Page-Turning Tales

Part 4: Happy Halloween

"Good morning, sleepyhead," you hear your husband say as you groggily open your eyes in annoyance and see his freshly shaved face right next to yours.

"Ugh, what time is it," you groan with a yawn.

"It's 9:00 AM," Nick said, chuckling as he handed you a cup of... wine?

"Is this wine?" you ask, confused.

"Something like that," he says with a smile, "Don't worry. It will replenish those old weary bones of yours."

You were about to snap that you're only 32 years old, but you were too lazy and exhausted for that, so you just kept quiet as you take a sip of whatever concoction Nick had whipped up. It tasted... sweet. Aromatic. With a hint of fresh blackberries in the summer and dried grape leaves in the fall.

You watch as Nick stands up and opens the window blinds, letting the sunlight blast its rays all over the room... and onto you.

"Nick!" you yelp, closing your still-sleepy eyes from the intensity of the sudden light.

The bastard grinned, while still keeping away from the light. Weird, you think, but you shake the thought away as you finish your drink and lick the remaining liquid from your lips.

"You didn't forget what today is, did you?" Nick suddenly asks you, as he stands by the door.

"Hmm?" you ask genuinely as you try to shake off the remnants of sleep from your brain.

"Halloween. Today is Halloween, babydoll. Don't tell me you forgot the most important day of the year." He says, furrowing his eyebrows at you.

"Of course not, honey!" you say, shocked at his accusation, "I would never!"

But you think to yourself that was weird, as he never referred to Halloween as the most important day of the year. At least, not in the 6 years that you've known him for.

"Good, because I have a lot planned for today," he says, rubbing his hands together with a malicious look on his face, "Come on, hurry up and get dressed. We have a lot to prepare for tonight."

Once he left, you groan again, flinging yourself backwards on the bed. You hate Halloween. The costumes, the money spent for buying decorations just to impress the neighbors. The money spent on the candy for the ungrateful little shits who will steal all your candy and give you the finger.

You sigh in irritation and exhaustion, forcing yourself to get out of bed. After you showered, brushed your teeth, and dressed up in your beloved black cargo pants, combat boots, and camo hoodie, you trudge downstairs with a sudden burst of energy. Huh, maybe Nick was right, and that drink did replenish your "old and weary bones", because you feel refreshed and ready to do whatever was needed to be done.

You enter the kitchen to the sweet and aromatic smell of bacon and eggs sizzling on the stove. Your stomach grumbles in protest, and you quickly clear your throat in hopes that Nick didn't hear your complaining stomach. That hope diminished when you hear him chuckle as he plops the bacon strips and poached eggs onto a plate and sets the scrumptious looking breakfast in front of you on the table.

The bacon is still sizzling a little as you look a little bit closer at it and notice that the color of the meat was... different somehow. Perhaps it was a bit pinker than normal, but your stomach grumbles again and you decide to just eat it without asking why it looked different.

You take a nibble, and you close your eyes as you moan out loud in pleasure, the juicy crunchiness of the bacon strip melting in your mouth.

"That good, huh?" You hear Nick say. Opening your eyes, you see him leaning against the counter with his arms crossed and a satisfied smirk on his face, clearly enjoying your make-out session with the food.