On Halloween night, your “love” brings such a fright

*So this story is supernatural, but only towards the end. I didn’t really put that much supernatural stuff in it. This is a somewhat new type of story that I wrote, so I hope that you enjoy this! Please let me know what you think! This story is under my folder titled “The trouble of Carlos”. Gacha Club character designs are under my forum titled “My character designs<33”. Enjoy!*

Chapter One-Love runs deep

Jacklyn and Carlos had been together for quite some time, living a sweet, benign romance. They met in the month of January at the ages of sixteen and were still together in October.

Well, it wasn’t so long if they were only together for a span of months. But Jacklyn loved him so deeply that it felt like years of their lives together. Many years ago, Carlos lost his family in a car crash on October, so he had been taken in by his Grandparents.

Of course, people thought that they had the right to call him names and accuse him of things just because he wasn’t much of a talker, but Jacklyn would always defend him, because what happened to him didn’t matter.

No matter what anybody said, she would always love him.

Chapter Two-A special gift

Jacklyn sat in the lunchroom with her friends, Ashley and Skylar, who were busy talking about the Halloween dance. Jacklyn herself was stirring up her carton of chocolate milk with a straw, absentmindedly staring at the paper cut out Jack-o-Lanterns on the wall.

Hopefully Carlos is okay. He hasn’t come to school all month, is it all getting to him? I can’t fathom losing my family, much less being reminded of it every month. He keeps on losing people that he loves. Maybe this dance will make him feel better. Maybe-

“Hiya, Jackie! Sorry I’ve been absent, I was doing something special.” Carlos’ voice said in her ear, interrupting her twisting and turning thoughts.

Jacklyn turned around. Standing next to the table was none other than Carlos, his green eyes glittering with excitement, one hand twirling a strand of his black hair nervously, another hand behind his back.

He then pulled out his hidden hand and took out a necklace of white teeth that had brown spots on them, all of them different sizes, but nonetheless small enough to be a necklace.

“I got it from an antique shop! I didn’t know what exactly to get you, so I just decided on a teeth necklace. Do you like it? It’s made of real teeth! Don’t be scared, Jackie. I know that it looks kind of brown but they take great care of their products! Want me to put it on you?” Carlos asked, his eyes gaining an adorable glimmer.

Jacklyn nodded and smiled warmly. She turned back around and parted her long, honey brown hair to the side, ignoring Ashley’s raised eyebrow and Skylar’s quietly muttered: “Ew.”

“So, do you want to go out with me to the school dance? I bet it’s going to be fun!” Jacklyn said cheerfully once Carlos finished putting the necklace on her.

Carlos sat down next to her and rested his head on the palm of his hand, sighing as though he had lost a handful of his humanity. The joy had diminished from his eyes, there was only misery within them.

“Why don’t we just go to my house instead? I don’t really feel like going to the dance.” Carlos said, his eyes downcast.

“Are you sure? I’ve never seen you at the dance before. How do you know what it’s going to be like if you’ve never been?” Jacklyn asked, meaning well with her words.

“I just don’t feel like going, okay?! Let’s just not talk about it.” Carlos snapped.

Jacklyn felt a wave of regret wash over her. Why hadn’t she chosen her words more carefully? He was dealing with his own problems and she had the nerve to ask him out on a stupid school dance? Why couldn’t she just let it go when he didn’t want to talk about it?

“I’m sorry, Jackie. This time of year always gets to me. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’ll make it up on Halloween. Come to my house, okay?” Carlos asked.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and wrapped Jacklyn up into his arms. Both of her friends had on the judgmental, critical expressions on their faces, but Jacklyn smiled as she lay in his arms.

His house. Halloween. It was better than going to a dance with the rest of the eleventh grade, wasn’t it?

Chapter Three-Makes you think

“You’re not at all suspicious about Carlos?” Ashley asked.

Jacklyn and her friends had finished school for the day and were walking home together when Ashley suddenly brought up Carlos, her voice holding an accusatory edge to it.

