Forever Halloween With You

Chapter 3

October 2023

Lavender

With shaky hands I walk out the front door, locking it behind me. I look around the street, the dimly lit lighting messing up my vision. "No one is here," I say to myself. I place the keys in my pocket walking towards the side of the building to the stairs. This building and two others have upstairs quarters, which is convenient considering most of the buildings are on top of another. I walk up the steep stairs, my wedge heels clanking on each step as I progress forward. I leave my home door open considering I work just below. I turn the knob and am entered by my non-aesthetic studio apartment. It's not much, but it's everything to me.. it's mine. Right of me is my small little kitchen with marble counter tops, and to my left is my L-shaped white couch. It pulls out to a full bed. On the wall in front of my bed is a 4K fifty inch tv, where I indulge in my murder mystery shows. Plants hang from the ceiling, which all need water. I'm a plant mom. I throw my keys on the small white table next to the door, and shred my wedges off, flinging them across the room. I wouldn't say I am messy but it's just me.

I walk over to the fridge opening and immediately closing it. I don't want to cook right now.. Door Dash it is. I slump on the couch, nestling into its velvety touch, before grabbing the Roku remote and pulling up Netflix. I'm not sure what I am in the mood for tonight, shall it be romance? Or shall it be 'Unsolved Mysteries'? I decide on 'Unsolved Mysteries", laying back and skimming my phone for restaurants that are open. I'm so eagerly trying to avoid the thought of the dove, and the note. I'm trying to erase it from my mind, as if it never happened. Some terrible prank.. poor dove.

I sit for a while watching my show, unable to order any food.. the thought of that poor bird. A knock bangs loud on my door sending me jumping, "Hello it's Thursday!" I take in a deep breath, pulling my hair behind my ear. "It's open", I yell over my mystery stories on the tv. Bianca waltz's in, with a bottle of wine in hand, and a huge grin on her face. "Ready to get buzzed?" She asks, placing the bottle on the counter. "I forgot it was Thursday." She pulls her sneakers off and throws them at the door. "What do you mean you forgot? It's our drunk day!" She yells, her black bob-cut hair wiping in front her face. "I'll get the glasses," she says, walking towards the cabinets. I slump back in the couch, a sense of relief coming over me.

My eyes are engaged on the TV, but Bianca's hand pushes a glass in mine. "Thanks," I say with a smile. I don't look at her because I know once I do, she will know something is wrong. Not even five minutes later I hear her as she sits down next to me, "What's wrong?" I've grown up being the lone wolf, the black sheep, it's hard to confide in anyone. Bianca was one of my friends in high school outside of cheerleading. Our lockers were right next to each other and our class were practically in sync. Back then she was the black haired girl with over sized glasses like I, but she had a glow-up. We became good friends, and when I was being tormented.. bullied she was there to save me. My best friend. She stuck by me when she didn't have too, lived a life of high school bullying along side me.. my person. She knows when something is wrong, she can feel it. I take a sip of the red bitter wine she chose for this Thursday, the taste making me gag a bit. "Nothing.. just," I stop, hesitant to tell her. She sits close, chugging her wine down. "Out with it then," she demands. I shift on the couch a bit to scared to confess my worries. "I think he's back.." She practically chokes on her wine, "There is no way." "I'm telling you.. there was a dead dove in front of the shop," I pause. Turning towards her, her face seems skeptical. "There was a note.." She stands from the couch walking back over to the kitchen, that's only a few feet away. "He's not back. It's in your head." I shake my head in agreement, "Yeah, has to be in my head."

*

Bianca lay passed out on my pull out. I nudge her, trying to wake her but it's no use, the red wine hit her hard. I decide to go down to my book shop, my mind won't stop racing with thoughts of him. "Before you go.. theirs a box of chocolates on the side of your porch, I didn't bring it in.. too busy thinking of the wine," she says in a drunken state. "Seriously?", I say, bringing my hands to my head. Frustration overcomes me along with shear panic, it can't be him.. I walk to the door before turning back around to yell at Bianca some more, but the snores are echoing through this little place. "Ugh." I pull back the door to find the red heart shaped chocolate box sitting there to the side, Bianca most likely pushed it over in a hurry to get her drink on. She drinks like an Irishman on St. Patty's day all the time, and I don't know how her liver hasn't shut down at this rate. Picking up the box delicately, I scan it for anything out of the normal, but nothing. No note, no dead animal inside, just chocolates. I don't dare eat one so I just place the box on the banister and brush off the weird gesture before trotting down the stairs to my shop.

