Sinister

Chapter-3

I retrieved the leaflet from my pocket and hastily retreated to my bed. The Halloween leaflet boasted an unconventional design-no clichéd pumpkins or ghosts; instead, it featured eerie zombies and sinister squashes. As I perused its contents, I realized it read more like a haunting poem: "You never know when you'll encounter the souls of the departed... They may lurk beside you as you read these lines, or catch your eye in the dim of night. Beware, for the dead walk among us. Do not heed the call of trick-or-treating or the warnings of your guardians, for they are your true adversaries. Instead, journey to the Graveyard of the Afterlife for a night of spine-tingling encounters with the departed..."

October 31st at 8 p.m. Graveyard of the Afterlife 2567 Palmer Ride

"Ugh, I hate parties. Glad I ignored it," I muttered to myself. I never understood why teenagers enjoyed dancing around like madmen. Is that even fun? The last party I attended was a birthday party, and it was awful. The girl who invited me barely talked to me, and I didn't know anyone there. I sat alone in a corner, and a weird kid, barely twelve, came over, reeking of alcohol. How did they even sneak it in? Luckily, I escaped through the bathroom after seeing someone else do it. Thinking about all this made my eyes heavy, so I turned off the lights and lay back down. But as soon as I hit the bed, I felt wide awake. The moonlight pierced through the curtain, illuminating the room. I stayed awake, pondering my plans for tomorrow. I'd be home alone all day. For some, that's a chance to invite friends or lovers over, but for me, it meant a boring, solitary day. I turned over and closed my eyes, trying to sleep. The room was silent, even the crickets were quiet. I pulled the quilt up to my neck and lay still when the door slowly creaked open. I quickly sat up.

"Who's there?" My voice shook. The door was wide open, and I could see the banister in the faint moonlight.

"Brad, is that you? Don't you dare try to scare me?" But the corridor was silent. I turned on my table lamp, which flickered before settling.

"Brad?" I called louder. "Very funny!"

I marched to Brad's room and walked to his bed. "Brad, I know it was you," I said, but he didn't respond. He was fast asleep, his breath heavy. A sudden breeze chilled me, making me realize it might have been the wind that opened my door. The mirror in Brad's room seemed eerie; my reflection stared back at me, eyes deep and unsettling. I quickly turned away and tiptoed back to my room, hoping not to wake Brad. Then, a tall figure appeared before me. I screamed in horror and jumped back, feeling dizzy.

"Brooke?" It called my name. The lights turned on suddenly. I looked up and shouted.

"Mom?"

"Why on earth did you scream like that?" she said. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Mom, when did you get back?" I asked, my heart still pounding.

"Just five minutes ago. I saw you entering Brad's room and thought something was wrong." She looked shocked, her face pale.

"Don't worry," I said. "My door opened on its own, so I thought Brad did it. It was just the wind."

"Well, go to bed. It's already eleven. I've got work tomorrow."I slowly walked back to my room, making sure to lock the door this time. I lay down and covered myself with the quilt, thinking about the jump scare. I had never experienced anything like it. But I swear, I didn't know Mom was home, and there was no noise. I kept thinking about how Mom is shorter than me, yet the figure I saw was taller.

The alarm woke me up, and I slapped its top to stop the ringing. I had barely slept. It was eight in the morning, and I wanted more sleep, but Mom entered my room, applying something white on her face.