“You keep on bringing this up as if I’m supposed to care. He’s my boyfriend and he’s been nothing but kind to me.” Jacklyn said, hoping the conversation would end right then and there.

“You’ve never dated anyone before him, though. How do you know what’s good?” Ashley asked.

So what? You think that I have bad taste? You think that he doesn’t deserve love? Why, you go and try being him for once! It’s not easy!

Jacklyn didn’t say anything though. Why would she? Ashley was only talking. Getting into a fight with friends would bring such horrible, disgusting feelings that Jacklyn didn’t want to come up. Best to keep her thoughts to herself.

“Let’s look at the people Carlos has dated: In eighth grade, he was that nose ring boy. What was his name again? Bryn? Brennan? Wait, it was…Beck! His name was Beck! Yeah, remember him? He disappeared on Halloween! Oh and remember that girl Marilyn? From ninth grade? She had the pink highlights that everyone called “blinding”. You know what happened? She disappeared on Halloween! Then there was the wheelchair boy, Darryl, from last year. He’s gone and nobody has ever seen him since last Halloween. Isn’t it odd that Carlos was all dating them? That they all disappeared on Halloween? That he’s inviting you to his house on Halloween? Don’t you just wonder?” Skylar asked.

“Okay, so it does sound bad, but what if Carlos didn’t have anything to do with their disappearances? It’s dangerous to assume things.” Jacklyn said.

Her house was coming, her patience was growing thin. Why did her friends want Carlos to be a bad guy so deeply?

“I wish you’d take your own advice.” Ashley said once they reached her house.

“It’s fine, Ash. I’m good.” Jacklyn said, mustering up a smile.

She walked off, ever so annoyed that they insisted on calling Carlos things that weren’t true.

Okay, so they disappeared on Halloween. They all dated Carlos. But that didn’t mean that Carlos had anything to do with it…right?

Right?

Chapter Four-Long days

NIGHT AT HOME

Jacklyn lay in bed, fidgeting with the teeth necklace that Carlos gave her. Halloween would come the next day. The next day, she would really get to spend time with Carlos.

In all the months that she dated him, she never once met his Grandparents or saw his house before.

What better way to get closer to Carlos than to be at his house? While she loved him dearly, they didn’t talk much about deep things. It was all about school and what they were doing in the weekend. Carlos would snuggle her and kiss her sometimes, but he never wanted to say much.

It wasn’t his fault. If what happened to him happened to her, then she would be “different” as well.

Maybe he would be better the next day. Maybe he’d start to flourish and come into his own.

Jacklyn’s eyelids went heavy, the news broadcast from her pink box TV recounting the missing teens from the Halloweens before being nothing but a blur in her ears.

Who knew that a long day of worrying about Carlos would make her so tired?

Chapter Five-Halloween date

Jacklyn had no physical form, she was standing on a front lawn unfamiliar to her. The sky was pitch black with only a few strings of thin, cotton-like clouds and one glowing moon as white as sclera.

She turned her attention to the houses around her. Some had carved Jack-o-Lanterns and scarecrows, some had animatronics that looked like ghoulish creatures, all had a few costumed children knocking on doors and declaring “Trick-or-Treat!”

Finally, she looked in front of her. In a blue car parked on a driveway, she could see a slightly younger Carlos sitting on the driver’s seat. On the passenger’s seat was Darryl, his teal-streaked hair easy to recognize.

Wait…Darryl? Darryl went missing, why was Jacklyn looking at him?

“You know the thing about carrying the bride over the threshold? About how that’s supposed to be good luck?” Carlos mused, his green eyes staring far off.

“Yes, I know. What about it?” Darryl asked, his eyebrow raised in a notion of curiosity.

“What if I did that with you? Carried you over the threshold like a bride?” Carlos asked, his eyes twinkling brightly. Goodness, he had such pretty eyes!

