On The Other Side

Chapter Nineteen: Hallows Eve

Declan has the store filled with ghosts, goblins, and pumpkins; a small haunted house takes up every corner of the storeroom, the inventory pushed back, making room for Halloween. It’s filled with spooky, candlelit jack-o-lanterns, witches with green faces, hanging rubber bats and spiders.

He’s even pulled out the electric Christmas lights, stringing them around the store, making what may have been a bit scary, more bright and fun for the neighborhood children.

I make my way to the storeroom, the curtain that separates the backroom from the rest of store is covered in paper streamers, and paper pumpkins Corky and Aggie colored, painstakingly cut out, and pinned up.

I hear Aggie talking very serious to little Alex about Halloween. “Ok, I know you’re just a tiny baby, Alex, but Halloween is a very ‘portant day. I’m going to dress up to be Doctor Aggie, Dec has all the stuff for me, and mamaí is going to put a white sheet on your head to be a ghost.”

I peek around the corner, see Alex sitting on his diapered bottom in front of his sister, smiling up at her in adoration, his cheeks rosy. Aggie pats her brothers head gently, telling him what a good baby he is. “If we’re real good, I know Declan and Crag will give us lots of candy in our trick or treat bags.”

Aggie kisses Alex’s cheek, “I know you’re too small for candy, but I still made you a trick or treat bag, because then I can eat my candy and yours, too. Doesn’t that sound like a good plan, Alex, doesn’t it?”

I laugh quietly at Aggie’s antics, her little mind never rests, always scheming up ways to get more candy.

I get to work, straightening the inventory on the shelves, making sure all the canned goods are facing forward, dusting, cleaning where it’s needed.

It’s such a beautiful morning, the sun is streaming brightly through the window, the trees, bare of leaves, sway gently in the breeze, the sky as blue and clear as a sapphire.

I softly hum a Gaelic tune while folding and organizing the ready-made shirts. Eyeing the now pristine shelves, I grab the broom from the corner, sweeping away dust and stray leaves brought in by customers shoes.

It’s then I notice it’s entirely too quiet in the store, I don’t hear Aggie’s energetic chatter, Alex isn’t crawling around behind me, undoing everything I’ve done up. Craggy and Declan aren’t behind the counter, a lively argument about something going on between them.

I call up the staircase, “Declan, Crag?” I search the aisles, check behind the candy counter, it wouldn’t be the first time I caught Aggie’s sneaking fingers itching to get into the jars full of sweets.

When I see the aisles are empty, my breath hitches. Where are my children? They were just here, laughing, playing together. I try to swallow my panic, quickly making my way through the back room out to the small, square backyard where Milly and Miriam are cutting back the herbs, prepping the garden for winters hibernation.

In the storerooms dim interior, I crack my shin on a metal shelf in my haste. The pain in my shin has me limping, groaning a little in pain. I’m hunched over, rubbing my bruised ankle, when something grabs me from behind.

I screech in fear, screaming loud as strong arms lift me off the floor.
I struggle to see whose grabbed me, twisting, and turning.

All of a sudden, Aggie jumps out from behind the shelving, a witch mask covering her face, she yells, “Boo!” Then gut laughs, rolling on the floor at my screech. “Mamaí, did we scare you? Did we?” Aggie jumps to her feet, clapping her hands in delight.

I turn in Declan’s arms, his head thrown back in laughter, I glare up at his handsome face, and give him a good smack on the chest, only making him laugh harder.