sparkles entailed became constellations in the clear night sky, emblazoning the cool round orb that embraced November’s winds.

When I opened my eyes, we all woke up from a terrible dream, and continued the party with autumn cookies, silly jokes and hugs.

Everyone remembered that an accident happened, but no one remembered the pain, grue, Delly or fear.