“Why the bridal style? Couldn’t you use the wheelchair? Or carry me another way? Why the bridal style?” Darryl asked, a quizzical expression on his face.

Carlos grinned and leaned just a bit closer to Darryl, his glittering more than before. It was just like fireworks going off, those eyes! A certain happiness that Jacklyn had only seen in Carlos, that she cherished deeply!

“We don’t have any wheelchair accessible ramps in this house. Carrying you any other way wouldn’t be as romantic, now would it? You’re beautiful and enchanting, just like a real bride. Full of mystery and wonder, like a ghost bride. Now, isn’t that charming?” Carlos asked playfully.

She watched as Carlos gave him a kiss on the lips, the beam never leaving his face. It was the kind of kiss that was full of such sweet care, the kind a creature of magic and mystique would give, a creature of such lovely, dreamlike secrets.

Then, Carlos opened the car door and got out. After he did, he opened Darryl’s door and carried him, bridal style, his eyes oh so vibrant with delight.

Jacklyn never spoke with Darryl, but she did see him in the halls sometimes. His eyes never really held any emotion, he never smiled at anyone. It was as though he thought ill of the people around him, as though he didn’t trust a soul.

But with Carlos, he had the biggest, brightest grin, as though all cares had washed away. His eyes were like the candlelight in the Jack-o-Lanterns: flickering with vigor.

They both got to the front steps, Carlos opened the door and then…

Jacklyn could see a hardwood floor in front of her, the glare of the TV her only light. She felt a sense of dread creeping up on her spine, but whatever could it be about?

Jacklyn woke up, the sun shining mercilessly from her window, the pink TV still turned on to the local news.

Chapter Six-The real scares

“Why haven’t you gotten into your Halloween costume yet? You need to get ready!” Anne cried out.

Jacklyn turned around. Her seven year old sister, Anne, stood by her door, already dressed up in her black cat tutu costume, her hands on her hips, her eyes sprinkled with irritation.

“I’m going to get ready, Anne. Mind your own business.” Jacklyn said, rolling her eyes.

Anne’s eyes went over to the TV and she yelled out in an aghast tone:

“Why are you watching the boring news? You should be watching a Halloween show! What is this? Fix it, now!”

“I’ll do it when I want to. Get out, Anne. I mean it.” Jacklyn seethed.

Why did her little sister care so much about what she did on Halloween? Why couldn’t she just leave her alone? Didn’t she have anything better to do?

Of course, Anne wasn’t quite done yet, because she looked at Jacklyn’s bed and said:

“Is that a teeth necklace on your bed? Why do you have a teeth necklace? Are you like, a teeth collector or something? I’m telling Mom!”

Before Anne could open her big mouth, Jacklyn took a deep breath and said calmly:

“My boyfriend gave it to me. He got it from the antique shop. I’ll say it one more time, Anne. Get out of my room before I decide not to buy you any of those Halloween lollipops at the store.”

That shut Anne up real quick, because she ran off, saying no more.

Was Jacklyn the only one who actually liked the teeth necklace? Sure, it was “odd” of Carlos to give her a teeth necklace, but he always bought things from the local antique shop. Anything could be found there, maybe he just wanted to bring whimsy.

No matter. The necklace was for her. She and Carlos would have a Happy Halloween and he wouldn’t have to think about anything that he lost.

After all, Jacklyn didn’t want to think about the day she lost her eyesight.

Why couldn’t people learn not to stick their noses in certain things?

Chapter Seven-The glamour of costumes

AT SCHOOL

Jacklyn walked down the halls of school, admiring how her black boots stomped on the linoleum floor, her black and red stitched dress bloomed around her. Her round glasses were what she took to be a fashion statement and not so much as something she needed to see. She had to look at it as a fashion statement or else her thoughts would spiral into stress.

On either side of her locker was Ashley and Skylar. They all had lockers next to each other, they could all talk to each other. Ashley was dressed as a simple skeleton, Skylar was dressed as a zombie, completely covered in special effects makeup and donning a tattered, torn costume.

