Nonstop Halloween

Chapter 1: October 29

Before I start, there's something you should know.
I am terrified.
And I am especially terrified by Halloween.

Now, for most of you, Halloween is a fun holiday dedicated to costumes, parties, candy, and horror movies. For me, it's a holiday dedicated to my worst nightmares. My name is John and I'm scared of my own shadow. I've always been this way. I guess it's because my dad was a horror fanatic and I was around all of that scary stuff. It doesn't matter because he left when I was six and we've not heard from him since. You may want to bookmark this, I have: Achluophobia (the dark), Arachnophobia, Acrophobia (heights), Aichmophobia (needles), Apiphobia (bees), Arsonphobia (fire), Astraphobia (thunder and lightning), Aviophobia (flying), Chiroptophobia (bats), Claustrophobia, Coimetrophobia (cemeteries), Coulrophobia (clowns), Cynophobia (dogs, literally my worst fear of all), Demonophobia (demons), Dentophobia (dentists), Glossophobia (public speaking), Hemophobia (blood), Hydrophobia (water), Iatrophobia (going to the doctor's), Insectophobia (insects), Ligyrophobia (loud noises), Limnophobia (lakes), Musophobia (mice), Necrophobia (death), Nosocomephobia (hospitals), Ophidiophobia (snakes), Orinthophobia (birds), Phasmophobia (ghosts), Samhainophobia (Halloween), Sciophobia (shadows), Scelerophobia (burglars), Selacophobia (sharks), Tapheophobia (being buried alive), Trypanophobia (injections), and finally Xyrophobia (razors). Yeah. Thirty five.

I hate myself for a lot of reasons but being so easily scared makes me a target at school. I'm just fun to mess with. Like, the other day Sam Anderson stuck a plastic tarantula in my lunch when I wasn't looking and I had to be taken to the nurse because I was panicking so much (it looked real, okay?). The only person who doesn't want to immediately invalidate me is my best friend, Lilith. She's the exact opposite of me. She's all goth and wants to summon spirits and isn't afraid of much. I'm lucky that she's willing to stick up for me, but that can't physically stop me from having panic attacks. I've passed out at school three times already. Once a month. At least it got me out of public speaking? No? Yeah, I hate it too.

My therapist told me to take some anxiety pills but, uh, the side effects included depression and it angered me because I felt this need to hurt myself but with my fears of death, razors, and of course blood, I couldn't do anything and that made it so much worse. They decided they'd rather have me nervous than severely depressed.

I'm getting off topic, back to Halloween. My usual routine includes staying in and handing out candy or occasionally going out with Lilith in some well lit and specific areas. This year, I don't even have a costume

"Hey John? Earth to John. Yo, scaredy cat!" Lilith snaps. I jump. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention at lunch, "Yes?"
"Halloween is Friday." Lilith smirks. It's her favorite holiday, which makes me feel bad that I hate it.
"Don't remind me." I sigh.
"What if I gave you an opportunity to be cool?" She raises an eyebrow.
"Lilith, I'm wearing a Star Wars shirt and you're a part of a dying subculture...wait is that a pentacle necklace?? Do you want to raise demons from Hell or just freak me out?" I ask. "Both, and I know we aren't cool but little miss Emily Jackson is having her Halloween party this Friday night and, let's just say, we got invited." Lilith says, not being able to contain her excitement.
"Okay first of all: HOW?! Second: WHO?! Third: Since when do we care about being cool?" I blurt out.
"Jamie, of student council, scored an invite since he's dating Emily's friend, and then three people were not able to come so three slots opened up. Seeing as the football team manager got one, and we aren't head cheerleaders, I simply reminded Jamie that I have pictures of him very recently cheating on his girlfriend. It's safe to say that he accepted my blackmail." Lilith relays the story as she eats her fries. Normally I'd be excited but this makes me feel like something isn't right.
"Are...are they going to prank us? More specifically, me?" I ask nervously.
"If they do, that picture goes up." Lilith smiles slightly.
"Okay, but what if we make idiots of ourselves?? And by that I mean what if I have a panic attack." I say.
"Well, aside from the fact it'll be a bit dark, crowded, loud, and it's Halloween, you should be fine. If you get nervous just step outside and take a deep breath." Lilith advises.
I nod, understanding that that might mean I would have to be alone (it's a little fear, not big enough to be a phobia, just something that makes me nervous). "Now, it's time to look into costumes: something that matches, but not stupid or something that makes us look like we're dating." She thinks.
"Uh, Wednesday and Pugsley? Or is that basic?" I squint.
"No, it's perfect! We can go to this place I love after school." Lilith exclaims as the bell signifying the end of lunch occurs, "Meet me by Annabelle Lee."
Annabelle Lee is the beaten up black car Lilith got for her sixteenth birthday, surprisingly it's not a hearse.
I'm worried, as usual, because this is the first time we've been invited to a party and I mean, we're juniors. There's a trick that's going to be played. Lilith could turn out like Carrie and things could be far worse for me. I shudder at the thought and throw my trash away, moving outside to the courtyard, just trying to get out of the way before Cameron can-a hand shoves me against the brick wall. I sigh helplessly, "Hi, Cameron."
He laughs sickeningly, "Hey, freak."
Cameron has been my tormentor since fourth grade. He's always looking for a way to either beat or humiliate me, and it's not difficult for him to find one.
"Let's see, do I want to break your nose or do I want to scare the shit out of you?" He smirks as  he shoved a fist towards my face. I wince out of reflex. "How about both?" He laughs.

Before I can even think to fight back, I'm being pulled out of the courtyard and down a hall. The security guards around don't even blink. Cameron's your standard star athlete so he's practically untouchable. Not to mention the fact that we're in a crowd of apathetic students. Cameron shoves me into an open janitors closet, I fall hard and gasp in fear and pain. It's not until he shuts the door that I realize my nose is bleeding. Okay so three of my fears are with me: small spaces, blood, and the dark. Not to mention, there's probably tons of spiders and other bugs and oh god I don't know what else. I cry out for help.
That's when I hear footsteps.

Help? No, hell. The door swings open to reveal Cameron again. He tosses me a plastic bag and slams the door shut. I look inside the bag and feel around: crackers and a water bottle? They can't leave me here. "Look, I'll do whatever you want just don't-..." The door slams shut. I continue to cry out in frustration. The darkness is getting to me. Wait. I have a flashlight in my pocket! I turn it on and shine it in the room, everything looks pretty standard for a janitor's closet, except for that skeleton in the corner.
Hold up.
Skeleton?