*

Hours go by and I didn't even realize. I was cuddled up on one of several sherpa upholstery chairs that I have around the place. I had to do it all myself, buying the sherpa blankets from target, buying the staple gun and measuring it all out. It was a bitch to do, but they all came out very nice. They're all array of colors, one is black, one a burnt orange, and two green to match the walls. It gives off a Halloween vibe, which I love, it's my favorite time of year. With it right around the corner too, I'm hoping to get some trick or treaters. I'm balls deep in one of those filthy books, this one titled, 'Birthday Girl'. It's one of those books that I just put down, which is making my sleepless and slightly buzzed night go by, but my body is in much need of water. I get up searching the counter for a water bottle that I swore I put there but it's not. I walk around the counter looking down at the few shelves and find one.. it's probably days old but I don't care at this point. I refuse to walk up those stairs to my apartment right now. I check my apple watch to see the time is 3:24 a.m. I really should get some sleep at some point but memories of him keep running through my head, like a person running a 5k marathon. I shake my head trying to brush the thoughts away, but they keep flooding back in ten fold. Maybe I want to remember, maybe that's why my brain is doing this subconscious dance. I take a big gulp of the water and take my place back on the chair, letting my mind mold back to those times..

"Kai," he says right before the bell rings. "Huh?" I close my book, stacking the other two on top of them.

"You asked for my name didn't you?"

"Oh yeah, I'm.."

"I know who you are already. You're hard to miss," he says, taking his one book and walking away and out of the library.

I jolt from the chair like a demon has left my body after an exorcism, to the sound of a rock or some object hitting my front window. "What the fuck.." I look around the room, rubbing my eyes from under my glasses. My vision isn't right yet. I look down at my watch, 4:30 a.m. Another bang hits the door and this time it sounds like it's someone hitting it. My body stays still, but I push myself to look at the door. "Police department, is anyone there?" They yell. I shake my head back and forth quickly to wake myself more, and walk towards the door. I peer out the window to see two officers standing there, looking very wary. I unlock it quickly and opening it, "Something I can do for you officers?" I ask in a sluggish voice. "Hi, we um..we came here with some news," police officer one says from the right. I've never seen him before, he's young and blonde, must be a rookie. "Hi Lavender, this is police officer Sawyer, he's my rookie," Officer Sanders says, gesturing to Sawyer. I nod, "Everything okay?" I ask, looking between the two. Officer Sanders is the oldest cop in town, I only know him somewhat personal from picking my brother up from bars wasted beyond belief and dropping him at my parents house back in the day. His winkles have become more prominent now, and his grey hair has turned white. "Well honey.. not really," he looks over at Sawyer, whose face I can't read. "Gennie Fields and Quinn Waters were both found murdered. I know you were friends with them back in the day, I'm not sure if you still keep in touch..", he stops, waiting for me to say something. "I.. where? I know that they were visiting there families," I stammer, pulling my hand up to my mouth and biting on my pointer finger. "Both were found slaughter in there families homes.. the reason I come here is because I just want you to be aware and cautious. Some sicko is out there, and we promise to get to the bottom of this and catch this guy but.. you live alone. You knew them.. it seems like a planned attack. Have you seen anything strange going on around here?" He asks. I can't tell him.. I won't just in case. Plus if I walk around this town saying Malachi is on the loose, people will definitely turn their heads. I'll be the town loon, "Nope, nothing strange around here," I lie. "Alright well we are just a phone call away if you see anything, sorry for it being so late," Sanders says. "Of course I will, i'll keep an eye out." They both nod their heads, before walking back to their patrol car. I shut the door and lock it quickly..

"I'm going to kill them," Malachi says, as we sit behind one of the tall bookshelves in the library. "Malachi, this is your fault. I shouldn't have let you.." I stop, looking over at him. "Let me what Lav?" He asks with an irritated voice. "I shouldn't have even associated myself with you." He stands violently from the ground, punching the bookshelf. "You wanted it," He yells, pulling his hood over his head. I shake my head with tears falling from my eyes. He pulls my hands up so I stand in front of him, I look up at him, "I can't Kai." He brushes his hand over my cheeks, "You'll regret this.."