“Lovely costumes!” Jacklyn beamed.

“The real star is you! Look at you in your vampire costume! You even got fake blood and a wig. You look marvelous!” Ashley said.

“Well, I wanted to go all out. After all, it is the best time of the year.” Jacklyn said as she leaned against the locker door, right in between her friends.

It would be a shame that she wouldn’t be able to go to the school Halloween dance with them, but maybe next year she would be able to do it. It’d be so much more fun next year, because they would be seniors!

Jacklyn noticed a boy dressed up as a dark angel, his face painted white with black tears, his eyes red with black sclera. He wore a suit and cloak of black, his halo and wings matching, his boots higher and holding more buckles than hers.

She didn’t recognize him at first and only thought of him as someone who had an immaculate Halloween costume, but then he went up to her and said:

“You’re not wearing the teeth necklace I gave you. Why?”

She knew the sound of his lilting voice, knew exactly how his eyes glittered. His Halloween costume made him all the more magnificent, all the more alluring!

“The teeth necklace doesn’t go with my Halloween costume, Carlos. I’ll wear it. Just not now.” Jacklyn said gently.

He needn’t worry about the teeth necklace, she would keep it close to her heart!

Carlos smiled, his white teeth given more emphasis with the black lipstick.

He kissed her on the cheek and whispered in her ear:

“My house after school. Remember that.”

Jacklyn nodded. Her parents would be taking Anne out Trick-or-Treating, she’d have plenty of time to be with him.

Chapter Eight-Cemented memories

OUTSIDE OF CARLOS’ HOUSE

Jacklyn stood in front of Carlos’ house, admiring how there were string Jack-o-Lantern lights on the black iron railings of the front porch and Jack-o-Lanterns on either side of the door. There wasn’t much Halloween decorations, but it was nice to see Carlos get in the spirit.

Her eyes fell on the cement pathway that led to his house, the rocks all neatly put together, just like…

Just like when Jacklyn was ten years old and fell down too hard on the grass while playing soccer, her knee scraped with bits of dirt, her vision being covered with blood…

“What are you standing there for? Come on in, I’ve got so much to show you!” Carlos beamed, yanking Jacklyn out of her thoughts.

It was a damn good thing that he did it too, because Halloween was the best time of the year and she couldn’t waste it on miserable memories.

With a smile on her face, Jacklyn joined Carlos at the front steps, prepared for a special spooky night with him.

Chapter Nine-Movies and madness

INSIDE OF CARLOS’ HOUSE

Jacklyn sat herself down on the floral printed couch, a cheesy nineties Halloween movie playing on the TV. She had never seen the movie in her life, but judging by what she saw on the screen, it was about middle school aged kids facing off a monster. A typical feel-good, all around exciting and somewhat comforting Halloween movie.

Carlos had walked off to the kitchen. Before he had left Jacklyn in the living room, he said that he was going to do “something important”. She assumed that he was going to be making a Halloween pumpkin dish, so she decided to wait patiently for something that she was certain would be wonderful.

Before school had ended, Carlos told Jacklyn to change out of her Halloween costume when she got home and wear regular clothes instead. While she did miss her lovely vampire costume, she didn’t want Carlos to be bothered, so she put on her casual clothes and wore the teeth necklace. He didn’t tell her to wear the teeth necklace to his house, but she assumed that he would want her to wear it, so she put it on anyway.

Carlos had on his casual clothes and he seemed to be very happy with her wearing the teeth necklace as well.

Jacklyn fidgeted with the teeth necklace strung around her neck, immersed in the movie. Carlos was opening drawers in the kitchen, his Grandparents were probably asleep. Faintly, Jacklyn could hear the Trick-or-Treaters outside, eagerly collecting candy. It was all just like a perfect Halloween, a watercolor autumn cartoon.

