Pumpkin Eater

October 8th

It was way too hot to go to the park that day.

You told Billie you wanted to wait until it was colder out...later this afternoon perhaps.

Billie wanted to go to the park now though....she said it would tire 4 year old Hayden out.

That way Hayden - the kid you were babysitting - could nap while you and her cuddled up in bed for a romantic movie.

She already had her mind made up so you just went along with it.

You sat in the shade at the park.

At the bench between the two cooling overhead trees.

Billie was supposed to be watching Hayden...

She's the one who insisted on going to the park that day anyway.

She was pushing Hayden on the swing.

You were checking your work emails on your phone....

You heard Billie scream.

When you looked up Hayden was dead.

His head was already rolling toward your feet.

Billie was covered in blood and standing there with tears of horror streaming down her face.

You had no idea what happened....and likely never would.

You were the only family at the park that day.

There were no cameras....

You didn't see what happened.

Hayden was dead and couldn't tell you what happened.

Billie was in too much shock to say anything.

She ended up getting committed.

You visited Billie in the mental hospital every chance you could, but her condition never changed.

The traumatizing horror on her face was imprinted.

It's like she was completely gone....replaced by a shell.

You feared you would forever wonder what happened to poor Hayden.

Billie didn't have any weapons on her when the police checked.

There were no snipers in the area.

Hayden's autopsy didn't reveal any clues.

There weren't even cut marks on his neck.

She couldn't have killed Hayden.

No one had any idea how Hayden's head just....fell off.

You had nightmares about it for years.

In one - Hayden's head was exploded by aliens.

In another - Hayden's head got wrapped around the swing chain and just...broke off.

Then - Billie was pushing him too hard and it flew off and hit you in the face.

You woke up screaming that night....

Of course Billie wasn't there to comfort you.

She was still locked up in the insane asylum.

You were terrified of swing sets after that.

You knew it was an irritional fear....but you couldn't help it.

There were much more questions regarding Hayden's mysterious death than there were answers.

The sun.....

It had something to do with the sun.

It had to be.

It was a hot day after all.....

Maybe it just got so hot.....his neck melted.

You didn't know for sure.

No one knew for sure.

That's why you decided to go to a medium.

You didn't really believe in spirits but if you could get some type of closure and rescue your girlfriend from the asylum - you were willing to try.

You nearly backed out when the medium told you, in order to contact Hayden's departed spirit you would need to revisit the playground he died - at night.

But you went.....

The crime scene tape wasn't up anymore.

They hadn't even bothered to get new swings.

The medium said you had to sit in the swing where Hayden died....

So you did....grabbing the chains as she instructed.

She lit candles around the swing....then she called out to Hayden's spirit.

Telling him you were waiting to push him on the swing.

You started getting nervous when you felt the seat shaking beneath you.

Then you felt the pressure in your lap.....like someone had just sat down on you.

Then you felt the small cold hands wrapping around yours.

You saw his blood covered pajamas appear first.

His head never appeared.... so you couldn't hear him speak....but blood appeared on the ground over by where his head had originally landed.

As the medium approached the bloody stain, you tried to stand up - but the pressure of the spirit kept you firmly in the swing.....even as he begun to kick his legs - moving the swing higher.....and higher.....and higher.....until your face smashed into the metal support beam at the top of the swing set with such velocity, that your teeth were forced through your gums.

Before you could even open your bloody mouth to scream - the support beam was slamming into your throat, cutting off your oxygen.

The metal rod broke - a sharp piece sticking out- as the swing swung forward once more - the metal piercing through your forehead - finally bringing you to a stop at the top of the bloody swing set.

You would have been mad about dying in the park....but Billie had been so traumatized by Hayden's death that her spirit had actually gotten stuck behind in the park that day.

She rushed forward to hug you once your spirit descended from the swing.

Hayden's spirit was stuck at the park too - but he still had a head.

To your shock, he rushed up to apologize to you.

He said whoever was on that swing with you wasn't him - but the same demon who stole his head- and the only way for him to get his head back was by promising him yours.