Forever Halloween With You

Chapter 1

October 2023

"Lavender Scott!" My mother yells from a nearby bookshelf, in my little bookshop I opened two months ago in my quaint town of Hadestown, Pennsylvania. I can hear her stomping nearing the register counter where I am trying to still comprehend this POS system. "What kind of filth are you selling?" She yells, flipping through the pages of a book titled 'Ice Planet Barbarians'. I can't help but giggle underneath my breath, "It sells." She rolls her eyes. "I'll see you for dinner Sunday," she says irritably. She walks straight towards the red entrance door, "Oh mother.." She turns before opening the door to exit. "Are you going to buy that?" I ask, a sly smile forming. She looks down at the filth. She cocks her eyebrows saying nothing and pushes through the door, the bell above ringing when she exits.

Hours pass with quite a few people scoping out my little bookshop 'Booksy's'. I never thought a small little dream would ever become my reality. I flourished through college thinking I wanted to be a lawyer or doctor, but ultimately graduated as a business major. I'm far too shy to become a lawyer or doctor, my whole life living in the shadow of my jock brother Lux. Pushed to the sidelines because my parents thought he would play baseball professionally. The golden child Lux. Over the years I began to know my place in my family.. which was know where, an outcast per se. I tried to let them get to know me-but they couldn't be bothered. I was the lone wolf-the black sheep, and I learned that it was better to embrace it then feel like shit because mommy and daddy didn't want anything to really do with me. As for Lux.. well he's an absolute shit head, so full of himself. Any time we are in a small proximity, I shut down, or avoid it all together. Holidays became tedious, but as I got older I distance myself more and more, and eventually never attending holidays all together. Better to be alone than to feel alone.

I stand at the brown wooden counter, flipping through the pages of my current read. I tip my head up looking around, taking in all the hard work I put into this place to make it what it is. The emerald green walls remind me of an enchanted fairytale forest, making my inner nerd shine, thinking of the Mirkwood Forest from 'The Hobbit'. I have strange paintings hanging all around the walls, all with bright golden frames. A small red Ikea chandelier hangs in the middle of the room.. I was on a budget. Bookshelves surround the right wall and back. There's a red door leading to an additional room to my left, where more shelves are practically the walls, filled with books. Mom told me I was silly to open a bookshop these days with Kindles and other e-readers on the market, but I didn't care. I know there are people who love the feel of the pages on their fingers, the smell of printed pages, and the ambiance of a bookstore.

Today was a good day business wise. With this 'Booktok' thing becoming a serious trend, I can't keep the smutty books on the shelves. Ten o'clock starts to approach as I adjust the books in the shelves that some customers put in backwards. I hear "Dreams", by Fleetwood Mac playing over the small stereo system I had installed in the shop a week ago. No ones here now as its late for this sleepy town, so I decide to sway and twirl like one of those witches from 'Outlander' in front of the stone hedges. Wish I had a Jamie Fraser. I'm not as outgoing as I wish I was.. I used to be back in high school. I was popular and loud with my cheerleading friends. That is until.. him. He ruined my reputation and my dignity. That's what I get for befriending someone-showing him kindness when I shouldn't have. I shut down after the incident. I was bullied, tormented, and hazed for being with the "freak". Those so called cheerleading friends would torture me to the point that I was contemplating my own life, I couldn't take the constant abuse. I didn't bother confiding in my parents, lord knows they would shame me for having anything to do with him. I thought I saw him, saw into his soul. We connected in a way I can't still wrap my head around, but it was a lie. He was a fraud.

Brushing my brown long locks out of my face, I sashay over to the front door to lock it up for the night. I flip the open sign backwards to close, but something catches my eye. It's dark on these streets with minimal light, but there's something moving.. or someone. Hadestown after nine is practically a ghost town, it's rural here. I tilt my head squinting my eyes, and just like that more movement from beyond the opposite side of the street. What is it? I can't help my inner Sherlock Holmes.. I unlock the door, opening it slightly. I peek out, looking across the street at the trees and brush, but now there is no movement. My terrible eyes must be playing tricks on me. My vision has progressively gotten worse over the years, probably from sitting too close to the tv watching classic horror movies. Glasses are my only relief from this shit vision, because I can't bear the thought of sticking a contact in them.

I poke my head back in, closing the door and locking it. I shake my head while still feeling unsettling in my stomach but decide to push it away. No more staying up late watching ID Channel for me. I start to walk over to the counter but I loud thud hits the front door sending me to jump and fall back, my ass planting on the floor. "What the fuck," I whisper to myself. I pull myself up on the counter, and cautiously walk over to the front door. Curiosity is going to kill me one of these days. I look around but there's nothing, that is until I look down at my mat outside. A white dove lays lifeless, but there's no blood to be seen. What I do notice is a pink ribbon wrapped around its small neck-a white paper intertwined in it. I glance once more making sure there's no one in arms reach to snatch me up, before opening the door quickly and snatching the note from the poor doves neck. I feel terrible doing even that.. poor little thing. I open the note and my body stills. Shivers run down my spine, while my hands tremble with the small piece of paper in my palm.

"Has my little dove flourished?"

I stay stationary like I've just seen a ghost. My body can't move, I think I am in shock. Thoughts run rapid through my brain and they just won't stop. It can't be. He can't be. I throw the paper on the ground running towards my purse behind the counter, but stop. Who am I going to call? My Mom? My oblivious Dad? Lux? The police? Rational thoughts start streaming through my mind. He's locked away, this is some kind of sick joke someone is playing on me. Maybe those old ex friends of mine are in town and haven't had their fill of bullying after all these years. I know for certain it can't be him. It just can't be..