In front of the floral wallpaper, Jacklyn could see the silhouettes of three people, two of them with their arms around one person, as if to help them stand up. She didn’t pay much mind to it, for the soft sounds of Halloween were merely making her tired, but then…

One of them jumped right out of the wallpaper and reached for her teeth necklace, its body dripping with blood, its mouth nothing but gums, its eyeless sockets drooping with suffering, its teal-streaked hair tangled and strung up like wires.

Teal-streaked hair. Two people to help them stand…Darryl.

“Jackie! You can come in now!” Carlos cried out cheerfully.

The figures were gone, but Jacklyn still felt a chill along her body, goosebumps rising in her skin.

She got up from the couch, trying her best to make sense of what she saw.

It was only a nightmare. Only a nightmare. Only a nightmare from everybody’s words about Carlos. They were all missing, they could still be found. Nothing happened to them.

Carlos had nothing to do with it.

Chapter Ten-Love heals, it doesn’t hurt

Carlos stretched out his arms in an embrace and Jacklyn ran right into them, enveloping herself in his scent, in his love. There was nothing in the living room, she was only having a nightmare, only half-asleep.

But what was that sharp, stabbing pain in her back?

“Now listen, Jackie. I know you’re scared, but don’t be. You have nothing to worry about. Me, on the other hand…I have nothing left. My parents and my sister are gone. My Grandparents died in their sleep last year, in the upstairs bedroom. As for the people I dated? Well…with Beck, he didn’t want to hear anything about what I was going through. He wanted to break up with me…so I took him. Marilyn was a little more understanding, but she still got a little uncomfortable with me. Darryl would have been perfect if he didn’t fight me so violently when I took his teeth. Yes, the teeth necklace you’re wearing is made up of Darryl’s teeth. You, though? You care about me. You love me. So if you really love me, then don’t make too much of a fuss. It stresses me out. Just be quiet and let me do what I need to do. You’re going to be okay, Jackie. Just please, trust me.” Carlos pleaded, his voice shaking as though he were about to cry.

Why was he telling her all of that? Did he trust her enough? Did he think that she would just agree to do whatever he was asking? What was he asking, exactly?

“What did you do with the missing kids?” Jacklyn asked, her nails gripping the back of his shirt as though it was her last lifeline.

Carlos sighed, the sharp pain pressing deeper into her back.

“I showed them love. I stuck my knife in their bodies and ate their flesh, drank their blood. I kept them alive within me. Some would call it murder, but don’t think of it that way. It’s only love.” Carlos said, a slight hint of happiness in his smooth voice.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jacklyn ripped herself away from Carlos and ran as fast as she could, slightly limping with the knife wound on her back. She could hear his voice calling out to her, crying out for her to “Stop and think it through”, but all the while, she could hear her heart racing in her head, see the world blur around her just as it did when she was about to go to sleep, when she was playing soccer at ten years old. There was no control, only a world spinning into screams and shouts, demanding that she do “this and that” to “get out and go”.

Weren’t the signs obvious? Why didn’t I think more rationally? My friends knew there was something wrong with him and what did I do? Nothing. I should have left him yesterday, when I got that teeth necklace. I mean, who gives out teeth necklaces?

Through the glare of the TV that stretched into the hallway, Jacklyn found a hallway closet. She could hear Carlos’ footsteps rising behind her, so she opened the closet door and made it like she was going to hide-

And slammed it shut with Carlos inside, jumping out of the way at the last second, but not before he grazed her arm with the knife.

“Jackie, please. I’m not trying to make you upset or anything, I just don’t want you to leave me. I’ve got nothing but you. Please, Jackie. Don’t do this to me. Don’t be like them.” Carlos said in a quavering, terrified voice.

Inside of the closet, he sounded so meek, so frightened. Like he was trapped in a place of no light and no souls. Like he only wanted to find love and freedom, hope and joy. Even though Jacklyn could feel her blood spool onto the floor, could hear her heartbeat in her ears, she still felt a glimmer of sorrow for him in the depths of her heart. After all, he didn’t ask to lose his family.

