31 Frights of October

A Day in the Sun

Reagan chewed on his pencil at the dinner table, which was where he also happened to do his homeschooling. His sharp fangs dug into the wood of the pencil splitting it in half, wood chunks spewing into his mouth.

"Ew-uh!" Reagan recoiled, fixing his hunched posture as he repeatedly swatted at his tongue, his other 3 siblings all sat around the table shifted their attention to him, they glared intensely as he slowed down his movements until he sat motionless with his tongue hanging out his mouth.

His eldest sister Dalilah rolled her eyes, before attempting to ignore him entirely while the twins, Elizabeth and Rowan bit at their cheeks trying to mimic their older sister and finally, their mother stood at the other end of the dining table, her face hidden by the shadow of her thick black bangs.

She sprung up from her seat pushing her chair back, the antique wood set was quite heavy making it grate against the floor echoing a sound similar to "nails on a chalkboard" through the dining hall, Reagan winced flinching away from her.

Despite being so young his mother never held back on discipline, interrupting her lectures typically landed him a slap on the wrist and a few minutes in their make-shift detention.

Her sharp heels clicked against the floorboards, his siblings didn't dare watch as she approached. They all seemed to be suddenly mesmerized by their worksheets. Reagan's heart began to pick up its pace. His mother swayed her lanky limbs as she walked, her pale skin seeming duller under the chandelier light.

Finally she reached the end of the table where Reagan sat, she held her hand out her long black nails sharp as ever reaching out gesturing for his arm. He bowed his head the light creating ripples atop of his black messy hair, then he pulled back his white button up sleeves and placed his wrist within her claws.

With a swift motion she slapped the back of her other hand across his wrist, her acrylics doing most of the work, his pale white skin burning hot pink.

He looked up at his mother, she squinted, scanning his reaction to the punishment. Her eyes seemed to darken as she realized how used to punishment he was.

"I would say I expected better from you, but really. I don't. Detention, now." and with that she raised her nose to the cycling before clicking her way back down the ebony floors. He frantically looked around the room, watching his siblings reaction, none of them dared to oppose her- per usual.

He huffed and stomped his way down the hall into a cramped stairwell which seemed to twirl up endlessly, by the time he made it to the top he was gasping for air. It was a small tour peering out from the top of their castle, it was their detention. An empty room with nothing but a velvet lined antique wood chair and a large window showcasing a view of the peasants who lived below them.

Reagan sighed as he positioned himself on the chair stretching his spine in an attempt to peer out the window to the most he could, despite his efforts he could hardly see the roofs of the furthest houses from his chair. Defeatedly he slumped down and kicked his dress shoes at the stone floor. His mother would be up shortly to give him a stern talking to.

A few minutes later the rugged door to the tower slid open, his mother paced her way inside before leaning against the wall her funeral-like dress coating in dust from the bricks.

"Mother y-your dress-!" Reagan stampered his hands springing forward as he attempted to warn her, she hated anything untidy and she would certainly be more inclined to lose her temper if her gown were dirty. But despite his efforts to keep her cool she grew more hostile.

"Don't even say anything." she cut him off. Reagan's face grew hot and his eyes began to water.

"I have had enough of you being a delinquent, you are 10 years old, that is double digits! You should know how to act!" she hissed.