Halloween Romance
Sequel to
Mischief Night Magic
Part Two: Costumes
Tonight was Halloween night. I'd spent the morning cleaning the remaining parts of the cemetery. Around one, Gwendoline fixed me a late lunch of chicken noodle soup with some salted crackers on the side. The soup was okay, nothing special, just the kind of soup you get from a can. Small cubes of chicken breast, thin noodles, and a yellow, salty broth. After that I took a short nap.
Around three Gwendoline woke me up from my nap and ushered me into the bathroom. Once in the bathroom I found out I needed to pee. So I peed before jumping into the shower. The shower washed away the sweat and grimness and made me feel a little fresher. I washed and conditioned my hair before shaving my legs and my under-arms. Yes, I even shaved my private area.. because you know, well first off its Halloween, second, its my first dance. And I'm sure there would be plenty of cute boys to choose from. And I wanted to be prepared if the chance for a little fun in bed showed itself.
After my shower I walked into my bedroom and I noticed my costume had already been laid out. A small blush colored my face as I reached down and picked up the costume. You could tell the fabric was kind of cheap, but then again most “From the Rack” cosplay's were cheap, having been sewn in some Hong Kong sweat shop by slave labor that was paid about fifty cents an hour. Or was that fifteen cents an hour? I don't know.
“So.” I said as I walked over to the dress. Without thinking I let the pink towel that had been wrapped around my chest drop to the floor. “Is this my first of many dances as 'Heather' or is this going to be a one or done deal?” I asked myself as I reached in and pulled out a lacy white bra. Given the fact that I lacked breasts I could have gotten away without it. But it just felt right to put on one. After all, Gwendoline had sewn some padding for me. I then slipped on the dancer belt to smooth out my front and over the dance belt I slipped on a pair of french cut panties.
“Dad would kill me.” I said to myself. And I was right, if my dad saw me now he would walk out to his truck. Get his shot-gun down from the gun rack. Load it full of shells, it was a pump shotgun. He would then walk back inside, take aim at me, and squeeze the trigger and blow me here to kingdom come. And he would not stop at one blast, no he would keep going till he was sure I was dead as a doornail.
But then again, what he did not know would not hurt him. But I started to think that somebody might rat me out. Benton was after all a small southern town, and like most small towns, people talked. It was only a matter of time before somebody put two and two together.
“Fuck it.” I said slipping on the costume. “You only live once.” I said.
“Cat's have nine lives.” A voice from behind me said. “Or so I've been told. Sometimes I believe it. I've seen plenty of tom's walk away from death's doorstep.”
I blinked and quickly turned around. And then I screamed as I fell over. Standing in the doorway of my bedroom was none other than the fabled bloody bride. Her form fitting wedding gown was splattered with blood, her white gloves seemed stained with it, and a long white veil covered her face. And in her hands was the weapon that had done the deed so long ago, a bloody hatched dripping with blood.
“HEATHER!” A concerned voice from behind the white veil said. “It's me girl!” Without waiting another second the bridge dropped her hatched to the floor and reached up and removed her veil. I'd been expecting to see the hellfire red eyes of the bridge I saw that cold, foggy night a week or so ago. Instead I saw the soft, almost glowing baby blue eyes of Gwendoline.
“JESUS.” She said rushing toward me. “Maybe we should stay in if you're going to scream like that.” She said as she wrapped her arms around me. She wasted no time in pulling into a hug.
“Sorry..” I said. I felt my cheeks starting to blush. “You just scared me. I told you that night I saw what I thought was the fabled 'Bloody Bride' and well, I've tried to forget about it. I kind of wrote it off as a fever dream you know. I thought I was coming down with something that night.” I said I was a little unsure of myself.
“Oh girl.” Gwendoline said. “I've been thinking about that night too, maybe I should have chosen a different costume then. You see, when you told me you'd been chased by the 'Bloody Bride' I thought you were pulling my leg or something. She is not known for letting her prey escape her. So it must have been blind luck you found my cottage. As the Spirits can't cross the threshold of my door, not without my permission and I would never grant her permission.”
“What do you mean?” I said tilting my head to the side. “What do you mean 'She not known for letting her prey escape her' I thought ghost can't hurt you and I also thought ghost were not real?” I was a bit confused by that statement. You think a former ghost hunter would have a little more respect for the supernatural right? Well to be honest with you. While I loved the supernatural, and while I loved getting scared out of my mind from watching horror movies and reading one ghost story after another I always knew in the back of my mind that ghosts were not real. But here Gwendoline was, telling me ghosts were real and they could not cross the threshold of her door without her permission. That sounded a bit odd.
Gwendoline chuckled a little as she stood up.
“Oh Sweet Heather.” She said bending down to help me up. “I'm really amazed that 'The Bloody Bride' let you escape her that night. Normally those who cross her path end up spirited away. Their face's end up plastered on the front wall's of Walmart's and on the back of milk cartons. Maybe she saw something special inside of you that night and decided that you should live, instead of being dragged into the shadows never to be heard from again.” She said smiling.
I felt a little chill run across my shoulder as I peered up at Gwendoline who was fixing her veil.
“Okay?” I said standing up. I brushed some of the dirt off the front of the costume. “If you don't mind me asking.. Why did you decide to dress like her for Halloween?”
Gwendoline giggled a little. It was an unearthly giggle. One that made my blood turn to icy water.
“Because. I feel a connection to her. I know how it feels to be rejected by the man who you thought loved you, who you thought you'd grow old with, the man who you thought would become your husband. A man who defiled your wedding gown with his sinful heart.” Gwendoline said as she reached down and ran her glove fingers over the blade of the hatched.
“Okay, what about the hatched you're holding in your hand?” I asked as I eyed the hatched a little. Gwendoline once more chuckled a little as she held the hatched.
“Oh this?” She said holding the hatched up with one hand and pointing toward it with the other. “This is a cheap little prop I bought last year.” She then leaned. She was so close to my face I could smell the minty fresh breath wash she used to rinse out her mouth after she brushed her teeth a few minutes ago.
“I mean, it's not like I'm going to chop you up into a billion, tiny little pieces and bury each piece in its own little hole so the police will never find you.” She said with a wicked little smile. It was so wicked that it caused me to shiver a little. What a Halloween this was turning out to be.
“Anyway the dance starts soon. Like in an hour or so. So we have just enough time to get down there, get you checked in and spike the punch.” Gwendoline said with a little smile. She quickly added. “I was joking about the last part. I don't think the PTA will want to serve a spiked punch to a bunch of crazy teenagers on Halloween Night.”
I had to roll my eyes at the last part. Part of me wanted to believe that Gwendoline was joking. But the other part of me knew without a shadow of the doubt that the punch would be spiked. By whom I have no idea. But then again this was Benton High. And Benton High was not known for social refinement. Anyway that's how another chapter comes to an end. Please stick around the next one going to a wild one I feel