But what about Darryl? He looked so dreadfully zombie-like, so inhuman. If his ghost or whatever it was looked so wretched, then what did Marilyn and Beck look like? Do I even want to know?

With a shaking hand, Jacklyn took out her cell phone and dialed 911.

“Nine-One-One, what’s your emergency?” A man’s voice, the operator, asked.

Jacklyn swallowed hard, trying her best to push down her trembling terror. There was a coldness in her body from the blood leaving her and a coldness outside her body, as though she was being watched by anxious eyes, but the operator wanted to hear her talk in a calm, coherent voice.

She couldn’t cry like she did in the soccer field.

“My boyfriend, Carlos…tried to kill me…killed the other missing kids…confessed…to…me…check house for…bones…come quick…with ambulance…I…I…”

“We’re coming, ma’am.” The operator’s voice said.

The phone call ended, Carlos still banged on the door and all the while, Jacklyn wondered:

How can people go Trick-or-Treating when all of this is happening?

………………………………………………………

A few minutes had passed, the police and the ambulance had come. Jacklyn lay on a stretcher, watching Carlos be led into a police car, his hands cuffed behind his back. She watched as they searched the house, she watched as a handful of Trick-or-Treaters gathered to watch what was happening, shoving candies into their mouths.

If Carlos hid the bones in the house, then he must have hid them well or else his Grandparents would have been suspicious. What if they’re not there? What if they think I’m lying? What if Carlos gets out again? No, no. I can’t think too much right now. I need to sleep…sleep. But what made Carlos kill and eat people that he loved? Is it really that important? No, I just wonder…he seemed eccentric, but kind. How could I not see? Did I want him to be good so bad?

Jacklyn was rolled into the ambulance, the doors slammed shut. She could hear the sirens of the ambulance wailing around her and hoped to the universe that Anne was having a better Halloween than her.

It’s all just like a movie.

………………………………………………………

Jacklyn wearily opened her eyes to gently glowing sunlight shimmering through the cracks in white blinds. She was lying on a hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machines and abundant flowers. Vaguely, she could red an index card taped to a pink butterfly balloon that floated next to the glass door: We love you.-Mom and Dad.

She could see the vases of flowers from her friends on the nightstand, one letter from Ashley saying: I knew he was bad news! and another from Skylar saying: He’s gone now, you’ll be okay.

There was also a bat-shaped lollipop next to flowers with a sloppily drawn heart on a post-it taped on the white stick.

A Halloween lollipop. Look at that. Anne got me a Halloween lollipop. Jacklyn thought, a smile weakly spreading on her lips.

She could hear voices that were far away, yet close. They were the type of voices that could only be heard on TV, so she turned her to face the TV mounted on the wall and man speaking at a news desk, saying:

“Carlos Bardot has been arrested for the murders of Beck Katz, Marilyn Hart, Darryl Crawford and the attempted murder of Jacklyn Barlowe. Human bones have been found in boxes in the basement, all of them identified to be the missing kids from DNA tests.”

The footage played recordings of the inside of Carlos’ house, accompanied by a headline that matched the crimes. Never before had Jacklyn thought that she would feel at ease when watching the news, but in that moment, she felt all of her worries scatter away. In fact, she didn’t even feel the teeth necklace rubbing her neck.

Maybe the doctors took it away to the police. Perhaps they were being examined by those with authority.

But deep down, Jacklyn felt that they were much farther away than anyone could imagine. She felt it inside of her that they were in the grasp of someone who lost connection with the world not too long ago, someone who appeared right in front of her from the floral wallpaper.

Darryl and his teeth were reunited once again. Carlos was locked up, the mystery had been solved…

And though Jacklyn still didn’t feel the energy to move, she still felt optimism blooming in her heart.

She was still alive. She would live to see November First and many other days to come.

Just like that time in soccer, everything hurt, but overall, she was going to be just fine.